Standards & Expectations

The mission of Monticello Montessori Public Charter School is in part to help students become intrinsically motivated learners. To accomplish this mission, we ask that students comply with strict dress and grooming standards so that the classroom environment is free of distracting media messages, commercialism, and undue focus of attention on external appearances. Please refer to our Student Handbook for specifics.

In general:

• Boys and girls must wear black, khaki, or dark blue (including denim) pants, free from holes. Shorts and skirts may be worn, and may not be shorter than 2 inches above the knee. No leggings, sweatpants, spandex, jogging pants, or the like are permitted, unless they are worn under a skirt.
• Boys and girls must wear a solid color, sleeved, and collared polo-style shirt or school T-shirt. Solid colored sweaters and sweatshirts are permitted over a polo-style shirts, but collars must be visible. Hooded sweaters, sweatshirts, shirts, undershirts, are not permitted.

• All shoes, snow boots, or sneakers must be free of tears or holes.  No high-heels, flip flops, backless shoes, or sandals are allowed. Shoes with wheels or lights are NOT permitted.  For safety, all shoes should fasten securely to the foot.  Shoes or snow boots are generally for outdoor wear and must be stored during class time.  Slip-on shoes are preferred for a child not able to his tie shoes.  Indoor shoes, clogs, Crocks, Land’s End, Vans, etc. that should enclose the entire foot, have a sturdy sole and have no holes or media messages.

• We require students to wear socks and indoor shoes at all times.
• With the exception of special occasion days, we do not permit students to wear hats or caps indoors.
• Students may wear club uniforms, including hats (brownies, cub scouts), on specific meeting days.
• We require students to have clean, neat hair maintained in a hairstyle to keep it out of their eyes. We do not permit distracting hairstyles or unnatural hair colors.
• Students must maintain good hygiene and may bring a toothbrush to practice good oral health.
• We do not permit dangling jewelry; however, we do allow students to wear stud earrings. We permit religious jewelry as long as it does not dangle or distract and is tucked inside the shirt.
• We do not allow visible tattoos.
• Students may wear makeup, but cannot bring it to school.

I am happy to announce that Monticello Montessori will be rewarding students who have perfect attendance Monday-Wednesday, which includes arriving on time, with the opportunity to wear a Monticello HOODIE on Thursdays.

The hoodies have been approved by our School Board and they are here!

Youth sizes Small-X-Large are $20.00. They will be available at Back to School Night August 20th. Hopefully we are giving everyone enough advance notice that the children can earn $20.00 to pay for their own hoodie.

• Any child can do a work as long as he or she:

• Has had a lesson on that work
• Works safely and appropriately
• Works quietly
• Respects themselves, others, and the environment
• Takes materials to a mat or table
• Returns work to the shelf in the same (or better) condition than found
• Abides by one child per activity (with exceptions governed by the teacher)
• Pushes chair in
• Cleans up area and any spills
• Does not touch the work of another student or interfere with another’s activity by distracting, correcting, taking over, or behaving in a way that disturbs another student’s concentration

• Upon invitation and teacher approval, a child may join another student. This includes watching (watching is eyes only—not touching or talking).
• No child is ever required to share his or her activity or materials. Children may choose to share or may invite a peer to join their work with teacher approval. A goal of the Montessori classroom is for children learn to respect for and develop patience with others.
• We will invite, but not force, children to participate in a group activity. They may watch. They cannot disturb an activity they choose not to join. We may excuse students from an activity if they participate inappropriately.
• Students may occasionally choose to “do nothing” and take time away from work choices to muse or think. Although this may appear to an observing adult as wasting time, it can in fact be important set-aside time for the child’s mind to rest, problem solve, and deepen learning.
• We encourage and expect all students to engage in rigorous learning activities that stretch their comprehension and cognitive skills, develop their ability to manipulate ideas, and teach them to creatively solve problems.
• Children may reinforce their learning by assisting other students. Teaching someone else is one of the best ways to solidify mastery of a concept or skill and helps build self-confidence, which in turn improves intrinsic motivation for learning.