Great Beginnings Montessori School, founded in 1996, is a private, not-for-profit Montessori school located in the First Church Congregational at 148 Beach Road.
Great Beginnings Montessori School offers Toddlers a program from 18 months to three years of age, a primary program kids 3 - 6 and a lower elementary program for children in 1st through 3rd grades.
Children have six or seven field trips a year, and Spanish is taught once a week to children who stay for lunch bunch and extended day. The school's parents' group, known as GRAPES, is involved in fundraising, classroom support, children's parties and a Sunshine Club that acknowledges and helps parents during times of change in their lives.
Parents come to the school to observe classes before enrolling their child, and they attend parent conferences in November and March, though they can also set up a conference at any time with their child's teacher.
Children attend school Monday through Friday, and tuition in 2009-10 was $5,100 a year for half-days.
Great Beginnings Montessori School says its mission is to support, through the prepared Montessori environment, the development of each child's potential through activities that promote independence, physical coordination, emotional growth, social competence, cognitive preparation and spiritual nourishment.