Tell me about your pick-up procedure from a Montessori school

[Belia]

I suppose I should narrow down the responses I'm looking for are from those of you who have your children in a M daycare-like setting.

DS is in a toddler classroom- one step before the standard 3-6 multiage classroom.  The "normal" pick up time for children from my son's "daycare" is 4:00.  At that time they do a car line.

However, I pick up DS between 3 - 3:30.  So no car line.

Are any of you in a similar situation?  Or ever pick your kid up early from a regular Montessori classroom?  What do you do?  Go into the room for a slower, more gentle transition? As in, have your child show you what they are working on before they put it away and you gather coats?

Or is it protocol for you to wait in the hall and not disturb the room?

If it matters, the kids are not in the middle of a work period when I am there.  They wake up from nap between 2:30 - 3:15, so the vast majority of kids are in various stages of toileting, dressing, and napping, and snacking.  I guess an early riser or two is working on something.

Thanks.  Looking forward to your response, Matt Bronsil! 

[lach]

My daughter was in a toddler program last year, and there was no car line.  The preschool ran until 11:30, and then there was an aftercare option, so about 1/2 of the class left at 11:30.  The toddler house program was more structured, with more group activities, than the children's house programs I've seen.  Meaning they did more arts and crafts projects together, had story time, ate snack together.  There was still an independent work period, but I think it was only about 45 minutes.  All that is to say that they were often doing a group activity.  So I would just wait quietly out of sight until a good break point, and when I thought it was a good time I'd show my face and DD would run to hug me and then we'd go to her cubby and I'd get her dressed.

If you're picking her up early, honestly I would probably try to keep as out of the way as possible.  Some kids get upset when they see another kid's parents, because it makes them miss their own.  Not that you have to hide or anything, but it might be more disruptive to some of the other children than you might think.  At least at first, until they get used to the idea that you're always there early.

[mattemma04]

My kids are in Upper and Lower El. My younger was in Primary. I pick them up in a car line when school ends at 3pm. If I need to get them early or late I park,sign them out at the office,and go to their class. The office calls the class to let them know I am coming,and the teachers tell the kids to get ready.