Despite the failure of full-day kindergarten to materialize for the 2009-’10 school year in Whistler, following a year full of child care challenges, there’s a bit of recent good news for local parents. Whistler Montessori School was planning to re-open its doors this week, with a new owner-operator and certified Montessori teacher.

The school is set to operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and can take up to 16 preschool age children, owner-operator Rachelle Reynolds said on Friday (Sept. 4).

There has already been a lot of interest from local parents, Reynolds said, and she was expecting a waiting list to be in place by Tuesday (Sept. 8), the first day of school at Whistler Montessori.

“There’s been a lot of inquiries,” she said.

The school is located at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church on Lorimer Road. A Montessori school was previously in operation at that location, but Reynolds said it closed halfway through the last school year. She alluded to “rumours” and conflict with the previous owners, but declined to provide details.

“We’re just ready to start on a clean slate,” she said.

The Montessori method is based on child-directed activity, which is observed and encouraged by teachers. There are lessons in language, math, art, practical life and more, said Reynolds.

“The children learn at their own pace,” she said. “They’re free to choose their own lessons.”

Reynolds said she will teach alongside Louise Minden, a certified Montessori teacher. The school will operate September through June, and in future years Reynolds said she’s like to have it open five days a week.

She admitted there are challenges finding certified staff and early childhood education teachers. While she’s aware of Whistler’s critical daycare shortage, Reynolds said that wasn’t why she started the school.

“I just love the Montessori method. It works,” she said.

Whistler has faced several child care challenges in recent months, with Teddy Bear Daycare almost closing its doors in June 2008 and again in May. The Whistler Children’s Centre closed its Spring Creek location in February, largely because of a shortage of certified staff.

A report on local child-care needs released in March found that before the Spring Creek closure, Whistler only had licenced spaces for eight per cent of infants and toddlers living in the area. The top three issues outlined in the report are a shortage of qualified child care staff, a critical shortage of infant and toddler spaces and a shortage of housing for staff.

Meanwhile, local school district officials said in May they were preparing to offer full-day kindergarten in time for the 2009-’10 school year. But the 2009-’10 calendars for Myrtle Philip and Spring Creek schools offer only 2.5 hours per day for kindergarten sessions.

The Canadian Press reported this week that the B.C. government has budgeted $151 million to start up full-day kindergarten province-wide next year. Half of five-year-olds in B.C. will be offered the program next year, with space provided for all B.C. five-year-olds in 2011.