Summer Discovery
Summer Discovery 2024
Registration opens at 12pm on Tuesday, January 23rd, for current families of AMS only.
If space remains, the outside Elementary community may begin registering on January 30th. Toddler and Children's House are not currently open to non-AMS families.
** A deposit is required in order to complete registration. The deposit is $100 per child, per week. Your child's registration is not complete without the accompanying deposit, which can be made on the payment processing page following your registration.**
The Amherst Montessori School's 2024 Summer Discovery is a community-driven, nature-based program. Based on three separate-yet-connected age groups, youth are given the time and space to explore their natural surroundings through age-appropriate guided activities as well as through open, mixed-age play and adventure. Each week culminates in a "Friday Fest," where the community comes together to share in each other's delights and creations of the week, engage in a collective dance celebration and enjoy the benefits of being in one shared outdoor space together.
Young children aged 8 months - 3 years will enjoy a play-based, nurturing environment designed to create an engaging social atmosphere with ample time for sensory exploration, outdoor play, music, and movement. These young friends will work alongside our Children's House and Elementary students in cultivating our sensorial herb garden and will have the opportunity to utilize the very plants they grow in some of their projects, such as baking or artistic creations.
Children aged 3 - 6 years will engage in various mentally and socially stimulating daily activities. Each morning begins with fun, child-led water play, followed by different homestead-based projects: friends will be invited to participate in cultivating our community garden beds; raising and caring for our chickens; identifying and harvesting local flora for later use; environmental exploration; and learning about insects and local fauna in relation to our local habitats.
Elementary children entering grades 1st through 5th begin the Summer by diving into the world of Lego for two weeks in June, crafting fantastical creations and engaging in STEM-based exploration. While our elementary friends enjoy plenty of outdoor play and nature-based activities during June, the remaining six weeks of summer see our older friends becoming involved with nature-based programs in earnest. Some of the projects students are invited to participate in include: planning and building garden and chicken infrastructure; learning about and practicing wilderness survival skills; crafting forts and treehouses; planning and performing student-led theater; and utilizing the plantlife both foraged and cultivated on campus in cooking, baking, and herbalism.
All summer sessions of Summer Discovery run Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please note: The school will be closed on June 19th in observance of Juneteenth and July 4th in observance of Independence Day. The last day, August 2nd, is a half-day dismissal.
Registration sessions are based on age group; please see below for specifics:
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Toddler Program: Children aged 8 months - 3 years
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Children's House Program: Children aged 3 - 6 years
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Elementary Program: Children entering grades 1st - 5th
TODDLER & CHILDREN'S HOUSE
The Toddler and Children's House programs are open to current and incoming students at Amherst Montessori School. These programs are not available to new students at this time.
Toddlers are suggested to register for a minimum of 6 consistent weeks. We suggest this six-consecutive weeks minimum to ensure your toddler has ample time to acclimate to the program.
Your child must be 3 years old at the start of Discovery to be registered for Children's House.
Registration for Toddlers and Children's House students will be per session. There are 4 sessions that run for 2 weeks each:
Session |
Dates/Times |
Tuition |
Age groups |
---|---|---|---|
Session 1 |
June 10, 2024- June 21, 2024 |
$800 |
Children's House (3 - 6 years) |
Session 2 |
June 24, 2024 - July 5, 2024 |
$800 |
Children's House (3 - 6 years) |
Session 3 |
July 8, 2024 - July 19, 2024 |
$800 |
Children's House (3 - 6 years) |
Session 4 |
July 22, 2024 - August 2, 2024 |
$800 |
Children's House (3 - 6 years) |
Please note:
In Session 1, the school is closed on June 19th in observance of Juneteenth. In Session 2, the school will be closed on July 4th in observance of Independence Day.
The last day of Session 4, August 2nd, is a half-day dismissal.
ELEMENTARY
The Elementary program is open to all interested students who will be entering 1st-5th grade in Fall 2024. Registration for Elementary is per week. Weeks do not need to be consecutive for this age group.
Weekly Dates for Elementary Program:
|
Dates/Times |
Tuition |
Age groups |
---|---|---|---|
Week 1 | June 10-14, 2024 | $400 | entering 1st-5th grade |
Week 2 | June 17-21, 2024 | $400 | entering 1st-5th grade |
Week 3 | June 24-28, 2024 | $400 | entering 1st-5th grade |
Week 4 | July 1-5, 2024 | $400 | entering 1st-5th grade |
Week 5 | July 8-12, 2024 | $400 | entering 1st-5th grade |
Week 6 | July 15-19, 2024 | $400 | entering 1st-5th grade |
Week 7 | July 22-26, 2024 | $400 | entering 1st-5th grade |
Week 8 | July 29-August 2, 2024 | $400 | entering 1st-5th grade |
Please note:
In week 2, we will be closed on June 19th in observance of Juneteenth.
In Week 4, the school will be closed on July 4th in observance of Independence Day.
The last day of Week 8, August 2nd is a half-day dismissal.
Waitlist Guidelines
If you are interested in being added to the waitlist for any of the three programs, please email Miranda Wiley, our Summer Discovery Director, at mwiley@amherstmontessori.org. In your email, please include the name and birthdate of your child(ren), along with which program and sessions you are interested in. The waitlist will function on a first-come, first-served basis.
Payment
A non-refundable deposit of $100 per child per week is due with registration. After filling out the registration form, you will be directed to our online payment form. A registration form submitted without the deposit will not be accepted. The tuition balance is due on the first day of the Summer Discovery program. You will receive an invoice via email after you submit your registration.
Contact
If you have any questions about Summer Discovery registration or payment, please get in touch with Miranda Wiley at mwiley@amherstmontessori.org