FAQ

We are open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Before care begins at 7:30 a.m., with breakfast served from 7:30 to 8:00. Regular drop-off is from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m., and the school day ends at 3:00 p.m. Aftercare is available from 3:15 to 5:30 p.m. A catered lunch is provided for all full-day students, and breakfast and aftercare snacks are included.

We currently serve ages 8 weeks to age 6. Our Nido Infant class has a 1:4 ratio; Toddler classes have a 1:5 ratio; Primary classes have a 1:10 ratio; Elementary rooms have a 1:20 ratio, when applicable. 

YES. We have our membership with the American Montessori Society (AMS). We are also a proud member of the Association of Independent Montessori Schools (AIMS). Our lead teachers have Montessori training, and our staff meet all requirements by DCFS. More information can be found at www.amshq.org and https://ilmontessori.org/. CDBM recognizes Whole Child Development.

Yes. For ages 3 and up (Primary and Elementary levels), uniforms are required. Girls wear a logo polo with a skirt or khaki bottoms, and boys wear a logo polo with khaki shorts or pants. Uniforms are worn Monday through Thursday, while Fridays are Casa Spirit Days—students may wear comfortable play clothes.

For our Toddler program, uniforms are optional, though appropriate attire is still required. All students wear indoor shoes during class and change into outdoor shoes for playground time and departure.

YES. Our Fine Arts team rotates a schedule so that Primary classes have transitions to Music, ART, Media, and PE every week. Infants and Toddlers enjoy Music class each week.

YES. We offer optional classes to all students 2-6 years old, after school hours typically from 3- 4pm, which may vary from year to year. For example, we have had: Martial Arts, LEGO/STEM, Art, Music/Movement, Tumbling, Dance, Chess, Soccer, etc. 

NO. Montessori environments are non-competitive and peaceful settings where all children are honored and expectations are met through the joy of learning, not through extrinsic rewards. Students are neither rewarded nor shamed for their behavior – rather it is a learning opportunity to try again, correctly.

We treat all students with dignity and respect in a confidential manner, without humiliation. We often use tactics found in “Conscious Discipline” where we can redirect children’s behavior in a positive manner. At times, students may even do a self-reflection activity that allows them to gain the tools to help them make better decisions in the future. 

We are licensed through DCFS, which means we uphold standards that require our students and staff to be healthy with appropriate records and documentation. If communicable illnesses arise at school, the parent will be notified; the student shall be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning. We will notify your emergency contact if we cannot reach a parent. Health and safety are our priorities. A Covid-19 Risk/Health Management action plan is in place, and we are mask-optional as of October 2022. 

YES. We use the app called Procare to check in and out students. Only toddlers and infants will get daily reporting using this app. Primary uses Procare for attendance and pictures, and email parents weekly newsletters. All students receive progress reports 3 times a year. In June and July, we offer summer camp, which is optional to attend and prorated by weeks of attendance.  

Montessori has a unique approach that honors each child’s individuality. We consider their previous school or daycare experience, as well as any prior Montessori experience. We work closely with new families to ensure the child’s emotional stability is monitored throughout the process. We implement short, gentle visits until the child acclimates at their own pace. Our intention is to build a bond through regular attendance and create a partnership for your child’s optimal educational experience. The transition process can take anywhere from days to weeks, depending on the child. We stay in close communication with new families throughout the process.

We are proud to offer authentic mixed-age groupings in our “Primary” program for children aged 3-6 years old. Our Primary classrooms are designed for 20 students with two teachers and a supportive, scaffolded curriculum. In Montessori, “Kindergarten” refers to our “3rd-year leaders,” who are finishing their third consecutive year within the Montessori classroom, encompassing both preschool and kindergarten in one unit.

We absolutely welcome parents and families to engage in our classrooms and on campus throughout the year. We host several community events that involve all parents, and at other times, we have classroom events that may require more intricate parental support. With various monthly themes, holidays, rituals, routines, and significant cultural diversity at CDBM, there is always an opportunity for all families to participate.

The Montessori philosophy honors whole-child development, which encompasses cognitive, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual development. Our robust social/emotional experiences are tailored to this sensitive period of early childhood. We practice modeling positive redirection and healthy communication skills. The relationship between teachers and students evolves while they orient themselves in their classroom world, gaining a sense of worth, security, respect, and community. When students feel safe, autonomy and independence are confidently present in daily routines, and they communicate their needs more effectively.

Within each Montessori classroom, we have designated art areas specifically designed to allow for creative outlets. Sometimes, lessons are created and available to students that teach a specific “skill,” such as “cutting with scissors,” “gluing collage,” or “painting with watercolors.” Other times, children may engage with lessons that allow for creativity in extension works such as “grading shades of sunbursts,” “card-making,” “Origami,” and various other opportunities. We also offer enrichment programs that may be available after school as optional considerations for creativity, such as “Zumba,” “Little Rembrandts,” or “Dough-Nuts through Nexplore.”

Our Montessori curriculum surpasses the milestones and targeted benchmarks of those from Common Core Standards, found in public school or elementary age. Our students will be exposed to and gain experience with advanced materials in 5 core areas: Math (0-9999, with 4 operations and concrete materials), Language (Print/Cursive reading and writing), Cultural (Science, Geography, Zoology, Botany, History), Sensorial (training of the 5 senses+), and Practical Life (daily living skills to care for self and environment).

We are proud to house beautiful manipulatives called Montessori equipment. Our students use tangible lessons, not toys, to engage in our curriculum that was specifically designed by Dr. Montessori to promote brain development. The exploration of such materials satisfies the child’s inner needs and they are supremely happy when they have the opportunity to realize they’re developing at their own pace. It is neither necessary nor recommended that young students under age 5 have exposure to technology; rather, they benefit from hands-on experiences during the formative years. Our teachers do use technology, for videos and songs, during supervised sessions of educational content that supports our vast curriculum.

We are licensed as a daycare through DCFS, and we operate as a true Montessori school.
We’re members of the American Montessori Society and the Association of Independent Montessori Schools, with trained Montessori teachers and a curriculum that goes beyond typical daycare or preschool standards—often exceeding common core expectations.