Admissions
“The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.”
-Maria Montessori, Education and Peace
Welcome to Hilltop Montessori School!
Every year we look forward to the prospect of new families joining Hilltop Montessori School as the school comes to life through our students, staff, and families. We believe, in choosing Hilltop and a Montessori education, students are provided with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills, confidence, and self-awareness essential for success in our rapidly changing world.
Whether exploring your child’s first step into school or thinking about new options for an older student, we invite you to explore the information here on our website, call the admissions office for more information, and join us for a Prospective Family Visiting Day. The admissions process is designed to give you and your child every opportunity to experience our school and come to know what this education looks, and feels like.
You can reach Zoe Proctor, Admissions Director, by emailing [email protected]
Hilltop Montessori School Programs
- The Toddler Program: ages 18-36 months
- The Children’s House: ages 3-6
- Lower Elementary: ages 6-9
- Upper Elementary: ages 9-12
- Middle School: ages 12-14
We also offer before and after care programs, after school enrichment and sports programs, and five weeks of summer camps.
The Three Year Cycle and Enrollment
“Children acquire knowledge through experience in the environment.” – Maria Montessori
The Montessori classroom and curriculum is intentionally designed to be a three-year program in the same classroom. Ideally, a child’s first year is spent as a “Younger”, where they are introduced to the Montessori materials and learn the classroom and work expectations from the Olders, then their second year as a “Middler”, where they gain confidence and practice taking on more responsibilities, and finally their third year as an “Older”, where they are relied upon by the community to help the Youngers and lead the community. In that final year, we see many skills, both social and academic, all come together in a sort of capstone year, as these older students become the leaders and tone-setters for the classroom. To fulfill this role in their development and in the classroom community successfully, students need to have had previous years of experience in the classroom, in order to become confident with the Montessori materials and expectations and capable of the level of independence required to thrive in a Montessori setting.
New students are more successful when entering into a classroom at the beginning of the 3 year (or 2 for Toddler Program and Middle School) cycle. The ideal time to start, and applications that will receive priority, are for:
- 18 – 25 months for Toddler Program
- 3 year old for Children’s House
- 1st Grade for Lower Elementary
- 4th Grade for Upper Elementary
- 7th Grade for Middle School
The middle year of the cycle could potentially work out as a transition year into the school. However, entering during the final year of a program cycle can be challenging for a student new to Montessori and is not preferred. Additionally, for a student who has been in a more traditional educational environment, the adjustment period needed to adapt to the independence expected in a Montessori environment is difficult while also being the oldest in the classroom, and can often be problematic.
As such, as a school, we prioritize applicants who are transferring in for the first year of a program, and rarely accept students for the final year of a program. We do occasionally make an exception, for a child coming from another Montessori school or a staff child, for example.
We maintain a strong applicant pool for all grade levels throughout the year. When a space becomes available, applicants who have completed the admissions process will be considered for that opening. We work to balance each program with a mix of ages, learning styles, and general community makeup. Families are encouraged to apply if they are interested. Applications are accepted throughout the school year.
Enrollment Policy
As an approved independent school Hilltop Montessori School (HMS) follows these enrollment policies:
- All applications to HMS shall be made voluntarily.
- No student shall be denied acceptance for enrollment in HMS on the basis of disability (as defined in Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended), or that the student is eligible for special education or undergoing the comprehensive evaluation process for special education, race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, language, religion, socioeconomic status, gender identity, size, sexual orientation, dis/ability or any other classification protected by federal or state law.
- HMS may make acceptance decisions based on considerations such as student and family agreement with the Montessori philosophy (including a commitment to the three year cycle), student ability to be successful within the parameters of a Montessori learning environment, enrollment of other family members, age (in respect to a balance of our mixed-age classrooms), general makeup of the classroom, and date of application.
- If the number of applicants to HMS exceeds capacity, enrollment decisions shall be based first upon continuing to enroll previously enrolled students and then upon considerations itemized in paragraph 3 above.