The 2021 school year has begun and Noozhawk’s Private & Independent School Guide is sure to make things easy when planning for your child’s education! Our school guide provides you and your child with all the necessary information about private schools in Santa Barbara County.
To give parents the tools to help make informed decisions about which school is the best fit for their kids in Santa Barbara, Noozhawk has conducted a series of interviews with representatives of local private & independent schools for this year’s school guide.
In this interview, Noozhawk talked with Lisa De Beule, Director of Marketing and Communications at Montessori Center School to learn more about what they offer at their school.
Montessori Center School
Question: What is the name of your school and what grade levels do you offer?
Answer: Montessori Center School. MCS serves students ages 18 months through 6th grade.
Q: How is your school operated or governed?
A: MCS is a nonprofit, independent school governed by a Board of Trustees. The daily operations of the school are handled by our Head of School. Please use the link below to learn more about the role of our Board of Trustees.
Q: Are you offering in-person or online instruction this academic year?
A: Montessori Center School is currently offering onsite instruction, five days a week for students ages 18 months – sixth grade.
Q: What curriculum is available and taught at your school?
A: Montessori is a method of education based on the planes of development identified by Maria Montessori. Each environment is set up to cater to the particular ages of the students it serves, prepared carefully to inspire creativity, engage interest and spark a love of learning.
Students are offered choices of activities within the structure of the classroom that feature hands-on learning experiences, collaborative student interaction and guided lessons by Montessori trained teachers.
Montessori has its own unique curriculum which is broad and expansive, allowing teachers a large range of lessons for all learning levels. The curriculum is individualized for each child.
Montessori classrooms incorporate the use of specialized educational materials created or inspired by Maria Montessori. The materials are organized by their specific curricular areas, including: Language, Mathematics, Practical Life, Sensorial and Cultural (all sciences).
MCS aligns the Montessori curriculum with the state standards every few years to be sure it is covering all the necessary areas of learning. The Montessori curriculum goes more deeply into many subjects than traditional curriculum.
Q: Can you describe your student-to-teacher ratio?
A: Our student to teacher ratio at the Pre-Primary level (18 months-3 years) is 6:1. Our Primary and Elementary classrooms have a 12:1 student to teacher ratio.
Q: How does your school select/hire teachers, and how does it invest in their continuing education?
A: As a Montessori school, we hire Montessori-trained teachers for our head teacher positions in our classrooms. We look for teachers who have experience working with children, appropriate education for the level for which they are applying and an appreciation and understanding of the Montessori method.
We sometimes sponsor the training of teachers we feel are a good fit for our school and we also provide opportunities for professional development such as Montessori conferences, workshops, and webinars that would be useful for our staff. Recently our staff has participated in COVID-19 training as well as anti-bias training.
Q: What sports or extracurricular activities does your school offer?
A: MCS has an intramural soccer team for children in grades 4-6. This program is on hold for now due to COVID. Our extracurricular offerings vary each season and include athletic, artistic and STEAM-based programs. At the moment, our sports and extracurricular activities are on hold due to COVID.
Q: Describe how your school measures student progress.
A: We use several tools to measure our students’ progress throughout the year. Montessori philosophy believes deeply in consistent observation of the student. Our teachers observe the students daily, taking into account academic progress, independence, pace, quality of work and motivation.
We also use DIBELS reading and math benchmark screeners that we administer 3x/year to identify any students who may need additional support.
For students in third grade and older, we use the Terra Nova standardized test annually. Anyone in our community can refer a student to our Student Support Services for additional resources and assistance when needed.
We have an on-site Learning Specialist who works with many of our students to provide extra support and intervention. We hold parent conferences twice a year and provide additional meetings as needed. Conference reports are generated twice a year for elementary students and once a year for our preschool students.
Q: How does your school address special education needs?
A: The Montessori Method uses a flexible, open-ended and child-centered curriculum which is well-suited for children with varying ability levels. Montessori teachers are trained observers who individualize and modify their instruction for all students.
The Student Support Services program at MCS provides the infrastructure to support students with learning differences and ensures diverse learning needs are met within the classroom.
Our Student Support Services Director helps facilitate the identification, assessment and case management of students and coordinates communication between parents, teachers and outside service providers.
When learning issues or high potential learners are identified, the team creates a plan to work with the parents and outside service providers to determine strategies, interventions and accommodations to best support the student’s needs.
Q: What opportunities do you provide for parent involvement?
A: MCS has a strong parent community and prides itself on families taking an active role in their children’s education.
MCS boasts a dynamic parent group, called the MPO (Montessori Parent Organization). The purpose of the MPO is to foster and celebrate a strong sense of community while furthering the MCS mission.
Our MPO offers a variety of ways for members to participate in school life in a meaningful way and offer their time and talents to the MCS community. Coordinated by a group of parents, the mission of the MPO includes providing parent education opportunities, supporting new families, and supporting various school activities by coordinating volunteers.
During COVID we are not able to offer in-person volunteer opportunities for parents on campus, however we are offering virtual ways for parents to support our classrooms.
MCS has a long history of generosity and giving through fundraising opportunities as well. This year, due to COVID restrictions, we are thinking out of the box and planning some virtual events.
Each classroom has a volunteer classroom representative who helps to organize art projects and baskets for our main fundraising event, which is usually an auction gala. With the help of our parents, we are planning creative ways to continue fundraising for our wonderful school.
Q: What is the cost of tuition to attend your school?
A: Montessori Center School’s 2021-2022 tuition rates range from $13,310- $20,410 annually. This covers the ten-month academic school year. The tuition depends upon the program level. Please find below a link to our tuition rates found on our website.
Q: Do you offer scholarships, and if so, what are the criteria to apply?
A: MCS does have a financial aid program. For more information regarding the financial aid process please visit the link below.
Click here for more information about Montessori Center School.