Dear Parents,
This summer has been rife with questions of safety, convenience, opinions, etc. about how to start after our long hiatus from campus. We have studied, researched, and prayed about starting back within the confines of best practices. Our plans are guided with information from:
• Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
• Bright from the Start (SFTS)
• Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)
• Georgia Department of Education (GA DOE) and Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) including their publication “Georgia’s Path to Recovery for K-12 Schools)
• Other Metro Atlanta public and private schools
All information regrading re-opening, decision making, and policies and protocol can be found below. Please contact the office if you have any questions. Every child must have a signed Covid Form and Waiver on File. Click here for the form.
This summer has been rife with questions of safety, convenience, opinions, etc. about how to start after our long hiatus from campus. We have studied, researched, and prayed about starting back within the confines of best practices. Our plans are guided with information from:
• Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
• Bright from the Start (SFTS)
• Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)
• Georgia Department of Education (GA DOE) and Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) including their publication “Georgia’s Path to Recovery for K-12 Schools)
• Other Metro Atlanta public and private schools
All information regrading re-opening, decision making, and policies and protocol can be found below. Please contact the office if you have any questions. Every child must have a signed Covid Form and Waiver on File. Click here for the form.
Village Montessori
Practices and Protocols
2020 School Opening
• All classes sanitized nightly with vital oxide, as well as cleaning and disinfecting throughout the day.
• Every material in Toddler and Primary sanitized after use, as much as possible in Upper School.
• All children bring a completely disposable lunch sack which will be thrown away after eating.
• Bathrooms will be sanitized often.
• Temperature will be taken upon arrival with a no touch thermometer. No one admitted with temp higher
than 100.4 without medication. If the temperature is higher, we will wait 5 minutes to take it again with a
different thermometer. If it is not lower, we will try again with an oral thermometer. If the temperature is
still higher than 100.4 the child will be sent home. Parents will be asked if child has had symptoms with
24 hrs.
• Children will be sent home if fever develops. A special area will be set up for a child to wait until parents
arrive.
• Tables in classes will be 6 ft. apart where possible.
• Lunch will be eaten one person per table or at a considerable distance in the Upper School 6 ft. if possible.
• Primary children will be asked to bring in a bath towel to be used as their own rug. Rugs will not be
shared.
• Children over 2 years old will wear a face covering as much as is feasible. In Primary we will have a mask
making work that might be encouraging. Children can make masks for themselves and their friends to
take home. Teachers will wear face coverings and smocks. This will also help to demystify the mask
wearing.
• All students will stay with their class group all day. No mixing on the playground, before or after school of
the classes.
• Washing hands when arriving and leaving class, as is done now. After doing a work and putting it on the
worktable to be sanitized, bathroom, before and after eating, nose blowing, etc. Children will be
reminded not to touch their faces. Faces and hands will be washed after face touching.
• Varied pick up and drop off times will be implemented, to limit contact with large numbers of people.
• No parents or other visitors will be allowed inside the school.
• Each child will have his or her personal box with supplies such as colored pencils, crayons, paints, brushes,
pencils, glue, scissors, etc. so that no sharing of these often- used items will be necessary.
• If anyone at the school contracts Covid-19 the classroom will be closed a minimum of 48 hours for
further disinfecting and cleaning or as directed by the county health department. Testing will be
required of all exposed and a negative test result must be presented to return. Those refusing testing
will need to quarantine for an additional 12 days before returning.
• All students and teachers will change shoes before coming in the class. Inside shoes will be used by
everyone.
• Practices and protocols may be changed by the school administration as further research develops to
keep our school safe.
We will provide a safe physical, as well as emotional space, to help the children get back to a new normal,
and with loving guidance help them to adapt happily to the way we are living during this time. Even
though we can’t be as physically close as we would like, talking and loving each other will help all of us get
through this difficult time. The kindness, respect, beauty, and community that Montessori education is
founded on is very healing to children as well as adults.
Practices and Protocols
2020 School Opening
• All classes sanitized nightly with vital oxide, as well as cleaning and disinfecting throughout the day.
• Every material in Toddler and Primary sanitized after use, as much as possible in Upper School.
• All children bring a completely disposable lunch sack which will be thrown away after eating.
• Bathrooms will be sanitized often.
• Temperature will be taken upon arrival with a no touch thermometer. No one admitted with temp higher
than 100.4 without medication. If the temperature is higher, we will wait 5 minutes to take it again with a
different thermometer. If it is not lower, we will try again with an oral thermometer. If the temperature is
still higher than 100.4 the child will be sent home. Parents will be asked if child has had symptoms with
24 hrs.
• Children will be sent home if fever develops. A special area will be set up for a child to wait until parents
arrive.
• Tables in classes will be 6 ft. apart where possible.
• Lunch will be eaten one person per table or at a considerable distance in the Upper School 6 ft. if possible.
• Primary children will be asked to bring in a bath towel to be used as their own rug. Rugs will not be
shared.
• Children over 2 years old will wear a face covering as much as is feasible. In Primary we will have a mask
making work that might be encouraging. Children can make masks for themselves and their friends to
take home. Teachers will wear face coverings and smocks. This will also help to demystify the mask
wearing.
• All students will stay with their class group all day. No mixing on the playground, before or after school of
the classes.
• Washing hands when arriving and leaving class, as is done now. After doing a work and putting it on the
worktable to be sanitized, bathroom, before and after eating, nose blowing, etc. Children will be
reminded not to touch their faces. Faces and hands will be washed after face touching.
• Varied pick up and drop off times will be implemented, to limit contact with large numbers of people.
• No parents or other visitors will be allowed inside the school.
• Each child will have his or her personal box with supplies such as colored pencils, crayons, paints, brushes,
pencils, glue, scissors, etc. so that no sharing of these often- used items will be necessary.
• If anyone at the school contracts Covid-19 the classroom will be closed a minimum of 48 hours for
further disinfecting and cleaning or as directed by the county health department. Testing will be
required of all exposed and a negative test result must be presented to return. Those refusing testing
will need to quarantine for an additional 12 days before returning.
• All students and teachers will change shoes before coming in the class. Inside shoes will be used by
everyone.
• Practices and protocols may be changed by the school administration as further research develops to
keep our school safe.
We will provide a safe physical, as well as emotional space, to help the children get back to a new normal,
and with loving guidance help them to adapt happily to the way we are living during this time. Even
though we can’t be as physically close as we would like, talking and loving each other will help all of us get
through this difficult time. The kindness, respect, beauty, and community that Montessori education is
founded on is very healing to children as well as adults.
Learning from Home during the Pandemic
Protocols and Practices
• See contract addendum for information on contract and financial details
• Learning from home is not a choice if there is no school on campus: it is your educational access at Village
Montessori. In the Upper School (1st-8th) grades, tests, due dates, etc. will be part of the experience just
as being in school physically.
• Teachers will provide lessons via Zoom and Google Classrooms as the main medium. Other platforms may
be added or dropped according to teachers’ discretion.
o Toddler teachers will provide one Zoom session daily. You will be given the curriculum in
advance to be prepared for the meetings.
o Primary teachers will provide lessons by Zoom and Zoom video. Each child will get several
lessons per week and once a week whole group get together. Materials that you may need will
be supplied by the school for you to pick up under the portico. Teachers will be in touch about
what things you might want to stock up on at home in advance. You will be provided the
curriculum in advance of the meetings.
o Elementary teachers will provide daily lessons which might include projects, spelling
assignments, research papers, etc. children will check in with teachers and be present for all
lessons. Time will be allotted for additional help where necessary.
o Middle School will be required to attend all daily lessons in all subjects. Grades and tests will
continue as if at school. There will be time allotted for additional help where necessary
o Spanish, Art, and Music will be provided once a week for the Upper School
o Friday will be a catch-up day or a fun and games zoom meeting.
• If anyone does not have the existing technology to carry out the plans, please let the school know.
Parents or designated care givers are expected to join the Toddler and Primary groups. Teachers will
email parents.
Protocols and Practices
• See contract addendum for information on contract and financial details
• Learning from home is not a choice if there is no school on campus: it is your educational access at Village
Montessori. In the Upper School (1st-8th) grades, tests, due dates, etc. will be part of the experience just
as being in school physically.
• Teachers will provide lessons via Zoom and Google Classrooms as the main medium. Other platforms may
be added or dropped according to teachers’ discretion.
o Toddler teachers will provide one Zoom session daily. You will be given the curriculum in
advance to be prepared for the meetings.
o Primary teachers will provide lessons by Zoom and Zoom video. Each child will get several
lessons per week and once a week whole group get together. Materials that you may need will
be supplied by the school for you to pick up under the portico. Teachers will be in touch about
what things you might want to stock up on at home in advance. You will be provided the
curriculum in advance of the meetings.
o Elementary teachers will provide daily lessons which might include projects, spelling
assignments, research papers, etc. children will check in with teachers and be present for all
lessons. Time will be allotted for additional help where necessary.
o Middle School will be required to attend all daily lessons in all subjects. Grades and tests will
continue as if at school. There will be time allotted for additional help where necessary
o Spanish, Art, and Music will be provided once a week for the Upper School
o Friday will be a catch-up day or a fun and games zoom meeting.
• If anyone does not have the existing technology to carry out the plans, please let the school know.
Parents or designated care givers are expected to join the Toddler and Primary groups. Teachers will
email parents.