Yes, we accept enrollment throughout the year, space permitting, in all of our various schedule options and programs.

During your personalized visit, a lead teacher will invite your child to work in their classroom while you are meeting with the school Director. The teacher will have some activities prepared so they can interact with your child. During their time together, the teacher will engage the child in a variety of play-based Montessori materials and games. Through these activities, the teacher will ascertain your child’s academic knowledge, their personality, relationship with learning, level of focus, as well as their demeanor and temperament. For the purpose of UMA enrollment, it is important that your child’s temperament is conducive to our learning environment and to other children. It is also important to let us know if there are any special considerations your child will need that may require special attention. UMA may or may not be equipped to meet those needs. We will make reasonable accommodations to best serve all our students.

When meeting with the Director, the school will ask your goals and values to make sure they are harmonious with UMA’s. 

If the family and school are a match, you will be provided our enrollment packet.

Urban Montessori Academy has limited financial-aid or scholarship programs which we are happy to speak to prospective parents about. In lieu of that, we are willing to work with families to make UMA affordable. We will offer a 10 month interest free financing option for those that qualify. Furthermore, we will have afternoon only sessions from 12pm-3pm, space permitting. This is created for families who already have a current daycare or have their child remain at home during the day but would also like their child to have some academic enrichment. There will also be the option for after school academic enrichment programs to choose from. These will be created on a semester by semester basis and allows participating families flexibility. These scheduling option were designed for additional targeted enrichment from our fully enrolled families and families looking for a more economical academic option.

Yes, we do enroll international children. When inquiring about the school, please let us know that you will be enrolling an international student. We are happy to make accommodations such as having a skype conversation with our head of school and seeing the school with a virtual tour. Similarly, we can conduct all the required documentation over email or via the postal service. If this is a consideration of yours, please know, that this process typically takes a little longer than being physically present.

Our toddlers do not need to be potty trained. For our 3-6 years old Primary students, we do expect them to be potty trained, but we understand accidents happen. All children will have spare clothes at school, and we will attend to any accident with kindness and empathy.

Your child must be 2.9 years old at time of enrolling.

Every year, our academy has 100% enrollment. In the event, the academy fully enrolls, you will be given the option to have your name put on a waiting list. As space becomes available, families will be called in the order they were put on the waiting list to enroll. Other options include afternoon only schedule which offers a half day of academic enrichment (if available) and our tutoring bridge program we offer privately in a few participating apartment communities. Those participating in those programs have preferential treatment when space is available.

UMA requires a 30 day written notice to withdraw your child from school. As a general statement, neither deposits nor tuitions are refundable, however deposits are typically applied as a pre-paid last month of tuition. The UMA Parent Partnership agreement is binding. Refer to your Parent Handbook for specific details on tuition and termination.

“Montessori” is not a trademarked or franchised teaching philosophy. There is no single governing body or set of universal standards to hold Montessori schools accountable. Montessori schools vary drastically because of this. The two main organizations that offer Montessori accreditation do so at an exorbitant fee for very little in return other than name dropping and a free magazine.

Members on our staff have worked at previous schools that went through the Montessori Accreditation process. They felt strongly that it was not a good use of the school’s resources. We don’t believe that extraneous costs like this make any substantive difference to our student’s experience, therefore we choose not to seek a Montessori Accreditation.

UMA meets the high standards of Massachusetts Department of Early Childhood Education (EEC). As a brand new school, UMA is unable to complete an accreditation process upon opening. UMA will however begin the accreditation process through the National Association Early Childhood Education (NAYEC) when we become eligible to do so.

We are an organization who are entirely mission focused on empowering our future world changers. We embody and live by example, questioning the status quo. This is just another example on how we are reallocating wasted resources to things that matter.

After careful consideration, UMA structured our schedule so that we can fulfill our Mission. Our five day schedule allows for children to work through our robust curriculum, while allowing them time to develop socially, emotionally, and physically. We are a thoughtfully planned school serving young children.

Yes, Please contact us to schedule a one on one visit with your child and a school tour. We offer tours year round.

Certainly, after your initial visit and tour, you are invited to spend time with us observing the classroom. Please give us a week notice, since it is important to spread out our observers so that they do not interfere with the classroom.

Yes, We offer 2 extended day care options. We have a play-based program to provide a safe and familiar place for your child to be cared for. We also have a Enrichment Programs that are academic in nature.

We are cognizant of the impact UMA has as member of the global community. We recycle, reuse and reduce our consumption where prudent. All our furniture is locally sourced through craftsman who use sustainable or responsible farming practices.

UMA has a strict no-bullying policy. Our teachers are constantly role modeling kindness and respect to our students so they in turn will know how to treat others.  If children have a problem, a teacher will coach them through how to solve it. We encourage communication like, “It made me feel ____, when you did ____” and then help the children find a mutual solution to their problem.  If any bullying occurs, teachers document the incident and follow up with the parents on how to best support their child in learning to be kind.

Yes, for us to operate in the state of Massachusetts, we have to be licensed by the state as an educator.

Our Montessori classrooms are engineered to have children that span 3 age groups including the last year being the kindergarten year. For more information regarding this (link to “mixed ages” section) Through observation and study, it is found that children at this age still follow the same developmental pattern as their younger peers. In fact, they are at the point in their academic development where they are starting to show mastery of the lessons they started 2 years ago. This allows for them to complete their understanding of those topics before moving to 1st grade. U.M.A students at this point should be proficient writers and readers and are mastering the basics of arithmetic. Furthermore, being the oldest in their classroom, they are given the responsibility of mentoring their younger peers. This builds confidence, deepens their understanding of various lessons, and gives them a sense of accomplishment.

We do not voluntarily introduce controversial or politically charged topics into our daily curriculum. However, in their daily lives, students may come across controversial current event items that catch their attention. It is our responsibility as educators is to empathize with them emotionally and be selective with how we approach each topics. Our role is to ask questions and help them discern their own opinion. For more substantive conversations occurring at home

Even though UMA is a secular school, we hire staff and accept families from an eclectic community of ethnic backgrounds, beliefs, and faiths. It is our role to adhere to the curriculum focused on academic content. However, as a part of a well rounded education and learning about their classmates, topic based lessons will include background knowledge on a variety of religions as they become appropriate throughout the year. We will leave substantive religious teachings to each families and their respective religious institution.

Although, we do not believe the two have to be mutually exclusive, UMA is a secular school and does not adhere to any particular religion. In this age group, they are often curious about the world around them and the other organisms that share their planet. As educators our role is to provide the scientific information available to us today and allow them to formulate their own opinions.

UMA believes strongly that tests are not a successful way to measure what a student knows and if they can apply their knowledge. Instead, UMA teachers carefully observe their students, taking notes on which skills have reached mastery. Teachers update student’s records weekly.

Instead of isolating exercise to one specific class, UMA integrates gross motor development into the classroom. 3-6 year old children get bursts of energy where they just need to run, climb, or throw something. Instead of telling students to stop and calm down, our teachers respect their need to move and give students exercise options, bean bags to throw, or things to climb on to “get their energy out.” Recess also provides children running, jumping and climbing time also.

We teach it typically in our 3rd year after they have strong understanding of print.

Yes, at UMA, we specialize in joyfully given academics. Because of this, students that join or school at 3 are reading and writing around 4.5 -5 years old. Students who are 6 years old are reading a variety of children’s books and writing simple essays.

In our observations, we have found that given the opportunity to either engage in pretend play vs performing the activity with other children and with real objects, they would rather interact and use real objects. Pretend play is, however, normal and healthy. If your child enjoys pretend play at home, please continue to encourage.

We have Extended Care options that you can purchase on a yearly basis, paid in conjunction with your tuition payment, if you know that certain days will require you to be late. Extended Care runs from 3-6pm. If you are running late, please call to notify the school. We have a 15 minute grace period from 3-3:15, however repeated lateness will be noted and you will be charged accordingly. If your child has not been picked up and you have not notified the school, your child will join the Extended Care class and you will be charged a daily drop-in fee of $55. You will then be able to pick up your child anytime between 3-6pm.

We all know “A picture is worth a thousand words,” and at UMA we feel a great photo is the best way to share with you what your child is doing with their time at UMA. Photos are a part of our regular communication exchange. Each classroom will have access to a private Facebook group for the purpose of sharing photos. Once UMA upload’s photos to the private group page, you are free to distribute these photos and videos as you see fit.

Photos taken at UMA have the potential be used, anonymously, in the school marketing efforts. Please refer to the parent handbook for further details. 

We will share photos with parents via a closed group facebook page. When photos are used for marketing and outreach communications, the strictest anonymity of the children are enforced. No third party is every given permission to use our photos.

UMA staff works closely and cooperatively with families to accommodate student with any and all medical challenges including allergy specific concerns. Please refer to our allergy policy (link). And medical release form (link) , which is required by every family attending our school.

We do not offer meals. Families are required to supply their children with snacks and lunches

Please refer to the site of Human and Health Services for Massachusetts at Mass.gov. http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/id/immunization/school-immunizations.html

In the rare event of a vaccine-preventable communicable disease outbreak, all parents in the school will be immediately notified. Parents of children who have opted for a vaccine exemption will be notified and asked to come pick up their child as a precaution. Notices will subsequently be posted on UMA’s classrooms with signs and symptoms to watch for. Exempted children will need to stay at home until the incubation and infection period has passed. Families with infants, coming to pick up their child should keep the infant out of the potentially infect classroom until notices have been taken down.

Families of non-vaccinated children, while absent from school, must continue to make tuition payments, if due, in order to maintain enrollment; non-payment of tuition will result in the revoking of the child’s enrollment. Past due and any fees associated will be sent to collections. 

For a medical exemption, the child’s physician must send in a written exemption on their letterhead. For a religious belief exemption, a written notice must be provided by the families religious leader stating the reasoning behind the request. UMA will respect all religious beliefs, however we will also protect our student’s from disease. If a non-vaccinated child becomes ill, they must remain home until their physician provides a note stating they pose no health risk to other children or staff. 

In the state of Massachusetts, all children attending school must be vaccinated. There are certain exemptions for medical contraindication due to life-threatening allergies or other health reasons. An exemption can also be made for religious beliefs. Both these exemptions have to be made in writing yearly.

State law requires that all children must be current with the vaccinations prior to attending school. Only children with medical or religious exemptions are permitted to attend without proper vaccinations.