FAQs

No. Any school can call itself a Montessori school but Marin Montessori School’s accreditation from the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) ensures that MMS adheres to the highest standards of Montessori principles and methodology. We are one of just two AMI schools in Marin County.

Dr. Maria Montessori founded Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) in 1929 to protect the integrity of her work. AMI has remained the worldwide authority on Montessori education and practice.

AMI accreditation indicates that our school performs according to the highest standards of the Montessori philosophy, receives regular consultations from trained and qualified AMI consultants and is staffed by qualified AMI teachers and administrators.

We seek to enroll approximately 22 children at the Toddler level (18 months – 30 months) and 30 children at the Primary level (2 ½ - 6 years old) each year. Most children enter our program around the age of three and continue on through Junior High school. Our Elementary and Junior High level classrooms are largely filled by students who have completed our Primary program. Openings vary from year to year.

In our school, each classroom is set up as a multi-age community. A student usually spends three years in a classroom before moving on to the next level. For example, a child will enter a Primary classroom when he/she is 3 years old and remain in that classroom until he/she moves up to Lower Elementary (1st to 3rd grade). A child’s “kindergarten” year is the last year in his/her Primary classroom. Any spaces at the “kindergarten” year are based on attrition, as most students enter the Primary level at the age of three and continue through the Junior High level.

We have a wait pool when we receive more applications than available spots. Often our programs do have a wait pool after the priority admissions period. It is called a wait pool because students in the pool are not ranked. When a space becomes available, the Admissions Committee considers many factors and fills the space accordingly.

Marin Montessori School attempts to provide Tuition Assistance to any family whose financial situation renders them unable to pay the full tuition. Families requesting Tuition Assistance must apply on the School and Student Services website.

Marin Montessori School uses the services of School and Student Services (SSS), which processes each Tuition Assistance application on an impartial basis to determine the financial need of the family. The Tuition Assistance Committee considers all applicants and makes awards based on tuition assistance best practices and policies, as well as the amount of funding available.

Tuition Assistance Award Letters are sent with Re-Enrollment Agreements for returning families, or with the Acceptance Letter for new families.

For new students, the Level Directors, teaching faculty, and Admissions Director determine the best placement for each child. We consider the needs of each individual child and the needs of the existing classroom community. Once your child is placed, he/she will remain in the same classroom within his/her level.

We strive to give every child a diverse and realistic view of the world. We are committed to offering the broadest possible experience to our students and families by maintaining a diverse community that reflects the variety of experience, culture, development and physical abilities, economic diversity, lifestyles and philosophies in the Bay Area.