Welcome, and thanks for your interest in our school! Below you will find answers to some of the questions we often hear from interested parents. If you have any other questions, feel free to email us at [email protected]. Thank you!
What is Montessori?
Montessori education follows the child’s interest to allow learning to happen spontaneously and organically. Many activities are designed to support learning through the coordinated effort of the hands and mind.
Children are introduced to materials in the classroom individually. After they’ve been shown the activity, they are free to choose that activity whenever they would like, work until they are satisfied, and then put everything back so that it is available for the next person.
Social responsibility, empathy, peace, and expressing love for one’s community and the Earth are vital parts of Montessori education. Opportunities abound for exploration with all the senses in care of the self and the classroom (called “Practical Life” in the Montessori curriculum), music, language, math, art, science, cultural studies, and geography. You can learn more about this amazing curriculum, which is practiced by schools worldwide, by visiting https://amiusa.org/families/.
What is the history of this school?
Nye Beach Montessori School was founded in 1983 by Linda Yapp. She is a beloved member of the community and continues to be a benevolent supporter of the school. Karin Lamberson took the reins in 2022, adding her unique spin on Montessori education.
Karin grew up in Newport and received her AMI Montessori training in St. Louis, MO, and her Master’s degree in education from Loyola in Baltimore.
Karin has worked in various positions in Montessori schools in Philomath, Corvallis, and Albany, and is thrilled to return to her hometown to support the children and families of the central coast. In addition to her passion for Montessori education, Karin enjoys spending time outdoors with her wife and daughter.
Nye Beach Montessori School admits students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, family structure, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, abilities or other legally protected status to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.
What is the school year schedule?
For breaks and holidays during the academic year, we follow Lincoln County School District. We may hold school on some days that LSCD lists as professional development or conference days; we will let you know about these well in advance.
Nye Beach Montessori School operates Monday through Thursday.
We also offer a summer program, see the Enrollment page for details.
Which ages of children can attend?
Our mixed-age classroom is made up of children ages 3 through 6.5. Montessori works best as a three-year program; we strongly encourage families to enroll their child as soon as the child turns 3, and to continue at NBMS through the kindergarten year. The rich Montessori curriculum meets the child at each developmental stage.
What does a typical day look like?
9:00am: NBMS staff will greet the children as they come in.
- Depending on the weather, we may start the day with outside playtime, or we may start right away in the classroom.
- Most of the morning is spent in individual free choice work time with some small group activities.
- Children eat their snack when they are hungry during the morning.
- Some days we take walking field trips around the neighborhood or to the beach!
11:40: We end the morning with a large group gathering.
12:00pm:
- Half-day children are dismissed
- Lunch for those staying later
12:45pm: Outside playtime
1:15pm: Individual work time and rest if needed
3:00pm: Full-day children are dismissed.
How do we know if school is closed for inclement weather or an emergency?
We follow Lincoln County School District for delays and closures. In the case of a two-hour delay, we will start school at 11:00am.
What do I need to know about food at school?
Dining together is one of the most basic aspects of the human experience. At Nye Beach Montessori, we strive to have meals and snacks be a special time of conversation, discovery, and connection. Because of health protocols, we are currently requiring each family to send food for their child to eat during the school day.
Each family must pack a snack for their child in a small resealable container. The snack should contain food from at least two of the food groups:
- Grains
- Protein
- Fruits and vegetables
Also please send a water bottle, that the child can open and close independently, each day.
Any child who stays after 12:00 also needs to bring a lunch from home. The snack and lunch should be packed separately. Again, please pack food in containers the child can open and close themselves. If a fork or spoon is required, please send that in the lunch as well. We do have a toaster oven for reheating food, or you can pack hot food in a thermos. Office of Child Care regulations state that children must have a healthy and balanced lunch. Please do not send dessert items to school.
What kinds of clothing should my child wear to school?
Montessori environments help children develop their independence. One way for children to practice this is by managing their own clothing. Please send your child to school in clothing they can manipulate independently.
We ask that you save clothing, lunchboxes, water bottles, etc. with media characters on them for time away from school. The reason for this is that we strive to provide a real-world experience for the children while at NBMS. We also want children to express their true selves in the classroom.
When your child starts school, please provide the following items (labeled with the child’s name) to be left at school:
- Slippers, soft shoes, or crocs to be worn inside the classroom
- One or two changes of clothes
We are the lucky recipients of full-body rain suits for each child, on permanent loan from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife! This means that we can go out in any weather! Please provide hats, mittens, sweaters, and warm pants to wear inside the rain suit, and boots, as the weather requires.
How do you do parent-teacher conferences?
We do parent-teacher conferences twice a year, in November and April. The conferences take place either in person or on Zoom; you will receive a sign-up form with several time slot options a few weeks before the conferences begin. There will also be times to sign up and observe in the classroom before conferences, or whenever you would like to observe!
If the need arises to have a conversation outside of these scheduled conferences, that can be arranged as well.
Will my child bring home art projects and worksheets?
In the Montessori classroom, much of the activity that goes on does not produce an object that goes home. Rather, the work that is done (fastening, designing, sorting, washing, etc.) has value for the child because of their experience in the moment, and then it is set aside for their next choice. Of course, sometimes their chosen activity will be something like an art activity, which does create a product. We save the children’s work in a folder and it is sent home twice a year, just before the winter and summer breaks. The purpose of this practice is threefold:
- The children and teachers can track the progress that the child is making
- The child learns intrinsic motivation, working for the pleasure of working, rather than praise from the adults around the child
- The family is not overwhelmed with papers coming home!
Because they live so much in the present moment, children at this age will usually not be able to tell their parents what they did during the day. If you are curious about your child’s progress, feel free to ask the teacher for an update; email is the best way to do this.
How do I get involved in the school? Can I volunteer in the classroom?
We want every family to be aware of what is involved when they enroll their child in our school. Besides tuition and annual registration fees, each family is required to do 20 hours of volunteer work each year for the school. They may opt to pay $300 in exchange for those hours or $15 per hour for the balance of hours not completed. However, we strongly encourage our families to fulfill their commitment by direct involvement — parent meetings, fund-raisers, socials, and parent projects for the classroom. There are obvious benefits for the school, and building the school community, but their child reaps the biggest benefit of all. Each year we also do at least one fund-raiser to augment our program wherever the greatest need exists.
Per Office of Child Care regulations, parent volunteers who spend time in the classroom will need to go through the Central Background Registry process. This involves a fee and fingerprinting. NBMS staff can assist with this process if you are interested in being a classroom volunteer.
Does NBMS do field trips?
We love to go on walking field trips! It’s a wonderful way to have the children feel part of the community and get out and explore! Most days we visit Coast Park (right next door), which seems like part of our school but is technically a field trip. Some days we’ll walk to the library, around the neighborhood, or to the beach! When we go on a field trip, we always have at least 2 adults, and we take along water, a first aid kit, a bell (for calling the children’s attention), phones and contact information, and the key to the emergency shelter up the hill.
What measures do you have in place for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases?
We have all lived with COVID-19 for some time now. Families have different views on this matter, and it’s very important to remember that we live in a community. NBMS encourages compassion, understanding, communication, and respect in all matters. We must strive not only to keep our own families healthy but also those around us.
At school, we take measures to reduce the spread of all infectious diseases, such as:
- Keeping windows and doors open whenever the weather permits to increase ventilation
- Ensuring that children are using proper hand washing technique
- Playing outside every day
- Cleaning materials, tables, chairs, and other high-touch surfaces regularly
In order to keep everyone in our community safe, Nye Beach Montessori School asks that each family use practices that can reduce the spread of any infectious disease:
- Wash hands frequently with soap and running water
- Use hand sanitizer when soap is not available
- Stay home when you are sick
- Stay up-to-date on vaccinations
Also, each family must monitor their children for any symptoms of illness. A child must stay home if they are unwell.