Sterling Montessori Academy

My kids attend this school and have now for three years. We love it. The teachers and administration are terrific, the parents committed and the kids thrive and learn here. We couldn't be more pleased.
—Submitted by a parent

Our daughter is a 1st grader at this school. She loves it and we love it. For kindergarten she was at our neighborhood school, which is a fine school, but she was not being sufficiently challenged and the curriculum was not sufficiently individualized. We were fortunate enough to be offered a spot and we could not be happier.
—Submitted by a parent

My child is currently in grade 5 at Sterling Montessori, which would make it his fifth year here. His Mom and Myself considered ourselves very lucky to find this gem of a school Five years ago. And we have not looked back. Our Son, under the guidance of his teachers through the various grades and under the Montessori philosophy has blossomed into an inquisitive, intelligent and thoughtful person. The school size is small and doesnt have all the extra curricular activities or options that other larger schools have but it more than makes up for it in the quality of the teachers, the small class sizes, and the awesome spirit of the school. Many parents get involved not because they have to but because they want to! The montessori philosophy allows the child to develop at a pace that they are comfortable with but rather than forcing them to rush through every lesson and memorizing as fast as possible, the teachers and elder classmates help to make sure that your child understands the premise and the core of the lesson before moving on. It is an invaluable teaching method that will prepare them for high school and university. I can not say enough good things about this school:)
—Submitted by a parent

We are more than halfway through our first year at Sterling. We could not be more pleased. We were not looking for a Montessori school, but ended up here in the wild ride that is the NC charter lottery. Turns out, this Montessori school knows what it is doing! No worries about kids having too much freedom, or whatever else I was worried about. I am really looking forward to my son starting, too, so that he can have a wonderfully tactile education where he feels like he has ownership over his own works! And I can relax because my daughter can gently move forward in the areas where she is shining.
—Submitted by a parent

Sterling is a wonderful school with effective learning methods and a caring, calm environment. I have a Kindergartener and P-K child at Sterling. We looked at many options including Wake Co schools - our base and magnets and applied for the lottery at Sterling. We weren't necessarily looking for Montessori but rather we investigated Montessori teachings once we began looking into Sterling as an option. I feel so fortunate that we were given lottery slots and that my children attend Sterling. The class rooms are large, bright, and all learning material is easily accessible and visual to the children. The learning are hands on, much emphasis is put on making that hand to mind connection. The children can explore learning and because of this, they learn some things well beyond typical of their age. There is good diversity in the classrooms and the different ethnicities, cultures, and holidays are studied and valued. Children are encouraged to be independent, self starters but the teachers are caring and supportive. It's a wonderful school that offers a very valuable education to children.
—Submitted by a parent

Our son has been at Sterling for 6 years and every day he comes home at says that School was great...still. Of course it's not perfect, but his love of learning has a place to bloom!
—Submitted by a parent

We absolutely love Sterling and will continue to drive from Durham for all kids through 8th grade. The academic education is quite impressive, and having spent 3 years in a private school, we can say that our education at Sterling is very much like a private school eduation, an amazing facility, with parents who really care about a well rounded education for their children and a safe, nurturing environment. Each grade brings more responsibility for the children, and the expectations grow each year. My favorite thing about Sterling is that overall, the children are very respectful of each other, friendly, warm and loving. Our daughter has made wonderful, sweet friends. We feel SO super lucky to have gotten a spot.
—Submitted by a parent

I have a kindergartener here and I LOVE it. She never did preschool and I was really nervous about her starting school. She has adjusted beautifully, and doesn't like to be away from school even on the weekends. It is a special environment and we are lucky to be there!
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has completed kindergarted at Sterling and she had a wonderful experience. It has the intimacy and individual attention that you see in small private schools with parents who care about their childrens education. The faculty is loving and devoted. We will continue to drive 40 minutes to keep our children in this school.
—Submitted by a parent

My kids love school. My 6-year-old cried when Spring Break rolled around because she didn't want to be away from her school for a whole week. The teachers are awesome and we are privileged to be a part of this amazing school!
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children at Sterling, in KG and 3rd grade. From the beginning we have had nothing less than an excellent experience at this school. My children don't just get a curriculum shoved down their throats. They are assessed to see what they personalities are like, their learning styles are like and then given the curriculum in a manner that best suits them. The teachers do not just randomly place students in a class - they evaluate a students needs to a specific teachers style and try to place students in the best environments possible. The school is small and intimate - teachers are like family. The administration is very organized and I am constantly receiving communications from them and the teachers. I went to public school my whole life and can honestly say the students are looked at as individuals - not as numbers in the system!
—Submitted by a parent

I am a student at sterling and I absolutely love it!!! the teachers are wicked awesome! I have been at sterling for 7 years and I loved every single year the only difference is that the years just get better and better I like this school because you don't just have heavy textbooks you get to enjoy hands on activity's I love Sterling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A wonderful school for my daughter. She went there from 1st to 7th grade. Very caring, individualized attention, understanding of learning differences.
—Submitted by a parent

Sterling is on the right track. It has gone through some growing pains over the last couple of years, but those issues appear to be improving. We love Sterling for our kids...as an example, my first grader participated in a project where the class ran their own fundraiser, voted on how to spend their funds, and then brought in a science program (their choice) where they got to see and touch real organs, such as a cow's heart and sheep's brain. These kids are learning how to be individuals in the world -- how to make things happen and how to respect the people around them. They are treated with respect and the teachers are the most caring I have ever met. It is not a perfect school, but that, maybe, is part of the charm... and the life lesson. Sterling encourages unfettered learning...not cookie cutter results.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been at this school since Kindergarten, and I absolutely love it! The teachers are wonderful, and I love the academic level. I have to say though...It is worth being there all those years because the Middle School class is soo cool, and it is very advanced...and prepares very well for high school by challenging the students, but not too much. It has specials like PE and Art, Music, and Band... and Spanish. It allows the students to have freedom, but with that comes responsibility which helps for organizational purposes. Sterling Montessori is a great place to go, and I would definitely reccomend it, even for parents with special needs children. There are teachers for special needs children, that get to know them personally, and help them every step of the way in whatever they need. I absolutely love this school, even though I think I have already said that.
—Submitted by a student

In regards to the previous comment my child is in her second year at Sterling and to my knowledge the class sizes have not increased, infact my daughters class is smaller this year than last. As far as special needs students I have not seen this increase either. This is a great school.
—Submitted by a parent

Since I reviewed this school in Nov 2007, things have changed. The 2007-2008 director left after only 1 year. The classes this year are much more crowded, and teachers have to deal with more children with special needs. I think it is putting a big strain on the teacher and the school. But they have to increase their census to get the $$$.
—Submitted by a parent

My children are in K and 2nd Grade at Sterling Montessori . We couldn't be happier with this school. They get all the attention that they need from their teachers. The staff is great, the enrichment program is very good. They learn Spanish , they have lots of afterschool programs (arts and crafts, cooking, photography etc.) Every day when my children come out of school they tell me what a great day they had again!
—Submitted by a parent

Sterling is a wonderful school where your child will simply blossom. The teachers are excellent, openly communicate with the parents, and truly show an interest in your child. We switched to Sterling after our children attended several different Wake public schools. The learning environment at Sterling is the best we ve witnessed compared to Wake public schools. The students are all well behaved, focused and enthusiastic about learning. Each Sterling elementary classroom has two teachers with a very low student to teacher ratio. The school promotes and encourages many field trips, several in-class demonstrations and special presentations, parent involvement, and general openness. The education goes well beyond the textbook to actively engage the student with the material in the form of projects or demonstrations. Extra curricular activities include chorus, band, music, GEO-Bee, Science night, Spanish night and more. It s a fantastic school and we have no regrets in switching.
—Submitted by a parent

We were on the losing end of the heartbreaking incompetence displayed by the administration of this school in this year's lottery process. We were accepted after putting in our application early, waiting on pins and needles for the day of the lottery to find out that we had been accepted. This was confirmed and then a day later, denied. Our spot was taken from us due to the misplacement of 6 names by the staff. The new lottery may have served to justify those who were left out, by no fault of their own, but broke our hearts. I only hope that in the future, the administration can catch up to the wonderful work their teachers are doing.
—Submitted by a parent