Finding good childcare can be so hard and stressful, and after having a few bad experiences, we know firsthand how overwhelming it can feel trying to find the right fit. We truly feel like we lucked out when we found Blooming Mind Montessori. From the very beginning, it has felt more like a loving home than a school where kids are just a number. The teachers are incredibly caring, patient, and genuinely love the children. You can tell they truly prioritize each child and want them to feel safe, happy, and valued every single day. Our older son also attended here after we were told at another very popular Montessori school that he "didn't fit the mold," which was heartbreaking and honestly made us feel like he was somehow a bad kid. Blooming Mind Montessori did the complete opposite. They reminded us how special he is, that every child learns differently, and that he was still just a kid learning and growing. We can never thank them enough for the love, patience, and understanding they showed our family during that time. One of the things we appreciate most is that they really let kids be kids while still creating a wonderful learning environment. The teachers put so much time and effort into preparing thoughtful lessons and always have fun, creative activities planned. There is constantly something exciting going on that keeps the kids engaged, learning, and happy. We also really appreciate that, as a school and not just a daycare, they do a great job minimizing closures, which is so important for working families. Their summer program is also amazing and packed with fun activities. The school is not especially close to us, but we still choose to make the commute because it is absolutely worth it. Having peace of mind knowing your child is loved, cared for, and excited to go to school every day is priceless. We are so thankful to have found such a warm, loving, and fun place for our son and our family. read more

Heartbreaking Experience with Blooming Minds Montessori I'm writing this review with a heavy heart after a deeply disappointing experience with Blooming Minds Montessori. I visited this school hoping to enroll my 4-year-old son, who has a speech delay due to a brain lesion--not autism, just a delay he's actively working through. During the tour, he fell in love with the place and didn't want to leave--he even cried because he felt so happy and connected there. Unfortunately, what followed was incredibly disheartening. When I called back to follow up, I was told there were no available spots. But a friend of mine called around the same time and was told the opposite--that there were openings. That was the first red flag. I waited a bit, then booked another tour online. The system accepted my appointment. But shortly after, I received an email from the director canceling the tour, saying they didn't feel they could meet my son's needs due to his communication skills. No assessment was ever done--they made that judgment based on a single visit. This felt like discrimination, plain and simple. It's even more disappointing coming from a school that claims to follow the Montessori philosophy, which is supposed to support children's growth at their own pace, in an inclusive and nurturing environment. Instead, I felt like they were using the Montessori name more as a marketing tool than a true educational model. As a foreign family with a child who learns a little differently, this experience was not just a rejection--it was heartbreaking. We were made to feel like we weren't good enough, like my son's speech delay defined him. He is bright, curious, loving--and deserves a school that truly believes in helping all children grow. I hope Blooming Minds reflects seriously on how they treat families and whether they are truly living up to the values they promote. read more

We first enrolled our daughter at Bloomimg Minds when we moved to the area back in 2016. We initially had her attend for a couple of days a week but then ended up moving her there full time. As a new parent I was worried about leaving my little girl at a preschool all day. But she loved it and the staff and teachers all helped her to grow in ways I wouldn't have believed possible. When we had our 2nd child, there was no question that we wanted him to attend Blooming Minds as well. He is such a sensitive little guy but is loved for who he is by this school. I am feeling emotional knowing that our time with BMM will come to an end when he goes into Kindergarten. They have been such a huge part of our lives and helped to rear mine and so many other amazing little humans. It has been such a pleasure to be a part of this community for the past 7 years of our lives and counting! read more

I've had almost 2 months now to consolidate my thoughts since we were unfairly terminated, without ANY notice, from Blooming Minds. I've taken time to consolidate my thoughts to help others. Pros: -Clean and uncluttered -Good class/teacher ratios -Teachers form strong bonds with the kiddos -Good covid precautions including working hard to not mix classes -Good hours -Camera Access - elective at a cost of $25 per family per month -Began using Brightwheel App to communicate with families instead of paper books each day Cons: -Administrative staff is related/very close friends (owner, director, codirector) and choose to be non-confrontational with teachers and families instead of handling things - enacting change. -General expectation that over and above tuition and fees, families will provide, to the school, extra wipes for cleanup, school snacks, cleaning supplies, craft supplies and other misc needs. -Not enough space to really burn energy - small playground and a lot of the indoor fitness activities are 1 at a time. -Montessori principles are somewhat evident in the works that are offered but aren't evident in many other facets of the program -High turnover -Not collaborative with parents when it comes to the support and dev of your child. You will have to ask for feedback and this will be viewed as a nuisance by admin. Resolutions agreed one will not be consistently implemented. -When asked if they could reinforce mask wearing with staff after an active covid case in our child's class, the response the admin provided was to the tune of "I already have to ask the teachers to do so much, I can't keep hounding them with things." -Despite having cameras, it seems there is little observation of them by the admins. I had to bring to their attention that the lead teacher (former admin) and assistant were violently bouncing my son in a bouncer and carelessly burping him with unnecessary force - a child that they had been informed had reflux and aspiration issues. They did the right thing and terminated the employees however it shouldn't have happened. -Medical issues were downplayed and we weren't informed until later that our daughters lips were turning blue and she was spacing out. -Naptime is forced until they are 4 and they must stay on their cot and be quiet. They will only be offered a book in the last 30 min. Non cooperation resulted in our daughter going to the office many times. Reason we are no longer with BMM: -On 2/12/2021, I contacted Blooming Minds with a concern regarding my daughters behavior and asking for their support after a "friend" said he would kill her on the playground. Subsequently kids were coming after her with objects over their heads and cornering here. I was aiming for support and intervention from the staff so we could work through this. While admin states it happens periodically and they would address it, they didn't offer any support in terms of supporting our daughter and her behavior. I expressed my concern between telling my daughter to just be passive and follow the rules vs protect herself when these types of incidents happen. The response I received blew me away - I was told not to record the classroom from their app that offers this feature for users!! In all the years we've been there this has never been brought up. I was given what appeared to be a newly developed form regarding their camera use which appears to have been drafted on account of this incident only. Never before was there a policy. While I don't discount the need for one to protect children, the targeted approach was very unnerving and I was asked to return it right away. I obliged and returned it in my child's backpack the next day. 1 o'clock that afternoon, we got an emailed termination notice and we were informed that our children's last day at BMM was the end of that day. Blooming Minds stated in their letter that the relationship between Blooming Minds and our family was so unsalvageable that Blooming Minds is no longer a good fit for our family. They cited "...Enrollment may be terminated if in BMM's sole judgment a parent or guardian behaves in a negative manner causing stress to the BMM community, fails to support BMM's program in its entirety and behaves in a manner that is uncooperative or is in anyway abusive to staff or administration. ". I guess if advocating for your children and asking for support is causing stress to BMM, it's probably best that we are no longer there. We have supported the school in every way imaginable. The fact that they couldn't even pick up the phone to tell us their concerns instead of canning us under some vague clause via email is abhorrent, cowardice, unprofessional and incredibly poor business to say the least. Feedback to admin: -Be great leaders; -Be approachable - -know what's happening in all your classrooms -Give your student's families the support they need - don't assume Character limit - feel free to reach out with questions. read more