Bloomingdale Children's House

My older daughter has attended Bloomingdale Children’s House since she was three years old. By the time she was in first grade she was a fast reader able to read and comprehend more advanced stories like Amelia Earhart and the Wright Brothers. The teachers are extremely caring and professional in getting children interested in science, math, geography (she is asking questions about the great wall of china, the Galapagos island and the Eiffel Tower to name a few music, art and so much more. I like that I don’t have to wait for teacher/parents conference day to learn how my child is doing. I simply ask how her day was every afternoon when I pick her up and get an immediate response and suggestions on how to improve and make her more interested in subjects which are not her strongest. The school parties are wonderful with plenty of activities including inflatables, hay rides face painting and water slides for the summer party. The school has never asked for additional compensation for art supplies nor the pictures she frequently brings home. She has made wonderful friends and memories and the closed door policy is only for their protection so that I can go to work knowing she is safe.

I cannot say enough good things about this school. I don't usually write reviews, but after seeing the negative comments of a few, I felt compelled to complete this review. My children have attended this school for almost 4 years and my daughter, who is very strong-willed, has absolutely blossomed here. She gets one on one attention as well as tons of time to play outside. I recently became a stay-at-home mom again, but decided to go back to work twice a week for the sole purpose of sending her here 2 days a week. My son attended VPK here and went to Kindergarten this year in public school, where he is excelling in everything- and I credit that to the preparation he got from this school. And although he loves his kindergarten class, he still begs to come back here. As for the previous comment that they don't allow cookies (sugary snacks) for lunch, that is clearly stated in their contract. And by the way, who wants to watch 20 + kids all hyped up on sugar right before nap time?! Not me. We love this school and feel so fortunate to have found them. I absolutely trust them in the care of both my children.

This is a hidden gem of a school. My oldest daughter has been attending for the past 2 years and my second will be joining her in the fall. The materials are incredible (and they make me want to spend the day there as well!), but what is even more important is the warm, intimate atmosphere. Mrs. Juliette is an experienced Montessori teacher with an amazing gentle hand, but incredible control on the classroom (I call her the Pied Piper, since I have never seen children behave the way they do with her!). I can't emphasize enough that she truly cares about the children and wants the best for each child that walks through her doors...which is pretty darn fortunate for a few little terrors that have attended her school through the years! The school is located in the Brandon/Bloomingdale area and her husband and daughter participate in the school as well so it has a true homey environment, but with truly professional and amazing materials. But the greatest indication of its success is both how much my daughter loves it and how much she has grown, socially, intellectually, artistically, and emotionally since attending. The small class size builds valuable friendships and all families who attend are a joy. The best thing that I've heard from other parents whose children have gone through Bloomingdale Children's House Montessori is that by the time they go to kindergarten, they are very well adjusted--apparently more so than graduates from other pre-schools according to a kindergarten teacher in the area. Take that for what it's worth because it's obviously a little biased, but would not surprise me in the least. One of the best experiences for any preschooler, this wonderful environment is filled with fun and learning, rich experiences and a great supportive community. As we approach our daughter's last day at Bloomingdale Children's House Montessori School this week, I wanted to take a moment to thank the school for being an incredible influence in her young life. She is an amazing little girl and much of that has to do with the time she has spent there. We are very proud of her and excited for her future. Her sense of self, her interest in art, animals and being outdoors, her understanding of personal space and the friendships she has developed are skills and emotions that she will carry with her forever. Run by caring and knowledgable owners. The only drawback might be the waiting list, so check it out early!

Love Bloomingdale Children's House! My daughter has been here for over a year and she is thriving. My brother's kids were taught by Mr. Tim, Ms. Juliette, Ms. Terjiana and Ms. Fiona a decade earlier, and the great head start they received set them up to excel in school as young adults. Here is why I give BCH my highest recommendation. 1. The people. Trustworthy, professional, compassionate and personable.This is a family run organization which likely explains the highly personal attention they provide to students and parents alike. 2. The environment. Safe, tidy, spacious and full of stimulation for my daughter. They have animals (rabbits and chickens) and a budding garden on premises which they use as interactive teaching tools with the students. Also, they have a great deal of flexible space which they utilize for holiday gatherings of parents, grandparents and students too. Great playground too which is constantly supervised! 3. Their teaching methodology. As a team, they quickly recognized my daughter's key personality traits and structured her learning activities accordingly. My wife and I continue to be blown away by the subtle things they pick up on, which we thought were only recognized by us as doting parents. To give you an idea of how well BCH is thought of, I can tell you that a number of parents drive their kids out to Brandon from Tampa daily. this speaks for itself as I the commute is nearly 45 minutes each way. In summary, I give Bloomingdale Children's House and their wonderful staff my highest recommendation.

Our child has been attending Bloomingdale Children's House since he was 6 months old, and he is now 2. First of all, I cannot explain how fortunate we feel that we were able to find such a wonderful place for our son when he was an infant. I was terrified by "daycares" that we visited when we were trying to find a place for him. We knew immediately that Bloomingdale Children's House was different. The same teacher remained with our son all day, every day, and has a strong bond with him. I feel that when they are that young, a trusting relationship between the teacher and the child is extremely important, and our son has had this all along. Also important to us were the facts that they allowed him to use cloth diapers, and that they are supportive of his vegetarian and mainly organic diet. When our son was little, his teacher would carry him in a sling if he was fussy, because he was one of those little ones who just had to be held a lot. I love the family atmosphere at the school. Three of the teachers are relatives, but they treat us all like family. The children are very well-behaved and polite. This is a montessori school and class is structured in a different manner than traditional public schools, and I would recommend that anyone who is interested in having their child attend should at least have a basic understanding of montessori education so that they can understand why the school is structured the way that it is. That said, my child is only 2 and I can tell that he learns a great deal from his time at school; this includes things like colors, shapes, the alphabet, different animals, etc as well as acceptable social interaction. He loves the garden they have on the school grounds, and more than that, he loves the animals. (They have chickens and rabbits, among other things.) I feel that there is respect among the children, teachers, and parents. The montessori work is very interesting to my son and I can tell that he loves learning, which I believe is their main goal! Overall, we highly recommend this school.