Working Together

2010

Table of Contents
Dear BMS Families This Working Together booklet is designed to assist you in your first 5 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 10 10 10 10 11 12 12 13 14 14 15 15 15 15 16 16 17 few weeks at BMS, but is also useful as an ongoing resource. I invite Of current parents to review this booklet for up to date information. Expectations of a particular interest is the inclusion of Montessori Community, which is in Appendix 1. Please ensure you take the time to read through these expectations. Please feel comfortable to ask staff or myself if there is anything else you need to know. All of this information and more is us on our by website: can also email: www.bms.qld.edu.au. contact You

General BMS Details and School Map Expectations of a Montessori Community Communication at BMS Communication Channels for Families BMS Communicating with Families Structure of BMS Schools and Houses School Governance Out of School Hours Care Settling your Child into School Child Readiness New Experiences for our Younger Children New Experiences we feel as Parents Classroom Protocols Infant and Toddler 0 3 years Junior School 3 6 years Primary School 6 12 years Student Progress Reporting Health and Safety Food Clothing Caring for the Health of Children and Staff Resilience Policy Administering Prescribed Medication Head Lice Parents at BMS Montessori Education for Parents Role of Parents in our Montessori Classrooms Montessori Family Association Financial Responsibilities Payment of School Tuition 2010 Schedule of Tuition Payments Child Care Benefit on Tuition Voluntary Building Fund Withdrawing from BMS Withdrawal Policy Policy for Returning Families Appendix 1 Expectations of a Montessori Community

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enquiries@bms.qld.edu.au. Please enjoy our community at

Brisbane Montessori School, and we will endeavour to make your time with us valuable and rewarding. Yours faithfully Steven Arnold Principal Brisbane Montessori School February 2010

Map of Brisbane Montessori School

General BMS Details

Contact Details Brisbane Montessori School Mactier Street Fig Tree Pocket QLD 4069 Postal PO Box 681 Kenmore QLD 4069 Telephone and Facsimile Numbers Telephone: 3878 1666 Facsimile: 3878 3953 Absentee Line: 3327 0600 Out of School Hours Care: 3327 0603 Website The school website is at www.bms.qld.edu.au. Throughout this orientation book you will find many references to the website. Please consult it regularly for updated information on school events on the School Calendar. Parking at BMS To ensure the safety of everyones children please ensure that you respect all road signs and traffic markings around the BMS campus. Children are to be supervised at all times when getting in and out of cars and around the carpark. There is ample parking available in the carpark at the front of the school. Please do not park on the road that is beyond the barriers at the Upper Primary Buildings and beside the Infant and Toddler Community. These areas are left clear for emergency vehicle access. There is an allocated staff car park which is accessed from Mactier Street. This car park is not available for parents to use and parking in, or adjacent to, this car park, (ie on Mactier Street) puts your children at risk and restricts the flow of traffic.

There is a safety 2 minute drop off and pick up zone adjacent to the Peace Pole, and if this area is unavailable please park your car and walk safely across the pedestrian crossing. Map of BMS Please refer to the map on the previous page for the location of all the buildings, playgrounds and sporting areas.

Expectations of a Montessori Community

All working communities benefit from a shared understanding of expectations. As a school community there are shared expectations for a Montessori Class Director, a Montessori parent and a Montessori student. Please refer to Appendix 1: Expectations of a Montessori Community and make yourself familiar with each area.

Communication at BMS
Communication Channels for Families
The school community is best supported through mutual acceptance, respect and support between staff, students and parents. When you require clarification on educational, general school or other matters, please in the first instance, consult with your Class Director. They are always your first and immediate point of contact at the school. If further discussions are required the heads of Junior School and of Primary School will become involved, alongside the Class Director. If there are any issues that remain unresolved then the Principal will be involved to facilitate an outcome and provide a final ruling. email: headjunior@bms.qld.edu.au email: headprimary@bms.qld.edu.au 3

All financial matters need to be directed to the Business Manager and in the event of a dispute the Principal will provide a final ruling. email: businessmanager@bms.qld.edu.au The Grievance Procedure can be downloaded from the website: www.bms.qld.edu.au/Policies and Procedures/Grievance Procedure

BMS Communicating with Families

General School Correspondence The majority of our school correspondence, including letters, forms and notices, are posted to your home address. At times the school will also email information to you; please ensure that the school has email addresses for both parents and that you inform the school of any changes. Class Representatives and Weekly Whats On Email Each week an email will be sent to you, via your class representative, which gives you an overview of the school events for the coming week. Please ensure that your class representative has your current email; if you are unsure whether they do then send an email to the office with your details and House name. email: parentsupport@bms.qld.edu.au Term Newsletter Il Bollettino Each month the school publishes a newsletter, which gives an overview of events past and future. The link will be sent to you by email from your class representative, or you can download directly from the website at www.bms.qld.edu.au/Publications. Term House Letters Each classroom provides a letter or update to their families, which gives an overview of past activities or upcoming activities.

Permission Forms and Notices School activities where there is a cost involved, where your child is required to travel off-site, or where supervision is necessary, will require parental consent and you will be notified in writing. Permission notes will be distributed to the children and will be available on the website. Each child needs to have permission granted by their parents before participating. www.bms.qld.edu.au/Forms House Noticeboards Please check the noticeboards outside your classrooms on a regular basis for new postings of seminars and student events. Annual Focus Magazine This is the schools annual magazine which celebrates the work of the students over the year. It is published in early December and costs $10. email: marketing@bms.qld.edu.au

Structure of BMS
Schools and Houses
Brisbane Montessori School has three key Montessori education offerings. Below is an overview of the schools and their staff. All staff can be contacted by email, using their firstname@bms.qld.edu.au. Infant and Toddler Community (0 3 years) This community has three Houses; Gumnut House caters for the 018months old children and Banksia House and Lotus House caters for the 18months 3 year olds. email: infanttoddler@bms.qld.edu.au Junior School (3 6 years) There are three classrooms in the Junior School; Melaleuca, Waratah and Casuarina Houses. email: junior@bms.qld.edu.au

Primary School (6 12 years) The Lower Primary school has two Houses for the 6 9 year olds; Dunnart and Wondai Houses. email: lowerprimary@bms.qld.edu.au The Upper Primary has two Houses, Amanzi and Poseidon, for the 9 12 year olds. email: upperprimary@bms.qld.edu.au

childs willingness to accept and master new experiences. Academic ability is not our main criterion for considering your childs readiness for school. Throughout your interview process the Principal and the Class Director consider your childs readiness in this holistic context. After a period of two weeks settling in your child is now considered fully enrolled is expected to be at school everyday.

School Governance
Brisbane Montessori School is governed by a Board of Directors and each Director is elected to the Company Montessori School Limited, from the parent body on an annual basis. As a company member you are entitled to vote at the AGMs and to stand for election. To be able to nominate for election you are required to have a current Blue Card. The office can assist you with documentation to get a Blue Card. email: enquiries@bms.qld.edu.au The Board of Directors have legal responsibility for the schools affairs, however the Principal manages the school on a day-to-day basis. email: board@bms.qld.edu.au www.bms.qld.edu.au/About BMS/Governance

New Experiences for Our Younger Children

Now that your child has started their full-time program his/her social and academic experiences will be enhanced. Below are some of the skills your child will start to develop and / or refine straight away. Keeping track of belongings The school provides specific storage areas so you can keep track of how your child is looking after clothes, shoes and so on. Understanding Order Zipping, buttoning and general self care skills will arise out of the necessity of having to take care of oneself in the classroom. Children will want to learn these skills as they will see the older children carrying them out. Sharing an Adult The child will learn how to share the attentions of an adult with other children. Self-Control Freedom of choice is an inherent part of a fully functioning Montessori classroom, however freedom is within the limits of the well-being of the community. Each child will become sympathetic to the needs of the whole community.

Out of School Hours Care

For those families using OSHC please consult the OSHC Handbook for all relevant details. You can also refer to the website for booking forms and vacation care details. email: oshc@bms.qld.edu.au www.bms.qld.edu.au/OSHC

Settling Your Child into School

Child Readiness
The Class Director is interested in the whole child, his/her ability to communicate, cooperate and the

Development of Language New experiences and feelings will eventually broaden your childs range of expression. Children experience a strong drive to improve themselves in relation to the school community. Independence Assist your child in their natural development for independence. For the younger child, allow them to carry their own bags, make choices (from a limited offering) about their lunches and what clothes to wear that day. For the slightly older child (lower primary) they are able to make their own lunches and may elect to take themselves to class of a morning, without you.

Classroom Protocols
Infant and Toddler 0 3 years
The Infant and Toddler Communities are designed for the exclusive use of children and we, the parents, are guests in these communities. While you accompany your child to these classrooms sessions please: minimise all adult conversations be there wholly for your child who is attending; a younger sibling over 3 months of age requires separate care use a quiet and calm voice at all times and move quietly focus on what your child chooses switch your mobile to silent and refrain from text messaging in some cases shoes are to be left outside and adults are required to wear socks email: infanttoddler@bms.qld.edu.au

New Experiences we feel as Parents

A sense of loss of closeness, control and intimacy. As parents we are the first educators of our child. As our child becomes ready for school, they also become ready to embrace experiences away from parents. They are embarking upon their important journey of acquiring independence and we as parents are honoured to support them in this journey. The acquisition of independence is a fundamental human tendency and the child will relish in this opportunity each day, while the parent can feel at a loss. Please ensure your goodbyes are as buoyant and as short as possible. Moving away from the classroom straight away allows your child time to re-orientate to the classroom community, without the lingering, and often painful, separation experience.

Junior School 3 6 years

Starting and Finishing The students attending Junior School will attend either from 9am 12noon, or from 9am 3pm. The classroom doors are open from 8.50am and a member of staff will be at the door to greet the children. The staff will start the mornings work at 9am and therefore may not be able to be at the door to greet students who come after that time. If your arrival time is after 9am, please allow your child to come into the classroom of their own accord. Being on Time It is important and respectful that your child is at school on time as it is disruptive for the classroom community to have students enter the classroom late. It can also be distressing for the child to enter late, as the Class Director and the other students are already engaged in their morning activities.

Signing in and Out Each child must be signed in and signed out; the sheet is found a table adjacent to the entry door. Communicating with the Classroom Staff Dropping off and picking up your child is a very busy time for the staff. It may not be possible to talk at length, or some days even briefly, with the staff. Please use the communication book, which is located on a table adjacent to the classroom entry to write important notes regarding your child, eg to attend OSHC. Alternatively please arrange a meeting time. Hanging Up Belongings Please allow your child to hang up their own belongings. This is an important part of their developing functional independence and they must have the opportunity to take responsibility for their belongings, ie to know which hook their bag is on, where their hat and esky are and so forth. Entering the Classroom Every Montessori classroom has been designed to cater for the needs of the child, and this includes the number of adults. This is of particular importance in the 3 6 classrooms. Please always wait to be invited into the classroom by the staff, as additional adults in the classroom can be very disruptive to a young childs concentration. Transferring to Out of School Hours Care Those children whose parents have indicated OSHC attendance, or those children not collected by 12.15pm (for the morning program) and 3.15pm, will be taken to OSHC and signed in. Consult the OSHC Handbook for charges. emai: headjunior@bms.qld.edu.au

Primary School 6 12 years

Starting and Finishing Primary students start their school day at 8.45am. The bell will sound at 8.40am and students make their way to class and get ready for an 8.45am start. Classroom doors are often open from 8.30am. The school day ends at 3pm and any child remaining on the verandas after 3.15pm will be asked to go to OSHC. Consult the OSHC Handbook for charges. Being on Time It is important and respectful that your child is at school on time as it is disruptive for the classroom community to have students enter the classroom late. It can also be distressing for the child to enter late, as the Class Director and the other students are already engaged in their morning activities. Entering the Classroom Every Montessori classroom has been designed to cater for the needs of the child, and this includes the number of adults. Please always wait to be invited into the classroom by the staff, as additional adults in the classroom can be very disruptive to the children. Support their Independence The 6 12 year old child is very capable and parents are asked to ensure that children are taking responsibility for their own belongings, including the carrying of items to and from class, making own lunches and managing their rubbish. Classroom Stationery All stationery items are provided in the classrooms. Please do not send novelty items to school with your child, as they can cause disturbance, distraction and may be lost. email: headprimary@bms.qld.edu.au

Student Progress Reporting

All students are provided with formal written progress reports at the end of Terms 2 and 4. Photographic reports are provided for the younger students in Term 4. You will have an opportunity to review the reports before you meet with the Class Director for an interview. It is your responsibility to ensure that you engage the Class Director in any concerns you have regarding your childs progress at school.

and concentration for all children, please do not provide a traditional iced cake. Please choose a healthier option such as a fruit platter or vegetables and dips.

Clothing
Children are required to wear practical, casual clothing to school as Brisbane Montessori School does not have a uniform. For the very young child it is important that this clothing is easy for the child to take off and replace with new clothing. Being able to change out of wet or dirty clothing supports the childs developing independence. A general guide as follows: hats that protects the face, neck, head and ears. Hats are required whenever the children are outside. Wide brimmed hats or legionnaires caps are available for purchase from the office. Children without hats are unable to participate in playtime or sports events, and can only access shaded areas. shirts with collars and sleeves and they need to fully cover the abdomen. shoes closed in shoes for protection of the childrens feet. Thongs, open sandals and shoes with heels are not acceptable footwear at school.

Health and Safety

Food
All students are required to bring their own snacks and lunches to Brisbane Montessori School and all food must be healthy and supportive of the childs need to concentrate. Please ensure that your child has adequate food, especially if your child is required to attend Out of School Hours Care, either in the morning or afternoon. A small esky is useful for keeping the food cool and fresh. Unless organised for a special occasion, lunches are not shared with other children. Please be mindful that some children in your childs class may have severe food allergies, some of which are life threatening. There is a No Nut Policy across the school, which includes peanuts. Foods high in sugar (including dairy desserts, many bought biscuits and some muesli bars) and all sweets, lollies, chocolate, chips, cordials and softdrinks are not appropriate food and drink items for children at school. Please do not include them in your childs lunch box. When celebrating your childs birthday in class, in the interests of the health

Caring for the Health of Children and Staff

In a close school environment infection can spread very rapidly, resulting in many children and staff members being absent. Children who are ill must remain at home until the infectious period has passed. Please ensure that you call the Absentee Line (3327 0600) to notify the school of your childs absence, every day that your child is absent from school. If your child is sick for more than three days please provide the school with a note indicating that.

Any child that becomes unexpectedly unwell will be directed to the First Aid Room at the office for assessment. If the qualified staff member on duty believes that the child needs to go home, then parents will be advised immediately to come to school to collect their child. In the event that neither parent can be reached within a reasonable amount of time, your emergency contacts will be telephoned. For this reason please keep all emergency data (including contacts, allergies and health professionals) up to date. The First Aid Room is unable to have children who are unwell remain there for extended periods of time. Please ensure that you come to school promptly to collect your unwell child if you are requested to do so.

aggressor and a sense of being oppressed on the part of the victim. There are three broad categories of bullying. Direct Physical Bullying, eg, hitting, tripping and pushing or damaging property Direct Verbal Bullying, eg, name calling, insults, homophobic or racist remarks, verbal abuse. Indirect Bullying this form of bullying is harder to recognise and often carried out behind the bullied students back. It is designed to harm someones social reputation and/or cause humiliation. Indirect bullying includes: lying and spreading rumours playing nasty jokes to embarrass and humiliate provoking a food-allergic reaction mimicking encouraging others to socially exclude someone damaging someones social reputation and social acceptance cyber-bulling which involves the use of email, text messages or chat rooms to humiliate and distress.

Resilience Policy
At Brisbane Montessori School we have an interest in supporting our children to become independent citizens. A part of growing up is learning to deal with conflict and conflict resolution. For your interest our Resilience Policy is included below, to assist you and help your child through these learning experiences. This Policy is taken from the Independent Schools Queenslands Anti-Bullying Policy. Definitions Bullying is repeated oppression, psychological or physical, of a less powerful person by a more powerful person and occurs when someone, or a group of people, upset or create a risk to another persons health and safety, or their property, reputation or social acceptance. Bullying involves a desire to hurt + hurtful action + a power imbalance + (typically) repetition + an unjust use of power + evident enjoyment by the

Cyber-bullying or e-bullying is a reasonably recent type of bullying which involves the use of information and communication technologies such as email, mobile telephone and text messages, instant messaging (SMS), chat rooms and video internet sits, eg, YouTube. It can be particularly harmful because it can happen anywhere and at any time. Thus young people who are the victims of cyber-bullying have no place where they feel safe. If the bullying is of a serious and threatening nature then obviously it becomes a legal issue and students and parents should seek advice by reporting the matter to the police.

If bullying amounts to harm as referred to in the schools Child Protection Policy then the matter must be dealt with under the Child Protection Policy. What Bullying is not: mutual conflict where there is an argument or disagreement between students but not an imbalance of power. Both parties are upset and usually both want a resolution to the problem. However, unresolved mutual conflict sometimes develops into a bullying situation with one person becoming targeted repeatedly for retaliation in a one-sided way. Social rejection or dislike it is not feasible to think that every student must like every other student. Refusing to play with a particular child or, for example, not inviting them to a birthday party is not bullying, provided social rejection is not directed towards someone specific and involves deliberate and repeated attempts to cause distress, exclude or create dislike by others. Single-episode acts of nastiness or meanness, or random acts of aggression or intimidation. A single episode of nastiness, physical aggression, verbal abuse or an occasional push or shove is not bullying, neither is nastiness or physical aggression directed towards many different students. The difference is that bullying is, by definition, action that happens on more than one occasion. However, since schools have a duty of care to provide a student with a safe and supportive school environment, single episodes of nastiness or physical aggression should not be ignored or condoned.

In the event of inappropriate behaviour (of which bullying is one form) support your child by communicating directly with your Class Director. In the first instance the school will manage all student conflicts with the relevant staff members. All situations will be dealt with in a professional manner. Please seek support from the Principal

Administering Prescribed Medication

The law requires an Official Register of the Administration of Drugs to Student to be maintained, which includes pain relief and alternative medicines. It records all occasions when medication is administered at school. This record must include copies of necessary letters from parents and medical practitioners. For those occasions when parents do request that a staff member administer prescribed medication during school hours, you will need to give the staff member permission by completing the form Permission to Administer Medication, which can be downloaded from the website. www.bms.qld.edu.au/Forms The medication needs to be appropriately labelled with the students name and the following information included: name of drug, use by date, name of medical practitioner prescribing the drug, purpose, dosage and frequency of medication. Any medication not labelled adequately will not be administered.

Head Lice
Head lice is a common occurrence in school environments and must be treated immediately to stop the spread to other students. Head lice (pediculosis) is not a notifiable condition and head lice do not transmit any infectious diseases.

For more information refer to the Independent Schools Queensland Anti-Bullying Policy. www.aisq.qld.edu.au

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If you child has head lice they will be directed to the First Aid Room at the office and you will be called to come and collect your child. Treatment needs to start immediately. For more information refer to the Health Policies on the website: www.bms.qld.edu.au/Policies and Procedures

There are a number of education seminars to choose from and we ask you to attend one seminar per term. Parent Education Seminars The Montessori education seminars for parents are held once / term. The Junior School staff present topics for parents of the 0 6 year old children and the Primary School staff hold seminars for the parents of the 6 12 year old children. These two different planes of development represent two distinct groups of learners and classroom environments, and our parenting, ideally, needs to reflect those differences. As a Montessori school we take the responsibility to offer education to our parents about the different stages your child will move through; we expect, on behalf of your child, that you actively embrace this journey with us. These seminars will appear on the website calendar, be advertised in the Whats On which is distributed every week and will also appear in notice form outside your classroom www.bms.qld.edu.au/School Calendar Journey and Discovery and Journey Through the Curriculum Programs Journey and Discovery In choosing a Montessori education for your child, you are making a considerable departure from the traditional learning environment. Journey and Discovery will guide you through an amazing journey into the learning environment that is constructed for your child. The knowledge gained from this experience helps parents to understand their childrens learning process. Part 1 is on Friday evening and Part 2 is on Saturday morning, where you will spend your time using and learning from the Montessori equipment.

Parents at BMS
Montessori Education for Parents
Montessori education is multi-faceted and offers an extraordinary breadth of insight into humanity. Education at Brisbane Montessori School offers an opportunity to develop independence, selfconfidence and self esteem. The unique program, centred on the child, encourages the development of personal responsibility, thinking processes and fosters a love of learning. The Montessori movement is also about large scale social reform and world peace. The prepared environment and the curriculum in a Montessori school supports each child in their development of awareness of self and their tolerance of difference. It is these qualities that allow a child to develop their own sense of inner peace, and as they mature into adults this peace forms part of who they are and the world they live in. Brisbane Montessori school also offers parents a comprehensive program to support their journey through understanding the complexities of Montessori education. Gaining a useful level of understanding will support your childs education more effectively, as you will appreciate the classroom and the learning and developmental needs of your child when they change and how you respond in your parenting.

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Attendance at Journey and Discovery is a contractual obligation of enrolment at Brisbane Montessori School and we recommend that you attend at least once every three years. Journey Through the Curriculum This 3 hour evening session will fasttrack you through the materials and learning processes associated with one area of the curriculum. You can elect to attend this session to meet your contractual obligation to complete a Journey and Discovery program. One of these programs are scheduled each term. Principals Forum These sessions are held twice / year and are an opportunity to meet with the Principal and to bring up any issues associated with the school. Classroom Observations As part of your enrolment process you have done a 1 hour classroom observation. Now that your child has started school you are invited to observe again, so that you can see your child interacting within the classroom community. Observations are available in the mornings and can be arranged directly with your Class Director. It is important that you schedule a debriefing meeting with your Class Director post the observation if you would like to discuss any concerns.

depend also on our future parents and it is for this reason that parents are actively encouraged to become involved in the school. Whilst personal and business commitments may make it challenging to participate, there are many options available and hopefully just one of them will suit your family circumstances. Some of the ways you can become involved at Brisbane Montessori school include: becoming a class representatives or a member of various school committees assisting the Class Directors through the donation of time, goods, services and experiences, or through the weekly workshops for making resource materials for the classrooms assisting in the classroom at the request of the class director in areas such as art/craft, music, cooking, physical education, language providing administrative clerical or organisational assistance nominating for board membership supporting fundraising activities through the Montessori Family Association (MFA).

Role of Parents in our Montessori Classrooms / Community

In a dynamic school such as ours, parents involvement in support of the school goals is essential. The success and development of the school has been to a large extent due to the willingness of parents to give time and energy to work and contribute in a variety of ways. The continuation of this success will

It is particularly important for the Primary students to be accessing knowledge from sources outside of the classroom. When parents bring their expertise and experience into the classroom you provide the students with a broader and more richer learning experience. Your own child will find your classroom visits very gratifying and it sends a powerful message to the child of positive support for their education.

Montessori Family Association (MFA)

The Montessori Family Association is the umbrella under which many school committees, social and fundraising

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events take place. The Montessori Family Association (MFA) is there to support the staff and curriculum of the school, and to also provide additional social opportunities. Please contact the MFA to find out how you can be involved, either as an occasional contributor or as part of an ongoing commitment. email: mfa@bms.qld.edu.au

Monthly Instalments for direct debit only are: Term 1 15.01.10 15.02.10 15.03.10 Term 2 15.04.10 17.05.10 15.06.10 Term 3 15.07.10 16.08.10 15.09.10 Term 4 15.10.10 15.11.10 15.12.10 Monthly instalments are due on the 15th of each month and where that date falls on a weekend, the following Monday will be the accepted date for payment. The months affected are May and August.

Financial Responsibilities
Payment of School Tuition
You will be invoiced for school tuition each term and this is payable on the second Friday of each new term. Unless you have pre-arranged for an extension on payment of tuition with the Business Manager, then you will incur a $100 late fee for payments made after the due date. This will be added to your next terms invoice. The following payment options are available: Direct debit Bank: ANZ Kenmore. BSB: 014-272. Account No: 198800838. Please use invoice number and surname as EFT reference. Credit Card Visa and Mastercard. Cheque made out to Brisbane Montessori School.

Child Care Benefit on Tuition Fees

Child care benefits are payable to eligible parents for school tuition paid for children who are between 3 5 years old. The school will automatically provide you with a receipt every term showing all tuition monies paid and you are required to claim your entitlement from Centrelink. The schools provider number is 555 016 329K. You must claim for this benefit within 12 months of the receipt being issued otherwise Centrelink will not reimburse you.

Voluntary Building Fund

The voluntary Building Fund contribution is fully tax deductible. School maintenance is an ongoing activity for any school business. It is of particular interest to a Montessori school since we value highly a beautiful environment for our children. Dr Montessoris scientific observations showed that childrens learning is positively affected by a beautifully prepared environment. Part of that prepared environment is to maintain the beauty of the classrooms and the grounds in general. For this reason we ask each of our families to honour the payment of the voluntary Building Fund donation. This donation is extremely valuable for the schools ability to service the ongoing building and maintenance, and it is a tax deductible item for each

2010 Schedule of Tuition Payments

Lump Sum Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Term 4 Payment Dates are: 5 February 30 April 23 July 15 October

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family. The voluntary Building Fund Donation is included as a line item on every invoice for term tuition. A comprehensive list of building and maintenance projects is available from the Business Manager.

wish to re-enrol, are required to reenter the enrolments process, from the Application for Enrolment stage. The only exceptions will be made by the Principal, and notice of conditions and acceptable period of withdrawal will be given in writing to the applying family.

Withdrawing from BMS

Withdrawal Policy
When you enrolled your child at Brisbane Montessori School you agreed to enter into an enrolment contract. This contract (refer to Clause 6) states that parents are required to give the Principal one full terms notice in writing, when a student is to be withdrawn from school, either for a short-term withdrawal or for cancellation of enrolment. If withdrawal is to be effective at the end of the school year, written notice must be given by the end of Term 3. Parents who do not give the required period of notice will be liable to pay the following terms tuition fees in full, in lieu of sufficient notice. If a child is withdrawn part way through a term fees will not be refunded unless a terms notice had already been given to the Principal. In the event of a temporary withdrawal of the student from the school (eg, for overseas / interstate visits), the school requires that all fees for the period of withdrawal are paid in advance before departure. This ensures that your childs enrolment stays current. The Principal must be notified in writing for any absence exceeding 2 weeks.

Policy for Returning Families

Families who cancel their enrolment contract and withdraw children from the school, who then at a later date

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Appendix 1
Brisbane Montessori School Expectations of a Montessori Community
Expectations of a Montessori Teacher Know the student be able to discuss students interests know the students own perception of self know students strengths and weaknesses Work patterns be able to describe students preferred work habits and motivation handwriting style, book work and organisation able to provide for a variety of working styles within a learning period Expectations of a Montessori Parent understand the strong drives within a student, turn-ons and turn-offs able to clearly express their own agenda and expectations of the student knows personal strengths and weaknesses be able to create work friendly environments at home for student aware of parents own working patterns and other influences on students development understand the true nature of the students work in a Montessori setting aware of patterns and recent changes within students development observe and discuss students reactions to situations making suggestions about development accurate observations of physical, social, academic and spiritual changes; able to discuss these observations with teaching staff genuinely curious in students learning, for reasons of sharing and discussion, not valuing and judging have clear understanding of learning as an inner experience and not always as an externally quantifiable one is different to other education systems Expectations of a Montessori Student be able to describe own interests be able to construct learning around interests be aware of a natural range of abilities across all people

be able to choose preferred learning mode able to articulate own strengths and work patterns able to ask for assistance or find alternative means of self motivation

Development

discuss students development with respect to special tendencies and sensitive periods and characteristics of the age in Montessori theory explain physical, social, academic and spiritual qualities of the plane of development relative to the student discuss expectations of the future and possible changes for the student list the challenges that face the student, and a strategy for developing each one list the strengths that empower the student, and a technique to empower the student with each list useful motivators that spark the student

observe own behaviour relative to peers aware of students in different planes (younger or older) having different needs aware of the nature of development and learning is not a linear progression

Learning

that learning feels good and makes you feel better about yourself that through asking a question you can discover anything and satisfy a curiosity that completion and procedure systems support learning

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Expectations of a Montessori Teacher Independence be able to offer independence appropriate activities for student to do at home with parents have independence activities appropriate to students own level within the school, complete with REAL risks explain expectations associated with freedoms and responsibilities to student know current friendships and work mates know academic peers, and seek links able to pre-empt potential personality clashes through careful management maintain an interesting and rich curriculum maintain a safe and invigorating space challenge and motivate the students questioning and learning maintains strict expectations of appropriate and inappropriate behaviour and language provide opportunities for learning hospitality, grace and courtesy etiquette and manners are modeled and expected deliver a cosmic education, exploring the links between all events, following the students needs monitor and track progress against stated goals report progress using these goals offer a range of analytical skills offer a range of opportunities for deep thought offer a diverse set of opportunities to process material offer models and alternatives to violence explore peaceful resolutions and processes in conflicts provide a peaceful environment -

Expectations of a Montessori Parent supportive, available ONLY on request to student provide independence situations at home, share these with the teaching staff allow room and time for mistakes -

Expectations of a Montessori Student free and motivated to choose appropriate learning events understands the relationship between freedom and responsibility is free from extrinsic motivators and is open to intrinsic motivations

Social Development

know the names of friends, involve friends and family in out of school settings be comfortable to ring and discuss with students friends parents be accepting of others, while also being honest supportive, able to share interesting things / pictures / experiences from home provide clear standards of cleanliness and orderliness as standards at home promote respect for furniture and property use only highest standards of respect and appropriate behaviours in front of children and in dealing with children reinforce appropriate behaviours from children monitor language use understand the aims of a Cosmic Education question where understanding is not complete support staff in curriculum delivery

have a variety of social interactions in a range of situations learn about self through interactions with others reflect on the nature of society and groups of people uses the available resources to the maximum is respectful of the space and others mindful of the special nature of a learning environment

Environment

Grace and Courtesy

Curriculum

Thinking Peace -

understand that social interactions are at the heart of all human endeavours should know what is appropriate in a given situation and act accordingly expect and receive respect from those around them absorb, consciously or subconsciously, the world as an interrelated set of experiences have the ability to respond to experiences empowered to react to the world

to promote further learning to incorporate family experiences into learning to value and cherish opinions and arguments reduce conflicts through alternatives actively promote peace as a value demonstrate and model peaceful processes

to challenge and be challenged to understand self to understand self in the world

know that there is a peaceful way access, share and promote peace have zero tolerance for non peaceful activity

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Brisbane Montessori School

School Vision The attainment of peace, through preparation of the child. School Mission To assist children to become caring, happy, responsible, independent world citizens, through an inviting and prepared environment, created by loving, knowledgeable adults.

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