Frequently Asked Questions
French
Does my child or I have to speak French to register?
No! We are able to customize the level of French we offer to each child. If your child has no French background, has never been exposed to any French, we will introduce them slowly to various concepts such as colours, numbers, songs and animals.
On the other hand, if your child already has an understanding and can speak French, we will engage them in French during lessons, have conversations in French, etc.
We also take in consideration the age of the child, how much vocabulary they have acquired in their first language as well as where they will be continuing their education in the future. Children going to French immersion or French schools may be will work on French reading or mathematical activities. Again, it all depends on your child, their learning path and how long they will be with us in our program.
How much exposure to French will my child have?
Since we do not have set French lessons in our program, but rather have French incorporated in our daily classrooms, it is hard to quantify how much ''French exposure'' each child has. We try to incorporate French in our songs, books and everyday interactions with the children.
We also take in consideration how old the child is, how long they have been in our program, what their background in French is, what their language skills are as well as where they will be going to school (in French school, French immersion, English school, etc.)
Since each child has different needs and different learning paths, we can taylor our program to the individual child's needs. If you have a specific request or want something different, you can always speak to one of our staff members and they will work with you to ensure we can offer what you are looking for in our program.
Will my child be bilingual?
Our goal in our program is to expose every child to the French language through books (print), songs/music and mostly through hearing it being spoken and used as a means of communication.
We want children to see French as a living language that is purposful and that can be used to communicate the same way as we use English. We want children to have a positive experience with French.
Children under the age of 7 years old are in a sensitive period for language. This is where they are most receptive to new languages. By having an early exposure to French, we 'train their ear' to recognize not only the language, but the various sounds, speech patterns and even its grammar that the language is made of. This early exposure will ensure that when the child is exposed to French at a later date, he/she will aquire its nuances faster and easier.
Will my child speak French at the end of this program?
Keeping in line with our Montessori philosophy of respecting and following the child, we do not force children to speak or answer in French. We simply want them to have the exposure and the opportunity to speak French if they choose to do so. Most parents who do not speak French will report hearing some French songs coming from their child or spontaneous words such as colours or numbers may come up in conversations. Children often tend not to 'speak' French to people they know don't understand or speak the language. Parents who read or play games in French with their child are more likely to hear their child speak French at home.
Just like when a baby learns to speak in its mother tongue, they start by understanding the language before they can verbalize and eventually have conversations in the language. The same applies to learning a second or third language.
We get the children to the point where they are exposed to the language, understand some of it and may use some words or songs or even preset expressions they hear often like, come here or sit down please.
Montessori
What is Montessori?
This is a very simple question that can have a very broad answer! Montessori is a method of teaching that was developed by an Italian medical doctor named Maria Montessori in the early 1900's.Here's a few simple facts about Montessori.
We Use The Following Five Principles to Teach the Child:
Principle 1: Respect for the Child.
In order to teach the child, the teacher must respect the child, in turn the child will respect the teacher.
Principle 2: The Absorbent Mind.
A child's mind is absorbent like a sponge. They absorb knowledge and develop a thirst for learning that teachers must satisfy.
Principle 3: Sensitive Periods.
Children go through various sensitive periods as they get older. It is the teacher's responsibility to identify those sensitive periods and to make sure to teach the correct knowledge at the correct time. Timing is important, if it is done accurately, the child will learn quicker and in larger quantities.
Principle 4: The Prepared Environment.
The prepared environment in our program is very important. The classrooms are the most important part of our center, however, our whole center is designed to ensure chidlren are comfortable, peaceful and have a sense of belonging when they enter our environment. It has been developed to mimic a home, with soft colours, large rooms, plants, animals and bright windows. We take great pride in ensuring that the environment is planned with the child in mind; small furniture, lowered sinks and toilets, accessible, open shelving, lowered decorations, etc.
Children prefer order and familiarity. We set up our classrooms with those guidelines in mind, keeping our shelves in order, clean, without clutter, easily accessible materials, the use of trays to ensure the child can easily carry materials independently are all considerations when a teacher lays out their classroom material. We ensure that the materials are attractive to the child by being functional, clean and complete. The teachers set up the environment and the materials to ensure the children succeed.
Principle 5: Auto education.
Once the material and environment has been carefully layed out by the teacher, it is important to allow the child to have as much freedom and independance as possible in the classroom. We do this by giving them materials that are auto-correcting (Like a puzzle for example, if you don't have the correct piece, it doesn't fit. The child will try another piece until he/she succeeds.), by giving them short, one-on-one lessons, then allowing them to explore the material on their own. The child learns through repetition. Children also learn by observing. We often have children standing by or watching from a far as we teach another child a lesson. Soon enough, the observer will have acquired the skills to complete the material without a 'formal' lesson. This also happens by having children watching each other complete a task. We also have children who 'teach' other chidlren how to do something by pretending to be the teacher. The child doing the teaching is reinforcing and mastering his knowledge while teaching another child a new skill.
Why Mix Age Grouping?
In Montessori programs, we see our group of children as a small community functionning in a classroom. Just like 'real life', children of various ages are in each group (usually 3 year age spand per group). This allows children to grow together, in a familiar, stable envrironment, with the same teachers for a 3 years span. The child enters the group as a younger member. He/she looks up to the older children and learns to use them as a ressource when needing help (instead of always asking a teacher). The 'middle' age or second year child continues to practice and works towards mastery of his/her skills. The 3rd year child, being older, can easily empathize with the first year child's struggles as he/she remembers being there him/herself not that long ago. They happily help the younger children, displaying their skills and proudly accomplishing tasks that were too challenging for them a few years ago. The comradery displayed by the children is amazing. The classroom truly functions as a small community, with leaders and helpers and every other role you would find in a community. Children develop great leadership skills, communication skills, empathy and most of all, it prepares them for being functionning members of society.
What is the difference between a Montessori program and non-Montessori program?
In Montessori programs, we use Montessori-designed materials to teach the children various concepts such as reading and mathematicals. Montessori classrooms are divided into 5 large areas;
1. Daily Life Activities or Practical Life Activities
This is the area where we teach children daily use life skills. It includes skills like cooking, pouring, buttoning, tiying shoes, washing hands, using the toilet, buttering a toast or a cracker, etc.
2. Language
This area has pre-reading, pre-writing activites as well as a variety of writing and reading activities for the child to progress through. We also feature a selection of real-life pictures tha encourage vocabulary development and conversations. A selection of books is also available to the children.
3. Sensorial
The child learns through his/her senses. We offer a selection of materials and activities that engages the child's 5 senses. From cubes of various sizes for the visual/tactile sense to smelling jars for the olfactory sense to tasting a selection of apples for the sustatory sense, we have a selection of engaging and challenging activities for the children of various abilities.
4. Math
Our math area is designed to take the child from number symbol recognition, to counting, to representing quantities and eventually towards equations (addition, multiplication, subtraction and division). By using Montessori designed materials, the children can explore double and triple digit equations.
We also take the children on explorations of shapes through our geometry cabinet.
5. Culture
In the culture area, we include botany, zoology, sociology, geography, sciences, music and arts.
This is a fluid area of the classroom that includes a diversity of activities. We offer large puzzle maps of the world, the continents and of countries for the children to explore. We also have an extensive collection of leaf shape puzzles in our botany cabinet.
Children have access to hands-on music instruments and a variety of art mediums to explore freely.
The Montessori teacher does not teach in front of the class, but will rather join the child at a table or on the floor, in his environment, to do one-on-one lessons.
Sometimes, small group lessons or large group lessons are given, but again, the teacher joins the children in their environment to do so.
Montessori teachers are known as 'guides'. They see themselves as part of the learning environment, only interfering when a child is being unsafe or hurting someone.
The teachers do not give report cards with set evaluations, but rather give progress reports when each child's learning progress is explained.
Children in the Montessori classroom are free to; use the washroom without asking, drink or eat when they are thirsty or hungry, sit where they want (no assigned seating) using chairs or the floor to work, they can work alone or with whoever they want and are free to chose what materials they want to work with and the duration of the period they will engage in an activity.
Of course, there are times when everyone must have lunch or go outside, but we allow children as much freedom as possible. The teachers guide the children in their choices, making sure they are making 'good' choices along the way.
Is Montessori for everyone?
In my career, I have yet to find a child who didn't fit in, struggled so much that they had to leave a Montessori program to join a non-Montessori program. Here at Trillium Bilingual Montessori, we pride ourselves on making our program as inclusive and accessible to as many children as possible... If we don't have the accomodations your child needs, we will make certain to change/aquire it. Montessori is for everyone, regardless of race, religion, beliefs or abilities! If your child has special requirements such as medical, nutritional, cultural, religious, physical, emotional or intellectual, please contact us. We will work with you to ensure we can offer the best quality program for each child.
Are all Montessori schools the same?
No. The term Montessori can be used by anyone, any school or childcare center can declare themselves Montessori. It can get tricky to know which programs are truly Montessori versus programs that are Montessori-like.
You want to beware of Montessori programs who use terms like: Montessori-inspired or Montessori-influenced. Some programs will use Montessori-blend or even offer 'Montessori periods' during the day.
True Montessori programs should offer a large variety of authentic Montessori materials all the time. Teachers should also be using a Montessori philosophy all the time, both in and out of the classroom.
Quality Montessori programs will have Montessori-trained staff. The lead teachers will be Montessori certified or hold a Montessori diploma from a reputable teacher training institute. Though every classroom is different, a true Montessori classroom compared to a another one, no matter the school or country, should be similar. You should be able to recognize some of the same materials and it should 'feel' the same.
Ask questions about the quality of the Montessori programming you are considering.
Is Montessori for 'gifted' children only?
Of course not... although one could argue that every child is gifted in his/her own way. Montessori is for any child regardless of intellectual abilities. We accept and celebrate diversity.
Is there play in Montessori? Do you have toys?
Just because an activity is purposeful, it does not mean the child doesn't see it as 'play'. The child who is concentrating is truly engaged. Most Montessori materials can be viewed as play or toys by children. We, in Montessori, use the terms 'work' and 'working' to designate the activities and to validate what the children are doing, we say they are 'working' instead of just 'playing'. It gives them a sense of pride in themselves and their work. It makes it more 'official' and purposeful to them than just calling it 'play'. Children relate to the words work and working as activities that are done by adults and that are very important. Play to them is something children do, that has no real purpose and that is not important.By exploring, repeting activities and using materials in the classroom, the children are 'playing' with a purpose.
At TBM, we also allow free-play time where the children have access to regular toys. We offer a selection of outdoor toys to use during our outdoor time. For the children in our extended hours program, they are have free play with toys from a large selection. This is when children explore and create their own games, often playing 'real life' scenarios like, mom/dad and baby, going to the dentist, restaurant, etc. These are open-ended play/toys that children are free to use in whaterver way they decide. Teachers can sometimes 'set-up' exploration or provocation by adding new/different toys, making suggestions, etc.
Are Montessori schools all privately owned?
Many Montessori schools are privately owned, but there are also many Montessori schools who are board-run, non-profit schools.
What is different between privately-run and board-run Montessori schools?
Like any other childcare center, there are two ways Montessori schools can be run. Here at Trillium Bilingual Montessori, we are not only a privately-run, we are also family owned.
The main difference is that all decisions about our program, from financial to marketing, hiring to implementation of policies is decided by the owner and management of the program as oposed to board-run Montessori schools where decisions are made or approved by a board of director.
We structured our program to be privately-run to be able to have teachers and supervisors, the ones who are in the program with the children everyday, be able to make a request or a recommendation and then quickly and automatically approve it and implement it without delays.
At TBM the owner and supervisors are all Montessori-trained and understand what is required for the teachers to provide the best program for the children. The ones making the final decisions are part of the team of staff, working with the children and families directly.
The accountability comes directly from the parents and children who have access to the supervisors and owner daily. Complains or problems are dealt with immediately and solutions can be implemented as soon as possible.
At TBM, your tuition is put to use while your child is part of the program. New materials, quality staffing, healthy lunches and snacks, keeping our training up-to-date and renewed certifications for all the staff as needed, repairs and maintenance of the facilities are done as soon as they are required and additional measures are taken during the Covid-19 pandemic to enhance our desinfecting protocols.
About Our Programs
How do you discipline the children?
In all our programs at Trillium Bilingual Montessori, we believe in empowering the child and
guiding the child towards a path of independence, self-discipline and success in every area of his/her
life. We commit to developing and caring for the whole child as a complex human being
learning to one day become a thriving adult.
Discipline Methods at Trillium Bilingual Montessori
Our main goal for the children at TBM is to have them achieve a level of self-discipline
where teachers are not required to intervene as often to impose external discipline. A
successful classroom should be functional with minimal interruptions from the teacher,
allowing the children to self-discipline and also allowing them to assist other children
by giving them gentle reminders when needed. This is always done under the surveillance
of the teachers to ensure that children are respecting each other and that it remains
a safe, positive, learning environment.
When adult intervention is needed, our staff are required to use gentle, non-degrading,
positive and effective discipline methods in all programs in order to keep it consistent and
clear for the children of all ages. We utilize positive discipline methods, redirection, giving
choices, modeling and role playing as well as natural and logical consequences. Our teachers
never use punishment of any kind. We reserve the word 'no' to use in limited situations where
a child is in danger, endangering others or intentionally harming materials, breaking them.
Please visit our
discipline page for more details.
Does my child need to be potty trained to join your program?
We do not require children to be able to use the toilet independently to join one of our programs (toddler, preschooler or JK/SK programs). We will work with you and your child, regardless of where you are in the toilet learning process. If you haven't started yet and we see signs that your child is ready, we will notify you, just like if you decide to start at home, we will start the process here too.
Children have access to child-sized toilets in every classroom. Once we start toilet learning, children are encouraged to come to school in underwear, with many change of clothes to use in case of accidents. We prefer not using disposable underwear (unless during nap time). They don't allow the child to feel the wetness when they have an accident and they are too similar to diapers.
We work with each child independently and do not have group 'toilet time', though we will remind or ask the children to 'try' to use the toilet before going outside for example. The rest of the time, we will ask the children who are toilet learning if they need to go often and teachers will watch them for signs of having to use the toilet. We want to set them up to be as successfull as possible.
Just like children using the toilet independently do not have to ask for permission to go to the washroom (unless we are outside since they cannot come into the building on their own, without adult suppervision), children who are toilet learning are asked to go, but not obligated to sit on the toilet for a set amount of time. Teachers will encourage them to 'try' when they know it has been a while or a child has had a lot to drink, but not force them to go.
Most children will be reliably using the toilet within a few weeks.
Is there a nap time? Does my child need to sleep?
Yes, we have daily quiet time. This is a time where children will either sleep (if they need it) or will be asked to do some quiet activities for a while.
Children ages 18-30 months have a quiet time of two hours maximum. Children of 30 months and up have a quiet time of 1 1/2 hour maximum.
All children are required to get on their individual cot and lay down quietly. Sleepers usually fall asleep within 15-20 minutes. Non-sleepers are expected to stay on their cots (with a book, puzzle or a quiet activity) for a maximum of 1 hour. Most children will start moving about the room once all the children who nap are asleep. If your child does not nap, they are not required to do so. If you want your child to nap for a certain time (maximum a hour for example), we will wake them up when they have slept enough.
Children who are still in cribs, quickly adapt to being on a cot. They are only a few inches off the floor and are made of a stretchy mesh material that allows the child to 'sink in' a little bit, so they don't fall off their cot. We have yet to see a child fall off their cot while sleeping. For children who are new to toilet learning or have yet to master sleeping and not wetting themselves, we will gladly put on disposable underwear until they can reliably sleep without having accidents.
We also recommend no sending soothers or milk bottles. Children quickly adapt to not having them at school and will learn to sleep without them. However, if you feel that your child needs a soother or a bottle to sleep, we will accomodate the child.
Each child can bring a small baby blanket to use during quiet time. We provide the sheets. They are used only by one child and are laundered weekly or more often if they get soiled. We also encourage children to bring, and leave here, a small comfort stuffed animal. These remain at school. During Covid-19 protocols, we wash all the blankets weekly here at the school. During non-Covid protocols, blankets are sent home weekly to get washed.
Payments
Are payments made monthly? Or yearly?
Both. You can choose to pay monthly. Payments are due on the 1st monthly, unless you make other arrangements. If you choose to pay yearly, we will discount 10% off the fees.
See our current fee schedule
here.
What kind of payment method do you offer?
For your convinience and for your ease of use, we have a great payment portal for you to use free.
This is where you will make your payments, view your invoices, register/change a payment option, print invoices and tax invoices. Tuio not only offers parents a secure portal, they offer 24 hour free support to you.
When you register your account, you can choose to add automatic account withdrawals or credit card payments. Automatic bank account withdrawal are free. Credit card payments are subject to a 3% service fee from Tuio. These options can be changed whenever you want.
We do not receive your account information, that is kept securely in the portal.
Yearly Payments-For parents who choose to make one yearly payment, we will also accept a cheque. You will still have an account set up on the portal where you can view and print your receipt and invoice.
Other than the tuition, is there any other fees?
In an effort to help families keep the cost of childcare lower and to assist families during this pandemic, we are currently waiving all deposits. Contact us for more information.
Non-Subsidized Families
We do require a deposit fee when you register. Our standard deposits are anywhere from $100-$500 for full-time programs, and up to $250 for our part-time programs. Deposit fees are calculated on the months between September-June your child attends.
For example, if you register/start full-time in September, we will calculate $50/month for each month between September-June. The total deposit required is therefore $500. If you register in December for a part-time program, we would calculate how many months between December-June (6) x $25/month (part-time program). The total deposit would be $150. Don't worry, we will do the calculation for you!
The summer month; July and August are calculated differently. (See the ''How Summer Months Tuition are Calculated?'' question in this section for more information.)
Subsidized Families
If you receive a subsidy from the region, there are no additional fees. No deposits are required.
How is the Summer Months Tuition Calculated?
For the summer months; July and August, we offer families more flexibility with their attendance and payments. Our summer schedule offers families the most flexible and adaptable schedule any program can offer. In May, we will send a Summer Registration Form to every family. Families will then sign up, or not, for our summer weeks. That's correct, families have the option to sign up weekly for July and August! Here's how it works:
Families may choose between 3 options:
Option 1:
Continue attending and payments the same as they do every other months. (We will continue to make the automatic withdrawals to your account. You do not have to make any changes.) Your child will attend according to their regular schedule (Days and Times). This is the only option available for subsidized families, unless you make permanent changes with your case worker through the subsidy program.
Option 2:
Families may choose to attend a modified schedule during the summer months, like going from a full-time schedule to a part-time schedule. Because families sign up weekly for the summer program, we offer parents not only the chance to change their child's attendance during the summer months, but you may decide to skip some weeks (at no cost to you) and have your child take a few weeks off.
Option 3:
Families may choose not to attend our summer program at all. Maybe you have the summer months off and you plan on having your child stay home with you. If you choose this option, your child can maintain his/her spot in September. You will be asked to advise us if your child will return in September or if you decide to forfeit your spot upon choosing Option 3.
Payments
Once we have received your summer registration form, we will calculate your summer tuition fees as follows:
- You only pay for days/weeks your child attends
- We calculate the total summer fees and divide it by two equal payments due on July 1st and August 1st. Payments will be done through Tuio and you will have access to the same payment options as you do during any other months.
- We will give you a deadline to make any changes to your summer schedule, after which any changes may result in having to pay for days you had already registered for. (More details will be given at the time of summer registration.)
For subsidized families; you simply continue your schedule as normal.
Still have questions about the summer program?
Contact us for details.
Do I have to pay for lunches and snacks?
No. All food is included in our tuition fees. Even for our JK/SK program.
Do I pay taxes on the fees?
No, childcare fees are not taxed. No HST.
Are there fees for credit card payments?
Yes. Tuio, the payment portal, charges a 3% processing fee. Automatic bank withdrawal is free.
Are there fees for automatic bank withdrawals?
No, it's free.
Nutrition/Food
What does your menu look like?
All our food is catered to our school by The Lunch Lady. We serve daily, hot meals for lunch and up to 3 healthy, balanced snacks daily. We have a kitchen available to re-heat or keep the food warm and a fridge to keep snacks fresh until we serve them.
To get more information and to see an example of our menu,
click here.
Do you offer special/alternative/allergy menu options?
Yes! We offer alternative balanced menus for vegetarians, halal, kosher, vegan, dairy-free or any other special/alternative/allergy menu your child may require. If your child has an allergy, we work with you and The Lunch Lady to ensure that all the food offered to your child is safe, that there is no cross contamination during the preparation of the food and that your child receives his/her portion in a one-portion, seperate packaging/container.
We, along with the Lunch Lady, can tailor the menu for your child's needs. We ensure that any changes to the regular menu are healthy, child-friendly and part of a balanced diet (following recommendations from the Canadian Food Guide).
If you have any concerns, questions or requests, please
contact us.
My child has a food allergy. Can he/she still take part in the lunch program?
Absolutely! If your child has an allergy, we work with you and The Lunch Lady to ensure that all the food offered to your child is safe, that there is no cross contamination during the preparation of the food and that your child receives his/her portion in a one-portion, seperate packaging/container.
Depending on the severity of the allergy/sensitivity, we will customize/alter the menu for each child.
Our school is NUT FREE. The Lunch Lady prepares all the food using nut-free ingredients as well as being in a nut-free facility.
We understand and take food allergies very seriously. We will develop an individual action plan for each child with a severe allergy. Our staff has been trained to minimize/eliminate exposure to allergen, recognize the signs of allergen exposure and administer medication and auto-injectors.
How many snacks a day do you serve?
Depending on the duration of time your child attends each day, we will serve 2 or 3 snacks. The morning snack is usually served around 9:30 AM, afternoon snack is served around 2:30 PM and if your child attends our extended day program, a third snack is served around 4:30 PM.
My child is a picky eater. Do you serve/give options?
Every meal and snack is composed of at least 2 different dishes. Children are asked is they want each dish/food and have the option to refuse it. The teachers will encourage children to try and taste everything we serve, however, we do not force children to eat anything. Portions are counted according to servings for children in the Canada Food Guide. Children are always offered seconds or third servings until the food is finished.
Teachers will report how much your child ate that day in the daily communication report that is sent to you.
Picky eaters tend to eventually try the food we serve since they see the teachers and the children eat around them. It is not unusual for children to eat very little to even skip a snack or a meal during the first week or two until they feel more comfortable. Little by little teachers usually convince them to try new foods by encouraging them and by demonstrating good eating habits for the children.
Do the children have access to drinking water?
Yes, absolutely. Children are asked to bring a water bottle or sippy cup that is kept at the school for your child to have access to at anytime during the day. We never restrict water intake, we encourage it, especially during hot days.
Children have a cup of milk during lunch, but can chose to have water if they prefer.
Can my child bring his/her own lunch?
We don't recommend bringing lunches. We prefer that all children are served hot meals daily. Due to food allergies, we do not allow outside food to come into the school. However, we can obtain special permission from the Ministry of Education if certain conditions are met by the parents. Please contact us for more information.
Do I have to pay extra for lunches and snacks?
No, the cost of food is included in our tuition fees. No extra cost to you.
Teachers and Staff
What are the child to teacher ratios?
At TBM, like all Ontario childcare centres, we must adhere to ratios mandated by the Ministry of Education.
Depending on the program your child attends, here are the ratios:
Pre-Casa (Toddler) Program: 5 children/ teacher, our classrooms can have up to 15 children with 3 teachers per room.
Casa (Preschooler, JK/SK) Program: 8 children/teacher, our classrooms can have up to 24 children with 3 teachers per room.
Depending on Covid restrictions, our ratios may be lower and our groups may be smaller.
Contact us for details or get more information
here.
What qualifications do TBM teachers have?
Everyone of TBM classrooms has at least one Montessori-trained teacher (MACTE), some may have 2 Montessori-trained teachers.
Other teachers are registered early childhood educators (RECE) and assist and support Montessori teachers. RECE are required to educate, learn about and follow the Montessori philosophy in our programs.
Assistants can sometimes have an assistant-teacher or Montessori-assistant diploma or similar qualifications.
All our staff must have a basic knowledge/ability of the French language. Some of our staff are fully bilingual or have French as their first language.
Every staff member must provide a Vulnerable Sector Check (Police Check) which is renewed according to the Ministry of Education requirements. Staff must keep themselves conviction-free.
All our staff is First Aid and Infant Toddler CPR trained. They must have an up-to-date certification at all times.
What is your staff turnaround rate?
Trillium Bilingual Montessori is dedicated to ensuring that every staff member that is part of our team is not only qualified for their position, we want our staff to join us for the long-run. We strive to find staff members that believe in Montessori, are dedicated to chidren's education and growth and who want to make early education their career.
Most of our staff have been with TBM for many years, some from our opening year. We at TBM understand that our staff members must be treated with respect, paid competitive rates, have access to benifits and most of all be happy and satisfied with their work. Quality staff is one of the most important building blocks of offering a high quality program.
Of course some staff turnaround is inevitable due to life changes or other conditions, but we at TBM try our best to hire and keep high quality staff members for as long as we can.
Summer Program
Do you offer a summer program?
We do. We are open 12 months a year. Our summer program is offered to children attending our regular programming during the year first. If we have some openings, we sometimes open up spaces to the public. We usually don't know if we have public spaces available until June of the same year.
For families attending our regular programs during the year, July and August is set up a little differently for attendance and payments. For the summer months; July and August, we offer families more flexibility with their attendance and payments. Our summer schedule offers families the most flexible and adaptable schedule any program can offer.
In May, we will send a Summer Registration Form to every family attending our program. Families will then sign up, or not, for our summer weeks. That's correct, families have the option to sign up weekly for July and August! Here's how it works:
Families may choose between 3 options:
Option 1:
Continue attending and payments the same as they do every other months. (We will continue to make the automatic withdrawals to your account. You do not have to make any changes.) Your child will attend according to their regular schedule (Days and Times). This is the only option available for subsidized families, unless you make permanent changes with your case worker through the subsidy program.
Option 2:
Families may choose to attend a modified schedule during the summer months, like going from a full-time schedule to a part-time schedule. Because families sign up weekly for the summer program, we offer parents not only the chance to change their child's attendance during the summer months, but you may decide to skip some weeks (at no cost to you) and have your child take a few weeks off.
Option 3:
Families may choose not to attend our summer program at all. Maybe you have the summer months off and you plan on having your child stay home with you. If you choose this option, your child can maintain his/her spot in September. You will be asked to advise us if your child will return in September or if you decide to forfeit your spot upon choosing Option 3.
Payments
Once we have received your summer registration form, we will calculate your summer tuition fees as follows: - You only pay for days/weeks your child attends- We calculate the total summer fees and divide it by two equal payments due on July 1st and August 1st. Payments will be done through Tuio and you will have access to the same payment options as you do during any other months. - We will give you a deadline to make any changes to your summer schedule, after which any changes may result in having to pay for days you had already registered for. (More details will be given at the time of summer registration.)For subsidized families; you simply continue your schedule as normal. Still have questions about the summer program? Contact us for details.
Are you open all summer?
Yes we are! We are open July and August, what we consider summer months, with a Summer Program option to our parent. For more information read the question: Do you offer a summer program?
Do you offer a summer program to the public?
We do not offer a summer program to the public, however, depending on the attendance/registration for the summer program from our families, we may open a few spaces to the public. We usually don't know if or how many spaces will be available until June of the same year.
Do you offer Montessori programming during the summer?
Yes we do. We continue with the same high quality Montessori and bilingual programs that we have during every other months. The only changes are, we spend more time outside; playing and doing special outdoor lessons/games.
Registration
How do I know if you have spaces available for my child?
You can contact us to know if we have any openings or if we anticipate having openings in the near future.
How do I know you received my registration form?
We typically try to contact you within a business day of receiving a completed registration form to confirm a start date. However, depending on the time of day or the day of the week the form is received, it may take a little longer to hear from us.
I am waiting on a subsidy. Can I still register my child?
Yes, you can still register and we can confirm receiving the registration. However, before confirming a start date, we require a notification from the Region of Waterloo subsidy office that you have been approved for a subsidy. Depending on the volume of applications, this may take a few days to several weeks. You will have to discuss the timeline with your case worker at the region's office.
You may have your child attend the program while waiting on a subsidy, however you are responsible for the fees during the wait period as the subsidy is not retro-active. If you wish to do this, you will be required to pay the fees upfront before your child's start date.
How far ahead can I register my child?
We accept and confirm spaces for registrations with a start date of within 60 days. Outside of the 60 days, we recommend that you join our waitlist.
Do I need a registration form for each of my children?
Yes. Each child registering in our program needs their own form.
Waitlist
How to I put my child on the waitlist?
At TBM, we use the Region of Waterloo OneList to keep track of our waitlist. You can create an account on their website and register yourself on our waitlist.
How do I know when there is an opening for my child?
You can contact us at admin@tbmontessori.ca and ask us when we anticipate having any openings. Otherwise, we will contact you by email to let you know if we have an opening for your child. You will need to respond quickly to our email in to make sure that we save the space for your child.
I no longer require childcare or I do not wish to remain on the waitlist. What do I do?
If you no longer need or wish to be on our waitlist, you simply log into your OneList account and remove yourself from our wailist.
Can I remain on the waitlist but change my prefered start date?
Yes, you can change your prefered start date by logging in to your OneList account. You will not loose your placing on the waitlist queue.
If I want to know where I stand on the waitlist, who do I contact?
Contact us directly at admin@tbmontessori.ca
Toilet Learning
Does my child have to be able to use the toilet reliably to attend TBM?
No. We work with families on toilet learning.
View our
Toilet Learning Information page for more information.
What kind of toilet does TBM have?
Each classroom is equiped with small, child-size toilets and child-sized hand washing sinks. We do not use 'potty chairs' for hygenic reasons. With child-sized toilets, children do not require special child toilet seats.
For more information about toilet learning at TBM, visit our
Toilet Learning Page.
Do you provide support to parents for toilet learning?
Absolutely! We welcome parents to get in touch with our staff for tips and strategies at any time.
For more information about toilet learning at TBM, visit our
Toilet Learning Page.
Who decides when the child is ready for toilet learning to start?
Mainly, the child will give us cues that they are ready. In partnership with parents, teachers will help decide when toilet learning should start.
