Our Program 

Our 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.

CLASS PLACEMENT
We have 2 mixed-age classrooms, the East and the West. The East class has a capacity of 24 children and the West class holds 20. Both classes have a Montessori credentialed lead teacher and 1 or 2 assistants or co-teachers. Our ratios are 1:10 or better. You may specify a class preference upon application to the school, but the teachers and the director will place new students so that each class is balanced as to age, sex, and Montessori experience. Returning students and incoming 3 year olds have priority. 

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.

Our program offerings changed a bit with the SARS CoV-2 pandemic, but our philosophy remains the same. An abbreviated school day with fewer schedule options allows us to maintain a stable cohort of children and staff and gives us additional time to clean and disinfect materials at the end of the school day.

During the school year, children may attend 8a-3p, M-F. Aftercare will be 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 15-30 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 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 even an older child. Children may even 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 at a minimum 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. The older children, usually the students in the 3rd year of our program, break off as a smaller group to engage in a more concentrated period of advanced work in language, reading, writing, and math. 
• Dismissal: Children are dismissed one at a time from the playground between 230 and 3p. 

AFTERCARE, 3-5p, M-F.

• Aftercare 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 YEAR
Early childhood is a period of remarkable social, emotional, and academic growth and development that does not end at age 5 but extends through the child's 5th year of life. The importance of attending the third year of a Montessori early childhood program, therefore, cannot be overstated. 

By allowing your child to remain in a mixed-age Montessori environment before entering elementary school at age 6, 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. Perhaps most importantly, during the kindergarten 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 and appreciate differences. 

TUITION
Tuition for the 9-month academic year is listed on the application and is payable in equal installments, September-May. A deposit of 10% is required upon enrollment to guarantee a space and will be applied to the total due. For mid-year entrants, 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 through early August and 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. Attending even 1 session is invaluable in easing the transition from home and preparing both children and parents for the school year.