Opal Wetherby
Director and primary guide
Runs Sedge day to day, leads the tours and sits down with families for the pre-K form. She works in the room most mornings.
Montessori school in Montpelier
A small Montessori school for children ages 3 and 4
Children choose their own work from low shelves and settle with it at a low table, while a guide sits close, shows, watches and steps back. Sedge takes part in Vermont's pre-K program, and we go through how that works with each family.
Programs
Mornings or the school day, by age
Children come three, four or five days a week. The same guides and the same room, whichever schedule your family chooses.
| Ages | Adults to children | Group size | Mornings8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.Monday to Friday | School day8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.Monday to Friday | Extended day3:00 – 5:30 p.m.After the school day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-year-olds | 1 adult to 10 children | 20 | Offered | Offered | Waitlist |
| 4-year-olds | 1 adult to 10 children | 20 | Offered | Offered | Offered |
Fees and what each is for
- Registration
- Opens your child's file and covers the enrollment forms and the first set of materials. It is due once, when you accept a place.
- Tuition
- Set by your child's age, the schedule and the days a week. We go through the figures on the tour.
- Extended day
- The afternoon after the school day, until 5:30 p.m. Added to tuition for the children who stay.
- Vermont pre-K
- Where a family takes part, it changes how tuition is arranged. Ask us how it works.
Sample programs.
Our rooms
One room for ages 3 and 4
Younger and older children share the room. The older ones show the younger ones, and the younger ones see what is coming.
The first year
Age 3SkillsCarrying a tray and pouring water without spilling
Washing hands, folding a cloth and setting a place at the table
Choosing work from the shelf and putting it back
Joining the circle for a song and a story
Moving upA guide shows new work when a child has settled into the last. We talk it through with you at conferences in the fall and spring.
The second year
Age 4SkillsLonger stretches of work on the sensorial and language shelves
Counting with beads and cards, and sounding out first words
Practicing a pencil grip and writing at a table
Showing a new child where things go and how a job is done
Moving upIn the spring we talk with you about where your child goes next and help with the paperwork a kindergarten asks for.
Where to startBook a tour
Sample levels.
The year
Tours, applications and the pre-K form
Exact dates go to every family on our list.
This school year
Open houses
October and February
An evening in the room with the guides. Walk around, ask what you like and meet other families.
Tours
Weekday mornings, all year
See the room while it is working. Children can come along.
- Applications open
Fall applications open
January
Returning families first, then families on the waitlist, then new families.
- Deadline
State pre-K application
March
Families who take part in Vermont's pre-K program fill in the state's form. We sit down with you and go through it together.
How pre-K works at Sedge - Decisions
Offers go out
April
- First day
First day of the school year
Early September
New families come in for a short visit in August to meet their guide.
Sample dates.
License and safety
License, adults per child and our routines
Every child is counted at arrival, outside and at pickup, by one adult and confirmed by a second.
License
Licensed by DCF, Child Development Division
Child care center license · VT License # 000000Verify
Adults to children
1 adult to 10 children
3-year-olds
Group size: 20
1 adult to 10 children
4-year-olds
Group size: 20
Group size
Up to 20 children
with 2 adults
Ages 3 to 4 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Mandated reporter training
- Food handler training
Safety routines
Headcount
We count the children at arrival, when we go outside, when we come back in and at pickup. One adult counts and a second adult confirms.
Pickup
Children leave only with the adults on your list. We ask to see ID at the door from anyone we don't know.
Illness
A child with a fever or a contagious illness stays home. If a child becomes ill at school, we call you right away.
Hand washing
Children wash their hands when they arrive, before they eat and after outdoor play, with a guide beside them.
Outdoor time
An adult is with the group whenever the children are outside, in the yard or on a walk. We count before we leave and when we return.
Drills
We practice fire drills with the children and keep a plan for other emergencies. Families can read it at the open house.
Ask us about child care assistance
Sample details.
The team
The guides in the room
Opal, Linden and Kallie are in the room every day, with the school's other staff in the yard, the kitchen and the afternoon.
Linden Fairbanks
Primary guide
Leads the morning work cycle and takes the children out to the yard after lunch. He keeps the shelves, trays and baskets in order.
Kallie Beck
Assistant guide
Sets up the room before the children arrive and leads the extended afternoon. She is the first guide most new families meet at the door.
What families ask first
What happens when a child is ill?
A child with a fever, vomiting or a contagious illness stays home until they feel well again. If a child becomes ill at school, we call you right away and a guide stays with them until someone arrives. Tell us what the illness is when your child is out, so we can let other families know when something is going around.
Who may pick up my child?
Children leave only with the adults on the list you gave us. We ask to see ID from anyone we don't know, and we call you before a child goes with someone new. If a different adult is coming, tell a guide at drop-off.
How does Vermont's pre-K program work with Sedge?
Sedge takes part in Vermont's pre-K program. Ask us how it works with our tuition: we go through it with your child's age and schedule in front of us, and we sit down with you for the state's pre-K form in March.
Do children need to be toilet trained?
Most children in the room use the toilet on their own, and a guide helps with reminders and spare clothes. Tell us where your child is at the tour and we'll talk it through with you.
How do you handle a hard morning?
Children have hard mornings. A guide stays with the child, speaks quietly and helps them settle at something they like. If it doesn't ease, we call you, and we talk it over with you at pickup.
Come and see a morning at Sedge
Tours are on weekday mornings, while the room is working. You meet a guide, see the shelves up close and ask what you like. Children can come along.
