More about the program
Who/when/where:
Cicada Schoolhouse is open to all children who will be 3 - 6 years old in August 2023. Over the past three school years, I have welcomed children ages 3 - 6, but as I am adding grades 1 - 3 to my Montessori certification, we plan to grow to 3rd grade in the next few years.
For the 2021-2023 school years, this program will be operated out of my house with a dedicated space for the school, separate from the house and with a separate gated entrance. We have two classrooms and a garden area, complete with chickens! Address given if you choose to pursue the application process. We are located in the Bywater, very close to Bywater Bakery.
Tuition will be $10/hour. Presently, I am unable to offer scholarship, but I hope to be able to in the future.
Schedule:
Students may be dropped off as early as 8:30 AM and picked up by 3 pm, Monday - Friday. I am able to accommodate part-time students.
Over the years, we have moved away from having a set schedule in order to avoid interrupting students' work and allow them to engage deeply in play and/or academic work. As we strive for students to make choices about their own bodies and needs, they choose when to eat and when (or if) to rest or nap.
More about the classroom:
While I am a credentialed Montessori teacher, Cicada Schoolhouse is a play-based and place-based program. Our shelves contain a mix of pre-literacy, pre-writing, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) items. Children may choose their work, and often, the work they choose is PLAY! Our emphasis is on social and emotional development, which we work on through play. Our shelves are filled with "loose parts," which is a term used frequently in Reggio Emilia classrooms to describe open-ended materials that can be used to build practically anything.
A very important foundation in our classroom is our set of classroom agreements. During our morning meetings throughout the school year, students are given the opportunity to discuss problematic issues that are common in the early childhood classroom, such as hitting, teasing, and snatching. Students raise these issues, and if a consensus is reached and all students agree to abide by the agreement (e.g. "no hitting"), it becomes a rule. We set these boundaries to empower all members of our community to hold one another accountable to their agreements. These agreements are posted in our classroom and revisited and revised frequently.
School Calendar 2022-2023:
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First day of school: August 21, 2023
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Labor Day: September 4 - NO SCHOOL
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Indigenous People’s Day - October 9 - OPTIONAL SCHOOL DAY
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Fall Holiday - November 20 - 24 - NO SCHOOL
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Winter holiday - December 22 - January 1 NO SCHOOL
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MLK Day - January 15 - OPTIONAL SCHOOL DAY
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Mardi Gras break - February 9 - 14 NO SCHOOL
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Spring break - April 13 - 21, 2024 NO SCHOOL
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Last day of school - May 31, 2024
What to Bring & Health Policy
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Lunch in a clearly labeled container. Please be mindful in your choices; meals high in protein and healthy fats will sustain your child, stabilize blood sugar, support their ability to focus, and stabilize their mood. Here is a great resource for some nutrient dense lunch box inspiration.
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Kids will get messy and potentially wet, so please pack extra clothes, clearly labeled with your child's name. You are welcome to leave a stash of clean clothes in your child's cubby at school and replenish as needed.
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Filtered water and snacks will be provided. You are welcome to send a water bottle (containing water only--please no juice!), but also students will have water glasses to use at school. We will serve a healthy and balanced snack around 10 am, and please make sure your child comes to school with a full stomach. Please let me know ASAP if your child has any allergies.
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If your child is coughing, sneezing, or has a runny nose, they need a mask that your child can comfortably wear while indoors. Some children go through more than one mask in a day, so please pack as many as needed.
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If you have a preference of insect repellent to ward off mosquitoes, please send it, clearly labeled with your child's name. I keep Off! Family Care (7% DEET) & Cedarcide as a natural option, although some dislike the scent of the cedar oil.
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We do not wear shoes inside the school, so if your child prefers to wear socks or slippers instead of being barefoot, they are welcome to do so.
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If your child stays for the full day:
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Each child will have a cot for rest time after lunch. Please bring a pillow, blanket, sleeping bag, or nap mat to put on top, and please wash these items weekly. Your child is welcome to bring a comforting item such as a doll, blanket, or stuffed animal if they would like.
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Afternoon snack. We will serve herbal tea after rest time, and if your child is staying until 3, I recommend packing an afternoon snack. I recommend the "no naked carbs" approach of pairing carbohydrates with protein or fat to slow the release of glucose into the bloodstream and keep your child sated and in a good mood for longer.
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Health and Safety: For the health and safety of the community, we will have the following protocol in place.
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Kids and adults will wear masks while indoors if they are coughing, sneezing, or have a runny nose but no fever. My kids, my partner and I, as well as my substitute teachers, are all vaccinated and boosted.
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We will take your child's temperature upon arrival. If your child's temp is above 99.9, we will ask that they stay home.
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If your child has had nasal congestion with opaque mucus, coughing, sore throat, or vomiting, we ask that you keep your child home until symptoms have subsided for 24 hours. Please administer a COVID-19 test after any illness.
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Please let me know ASAP if your child tests positive for COVID-19. If I am positive for COVID, I have a pool of three substitute teachers who will run the classroom if needed--they have all been thoroughly vetted and I have taught with all of them.
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I will keep the gate locked during the school day for safety—please call/text me or ring the bell if it is locked when you come for pick-up.
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