Project Description
The Casa Program
“The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the child’s own natural desire to learn” – Maria Montessori
Brief Overview of the Casa Classrooms
- Casa 1, 11 Student Cap, 1:8 Teacher to Student Ratio
- Casa 2, 24 Student Cap, 1:8 Teacher to Student Ratio
- All meals made in house, from scratch, with organic and best choice ingredients
- 8 Week Block of Forest School in the Fall, and another 8 Week Block in the Spring
- Weekly Children’s Yoga, Mindfulness, and Meditation
- Weekly Music, Movement, and Dance
- Integrated French throughout the Daily Curriculum
- Large Outdoor Classroom with CSA Certified Climbers, Bike Tracks, Stages, Toboggan Hill, Trees, Organic Gardens, Mud Kitchens
- Progress Reports
- Daily Reports through our Interactive Communication App
- Subsidy is available through the City of Windsor
The Casa Rooms are prepared environments. The are designed for children between 2 1/2 and 4 years of age with 1 teacher for every 8 children. Academics are presented using a wide range of concrete and manipulative materials. Children are encouraged to work at their own pace as they explore all five areas of the classroom. The students focus on language development, grammar, reading, math, culture, geometry, and music. We also provide the children the necessary tools to develop friendship and respect with their teachers, peers, and their environment.
- 16 weeks of Forest School
Takes place throughout the spring and fall. This allows us to experience the seasonal transformation of life in the forest. - Yoga Practice
Mrs. T. is a certified Rainbow Kids Yoga instructor. She leads the students in yoga practice every Friday morning. - Music, Movement, and Dance
Led by Catherine Cristofaro of the Rivertown Dance Academy. Lessons takes place on Thursday mornings. - Art, Crafts, and Creativity
Monthly themes and crafts are completed all year long. On site visits from Julie’s Paint Party. - French Lessons
Incorporated into all lessons throughout the day.
OUR CASA TEACHERS
Mrs. T began teaching at a local Montessori school in 2007 and gained 5 years’ experience as a head teacher and lead supervisor. Working with children is a privilege and she knew it was her strength. It quickly became her goal to open her own Montessori school, staff it with dedicated and qualified teachers, provide a healthy menu, and create a diverse curriculum. After getting married and raising 4 children of her own, she decided it was time to achieve her goal.
Mr. and Mrs. Tregaskiss founded Bright Child Montessori in 2011 and together they lead the next generation of young minds to grow. They believe each child embodies a unique and wonderful spirit. There aspiration is to see children grow into adults who are independent, responsible, and compassionate innovators.
“The only true freedom for an individual is to have the opportunity to act independently … there is no such thing as an individual until a person can act by himself.” —Maria Montessori
“Preventing conflicts is the work of politics; establishing peace is the work of education.”—Maria Montessori
This is her sixth year as one of our full-time Casa 2 teachers here at Bright Child Montessori. Her many years of education and many experiences working with children have prepared her to be the best teacher she can be for her students. She loves to incorporate art activities wherever possible into her students’ daily routines.
Ms. DiBiase believes in celebrating every child’s small successes, and loves seeing these turn into even bigger successes over the course of the school year. She cannot wait to learn from and grow with your children this year!
After graduating, Ms. Huneault moved to Australia to teach and travel for two years. She taught students grade nine through eleven with varying abilities. In addition, she worked for the GECDSB as an occasional teacher. Throughout these experiences, she has gained a variety of classroom management skills, maintained consistent positive communication with parents/caregivers, and guided students in becoming self-directed learners.
Ms. Huneault is a confident and enthusiastic educator with a creative approach to teaching today’s children. She believes in building rapport with each child and providing a safe classroom environment where they can express themselves.
While studying CYW, Sammie worked with high risk youth, children with intellectual disabilities and supplied at a child care centre where she realized her passion for educating children.
Ms. Jenner believes that all children are unique and have different ways of learning. She is committed to the growth and development of each child and will build off of the children’s emerging interests to help them achieve their full potential.
What Other People Are Saying About Our School
Bright Child Montessori puts your mind at ease by creating a nurturing and challenging learning environment with a dedicated teaching staff. We have been so impressed with how the Montessori teaching methods have enhanced our child’s interests while exposing him to a variety of fundamental life skills. We would wholeheartedly recommend Bright Child Montessori to any parent looking for a superior educational experience for their child.
Brooke & Bryon Meloche, Bright Child ParentsBeyond grateful to have such a well run school where we can send our kids. The teachers are so engaged and so capable, they know and love our children; the food is healthful; the programming is creative; the result is well adjusted kids learning far more than I would ever think to impart. Bright child is an extension of our home 🙂
Megan Mailloux, Bright Child ParentWe feel so blessed to have our daughter start her earliest experiences growing, learning, and exploring at Bright Child Montessori. It is never easy to drop your children off in someone else’s care, but we have been confident since day one in our decision. The staff at BC is knowledgeable and passionate. They work so incredibly hard and I truly respect each and every one of them for the time and effort they have put forward to making Juliet’s experience so wonderful. We have witnessed so much empathy and love towards our daughter from the staff, and the time and effort in giving her, and all the children, an enriched experience each and every day is so heart warming. We are also extremely satisfied with the cleanliness and amenities at the school, the incredible healthy and diverse daily menu, and the specialty programs like yoga, dance, and outdoor activities that make her so excited, and a little less sad (parting from us) each morning. I strongly recommend this school to any parent who values education, equity, and imagination for their child.
Jennifer Fatallah, Bright Child ParentI will never forget the first day we visited Bright Child Montessori. The moment we walked in, we were instantly greeted by the staff who made us feel so very comfortable. As a new Mother, I was anxious to leave our daughter in the care of others.. however within the first day we knew that our Reese was so well taken care of! The teachers, staff, chef, and the owners John and Melissa are beyond amazing! They have created such a nurturing environment for our children to learn and grow, and the organic menu is incredible! Bright child feels like an extension to our family, and I am so grateful to have them apart of our lives!
Jessie and Jeff Schwab, Bright Child ParentsBright Child provides a caring, thoughtfully prepared learning environment that has encouraged our son to learn and grow socially, cognitively, physically and emotionally. The holistic approach to meals prepared and served, and programs offered, from music, art, yoga to Forest School, have been key to my son’s development into the confident, independent little boy he has become.
Kate & BJ Laub, Bright Child ParentsThank you for everything you have done for us since working at Bright Child. You have helped shape our careers and we wouldn’t be where we are now if it was not with the help of both of you! We really appreciate your love and support!
Jenna Huneault and Rebekah French, Bright Child TeachersBright Child is an amazing Montessori school. Our youngest is currently in the Casa 1 class and our oldest is in senior kindergarten at Bright Child. The teachers are calm and caring and truly provide individualized attention to each child. We love that the school emphasizes the importance of outdoor time (in all weather) and teaches respect for nature. Forest School is an excellent addition to the program! The meals and snacks provided to the children are incredible – varied, healthy, and locally sourced when possible. Our girls absolutely love the music classes and doing yoga. As a parent, I love that the Montessori method emphasizes independence – it is incredible to watch your child’s confidence increase as they master a new skill!
Sarah and Kory Renaud, Bright Child ParentsI can confidently say that enrolling our kids into Bright Child is one of the best decisions we’ve made for them! The teachers in every room are absolutely amazing, always welcoming when we come into the school and make us feel right at home. I’m always so happy to see the healthy meals they are eating every day. We get daily picture updates which just make our day at work so much better! We decided to enroll our oldest daughter into JK here in the fall, couldn’t imagine taking her out yet, the things they learn are unbelievable. Both girls have advanced so much from their learning at this school. Bright Child staff, teachers and owners put SO much care into everything they do, I would absolutely recommend them to anyone who wants their children to have an outstanding experience!
Jaclyn Blackburn, Bright Child ParentMy wife and I have two children enrolled in this school. The peace of mind we get knowing that they are well taken care of by teachers and staff that really care about their well being is worth every penny. The kids really love going to school.
Dan Knuckle, Father of David and Audrey AnneMy wife and I can’t say enough great things about Bright Child and their staff. Our children love their teachers, class activities, new friends, the great food options and they love looking back through all the photos and videos on our phones captured by staff daily, even after they graduate. My wife and I, along with the family members set up on the HiMama app praise the organization of the school with Bright Child providing us with meal information, bathroom break info during potty training and activity overview. We value the timeless photos and videos and day by day updates. Thank you Bright Child staff, for all you do.
Brady Thrasher, Bright Child ParentI wouldn’t send my kids anywhere else!! The teachers are all amazing and always welcoming!! My daughters talk about their teachers all the time! A huge thing for me was the healthy food that the kids eat! This is a big thing in my family and we teach our kids to eat healthy. So it’s nice to know that it is being carried on at school! I have also never seen a school so clean as well!! Every time I pick up my kids there is always someone cleaning. At the end of the day my kids are getting the best care and I recommend to all my friends to look here when deciding where to enroll their kids!! The bar is set VERY HIGH!!!!!
Carly and Dean Fantin, Bright Child ParentsEvery day, I look forward to the photo updates of what Finlay is doing at school. I truly appreciate the time it takes to keep all parents informed. It speaks to how dedicated the staff at Bright Child Montessori are.
– Jeff MelocheFinlay loved Forest School! And I appreciate that he has the opportunity to learn mindfulness and meditation, through yoga every Friday.
– Janice Meloche
Jeff and Janice Meloche, Bright Child ParentsTuition Information
“A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business” – Henry Ford
Canada Wide Early Learning Child Care System
Bright Child is enrolled in the Canada Wide Early Learning Child Care system (CWELCC). All families with children six or under as of June 30 attending care, have seen a fee reduction of up to 25% retroactive to April 1, 2022. Parents can expect a further reduction of 37% at the end of December 2022 which will bring the total reduction to an average of 52.75% for 2023. The next reduction is scheduled in September of 2024, and the final reduction, to an average of $10/day, by 2025/2026.
In 2023, parents are responsible to pay 47.25% of our approved “base fees”. CWELCC will cover the rest. Additional fees that may incur such as late fees, field trips / on-site visits, etc. are considered “non-base fees”. These fees are not covered by CWELCC.
Child Care Expense Deduction
In addition to the CWELCC program, Canadian taxpayers can still claim up to $8,000 per child of child care expenses on their personal tax return. Child care expenses can be claimed for the purposes of earning a living or going to school. This will, in turn, reduce your income, and the amount of taxes you pay will be lowered.
Ontario Child Care Tax Credit
Families with a household income under 150K can also take advantage of the Ontario Child Care Tax Credit (CARE). The amount you could receive is calculated using your Child Care Expense Deduction, multiplied by the Ontario Child Care Tax Credit rate that is based on your family income.
Daily Rates
Base fees after CWELCC is applied
Half Day
- Drop Off 7-9am
- Pick Up 12pm
- Montessori Curriculum
- Scratch Made Organic Meals
- Music, Movement, and Dance
- Children’s Yoga
- Subsidy is Available
- Reduces to $15.12 in Kindergarten
Full Day
- Drop Off 7-9am
- Pick Up 3-5:30pm
- Montessori Curriculum
- Scratch Made Organic Meals
- Music, Movement, and Dance
- Children’s Yoga
- Subsidy is Available
- Reduces to $20.79 in Kindergarten
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