I am still decidedly on the fence about it. There are a few Montessori related elements that I am still warming up to, for example, calling everything work, not sure if it's a joyful place or a more muted place, teacher is a bit conservative, no pet in the classroom.
But none of those are a big deal. The real thing that's getting to me is the co-op nature, meaning the financial and time requests. I feel nickle and dimed about everything. We've already received 5 invoices, every time I look up there is a request for fundraising, in every newsletter and weekly email there is mention of a fundraising or meeting need, I get emails from my committee about needs, etc. A few irritating examples:
1. On her birthday, I was sent home a letter that one way for me to celebrate would be to make a donation.
2. We took class photos. They sent home a complete, non-draft set of prints and then followed up to say that we could keep them all and pay what I consider a steep price or return them all within 2 days and they would destroy them.
3. While I was spending 3 hours on Saturday at a "maintenance day" cleaning the school, I received a huge email from the social committee asking for a variety of things. Now, this is for their "Holiday party." How many generic holiday parties have a Santa where all the kids take turns sitting on Santa's lap and taking Polaroids?
It's not that bad. I'm on one committee and I only have to do 2 maintenance days a year. And I'm only responsible for snack one week a year (although it'll likely be 2 next year if we stay which we likely will). But, I really can't stand the ongoing interaction, especially when so little of it is about Zoe. I am looking for a school not a completely new life. And she doesn't even go full day. Ok, that's it. Rant finished.
4 comments:
tks for sharing your frustration. I don't feel too bad then for not having Rachel in school yet.
My family is puzzled byt the fact that school here is not full day for toddlers like it is in Belgiu. Kids who are 2.5 years old and clean go to public (FREE) school.
Yeah, I hear ya. As with any pedagogy there are great things and things that you wish could be different. But the pick up service at the door - I'd be LOVING that. Even though it has nothing to do with Montessori. The fundraising kills me.
We had Kara on a waitlist for fully accredited Montessori (we ended up chosing a closer non-accredited Montessori). Glad we did as the "proper" Montessori sounds exactly like the one you describe - $$ after $$. At Kara's one we have to provide snacks 2 weeks each year. There's been hop-a-thons and the like, but they let all the kida participate whether they raised money or not. And they seem to prefer family get togethers where the kids have learnt "class songs" rather than maintenance days. But all schools have things that you like and dislike!
The constant fundraising would annoy me - that's what you pay tuition for, right? It would particularly annoy me if I got a letter about making a donation to honor my kid's birthday. The day, after all, is supposed to be about my kid - not the pre-school I send them to.
On the other hand, a coop aspect is a nice way to be involved with your child's school, though bringing snack 1 or 2 weeks a year isn't probably the involvment you were looking for. Something more substantive in the classroom would be nice.
When did the class pet idea go by the wayside? I thought they were getting a lizard.
Santa seems sort of ridiculous. You can't be the only non-Christian family in the school, right? I'd let the directress know that including Santa means excluding Zoe and others, and that you're really disappointed by this decision. At Connor's school, the kids have a simple winter celebration, that involves the kids taking a walk, lighting candles, and having some cookies and punch afterwards.
All valid complaints, my friend. And of course it doesn't mean you don't love the school, it just means you don't love some aspects of it.
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