Frequently Asked Questions

What is Montessori education?

The Montessori Method of education, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, is a child-centered educational approach based on scientific observations of children from birth to adulthood. Dr. Montessori’s Method has been time tested, with over 100 years of success in diverse cultures throughout the world. It is a view of the child as one, who is naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared, learning environment. It is an approach that values the human spirit and the development of the whole child—physical, social, emotional, cognitive.” American Montessori Society

How does a Montessori classroom work?

Our Montessori programs adhere to multi-age classrooms, grouping children from 18 months to three years together in the toddler program, and children three years to Kindergarten together in the primary program. Our classrooms are rich in Montessori materials and drenched in natural light. Classrooms are prepared to encourage independence, freedom within limits, and a sense of order. The child, through their own choice of work, travels through the curriculum at their own pace and in their own way. The teacher guides and nurtures the child along their journey.

What is the Montessori work cycle?

In the Montessori work cycle a child independently chooses a work of interest based on the lessons they have received. The student will designate their workspace with an underlay or rug and will focus on their work for a length of time. Once they completed that specific work, the student will put the work back where it belongs, roll up the rug or underlay and clean up the work area.

We aim for a two hour uninterrupted work period for toddlers and a three hour work period for primary students.

How do the teachers know which lesson to give?

The Teachers will begin with a lesson that has a simple sequence. As the child shows the ability to recall each step of the sequence independently, the Teacher will progress to a lesson on a Montessori material that has a slightly longer sequence.

The student's progress is tracked on an online system called Montessori Compass. We track when we present the lesson, when we see the child practicing the lesson and finally when the student has mastered the lesson. Our parents receive a daily report from Montessori Compass of the student's lessons for that day.

What is the difference between the Mother's Day Out program and the Toddler program?

The Mother's Day Out and Toddler programs both serve children from 18 months to three years of age. The Toddler program is a full-time program and the student attends school five days per week. The Mother's Day Out program is a part-time program and the student attends either two or three days per week . Both programs provide a wonderful Montessori foundation for the student and prepare the child to transition into the primary program.

What type of discipline methods are employed?

St. James uses a blend of Love and Logic and Positive Discipline, which employs redirection and problem solving with the child. The teachers strive to identify a situation before it can escalate. Some examples of redirection and problem solving are as follows:

A child stands on a chair; we would kindly say “Our chairs are for sitting in, would you like to stand on a balancing stone?”
A child is crying because the material they want to work with is being used; we might say “I see you are sad/angry, can you tell me why? If they are non-verbal we would state instead “It looks as though you are sad because you would like to work on this material, is that correct?”

Does St. James provide snack and/or lunch?

St. James provides a morning snack for all students. An afternoon snack is also offered to any student that attends the After School Care program. Lunch is not provided by St. James for the children. Parents are asked to send nutritional food in proportions that are appropriate for their child. As a convenience to our families, St. James does offer Pizza Fridays. It is a great hit with both the students and the parents.

How does St. James partner for potty learning?

Can my child attend a mix of full days and half days?

For the full-time primary and toddler programs, families can elect to have their child attend a mix of full and half days. For example, a student may attend full day on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and only half day on Tuesday and Thursday. The half day students are dismissed at 11:45am and full day students between 3:00pm and 3:45pm. The business office can provide information on the specific tuition for these mixed programs. However, we request that families establish a consistent schedule without weekly variation.

How much outside play is there for the children?

Mother's Day Out and toddler students enjoy 60 minutes each morning of outside play time. All primary students have 30 minutes of outside play time in the morning. The Primary students that do not nap (students 4 1/2 and older) also have an additional 30 minutes of outside play time in the afternoon.

Children enrolled in the After School Care program play outside for 30 minutes.

Do the students have any special classes such as art, technology, etc.?

How does the After School Care program work?

Where do St. James students attend after graduation?

How do families address childcare for the summer months?

St. James follows a traditional school calendar with classes from August through May, with no summer program. Families of primary students have been successful in finding summer camps (e.g. Kidventure, Arboretum, etc.) for their child. Families often coordinate their schedules so that their child can attend with a fellow St. James friend.

Families with toddler students have often worked together to share child care responsibilities over the summer months (e.g. nanny share).

What is the immunization policy at St. James?

Do the teachers receive professional development?

How much is the application fee?

Is financial aid available?

St. James follows a policy of need-blind admissions so a family’s ability to pay does not play a role in the admissions decision. While the availability of school resources, the number of qualified applicants, and overall budgetary constraints influence financial assistance decisions, St. James is committed to making awards available to as many eligible applicants as possible.

St. James utilizes the online service of Financial Aid for School Tuition (FAST) to process applications. FAST is owned by Independent School Management (ISM), one of the leading management-support firms for private-independent schools in the United States and abroad. FAST does not decide whether financial assistance will be given or how much to give; rather FAST provides a need-based financial aid analysis service which includes a recommendation of what a family should contribute toward tuition.

What are the current tuition/fees and payment plans available?

What is the timeline for the admissions process?

After you have attended a tour, we invite you to apply for your program of interest. Upon completion of the current student re-enrollment period in January, we will begin inviting applicants to enroll for open positions for the following school year. Enrollment decisions are typically communicated in late February, early March.

Admission priority is given to siblings of students currently enrolled at St. James, St. James Church families, and staff children. In compliance with federal and state laws, St. James Episcopal School of Dallas does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, financial aid program, athletic and other school-administered programs, or the employment of staff.