Want to Get Involved?
MSC encourages parents to become involved in their child’s education. There are many opportunities to join in the MSC community.
Each year the school hosts several parents’ nights. These events are a wonderful opportunity to learn more about your child’s classroom and meet faculty and other parents.
You can share your skills and talents with our students by helping with field trips and classroom activities, reading to the children, or becoming a classroom or office volunteer. To ensure the safety of our children parents are required to pass a security screening. To volunteer, please click the Background Check link, pay the processing fee, complete and submit the form.
If you would like to make classroom donations, please see the links in the resources section for classroom wishlists.
Parent Advisory Council (PAC)
The MSC Parent Advisory Council (PAC) serves as a liaison between MSC teaching staff, support staff, school board and parents. In fact, the PAC president is an ex-officio officer of the school board. PAC provides current school information to parents using a variety of avenues, including the website, the monthly newsletter, and handouts. PAC assists classroom directors through volunteer coordination. PAC also assists with fundraising for the school running successful annual events like the Scholastic Book Fair.
PAC President - Danielle Lamar
Student Assessment & Testing Information
Assessment takes numerous forms at MSC and assessment is a vital part of our daily work with children as it guides every action of the Classroom Director. Trained in observation, Classroom Directors use this as the primary means of assessment used for all students across campus. Classroom Directors maintain records of work presented and mastered. Each child has a “lesson plan” against which his/her progress is measured as he or she moves through the day and week. A Classroom Director thus knows at any given instant precisely where a child is academically, developmentally, socially, and emotionally. With frequent one-on-one work and constant individual, personalized assessment of student work by the Classroom Director, issues and concerns emerge and are addressed quickly. Constant fine-tuning and periodic adjustment maximize all dimensions of their progress and assure intellectual engagement for each child. In such a highly structured program, parents are alerted quickly to any concerns rather than waiting for “report card periods” or “term-end grades.”
For more information on how MSC conducts student assessment, or for age-specific assessment information, see the “Student Assessment” link in Additional Resources.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does it mean for MSC to be a public charter school?
MSC was granted a charter to become a public school serving K-5 students by the Charter Institute at Erskine in February of 2018. The charter was amended to encompass our entire student population (Infant-Grade8) in 2020. As a charter school, MSC gets funding from the state to support students from Kindergarten - Grade 8. Programs for Infants (6 weeks) - Preschool (4K) are still tuition funded. Charter schools have more autonomy than conventional public schools but still must adhere to the requirements of public schools set forth by the South Carolina Department of Education.
What is a Montessori School?
The Montessori Method teaches children in an atmosphere of inquiry and discovery where personal interests and talents are encouraged. Students are introduce to curriculum in all subject areas through hands-on lessons and concrete models prior to learning abstract methods. Look for more information specific to each program level under the curriculum tab at the top.
Will the highest grade available at MSC be 8th grade?
At this time yes. Any changes to the grade levels of MSC will require an amendment to our charter.
Does MSC charge tuition?
Tuition is not charged for Kindergarten to Grade 8. There are tuition fees charged for children enrolled in the Infant - 4K programs and for any child enrolled in the Extended Day program. Contact the school office for the most current fee schedule.
Do I have to live in Kershaw County for my child to attend MSC?
No. While we anticipate the majority of students at MSC do live in Kershaw and surrounding counties, students may live anywhere in South Carolina.
If my child is enrolled next year will I need to reapply each year?
No. Once a child is enrolled he or she will have priority enrollment for future years. Annually, you will be asked to confirm your interest in your child remaining enrolled so that MSC can determine the number of available seats for each program level.
How can my child apply for the lottery?
The application is available at the Lottery page. You may send it to admissions@montessori-camden.com or bring it by the school office during normal school hours.
When and where does the lottery take place?
The lottery takes place in the early spring each year. The date will be announced in local newspapers and radio, and will appear on the school calendar on the home page and in the monthly calendar on the Events page.
Whom do I contact if I have additional questions?
Email admissions@montessori-camden.com or call (803) 432-6828 for more information or reach out through our contact page.