Parents

Parent’s Section

Bryant Woods Montessori offers many opportunities for parents to effectively partner with the school in the education of the children. We believe that teaching children effectively requires a close collaboration between parents and teachers. Since the concept of community is vital to what Bryant Woods Montessori strives for, parental involvement at the school is important.

Here are number of ways our parents are involved in the education of our students:

1. Participation in the Parent Guild

We have a very active parents association that allows each parent to participate in a wide variety of activities designed to enhance the child’s educational experience. The Parent Guild promotes friendship and a sense of community among our families. It is the Parent Guild that initiates, organizes and runs all the social gatherings, as well as most fundraising efforts. The Parent Guild also works closely with the Board of Trustees, as it sets school policies.

Through the Parent Guild, parents are able to volunteer on a one-time basis, such as baking a treat for a specific event, organizing contributions for teacher appreciation week, and/or helping with the graduation ceremony at the end of the year. There are innumerable opportunities to assist the school. Additional examples include: helping to organize the school library, reading in the classroom once a week with the children, shoveling the snow off our playgroup equipment,or offering technical assistance.

Some parents offer their valuable time by holding ongoing volunteer positions such as the cultural arts coordinator or class historian. The Parent Guild coordinates all these opportunities.

The Parent Guild’s fundraising role has recently focused on an annual event for our community at large. Other fundraising efforts include book fairs, art projects and store-sponsored cash back programs, such as Giant A+ Bucks and Safeway eScript. The support from Parents, grandparents, graduates and special friends of our fundraising efforts are vital to our ability to sustain and improve the quality of education we provide. Please view our giving page for more in depth information about the school’s fundraising efforts.

For more information contact the Parent’s Guild at 

2. Involvement with the Teachers

Parents also participate in parent-teacher conferences. Classroom observations and discussions with teachers further inform parents about the child’s experience at school. The conferences are scheduled throughout the year; observations may be scheduled by simply requesting time to do so from the school administrator.

3. Classroom Presence

Parents are encouraged to be a guest speaker and share a topic of interest during circle time at any time during the academic year. Parents are also invited to celebrate their child’s birthday (or half-year birth anniversary) by preparing a special treat along with a time line of photographs for each year of their life.

4. Occasional Evening Seminars

With our Montessori University, parents can learn valuable parenting approaches and gain a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the Montessori philosophy and methodology. Subjects include making the home environment accessible and responsive to children; how Montessori principles can be useful in various parenting situations; understanding the school curriculum; discipline and much more. These events also provide parents with the opportunities to share experiences with other parents who have similar goals and issues concerning their children.

5. Serve as a Trustee

Parents are able to serve on the school’s Board of Trustees when openings permit. The Board, which also consists of several community members, is responsible for the policies and finances of the school. For more information about the Board of Trustees, please view the Trustees section of our web site.

The goal of parental involvement at Bryant Woods Montessori is simple: to encourage a sense of community, to maintain the special feel of a small school, and to create an environment in which our families become lifelong members of the school community. Welcome!

Inclement Weather Policy

As a reminder, our Inclement Weather Policy is as follows:

Parents are expected to stay tuned to local radio stations or television during inclement weather (i.e., WBAL AM 1090 Baltimore, WTOP AM 1500 Washington).

  • When Howard County Public Schools are closed, BWMCH will be closed.
  • When Howard County Public Schools are open two to three hours late, BWMCH will open at 10am
  • We will use the Parent Phone Tree and email to alert parents of an early closing

We use the HCPSS weather policy as a guideline so there are moments when we might stay open even when they are closed. The Executive Director will always send an email or contact parents in the event of any changes to school hours for that day.