Dater Montessori Elementary School

My daughter just finished her first year there for Kindergarten. She excelled so much and is more than ready for the first grade. We love the sense of community and the family activities.
--Submitted by a parent

We send our daughter to Dater and love it. I can not say enough about her teacher and the classroom environment. She attended preschool at a different school. And in comparison, Dater blows the old school out of the water. We hesitated to send her to preschool at Dater because the tuition is expensive for us but no regrets.
--Submitted by a parent

They have wonderful programs to keep the students engaged and involved.

After having a bad experience with a private preschool, my wife and I decided to send our son to Dater's preschool program so that he was guaranteed a spot in Kindergarten. The waiting list is VERY long and it's hard to get in. This proved to be an EXCELLENT decision. All of his teachers (especially Eillen Morgan-Hof) are WONDERFUL. The school is freshly renovated, complimenting the wonderful staff. Above and beyond the education, the community is fantastic. As devout Christians, we struggled with whether or not to send him to a Christian school. I can tell you that this school operates with decidedly Christian ideals. In fact, when I decided to read Maria Montessori's main book on her teaching method, I found that most of her ideals were based upon Catholic Church doctrine! Great school. Great principal. Great teachers. Great community. Great kids. Great decision.
--Submitted by a parent

We stayed in the CPS district when we bought our new (to us) house so that we could send our child to Dater Montessori. We have no regrets. Her teacher and IA are fabulous! They are both very willing to work with us and help find solutions to any problems we encounter. The school has moved back to their newly renovated building and it is beautiful! The teachers are planning so many new learning opportunities in the larger space. The principal is approachable and friendly, and knows a huge number of students by name. This is my first experience with Montessori and I am beyond impressed! It is really amazing to see a Montessori classroom at work. I cannot say enough good things about Dater Montessori, and I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!!
--Submitted by a parent

So thankful we found this school!! Didn't know too much about Montessori philosophy/curriculum when first son started 4-and-a-half-years-ago, but it's exactly what we needed. The kids spend 3 years in a 'community' with their teachers. This alone has deepened the educational experience, where a true learning relationship is developed and personalized learning strategies can be employed. Older children 'review' material by helping introduce the younger ones to concepts. Since this is a public magnet school, the kids are exposed to an enriching diversity, which is a reflection of our city. When the school community comes together for events and programs there is a very nice energy and positive atmosphere.
--Submitted by a parent

Our children receive a wonderful Montessori education. We have a dedicated and caring teaching staff and a fantastic school community.
--Submitted by a parent

Our kids just started there this year after transitioning from another school and they love it! We were afraid it would be tough for them to change from a Catholic school to a Montessori one but it wasn't at all. Like the diversity, also, since our kids are 'minorities' and that is good for them to see that families come in all different colors.
--Submitted by a parent

I love Dater and I love Montessori. I'm excited by the community feeling when I walk in the door and the way that parents and teachers work together to make a great atmosphere for children to learn in. I have one child who has needed a great deal of attention for social and academic issues and we have received so much support in working with her. Of course I work with my children at home and don't depend on the school to do the whole job but it is imperative to have help from the school as well. We have found that at Dater.
--Submitted by a parent

My children have been going to Dater for 4 years. Families choose homes based on schools. Well this is what we did. We decided that we would like to live where we wanted our children to attend, and our choice, without any regrets, has and continue to be Dater Montessori. I find it troubling to be a part of a school community which finds itself seperate from the the district for which it belongs. During all of the transitioning with new school buildings, you would think that most parents would roll with the punches of being displaced. I think that instead of pointing out the disatisfaction with our current location, we should try to embrace the opportunity to learn something from it!
--Submitted by a parent