Daycroft Montessori School (www.daycroft.org) of Ann Arbor has mapped out the full schedule for “Montessori Fundays” – a program introducing prospective parents and their preschool children to the school’s highly personalized learning approach – for the 2011-12 school year.
The Montessori Fundays series for early fall ended in mid-October. The late fall series is running now and will conclude in mid-December. It will be followed by additional series in early winter, late winter, early spring, and late spring.
On Montessori Fundays, a Daycroft teacher guides children ages 18 months to three years through introductory lessons using Montessori materials. “This gives parents a real sense of the Daycroft educational experience,” said Michele Buchanan, Daycroft’s director of preprimary education. “Parents can see how learning can be fun and effective when their young child, guided by our teachers, makes choices about what he or she learns.”
Find out what's happening in Salinefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Twice a Week for Up to Six Weeks, or Single Lessons
A Fundays program consists of two lessons per week. Parents can choose from Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays, for either five or six weeks, depending on the season. All lessons take place from 9:00 am to 10:30 am at Daycroft’s Preprimary Campus at 100 E. Oakbrook Dr., in the Briarwood Mall area.
Find out what's happening in Salinefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Daycroft’s five-week Fundays programs for early fall began the week of September 12 and will end the week of October 10. In late fall, the school will hold six-week Fundays programs beginning the week of October 24 and ending the week of December 12.
In the late-fall Fundays programs, there will be no lessons during the week of November 21-25, taking a break for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The early winter programs will begin the week of January 9 and end the week of February 15. There will be no Fundays lesson on Monday, January 16 for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
Late winter programs begin the week of February 27 and end the week of March 28. Early spring programs begin the week of April 9 and end the week of May 9.
The late spring programs, beginning the week of May 14 and ending the week of June 14, are relatively brief. They total seven or eight lessons, with the difference being that there will be no lesson on May 21 for Memorial Day.
The cost is $20 per lesson for a multi-week program, or $22 for a single lesson. There is a limit of 10 students per class.
Try It with One Free Lesson
Daycroft has held seasonal Montessori Fundays series since fall 2010. The program, per Buchanan, has been well received. She noted, “Getting an early taste of the Montessori educational approach can help smooth the transition to a Montessori preschool for a young student. A number of children who have participated in Montessori Fundays are now preschool students here at Daycroft for the current school year.”
Open enrollment for Montessori Fundays is preceded by in-house enrollment for students who attended previous Fundays sessions or who are siblings of current Daycroft students.
Parents who are interested in enrolling their children are advised to act quickly. “This is a popular program,” says Buchanan. “It fills quickly.”
To register their children or ask questions about Montessori Fundays, parents may contact Daycroft’s Preprimary Campus at (734) 930-0333. Email: micheleb@daycroft.org. Parents may also learn more about the program, and sign up online, at www.daycroft.org/about/montessori_fundays.html.
Parents may enroll a child for one free lesson. Pre-registration is required, to help maintain the limit on class size. Parents can call and mention code WS2010 to get the free lesson.
About Daycroft Montessori School
Daycroft Montessori School blends the distinctive student-centered teaching methods of Maria Montessori with traditional and progressive teaching methods. Daycroft thus accomplishes its educational mission: to provide a personalized learning environment that appreciates individual differences, nurtures the whole child, and enables students to develop at their own pace and achieve to their full potential.
Daycroft is one of Washtenaw County’s leading private schools. It began as a preschool program in 1968. Daycroft has since grown to include a full-day kindergarten program, an elementary school program through 6th grade, before-school and after-school care, summer camp programs, and enrichment classes.
Daycroft has earned accreditation from the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS; www.isacs.org). It is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS; www.nais.org), and is affiliated with the American Montessori Society (AMS; www.amshq.org).
Daycroft Preprimary School (preschool and kindergarten) is at 100 E. Oakbrook Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Phone: (734) 930-0333.
Daycroft Elementary School (grades K through 6) and Daycroft’s administrative offices are at 1095 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103. Phone: (734) 662-3335.