Common Questions

What can I expect at a class?

Expect: reading, climbing, eating, chatting, puzzling, sorting, jumping, painting, pouring, flower arranging, singing, reaching, carrying, dusting, drumming, scrubbing, watching, laughing.

Your child will choose the activities that are most interesting each day and work with them for as long as he or she likes, while you observe, chat, and enjoy a special hour of learning together.

We finish each class on the rug with a short group time with songs, instruments, conversations, and movement games.

What will I do while my child is working?

At first, many children feel comfortable with their caregivers nearby throughout class. Over time, you’ll notice that your child will begin exploring even as you stay in one spot.

You may take some written observation notes for a few minutes during each class to help connect our parent education topics to your child’s own development.

You’ll also have plenty of time to enjoy working with the materials along with your child and to get to know the other adults in the class.

What is Montessori?

The Montessori method is based on the theories and materials developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori. A Montessori early childhood classroom is prepared to support children's concentration, coordination, independence, and sense of order using activities designed to meet each child's individual developmental needs. Montessori classrooms are peaceful, purposeful, and joyful!

Do I have to be planning to send my child to a Montessori preschool to attend classes?

Not at all. Our area is lucky to have many wonderful preschool options. The activities in Montessori parent-child classes can be a delightful stand-alone experience, even if you plan to send your child to a school that follows another early childhood approach.

What does session tuition include?

Each session’s tuition includes:

your weekly class
monthly live & virtual evening parent discussion sessions
periodic special events (park walks, gym times, social outings)
access to weekly parent education & resources via our private instagram group
session office hours, where you can ask any questions about your child's development, routines at home, or whatever else is on your mind regarding your child
I’m also very happy to chat with you over the phone or via email regarding specific questions about your child’s development

During the summer session, we take a break from some of these extra activities.

Can another adult attend with my child?

Yes, your child may come to class with any caregiver: parent, grandparent, or nanny. Especially once your child is familiar with the classroom and routines, it’s fine to have someone else attend in place of the usual if needed.

Just one adult per class, please. If you have a special guest visiting, the extra adult (the guest or parent, if the guest attends in place) is welcome to join us at the end of class for our group gathering.

Can I bring my baby to a class with my older child?

Yes, your baby (under one year) is welcome at no charge at an older sibling’s crawler/toddler/multi-age/preschooler class.

For two or more children from the same family, consider the multi-age class option.

Reach out to learn more about sibling add-on spaces in preschooler classes (limited to 2 per session).

There's a 10% sibling discount; please email for a discount code.

Can I bring my older child to a class for a younger sibling?

Since the environment is arranged with each age group in mind, for space and safety reasons, no older siblings, please. Depending on the ages of the children, the multi-age class could be an option; please email me and we can decide if this would be a good fit.

An open classroom morning is offered each regular (winter, spring, fall) session. This is a great opportunity to show off the classroom to a sibling!

What if I have to miss a class?

Makeups are available in the form of pop-in credits as follows:

5 week series: 1 pop-in
6-9 week series: 2 pop-ins
10+ week series: 3 pop-ins

To keep groups consistent and to avoid crowding the classroom, makeups during other session classes are not available.

Any class canceled by Clementine (if I am out sick) will either be offered as a whole-group makeup during the week following the session, can be credited toward a future session, or refunded on a prorated basis.

There are several Saturday pop-in classes scheduled each session and throughout the summer; feel free to sign up either as a makeup for a missed class or as an add-on to the current session. Pop-ins are also available to new families.

Can I try a class before registering for a full session? (And what are pop-in classes?)

You can get a sense of what full session classes are like either during our periodic open house sessions (watch social media or join our email list for details) or at pop-in classes, offered on Saturdays during the school year and all summer.

Pop-in classes run like a typical multi-age class, and can be:

an add-on to the current session's classes
a way for families curious about Clementine to try a single class
a makeup opportunity for families enrolled in a full session
a chance for families who aren't able to commit to a full session to enjoy Clementine classes more flexibly

Pay for pop-in classes individually (use code FIRSTPOP for your family's first class), or buy a 3- or 5-pack to save and then sign up for classes.

Questions or issues? Just email me!

Are there any discounts available?

A 10% discount is available for:

each sibling registered in the same session, whether for the same class or different classes
multiple weekly classes for the same child

Please email for a discount code.

Class packs are a great way to save on pop-in & summer classes.

New families can attend a trial class for $20 off with code FIRSTPOP.

An early registration discount is offered each regular session (fall, winter, spring); watch the website for dates and details.

There may be scholarships available; please email to find out more.

What is the refund policy?

You can request a refund for a regular-session (spring, fall, winter) enrollment up to one week prior to the first class, less a $25 administration fee.

No refunds on pop-in class or pack purchases.

How do summer classes work?

Summer multi-age classes are pop-ins, which means each is reserved individually and there may be a different group in each class.

(This is different from our session classes, which are booked for a 5-14 week series with the same families each time.)

Each class is 60 minutes, and includes a simple community snack and a short group gathering with songs and scarves.

Book individually, buy a three- or five-pack to save per class, or use a session pop-in makeup.

The summer class schedule is available by early May.

Join us for any (or all!) of our summer special events!

A note on makeups: Summer spots are limited, so please try to attend when you’ve registered. If you do need to miss class, please let me know as soon as you can so I can offer your spot to someone from the waiting list.

Pop-in credits are available as follows:

from session makeups / 1-3 classes purchased: 1 pop-in
4-6 classes purchased: 2 pop-ins
7+ classes purchased: 3 pop-ins

Click here for full details on the summer session.