Our Program 

Our three-year early childhood program is designed to meet the needs of the developing 3-6 year old. We are licensed to accept children as young as 2 1/2 if they are toileting independently, a strong indicator that your child can navigate the early childhood environment successfully.

​​The school year is 9 months long, beginning in late August and ending in late May. We follow BVSD for winter and spring breaks and are closed on nationally recognized major holidays, and for one week before and after the school year. The calendar is subject to change. We do not offer drop-ins.

MONTESSORI PRIMARY PROGRAM
A Montessori education is a holistic education, forward looking in that it prepares the child to enter into the world not with a set of memorized facts or correct test answers, but as a contributing member of society who can learn from experience, adapt to the environment, and is able to help others and work toward the common good. 

At Fairview, credentialed Montessori teachers get to know each child and are aware of each student's individual strengths, weaknesses, and needs. A child who will benefit from more challenging work will be redirected and encouraged to explore something new. When a particular work or activity peaks a child's interest, the Montessori teacher ensures the child knows how to use the material correctly so that the process of learning is natural and rewarding. Repetition and successful completion of a work, with little outside help from the adult, gives children confidence and a sense of ownership over their surroundings.

During the school year, children may attend 8a-3p, M-F. After-school care is offered for those needing to stay as late as 5p.

A TYPICAL SCHOOL DAY, 8a-3p, M-F.

• Arrival: Children arrive on the playground between 8 and 830a. After placing their belongings in their cubbies and washing hands, children join together as a group for 30 minutes of line time. During line, the teacher takes attendance and acknowledges each child; they discuss the weather, calendar, and current events, and sing songs. Early in the year, the teacher may present a rudimentary lesson to the group (how to roll a rug, how to carry a tray, how to ask for help) or may show a new material and demonstrate how to use a new work. Children are then dismissed one by one to choose an activity.
• Morning Work Cycle: An integral part of the Montessori curriculum is the "work cycle," an uninterrupted work period of at least 2 hours during which children are free to choose a work from any of the 5 distinct areas of the Montessori classroom: practical life, sensorial, language, math, and cultural. They may explore the environment in small groups or individually, or receive a lesson from the teacher or from an older child. Children may choose to prepare a snack if they are hungry and then get to wash their own dishes.
• Outside Activity: Children go outside for a total of 30-45 minutes each morning and then again in the afternoon, weather permitting. If they cannot go outside, children engage in structured gross motor activities inside the classroom.
• Lunch: Children eat lunch brought from home around noon. Lunch is an extension of the work cycle and a time to practice grace and courtesy. Each child is responsible for setting out his or her own lunch and for packing it back up. Before eating, everyone must be seated and join the group in singing a song to thank the earth for food.
• Rest/Nap: Lunch is followed by a rest period of about 20 minutes during which children rest their bodies while listening to soft music or a story. Children who still nap may do so and will rejoin the class as they awake. 
• Afternoon Work Cycle: The afternoons are structured much like the mornings with a line time and an uninterrupted work period. Children in the 3rd year of Montessori and enrolled in our kindergarten leadership program break off as a smaller group to engage in a more concentrated period of advanced work in reading, writing, and math, and to undertake special projects and tour downtown Louisville. 
• Dismissal: Children are dismissed one at a time from the playground from 230-3p. 

AFTER-SCHOOL CARE, 3-5p, M-F.

• After-school care is offered to our students who need to stay at school as late as 5p. During this time, they have a group snack and may get out special "cabinet works" that are not used during the school day. These special activities may include collage, coloring, or a simple art project; children may choose to work on puzzles, use playdoh or Legos, or they may unwind and look at books.

THE THIRD YEAR: THE KINDERGARTEN LEADERSHIP YEAR
Early childhood is a period of remarkable social, emotional, and academic growth and development that extends through the child's 5th year of life. The importance of attending the third year of a Montessori early childhood program cannot be overstated. 

By allowing your child to remain in a mixed-age Montessori environment before entering the first grade, you will be giving him or her invaluable opportunities for leadership and increased responsibility for self, others and the environment. It is during this special third year that all of your child's early learning experiences are solidified and the "light bulb turns on," culminating in that unmistakable "Aha!" moment. Most importantly, during the kindergarten leadership year at Fairview, children are challenged to think beyond themselves and consider the larger picture; they are encouraged in their relationships to accept and understand others; and they are supported emotionally as they develop empathy, appreciate differences, and find their voice.  

TUITION
Tuition for the 9-month academic year is payable in 10 equal installments, the first of which is due with a signed contract and  upon enrollment. For mid-year entrants, total tuition is prorated.

SUMMER PROGRAM
The summer program is open to current students and to those who will attend in the fall. The program runs June and July is divided into sessions covering one or more themes. Program info is available in the spring.

While summers at Fairview are less formal, with more outdoor time and special art or science projects, all the basic Montessori materials are available to the children.

For current students, the summer program offers the safety and comfort of a familiar environment and consistent staff. For new students, summers are the perfect time to become familiar with the school and teachers and to make new friends.