Thank you for your interest in the Montessori School of McLean!
In order to maintain fidelity to the full Montessori experience, Primary students are admitted with the expectation their parents intend to continue enrollment throughout the entirety of the three-year program in which they are placed and are open to learning about the Montessori approach to learning at the Elementary level (grades 1 – 6)
- for the Pre-Primary (toddler) class and
- for the Primary program, this is the kindergarten year (age 5 by September 30);
- for the Elementary school, this is third year for Lower Elementary (age 9) and sixth year for Upper Elementary (age 12)
Admission Process for the Primary level
(age 3 by September 30 - age 6)
Step 1) Attend a School Tour: The School Tours are held on specific Monday mornings. The Tour consists of a Power Point presentation in the Science Lab; a walk through the school with the members of the Admission team, an opportunity to briefly observe the working classrooms, and a follow-up session for questions and answers back in the Science Lab.
Step 2) Classroom Observation Visit: After your School Tour, schedule your Classroom Observation Visit because at MSM we believe the best way for you to select a school is to see it firsthand. Classroom Observation Visits last a minimum of thirty (30) minutes and are hosted on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings prior to the application deadline. You will be invited to spend time in a Primary classroom and quietly observe the teachers and children. Paper applications are contained in the Application folder you receive during your Classroom Observation Visit.
Step 3) Complete an Admissions Application: Complete and submit the Application Form and Parent Questionnaire found in the Application Packet you receive at your Classroom Observation Visit along with the $125 Application Fee by the Primary Application deadline of January 31, 2020.
Step 4) Have Your Child Visit and Parent Interview: Please schedule your twenty-minute, individual Child Visit through me in the Admissions office. The purpose of the Child Visit is to assess your child's developmental readiness for the program to which you are applying, to familiarize your child with the environment, and to help determine the best classroom placement for your child. Individual Child Visits for the September 2020 school year will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings in October through mid-February. Child Visits should be completed as soon as possible after you’ve submitted your Application.
- Parent Interview: While your child is visiting with a Primary teacher, we will have a chance to review your application together and answer questions you may have about Montessori and MSM. This process will help us each determine if our school is truly a good match for your family. We encourage you to submit your completed Application immediately following your Classroom Observation Visit in order for your child to participate in one of the Child Visit mornings prior to when the Admission Committee meets mid-February.
Step 5) Sign a Contract and remit your Enrollment Deposit: After the school has completed its re-registration process in February, you will receive written notification of the decision made by the Admission Committee. Notifications will be sent the first week of March 2020.
We look forward to meeting you and having the opportunity of working together with you and your family in the future!
Admission Results
We will notify you either:
a) that we are offering your child a place at MSM,
b) that your child's application has been placed in the wait-pool, or
c) that we are unable to accommodate your child.
If we are able to offer your child a place, you will receive a Tuition Contract as part of that notification. Please sign the contract, make a copy for your records, and submit the original to the office with the specified Enrollment Deposit. There is a reasonable amount of time, usually one week, to sign and submit the contract.
Once the contract and deposit have been received in the office, a place will be reserved for your child. Applications received after the Application Deadline will be processed on the availability of places in the requested program.
Students are admitted with the expectation that their parents intend to continue enrollment throughout the entirety of the three-year program in which the child is placed.