“Oh, He Goes to Private School?” Why We Chose a Montessori School
I had been considering the private school option for my son for many years, even before his birth. I would spend hours searching online and skimming websites to find one I could afford, or that would work for him;
The perfect one would be both affordable and inclusive.
There were a few options in my area, mostly Christian/Catholic which is not my style, so, after looking for what seemed like years, I ran across the homepage for a local Montessori school.
As I read the ‘About Us’ section of the page, I knew this was going to be the school for my child, but what about the cost?
The average price of private elementary education in the United States is $7,700 per year and increases to $13,030 for a private high school (How Sending Your Child to a Private School Can Save You $53,000).
So, with that in mind, I was a little worried; We did not have that kind of money, it seemed an unattainable dream.
The year that Colton went to Kindergarten was huge. I felt guilty not being able to put him in the Montessori school and I was profoundly unsure and distrustful of the public-school system.
I also did not think that I had much choice, this is what we could afford after-all.
Turbulent, at best, is the only way to describe how that school year went. There were already bullies, six-year-old bullies?! How could that be happening?
Colton had always been a sensitive child, and we suspected that it would make him a target when he started school, but we never expected how awful those children were to him.
It was at the end of Kindergarten when we finally decided to investigate the Montessori school further, I figured since they are a smaller group of children they were perhaps more accepting of someone with a tender spirit, we would soon come to find out that they are!
We had to take a few steps to get where we wanted him to be, however. There is a required day for a prospective student to sit in with his future class and be evaluated to be accepted.
In May, just before the end of the school year, Colton completed his sit-in and evaluation, in June he was accepted.
How excited we all were!
A brand-new opportunity, and a much brighter future. But how were we going to pay for all this opportunity?
Because in America the opportunity is just a credit card away, right? It turns out we qualified for the school’s payment plan and were able to set an amount that worked for us. Problem solved.
The next couple of months were a blur of paperwork, deposits, and clothes and supply shopping, all of which I handled with my usual grace and courtesy, thanks to Amazon.
He was ready, and so were we.
I proudly got dressed that first morning, looked in the mirror at a mother who was doing the absolute best she could for her child. I think all mothers should look at themselves that way every single day and remind themselves they are amazing!
Colton is finishing his first year at Montessori in June and what a wonderful journey it has been so far.
The curriculum is very in sync with how we choose to raise our child, we have met such wonderful, delightful children, and the greatest adults
I have had the pleasure of meeting. Imagine, an entire school filled with people who love and watch over your child as if they were their own; That is the community we have found within Montessori. I hope everyone, Montessori or otherwise has the same feeling of peace and community that we have been fortunate enough to experience with an educational institution.
