Parents
Parent Development
The staff of Deer Path considers parents an integral part of the school community. We recognize that the parent and family are the child’s primary and first teachers in his/her formation. Because of this, we know that children benefit most when parents are in partnership with the school regarding their child’s development.
In order to assist parents in this partnership role, we offer parents development opportunities through workshops throughout the year. The focus is to provide information on principles of parenting according to the Montessori philosophy. It also provides a forum in which parents can discuss their views and experiences with other parents who have similar goals for their children.
Included in this program is a variety of workshops designed to address parental needs regarding, discipline, preparation of the home environment, the Montessori curriculum, and various topics of interest to our parents.
Through these and many other topics, we help parents to be aware of the obstacles and to experience the joys of responsible parenting.
One of the opportunities that we have for parents include 6-week Parent-Child educational workshops. Parent-Child Workshops will allow parents of young children to get to know the Montessori philosophy of education through participation in six-week “Mommy and Me” style classes. Dr. Montessori believed that the formative years beginning from birth to six represent the most crucial time in the child’s development. Building on this notion, the instructor, a certified Montessori teacher, will guide the families through classes designed to introduce the child to beginning language, social and daily living experiences. Sessions are held throughout the year. Please check the calendar page to see when the next session begins. Download the Parent-Child Workshop application.
Parent Involvment
Deer Path encourages parents to be an active part of school life. We are proud of our classes and invite parents to observe. Teachers are always available for informal conferences by phone or a more formal conference by appointment. Twice a year, two days are put aside for planned parent-teacher conferences. Parents are also encouraged to share special talents and interests with the children by giving presentations to the classes. It is through parent involvement that a spirit of community is developed at Deer Path.
Development Advisory Board
The parent advisory board meets monthly to discuss issues concerning the growth and development of the school. Based on the needs of the school, parents with a correlating area of expertise are invited to participate.
Fund Raising
As a non-profit school, Deer Path subsidizes tuition income with fundraising activities. An important part of our fundraising is the 100% tax-deductible support of annual giving from parents, grandparents, alumni, and friends. Other fund raising activities such as an art auction, casino night and walk-a-thon are regularly held. These fundraisers are also an excellent opportunity for parents to socialize with other parents and the staff. In addition, products sales are periodically offered during the school year.
Service Commitment
Deer Path relies greatly on parent volunteers for a variety of activities throughout the school year: social events, ongoing classroom, office and general school assistance, and special fundraising activities. In an endeavor to assure that all families contribute their time fairly and to avoid overburdening a small group of parents, we ask parents to complete a service commitment form which is sent along with your enrollment agreement. By instituting a formal agreement between the school and the parents, we are stressing the importance of volunteering. It is our parent volunteers that allow Deer Path to run effectively, to provide enrichment experiences for the children, to keep our children safe in our environment and to raise funds to help supplement our tuition income.
We have always been appreciative of this participation and the chance to get to know our parents better. Parents who have participated in the past have a better sense of being a part of the Deer Path community and have a chance to get to know the staff on a more personal level. We do provide a buy out option in place of the commitment if your prefer. Our goal, however, is 100% participation.
