Turtle River Montessori School

I have been a parent at Turtle River for the past three years. My daughter started with Ms. Lisa as a toddler. Her first toddler year was nurturing, and she became so independent that I enrolled her in the Pre Primary Maple class with Ms. Nora and Sarah. Thank god for Ms. Sarah, assistant teacher of the year! Another amazing team! I am shocked at some of the poor reviews. If anything, I am thrilled that they now have a Middle School. I am looking forward to my child staying as long as she can in Turtle River. Of course there is always gossip, you can't please everyone and some parents are unrealistic or uninformed about Montessori and how their child will learn. I highly, highly reccomend this school. Do not be afraid of poor reviews, you should make up your own mind
--Submitted by a parent

This is my daughter's third year at TRM but it feels like we've always been a part of the TRM family. My daughter (who is in sixth grade) has not only acquired knowledge but has also grown beautifully both socially and emotionally. We're so blessed to have such a wonderful school in our community.
--Submitted by a parent

Don t be fooled! It s very easy to be drawn to the TRM toddler program and all they CLAIM to offer! The school has a very arrogant atmosphere. Once our child began attending, we discovered that they did not teach what they preached . The child s best interest does not come first. The director is solely concerned with appearance and perfection and will manipulate a situation to get the results she wants. They have unrealistic expectations which are not age appropriate for toddlers. Communication between parent and teacher is very poor. Our child was constantly getting sick. Tuition is pricey and in turn, your child is not getting the education you re paying for. We finally, decided to withdrawal our child and found one of the many other wonderful preschools in the community to attend.
--Submitted by a parent

This is our second year at TRM and we couldn't be happier. Our child is learning things no one else at any other school is learning at this age. We love everything about the school.
--Submitted by a parent

We have been a part of the Turtle River community for years. Thanks to wonderful, caring teachers and a commited administration our kids have developed into caring, empathetic, interesting little citizens of the world! Teachers demonstrate that learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to self-motivation, self-discipline, and a genuine love of learning becuase learning doesn't just take place in school. It takes place in the world we encounter every day. The school is incredibly respectful of each individual child's learning style- kids do not fit into one mold. Our kids have scored way beyond grade-level in standardized tests and assessments, so we know the method works! The administration has shown that they are very considerate of every family's needs- you won't find any red tape or bureaucracy here! What more could you ask for?
--Submitted by a parent

This is my child's first year at Turtle River, and we couldn't be happier! The curriculum is challenging and engaging, the classrooms are beautiful and inviting, the teachers are beyond excellent, the administration is caring and supportive, and the parent community is a a great support. Our child comes home every day full of knowledge (quite advanced for his age) and super excited about learning. What more can you ask for?
--Submitted by a parent

I HATE THIS SCHOOL for what they did to my child! He was bullied & picked on by multiple children in his class for months, and the school did nothing but deny it and blame my husband and me for his "problems." We tried to deal with it properly by talking to the bullies' parents, the teachers, and other parents, but the school blamed it all on us, strong-armed us, and my child was kicked out (I empathize with the other reviewer below). FYI-he's now an HONOR STUDENT (no other special need) at a bigger, better nearby private school. I truly believe that it started out as a great school with a great idea (i.e. moms getting together to homeschool their kids and ultimately build their own school)...that's why there are all these great reviews here (FROM 2008 AND EARLIER!). But, the leaders have used that to turn it into a money-making scam (new building opened 2009...gotta pay for it). There has been HIGH teacher turnover in the past few years because the teachers have an impossible task of teaching the MONTESSORI way to classes that are too big...can't be done, so they quit. TAKE YOUR CHILD & MONEY ELSEWHERE. MY MISTAKE COST ME $10,000, and more importantly, MY CHILD'S DIGNITY!
--Submitted by a parent

Run, run as fast as you can, away from this school if your child happens to have a special need. I had a child who was normal when enrolled into the school. After a semester, my child's behavior started to regress (and it turned out that he was later diagnosed with ASD). Here is how the school dealt with the issue: 1) they asked us (parents) sign ludicrous documents to get indemnification for the school 2) they put him next to one of the kids in the class who had an issue with him so that they have opportunity to fight, and in turn, blame it on the child So after a couple of months my kid got kicked out of the school. Montessori schools were started to help children with special needs, however, this school is not one of them which are inclusive and have the resources to accommodate children with special needs.
--Submitted by a parent

The classroom is very crowded making it difficult for the teacher to work with each child alone. Be sure to visit the school more than once to be sure this is a good fit for your child.
--Submitted by a parent

i think this school is amazing.this school has a outstanding staff,great students,and a whole lot more.
--Submitted by a student