Date: Thu, 7 Mar 2013 17:00:35 -0500
From: Willow Oak Montessori
Subject: Willow Oak Montessori Granted Final Charter Approval, Launches Enrollment Period, and Plans for the Future
Willow Oak Montessori Granted Final Charter Approval, Launches Enrollment Period, and Plans for the Future
March 7, 2013 (Pittsboro, NC)—The Willow Oak Montessori Board of Directors is pleased to announce that it has been granted final charter approval from the North Carolina State Board of Education, clearing the way for final preparations to open its first three lower elementary classrooms in August 2013 at the Bold Building in Governors Village in northeast Chatham County. “This accomplishment is the culmination of more than two years worth of effort from a dedicated group of volunteers and staff. We are thrilled to be the first public charter school in Chatham to offer a tuition-free Montessori education to elementary-aged children,” stated Board President Luanne Bannan.
Receiving final approval from the state allows the school to launch its formal open enrollment period, which will run from March 8 to April 8, 2013. Applications for the school’s 90 initial spots are available online. A public lottery will be held on April 15, 2013 if the number of applications received exceeds the number of spots available in any grade level.
Willow Oak Montessori also recently executed a letter of intent regarding an option to purchase a fifteen acre tract of land on Andrews Store Road to accommodate the school’s future growth. According to Head of School Pete Rubinas, “We are already working with an architect and engineer to design a permanent campus that will bring our Children’s House and Charter School programs together in one location within 3-5 years. This beautiful property is well-situated to meet the future needs of our learning community.” The permanent location will provide ample outdoor learning opportunities and a natural play environment accented by gardens, rock
features, and a small pond.
All families with rising 1st-3rd graders are encouraged to visit the school’s website for more information about the program to help determine whether applying for a spot in one of the three multi-grade classrooms opening in August 2013 is the right educational decision for them. For more information, in English and Spanish, please visit charter.willowoakmontessori.org or call 919-240-7787.
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Willow Oak Montessori strives to assist children in achieving their unique potential as responsible global citizens by nurturing self-confidence and independent decision making in a stimulating, creative, and diverse Montessori community. In pursuing this mission, we seek to engage with our community and to make a Montessori education accessible to all.
Montessori is an educational philosophy, rooted in the observations and research of Dr. Maria Montessori, that focuses on the individual development of the whole child in a carefully prepared multi-age learning environment.*
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