working together booklet

8/6/2019 Working Together Booklet

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/working-together-booklet 1/18

2010

Working

Together



Table of Contents

General BMS Details and School Map 4

Expectations of a Montessori Community 5

Communication at BMSCommunication Channels for Families 5BMS Communicating with Families 6

Structure of BMSSchools and Houses 6School Governance 7Out of School Hours Care 7

Settling your Child into SchoolChild Readiness 7New Experiences for our Younger Children 7New Experiences we feel as Parents 8

Classroom ProtocolsInfant and Toddler 0 – 3 years 8Junior School 3 – 6 years 8Primary School 6 – 12 years 9Student Progress Reporting 10

Health and SafetyFood 10Clothing 10Caring for the Health of Children and Staff 10Resilience Policy 11Administering Prescribed Medication 12Head Lice 12

Parents at BMSMontessori Education for Parents 13Role of Parents in our Montessori Classrooms 14Montessori Family Association 14

Financial ResponsibilitiesPayment of School Tuition 152010 Schedule of Tuition Payments 15Child Care Benefit on Tuition 15Voluntary Building Fund 15

Withdrawing from BMSWithdrawal Policy 16Policy for Returning Families 16

Appendix 1 – Expectations of a Montessori 17Community

Dear BMS Families

This “Working Together” booklet is

designed to assist you in your first

few weeks at BMS, but is also useful

as an ongoing resource. I invite

current parents to review this booklet

for up to date information. Of

particular interest is the inclusion of

“Expectations of a 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 informationand more is on our website:

www.bms.qld.edu.au. You can also

contact us by email:

[email protected].

Please enjoy our community at

Brisbane Montessori School, and we

will endeavour to make your time withus valuable and rewarding.

Yours faithfully

Steven Arnold

Principal

Brisbane Montessori School

February 2010



2

Map of Brisbane Montessori School



3

General BMS Details

Contact DetailsBrisbane Montessori SchoolMactier StreetFig Tree Pocket QLD 4069

PostalPO Box 681Kenmore QLD 4069

Telephone and Facsimile Numbers

Telephone: 3878 1666Facsimile: 3878 3953Absentee Line: 3327 0600Out of School Hours Care: 3327 0603

Website

The school website is atwww.bms.qld.edu.au . Throughout thisorientation book you will find manyreferences to the website. Pleaseconsult it regularly for updatedinformation on school events on theSchool Calendar.

Parking at BMS

To ensure the safety of everyone’s

children please ensure that yourespect all road signs and trafficmarkings around the BMS campus.Children are to be supervised at alltimes when getting in and out of carsand around the carpark.

There is ample parking available in thecarpark at the front of the school.Please do not park on the road that isbeyond the barriers at the Upper Primary Buildings and beside the

Infant and Toddler Community. Theseareas are left clear for emergencyvehicle access.

There is an allocated staff car parkwhich is accessed from Mactier

Street. This car park is notavailable for parents to use and

parking in, or adjacent to, this car park, (ie on Mactier Street) putsyour children at risk and restrictsthe flow of traffic.

There is a safety 2 minute drop off andpick up zone adjacent to the PeacePole, and if this area is unavailableplease park your car and walk safelyacross the pedestrian crossing.

Map of BMS

Please refer to the map on the previous page for the location of all thebuildings, playgrounds and sportingareas.

Expectations of aMontessori Community

All working communities benefit from ashared understanding of expectations.As a school community there areshared expectations for a MontessoriClass Director, a Montessori parentand a Montessori student. Pleaserefer to Appendix 1: Expectations of aMontessori Community and makeyourself familiar with each area.

Communication at BMSCommunication Channels for

Families

The school community is bestsupported through mutual acceptance,respect and support between staff,students and parents.

When you require clarification oneducational, general school or other matters, please in the first instance,consult with your Class Director. Theyare always your first and immediatepoint of contact at the school. If further discussions are required theheads of Junior School and of PrimarySchool will become involved,alongside the Class Director. If thereare any issues that remain unresolvedthen the Principal will be involved tofacilitate an outcome and provide a

final ruling.email: [email protected]

email: [email protected]



4

All financial matters need to bedirected to the Business Manager andin the event of a dispute the Principalwill provide a final ruling.email: [email protected]

The Grievance Procedure can bedownloaded from the website:www.bms.qld.edu.au/Policies andProcedures/Grievance Procedure

BMS Communicating withFamilies

General School Correspondence

The majority of our schoolcorrespondence, including letters,forms and notices, are posted to your home address. At times the schoolwill also email information to you;please ensure that the school hasemail addresses for both parents andthat you inform the school of anychanges.

Class Representatives and WeeklyWhat’s On Email

Each week an email will be sent to

you, via your class representative,which gives you an overview of theschool events for the coming week.Please ensure that your classrepresentative has your current email;if you are unsure whether they do thensend an email to the office with your details and House name.email: [email protected]

Term Newsletter – Il Bollettino

Each month the school publishes a

newsletter, which gives an overview of events past and future. The link willbe sent to you by email from your class representative, or you candownload directly from the website atwww.bms.qld.edu.au/Publications.

Term House Letters

Each classroom provides a letter or update to their families, which gives anoverview of past activities or upcomingactivities.

Permission Forms and Notices

School activities where there is a costinvolved, where your child is requiredto travel off-site, or where supervisionis necessary, will require parentalconsent and you will be notified inwriting. Permission notes will bedistributed to the children and will beavailable on the website. Each childneeds to have permission granted bytheir parents before participating.www.bms.qld.edu.au/Forms

House Noticeboards

Please check the noticeboards outsideyour classrooms on a regular basis for new postings of seminars and student

events.

Annual ‘Focus’ Magazine

This is the school’s annual magazinewhich celebrates the work of thestudents over the year. It is publishedin early December and costs $10.email: [email protected]

Structure of BMS

Schools and Houses

Brisbane Montessori School has threekey Montessori education offerings.Below is an overview of the schoolsand their staff. All staff can becontacted by email, using their [email protected].

Infant and Toddler Community(0 – 3 years)

This community has three Houses;Gumnut House caters for the 0-18months old children and Banksia

House and Lotus House caters for the 18months – 3 year olds.email: [email protected]

Junior School (3 – 6 years)

There are three classrooms in theJunior School; Melaleuca, Waratahand Casuarina Houses.email: [email protected]



5

Primary School (6 – 12 years)

The Lower Primary school has twoHouses for the 6 – 9 year olds;Dunnart and Wondai Houses.email: [email protected]

The Upper Primary has two Houses,Amanzi and Poseidon, for the 9 – 12year olds.email: [email protected]

School Governance

Brisbane Montessori School isgoverned by a Board of Directors andeach Director is elected to theCompany – Montessori School

Limited, from the parent body on anannual basis. As a company member you are entitled to vote at the AGMsand to stand for election. To be ableto nominate for election you arerequired to have a current Blue Card.The office can assist you withdocumentation to get a Blue Card.email: [email protected]

The Board of Directors have legalresponsibility for the school’s affairs,however the Principal manages theschool on a day-to-day basis.email: [email protected]/About BMS/Governance

Out of School Hours Care

For those families using OSHC pleaseconsult the OSHC Handbook for allrelevant details. You can also refer tothe website for booking forms and

vacation care details.email: [email protected]/OSHC

Settling Your Child intoSchool

Child Readiness

The Class Director is interested in thewhole child, his/her ability tocommunicate, cooperate and the

child’s willingness to accept andmaster new experiences. Academicability is not our main criterion for considering your child’s readiness for school. Throughout your interviewprocess the Principal and the ClassDirector consider your child’sreadiness in this holistic context.

After a period of two weeks settling inyour child is now considered fullyenrolled is expected to be at schooleveryday.

New Experiences for Our Younger Children

Now that your child has started their full-time program his/her social andacademic experiences will beenhanced. Below are some of theskills your child will start to developand / or refine straight away.Keeping track of belongings

The school provides specific storageareas so you can keep track of howyour child is looking after clothes,shoes and so on.

Understanding Order Zipping, buttoning and general self care skills will arise out of thenecessity of having to take care of oneself in the classroom. Children willwant to learn these skills as they willsee the older children carrying themout.

Sharing an Adult

The child will learn how to share theattentions of an adult with other children.

Self-Control

Freedom of choice is an inherent partof a fully functioning Montessoriclassroom, however freedom is withinthe limits of the well-being of thecommunity. Each child will becomesympathetic to the needs of the wholecommunity.



6

Development of Language

New experiences and feelings willeventually broaden your child’s rangeof expression. Children experience astrong drive to improve themselves inrelation to the school community.

Independence

Assist your child in their naturaldevelopment for independence. For the younger child, allow them to carrytheir own bags, make choices (from alimited offering) about their lunchesand 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.

New Experiences we feelas Parents

A sense of loss of closeness,

control and intimacy. As parents we are the first educatorsof our child. As our child becomesready for school, they also becomeready to embrace experiences away

from parents. They are embarkingupon their important journey of acquiring independence and we asparents are honoured to support themin this journey. The acquisition of independence is a fundamentalhuman tendency and the child willrelish in this opportunity each day,while the parent can feel at a loss.

Please ensure your goodbyes are asbuoyant and as short as possible.Moving away from the classroomstraight away allows your child time tore-orientate to the classroomcommunity, without the lingering, andoften painful, separation experience.

Classroom Protocols

Infant and Toddler 0 – 3 years

The Infant and Toddler Communitiesare designed for the exclusive use of children and we, the parents, areguests in these communities.

While you accompany your child tothese 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 separatecare

•

use a quiet and calm voice at alltimes 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 towear socks

email: [email protected]

Junior School 3 – 6 years

Starting and FinishingThe students attending Junior Schoolwill attend either from 9am – 12noon,or from 9am – 3pm. The classroomdoors are open from 8.50am and amember of staff will be at the door togreet the children. The staff will startthe morning’s work at 9am andtherefore may not be able to be at thedoor to greet students who come after that time. If your arrival time is after 9am, please allow your child to comeinto the classroom of their own accord.

Being on Time

It is important and respectful that your child is at school on time as it isdisruptive for the classroomcommunity to have students enter theclassroom late. It can also bedistressing for the child to enter late,as the Class Director and the other students are already engaged in their

morning activities.



7

Signing in and Out

Each child must be signed in andsigned out; the sheet is found a tableadjacent to the entry door.

Communicating with the ClassroomStaff

Dropping off and picking up your childis a very busy time for the staff. It maynot 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 tothe classroom entry to write importantnotes regarding your child, eg toattend OSHC. Alternatively pleasearrange a meeting time.

Hanging Up BelongingsPlease allow your child to hang uptheir own belongings. This is animportant part of their developingfunctional independence and theymust have the opportunity to takeresponsibility for their belongings, ie toknow which hook their bag is on,where their hat and esky are and soforth.

Entering the ClassroomEvery Montessori classroom has beendesigned to cater for the needs of thechild, and this includes the number of adults. This is of particular importancein the 3 – 6 classrooms. Pleasealways wait to be invited into theclassroom by the staff, as additionaladults in the classroom can be verydisruptive to a young child’sconcentration.

Transferring to Out of School HoursCareThose children whose parents haveindicated OSHC attendance, or thosechildren not collected by 12.15pm (for the morning program) and 3.15pm, willbe taken to OSHC and signed in.Consult the OSHC Handbook for charges.emai: [email protected]

Primary School 6 – 12 years

Starting and FinishingPrimary students start their school dayat 8.45am. The bell will sound at8.40am and students make their wayto class and get ready for an 8.45amstart. Classroom doors are often openfrom 8.30am. The school day ends at3pm and any child remaining on theverandas after 3.15pm will be asked togo to OSHC. Consult the OSHCHandbook for charges.

Being on Time

It is important and respectful that your

child is at school on time as it isdisruptive for the classroomcommunity to have students enter theclassroom late. It can also bedistressing 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 beendesigned to cater for the needs of the

child, and this includes the number of adults. Please always wait to beinvited into the classroom by the staff,as additional adults in the classroomcan be very disruptive to the children.

Support their Independence

The 6 – 12 year old child is verycapable and parents are asked toensure that children are takingresponsibility for their own belongings,including the carrying of items to and

from class, making own lunches andmanaging their rubbish.

Classroom StationeryAll stationery items are provided in theclassrooms. Please do not sendnovelty items to school with your child,as they can cause disturbance,distraction and may be lost.email: [email protected]



8

Student Progress Reporting

All students are provided with formalwritten progress reports at the end of Terms 2 and 4. Photographic reportsare provided for the younger studentsin Term 4. You will have anopportunity to review the reportsbefore you meet with the ClassDirector for an interview. It is your responsibility to ensure that youengage the Class Director in anyconcerns you have regarding your child’s progress at school.

Health and Safety

Food

All students are required to bring their own snacks and lunches to BrisbaneMontessori School and all food mustbe healthy and supportive of thechild’s need to concentrate. Pleaseensure that your child has adequatefood, especially if your child is required

to attend Out of School Hours Care,either in the morning or afternoon. Asmall esky is useful for keeping thefood cool and fresh.

Unless organised for a specialoccasion, lunches are not shared withother children. Please be mindful thatsome children in your child’s classmay have severe food allergies, someof which are life threatening.

There is a No Nut Policy across theschool, which includes peanuts.

Foods high in sugar (including dairydesserts, many bought biscuits andsome muesli bars) and all sweets,lollies, chocolate, chips, cordials andsoftdrinks are not appropriate food anddrink items for children at school.Please do not include them in your child’s lunch box.

When celebrating your child’s birthdayin class, in the interests of the health

and concentration for all children,please do not provide a traditional icedcake. 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 asBrisbane Montessori School does nothave a uniform. For the very youngchild it is important that this clothing iseasy for the child to take off andreplace with new clothing. Being ableto change out of wet or dirty clothingsupports the child’s developing

independence.

A general guide as follows:• hats – that protects the face, neck,

head and ears. Hats are requiredwhenever the children are outside.Wide brimmed hats or legionnairescaps are available for purchasefrom the office. Children withouthats are unable to participate inplaytime or sports events, and canonly access shaded areas.

• shirts – with collars and sleevesand they need to fully cover theabdomen.

• shoes – closed in shoes for protection of the children’s feet.Thongs, open sandals and shoeswith heels are not acceptablefootwear at school.

Caring for the Health of Children and Staff

In a close school environmentinfection can spread very rapidly,resulting in many children and staff members being absent. Children whoare ill must remain at home until theinfectious period has passed. Pleaseensure that you call the Absentee Line(3327 0600) to notify the school of your child’s absence, every day thatyour child is absent from school. If your child is sick for more than three

days please provide the school with anote indicating that.



9

Any child that becomes unexpectedlyunwell will be directed to the First AidRoom at the office for assessment. If the qualified staff member on dutybelieves that the child needs to gohome, then parents will be advisedimmediately to come to school tocollect their child. In the event thatneither parent can be reached within areasonable amount of time, your emergency contacts will betelephoned. For this reason pleasekeep all emergency data (includingcontacts, allergies and healthprofessionals) up to date.

The First Aid Room is unable to have

children who are unwell remain therefor extended periods of time. Pleaseensure that you come to schoolpromptly to collect your unwell child if you are requested to do so.

Resilience Policy

At Brisbane Montessori School wehave an interest in supporting our children to become independentcitizens. A part of growing up islearning to deal with conflict andconflict resolution. For your interestour Resilience Policy is includedbelow, to assist you and help your child through these learningexperiences.

This Policy is taken from theIndependent Schools Queensland’sAnti-Bullying Policy.

Definitions“Bullying is repeated oppression,psychological or physical, of a lesspowerful person by a more powerfulperson and occurs when someone, or a group of people, upset or create arisk to another person’s health andsafety, 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

aggressor and a sense of beingoppressed on the part of the victim.

There are three broad categories of bullying.

• Direct Physical Bullying , eg, hitting,tripping and pushing or damagingproperty

• Direct Verbal Bullying , eg, namecalling, insults, homophobic or racist remarks, verbal abuse.

• Indirect Bullying – this form of bullying is harder to recognise andoften carried out behind the bulliedstudent’s back. It is designed toharm someone’s social reputation

and/or cause humiliation. Indirectbullying 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 someone’s social

reputation and social

acceptance cyber-bulling which involves

the use of email, textmessages or chat rooms tohumiliate and distress.

Cyber-bullying or e-bullying is areasonably recent type of bullyingwhich involves the use of informationand communication technologies suchas email, mobile telephone and textmessages, instant messaging (SMS),

chat rooms and video internet sits, eg,YouTube. It can be particularlyharmful because it can happenanywhere and at any time. Thusyoung people who are the victims of cyber-bullying have no place wherethey feel safe.

If the bullying is of a serious andthreatening nature then obviously itbecomes a legal issue and studentsand parents should seek advice byreporting the matter to the police.



10

If bullying amounts to harm as referredto in the school’s Child ProtectionPolicy then the matter must be dealtwith under the Child Protection Policy.

What Bullying is not:

• mutual conflict where there is anargument or disagreementbetween students but not animbalance of power. Both partiesare upset and usually both want aresolution to the problem.However, unresolved mutualconflict sometimes develops into abullying situation with one personbecoming targeted repeatedly for

‘retaliation’ in a one-sided way.• Social rejection or dislike – it is not

feasible to think that every studentmust like every other student.Refusing to play with a particular child or, for example, not invitingthem to a birthday party is notbullying, provided social rejectionis not directed towards someonespecific and involves deliberateand repeated attempts to causedistress, exclude or create dislike

by others.• Single-episode acts of nastiness or

meanness, or random acts of aggression or intimidation. Asingle episode of nastiness,physical aggression, verbal abuseor an occasional push or shove isnot bullying, neither is nastiness or physical aggression directedtowards many different students.The difference is that bullying is,by definition, action that happens

on more than one occasion.However, since schools have aduty of care to provide a studentwith a safe and supportive schoolenvironment, single episodes of nastiness or physical aggressionshould not be ignored or condoned.

For more information refer to theIndependent Schools Queensland

Anti -Bullying Policy . www.aisq.qld.edu.au

In the event of inappropriate behaviour (of which bullying is one form) supportyour child by communicating directlywith your Class Director. In the firstinstance the school will manage allstudent conflicts with the relevant staff members.

All situations will be dealt with in aprofessional manner. Please seeksupport from the Principal

Administering PrescribedMedication

The law requires an Official Register of the Administration of Drugs to

Student to be maintained, whichincludes pain relief and alternativemedicines. It records all occasionswhen medication is administered atschool. This record must includecopies of necessary letters fromparents and medical practitioners.For those occasions when parents dorequest that a staff member administer prescribed medication during schoolhours, you will need to give the staff member permission by completing the

form Permission to Administer Medication, which can be downloadedfrom the website.www.bms.qld.edu.au/Forms

The medication needs to beappropriately labelled with thestudent’s name and the followinginformation included: name of drug,use by date, name of medicalpractitioner prescribing the drug,purpose, dosage and frequency of medication. Any medication notlabelled adequately will not beadministered.

Head Lice

Head lice is a common occurrence inschool environments and must betreated immediately to stop the spreadto other students. Head lice(pediculosis) is not a notifiable

condition and head lice do not transmitany infectious diseases.



11

If you child has head lice they will bedirected to the First Aid Room at theoffice and you will be called to comeand collect your child. Treatmentneeds to start immediately.

For more information refer to theHealth Policies on the website:www.bms.qld.edu.au/Policies and Procedures

Parents at BMS

Montessori Education for Parents

Montessori education is multi-facetedand offers an extraordinary breadth of insight into humanity.

Education at Brisbane MontessoriSchool offers an opportunity todevelop independence, self-confidence and self esteem. Theunique program, centred on the child,encourages the development of personal responsibility, thinking

processes and fosters a love of learning. The Montessori movementis also about large scale social reformand world peace. The preparedenvironment and the curriculum in aMontessori school supports each childin their development of awareness of self and their tolerance of difference.It is these qualities that allow a child todevelop their own sense of inner peace, and as they mature into adultsthis peace forms part of who they areand the world they live in.Brisbane Montessori school also offersparents a comprehensive program tosupport their journey throughunderstanding the complexities of Montessori education. Gaining auseful level of understanding willsupport your child’s education moreeffectively, as you will appreciate theclassroom and the learning anddevelopmental needs of your child –

when they change and how yourespond in your parenting.

There are a number of educationseminars to choose from and we askyou to attend one seminar per term.

Parent Education Seminars

The Montessori education seminarsfor parents are held once / term. TheJunior School staff present topics for parents of the 0 – 6 year old childrenand the Primary School staff holdseminars for the parents of the 6 – 12year old children. These two differentplanes of development represent twodistinct groups of learners andclassroom environments, and our parenting, ideally, needs to reflectthose differences.

As a Montessori school we take theresponsibility to offer education to our parents about the different stages your child will move through; we expect, onbehalf of your child, that you activelyembrace this journey with us.

These seminars will appear on thewebsite calendar, be advertised in theWhat’s On which is distributed everyweek and will also appear in notice

form outside your classroomwww.bms.qld.edu.au/School Calendar

Journey and Discovery and

Journey Through the CurriculumPrograms

Journey and Discovery

In choosing a Montessori education for your child, you are making aconsiderable departure from thetraditional learning environment.

Journey and Discovery will guide youthrough an amazing journey into thelearning environment that isconstructed for your child. Theknowledge gained from thisexperience helps parents tounderstand their children’s learningprocess. Part 1 is on Friday eveningand Part 2 is on Saturday morning,where you will spend your time usingand learning from the Montessoriequipment.



13

events take place. The MontessoriFamily Association (MFA) is there tosupport the staff and curriculum of theschool, and to also provide additionalsocial opportunities. Please contactthe MFA to find out how you can beinvolved, either as an occasionalcontributor or as part of an ongoingcommitment.email: [email protected]

Financial Responsibilities

Payment of School Tuition

You will be invoiced for school tuitioneach term and this is payable on thesecond Friday of each new term.Unless you have pre-arranged for anextension on payment of tuition withthe Business Manager, then you willincur a $100 late fee for paymentsmade after the due date. This will beadded to your next term’s invoice.

The following payment options areavailable:

• Direct debit - Bank: ANZKenmore. BSB: 014-272. AccountNo: 198800838. Please useinvoice number and surname asEFT reference.

• Credit Card – Visa andMastercard.

• Cheque – made out to BrisbaneMontessori School.

2010 Schedule of TuitionPayments

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

Monthly Instalments for direct debitonly 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 15 th of each month and where that date falls on a

weekend, the following Monday will be theaccepted date for payment. The monthsaffected are May and August.

Child Care Benefit onTuition Fees

Child care benefits are payable to

eligible parents for school tuition paidfor children who are between 3 – 5years old. The school willautomatically provide you with areceipt every term showing all tuitionmonies paid and you are required toclaim your entitlement from Centrelink.The school’s provider number is 555016 329K. You must claim for thisbenefit within 12 months of the receiptbeing issued otherwise Centrelink willnot reimburse you.

Voluntary Building Fund

The voluntary Building Fundcontribution is fully tax deductible.

School maintenance is an ongoingactivity for any school business. It isof particular interest to a Montessorischool since we value highly abeautiful environment for our children.Dr Montessori’s scientific observations

showed that children’s learning ispositively affected by a beautifullyprepared environment. Part of thatprepared environment is to maintainthe beauty of the classrooms and thegrounds in general.

For this reason we ask each of our families to honour the payment of thevoluntary Building Fund donation.This donation is extremely valuable for the school’s ability to service the

ongoing building and maintenance,and it is a tax deductible item for each



14

family. The voluntary Building FundDonation is included as a line item onevery invoice for term tuition. Acomprehensive list of building andmaintenance projects is available fromthe Business Manager.

Withdrawing from BMS

Withdrawal Policy

When you enrolled your child atBrisbane Montessori School youagreed to enter into an enrolmentcontract. This contract (refer to

Clause 6) states that parents arerequired to give the Principal one fullterm’s notice in writing, when astudent is to be withdrawn fromschool, either for a short-termwithdrawal or for cancellation of enrolment. If withdrawal is to beeffective at the end of the school year,written notice must be given by theend of Term 3.

Parents who do not give the required

period of notice will be liable to pay thefollowing term’s tuition fees in full, inlieu of sufficient notice. If a child iswithdrawn part way through a termfees will not be refunded unless aterm’s notice had already been givento the Principal.

In the event of a temporary withdrawalof the student from the school (eg, for overseas / interstate visits), the schoolrequires that all fees for the period of

withdrawal are paid in advance beforedeparture. This ensures that your child’s enrolment stays current.

The Principal must be notified inwriting for any absence exceeding 2weeks.

Policy for Returning Families

Families who cancel their enrolment

contract and withdraw children fromthe school, who then at a later date

wish to re-enrol, are required to re-enter the enrolments process, from theApplication for Enrolment stage. Theonly exceptions will be made by thePrincipal, and notice of conditions andacceptable period of withdrawal will begiven in writing to the applying family.



15

Appendix 1

Brisbane Montessori School – Expectations of a Montessori Community

Expectations of aMontessori Teacher

Expectations of aMontessori Parent

Expectations of aMontessori Student

Know thestudent

- be able to discuss student’sinterests

- know the student’s ownperception of self

- know student’s strengths andweaknesses

- understand the strong driveswithin a student, turn-ons andturn-offs

- able to clearly express their ownagenda and expectations of thestudent

- knows personal strengths andweaknesses

- be able to describe owninterests

- be able to construct learningaround interests

- be aware of a natural range of abilities across all people

Work patterns -

be able to describe student’spreferred work habits andmotivation

- handwriting style, book work andorganisation

- able to provide for a variety of working styles within a learningperiod

-

be able to create ‘work friendly’environments at home for student

- aware of parents’ own workingpatterns and other influences onstudent’s development

- understand the true nature of thestudent’s work in a Montessorisetting

-

be able to choose preferredlearning mode- able to articulate own strengths

and work patterns- able to ask for assistance or find

alternative means of self motivation

Development - discuss student’s developmentwith respect to specialtendencies and sensitive periods

and characteristics of the age inMontessori theory

- explain physical, social,academic and spiritual qualitiesof the plane of developmentrelative to the student

- discuss expectations of thefuture and possible changes for the student

- aware of patterns and recentchanges within student’sdevelopment

- observe and discuss student’s

reactions to situations – makingsuggestions about development

- accurate observations of physical, social, academic andspiritual changes; able todiscuss these observations withteaching staff

- observe own behaviour relativeto peers

- aware of students in different

planes (younger or older) havingdifferent needs

- aware of the nature of development and learning is nota linear progression

Learning - list the challenges that face thestudent, and a strategy for developing each one

- list the strengths that empower

the student, and a technique toempower the student with each

- list useful motivators that sparkthe student

- genuinely curious in student’slearning, for reasons of sharingand discussion, not valuing and

judging- have clear understanding of

learning as an inner experienceand not always as an externallyquantifiable one

- is different to other educationsystems

- that learning feels good andmakes you feel better aboutyourself

- that through asking a question

you can discover anything andsatisfy a curiosity

- that completion and proceduresystems support learning



16

Expectations of a Montessori

Teacher


Parent


Student

Independence - be able to offer independenceappropriate activities for studentto do at home with parents

- have independence activities

appropriate to student’s ownlevel within the school, completewith REAL risks

- explain expectations associatedwith freedoms andresponsibilities to student

- supportive, available ONLY onrequest to student

- provide independence situationsat home, share these with theteaching staff

- allow room and time for mistakes

- free and motivated to chooseappropriate learning events

- understands the relationshipbetween freedom andresponsibility

- is free from extrinsic motivatorsand is open to intrinsicmotivations

SocialDevelopment

- know current friendships andwork mates

- know academic peers, and seeklinks

- able to pre-empt potential

personality clashes throughcareful management

- know the names of friends,involve friends and family in outof school settings

- be comfortable to ring anddiscuss with student’s friend’s

parents- be accepting of others, while

also being honest

- have a variety of socialinteractions in a range of situations

- learn about self throughinteractions with others

-

reflect on the nature of societyand groups of people

Environment - maintain an interesting and richcurriculum

- maintain a safe and invigoratingspace

- challenge and motivate thestudent’s questioning andlearning

- supportive, able to shareinteresting things / pictures /experiences from home

- provide clear standards of cleanliness and orderliness asstandards at home

- promote respect for furniture andproperty

- uses the available resources tothe maximum

- is respectful of the space andothers

- mindful of the special nature of alearning environment

Grace and

Courtesy

- maintains strict expectations of

appropriate and inappropriatebehaviour and language

- provide opportunities for learninghospitality, grace and courtesy

- etiquette and manners aremodeled and expected

- use only highest standards of

respect and appropriatebehaviours in front of childrenand in dealing with children

- reinforce appropriate behavioursfrom children

- monitor language use

- understand that social

interactions are at the heart of allhuman endeavours

- should know what is appropriatein a given situation and actaccordingly

- expect and receive respect fromthose around them

Curriculum - deliver a cosmic education,exploring the links between allevents, following the student’sneeds

- monitor and track progressagainst stated goals

- report progress using these

goals

- understand the aims of aCosmic Education

- question where understanding isnot complete

- support staff in curriculumdelivery

- absorb, consciously or subconsciously, the world as aninterrelated set of experiences

- have the ability to respond toexperiences

- empowered to react to the world

Thinking - offer a range of analytical skills- offer a range of opportunities for

deep thought- offer a diverse set of

opportunities to process material

- to promote further learning- to incorporate family

experiences into learning- to value and cherish opinions

and arguments

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

Peace - offer models and alternatives toviolence

- explore peaceful resolutions andprocesses in conflicts

- provide a peaceful environment

- reduce conflicts throughalternatives

- actively promote peace as avalue

- demonstrate and model peacefulprocesses

- know that there is a peacefulway

- access, share and promotepeace

- have zero tolerance for nonpeaceful activity



17

Brisbane MontessoriSchool

School Vision

The attainment of peace, through preparation of the child.

School Mission

To assist children to become caring, happy, responsible, independentworld citizens, through an inviting and prepared environment, created by

loving, knowledgeable adults.

working together booklet

Documents