Community Montessori School

I absoluetely love this school. My two children have attended CM for the last two years and have developed as independent thinkers and learners, as well as caring communty members. They have achieved mastery of math and the mechanics of writing beyond their grade levels, and have developed a keen interest in the larger world. The school is quite academic and has high behavioral expectations. That being said, the teachers and leadership staff foster a climate of caring in the school, and every child is acknowleged individually and as an important member of the school community. I would recommend this school for parents that are seeking a structured learning environmen,t where their child's highest potential will be tapped. The skills developed at CM will readily translate into such life skills as problem solving, deep thinking, and independent effort. The school also celebrates diversity, and has a student body that represents a wide range of cultures and economic levels.
--Submitted by a parent

I have two children at Community Montessori in primary and lower elementary. Their progress has exceeded my expectations. I am very happy with the teachers, staff, and education they are receiving at CM. If you have a child that does not fit the traditional school model, CM would be a great place for them. At school, my children are allowed to develop and explore their interests and also develop deeper knowledge in areas that they choose. I am continually amazed by the works they are returning with in our weekly communication folders. I am also impressed with the primary staff making phone calls home to check in to see how my child was acclimating to being a new student. I have no concerns about their preparation for middle school, as most BVSD middle schools will be taking in students from a wide range of backgrounds from core knowledge schools to non-traditional. Their skills from CM will allow them to adapt with ease. I truly believe the Montessori curriculum allows my children to develop and learn in ways that is not stressful or academically overbearing. They have a strong love for learning and I know CM is to thank for that.
--Submitted by a parent

Our experience with CMS is mixed. This is our second Montessori school. It truly varies from classroom to classroom at this school whether you are getting the Montessori curriculum, approach and values, and that seems to be accepted by the leadership. Yes, they are all trained. But training varies widely. If this is something we had known in advance, we might not have open enrolled to this school. Our child in kindergarten is having a great experience.However, our experience with elem. is that it is a "blend" of Montessori and traditional classroom approaches, which you can find in many public schools these days. Big deal. It's not well done here. In a traditional classroom there would be more teacher accountability and more assessment of students. So, at least this one room has taken the loose aspects of Montessori which is less assessment and child directed activities and combined it with a few manipulatives, lots of worksheets,timed math work, and hiding behind the excuse of chaos and lack of learning going on being Montessori somehow. It's a big mess. Many Montessori learning values are completely distorted in this classroom. Very disappointing.
--Submitted by a parent

I think this school is a model for excellence in education. The teachers are extremely dedicated and I can't imagine any child being "left behind" in this school. The curriculum continually offers new challenges to those who advance quickly, while also supporting those that need extra time and attention. Of greatest importance however, is the way the school prepares students to be productive members of the global community. The Montessori method develops skills that will truly benefit students beyond the classroom walls.
--Submitted by a parent

this is called "dumbing down education" These kids are not coming out prepared for any other kind of educational experience. This has nothing to do with Montessori curriculum- it has to do with the staff and overall expectations.
--Submitted by a parent

Upper EL(4th, 5th combined class) is NOT preparing kids for Middle school. We had to do double up on everything to catch up to the other kids at our first year of middle school this year! Montessori method does not flow easily into the mainstream middle school curriculum. The other standard elementary schools have had different math and more in-depth writing/reading.assignments. Please plan ahead for middle school.
--Submitted by a parent

I love this school and so do my children! I have never seen a more dedicated, caring and open staff of teachers, para-educators, support staff and administrators. They truly believe each child is full of greatness! We are so lucky to be part of this wonderful school!
--Submitted by a parent

My son is an advanced 3 year old and this school gives him great exposure to many skills he normally wouldn't get until kindergarten. He is already writing letters, sounding out words and reading. As a result he is very engaged and happy at school. And the full half hour of playground time includes many extras such as tricycles and sledding. Several reviews mention this is not a 'true Montessori' but without any specifics. Everything I see and hear in the classroom is in accordance with Montessori's principles. Children are empowered to do things for themselves and are carefully shown how. Order in the classroom makes the children feel secure. Focus on the child s relationship with nature is emphasized. And the weekly written update from his Montessori-certified teacher provides the specific works my son engaged in. All these works are true Montessori. My son is positively thriving at Community Montessori.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is great especially I love his class teacher. My kid is 3, and in preschool level. I am so happy to see significant improvement in his concentration level after the learning process through montessori method in his class. I understand that concentration is very important in his later learning process. Besides, he learns more good discilpline from his school learning system: Behave himself well in many basic manners; offer himself to help in some simple housekeeping work; caring and sharing with his peers.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is just excellent. We are immigrant, my daughter was born in the US, but English was her second language. She started to the CMS at age 3. First she learned English fluently and her teacher says that her English now much advanced than native English speakers based on grammer, richness of vocabulary and etc. She learned read and wright when she was 4, even we did not teach at home anything. It will be long list to write down everything here, but she is so happy to be there, as a result we are happy too. She is florishing every single day and I can see it everyday. She is the only child and she learned to share, respect, frinedship, properly communicate and be polite to herself, her friends, her environment, school personal, and her teachers. I strongly recommend to everybody.
--Submitted by a parent