North Shore Montessori School

North Shore Montessori School has been a wonderful fit for our family. The teachers and staff are top notch and are very friendly. The classrooms and natural playground are beautiful, and the education is fantastic. My children are fully engaged and challenged and they love going to school each day. Though they only go up through grade 6 this year, they intend to go through grade 8 in the very near future. This is unique to many of the private Montessori schools in our area and is one of the many reasons we choose this school for our children. I am so glad that we have discovered North Shore Montessori school. I highly recommend it!!

We absolutely LOVE North Shore Montessori. Our daughter is learning so much in just the short time she's been there, and the staff is so friendly. The teacher/student interaction is one of the things we love most.

My son has spent 3 years in the North Shore Montessori program, and it has been a terrific experience. He loves his time there. He is excited by the academics and life skills that are taught, but it has also brought out the best in him with how he relates to other children and adults. We couldn't have a better foundation for him.

North Shore Montessori has filled in the gap for educational choices in the north shore area. Not that there is anything wrong with the highly recommended public schools in the area, but the Montessori approach is vastly different than anything else. I have done my research. I have toured and tried other schools. There is no one, utopian school. Everyplace will have something that as parent, you may wish was included but isn't. This school fills as many of those ideals we hoped for in a school. My children have been allowed the time and space to develop at their own pace. Through careful observation, their teacher has guided them into building upon skills developmentally. They have been given the gift of personal responsibility through classroom expectations, class chores, personal input on event and school related projects, and countless other opportunities during the day. Also, it may not seem valuable to some, but the children are allowed and encouraged ample time outdoors in all kinds of weather for free play, nature walks and excursions. The play space allows safe opportunities for children to run, play, climb, invent, make believe, hike, etc. Managing a group of multi-aged children can be challenging, but at school my children learn not just about getting the work done, but also helping others. Class meetings are held regularly and follow a format that allows children to work through difficult issues or bring up questions that need addressing. Touring a Montessori classroom may look so foreign to some that they may wonder if it works? When a few children are conducting science experiments based on a previous lesson, and a few more children are working with math materials to solve a problem, a group is working next to the Spanish teacher who is simply, but effectively, immersing them with Spanish everyday, and several more children are working together to research a topic, or challenging each other with spelling or geographical facts; it is apparent that something is working. Some children naturally fit right into the methods in a Montessori classroom and some take a bit to warm up to the freedom and choice. Freedom does not mean" free for all," but for a child accustom to being directed in all their activities, it takes a bit of practice to master appropriate choice making. Overall, these children are learning how to function in a greater society. They will leave school more prepared to do what is expected of them at school, at work and at home because they have been given to time to practice those skills along the way. Children are given the space to experiment with their own ideas, not simply completing someone else's ideas. Academically, they have built on skills in an organic, often fun way, that leaves them not only with a greater understanding but also the eagerness to move forward and continue building. My children are truly sad when they miss school. They wish they could attend through college.

Our children have thrived in the child-centered environment at North Shore Montessori School. And the teachers and staff are wonderful!