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Posts Tagged ‘6 Years’

Raising the Bar on Montessori Education

November 10th, 2009

As a mother and advocate of the Montessori way, Castle Montessori Schools founder and Head of School, Varsha Patel and her team of dedicated teachers and administrators have set the bar when it comes to providing a top-notch education for the young.

In a day and time where many schools are cutting their staff members and faculty to save money in a tough economy, Patel’s approach runs counterintuitive to the trend.

The addition of two outstanding AMS/AMI Certified Montessori education experts on staff, each with over 15 years of experience, has catapulted Castle Montessori Schools of Carrollton, Flower Mound and McKinney into the position as the premier choice of North Texas parents seeking a high-quality Montessori education for their children.

Patel has recently made a substantial investment in the forward development of each school’s program through the addition of the schools’ first Education Program Directors. The Primary Education Program Director specializes in children ages 3 to 6 years of age while the Toddler Education Program Director specializes in younger children ages 18 months to 3 years of age.

As part of the management team, the Education Program Directors work in concert with Patel to ensure that the quality of the education being delivered is consistent not only from classroom-to-classroom but also from school-to-school.

When it comes to the sometimes challenging aspect of toddler life, the Education Program Directors have many answers. A deep love for children in this age range is a must, and the Toddler Education Program Director serves as a direct resource for parents who oftentimes are at a loss when it comes to the behavior and emotions of their little ones.

“It’s exciting that we are able to not just provide for the care and education of the very young child, but we have now put in place more ways for parents to learn important things about their child. When I was a young mother, I would have loved to visit with an expert on toddlers about so many things,” Patel said.

“I know it can be very stressful to have a toddler, and parents can sometimes feel very isolated and alone. We want to make sure our families know we are here to support them,” Patel added.

Castle Montessori Education Program Directors are also available to help families set up a home environment which meets the developmental needs of their child, and also works with teachers to deepen their understanding of the needs of children. This, in turn, maximizes the ability of the child to receive the full benefits of a Montessori education.

Both directors also work daily to provide continuing education support for teachers and their assistants by providing training in new courses as well as refresher courses. Patel believes the school’s teachers are free not only to teach, but to learn as well. The position also serves to help with all areas of classroom management and acts as part of a unique teaching team which is focused on ensuring quality education for each and every child.

“I really believe in a team-based learning environment for our schools when it comes to our staff,” Patel said. “In this way, everyone feels supported and staff members know they always have somewhere to turn to gain or share new ideas for improving our educational processes. “The Montessori way is certainly not just for children. It’s also a philosophy that transcends into all human interaction, if we allow it to do so,” Patel said.

“Dr. Maria Montessori dedicated her life’s work to helping children discover and nurture their potential, and through my schools I hope children gain a sense of community, a culture of respect, choice, and independence. I love the fact that in each of my schools we have created a place where children feel successful, at peace, and are actively engaged in purposeful and focused learning,” Patel said.

Each Castle Montessori School campus is built featuring state-of-the-art computer labs, indoor gymnasiums, outdoor playgrounds with upgraded play structures, music rooms with baby-grand pianos and closed-circuit monitoring security systems. A distinct sense of order and beauty is seen throughout each classroom.

All lead teachers (Directresses) are certified by the American Montessori Society (AMS), Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), or the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE). Teachers holding certifications from these organizations have undergone a rigorous two to three year Montessori training program and have achieved their teaching certificates only after having passed their exams and internship requirements.

Castle Montessori schools offer year-round programs for children ages 18 months to nine years, before and after-school care, nature study, music programs, computer programs, two foreign language programs (Spanish and Mandarin Chinese) as well as extra-curricular programs such as dance, martial arts, indoor soccer, golf, and more.

New students have a unique opportunity to spend time (free of charge) to ensure the transition period into Castle Montessori schools is an enjoyable and stress-free time. Parents may bring their child into the school for as little as a few minutes or as long as several hours so that both parent and child can gradually adjust to the new school environment.

Parents are invited to visit the school anytime for a tour with or without an appointment. For more information, please contact the schools directly at www.CastleMontessori.com

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Tags: 6 Years, Ams, Dedicated Teachers, Education Experts, Education Program Director, Important Things, Little Ones, Notch Education, Primary Education, Program Directors, Quality Montessori Education, Raising The Bar, Resource For Parents, Staff Members, Substantial Investment, Texas Parents, Toddler Education, Top Notch, Varsha, Young Mother

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When The Dog Bites: Parental Immunity, Provocation by Child, & Statute of Limitations

August 8th, 2009

Parental Immunity

One question that arises is whether a child’s parent can be held responsible for injuries inflicted upon the child by the family dog. The answer is often no. Washington State recognizes a law called the Parental Immunity Doctrine. Under this doctrine, a negligent parent is immune from liability for injuries caused to the child unless the parent was acting outside his or her parental capacity, or if the child’s injuries were caused by a parent’s willful and wanton misconduct. In the case of a family dog injuring a child, the parents will likely be immune from liability under this doctrine.

Negligence or Provocation by the Child

Washington law states that a child can be held negligent and therefore wholly or partially responsible for that child’s injuries and damages. Thus, the dog owner may be permitted to argue that the child was comparatively negligent for causing the injury. But in Washington there are certain limitations when it comes to accidents and injuries involving negligent children. First, the law in Washington is that children under the age of 6 years cannot be held negligent as a matter of law. The Washington State Supreme Court has decided that a child under age 6 does not have the mental capacity to be negligent. This means that any time a child under age 6 has been injured by a dog, the dog owner’s is not permitted to argue that the child was at fault. Although the issue has not been considered by Washington courts, one could also convincingly argue that a child under 6 does not have the mental capacity to intentionally provoke a dog. Thus, the provocation defense available to the dog owner under the Dog Bite Statute may not be available in the case where the victim was a child under the age of 6. Children age 6 and older can be held negligent, but only for failing to exercise the ordinary care that a reasonably careful child of the same age, intelligence, maturity, training, and experience would exercise under the same or similar circumstances. Thus, a dog owner may be able to argue that an older child was wholly or partially responsible for the child’s injuries, or that the child provoked the dog and recovery should therefore be denied under the Dog Bite Statute. Whether such an argument against the child is successful will depend heavily upon the particular facts of the case.

Statute of Limitations for Dog Bite Cases Involving Children

For adults, the statute of limitations in dog bite cases in Washington is three (3) years from the date of injury. This means the claim must be settled or filed in court within three years. But for children, this three-year period does not begin to run until a minor child turns 18. Thus, a child will usually have until his or her 21st birthday to settle the claim or file a lawsuit in court. Usually however, a young child’s claim should be resolved well before that child turns 21.

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