Kindergarten Scholarship

 

In Montessori curriculum, students stay with the same teacher and in the same classroom for three year periods which encapsulate certain phases of learning and growth, or in Montessori jargon, planes of development. This consistency of community/teacher during these predictable “ages and stages” offers incredible benefits to children’s development, both academically and emotionally, giving them a depth of confidence and learning from which they will benefit for life. Each of the three years in a Montessori program is a fundamental part of a child’s development of lifelong patterns of learning, and having a student population of one third of each age group (1st year, 2 year, and 3rd year) is pivotal to the health of any Montessori school.

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Because public kindergarten is free, and certainly culturally expected, we acknowledge that the choice to remain in a Montessori program for the third year may be a challenging  one for some parents. We want to make it as easy as possible to keep your child in our program once you understand the benefits of the third, or kindergarten, year.

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And thus, our Kindergarten Scholarship was born….

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The purpose of the Kindergarten Scholarship is to provide a tuition supplement to third year families at Missoula Christian Montessori School who have shown continued dedication to learning about and practicing the Montessori philosophy of our school, commitment to supporting our program through either volunteer work or financial donations, and who are willing to donate their time and efforts during their student's third year with us by completing a volunteer contract.

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To be Eligible

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1. Your child must be old enough to enter public school Kindergarten, and must be in their third year of attendance to MCMS (we will consider applicants who have joined us mid-three-year-cycle and have received Montessori education at an AMI or AMS accredited Montessori school since the age of 3 years).

2. Your family should show/have shown a commitment to our philosophy and program in a variety of ways, from attending parent education nights to donating time or talent to our program in fundraising or program improvement efforts, such as end of the year work-parties. Your children benefit from your involvement in numerous ways, not the least of which having modeled for them what it means to be ‘in community’ with others.

 

To Apply:

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Download this form:   Kindergarten Scholarship Application

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1. Attach a Kindergarten Scholarship Application to your Re-enrollment Application during our Priority Re-enrollment period (this begins in late January annually). 

2. Submit your  Kindergarten Scholarship Applications by February 18th, when we open enrollment to the public.

3. Your Application will be considered, and if accepted, will be added to a lottery in which between 1 and 4 students will receive tuition supplements based on funds available.

4. You will be notified if your family has been chosen to receive a Kindergarten Scholarship, and in what amount.

 

Once the Scholarship is Awarded

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1. Complete and return a Volunteer Contract, specifying at least 2 ways  in which you are able to volunteer for our program during your child’s 3rd year. The contract can be found here:  Volunteer Contract

2. During your child’s third year, you will receive monthly invoices with a notation of CREDIT for the amount awarded to your family. You pay the remaining tuition each month.

3. If you withdraw from the program during your child’s third year, the remaining award returns to the Kindergarten Scholarship Fund. No actual money is disbursed directly to your family at any time.