Q. Does Montessori work better for some children?
A. The Montessori approach works for virtually every child, but not necessarily for every family. A key to a child's success is the family's confidence in and understanding of the system and the school. Montessori education can help all types of learners achieve their fullest potential at their own individualized pace. Our multi-age classrooms allow students to comfortably progress at their own pace without feeling "ahead" or "behind" their classmates, no matter what their ages.
Q. Is Montessori too rigid? Is Montessori too unstructured?
A. Neither! At The Children’s House, our students are given a large amount of freedom with an equal amount of responsibility. The classrooms are designed and equipped with fascinating and multi-layered materials designed to allow them to explore and learn about everything from self-care to mathematics in a specially prepared classroom environment. With this freedom comes the responsibility to be a part of their classroom community and follow the rules of respect: respect your self, respect others, and respect your environment.
Q. Is The Children’s House affiliated with any religious group?
A. No. The Children’s House is a School is private, non-denominational school. We embrace all religions and model respect and understanding for our students. Our diverse and multi-cultural community includes families from a wide variety of religious backgrounds and we encourage parents to share the traditions and holidays that are special to their families so that our students can have a better cultural understanding of their world.
Q. When can I apply for admission to The Children’s House?
A. At The Children’s House we follow the same admissions timetable that Volusia County Schools. For the regular admissions cycle, applications are due to The Children’s House by March 15. However, we encourage you to contact us as we sometimes have openings that become available after regular enrollment.
Q. Where do children go after leaving The Children’s House?
A. The answer is entirely dependent on the specific child. Children often move on to other highly selective private, independent schools after leaving The Children’s House. Some families may choose to move to a public school system. No matter where they go, our students generally transition smoothly because of the extremely strong academic and social foundations established while at The Children’s House.
Q. Do you provide lunches for students?
A. We require all students to pack a healthy lunch. A nutritious daily snack is provided for children. On most Fridays, we offer a Pizza Lunch option!
Q. Are uniforms required?
A. Beginning in their primary year, students will wear uniforms. We believe that this keeps children focused on their development and makes life easier for parents too! Uniforms can be purchased through Lands End, or garments can be embroidered through our recommended local embroidery company. We also offer a second-hand uniform shop at the beginning of each school year. Students may wear collared Navy, White, or Maroon tops and dresses with khaki bottoms. Closed toed shoes are required for safety!
Q. Do students have daily recess?
A. Absolutely. As a part of our daily activity schedule, students of all ages have daily recess and outdoors time. We believe this is an integral part to their day, and barring bad weather we always get outside!
Q. What is your academic calendar?
A. We follow Volusia County Schools Academic calendar with a few minor exceptions. Calendars are posted on our website for reference.
Q. Do you have assessments or state testing?
A. For pre-k through kindergarten we utilized individualized assessments to help guide their studies. For elementary students, we take every measure to normalize that class to help determine proper assessment of each child. These observations help us determine if our program is tailored to meet the specific needs of the children, and to ensure that we are maintaining an academically rigorous program. State testing is done in the spring of each year through the Iowa Standardized Test and it solely used for this purpose. We recognize that testing does not provide a holistic representation of the child.