Parent Involvement
MMUMS, ME & US Montessori School was envisioned and created as a quality Montessori School for infants, toddlers, and young children. Part of its core mission is to be a family and community resource. The administration and faculty at MMUMS strongly believe that parent involvement, engagement, education, and support should be a part of every early childhood education program.
While custodial parents always have the right to be admitted to the center as required by §63.2-1509 of the Code of Virginia, at MMUMS, ME & US Montessori School we welcome parents to be more intimately involved with our school. As such, we extend an open invitation to parents, family members, and important adults in children’s lives to spend time with us. We are also open to and welcome a huge variety of participation from family and community members that promotes children’s education and the well-being of children and their families.
Be creative! You may think you don’t have skills or knowledge to offer but be assured that is not the case. Send an email or set up a time to chat with the Head of School or faculty about your ideas.
Each classroom has different participation opportunities based on the children’s developmental stages. There are a myriad of ways that parents and families can participate.
Here are a few general suggestions:
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Read a book to your child’s class.
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Help us with gardening/planting projects.
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Observe your child’s class.
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Introduce your personal talents, skills, and life experiences to your child’s class (a foreign language, playing an instrument, a cultural meal or celebration, etc.)
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Create/make classroom materials.
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Babysitting and Outside Care Conflict of Interest
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It is inappropriate for parents to employ MMUMS faculty and staff for in-home childcare. This policy is furnished to maintain the professional integrity of our school program. Parents that employ MMUMS faculty for in-home childcare are liable to MINE, ME & US Montessori School for a finder’s fee of $1000. This policy will be enforced legally if needed.
MMUMS faculty may not provide babysitting or childcare for MMUMS students at any time.
Late Pick-Up Policy
The MMUMS school day ends promptly at 5:00 pm. Children must be picked up in enough time to vacate the property by 5:00 pm. Arriving to pick up a child past closing time is considered a late pick-up.
If an authorized person has not arrived to pick up your child by 5:00 pm, we will call parents at that time. If after 15 minutes the child has not been picked up, we will begin calling emergency contacts and family members to pick up the child. If an authorized person has not contacted MMUMS or picked up the child by 45 minutes after the end of the school day, we will contact the authorities for guidance.
If you know in advance that you are going to be late, please call the school as soon as possible. Faculty and administration will make accommodations for children waiting for their parents, but parents need to be aware that this encroaches on the faculty’s personal time and keeps them from managing their own personal commitments until all children are picked up.
*Please remember that when you pick up your child close to the end of the school day, your child’s teachers are at the end of their workday and are ready to go home to their own families and personal time. Please RESPECT their time and make sure that you and your child are ready to leave school no later than 5:00pm.
We understand that circumstances can change very quickly during the day and even at the last minute, causing minor delays in arriving at school. However, persistent late pick-up, including those with advance notice, place a major strain on both the child and the faculty at MMUMS. Repeated violation of this policy (e.g. picking up your child past 5:00 pm) will result in a meeting with the Head of School to come up with a plan moving forward to pick up your child on time. Following this meeting, if late pick-up persists, this could be cause for termination from the school on the grounds of the undue burden it places on everyone involved and the disrespect it communicates on your behalf.
Communication Channels
At MMUMS we strive to foster clear and robust communication between home and school. The chart below offers guidance regarding the proper channels to use for gaining information and solving problems.
Matter Pertains to
Who to contact
Child’s progress, classroom activities, class procedures, assistant teachers, teaching aides, behavior, and discipline
Lead Guide
Pedagogical issues, academic policy, admissions, parent education, facilities, legal matters, fundraising, student records, observations, registration and tours, parent volunteering, billing/accounts, changes in tuition
Head of School
With Administration
MMUMS culture of communication with Head of School is one of open and frequent communication and an open-door policy. Communication with the Head of School can be via in-person conversations, phone, email, text, and Slack.com, or Brightwheel.
With Teachers
MMUMS uses several avenues of communication with the parent community. Teachers may use Transparent Classroom, Slack.com, Brightwheel, and school email.
It is prohibited to have professional conversations with parents via personal phone, text, or email.