Fraser Woods Montessori School, 173 South Main Street, will open its classrooms to visiting families on Tuesday, November 17, from 9-10:30 am. Unlike a weekend open house, the morning takes place while classes are in session, so families can see children from 15 months through eighth grade choosing their own work, settling into it, and seeing it through.

The morning begins at 9 am with coffee, tea, and homemade muffins, followed at 9:15 by a short welcome from the school's administration. Visitors will then tour the campus level by level, from the Toddler and Primary classrooms through Elementary and Middle School, observing classes and hearing from students themselves about their classroom communities and the work they care most about. The morning will close with conversation and questions with Paromita Dutt-Kunzweiler, director of enrollment management.

David Newman, head of school, said the best way to understand a Montessori classroom is to stand in one while it is working.

"You see a 3-year-old building a tower of cylinders and putting each one back where it belongs, or two elementary students working through a math problem together, and no one has told them to," Newman said. "Our students are deeply invested in their learning because they own it, and on a regular Tuesday morning, families can see that for themselves."

The Open House is free and open to families with children of any age from 15 months through eighth grade. Families are asked to RSVP at fraserwoods.com/openhouse so the school can plan for them. Families who cannot attend on November 17 can arrange a visit at another time by contacting Dutt-Kunzweiler at pduttkunzweiler@fraserwoods.com or (203) 426-3390, ext 305.