Country Meadows Montessori School

Our children have been at Country Meadows since pre-school and we have been very pleased with their progress both academically and socially. Specifically, we value the school's focus on respect for every person (being different is OK!), the fluid way that students can move into and out of areas of interest, the fact that classes are structured with students of different ages, and the natural diversity that exists at the school. We also value the level of involvement that the teachers have with us as parents. I would say on average we get a phone call or SMS from the head teacher two times a week and emails weekly. She is always available for questions or concerns even on weekends. It is important to understand that this is a private school so, like nearly all private schools, the families pay for 100% of the costs the instructors, administrators, facilities, etc., etc. That said, the tuition is very competitive with the other Montessori schools in the area that we have looked at and it is a not for profit school. Finally, Country Meadows, while private, does not in any way feel 'exclusive' and the backgrounds and economic status of the families that we have come to know are about as broad as one could ever expect at a private school. We see that as a plus.

We had a terrible experience at this school with the administration. Let me first say my husband and I are big advocates of Montessori learning philosophy and have had wonderful experiences at other schools with two other children. My number one recommendation to you is that, if you send your child to Country Meadows, negotiate the contract before you start. Make sure the school is agreeing to meet your expectations for you child's education, not just you agreeing to pay for whatever service they provide. My daughter enrolled as a 4 year old and from the beginning she had trouble connecting with her teacher; essentially she was intimidated and didn't feel welcome in her class. There was a disconnect between our daughter, us as parents and the teacher. I can accept that there was a bad fit between child and teacher - that's a normal part of the educational experience. The teacher, to her credit, did work with us but by March my daughter (who since she was 8 weeks old was happy in two different daycare schools) was still crying everyday that she didn't want to go to school because she was scared of her teacher. At that point I needed to find a more aggressive solution for my child's well being. What I cannot accept is the absolute disrespect and lack of care we encountered from the principal and board. To this day, the principal has not called me back to discuss my concerns and my experience. That was eight months ago. I've even tried engaging her via third party mediation and she still will not communicate with me and my husband. I am angry, but more than that, I feel betrayed by a school I trusted to be a partner with me, in the education of my child. My daughter suffered significant emotional distress during the seven months she was at Country Meadows. She wouldn't even talk with us about changing my daughter's teacher or work with us and the teacher to find solutions. Nothing. She had the secretary return my call and refused to call me back herself. The school's only concern was money - I received a righteous letter in the mail telling me I had made the wrong decision for my child. I know they are a non-profit and I had every intention of paying for the full year of tuition, in exchange for a service. I signed a contract, with the understanding that the school was focused on the health, development, and education of my child. Country Meadows Montessori failed to provide the service I contracted them for. They refused to work with me to find a solution to make the situation better for my daughter at the school. This is unethical business practice, but as an educator, I find their behavior to be worse than that; when you are trusted with the well-being of a child, an educational institution is obligated to be motivated by the child's education and holistic development as the number one priority. If not, they should close their doors.

Wonderful school. Great teachers. Excellent environment.

I can't say enough good things about this school. Both of my children have been under the caring guidance of Miss Genie's toddler class (I call her the "toddler whisperer" because she has such a good sense of what they need). My older son is now in Mrs. Ghode's primary class, and we've found Mrs. Ghode to be organized, caring, intuitive, and dedicated to the Montessori principles of respect and child-led learning. Academically, I couldn't ask for more. My three-year-old knows his numbers up to twenty and is starting to "connect the dots" between letters and pronunciation. My 18-month old does a good job of dancing with the group, matching items with shapes, and respecting the boundaries of other people's space. But the academics are secondary to the caring, respect, and community-oriented culture you will find from every member of the staff!