Frequently Asked Questions

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Many of the FAQs below are referenced on the 2024-25 Campus Overview as well.
 

Please refer to the school uniform page for details.

2024-2025 supply list

Please keep in mind that all items will be shared with the full class. Students will not maintain personal school supplies. If a student is unable to bring supplies, we will ensure they have all they need.

*Note that all PreK 3 and PreK 4 students will have rest time every day and should bring a blanket or nap mat with them every week.  It will be sent home each weekend to be laundered.

 

This schedule is a general guideline for how your student's day is spent at Winn Montessori. Times for many periods will vary among grade levels and even from class to class.

7:10-7:40 AM Morning Arrival. Primary (PreK 3-Kindergarten) students play outside and Elementary (1st-5th) students go straight to their classrooms to begin the day.
7:40 AM Breakfast in the classroom
8:00-11:30 AM Work Cycle #1. Music, Art, PE and Library at different times/days during the week. *
11:30-12:00 PM Lunch in the classroom
12:00-12:30 PM Recess
12:30-3:00 PM Work Cycle #2. Music, Art, PE and Library at different times/days during the week. **
3:00-3:10 PM Classroom clean-up
3:10 PM Dismissal

*Only K-5 students attend music, art and PE

**All PreK students have rest time in the afternoons.

 

 

Please adhere to the arrival procedure in the morning to keep traffic moving and allow students to be in the building when learning begins.

  • Doors open at 7:15 AM.  Drop-off for all students is on the Susquehanna side of the building.
  • *NEW traffic direction in 24-25* Drop off for Primary (PreK 3-Kindergarten) is in the parking lot near the library entering nearest the corner at Dubuque.
  • Drop-off for Elementary (1st-5th) is at the front entrance of the school.
  • Families with students in both groups drop off at the library.
  • Please stay in your vehicle and staff members will assist your student in getting out of the car.
  • For everyone’s safety, families are not allowed into the building during arrival.
  • Learning begins at 7:40 with family-style breakfast in the classroom and students are tardy beginning at this time.
 arrival map

 

 

 

Please adhere to the dismissal procedure to keep traffic moving and ensure all students are reunited with their families in a timely fashion.

  • Learning will stop at 3:05 PM and dismissal begins at 3:10 PM.
  • Please do not pick up students between 2:30 and 3:10 PM.
  • If changes occur to a student’s normal going-home routine, please contact the classroom guide before 2:30 PM on the day the change is to be made.  If the classroom guide is not notified, they will dismiss the student per usual.
  • All caregivers MUST have their blue and white sign to pick up their student, whether walking or driving.
  • *NEW in 24-25* Pick up for Primary (PreK 3-Kindergarten) is on the Susquehanna side of the building in the parking lot by the library entering nearest the corner at Dubuque.
  • *NEW in 24-25* Pick-up for Elementary (1st-5th) is on the Manor side of the building.  Walkers will dismiss from the side door to the right of the main school entrance on Susquehanna.
  • Families with students in both groups pick up on the Susquehanna side near the library.
  • Please stay in your vehicle.  Staff members will help students into your vehicle if needed.  If you need to buckle your child, please pull forward past cone 1 to keep the line moving.
  • If you arrive after 3:25 PM, please go to the front office to pick up your student. 
  dismissal map

 

 

All Winn students receive free breakfast and lunch.  Students set their tables during these meals and serve each other food from communal dishes in their classrooms as a part of the Montessori curriculum.

  • The menu can be viewed on the School Cafe site.
  • Students are HIGHLY encouraged to eat school meals but may bring a healthy meal from home if they wish.
  • AISD food service is able to accommodate a wide variety of allergies and sensitivities.  Visit the AISD food allergies and special diets page for more information.
  • Because lunch is such an important time for building classroom community, we will only allow families to eat with students on special campus occasions.
  • Students should also bring a water bottle from home every day.  Snacks are acceptable but must be healthy.
  • Please DO NOT send treats to class on your student’s birthday.  Instead, we celebrate each birthday with a special, Montessori-inspired activity in the classroom.

School attendance is VERY important.  During the 2023-24 school year alone, our school lost $266,143 in funding due to student absences.  Absences are also a MAJOR factor in student success and may affect a student’s transfer status if they become excessive.  Examples of excused and unexcused absences can be found on this AISD page.  If a student must be absent, there are several options to document their absence:

  • All regular campus communications will go through the new AISD app, email and/or text (depending on what communication method families have selected in the parent portal).  Download the new app by searching "Austin ISD, TX" on iPhone and "Austin ISD" on Android.  Be sure to follow the Winn Montessori feed to receive the appropriate messages and turn on notifications.
  • Our principal will send out a monthly newsletter with everything families need to know about the weeks and month ahead.
  • The school calendar contains all important dates.  Consider subscribing to add it to your personal calendar.
  • Please contact your student’s guide via email or phone if you would like to meet.  All conferences and meeting times must be scheduled ahead of time.
  • Please give staff members 24 hours to respond to calls or emails.  If you have any urgent needs, please call the front office.
  • Don’t forget to follow Winn Montessori on Twitter and Facebook and join the Winn Montessori Families group on Facebook.
 

Winn Montessori is a homework-free school.  Students are encouraged to read each evening at a grade-appropriate level.

Winn Montessori uses a Standards-based Grading Rubric for students in Kindergarten through 5th grade. Report cards at the end of each nine-week grading period indicate each child's progression on grade-level TEKS-based standards in the language of instruction.

Scale Grading

  1. No basic understanding of the skill. The student needs significant support with the skill.

  2. Some progress on this skill but the student is missing critical elements to apply independently.

  3. The student has a strong command of the skill.
  4. The student has mastered this skill and is working on more advanced skills.

The scale grades are each assigned a percentage for purposes of report cards.

Percentage Grading

  • 65: No basic understanding of the skill. The student needs significant support with the skill.
  • 85: Some progress on this skill but the student is missing critical elements to apply independently.
  • 95: The student has a strong command of the skill.
  • 100: Student has mastered this skill and is working on more advanced skills.

A student's reported grades in each academic subject do not paint a full picture of their progress. Each guide will share comments on a caregiver conference form using a Montessori rubric to give an overall skills assessment. Students in dual-language classrooms will be evaluated in their preferred language.