Frequently Asked Questions

School runs Monday to Friday. Here are the regular hours:

• Half Day: 8:45 AM – 12:30 PM, including lunch
• Full Day (All programs): 8:45 AM – 3:15 PM
• Car lanes: drop-off 8:45–9:00 AM, pick-up 3:15–3:30 PM

Need care before or after school?

• Early Birds Care: 8:00 – 8:45 AM
• Extended Day: after-school daycare until 4:30 PM
• Bundled Full Day: after-school daycare until 5:30 PM, plus Non-School Days (NSD) Daycare on Blue Days

Care must be reserved in advance. We’re not able to accept drop-ins.

Looking for after-school enrichment? See What is Amazing Adventures, and who can join?

No, children bring their own lunch from home. A few tips:

• Pack perishable food with a cold pack.
• Send hot food in a thermos.
• Half Day (AM) and Full Day children both eat lunch at school.

Lunchtime supervision is free for all children in a full-day program.

Want to help at lunch? We welcome parent volunteers who have cleared our MERIT background check and immunization requirements. Ask at the front desk or email support@sammamishmontessori.com.

We keep classes small, with one of the best teacher-to-student ratios in the area, so every child gets personal attention. Typical class sizes:

• Toddler: up to 14 children
• Montessori Primary: 20–25 children
• Montessori+: 40 children
• Lower Elementary: 10 children

Across all classrooms, the average is 6 children for every adult (6:1).

Yes. SMS is committed to a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, families, and staff.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, national or ethnic origin, or any other legally protected status in the admission of qualified students or in providing access to school programs and activities. Similarly, we do not discriminate in our hiring or employment practices. All individuals are given equal access to the rights, privileges, programs, and activities available at our school.

The 2027–28 school year runs from Monday, August 30, 2027 to Wednesday, June 14, 2028.

• Meet & Greet: Friday, August 27, 2027
• Last day of school (Carnival Day): Wednesday, June 14, 2028
• SMS Graduation: Friday, June 16, 2028 (morning)

SMS follows the Lake Washington School District (LWSD) calendar as closely as possible, since many of our families have children in LWSD schools. The 2027–28 calendar is tentative and may change due to inclement weather, public health mandates or other scheduling reasons.

View the 2027–28 calendar (PDF)

• Red: school closed, no child care (for example, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Winter Break from December 23)
• Blue Days: no school, but Bundled Daycare is available (for example, Mid-Winter Break, Spring Break and In-Service Days)
• Orange and purple: parent-teacher conference days (see When are parent-teacher conferences?)
• Green: first and last day of the school year
• Yellow: Summer Program begins and ends

Daycare on Blue Days (Non-School Days, or NSD, Daycare) is included with Bundled Full Day. It is not included with Extended Day.

Conferences are held on separate days for Toddler and for all other programs:

• Montessori Primary, Montessori+ and Elementary: Friday, October 29, 2027 and Wednesday, February 16, 2028
• Toddler: Friday, November 5, 2027 and Friday, May 12, 2028

On your child’s conference day there are no regular classes, and Bundled Daycare is available. Children in the other programs attend school as normal.

SMS offers one continuous Montessori journey, from 18 months through Grade 5:

• Toddler: 18–36 months
• Montessori Primary: 3–5 years (toilet trained)
• Montessori+ Pre-Elementary (Kindergarten): 5–6 years (new for 2027–28)
• Lower Elementary (Grades 1–3): 6–9 years
• Upper Elementary (Grades 4–5): 9–11 years

Also available

• Daycare: Early Birds (8:00–8:45 AM), after-school until 4:30 or 5:30 PM, and Non-School Days
• Amazing Adventures: after-school enrichment for EPex Bundled families, ages 5+
• Summer Program: mid-June to late August, 18 months – 11 years

It’s our new signature Kindergarten year for children ages 5–6, starting School Year 2027–28. It prepares children for Elementary with strong academics, independence and problem-solving skills.

What a typical day looks like

• Morning (8:45 – 11:15 AM): advanced Montessori academics in their Montessori Primary classroom
• Midday (11:15 AM – 12:30 PM): lunch and community time with Elementary students
• Afternoon (12:30 – 3:15 PM): hands-on experiential learning and Design & Engineering in the Montessori+ Studio

When can my child start?

• September: if your child turns 5 by August 31
• January: if your child turns 5 between September 1 and December 31. They start the year in Montessori Primary and move to Montessori+ in January.

Current Primary families: join our KG/Elementary Information Nights, October 20–22, 2027 (by classroom).

Starting School Year 2027–28, Montessori+ is our Kindergarten program for ages 5–6.

• Four-year-olds stay in Montessori Primary, the heart of the three-year Montessori cycle.
• They move into Montessori+ Pre-Elementary in their Kindergarten year: in September if they turn 5 by August 31, or in January if they turn 5 between September 1 and December 31.

EPex is our tuition plan for Kindergarten through Grade 5. In short: lock your tuition at Kindergarten and it never goes up through Grade 5.

How it works

• Enroll your child in Montessori+ Pre-Elementary (Kindergarten).
• Your monthly tuition is set at that point and stays locked through Grade 5, with no annual increases.
• Full Day tuition actually goes down as your child moves up: $2,300/month for K–Grade 2, $1,800 for Grade 3, and $1,500 for Grades 4–5.
• There’s a one-time, non-refundable $2,000 EPex membership fee per child, paid at Kindergarten enrollment (not applied toward tuition).

How much can I save?

Up to $40,000 over six years compared with Standard tuition (Full Day, K–Grade 5, after the membership fee, with Standard tuition rising about $100/month each year).

EPex Bundled families also get exclusive access to Amazing Adventures. See Tuition & Fees for all EPex rates and a year-by-year example.

Yes. Choose the option that fits your schedule:

• Early Birds Care (8:00 – 8:45 AM): +$400/month, can be added to any program
• Extended Day: after-school daycare until 4:30 PM (no daycare on Blue Days)
• Bundled Full Day: after-school daycare until 5:30 PM and Non-School Days (NSD) Daycare on Blue Days

Daycare is available for Toddler, Montessori Primary, Montessori+ Pre-Elementary and Elementary students.

Amazing Adventures is our after-school enrichment program. Starting Fall 2027, it is offered exclusively to EPex Bundled families (ages 5+), from Montessori+ Pre-Elementary (Kindergarten) through Grade 5.

What children do

• Martial arts: focus, coordination, discipline and confidence
• Sports: teamwork and sportsmanship, including soccer and badminton
• Robotics: LEGO-based building, design and STEM challenges
• The Arts: art, theater, dance, drama and ballet

The details

• When: 3:45 – 4:45 PM after school
• Enrollment: two intake periods each year, September and January
• Progressive: skills build from one session to the next, year after year from Kindergarten to Grade 5
• Transportation: SMS picks children up from school, takes them to the studio, field or park, and brings them back
• Cost: included with EPex Bundled Full Day

Starting Fall 2027, Amazing Adventures is discontinued for children ages 4–5. Toddler and Montessori Primary Bundled Full Day includes after-school daycare and NSD Daycare on Blue Days, but not Amazing Adventures.

Yes! Our Summer Program is open to children 18 months to 11 years.

• Five two-week sessions (Sessions 1–5) from mid-June to late August
• Pick and choose the sessions that work around your vacation plans
• Choose from traditional Montessori classes, STEAM camp, Discovery camps and other enrichment activities
• Summer 2027 ends Friday, August 20, 2027
• Enrollment for Summer 2027 starts February 2027

See Tuition & Fees for Summer pricing.

Yes, please re-enroll each year. As a current family, you get:

• Priority enrollment, with the same classroom and teacher for continuity
• No registration fee if you enroll before the start of the school year

Current Primary families: if your child turns 5 by August 31, 2027, they can continue into our new Montessori+ Pre-Elementary Kindergarten year and join EPex, with tuition locked through Grade 5.

EPex families (Kindergarten – Grade 5) are automatically re-enrolled each year through Grade 5, with no new form or registration fee. To withdraw or change programs, email support@sammamishmontessori.com before June 30.

We expect to reach capacity quickly, so please don’t wait. Enroll now!

Yes, it’s $300 and non-refundable. It’s waived if:

• New families: you enroll within 24 hours of your school tour
• Returning families: you enroll before the start of the school year

Yes. All deposits and fees are due when you enroll. What you pay depends on the program:

• Toddler and Montessori Primary: $1,000 tuition deposit, non-refundable. It’s credited toward your last month’s (June 2028) tuition.
• Montessori+ Pre-Elementary (EPex): $2,000 EPex membership fee, one-time and non-refundable, per child. It is not applied toward tuition.
• Registration fee: $300, unless waived (see Is there a registration fee?)

Yes:

• Siblings: 5% off monthly tuition for each child, when siblings are enrolled at the same time
• SMS alumni parents: 5% off monthly tuition for each child

How discounts combine

• The Sibling/Alumni discount can’t be combined with the 3% New Family discount.
• It can be combined with the 5% pay-the-year-upfront discount.

Yes. Pay the full school year’s tuition upfront and get 5% off. This discount can be combined with other discounts.

Our pricing is very competitive with other accredited Montessori schools in Redmond, Bellevue and Sammamish, and it’s transparent, with no hidden charges.

Included at no extra cost

Everything that happens during the school day: family retreats, Spanish classes, petting zoo, year-end carnival, field trips and more.

What sets SMS apart

• Re-accredited by the American Montessori Society (AMS) through 2032, one of only 10 schools in Washington State
• 25+ AMS-credentialed Montessori teachers and 30+ support staff
• Average teacher tenure of over seven years
• Average student-to-teacher ratio of 6:1
• With EPex, families who stay from Kindergarten through Grade 5 can save up to $40,000

Many schools call themselves “Montessori” without being accredited or hiring Montessori-credentialed teachers. AMS accreditation is independently evaluated and requires high standards in teacher training, facilities, and tracking each child’s social, academic and emotional progress.

Questions about pricing? Please contact us.

Tuition is billed in ten equal monthly installments, from June 30, 2027 through March 31, 2028.

• The June 30 payment covers September tuition, and the March 31 payment covers June tuition.
• Starting early gives the school time to prepare for the new year, including teacher recruitment and classroom setup.
• Toddler and Montessori Primary: your $1,000 tuition deposit is credited toward June 2028 tuition (the March 31, 2028 installment).

Yes. You’re welcome to request a particular teacher or classroom, and we’ll do our best to meet your request.

Returning students get priority to stay in the same classroom, for continuity with their teacher and environment.

We aim to balance each classroom by age and gender, based on the spots available.

Please review these before enrolling:

• All deposits and fees are non-refundable.
• Adding a program or before/after-school care is possible, subject to space, starting the following month.
• Reducing a program is not permitted after June 30, 2027. EPex families must request any program change for the next school year before June 30.
• Withdrawing requires written notice to support@sammamishmontessori.com. Withdrawing after June 30, 2027 forfeits all deposits, fees and any monthly payments made as of the date you notify us. EPex families also forfeit the $2,000 EPex membership fee.

We are unable to make exceptions to this policy.

Tuition is a school-year charge paid in ten equal installments, so it isn’t adjusted for closures due to inclement weather, emergencies, holidays or breaks.

• The 2027–28 calendar includes a Snow Make-up Day on Thursday, June 15, 2028 (optional school day).
• We’ll notify families of any closure through ParentSquare.

Montessori classrooms bring together children across a two- to three-year age range. Here’s why that helps:

• Younger children are inspired by watching older classmates.
• Older children grow as mentors and leaders.
• Every child moves at their own pace, getting each lesson when they’re ready, not on a fixed schedule.
• Children can always find classmates who match their current level.

Young children thrive on consistency and routine.

• A steady daily rhythm builds a child’s sense of order and responsibility.
• Many children come to see the classroom as an extension of home, a space they care for.
• This strong foundation prepares them for future learning. Later challenges with focus or discipline can often be traced back to an inconsistent early routine.

Montessori learning is designed in three-year cycles, so children stay in the same classroom community and build on what they know:

• Early Childhood: preschool and Kindergarten children learn together in the same classroom.
• Lower Elementary: Grades 1–3 learn together.

The benefits

• Children progress at their own pace, free from grade-level labels.
• Younger children are motivated by the work they see older children doing.
• Older children strengthen their own understanding and confidence by mentoring.
• Mixed ages build social and emotional skills, and every child has a voice in their classroom community.