My husband and I are incredibly grateful for CMS, where our daughter has attended for the past year. As this was our first time searching for a school, we researched and toured nearly 10 preschools in our area (mainly Montessori, but also some more traditional ones). As a stay-at-home mom, I was also apprehensive about starting our daughter at 2 1/2 years old and even considered waiting longer. If it weren't for CMS, we probably would have waited, because I truly believe no other school offered the environment that was most important to us--especially with her starting so young. The Montessori approach is clearly implemented in every aspect of CMS, both academically and socially. For us--and for our daughter's personality--the nurturing and respectful environment were the most important values in our search. Most of the teachers have been at CMS for over a decade, which was not the case at any of the other schools we toured. I love that our daughter can build a relationship with her teachers over the years, rather than changing to a new teacher every year. I believe this consistency provides a strong foundation for her academic and emotional development. The first thing I always tell people when they ask about CMS is this: At all the other schools, yes, I connected with the director or whoever was giving the tour on some level--but I'd only get maybe five minutes or less of face time with a teacher, and I always left feeling unimpressed with their classroom presence and curriculum. I'm truly impressed with the CMS curriculum and culture. On other school tours, I received more papers and booklets, but honestly, I felt a disconnect between what was written and what I saw. As a family, we follow Montessori values, and I began to research Montessori education on my own. From our first conversations with the Lead Teacher, Miss Jocelyn, I could see those values clearly reflected at CMS. After attending for over a year, I'm even more astounded by the depth and thoughtfulness of the lessons offered for early childhood development. As someone who struggled with math in school, I wish I'd had the opportunity to learn numbers the way CMS teaches them. On your tour, please ask to see the math beads and the related lessons--they are a perfect example of how CMS teaches the concept with real understanding, not rote memorization. The lessons are intentional, and the freedom my daughter has in choosing her work has developed her concentration and self-discipline. I have so much trust in this school--it's not the kind of place where your child comes home with 10+ generic worksheets a day. To get an overview of CMS's culture, I highly recommend reading The Family Virtues Guide: Simple Ways to Bring Out the Best in Our Children and Ourselves. CMS focuses on one virtue per week, based on this humanity program (such as respect, empathy, patience, etc.). To me, this is a clear example of how CMS goes beyond academics and truly teaches life skills and character development. When observing the classroom, you can clearly see how these virtue lessons provide a foundation of calmness that, in turn, allows each child to develop their concentration to achieve their highest potential and practical life skills at an incredible level. We are truly grateful for the foundation CMS is providing for our daughter! read more

Community Montessori has been a great experience, Zia started there when she was 2, she has grown so much being in a constant learning environment that consisted of different aged children. The staff at Montessori are invested in and care deeply about the kids and parents. Thank you Montessori!! read more

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We have had the most amazing experience at CMS. I can't say enough about the teachers, director, and families. Not only are the teachers supportive and nurturing, they are also respectful to the children. We love the Montessori method and have been so enriched by it. It is obvious that this school cares deeply about their children and we've built such a meaningful relationship with them. When your child is excited to go to school on Monday morning, you know you're in the right place. read more

My son has been attending CMS now for two months and I'm so happy I trusted my gut. I looked at other Montessori Schools but something about CMS and the staff felt so nurturing. I've noticed a huge boost in my 3-year-olds capabilities and cognitive functions in such a short time. We can have conversations and he has started talking about preferences and he sings songs from memory. He is also starting to try vegetables at home! I can tell that the staff (which are all long-term employees and most of them had kids who went there) really cares about the kids. They are gentle and refer to them lovingly. I love the activities and the extra wonderful little perks; like car valet when it's below 100, special "water days" on Mondays during summer school, the continuing education and development of staff, the online app communication, bringing in special music guests, and the virtues lessons. I'm really appreciative that I found Janet and her school and I love how my son is thriving in this environment! read more

I'm so thankful I chose CMS for my son. He has been going there for a year now and has learned so much. The teachers and staff have been amazing as we've navigated some of the challenges of toddlerhood. They communicate well, truly care about the kiddos, and are supportive to the families. My son loves going to school, and I always feel that he's safe and cared for when he's away from me. They value healthy eating, manners and values, and it truly does feel like a community with the support given. It's a beautiful, warm, inviting environment for your children as they grow up. They also have before and after care and a great summer program. Highly recommend this school. read more

I cannot say enough good things about this school, but I will try. My son began attending around 2.5 years of age and continued for a year and a half until we moved out of town. This is a very special school - they have wonderful, kind, smart people there. My son immediately took to one of the teachers there, Miss Jamie. She was an absolute Godsend. I was very nervous to leave my 2.5 year old at school for the first time, but thanks to the teaching staff, he, very quickly, got used to it and had a great time. They help spark creativity, love for learning, singing, dancing, making new friends and solving small conflicts. It is a great starter school for little ones and I would have loved to see my son continue here through kindergarten. read more

Our grandchildren both attend Community Montessori School. As grandparents we are with them at least one day a week. It's our best day of the week! We are very impressed how they have developed as people. During our visits to the school the care and interest the staff has towards the children is amazing. Our granddaughter age 6, has become a vibrant young girl always concerned about those around her and become inquisitive about all the world has to offer her. Our grandson age 5 is all boy but at the same time amazes us with his vocabulary, knowledge of math and maturity for someone his age. The values they are taught in school are reinforced at home through the information the parents are given on a regular basis so the children have a complete experience 24/7. Community Montessori School has a rich history of providing the best environment for their students and parents and should be on your " to do list" as you look to provide the best educational experience for your children. Tom Daly read more

After receiving my niece and nephew under direful circumstances, I reached out to every Montessori school in the Valley. Community Montessori School immediately set up an appointment with me and let my nephew begin school promptly. The changes in my nephew have been profound. After going through extensive trauma and upheaval, he is a different child after three months at C.M.S. Each teacher at C.M.S. (Janet, Jocelyn, Helen and Jamie) have forever altered my nephews life and his trajectory. They reach out to me, provide community support and have mentored me throughout this entire process. Forever grateful and wholeheartedly recommend Community Montessori above any school in the entire valley. Don't take your child anywhere else read more

If you've got a 2- to 6-year-old, here's your school! The Paradise Valley-area schoolday includes attentive lessons based on Maria Montessori's educational philosophy, picnic-style lunchtimes and a deeply shaded porch and yard for playing and more learning. My daughter enjoys her days, and we enjoy feeling good about it. read more

My daughter has been attending Community Montessori School since she was 3 years old and is currently a kindergartner there. I couldn't be happier with her experience. It is a small intimate setting where the families are able to get to know one another and the kids are able to thrive. It is academically outstanding because every child works at his or her own level and is not held back or forced ahead by another child. Also because of the Montessori approach, the level of learning is very hands-on and enriching. There is an abundance of science, geography, social studies, music and culture taught here. I have toured other Montessori schools and the environment this school provides is calm, peaceful and productive. The children respect one another and learn virtuous lessons and behaviors that set a great foundation for their future. There is a lot of communication and feedback given to the parents and the staff is dedicated and committed to providing the very best Montessori experience. I am confident that because of my daughter's three years here, she is prepared academically and socially as she transitions into elementary school. read more

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I have a son and a daughter who have attended Community Montessori School for the last 14 months. It is a one room school house with 4 teachers and less than 30 children. There is a teacher for the outside activities, and 3 that stay inside. The school is clean and orderly. The children eat a home packed lunch outside (weather permitting) provided by the parent. There is an emphasis on proper nutrition and appropriate lessons given on this topic. Parents are expected to donate fresh fruit/veggies/ juice/etc, and if your still naps, you will be given school laundry duty approx every 6 weeks. The tuition for the private school is a little higher than other private schools in the area once all the extra fees are factored in. The reason for the low rating is because of the issues my family encountered due to the head teacher authoritative attitude and inflexible demeanor. There are two very good teachers (Jocelyn and Helen) at this school, however the attitude of the boss typically sets the tone and environment of any workplace and that is absolutely the case for this one room school house. The school is academically strong. My children learned a lot at their time at the school. They often came home talking about their day, their friends, and the new lessons they learned. I also made it a point to reach out to the teachers and ask how the kids were doing frequently. We always received feedback. When there were struggles the teachers were always willing to discuss and provide alternatives. My experience was, as long as we took the advice from the head teacher, then things were ok, but if we did not conform, then it was her way or the highway - there was no flexibility. For example, after a particularly difficult couple of weeks, when my children were struggling with proper behavior, the head teacher thought it best to have my son hold her pocket for the entire afternoon. He had to literally hold her pocket, and could only go where she went, except for bathroom breaks. At this point my son shut down and did not want to engage in learning. I felt the practice of "shamming" a 4 year old into compliance was inappropriate. I would have preferred a more respectful way to discipline him for the behavior. My husband and I discussed many times with the head teacher, and tried to brainstorm different ways to get my children to think about their behavior. I explained that an un-nurturing attitude would not work with a sensitive 4 year old. The holding onto a teachers pocket, harsh tones, and taking away a school birthday party for typical 3&4 year old behavior only demonstrates shaming, and does not respect their feelings, or their struggles to learn the appropriate behavior. We decided to finish out the school year and look for a new private school for the fall. Upon advising the school that we would not be attending the summer sessions, or the following year, our children were ignored; and we were talked about, by the head teacher, to other parents behind our back. I had purposely held off on my online review until the last day of school because I was concerned of backlash. Looks like my instincts were right, as our last 30 days at this school has been marred with hostility. I believe this behavior to be petty and unprofessional, which is why my rating is a 1 and not higher. I would not recommend this school based on my experience. read more

Our son has been attending CMS since he was 2 years old and is now pre-k. We couldn't be happier with his social development and learning experience. Among other things, he is learning how to read and write, and in cursive, no less. The teachers are amazing, helpful and experienced. They have become like family. The one-on-one conferences are especially helpful, not only in understanding what and how our son is doing overall, but tips and advice on how we can promote and implement the Montessori way in our home. I recommend CMS to any family that is looking for a safe, happy, family-oriented, learning experience for their child. read more

We cannot say enough good things about the teachers and environment of CMS. Our daughter has been attending since the spring after a big year of transitions and moving across the country. They welcomed her with open arms and helped her feel more comfortable in her new school. They definitely went the extra mile to help us, something I will never forget. In terms of her learning and social development, CMS does a fantastic job...the teachers are trained and dedicated professionals and it shows when my daughter comes home and I see how she's progressing. We feel like we found a gem in Phoenix and can't wait to send our son here too. read more

Our son attended this school for the past three years. I can't say enough good things about Community Montessori School. The group of women who teach here truly feed the intellect, nurture the spirit, and love the child! I am grateful for their service! read more

We have our two children (ages 3& 4) here and are waiting on our third (almost 2) to be potty trained to attend here. We wouldn't trust our children to go anywhere else! We have been a part of CMS for 2 years now and we have seen a huge growth in our children's education. From abc's and 123's- learning about planets and the solar system, geography and learning new species! Our children have also developed independent skills that they are taught at school in order to take care of themselves at home and help with small chores around the house. Both our 3 and 4 year old fold, hang up and put away their own laundry for an example! They are so proud of their new skills and can't wait to show them off. Janet is the owner and is so lovely to work with. She has an amazing staff of teachers and our children love the time they get to spend with each of them. It has been so great to be a part of the CMS community. We feel really grateful to have found Janet's school for ALL our children to be a part of! read more

My wife and I work full time and we needed a school for our three year old starting Aug. of 2014. After seven months of enrollment at the CMS, I am delighted to say our child is getting a first class education that surprises us everyday! There are four experienced teachers that have been with the school for multiple years. The school has so many great learning areas that get changed monthly. There is a large yard with a playground, play areas and gardens. The school has early morning and late afternoon care, where my daughter continues learning while my wife and I are still working. My wife and I have been treated with nothing but professionalism by the staff, and even given some parenting suggestions (that have worked every time) when a teacher picks up on something from one of us. This is a great school. We look forward to seeing what our daughter learns next year! read more

We relocated to Phoenix recently from a smaller town with a strong sense of community, and when we first arrived I personally felt overwhelmed by the sprawl and size of Phoenix. We were fortunate to move into a neighborhood within 1/2 mile of CMS. Even more fortunate that they had a spot open for our son to join halfway through his PreK year. We've been so impressed by our son's experience at this Montessori school, especially since he has no background with the Montessori approach. The method and level of academics--particularly with the hands-on approach CMS applies to teaching -- is excellent. After an intial adjustment period he has been able to settle in and sink his teeth into learning to read and write, which is something he's had a burning desire to do and did not have the proper resources for at his prior school. He is thriving and loves his new friends, teachers, and going to school every day. Equally as important to us, CMS provides a wonderful sense of community. We've found so much warmth and friendship from fellow families, and in a metropolitan area where so many people drive their kids all over to attend the best schools, we feel incredibly fortunate to have landed in the backyard of such warm, dedicated, and hard working teachers. I only wish our son could have enjoyed more years at this unique and amazing school. Kudos to Janet Wheeler, Jocelyn, Helen and Carol for your passion and dedication! read more

I've read the few negative reviews regarding Community Montessori that have surfaced recently, which prompted me to add my two cents on the subject. First, it should be noted that the vast majority of parents with whom I've interacted are extremely satisfied with the school and recommend it to each and every friend they know. This school produces results, period. Furthermore, the results are visible not only in each child's academic progress, but also in his/her behavior and in the virtues instilled by the school. Regarding behavioral and/or developmental issues, the school makes a point of speaking with parents regarding what the teachers observe in their daily interactions with our children rather than ignoring the reality and letting the child's progress suffer as a result. I understand that, as a parent, it is often uncomfortable to hear negative feedback regarding one's child. I personally struggled with this before embracing my role in identifying and correcting the noted issues. However, now more than ever, I am glad that I was open to hearing this feedback and that I chose to support the school both at home and in the classroom. The results with our son have been better than I ever could have imagined. Thus, I can personally attest to the fact that not every student who ends up excelling in this program is without roadblocks along the way. It's reasonable for parents to assert that the customer is always right. However, when dealing with professionals such as doctors and teachers, I for one would prefer for them to be honest with me and not just cater to my ego at the expense of my child. The issue for virtually every parent with whom I've spoken is never whether Community Montessori is the best place for our children to begin their formal education, but where to send our children once they graduate. Ms. Janet and crew have instilled a level of knowledge and curiosity that puts the children worlds ahead of their peers at comparable schools. Just ask the staff what percentage of children read chapter books and have been exposed to things like fractions and multiplication by the end of kindergarten. You will be shocked at how high the figure truly is. My son attended Community Montessori for roughly 3 years, recently graduating, and I had the opportunity to witness these incredible results year after year. The culmination is that each kindergartener at the school completes a project, researches and writes a report, and makes a presentation upon graduation, which is truly something to behold. Community Montessori is a relatively small and undiscovered gem of a school with no desire to cherry pick the best students. Instead, this school is committed to accepting children of all backgrounds and consistently producing academically precocious students who go on to be overrepresented in gifted programs across the valley. read more

My wife and I were drawn to Community Montessori through all of the positive online reviews. Unfortunately, our experience with the school and Janet in particular, were anything but positive. We found the environment to be the polar opposite of warm and nurturing, seemingly because of Janet's authoritarian demeanor. This is not only in how she treats the kids, but also staff, parents, etc. As opposed to the smiles and giggles you would hope to see from kids in a daycare setting, we only observed quiet and self play as I think everyone is scared to step out of line. We quickly concluded this was not the environment for our little guy. read more

Owner is too bossy and inflexible. She has an "I know everything" attitude and tends to be disrespectful to the parents. She offers zero scholarship or any type of financial assistance for preschool, but expects all the parents to do whatever she tells them to do. Her expectations for a 4 year old are often unreasonable and her discipline methods are questionable at best - her favorite way to discipline is to raise her voice to the point of yelling, and she has also yelled at me when I asked her normal questions that a paying customer would have. She doesn't like to be questioned and does not accept any form of constructive criticism. I have met several parents, since I removed my child from this school, who have either removed their children or decided not to send their children to this school due to Janet's overall bossy and disrespectful attitude. I believe that the school year is hard as it is - no need to add stressful situations or people in the mix. There are other Montessori and Chartered schools in this area. I recommend doing your research and making sure you can put up with Janet before you sign your one (or more) year commitment to this school. read more

My 3.5 year old started at CMS last Spring. We have had a wonderful experience at CMS. She has come out of her shell and really enjoys coming to school. She hugs her teachers goodbye when I pick her up and that shows me that she feels loved and comfortable at this school. The teachers here put so much effort into the Virtues project. My daughter comes home and can discuss concepts like trustworthiness, tact and responsibility. The teachers at this school truly value showing these kids how to behave and interact with empathy, love and respect. The expectations are clear and that makes it easy to participate in your child's education. There is regular parental involvement and the communication from Janet is consistent as she sends out plenty of reminders so that us parents can also be successful participants. It is an adorable "one room schoolhouse" type of environment. This allows the younger kids to learn with older students as role models while the older students have the opportunity to be a leader and feel that responsibility. Overall, we are happy to have our daughter learning in an environment that is safe and provides a variety of work that she finds to be interesting and challenging. read more

I highly recommend Community Montessori School. My daughter attended Community Montessori School for 3 years. She graduated from the program a confident, Independent, and happy child. She was reading at a 1st grade level upon completing the program. This school provides a true Montessori experience. Ms. Janet and her staff are dedicated to providing a strong foundation for their students which encourages life-long learning and good habits. The teachers at this school are the best and they truly care for each child. They provide a nurturing and safe environment. The curriculum is top notch and the classroom materials are very well cared for. This school also provides a virtue program which my entire family benefited from. This is the best school that you will find that serves the development of the 2 -6 year old student. Go see for yourself! read more

Community Montessori is just that a "community." To me, communities are a place where different personalities of families and perspectives are integrated into a supportive environment. The teachers and owner here are vested in the wellbeing and success of the children and they are more than willing to go the extra mile to serve the individual needs of each child they teach. I've had two different kiddos enrolled at CMS for the past eight years and have also spent time inside the classroom over the years. They do a fabulous job of teaching the academics but they excel at the virtue development portion of the curriculum. My kids have the strongest manners of their friends and by far the best reading comprehension of their peer group. But the children are also taught and trusted early on to identify actions that support a peaceful and loving environment. One of the things that has always impressed me is the school's high level of expectation for what the kiddos are capable of achieving. From a life-skills perspective of making beds and contributing in the household to a high standard of cooperation and an expectation of peacefulness, the director holds the children and families accountable. I've dropped one of both of my kids off at school daily for over 8 years and while they are there I have a peace of mind that is priceless. Knowing that the diligent watchfulness of the staff is keeping them safe is comforting beyond measure; but also knowing that they are helping my kids cultivate self-awareness, kindness and a sense of what being in a community means is outstanding. Don't hesitate to tour the school and see for yourself if it's a community that would be a good fit for your family. read more