My child was SEVERELY traumatized by his experience at this school, it was an awful experience for…read moreus and it has created permanent damage to my child's feelings about school, his self confidence, and his desire to be around people in general. Truly horrific. I do not recommend this school in any way, especially if your child is neurodivergent or anxious. The teacher is not experienced with neurodivergent children and has no tools or availability to support unique brains. Please don't send your child here. Feel free to pm me if you would like more information.

It's a difficult thing to do, to review a school in which your family and friends are so invested…read more Ordinarily, when writing a 5-star review, I would simply tell you all the reasons for my 5 stars, followed by healthy encouragement to go there. However, with a school, and with its community, it's so much more intertwined with a greater sense of purpose. For this reason, I will be as intentional as possible about organizing my thoughts here. Let me begin with the heart of the school. "Miss Danielle," as the students have decided to call her, is NOT your everyday human. She is calm, steady, and thoughtful in her day to day routine, but exceeds all teacher expectations in her REMAINING calm, steady, and thoughtful when situations arise ranging from student conflict to global pandemic (and everything in between). She has that rare ability to connect with each individual student, and she meets them exactly where they are with genuine curiosity instead of expectations and demands. She is honest and forthcoming. There has never been a time when she was unable to address concerns, or meet to chat. It is abundantly clear that Danielle is 100% invested in MCM and in the kids themselves. The MCM schoolhouse itself is as precious a place as one could imagine. The children move through their work periods mostly indoors, but plenty of attention is paid to their entire surroundings, including the beautiful vegetable garden, play structure, and the rest of their outdoor spaces. The serene setting invites creativity and imagination, all of which is nourished by periods of free-play, and by more structured events like the Halloween Party, Spring Tea, and Family Campout. The yard also served as the backdrop for additional enrichments from parents and friends including art lessons, a study in mycology, a Valentine STEM project, needle felting, and more. So why would I hesitate to say "you should go here" when giving 5 stars? Montessori education is more than just a school of thought. Committing to a school like MCM means living, at least as best as is realistic, in a "Montessori way." (What does that even mean?!) Well, I feel as though any school should be an extension of your family's values, and learning about Montessori education and the science behind Maria Montessori's methods should be prioritized before considering a Montessori school. MCM is neither a place of pop culture and media saturation, nor is it a place of traditional academic rigor. It is a place where children learn to create their own "fun," and they build self-confidence in doing so. The children's academic success comes not from textbooks, but from curiosity born out of their free access to information. Every child and family is different, so I recommend taking that into consideration before choosing any school, but especially this one. This has been one crazy, unexpected year. I initially found MCM out of necessity when we realized online learning would not work for our family (thanks HughesNet!). I had met Danielle briefly once or twice before, but her reputation for excellence preceded these meetings. She has taken such a humble, gentle approach to opening a school amid wildfires, political strife, and COVID-19. It was abundantly clear after only a couple weeks that we had made an incredibly fruitful decision to enroll our daughter. This year I have watched all the children unfold into the best versions of themselves. They are artistic, musical, inquisitive and analytical. They are more self-assured, and they have learned to respect one another and value their individuality. I could not be more grateful to Danielle and to MCM for being our rock during this turbulent year. Do I recommend you enroll immediately? If this review resonates with you, then yes, I absolutely do. If I've left you with even more questions, well, I know someone who can provide you with all the answers! (Danielle) I do highly recommend making an appointment to visit either way because I think it will give you all the perspective you will need to make the best decision for your family.