FAQ’s preschool and kindergarten

 What if it rains?

At Montessori Forest School preschool and kindergarten we “dress for success” and as long as your child is sufficiently dressed (layers when cold, always an outer waterproof layer and rain boots), there is no reason that rain will affect class. We do our best to stay in the forest where the cedar trees act as natural umbrellas and on days where it is especially wet we will spend a little extra time at a picnic shelter, greenhouse, or gazebo with reading or a group activity.

When is class cancelled?

Safety is always our FIRST priority. Class will be cancelled in the event of severe inclement weather. This includes but is not limited to: wind storms, snow, ice, hail, and flooding. If the local school district is on a 2 hour delay, class will meet at 10:30. All school closure announcements will be sent via email and text message as soon as they are available.

What does a typical Montessori Forest  School day look like?

As an outdoor preschool each park, trail, or farm we visit offers something special and unique that accentuates our lesson plans. Some classes will be more hiking/exploration oriented, while others have a farm or garden experience to offer. Each class revolves around an overall monthly theme with smaller, weekly themes and includes a circle time with educational lesson, craft or science experiment, exploratory hike with scientific tools, and story time during snack/lunch. A sample of our curriculum can be found here.
 

Infants & Toddlers Program:

We will soon offer an INDOORS (as per regulations for infants & toddlers), licensed Infants & Toddlers Program, with options for before care (7:30am-9:30am) & after care (1:30pm-3:30pm), M-F, serving Snoqualmie & Mercer Island. Our full-time enrolled infants and toddlers (M-F) will have first access to our Outdoors Preschool Program once they graduate Nursery School at the appropriate age and stage.

• HOW DO WE TEACH CHILDREN TO READ?
• HOW DO WE TEACH CHILDREN MATH?
• HOW DO WE TEACH CHILDREN SCIENCE?
• HOW DO WE TEACH CHILDREN SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL SKILLS?

At Montessori Forest  School, students learn the building blocks for a successful education in reading, math and science plus important executive functions and social skills. 

Our teachers use a play-based Montessori curriculum with lots of hands-on exploration. 

We celebrate childhood and help kindle a child’s curiosity and wonder. 

We read to them. We speak in complex language to them – they hear that words have meaning We sing together – rhyming, phonetics... We encourage book handling and model writing Story dictations, Journaling, Cooking.  

We write in front of children.

We use children’s names - the most familiar word to them.

We play guessing games involving names, pieces of language and words.

We use unlimited writing and reading opportunities, in context & self-motivated.

We play /use different languages in the classrooms

• WHAT IS A FOREST SCHOOL?
• BENEFITS?
• WHAT DOES A VIBRANT CHILDHOOD LOOK LIKE?
• WHAT ABOUT ART, MUSIC & PLAY?

Forest Schools, also called Nature Kindergartens, originated in northern Europe. Called “Rain or Shine” schools in Norway because they go outside every day regardless of the weather.

Nature preschools have become wildly popular with over 1,000 schools in Germany alone. 

Three examples are: The Eastwood Urban Forest School in London. 

This Outdoor Preschool in Norway, North of the Arctic Circle. 

This Forest Kindergarten in Germany and this nature preschool in Denmark. 

See the next tab for information on the benefits of a nature rich education or the Natural Start Alliance to learn about the nature preschool movement in the United States.

• THE WEATHER?
• WILL MY CHILD GET SICK?
• WILL MY CHILD BE SAFE IN A PUBLIC PARK?
• BATHROOMS?
• STUDENT:TEACHER RATIOS
• INSURANCE
• WATER PLAY & BOUNDARIES
• CPR & FIRST AID
• WILD ANIMALS?

Nature preschools started in Europe and are an old, proven concept. 

We use the learning from generations of teachers to keep our children warm and dry in a Snoqualmie winter. 

In fact kindergarten means “children’s garden” and originally took place outdoors. 

In Norway over a quarter of kids go to an entirely outdoor preschool like this one;

there are 100s of schools in the country (think 4yr olds on snowshoes!!). 

And in Sweden, Finland and Switzerland (three countries that top the education charts), outdoor preschools are commonplace and publicly funded. 

In Germany alone there are over 1,000 Forest Kindergartens. 

To keep our kids warm and dry we ask that every child:

• Receives professional grade fisherman gear including a  Grundens rain jacket, bibs and winter boots for the school year. 
• Wears the right layers of clothing underneath - kids can stay warm and dry to below freezing temperatures. 
• Carry extra clothes - we help children learn self-care and resilience by managing their own clothing systems.
• We use a play-based curriculum that keeps kids moving and warm. 
• We use park picnic shelters during the worst rain.  
• Upon enrollment,  Montessori Forest School provides resources for proper layering, vendors and discounts. 
• In extreme weather when schools normally close we are closed as well. 
• Montessori Forest School may have closures due to high winds. In the event of unanticipated weather like a thunderstorm or high winds, each school has an emergency facility to go to (example: Centennial FIelds - we go to our office building: 39570 SE Park St, Apt 7, Snoqualmie WA 98065 ).
• Things to remember: We are only outdoors for a maximum of 4 hrs (half day) or 6 hours (full day), plus before care & after care (2-4 hours). That is less time than the average American spends in front of a screen daily. Children do not have the same anxiety about future weather that adults do. For a child, rain means puddles to splash in, snow means snowman building and wind means leaf tossing wonder. 
• Our teacher:student ratio is 1:6. Licensed Preschools’ max allowed ratio is 1:10. We love creating more jobs! Whenever we have enrollments of more than 8, we hire another guide towards starting a second, separate class.
• We have the maximum, full coverage liability insurance should anything unforeseen happen, as we take safety as our number one priority. 
• To ensure the safety of the children regarding water: we do not allow them into water, unless the water is puddles separate from a large body of water. We teach them the boundaries of stopping a few feet before any shoreline including any flooded areas. We explain to them the reasons why it’s a rule and help them understand the seriousness of the boundary. We are always with the children, especially anywhere near water, always in our sight and reach. We never allow any child within less than a few feet of shoreline and always walk on the side of the children that is closest to any water.
• We are all CPR & first aid for infants, toddlers, children and adults certified and maintain currency in our trainings.
• Regarding owls or other larger animals, all our teachers follow the following protocol: always walk to the rear of the group of children and keep the group together whenever entering forested areas, so as to deter any wild cats, since they stalk their natural prey from the rear. These animals are usually afraid of groups of humans and their keen sense of hearing helps them keep well clear of trails and approaching humans. Teachers dress appropriately for weather and practicality regarding the safety of the group. When entering forested areas, we always carry bear mace in our dominant hand with the trigger under our pointer finger, ready to spray any seemingly threatening animal that may come into close and sudden contact with the group, including Eagles, Owls and other birds of prey. We carry a personal whistle in case making a shrill, loud sound would assist in deterring any nearby wildlife from approaching the group. All teachers carry first aid kits, charged cell phones and emergency supplies in their backpack and have it with them at all times.  Detailed Evacuation plans and emergency pick-up points are part of our Family Handbook.

• WILL YOU PROVIDE LUNCH & SNACK?
• WHAT ABOUT FOOD ALLERGIES?
• HOW WILL NAP TIME WORK?
• MEDICATIONS?

Childhood is hungry work and here at Montessori Forest  School, we make sure every child enjoys healthy, local food. 

We currently require families to provide their own lunch. 

We require each family to provide healthy, organic fruit snacks for your child(ren).  

Our preference for snacks are foods that are low-glycemic (no processed sugar) - starches high in fiber, high in unsaturated fat and protein. Vegetables, unprocessed healthy oils, nut butters, high fiber fruits (like apples) and spreads like hummus are common. 

We keep children with food allergies safe by not allowing any nuts in their food. We ask parents to keep the lunches and snacks as plant-based and gluten-free as possible to accommodate for any wheat  dairy, eggs, fish and animal product allergies, known and unknown.

Some schools may have a garden element where children get to grow their own food.

We don't offer any nap time. If a child feels sleepy, we will have hammocks and portable cots available with bedding.

Medications need to be handed in to the teacher, with a written note /email with instructions.

• HOW DO WE TEACH CHILDREN RESPECT?
• HOW DO WE TEACH CHILDREN TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS?
• HOW DO WE HANDLE DISCIPLINE?

The greatest indicator of quality preschool is quality teachers. We invest in our teachers in the following ways: All lead teachers are required to have a MACTE AMS Montessori certification. All teachers go through a national background check. All teachers are CPR and First Aid certified.

We hire great educators who are loving and caring, can create an emotionally and physically safe space and are passionate about being a mentor for children. Our teachers are mentored and supervised by our Director of Education and Operations, Shaijah Wolf.  Our priority is to hire full time teachers with benefits and invest in them for long term success. Emotional and physical safety is a core value of Montessori Forest  School. We create emotionally safe environments for every child, that are caring, supportive and healthy. We do this by creating clear expectations for how we treat each other, and holding children accountable for meeting those expectations. We use: Role modeling, Giving reasons, Expressing our own feelings, Needs & Requests, using Observations - not Evaluations, Admitting our own mistakes, Acknowledging feelings, Caring for animals and plants, Using an authentic voice, Teachable moments, putting a lesson into context, & we Teach the golden rule – “do unto others…” Having high expectations for how people are treated here.

• LICENSING?
• HOW WILL YOUR TEACHER TRACK STUDENT LEARNING?
• HOW DO YOU EVALUATE TEACHERS?

We are a half-day program and are not required to be licensed by the DCYF.

We believe in the foundation for creating safe and healthy spaces for our children. We are currently looking to participate in the innovative Outdoor Preschool Licensing Pilot for the 2019-2020 school year.

About the Outdoor Preschool Licensing Pilot: In Spring 2017, the Washington Legislature passed SB 5357 “Establishing a pilot project to license outdoor early learning and child care programs.” The Department for Children, Youth, & Families established a pilot to analyze current models of outdoor preschools and adapt, when necessary, our licensing regulations to allow for the operation of outdoor early learning programs. In researching the area of outdoor preschool, the legislature found that while there are upwards of 40 outdoor early learning programs in the state, all operate as part-day programs and are therefore not subject to child care licensing regulations. Many of these programs have expressed an interest in hosting full-day programs, and participating in the state’s Early Achievers program. However, DCYF recognizes that many of our current licensing regulations are specifically geared towards the built, indoor environment. 

• HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
• ENROLLMENT PROCESS?

Montessori Forest  School makes preschool affordable for families by eliminating the cost of building a child care facility. Instead of spending our money on bricks and mortar, we spend it on what matters: great teachers. Click on Enrollment for tuition pricing. All classes have one price per day. Our full price is 10% below market rate. Tuition is an annual rate, paid monthly and due before the 1st of the month. For example, you would pay tuition for September on August 30

A $200 discount is issued for tuition paid in full for the year, up front, by the last day of the month preceding the start of school!

• WHERE ARE YOUR SCHOOLS?
• WHAT ARE YOUR HOURS?
• DO YOU HAVE AFTER CARE? SUMMER SCHOOL?
• REQUIREMENTS?
• ATTENDANCE PLAN FLEXIBILITY
• LONGEVITY OF MONTESSORI FOREST SCHOOL
• PICK UP & DROP OFF (MI)

Montessori Forest  School has built a foundation of 1 preschool in Snoqualmie, WA, and has opened a second branch on Mercer Island. Enrollments for both locations are currently open and we will be offering Summer Camps and opening our Fall Enrollments now too. 

2019/20 school year locations, program times, and tuition costs are all found under the Enrollment tab, and at the top of this FAQ page..

We intend that we can begin the enrollment process ASAP to begin school in September.  

• We are currently enrolling at all branches from February 3rd, 2020 that will continue into the school year 2019/20, billed on a prorate. We encourage you to get enrolled as early as you are moved to.  Filling out an application does not reserve a space, but allows for an early registration date.  You will be contacted via email the winter before your child’s fall start date with an invitation to register.  At that time you can view openings and reserve your space.  If all spaces are taken, you can request to be added to the program-specific wait list. N.B. Your indicated preference on your application does not hold you to that choice. You will have the opportunity to view all locations and sessions available upon registration.  We love our flexibility to tailor to families’ needs and will accommodate your request for particular days of the week for attendance - just give us a call to discuss the options and help us help you to make a plan
• Consistency is key. Our plan is to make our branches permanent for decades to come. We will soon be in discussion with Parks about possible Partnerships. Snoqualmie branch is hopefully soon to be Licensed and offering School Days and Extended Days accordingly. Mercer Island will be next to follow
• Regarding Mercer Island, we will meet Families for drop off and pick up outside the parks, at a dedicated meeting point, and use various parks throughout the week on a rotating schedule.

Custodianship – By fostering a love for nature in our classroom, children will develop the skills and the passion to allow them to become lifelong custodians for the environment in which they live. The practice of these skills in their day-to-day life will help educate others on the positive impact of environmental conservation.Leave No Trace – As a matter of respect for our environment we teach and practice the principles of “Leave No Trace.” We emphasize the importance of staying on trails to minimize damage to our ecosystem. We also leave it as we find it by picking up after ourselves and others to keep wildlife wild and preserve our classroom for others to enjoy it just as we did. 

Reduce /Reuse /Recycle – At Snoqualmie Nature Preschool we do our part to help preserve our environment, energy, and natural resources for future generations by practicing these principles of conservationism. We make every effort to utilize environmentally friendly materials as well as teaching the benefits of recycling and composting by sorting our waste and identifying it for re-use or appropriate disposal.

Safety always comes first. Our classes are held exclusively outdoors and safety is always in the forefront of every parent’s mind.  All teachers are CPR and First-Aid Certified. They are also outdoor enthusiasts that are trained and skilled in trail safety. We keep our class sizes small with a teacher: student ratio of 1:6 (maximum 10 with assistant), utilize a team-based system to organize ourselves, and perform activities in a safe manner to ensure that our children are always supervised and out of harm’s way. Trail safety is an integral part of every class and we teach our students what to be aware of when exploring in the outdoors to remain safe.We value the quality of your child’s education and that is why in addition to their roles as educators our teachers are also skilled hikers who are knowledgeable in the flora and fauna of the Pacific Northwest. Classes will feature an exploration hike integrated with our kinesthetic learning method where students have a hands-on opportunity to interact, experience, and discover their natural surroundings at their own pace. We also integrate the use of scientific tools to learn and explore bio-diverse environments, plants, and animals in a safe and respectful manner. The Pacific Northwest provides a wide range of environments that are always changing which gives us the opportunity to provide new and unique learning experiences with every class.Our exploratory hikes not only help us learn about our environment but also about ourselves. Leadership skills, confidence, independence, and self-reliance are built on the trail. Our hiking inspired program is designed to get your child excited about learning through safe exploration of their natural world. The more they explore, the higher their confidence in the natural world and in themselves will become and allow them to lead by example to the other children in the class.

The Montessori Method:

At Montessori Forest School, we believe in not only helping your child develop a connection with the environment but also with themselves, their peers, and their communities. This is why our curriculum is inspired by the Montessori Method. Here are a few principles that Montessori Forest School follows and abides by that align with Montessori:

• The Hundred Languages of Children: Montessori educators believe that children have a multitude of ways to learn and express themselves. This includes singing, dancing, painting, sculpting, movement, and writing among others. Our educators are there to provide a wide range of materials and experiences so that students can become masters of their languages and thus happier and more confident human beings.
• The Image of the Child: Children are competent individuals who are active in their learning and are capable of choosing the direction of their education. That is why students are given the opportunity to pick and choose between several activities and decide how they to want to learn for the day. They can participate (or not) and are free to move from one activity to another as they choose. This type of self-led learning is beneficial to all ages and developmental levels in our multi-age classrooms.
• The Importance of Environment: We believe nature to be the most important teacher which is why Montessori Forest School is 100% outdoors. With nature as our classroom, each class is full of smells, sights, sounds, and natural light that invite children to learn and explore. The ever-changing environments provide unique enrichment opportunities and allow for spontaneous learning to happen in every class.
• Role of the Educator: The educators are there to act as a stepping stone for each student to reach their next level of education. They introduce new ideas, challenges, and experiences to the students in order to engage their critical thinking, open the imagination, and build new life skills. Another role of the educator is to learn from the students. Notes are taken during each class, and curriculum will be adjusted and built further upon assessments made during class.
• Small Class Size: Our classes are kept small and intimate so that children do not feel overwhelmed and get adequate time with the educator and their peers. We have found that with a teacher: student ratio of 1:6-10, everyone has a chance to be heard and get their questions answered. It also provides a perfect opportunity for young children to learn communication skills such as hearing and listening to their peers, and participating in a conversation. All of our classes are multi-age classrooms and composed of children ages 2.5-6 years old. The interaction of children in our multi-age, small classrooms has shown that everyone can learn something from everyone else. The younger children are given the opportunity to observe and learn directly from the older children which develops their independence and confidence, and the older children get the ability to become leaders, and learn patience and empathy when interacting with the younger students.
• Observation and Documentation: All students keep a field journal for the duration of the semester. Teachers and students collaborate to write a few sentences for each class based on things that each child said or observed. It’s a great way to see how much the child’s knowledge has expanded over the course of the semester and provides a way to keep parents involved. Field journals are also helpful in developing future lesson plans based on the student’s interests.
• Curriculum is Not Established: The beauty of our preschool is that all learning happens organically. Although we do have an overall monthly theme broken down into weekly themes, the children ultimately decide what direction the class will go. An example of this would be that the lesson for the day was to learn about food grown on a farm, but find that 20-30 minutes of the class was spent observing the chickens pecking at insects on the ground because students were inquisitive about it. Another example would be splitting the class into two smaller groups if some of the students wanted to stay back and spend more time focusing on an art project instead of investigating slugs with the rest of the class.
• Importance of Investigating: There is no shortage of exploration at our preschool! In fact, one of the pillars that Montessori Forest School was built upon is exploration! A significant portion of each class is dedicated to investigating and exploring our natural surroundings.
• Sense of Community: Montessori Forest School believes that we succeed and fail as a group and stress the importance of working together and succeeding as a team. We strive for students to feel the importance of taking care of the environment and their community and provide opportunities to volunteer with local charities throughout the year. We encourage families to be involved as much as they want and to help develop our own Montessori Forest School community.
• Literacy is also a large focus at Montessori Forest School. With the ability to read and write comes endless opportunities which is why we set a goal to read 10 books a day. We achieve this by reading at snack and lunch time and using natural materials we find in the forest as our mediums to learn letters and numbers. All books read are relevant to the monthly theme to provide your child with deeper knowledge and connection to their environment.