1. Attend an On Campus Information Session.
   We look forward to showing you our school and answering any questions you have. During the Information Session, you will have the opportunity to meet teachers, visit the classrooms, and have an introduction to the Montessori method. Attending an Information Session is a great way to meet our staff when they are not working with children and explore the environments. We understand it is not always possible, but we love to see both or all parents/guardians at these events. Please choose from the two dates listed below and please note that while we love children, these events are for adults only. If you prefer to remain virtual for your first introduction to our school, we completely understand. In that case, a virtual group tour (see below) has much of the same information. Please contact Bea at admissions@centennialmontessori.org if you have questions or scroll down to register.
   
2. Attend a Group Tour.
   We understand that choosing the right school for your child and family is a big decision! Attending an on campus or virtual group tour gives you a sense of the class in action and gives you a chance to experience the atmosphere of the school with the children at work and play. These opportunities fill up quickly, so please plan to register as soon as possible. The virtual tour is a prepared presentation, and it shows our classrooms and gives a nice understanding of our philosophy. Please register by choosing a date from either the on campus or virtual tours below, and please extend courtesy to other prospective parents by only signing up for one date. Dates disappear as they fill, so if someone registers for multiple dates, they are effectively keeping other parents from signing up. If there are no dates remaining, please make sure to attend the Information Session, which is not limited in number of attendees.
3. Submit an application by January 31, 2025.
   We look closely at the application to understand what you are looking for in a school. Please use the application to help us get to know you, your child, and your philosophy. This is our primary way to get to know you! Please note that given the number of applicants we have, we are not always able to meet everyone who applies. We will rely particularly heavily on the application. Please help us get to know you, your interest in our school, and your child. Thank you! There is a non-refundable fee per application of $150.
4. Submit supporting documents.
   If your child has been in school previously, we also require an evaluation to be filled out by your child's teacher. For children over 5 years old, we require a records release be signed so that we may request school records from your child's current school. These forms can be found below or linked on the application.
5. Parent and Child Visits
   We receive our re-enrollments and sibling enrollments in the beginning of February. At this point we will know how many spaces we have in the Elementary, Children's House and the Young Children's Community for the next school year, and we may invite some families back for a parent chat and/or child visit. If accepted, we will be working together on behalf of your child for many years, so we do ask that both/all parents/guardians attend the family visit. We know this can be challenging and will work with you to find a date that works.
   
   These visits vary greatly depending on your child's age and developmental level and are scheduled based on availability in the visit schedule. Our aim is to get to see your child in a Montessori setting and get to know your family better, but to do so in a way that is comfortable for your child. Due to the large number of applicants, we are not able to accommodate visits for every family which is one reason why the group tours, the application, and Information session attendance is so critical. We only conduct visits if we feel there is a strong likelihood of having a space in the program your child is applying for. If we cannot invite you for an in person visit, we may follow up with a virtual parent interview.
6. Decision Letters
   In order to make sure you have our decision letter at the same time as other schools you may be applying to, we follow the Bay Area Guidelines for Admissions. Decisions are mailed between March 8th and March 15th and responses from families are typically due back on March 22nd. Decision letters for siblings of currently enrolled students will be sent out with your re-enrollment packets in January and are due back February 15, 2024.
   
   In keeping with the Bay Area Admissions Best Practices, no member of the Centennial Montessori community will contact you during the week following the decision letters. We understand this is an important time for your family to reflect. Accepted children who are eligible (based on age and toilet independence) are welcome to attend our summer program in the summer of 2025.
   
   Please note that unless your child is continuing on to our Elementary or transferring from an AMI Montessori School, we rarely accept children into the last year of our Children's House (Kindergarten).

APPLICATION

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLYING TO ELEMENTARY OR THE THIRD YEAR OF CHILDREN'S HOUSE

Tuition Assistance