Church of the Apostles

Current information and Enrollment Request Forms are available in the School Office. Call 972-393-0655 for a tour during school hours or to find out more about the school. You may also contact us by email at: apostlesdayschool@yahoo.com.

OUR REGISTRATION PROCESS IS AS FOLLOWS:

February 21 through February 25: Current school families and Church families register. Current students are placed first. School and Church families are notified of placement. (Registration fee of $100 is to accompany Enrollment Request Forms.)

February 28 and on: New students are enrolled from the Waiting List. (Those who signed up for this year's program and did not get in have been asked to update their applications.) Students are enrolled in order of their application and according to availability of space. Additional students are enrolled if spaces are available when the Waiting List is exhausted.

We keep a Waiting List year round for new families.

To provide an excellent, well-rounded education through the use of a Montessori-Good Shepherd curriculum, by a qualified staff and a rich environment of materials. The school is a ministry of the Church of the Apostles (Episcopal).

Dr. Maria Montessori began her work in the slums of Rome in the early 1900's. Her deep respect for the child and his natural desire to learn was a primary and revolutionary tenet of her method. Her method has spread around the world, and her philosophy of early childhood development and teachability has won wide acceptance in education.

The concept of a day school at Apostles was conceived within the Christian Education ministry of the church. To respect and nurture children is in the heart of the congregation. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd has been established in the Sunday School program and is designed with the same principles as the Montessori curriculum. The present education wing of the Church of the Apostles was designed to house a pre-school, and the drawing board, will be home to an elementary program.

The Montessori classroom is uniquely designed to optimize the child's sensitive years, when he can learn readily by absorbing information from an enriched environment. The child grasps abstract concepts that are first introduced through materials he can manipulate. The child can read, write and calculate in the same natural way he learns to walk and talk because the Montessori classroom invites him to learn according to his own periods of interest and readiness. As the child is guided in the correct use of materials, he learns how to order his inner self, which leads to self-discipline, harmony and a prevailing atmosphere of respect within the class.

The child maintains his enthusiasm for learning, which is key to being a truly educated person. Parents are encouraged to be active partners in their child's education, at home and at school.

The curriculum is divided primarily into five categories: practical life, sensorial, language, math and spiritual formation.

The real life activities in practical life foster independence, coordination of fine and gross motor movement, order and concentration. Through these activities the child learns how to learn. It is the basis for future learning, the doorway to the Montessori curriculum.

The primary purpose of the sensorial materials is to help the child receive precise and detailed information so that he may classify and establish order in his world. Music and art education, part of each day's activities, deepen the child's appreciation of beauty. Keys to future learning, language, reading and writing are incorporated in all areas of the curriculum. The child quickly and joyfully acquires new concepts and skill when allowed to progress at his own pace.

Montessori math materials allow abstract concepts to be concretely evident. If given access to math equipment in early years, the child can easily learn many facts and concepts that would require rote drill in later years.

Godly Play is a Christian educational path on which children may form a true, faithful relationship with God.

The child's spirit is nourished with scripture, liturgical study, and daily worship. The child meditates on God's Word through the use of sensorially rich materials in his search for an ever-deeper understanding of the Kingdom of God.

School Schedule: Start date, September 6, 2005
Holidays, Inservice days will be announced.

Daily Schedules: Students may arrive between 8:55 and 9:00 a.m. Dismissal: Promptly at 2:00, by class.

Both classes require a non-refundable $100.00 Registration Fee for all students. Registration Fees are due with Request for Enrollment.

Sibling discount: 10% discount on tuition of younger sibling.
(Sibling discount not applicable to Registration Fee.)
Fee will be returned if space is not available.

Tuition is payable in 9 equal payments, beginning September 5.
Tuition is due no later than the 10th of each month.
Checks may be made payable to Apostles Day School or ADS.

Uniforms will be required for students in Primary Classes and optional for students in the Introductory Classes. Colors: red, white and navy. Details to be announced.

Detailed information on Policies and Procedures, School Calendar, Uniforms, and Montessori and Godly Play philosophy will be provided in a Parent Handbook.

Is the Montessori teaching method right for my child?
--by Alaina Blend

Apostles Day School is gearing up for the 2006-07 school year! We are so excited to be offering a high quality Montessori curriculum with the best teachers in the area. Some of you, however, may be asking what Montessori is...

The Montessori Method was developed by Maria Montessori, the first woman to earn her degree in medicine in Rome! She was truly a pioneer. Maria Montessori was forced to do her lab work at night because it wasn't considered appropriate for women and men to work together in this area.

After she earned her degree, she began to work with physically and mentally challenged students. She, along with Piaget and Itard, two other well known educators, developed certain techniques to help children with learning differences learn. Maria Montessori developed learning materials or "works" as they are referred to among Montessorians that targeted specific areas and modalities of learning, so that she could help the children and adults learn despite their difficulties. It worked so well that she eventually used these techniques and materials with children in the "slums" of Rome.

She found that the materials and techniques were very effective with children of average intelligence as well. "Montessori Houses" started popping up all over Europe and eventually spread to other continents, as well. The Montessori Method is increasing in popularity among the parents of today who want a more individualized approach to education, based on the developmental stages of their children. Americans have been fans of the Montessori philosophy for well over 50 years, but the public school systems are more visible in the neighborhoods of the United States. However, we are seeing more of a demand than ever before for the Montessori curriculum.

Apostles Day School is not just a school, but a ministry of the Church of the Apostles. It was born out of a love and respect for children as the “gifts from God” that they are to us. They are truly our future and that is why we are here.

Now that you know a bit about our school, please take the time to look at our classrooms. Feel free to stop by our office from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday during the school year and call for summer hours to request information and take a tour of our classrooms. We are currently enrolling students for next year and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

To contact Apostles Day School, call 972-393-0655.

Apostles Day School News Update