1. When can we do site tours? You can schedule a tour on our website under the "Schedule a Tour " Tab

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2. Location? The Address is 601 N Polk St, Pineville NC 28134. It's just 3min from the Ballantyne area. 

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3. Do we choose a language or are they exposed to all? All children are exposed to all 4 languages ( English, Mandarin, Spanish, and Arabic). These are the 4 most widely spoken languages in the world and we aim to ensure our students are multi-lingual and Fluent by the age of 12.

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4. How does the waitlist work? The waitlist is based on the order in which the application and preview day is completed. The application fee holds your spot in line should a space open in the school or should a new location open.

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5. Are you a certified Montessori school? Currently, a school can be certified by American Montessori International (AMI) or the American Montessori Society ( AMS). There is also North American Montessori (NAMC) and Modern Montessori International (MMI). Typically AMS or MMI supports modern technology being integrated into the curriculum. Due to the fact that we also incorporate the Reggio Emilia learning method and want to maintain educational flexibility, our school will not be certified; however, all lead teachers will be required to be Montessori Certified within their first year of teaching with ILIM. Our Director and Dean of academics are both Montessori certified with 20+ years of experience in both Montessori and Reggio Emelia.

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6. Are both teachers in the classroom native speakers?  Both Co-Teachers are native speakers of the target language and will only speak in the target language throughout the day. There is no English spoken in any of the language immersion classrooms except in the actual English class.

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7. Why should I apply now? There are only 56 -60 spots for each program (Toddler 2-3 years), Primary (3 years to 6 years), and upper elementary (6 to 9 years)) each program has 4 classrooms where the 56 students are broken into groups of 15 or fewer students. Your child’s evaluation/ interview is based on the order in which the application was received. Therefore, the sooner your child’s application and application fee are submitted the better the odds of your child securing a spot in their program.

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8.  Is our program a full-day program or a half-day program? Our program only offers a full-day program. Because the child is exposed through a rotation of each language daily for an average of 1 hr. A half-day or part-time program would not align with language proficiency expectations. However, our toddler class and primary class do allow some attendance flexibility. 

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9.  What will the operational team look like? The core operational team consists of a School Director, a Dean of academics, and an Assistant Director.

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10.  Do the children get a break? Throughout the day children receive a 1hr rest/relaxation period, which our school believes is essential to academic and language retention. As well as free outdoor play.

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11.  What are our classroom ratios?  Our school averages a 1:8 student-teacher ratio. There will be no more than 16 students in a class with 2 teachers at a time.

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12.  What ages are eligible to apply?  This year we are accepting ages 18mos to 8 years of age due to the language immersion program, studies have shown an increase in difficulty in retaining a new language after age 8. However, our school will continue through the age of 12.

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13.  This is a year-round school, are there any camps for school breaks offered at ILIM? During some of our breaks, our school will offer school-based summer camps. A schedule will be sent out at the beginning of each year.

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14. Are there any scholarships, financial aid, loans, or other resources to help with Tuition? The 2021/2022 school year will award a limited number of scholarships and financial aid on a very selective basis. Families should still plan to be able to afford 60% of the tuition.

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15.  What are the hours of operations? Our school begins at 8:00 am and ends at 3:30 pm. Our extended morning hours are from 7:00 am to 8 am and our extended afternoon hours are 3:45 pm to 6 pm.

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16. How will they integrate into a middle school? ILIM has plans to expand up into middle school age, however, should families decide to enroll in a more traditional middle school experience, their children will have no problem transitioning and in fact, would have already become fluent in the languages taught.

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17. How does ILIM School approach food and nutrition? We believe that a healthy diet is a critical part of a child’s development and have consciously integrated nutrition into various facets of our curriculum. We also approach food from a sustainability perspective and are committed to making ILIM plant-based food facility. Making choices for plant-based eating demonstrates our care for the planet and respect for all living beings.

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18. Are children allowed to opt-out of school lunch and pack their own lunch? Students may bring their own lunch if it abides by our school nutrition policy which will be given to all students at the beginning of the school year.