What are the School's Admission Policy and Requirements?

Montessori Episcopal School (MES) admits students of any race, sex, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. MES does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, or any other school administered programs.

For admission, we must have on file the following documents:

• Enrollment agreement for the current year, signed by both parents/guardians
• Emergency Information Cards with current information (including cell phone numbers)
• Signed acceptance of School Policy Handbook
• Student Health Record accompanied by all updated immunization
• Current Vision/Hearing screening Records (age 4and older)
• Any special instructions/testing records regarding behavioral, medical (including allergies), or nutritional concerns.

When does class begin and the school end?

Class begins each day at 8:15 am. Prior to this time, the staff is occupied with Morning Prayer and class preparation. We ask that no children (exception: staff children on premise) enter the school doors before 8:15. It is important that we begin our day promptly at 8:15.

Late arrival is detrimental to your child and disruptive to the other children in the classroom. Most classrooms begin with important directions and lessons outlining the day which late arrivals may miss. Car line runs from 8:15 – 8:30. If you arrive after 8:30, you will need to park and walk your child into the school to be signed in as tardy. For the safety of your child, do not allow your child to walk into the building unescorted. Please walk to the front office (regardless of the location of your child’s classroom) and sign your child in. A member of our staff will then escort your child to class. Sign in is only necessary if your child is tardy, regular roll and sign in/out is handled by your child’s teacher. Records of tardiness and absences are kept by the teacher and will become part of your child’s permanent record.

We encourage you to display a positive attitude towards your child coming to school. The more comfortable you are with your child attending school, the more comfortable your child will feel being here. It is important to make goodbyes/separations as brief and cheerful as possible, as your child exits the car. All classes, with the exception of the Introductory Classes, should use the car line for arrival and dismissal. This not only allows for a smoother and consistent transition for your child, but allows the school halls/classrooms to be free of traffic and interruptions.

How does the Car Line work?

To enter the school for the car line, please enter from College Parkway and drive behind the school. Car line starts at the yellow curb in front of the school and on busy mornings will extend around the side of the school along the playground fence. The entrance to the school from Old Orchard should be used for parking and car line exit only. Please do not attempt to enter the car line from Old Orchard, as it would be disruptive to the car line process. Car line drop off is always one lane only along the yellow curb. At dismissal, we form two lines corresponding to the yellow arrows. Car line dismissal assignments are handed out at Orientation before the start of school.

To facilitate a speedy dismissal in the beginning of the year, while the teachers are still becoming familiar with parents and vehicles, we strongly suggest that you write your child’s name in bold letters with a magic marker on a paper plate or piece of tag board. Display this on your passenger windshield of dash board clearly so that the teacher can see it. It can be difficult to recognize a driver through tinted windows on a sunny or rainy day.

Your child’s safety is very important to us. During morning drop off, school staff and volunteers are outside during the car line to watch your child enter the school safely (please make sure tote and jackets, etc; are ready to go, and that seat-belts/car seats are unbuckled when it is their turn to exit the car at car line).

For dismissal, we ask that you stay in your car and allow your child’s teacher to load your child into your car. If you get out of the car, your child’s first tendency will be to run to you, and we cannot have children running in to the parking lot. If you need to speak to your child’s teacher, sending a note in your child’s tote so that she may call you may be best. Long discussions at the car line not only holds up the car line, but also does not allow for the teachers to keep an eye on the children. We ask that you please supervise your child once they are released to you- it only takes a second for them to dash in to the parking lot when a parent is otherwise engaged.

Who Can Pick Up my child?

The school must have in writing the names of people whom you have authorized to pick your child up (you have an opportunity to put them on your Emergency Card at Orientation). This includes babysitters, grandparents, car pools, and other school families. Please advise these people to have their Driver’s License available – this is standard procedure and will be enforced for the safety of your child.

Car Pooling?

The office, as well as your child’s teacher, must be informed in writing of any regular car pools. This note should detail which families are picking up which children on certain days as well as appropriate phone numbers. If the children are dismissed at different times, the car pool driver must pick each child up in the appropriate car line. If the children get out at the same time a prior arrangement can be made with the school regarding pick up.

What if my child is sick?

Please understand that no matter where your child attends school, there is always the risk of getting sick. In order to keep the children and staff healthy, we ask that you keep your child at home if he or she displays any of the following symptoms:

• Fever of 100 degrees or higher within the past 24 hours
• Vomiting or diarrhea (no matter what the cause)
• Swollen glands
• Green discharge from nose or eyes
• Rash (need a doctor’s note to return to school to indicate that the rash has been identified)
• Nits/lice found in hair

Your child must be contagion free for 24 hours before returning to school. This policy is necessary in order to keep children and staff healthy. If your child should become ill during school, we will call you to come and pick them up. Your child may not return to school until he/she has been symptom free for a minimum of 24 hours. Communicable diseases can be minimized by keeping children at home when they show signs of being contagious. If you take your child to the doctor and get a diagnosis, please call the school so that we may inform the other parents of the class. If we do not know the cause of symptoms that occur, it is difficult for us to keep contagious diseases out of the school. Please communicate openly with us about illnesses so that we may work together to maintain a healthy environment. Be realistic as well; exposure to germs is a necessary and common part of attending school.

In case of medical emergency, emergency medical services will be contacted immediately. The child’s parent and physician on record will be contacted as well. First aid or CPR will be administered where appropriate.

What vaccinations are required?

The following vaccines are required as per the Texas Department of Health prior to admission:

• Hepatitis B – 3 doses before the age of two
• DPT – 4 doses before the age of two, a fifth dose after the age of four
• H influenza type B (Hib) – 4 doses before the age of two
• Inactivated Polio (IPV) – 3 doses before the age of two, a fourth dose after age four
• Pneumococcal conjugate (Prevnar, PCV) – 4 doses before the age of two
• Measles, mumps, rubella-MMR – 1 dose by age two, a second dose after age four
• Varicella – 1 dose before age two
• Hepatitis A – 2 doses before age 2

Please supply the office with any documentation of your child’s updated shot records.

My child needs Medication, can the school assist?

Medication is administered through the office. Please come in to the office in the morning to sign the Medication Authorization Form for however many days the medication needs to be administered. The medication must be in the original container. Please do not send medicine in your child’s tote. We are unable to dispense/topically apply any medication without the parent’s written permission. If your child has any special dietary concerns, allergies, or asthma, please inform the school as soon as possible so that we may compile our Special Needs list before school starts. There is a list compiled in the beginning of the year and posted in the office and each classroom so that all staff is aware of the special needs of those students. If your child has a condition such as asthma, we prefer that you leave a prescribed breathing treatment here at school should an emergency arise.

Allergies

If your child has food allergies, please list this information on the medical form as well as informing your child’s teacher so that we may compile our Special Needs/Allergies list at the beginning of the year. For children who cannot eat the school snack, a snack from home may be brought to school for them to enjoy along with the rest of the class.

What about Snacks or Lunches?

Each class receives a morning snack that is provided by the school. Generally, we offer a nutritional snack in the morning served with juice or water. An afternoon snack is provided for the After School Enrichment program. Many classes have opportunities for the children to sign up for a snack day; specific information about this will be handed out by the teachers.

Lunches

If your child has lunch as a part of the daily routine in his or her classroom, lunch must be packed in a lunch bag that fits inside your child’s tote. Hot or cold food must be kept in a hot/cold container as we do not have the facilities to refrigerate or heat up food. Please send a nutritious lunch for your child. We encourage children to eat their lunch, but will not force them to finish. Many young children get distracted by classroom friends and activity and do not place a priority on finishing their lunch, so do not be alarmed if their lunch is not finished. We ask that children eat their sandwiches and vegetables or fruit first, and save any sweet treats for last.

Please refrain from sending your child to school with:

• Umbrellas- we have them here if we need them for the children
• Toys, unless agreed upon with your child’s teacher for Show and Tell
• Money, wallets, purses
• Backpacks- we have limited storage space, thus we use the red totes
• Candy, Fast Food, Soda

What is the Dress Code?

Uniforms are worn by all children, excluding the Introductory Classes. Our goal is to give your child flexibility without compromising the overall appearance of the school. Uniforms are to be worn Monday through Thursday, with Friday being a “uniform free day”. On “free days”, children should wear comfortable, appropriate clothing for school activities and playing outdoors. Please refrain from clothing which bare the mid-drift or is binding in any way. Girls should wear shorts under any dresses or skirts to preserve modesty. All clothing should be easily manipulated and enable your child to be self-sufficient.

Please refrain from allowing your child to wear the following items:

• Belts
• Cowboy boots, clogs, flip-flops, or sandals
• Jewelry- especially necklaces which could be a safety hazard on the playground
• Click Here to visit Uniform page for details and uniform resources.

• How can I Volunteer?

  As explained in our Enrollment Agreement, each family is expected to help with at least two school events each school year. On Orientation Day, you will receive a form detailing the upcoming events and you will need to sign up for which events you may be interested in. We feel that parents’ participating in the program sends an important message to the children, and it fosters great communication between the parents and the school! Click Here to view volunteer opportunities.

• Classroom Events

  The teachers will let you know if there are any activities during school that they may need help with (i.e., a cultural presentation, special lunch, etc.). Your child’s teacher will inform you of upcoming activities for which you may sign up. Please make alternate arrangements for siblings as many times if you are there to volunteer to help for the class, having another child with you takes away from your duties.

• Parent Teacher Fellowship

  Please join this group of parents who do much to support our school. The success of Montessori Episcopal School is due in large part to the hard work of this group. Each family is expected to sign up for two responsibilities/activities per year as well as participating in fundraisers. This may be helping with a parent work day, annual fundraiser, etc.

• Does MES have Fundraisers?

  MES participates in several “no-brainer” fundraisers year round. Without dipping into your checkbook you can support MES with a minimal amount of effort by:

  • Recycling your newspapers, junk mail, catalogs, and magazines in the green recycle bin located in the northwest corner of the parking lot
  • Using your Tom Thumb/Safeway Reward card once you have designated MES (#1576) as your Good Neighbor recipient. Click here for more
  • Using your Target Credit Card once you have designated MES as your recipient. Click here for more
  • Presenting a Kroger Share Card when you shop at Kroger and linked the card to MES. Click here for more
  • Clipping General Mills’ Food products “Box Tops for Education” and turning them in to us. Click here for more
  • Saving old printer cartridges & old cell phones and turning them in to us

• Are there Field Trips?

  Some, but not all, of the classrooms will go on Field Trips to different locations around town. We need the parents to transport the children and teachers on these trips as we do not have a school means of transportation. Your child’s teacher will inform you of any trips the class will be taking. Your child’s teacher will ask you for a copy of a current driver’s license and insurance card. Be prepared to bring in insurance documents more than once during the school year as the documents do expire every six months. It is a big undertaking to plan a field trip. Once arrangements have been made, please do not deviate from them. The teachers are required by the state to turn in detailed lists to the director regarding transportation arrangements and insurance documents. It is very difficult to change these arrangements at the last minute (i.e., one parent has decided at the last minute that they will be able to attend the field trip). This requires intricate rearranging of car seats, etc. when the time should be used to get into groups for the trip. Once again, please make arrangements for your child’s sibling as we need to maintain a safe ratio for the trip.

• When is Tuition due?

  Tuition payments, along with After School Enrichment Program fees, are due the first of each month. Tuition is paid in 10 equal installments a year, with the first payment due on August 1st, and the last payment due on May 1st. There is a late fee of $50.00 assessed after the 10th of the month. Materials fees are due September 1 and February 1. Tuition that is more than 30 days late may result in the dis-enrollment of your child. This is up to the discretion of the Director and Board of Trustees.

• What is the Visitor Policy?

  MES has an Open Door Policy. Parents and visitors are always welcome at the school. For safety precautions, please check in at the school office for assistance. A staff member will then assist you in your needs, and provide a visitors badge.