Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ratio of Sunrise Montessori classes?
At Sunrise Montessori, you truly get what you pay for. Typical Montessori schools have 30 students in one classroom. We are proud to offer 10:1 ratios or lower schoolwide.

How large is Sunrise Montessori?
Sunrise Montessori is licensed for 79 children, which is smaller than most Montessori schools and provides a more intimate environment for our families. Our school was a house in an older part of Round Rock that has been converted. We have four classrooms, three which are for Full Day students and one for Half Day. Each class has a Lead Certified Montessori Teacher as well as an Assistant Teacher. We also have an Assistant Director as well our Director.

How often do the children get to play outside? What do you have set up for them to play with?
We are proud to offer two play areas for our students. One of them is covered with permanent roofing which allows parents to not worry about sunscreen during the hot months. It also allows the children to play outside even when it's raining! In this play area, we have more dramatic play equipment, such as a sand box with toys, two large playhouses, climbing caterpillar tunnel, basketball hoop, play kitchen, picnic table, chalk and balls, and even a sitting area to work with large geometric building blocks. Our uncovered side is covered with pebbles so that children can run freely and also climb on our play equipment, which includes several large plastic climbing dinosaurs, train tunnels, climbing caterpillar tunnel, and a short slide as well as a sand box, balls, and dumb trucks. Children play outside as part of a class. Please see our Activity Schedule link to the left to find out when the children play outside.

I'm looking for a school environment that's really clean.
At Sunrise Montessori, we sanitize twice a day, plus we have a professional cleaning company clean the entire school every school night. Sanitizing means we use bleach water or Lysol to kill bacteria and viruses. At the minimum, after lunch and at the end of the day, we clean the table tops, chairs, bathroom counters/toilets/flusher/faucets, door knobs, and much more. Please ask about it during your tour. We go far beyond State requirements. In fact, our school is so clean that our parents have remarked often how wonderful it is that their school is always sparkling and fresh-smelling.

Do you have covered play areas? How often do the children get to play outside?
Sunrise offers two outside play areas. One is covered and has more dramatic play equipment, such as playhouses, sandbox, pebble play area, train table, basketball hoop, lots of balls, chalk to draw on the ground with, and a play kitchen with pots and pans. It's well covered with permanent roofing; even when it rains, the children can play outside. Parents also do not need to worry about sunscreen because when it is especially hot, the children only play on the covered play area. We also have an uncovered play area. It is more suitable for running because it's covered with pebbles and has numerous large plastic animals and trains for the children to climb on as well as a sandbox and a short slide. Sunrise students are offered outside play time, weather permitting, up to four times a day: between 7 - 8AM (before our academics begin), 10:50 - 11AM (each class gets their own 10-minute play time in the morning before lunch), 3 - 3:30PM (each class gets their own 30-minute play time after nap) and 5PM (from 5 - 6PM, students may get to play again).

When do you typically see openings?
When a family moves from the area or a student moves on to elementary school, new students are enrolled. That's why summertime and December/January are the times of year when we see the most movement, but we do have openings and enroll new students all year long.

All children at Sunrise Montessori must be toilet trained. What does this mean?
Because all our students are at least three years old, we are truly a preschool and therefore not set up to toilet train children. A toilet-trained child is one who wears underwear only and can both pee and poop in the toilet. Diapers and pull ups are prohibited. A successfully toilet-trained child is able to push down and pull up his or her own shorts and underwear unassisted. Our teachers can assist children who need help with clothing (like with buttons) as well as with pottying (wiping) if needed. Occasional accidents are normal, but in general, should not happen daily. If your child needs encouragement to go to the bathroom, please let us know so we can ensure s/he is asked often. We want the focus at school to be on learning and working with the materials, so it’s important that your child has been completely toilet trained for at least one full month before joining us.

Does my child need to bring lunch? Do you offer snacks?
Lunch begins between 11AM - 11:15AM. All children bring their lunch to school in a lunch bag. Sunrise Montessori provides a morning fruit snack, such as apples, bananas, melon or pears with water and an afternoon carb snack of popcorn, graham crackers, animal crackers, or pretzels with milk.

Are all your teachers Montessori certified?
Yes, all of our Lead Teachers are certified, which is different than "Montessori trained" as certain Montessori schools claim. Some Montessori preschool teachers are only trained (meaning they shadowed a Montessori teacher at their school and then began teaching their own class). These "trained" teachers do not hold Montessori certification to ensure they know how to teach and guide each child in reading, math and working with the materials. Montessori teacher certification is a requirement at Sunrise.

What is the advantage of multi-age classes?
All our classes at Sunrise Montessori are a mix of children ages 3 - 6 years old. A child can work with older children in one subject, younger children in another, and still have social interaction with children his/her own age. The older children can teach the younger ones, showing them how well they've mastered a task and displaying their patience and willingness to help others. The younger children look up to the older ones, fostering maturity and emotional growth. In addition, a child can grow academically as fast as s/he is able to master each concept. Children are not held back and have more time in any area as needed.

What kinds of fun after school enrichment programs are at your school?
We have many fantastic after school enrichment programs to offer our students! They all begin around 2:30PM/3PM and are: Gigglebytes (computers), Tickled Ivories (Piano lessons), Opus One Music, KinderGym (gymnastics), Stretch N Grow, Soccer Shots, Little Amigos (Spanish), KinderDance (ballet and jazz). All of the programs are once a week and run about 30 minutes, with KinderDance lasting a full hour. Costs vary per program, but on average are about $30/month.

How do I find out what immunizations my child needs?
Although we are more than happy to share this information with you, you can go to the following link to find out. Your doctor's office is also a good resource. http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize/school/

Who was Maria Montessori?
She was an Italian physician and educator, the first woman to receive a medical degree in Italy. Born in 1870, she developed her method of education early in this century. She devoted her life to the education of children and was honored and respected throughout the world at the time of her death in 1952.

What is the Montessori Method?
The Montessori Method is an approach to education which emphasizes the potential of the young child and which attempts to develop this potential by means of a prepared environment, utilizing specially trained teachers and special teaching materials.

Why did she develop her special teaching method?
She developed her method because she was so distressed with the usual rigid teaching techniques. Feeling that the young child had more potential than educators realized, she began to develop this potential by a sensorial approach (teaching the young child through his natural interest in exploring the world through his senses).

What is a “Sensitive Period”?
The term “ Sensitive Period” is Montessori’s name for age periods when the child shows unusual capabilities in acquiring particular skills. A modern name for this phenomenon might be “periods of special readiness to learn certain things”.

What is the Montessori concept of “freedom”?
Freedom is a goal, not a starting point. A free child (or adult) is one who has developed his potential and prefers to work out problems for oneself but is capable of asking for and receiving direction when necessary. An undisciplined and unskilled child is not free but is a slave to his whims and moods and is excessively dependent on others. The free child, of course, grows into the free adult.

What is the Montessori concept of discipline?
Montessori discipline is an “inner discipline” - control which the child develops over his own behavior through his interest in the Montessori environment and materials. Dr. Montessori noted that many so-called undisciplined children were frustrated by lack of proper stimulation and would become happier and self-controlled after a period of time in a Montessori class.