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Common Questions
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There are many options for childcare and private schooling in the area. What is special about the Spencer House?
Here are a few things we feel are unique about our school:
- It is the only Montessori school in Alachua and one of only 3 in the Gainesville area.
- We place a higher value on teachers than is common in the childcare industry and pay them better than industry average. Please see our newsletter about Teacher Appreciation Week 2006 to see how we and our parents feel about our teachers. We are always seeking to improve our staff and keep turnover to a minimum.
- Our 1915 Florida Bungalow style schoolhouse gives kids a secure and warm feeling of being at home rather than in a classroom.
- The school was founded for Rebecca's daughter Amanda, and now Keven and Rebecca's 18 month old daughter Emilee attends. As a result, we can see the school through the eyes of a parent and not just as administrators.
- No absentee owners here. Our livelyhood is dependent on the school being a success and we are driven to make it the best school possible.
- It is dynamic. We are constantly looking at ways to improve. In the past year alone we have remodeled two classrooms, begun the process of replacing carpet and linoleum with wood laminate flooring, and have received site plan approval for a new classroom building.
- We have a totally open door policy. Parents are free to visit at anytime and we encourage their participation in the classroom. We only ask for advance notice if the parent is bringing an activity or treats that might disrupt the normal routine.
- We work hard to maintain excellent communication with our parents. Every month we email a full color school newsletter to all parents (see Newsletter Archive) and each classroom produces a monthly calendar of activites.
How old is the school? Is it accredited?
The school was founded in 1999. A school has to be in existence for five years to be eligible for accreditation. We are currently going through the process and should receive our accreditation during the 2006/2007 school year.
How is Montessori different? Is it affiliated with a religion?
Montessori is not a religion nor is it affiliated with a religion. It is named after Maria Montessori who championed a teaching philosophy of a child centered classroom at a time when classrooms were all about the teacher. Children sat at desks and were lectured to. Maria recognized that children were little scientists who, with the right environment and learning tools, could teach themselves and develop a love for learning in the process. She developed many wonderful lessons for children that are still used in Montessori classrooms today. Other curriculums have adopted aspects of Montessori such as mixed age classrooms and learning centers instead of desks, but a certified Montessori teacher brings all of the best of Montessori to a classroom, most importantly an emphasis on respect for classmates, the teacher, and our world.
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Is Montessori a trademarked name? Who can use it?
The name Montessori is in the public domain for anyone to use. While there are several umbrella organizations such as the American Montessori Society and the International Montessori Society, they mainly serve to certify teachers, accredit schools, and educate the public. This means that there is a wide spectrum of schools that call themselves Montessori....from those that do nothing Montessori to those that use Montessori materials but are so results driven that they are sometimes hard to distinguish from any other preparatory private school. The Spencer House falls somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. We work to maintain a loving and respectful Montessori atmosphere while still keeping an eye on preparing the children for public school after they leave us. All of our lead teachers for ages 3 and up are American Montessori Society certified teachers. As we grow and can afford to, we will continue to add certified Montessori teachers in other positions as well.
Is Montessori the right curriculum for every child?
While Montessori is a great experience for the majority of children, there are definitely those who will do better in a more structured, teacher driven atmosphere. Beginning with the 2007/2008 school year it is our intention to begin having children evaluated by their prospective teacher before accepting them into the program. We will not be doing this to achieve some sense of exclusivity, but rather becuase we want a child's early experience with school to be fantastic and becuase children who do not do well in Montessori often are untintentionally disruptive to a Montessori classroom.
Why the name Spencer House? What happened to INCAF Montessori?
During the 2005/2006 school year we began transitioning from our original name of INCAF Montessori to the Spencer House Montessori. When the school was founded in 1999, it was intended to have a relationship with the INCAF (International Network for Children and Families) organization and their classes and materials on redirecting children's behavior. This relationship never evolved and eventually there was no connection at all. After years of explaining to parents what the acronym INCAF meant, we decided it was time for a fresh start when Keven came on board in May 2005 to help Rebecca run the school.
It is a tradition in many towns to name an old house after the family that either built it or lived there the longest. Our main building was built in 1915 and purchased by the Spencer family in 1917. They lived in the house until sometime in the 1970's. We really liked the sound of the name and felt that having the word "House" in it would convey the sense of hominess that this old house gives our school. We have been lucky to have had great nieces and nephews of the Spencers attend our school and their grandchildren have visited to see the old homestead. We hope to one day acquire old photos of the house from the family to show the children what life was like back then!
Do you have a waiting list and how does it work?
The Spencer House has gotten an undeserved reputation for being impossible to get into. While we are very happy that many of our kids attend from infants all the way through second grade, we regularly enroll new families. We do run a waiting list, but it is only long at certain times of the year. Twice a year we call the families on the list to see if they wish to remain on it or if they have found a school they are happy with. This allows us to purge the list and keep it reasonable. To get on the list simply come by the office for an application packet or print one out from this website and bring it to us with the $50 application fee. This fee is nonrefundable and is intended to keep people who are not truly interested in the school from filling up the list. When your child is accepted into the program the $50 is applied to the $250 administration and supply fee for that school year.
Do you prepare meals for the children?
Unfortunately we do not have the facilities to prepare food for the children. However, we do have Pizza Day each Friday. For $3 your child gets pizza, fruit, and veggies. We experimented last year with adding other days such as PBJ Wednesday and a Deli Sandwich Monday but they did not generate enough of a response to continue with. We will keep looking for ways to add to our food days and are always open to suggestions.
Do you accept subsidized childcare programs?
Other than Florida VPK, we no longer accept subsidized childcare. We understand and appreciate the value of these programs, but they require that we modify our curriculum and classrooms in ways that are contrary to Montessori teaching principles. The Florida VPK program does not interfere with a school's curriculum as long as the children coming out of the program are prepared for Kindergarten.
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What steps do you take to ensure the health and safety of the children?
A common complaint about childcare is that the kids are always getting sick. Bringing so many children together in one place is an ideal way to spread illness, but there are steps that a school and its parents can take to limit sickness. The Spencer House takes cleanliness very seriously. At the end of each day our teachers disinfect the tables, chairs and toys with bleach water and Lysol disinfectant spray. Each Friday your child's sheets and blankets will be sent home for washing and their mat will be disinfected. Each night a professional cleaning service cleans the entire school. Children are taught to wash their hands throughout the day and practice good hygiene in the bathroom. On average the carpets in the school are professionally cleaned four to five times per school year. Outside patios and tables are hosed down each day after lunch and the tables are regularly bleached. All we ask of the parents is that they resist the urge to lower their sick child's fever with Tylenol and send them to school.
As for safety, the teachers are trained to keep head counts throughout the day and to check these numbers during transitions. Sign out sheets list those who are authorized to pick a child up, and our teachers are not shy about asking for ID if they are not familiar with someone. The playgrounds are fenced in with six foot chain link and are inspected daily for safety hazards. The playground equipment is inspected monthly and a log is kept of these inspections. The building is equipped with a fire alarm system with pull stations and smoke detectors. Monthly fire drills are conducted and logged in a folder that is available for inspection in our office.
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13921 NW 146th Ave. - Alachua, FL 32615 - (386) 418-1213 |
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