Frequently Asked Questions
This page is a work-in-progress, obviously. If you have a question to ask that isn’t listed below, or can answer one, please do so here. This is meant to be a guide for Drummond parents, by Drummond parents. Please direct curriculum questions, including those about Montessori practices and schoolwork, to your child’s teacher.
Daily routine:
Lunch/snacks: The lunch routine at Drummond is pretty laid-back. Hot lunch is free for all students during the first week of school. If you want your child to continue getting a hot lunch, just send them to school with lunch money every day afterward. Lunch money is collected by the teacher and given by them to the lunchroom staff. Applications for free or reduced-price lunches are sent home with students at the beginning of the year. (The free first week of lunch serves as a grace period before these forms are distributed and collected.)
Bathrooms: As of this writing, only of the Montessori classrooms has a bathroom attached to the classroom. All children must be potty-trained before entering school. The early-childhood classes are taken to the bathroom first thing in the morning, and are free to go again throughout the day. Children whop need assistance will often be paired with an older child when the teacher and teacher assistant are unavailable.
Uniforms: All Drummond students must wear a uniform to school. Yes, this even includes the tiniest little ones. The uniform consists of a white or navy blue shirtm and navy blue bottoms. There are many mail-order and online options available, including www.frenchtoast.com. Many parents have had luck at thrift stores like Village Discount and Once Upon a Child. For smaller sizes, both babyGap and Old Navy offer slim sizes with adjustable waists. If all else fails, there’s always ebay. Also, every year the PTO holds a uniform trade. Outgrown uniforms are collected in the spring, and are available to purchase at the Fall Rummage Sale. The last Friday of every month is out-of-uniform day. Please dress your children appropriately for the classroom on these days.
Naptime: All the three year olds, and most of the four year olds take a nap every day, while the five year olds work with the teacher. The nap room is monitored by the teachers’ aides during naptime. Your child will need a SMALL blanket and pillow. Some of the older four-year-olds who are obviously not interested in napping anymore have mini-lessons with the available teacher’s aide during this time. Please note that whether or not a four-year-old needs to nap is left entirely up to the teacher.
-Sample of daily schedule
Drop-off and pick-up logistics: Parking is available in the surrounding neighborhood streets, and short-term along Honore and Wolcott Avenues. Parents are discouraged from
parking in the school parking lot due to the close proximity of young children playing in the area. Entrance to the Early Childhood classrooms is via the Gallery Space, which is located on the Southeast side of the school (between the swingset and the parking lot). During the warm months, children line up with their classmates on the yellow lines painted on the asphalt. The Teacher Assistants are available starting at 8:50 for you to sign your child in for the day. Once your child is signed-in, you may leave or stay for the final wave and the long kiss goodbye. Parents should refrain from entering the Gallery Space until all the children have gone in. During inclement weather or very cold days, kids and
parents may come right into the Gallery Space and wait in their class’ area until signed-in.
At 2:45, the children come out the same door they went in, and line up along the yellow lines until they’re signed-out by an approved adult. In inclement weather, parents may wait in the Gallery for the kids to be dismissed, and the kids will stay in the Gallery until signed-out. Students enrolled in the After-School program will go directly to the lunchroom for a snack, and will then head to their program at 3pm. Again, parking in the school lot is discouraged because so many kids are running around in that area at dismissal time – try Honore or Wolcott first. Note that Cortland Ave. is blocked off during morning and afternoon arrival/dismissal in order to safeguard the many little pededstrians during those times.
Communication and Parents’ Roles
How to communicate with Teachers: The best way to have a real, in-depth conversation with your child’s teacher is to make an appointment. That way, s/he will be prepared to
focus on your child and his/her experiences at school without
distraction. Ideally, the appointment should be at a time when your child isn’t with you, so you can talk about him/her freely. If that’s not possible, maybe another parent could watch your kid on the playground while you’re inside the building.
If you just have a quick question or something brief to share with the teacher (ie. “Isabel didn’t sleep at all last night, so please be aware that she’s not at her best today,” or “Mark told me that the class is going on a field trip to Paris – is this true?”), you can catch up with the TA at morning drop-off or the teacher and TA at afternoon pick-up. Be aware, however, that they are responsible at these times for all the kids in the class who are signed-in, and you won’t get their full attention in the midst of the excitement.
Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled twice a year. At these times, school is out for the day, and parents come in at pre-arranged 15-minute slots throughout the day to sit down with their child’s teacher in very small chairs and discuss the kid’s progress report. Because all parents in the school are coming in on the same day, the schedule is tight and this is not the time for a lengthy discussion. Think up your questions ahead of time, write them down, and consider making a follow-up appointment if you need more time.
Most teachers are easily reached via email – you’ll find their
addresses in the school directory. If a face-to-face isn’t necessary, you may get a fuller response to your questions via email when the teacher has a quiet moment to respond.
In an emergency, call the school office and they will contact the teacher immediately if need be.
How to communicate with Administrators: Parents of children in the Montessori program will probably have the
most contact with Montessori Director Mark Neidlinger. He is usually present around the Gallery at drop-off and pick-up, and is open to your brief questions, ideas and concerns at this time. If you need a lengthy conversation about the program, curriculum, procedures, policies, etc., please make an appointment for a private discussion. Please note that
Mr. Neidlinger makes an effort to get to know all the children at Drummond, but may not be as familiar with your child as his/her teacher is, so address your questions accordingly. Mr. Neidlinger is also responsive to email if a personal meeting isn’t required.
Drummond Principal Isabel Mesa Collins oversees the entire school, including the Montessori program and the traditional classrooms. She is your go-to person for questions regarding CPS policy, Drummond policy and history, budget questions, annual planning, and anything else affecting the school as a whole. Obviously, she’s in demand, but is open and
receptive to your questions and concerns. Ms. Collins is often to be found talking with students and families in the morning and afternoon, but the best way to connect with her at length is via appointment. She gets tons of email, but will respond to your emailed questions too.
-Organizations
Health and safety issues:
-Allergies
-Sunscreen
-School nurse
-Injuries procedure
-Fire drill/emergency procedures
After school options/transitions
Transportation options
