Little Miracles Montessori school was such a positive environment teaching my child so many useful…read morelife skills, independence , fostering nurturing relationships. The teachers go above and beyond- answering any questions! I love getting to see pictures of my little doing her work throughout the day!

If you want to send your child to a school that allows children to hit each other with pool…read morenoodles, then this is the place for you! Just be aware if an accident happens while they are allowing this behavior, then be prepared to be told that you are responsible for paying for it. I received a call the evening the incident occurred (11/29/22) from the owner telling me that my son hit someone with a pool noodle and broke their glasses, and she told the other parent "we" would pay the co-pay if needed and she would let me know. I was thinking my son randomly hit another kid. After speaking to my child about what happened I decided to wait to be contacted back by the owner with a decision. On 12/9/22 I received a text message from the owner asking did I receive the bill for the glasses. I had not received a bill or any other communication about this incident since 11/29/22. I asked her if I could see the video of the incident and set up a meeting. She sent me the video and asked if I could meet when I picked him up that day, 12/9. I let her know I was working late, and my mom was picking him up. She proceeds to text me again that night asking if I got the bill. I reminded her what I had just told her, that I was still at work, but no one gave my mom the invoice. I asked if we could please meet Monday to discuss and she agreed. The video shows 3 older kids get pool noodles and start hitting each other. Then my 5-year-old grabs one and joins in. The pool noodle ends up knocking the glasses off one of the older boys' faces. I went in Monday morning, she had another employee waiting for me who called her on speaker phone. The first thing I asked was why are children being allowed to hit each other with pool noodles. She proceeded to tell me because that is what they are used for! I said I'm sorry, but I've always known pool noodles to be a flotation device used to assist in teaching people to swim, not hitting. Her reply was they are boys, we have always let them do this and nothing has ever happened, and you see where they are now (which was in her office). I said yes, this is probably where they always should have been. I was just absolutely appalled at her response. She was not taking any responsibility in allowing kids to hit each other. I even offered to split the cost because I did not feel that a school should be encouraging hitting. She told me that a child fell off a playset years ago and had to get pins in his elbow and she felt bad about it so she paid the medical bill but her husband (who is an atty) told her she can't do that again or it will set a precedent (which already did with that incident). She was getting very defensive because I kept bringing up the fact that I don't feel that a school should allow hitting, no matter what that act should not be encouraged! She shut down and just said I'm done having this conversation we're done here. I said fine, I'll pay the bill and she said nope we're done-we will not be picking him up from school today. If my parents were not in town for the holidays this would have left me, a single parent, with no other options for care with such short notice. The way this was handled was completely unreasonable and unprofessional. She then texts me a week after we left, on Friday 12/16, telling me she paid the bill for the glasses and please send in my payment for care from the week before--which I had already paid it 2 days prior, when it was due. I almost think it was just a slap in the face when she previously told me she could not split the bill with me, but here she is saying she paid it in full. The whole experience was just unbelievable. I am so glad I found such a great center that my son is now attending, which was as equally appalled as I was at what happened here and assured me that they do not allow hitting at all. As upset as I was after this happened, I am so glad it did, or I would've never found the new place that is so much more involved in aftercare and has planned activities (games, crafts, reading books to the children, etc.) rather than a bunch of kids running around with barely any supervision. Please feel free to contact me for proof (videos, recording, texts) if you need it before considering this place. I will say there are amazing staff there (Sam, Ashley, Tyler, and Anne) and I never had an issue with the pre-kindergarten program but the aftercare program and the actual person running the show (the owner, Donna) leaves much to be desired.

This is a great school. My daughter is learning so much. The environment is calming, creative,…read morepolite and respectful. She is learning traditional subjects but also how to be a great person. Classroom sizes are small by design so the kids have a lot if 1:1 face time with teachers and teacher aides.

Daycroft is a school unlike any other…read more The Montessori philosophy is the foundation of what makes Daycroft so amazing. The kids that attend Daycroft are genuinely some of the nicest kids I've ever met. There is a huge emphasis placed on the "culture of kindness" and it shows every day. Children are treated with respect, and therefore respect one another. When behavior issues arise, children are counseled through it by their teachers, not simply punished. There is an emphasis on understanding and empathy rather than control. A HUGE reason this is possible is the faculty to student ratio. Every grade-level classroom has two full-time, certified teachers. The class sizes are nearly always 20 kids or less, so that's a 10-to-1 ratio max most of the time. When they go to specials (music, art, gym, Spanish, library, and technology), each class is split in half (half go to music and half to art, for example, then they switch) to preserve that ratio- unless the class makes more sense to have more kids (such as gym or orchestra). Daycroft is a school where everyone knows everyone by name- students know and are friends with other students at other grade levels, teachers know students' names in grades other than just the ones they teach, and specials teachers get to teach the same kids for up to nine years. The bond that is created with such a close-knit community is special. Daycroft is a family.

Our family has been at Daycroft Montessori for four years and are starting our fifth year. We…read morehighly recommend the school. We annually renew our decision to enroll at Daycroft due to the following: 1. The Montessori philosophy: mixed-age classrooms, children work uninterrupted on learning activities that they freely choose from a teacher-created set of options, children primarily learn by working hands-on with a myriad of subject-appropriate materials rather than verbal instructions from an instructor, and work plans designed for each individual child to the point that, depending upon the needs of the child, work plans can range from daily to weekly in duration. 2. Two teachers in each Daycroft classroom. This translates into a ratio of approximately one teacher for every 10 students. 3. The extraordinary religious, racial, and ethnic diversity of the children enrolled at Daycroft. For those of you reading this review who are new to the Montessori philosophy, let me explain that Montessori means disciplined choice. There is zero chaos in a Daycroft Montessori classroom. There may be a quiet hum, or happy chatter, but no chaos. From their workplan, children choose which item to address when. They are taught how to effectively focus and not interrupt other children's work. Because workplans are individualized to best fit their learning style, the children become deeply engaged. Before they move on to a new activity, the children must clean up their current activity. So, classrooms are tidy, calm, and, at the end of the day, everything is back in its place. We particularly love the diversity of the Daycroft families. Because it's so diverse, children learn experientially about the many skin tones, religions, & ethnicities. The teachers invite families in to share their rituals, foods, and experiences. Parents have the opportunity to become as involved as desired. I've volunteered in the classroom and my husband has volunteered in after-school. (There are quite a number of after-school activities for the children.) Daycroft has two locations. The Zeeb campus is K-6. Our family's experience has been at the Zeeb campus, which is where I will focus my review. The building is in excellent condition; bright, clean, and well-designed. It includes the K-6 classrooms, a robust library, media center, well-appointed art room, music room with risers and instruments, multi-purpose room (used for lunch, spanish, and after-care), kitchen, gym/auditorium, science room, sickroom, and administrative offices. All classrooms have smartboards and other types of technology (computers, etc). All children at Daycroft have Spanish twice a week and upper grades learn additional languages, and the etymology of language. Musical instruments are introduced at an early age, and increasingly sophisticated instruments are added as the children progress through the grades. There is an orchestra, choir, and band, and the children perform a concert semi-annually. Annually, in the spring, there is an all-school musical that is amazing. Every child is involved - creating the sets, singing in the chorus, and/or being on-stage. At Daycroft, children have choices appropriate to their age and abilities. All subjects are taught extensively and deeply throughout the children's time at Daycroft. For example, geometry and algebra are introduced in pre-school; each year, a child's learning of such subjects advances in sophistication. Because the children have individual workplans and uninterrupted worktime, they progress at their pace (with the teacher's encouragement and guidance, of course). What the children learn at Daycroft is far advanced from what my husband and I were taught at the same ages in our own school experiences. The administrative and teaching staff are always available to the parents. Two years ago, our daughter hit a personal "bump in the road". We spent time with her teachers and the head of school to work through this and found the experience to be very gratifying. All of us worked collaboratively to help our daughter traverse the situation successfully. From a distance, I've noted this scenario repeated successfully with other children at Daycroft. All children, at some point, will need some extra attention and the Daycroft staff has the time and commitment to provide it. From a physical perspective, children have gym three or four times per week. Plus, of course, recess. At the Zeeb campus, there are two playgrounds with age-appropriate equipment - one for lower elementary and a second for upper elementary. Zeeb has a garden, pond, and wetlands for the children to use in their curriculum. Some classrooms also include yoga daily for the children which has been a wonderful thing. Check out Daycroft Montessori - you'll be glad you did.

My daughter has been attending this school since she was 3 months old and we all love it! The…read moreteachers really care about the kids and treat them as their own. Each child is assigned a permanent caregiver so they develop strong bonds. It is also usually a very calm environment compared to most day care centers.

My daughter attended Montessori Children's Center at the age of 3 1/2 by the time she turned 4 she…read morecould read basic books, She will be turning 5 and is a fluent reader. She does basic Math problems and comprehension. I am more than pleased with the school. The staff is friendly, the environment is welcoming everyone their is like family. I highly recommend Montessori Children's Center if you want to see your child excel academically, and socially. Proud Mother Mrs. Edwards

Northville Montessori Center is a second family to us. The kids are taught crucial skills in…read moreaddition to the expected math, reading, etc. - leadership, self-motivation, care for the environment. Great teachers, excellent program. A place to help develop anybody into the best person they were meant to be.

Even though our son doesn't qualify for Montessori due to some developmental delays, Karen was so…read morekind to still spend time with us showing us the place and then help us research for a more fitted place for our son. She is very kind and caring and this shows because it wasn't in her interest to help us. We are very grateful for you Karen!!

I remember the first day where Karen Lumsden invited us over after school to see if the per-scool…read morewould be a good fit for our daughter. We were searching around and weren't sure where to enroll her. She walked us around various classrooms/activity areas/yard etc. while one of the instructors interacted with our daughter. We really loved it and we got the feeling they really cared and knew what they were talking about. Lot of places may say they do Montessori, but do they? It was a plus to be super close to the school. I also think for the quality education and life skills our daughter gets, price is more than fair. We already see positive changes in our daughter. She is more curious and she loves going to school. She has also less reliant on her teddy than before. I give them 10/10 as we are very satisfied with them. Recommending them to another parent is not hard for me.