Questions parents ask

Twenty-eight months, and toilet-trained. Beyond the calendar age we look for readiness — a child who can separate from a parent, follow a simple direction and show interest in doing things for themselves is ready, whatever the birth date says.

Applications are taken all year round, and children join us in every month of the year. There is no single September deadline. Places are offered as they come free, so the earlier you are on the list the better — particularly for the youngest age group, which fills first.

Yes. Ask to go on the waiting list. We hold a list for children who are not yet old enough to start, and families on it are contacted first when a place opens up.

We have moved out of both of our old buildings — Richmond Street West and the Bathurst Street preschool — and are consolidating into one new location in downtown Toronto for the 2026-27 school year. The address is not settled yet; the moment it is, it goes on our locations page and we write to everyone on our list the same day. Everything else is unchanged: same family, same teachers, same programme, same phone number.

No. The second building is closing, not the programme. Casa preschool from 28 months continues exactly as it is — it simply moves in with the rest of the school, so the whole age range from 28 months to Grade 4 will be under one roof for the first time.

Yes, once we are in the new building. We would much rather you saw a normal working morning than an empty room or a staged open house, so tours resume when we open. Call 416 504 0110 or send us a note now and you will be among the first families offered one — and in the meantime we will answer anything you would have asked on a tour.

The name "Montessori" is not protected in Canada, so the question is a fair one. We are an accredited member of the Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators, every teacher holds a Montessori diploma and belongs to the Canadian Association of Montessori Teachers, and the classrooms carry the full complement of Montessori materials.

Both languages are part of the ordinary school day, not an add-on club. French and Spanish are taught in the afternoon work period by teachers who speak them, and they turn up throughout the day in songs, greetings, lunch and classroom routine.

Because the third year is the one that pays. The first two years lay down concentration, order, language and number work; the third is when a child consolidates it, teaches it to the younger ones, and discovers they know it. A child who leaves after two years has done the work without collecting the return on it.

Children move on to a public or private school for the middle years. Because we are a registered private school and our programme runs well ahead of the provincial expectations, families generally find the transition straightforward. We are happy to talk through options and to speak to receiving schools.

Care runs from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday. The office is staffed from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. Supervised arrival is between 8:30 and 9:00, and the main Montessori work period begins at 9:00.

Yes, mornings from 9:00 to 12:00, subject to space. Part-time places are limited and are offered on the understanding that a child may transfer to the full day when a place opens.

No — children bring lunch and snacks from home. The school is nut-free: no nuts, peanuts or products containing them, anywhere in the building. We also ask families to leave pork out of lunchboxes. Tell us about allergies at registration and we will send you the forms your doctor needs to sign.

Every day, weather permitting. We are a short walk from Trinity Bellwoods and several smaller parks, and outdoor time is a scheduled part of the day rather than a reward. Older children also go out to libraries, galleries, museums and local shops as part of the curriculum.

Yes. Grey slacks or skirt, a white collared top with the school logo, and school cardigans or jackets. It removes a daily negotiation from your morning and it puts every child in the room on the same footing. Uniforms are ordered from our supplier.

Yes. We run through July and August, with a closure in the last week of August. Summer can be booked monthly or weekly, subject to space, and is a good way for a new family to ease into the school before September.

No. Discovering Minds does not participate in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care programme, so tuition is not reduced under that scheme.

Yes. A tax receipt for services rendered is issued by the middle of February each year, or earlier on request.

Keep them home. Staff check every child on arrival, and a child who becomes unwell during the day is kept comfortable and separate while we call you. We are required to log symptoms, and immunisation records must be kept up to date with the school and with Public Health.