Attendees with Special Needs
AMS conference sessions are held in wheelchair-accessible facilities.

If you, or someone you are registering, may need other special services in order to participate in conference sessions, please contact Gregory Jones, senior director of operations,  (gregory@amshq.org or 212-358-1250 x314) before registering, and no later than Tuesday, February 16, 2010.

While we are committed to making our conference sessions as accessible as possible, AMS cannot guarantee that requested services will be available. We will assess the service needs and determine whether they can be reasonably accommodated but make no representation that we will provide or pay for requested services.

AMS Hub
Drop by to pick up a Montessori gift item or conference souvenir and to say “hello” to AMS staff members you’ve always wanted to meet. The AMS Hub is also the place to go if you have questions about anything AMS-related, such as membership, teacher education, or Montessori Life subscriptions. Information about AMS Hub hours will be available on-site.

Cancellation Policy
Requests for refunds of conference registration fees must be made in writing and postmarked, faxed, or e-mailed to AMS no later than Friday, February 26, 2010. Refunds will be disbursed within 30 days after the conference. For each canceled registration, a $50 cancellation fee will be debited from the refund. Mailing address: AMS, 281 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010; fax: 212-358-1256; e-mail: refunds@amshq.org.

Continuing Education Units
In cooperation with Portland State University, AMS will be offering CEUs for conference attendees. CEUs are awarded in increments depending on number of clock hours. For example, 2 clock hours = .2 CEUs; 10 hours = 1 CEU; 12 hours = 1.2 CEUs.*

To purchase CEUs, complete the CEU order form in the registration envelope that will be given to you on-site and also available at the Registration Desk, located on the 4th Floor of the conference hotel. Submit it with payment (credit card or check payable to AMS) at the Registration Desk. If you prefer, you may send your form and payment via postal mail to: Joanne Oh, AMS, 281 Park Avenue South, New York, NY, 10010. Deadline: April 16. Be sure to include your completed CEU order form. CEU transcripts will be mailed within 5 to 6 weeks after completion and submission of the documentation. Fee: $30 for up to 10 clock hours (1 CEU); $40 for 11–20 hours (1.1–2 CEUs); $50 for 21 hours (2.1 CEUs).

Thursday pre-conference sessions and tours = 6 clock hours. Friday attendance = 6 hours. Saturday attendance = 6 hours. Sunday attendance = 3 hours.

Continuing Professional Development Hours
Participation in the AMS 2010 Annual Conference allows you to earn contact hours toward the AMS Certificate of Continuing Professional Development. Participants will earn 15 contact hours for participation in the full conference (Friday-Sunday). Partial credit will be earned for participation in one or two days of the conference as follows: 6 hours for Friday, 6 hours for Saturday, and 3 hours for Sunday. An additional 6 hours will be earned for full participation in a Thursday pre-conference session or school tour. Contact hours are not transferable as college or university credit hours.

The AMS Certificate of Continuing Professional Development requires a minimum of 120 hours of attendance at AMS-approved workshops or conferences and will be granted only to current AMS members who hold a Montessori credential from an AMS-affiliated or other MACTE-accredited teacher education program, or who hold a recognized Montessori credential earned before 1992. Applicants must also have completed 3 years of teaching in a Montessori classroom after their practicum.

To apply for the certificate, please send documentation verifying 120 contact hours; a copy of your credential from a teacher education program as specified above; proof of your teaching experience; and your current AMS member number to: Joanne Oh, Director of School Accreditation and Professional Development, American Montessori Society, 281 Park Avenue South, New York, NY, 10010.

Early Bird Registration
Early Bird rates end Tuesday, February 16, 2010. To qualify, registrations must be submitted online, postmarked, or faxed by this date.

Employment Opportunities
Whether you are advertising a position or looking for one, you’ll want to check out the Employment Opportunities bulletin boards. AMS-member and AMS-accredited schools, MSAC-accredited schools, and AMS-affiliated teacher education programs may post listings (free of charge). For information, contact Carla Hofland, director of membership services,  (carla@amshq.org or 212-358-1250 x302).   

Event Access
To access the workshops, keynote addresses, networking sessions, receptions, and Exhibit Hall at AMS conferences, individuals must be officially registered conference attendees. AMS offers several registration options, including a one-day fee and a half-day fee for the last day of the conference (Sunday). Attendees must wear their nametags at all times for entrance to the Exhibit Hall and for all other conference events.

Information
For questions about the conference or registration, please contact director of conferences, Leslie DiLeo, CMP (212-358-1250 x307 or leslie@amshq.org).

International Consul Letters
If you are an international conference attendee and would like a consul letter, please send your request to visas@amshq.org.

Membership
To become a member of AMS, or to renew a lapsed membership, please visit www.amshq.org/membership or contact Jessica Carhuapoma, member services associate,  (jessica@amshq.org).

Reprinting of Name Badge or Documentation of Continuing Professional Development Hours
Documentation of Continuing Professional Development Hours will be included as part of the name badge you receive at registration. If you lose or misplace your name badge or Documentation of Continuing Professional Development Hours during the conference, the replacement fee will be $35. After the conference, reprints of your Documentation of Continuing Professional Development Hours will be available for $10; contact ams@amshq.org.

Registration Closure
AMS reserves the right to close registration once we have reached the number of registrants that we can responsibly accommodate.

Totes
An AMS tote bag will be distributed at the conference to each participant who registers by Tuesday, February 16, 2010. Participants who register after this date will be given totes as available.

What to Wear
Boston spring can deliver any kind of weather. It will probably be cold: average temperatures range in the 30s and 40s, but a gorgeous sunny day is not an impossibility. Check a forecasting site before packing your suitcase!

Participants are advised to bring a warm winter coat and raingear, and to come prepared with layers. Business casual dress is appropriate for all conference events as well as sightseeing and service activities. Each day, the conference program begins early and ends late, so do make sure you wear comfortable shoes.