Parent Testimonials
"I was surprised at how affordable Community Montessori was compared not only to other private schools, but also to daycare options. My children were going to an in home sitter half days and also a two day preschool.
When I first looked at community Montessori, I loved the program and was so impressed by my tour. I was even more excited when I realized that we would be saving money sending our children there for five half days compared to our previous sitter/preschool expenses. I feel they are receiving an exceptional educational foundation and having them there also meets our child care needs at the same time. I highly recommend Community Montessori School."
Beth Myers
"My husband and I recently made the decision to take our son out of Kindergarten in the public school and give CMS a try. We had always been interested in a Montessori education for him. It was a difficult decision to make mid-year though, especially since he is a bright and social boy and was doing fine at the other school. He just wasn't quite himself though, and within the first week at CMS, we knew we had made the right choice. The positive change in our son in such a short time was astounding!
"He has been waking up on his own ready and excited for school. He loves CMS and is definitely acting more like himself. He comes home and is anxious to tell us about his day. He loves what he does at school. Being active in his own learning is just one of the many things he really looks forward to. We believe that a Montessori classroom was what he needed to foster his independence and creativity. We love how respect and individuality happen naturally in his CMS classroom. The atmosphere in which he spends his day is very nurturing and has a "family" like feel to it. His love for learning in this environment has also carried over to our home. He is, in general, much more inquisitive and eager to learn about new things. He has also developed a desire to learn about subjects that he had little interest in before. This has happened because he has gotten "caught up" in the enthusiasm of his classmates at CMS who have different interests. We believe this is Montessori in action. Choosing to work with and learn from an enthusiastic friend is an easy and enjoyable way for him to learn a new subject. These are just some of the many things we love about his CMS experience.
"Overall, our family now has a true passion for Montessori learning and our experience with CMS has been a very positive one. We know that for our family, making the switch was the right decision."
"I've been so pleased with Community Montessori School that I felt compelled to share some of my observations over the past 2½ years. My daughter began attending CMS shortly after turning 3 y/o. It was her first time in a preschool-like setting so there were some days she'd say, "I cried near my cubby" because she missed the routine of home. However, a compassionate staff and a predictable schedule eased her into the classroom setting. Soon she was coming home proudly with paintings, tales of new friends, and table washing exploits. Initially this met my expectation of an opportunity to practice socialization skills and begin to develop a love of learning in general. Looking back, I can't point to a specific time she started doing "class work" more than practical skills because one area seemed to blend into the other. It was delightful to visit the classroom during parent-child mornings when she would teach me aspects of her school life whether it was the pink tower or the moveable alphabet. Eventually I realized that she was no longer a preschooler, but more of a kindergartener-in-training when she began to bring home evidence of her handwriting and math practice. Yet I'm also aware that many things she has gained can't be displayed on paper. She has caught the spark of excitement about learning, made a rainbow of friends, and stored up memories of joyous experiences. What more could a loving parent want?"
"Our daughter started in Community Montessori three years ago. We loved it from the first. We could see such growth in her abilities and her confidence right away. Montessori's focus on independence meshes in nicely with our daughter's "do it by myself!" mentality!
"At 5, she's reading and writing simple stories. She's adding. They're making crystals in her classroom ("You tie a string around a pencil and hang it in a jar," she instructs me, and I nod my head - we did crystals too - in fourth grade?). Her curiosity has been encouraged and nudged along, and her comfort level with a variety of tasks is high. She loves her friends there, and she loves her teachers. It's been such a good experience for her and we've learned so much about what a child is capable of, and being patient with our child, and the value of hands-on education, as opposed to abstract worksheet-y education."
Elizabeth Finney
"Community Montessori School has been a wonderful fit not only for my son Elijah, but for our overall family life, as well. Before we enrolled Eli at CMS when he was two years and eight months old, we had struggled to find a childcare or scholastic option that was both a financial fit for our family and a long-term developmental fit for Eli. From the financial perspective, the various enrollment options at CMS were a great relief. Because I worked part-time at the time of Eli's enrollment, CMS's full-day program (hours 8:45 am - 3:00 pm) worked out perfectly. The reasonable tuition rate allowed us to meet our financial needs without paying for time for which we didn't need childcare. Other enrollment options such as the half-day program (hours 8:45 - noon) and all-day program (hours 7:30 am - as late as 6:00 pm), allow parents with almost any work or home schedule to have an option that meets their needs.
More importantly, from a developmental perspective, the Montessori approach to education has been a wonderful addition to Eli's childhood. The availability of a vast amount of developmental activities, coupled with the sequential method in which they are presented, ensures that an inquisitive, independent child such as Eli will never run out of challenges to keep him striving to learn more. Also, the Primary Care Program's (ages 2.5 to 6) emphasis on practical life and personal care skills, in addition to academic skills, address Eli's development wholistically. He practices basic reading and math skills, but he also practices fastening buttons, painting with brushes, and table manners. As an example of his learning, I was recently thrilled to hear him begin to use 'you're welcome' and 'no, thank you' (in addition to the standard 'please' and 'thank you' he grasped long ago) on a regular basis when he was not even three years old.
I look forward with pleasure to many years of Eli as a student at Community Montessori School ."