Program and Curriculum
Our program is a Caspari Montessori Institute and Panamerican Montessori Society certified program. We also include the creative Reggio project approach in our curriculum. The Reggio project approach promotes team work, develops creative thinking, problem solving skills, art skills and promotes innovation. We also integrate seasonal, holidays and monthly units’ arts and crafts in our program. We offer a bilingual program run by teachers fluent in both Spanish and English. The teachers speak to the children in Spanish and English throughout the school day and give group Spanish lessons to boost vocabulary, comprehension and conversational skills. We also use Dr. Makoto Schichida’s Right Brain Education program. This right-brain development program (that originated in Japan for children 0–6 years of age) focuses on developing creativity, photographic memory skills, musical perfect pitch, high speed information processing and intuition. We also offer Brain Gym to help balance both hemispheres of the brain, and cutting edge methods for the integration of the nervous system for children who need it. This includes the Tomatis method, Cellfield reading program and Interactive Metronome.
Teachers
All the teachers at Renaissance Montessori are certified, experienced, professional Montessori teachers. The head teacher is also certified in the Reggio Arts Project Approach method. We have a playground teacher and a music teacher, as well as trained and experienced substitute teachers. We also offer yoga classes.
Discipline / Social & Emotional Development
Renaissance Montessori School staff follow Dr. Gordon Neufeld’s developmental psychology approach. Dr. Neufeld is a renowned figure in the field of child psychology. His focus is on attachment theory, brain development and the process of maturation. At Renaissance Montessori School we offer a supportive, loving and nurturing environment that also establishes clear and firm boundaries to help children feel safe and also become emotionally mature. This approach helps develop the child’s lymbic system in the brain leading to maturity, adaptability and emotional resilience. We also emphasize the development of good manners, problem solving skills and social skills. We use the Second Step emotional intelligence program and we offer guidance in social graces and the appropriate ways of dealing with different situations, i.e., identifying feelings and talking about them, asking for things politely, sharing, taking turns, etc.
Transportation and Field Trips
Renaissance Montessori School offers transportation services for field trips. The majority of field trip dates are set at the beginning of the school year, and some are set a few weeks in advance.
Summer Spanish Immersion Program
Our seven-week Spanish immersion program runs July–August, Monday–Friday from 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. After school care is offered until 5 p.m.
Vacation and Holidays
Renaissance Montessori School follows the Bozeman public schools calendar, except our school year begins the first week of September and ends mid-June.
Enrollment Options
The school offers both full-day and half-day enrollment. Full days: 8:15 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Half days: 9:15 a.m.–12:30 p.m. We have early bird drop off at 8:00 a.m. and after school care from 3:30–5:15 p.m. There is a 15-minute grace period for pickup times (excluding extended care). Friday is a regular school day. We have a 3-day, 4-day and 5-day per week option for all programs. The elementary first grade program only has the 4-day and the 5-day option.
Tuition Fees
Please contact us for information regarding tuition fees.
Licenses and Scholarships
Our school is licensed by the State of Montana. We offer Best Beginnings State Scholarships to families who need financial assistance to pay tuition. These scholarships are offered through the Child Care Connections office, located at 1600 Ellis Street off of Highland Boulevard, phone number (406) 587-7786.
Monthly Units
Every month we have different units of study. We offer a very complete, comprehensive program in Science, Geography and Multi-cultural literacy. For example: September—Solar System Unit and Native American Unit. We study space, planets, constellations, the atom and states of matter. We also study Native American tribes and culture.
Basic Daily Schedule
While our schedule is a guideline and is not rigid, we usually follow the established schedule. 8:00–9:15 a.m. Greeting Time, Arts & Crafts Group Activity and Free Time 9:15–11:15 a.m. Montessori Lessons Time 11:15–11:45 a.m. Group Circle Time (Brain Gym; Right Brain Lessons; group language, math, science, drama, music, Spanish, social skills, emotional intelligence and geography lessons) 11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Early Playground Time, Half-day Pick Up Time 12:30–1:00 p.m. Lunch Time 1:00–2:30 p.m. Second Playground Time 2:30–3:30 p.m. Free Quiet Activity Time, Story Time and Reading Time / Art / Young children requiring a nap time. 3:15–3:30 p.m. Pick Up Time 3:30–5:15 p.m. Extended After School Care
Location
For the convenience of parents, we are located in the heart of Bozeman, with access to open fields and tennis courts. The school is located between Durston Road and Main Street at 434 North 11th Avenue.
Our Mission Statement 
We at Renaissance Montessori School are committed to provide a high-quality education in a loving, joyous and nurturing educational environment for children, filled with enriching experiences to help them develop optimally to their full potential. We are committed to help children establish a solid social, emotional and academic base for future success. Every child is special in our school, and every child has unique genius. We are committed to unlocking and nurturing every child’s genius and to helping them develop their innate creativity and unique personality.