Since 1992, the Montessori Foundation’s Montessori Leadership Institute has offered a comprehensive series of in-depth seminars on topics of interest and concern to Montessori Leaders.

Institute classes are designed give Montessori Leaders invaluable insights and skills used by the world’s most successful Montessori schools around the world:

Institute courses are aimed at:

• Heads of Schools
• Educational Coordinators
• Admissions Directors
• Development Directors
• Board Members
• Parent Leaders

This summer the Montessori Foundation will offer its first On-Line Summer Montessori Leadership Institute

With the state of today’s Internet, it is finally possible to offer professional development using modern distance learning technology.

For our first on-line course, Montessori Foundation President, Tim Seldin, will lead one of our most popular classes:

Finding the Perfect Match
Attracting and retaining the right families for your school

Dates: June 26 through August 18, 2006 (eight weeks)

Location: Your office or home, on your computer!

Times: Set your own schedule, working on weekly learning activities and projects that will directly benefit your school next year. You should expect to invest at least five hours a week reading the extensive course materials, viewing online video presentations or listening to audio mp3 files on your IPod, collaborating with fellow students and Tim Seldin, and working on PR, marketing, and recruitment strategies that will directly impact your school.

Do you have vacation planned during this period? No problem. While it is best to participate with the entire group in ongoing discussions, You can catch up when you return.

Advantages of distance learning

No travel and hotel costs

Course are spread out over eight weeks

You can set your own weekly schedule there is no need to be on line at a specific time

Multi-modality presentations — video and audio which you can replay whenever wish

A printable ebook copy of Finding The Perfect Match by Tim Seldin

Access to an extensive collection of resource files that will be invaluable in your public relations, marketing, and admissions program

A collaborative community of colleagues

The course blends experience, wisdom, and practical application focused on your school
Individual coaching from Montessori Foundation President, Tim Seldin

Course description

A school is nothing but people. It lives in their hearts and minds. A great school is group of people acting in accordance with a common set of beliefs and values, who feel a sense of commitment to each other and to the institution.

So often, schools agonize over the difficulty of attracting and retaining enough students to meet our budget, and every time a Montessori child leaves before graduation, our classes and school community suffer.

The Montessori Foundation believes that this endless cycle can, and must, be broken. We can build our schools with children who will blossom in Montessori, and with parents who will value and remain committed to Montessori.

This highly practical and hands-on course will show you how to organize your admissions/recruitment program to identify and attract the perfect families for your school.

Finding the perfect match:

Attracting and retaining the right families for your school

Instructor: Tim Seldin

Sound familiar?

“We worry about our enrollment every year.”

“My teachers get tired and discouraged when we hold parent education nights, and only the same five really committed families show up.”

“I wish that our parents were really supportive! What does it take to get parents to understand that we sometimes feel as if we’ve all taken a vow of poverty just so their tuition will stay low.”

“I’m really tired of defending Montessori to parents who think that we’re involved with a cult?”

A Montessori child can never be replaced! This course will help you to attract not only children who will blossom in your school, but parents whose values and commitments are in line with your school’s vision.

This course will help you to:

• define your school’s unique identity
• build a stronger school community
• get the most out of your promotional dollars
• learn how to get positive PR on a shoestring
• understand the recruitment secrets of the most successful schools
• turn your school’s “limitations” into assets
• develop highly effective school brochures
• make direct mail strategies work for your school
• develop and effectively use direct mail pieces
• get free publicity for your school
• use slide shows and videos
• make your school newsletter your single most effective PR tool
• organize effective open houses and special events
• motivate your present families to help,
• find the perfect match between family, child, staff, and school
• keep your vision alive
• develop effective parent education programs
• organize monthly community and class meetings
• work with parent volunteers
• make new families feel at home
• give children “bragging rights” through a strong extra-curriculuar program
• Organize a Financial Aid Program
• Develop a more family-friendly school

Course Syllabus

Finding The Perfect Match
Making The Phone Ring
Defining Your School’s Identity
What Makes You Different?
What Benefits Do You Offer?
Who Loves Your School?
Who Is Your Competition?
What Are Your Ads Saying?
Your Marketing Budget
Selecting Media
Some Marketing Ideas
Developinng a Marketing Plan
A Month-By-Month Marketing Calendar
Some Thoughts About Tuition
The Admissions Process
Advertising Montessori
Return On PR Investment
Basic Media Strategy
Guidelines For Great Ads
Why Advertise?
How To Define Your Unique Selling Points
Sample Print Ads
Sample Mini Brochures
Sample Radio Ads (Text See CR-Rom For Audio Samples Of 5 Radio Ads And 1 TV Spot)
Bill Boards
Press Releases
A Sample School Brochure
A Sample Curriculum Booklet
Montessori 101 (How Tomorrow’s Child Can Help)
School Newsletters
The Application Process
Admission Procedure
Admissions Checklist
Application For School
Student Recommendation Form
Report On Child Classroom Visit
Letter Of Acceptance
Letter Of Provisional Acceptance
Letter Denying Admission
Building Community
Family Friendly Schools
New Parent Receptions
Class And Community Meetings
Volunteers
Recognizing Volunteers
Parent Forums
Fund Raising And Special Events
A Series Of Parent Talks
Non-Custodial Families
Grievance Procedures
Sample Parent Handbook
Evidence That Montessori Is Worth It
Homework A Montessori Approach
Portfolios
Family Conferences
Sample Feedback Form
Taking The Pulse Of Your Families
Listening To Your Students
Parent Surveys
Kindergarten And Elementary Moving Up Meetings
Attrition Charts
Publications And Videos (Sample Video On CD-Rom)

Institute Leader

Montessori Leadership Institutes are led by Tim Seldin, President of the Montessori Foundation and Chair of the International Montessori Council. His more than 35 years of experience in Montessori education includes 22 years as Headmaster of the Barrie School in Silver Spring, Maryland, his own alma mater (age 2 through high school graduation) . He was the cofounder and Director of the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies. He also served as Director of the Foundation's Lab School, the New Gate School in Sarasota, Florida. Tim Seldin earned a B.A. in History and Philosophy from Georgetown University, an M.Ed. in Educational Administration and Supervision from The American University, and his Montessori certification from the American Montessori Society. He is the author or co-author of several books and hundreds of articles, including The Montessori Way, The World in the Palm of Her Hand, Celebrations of Life, Building a World-Class Montessori School. Developing a Summer Program for Your Montessori School, Finding the Perfect Match-Recruit and Retain Your Ideal Enrollment, Master Teachers - Model Programs, and Organizing a New Montessori School. He also served for many years on the Board of the American Montessori Society.

Registration:

Leadership Institutes are small group, intensive, and collaborative learning experiences, and enrollment is limited to 15 participants. Participants will be encouraged to explore issues that they are currently working on at their schools. Many have described the experience as individual school consultation for a much lower cost, with the added advantage of the shared perspectives and experience of the other leaders participating in the course.

Registration Fees for Non-IMC Members:

Tuition for the 8-week course is $1,250 for the first person from a school/$1,000 for each additional person enrolling from the same school.

Registration Fees for School and Individual Members of the International Montessori Council (IMC).

Individual IMC members or attendees sponsored by a school affiliated with the International Montessori Council, receive a 10% discount: $1,125 for the first person from an IMC affiliated school/$900 for each additional person coming from the same IMC member school.

For more information about membership, please call 800-632-4121 or click here.

Refunds and Cancellations:

The Montessori Foundation maintains the right to cancel seminars if there is insufficient enrollment. If a seminar is canceled, all registrants will receive a full refund of all fees paid. Registrants requesting a refund prior to commencement of the seminar must notify The Montessori Foundation in writing at least two weeks prior to the seminar in order to receive a refund.

Have a question or need more information? Please contact Tim Seldin at the Montessori Foundation at 800-583-5843 (941-729-9565) for more information or email timseldin@montessori.org

Montessori Foundation
PO Box 130
2400 Miguel Bay Drive
Terra Ceia Island, FL 34250-0130
941-729-9565 • 941-729-9594 (fax)
email timseldin@montessori.org

We're Here To Help • April, 2006

Inside This Issue

2006 Summer

Montessori Leadership Institute

On Line!

"Because a Montessori child can never be replaced!"

In Affiliation with the Montessori Foundation and the International Montessori Council

Finding the perfect match:

In Affiliation with the Montessori Foundation
and the International Montessori Council