Although the majority of our families head to Pine Street School to pursue bilingualism in either the Mandarin or Spanish tracks and become a part of a vast global network of International Baccalaureate Schools, we recognize that circumstances may change for families who  may have to move out of the area, or are interested in other educational philosophies. We treat each child as though they were our own and do what we can to help place families in schools where we know they will thrive and be happy. As a family starts to look toward next steps post Battery Park Montessori, our administration and teachers provide support along every step of the way.  

How does the process start?

Our exmissions process starts with a group seminar and alumni panel event. During this time, parents are introduced to the timeline of exmissions, application requirements, what to consider while navigating options, the research families need to do, and the resources available. In addition, families are introduced to alumni Battery Park families who had to navigate the kindergarten admissions process.  Parents hear first-hand from others who were in their shoes, what mattered to them in the process and why they ultimately made their decisions.   

Followed by Meetings and Tweaking

From there, each family has a number of formal and informal 1:1 meetings with our Head of School, Anna Rita, who has tirelessly worked for years to successfully place families in their next educational journey.  In the first meeting, we discuss the child’s strengths and interests and discuss the family’s thoughts of what they would like to see in their child’s ongoing school (to name a few considerations: geography, religion, siblings in the pipeline, etc.).  From there, a plan is formed which involves a family working to come to a consensus on their short list and being connected with alumni if desired. As families are “hitting the pavement” with tours, interviews, and applications, our head of school supports families by discussing the process and making adjustments along the way.

Teacher Reports

As we are learning about the parents’ admissions experience and discussing strategies moving forward, our teachers are diligently working on each school’s “teacher recommendation” or teacher report. These are extensive, confidential reports that our Montessori “trained in observation” teachers – who have known children for years thanks to our multi-age learning environments – write and submit. These reports typically include information about how a child learns, how a child socializes, how a child processes emotions, etc. Our teachers have years of experience with your child to provide beautifully composed and comprehensive summaries.

Advocacy

As the process continues to unfold, families and our head of school discuss the types  of communication that should be sent to each school, while at the same time, we do what we can to advocate for each family.