I attended this school from 1999 through 2007 when I was forced to drop out. While I acknowledge…read morethat many teachers and administrators have changed, I can only speak to my own personal experiences, I would be remiss if I did not share my story. Years K-6th were broadly excellent. A warm, caring environment with excellent educators. Mrs. Blatnik, White, Chin, and Mr. Goober were extremely positive influences in those formative years, and I have nothing but gratitude for them. All issues arose during grade 7 during my brief tenure in the (then very young) middle school program during its second year in operation. I spent my entire childhood with undiagnosed autism; I don't blame the school for this, detection and treatment was far less robust then than it was now. I do blame to school for the resultant bullying that I endured that year, and what I perceived as the cause. The middle school, especially in its pilot years, was intent on making a big show of its success placements. There was a lot of parading around the kids who were being accepted into 'elite' high schools like Western Reserve Academy, Walsh Jesuit, or a handful of others. They were clearly trying to position the middle school as a funnel of sorts to these programs. Of course, with these elite programs came elite tuition costs, and I'll just say that my family was not prepared to shell out for one of these programs. Moreover, I had no personal interest in boarding schools, religious schools, or really any of these programs. I distinctly remember Ms. Ludick's reaction at the parent teacher night when this info was brought to light. She was aghast and, dare I say, offended at the idea. Almost overnight, the atmosphere shifted. My grades took a sharp hit almost immediately. I became the target for relentless bullying from students who were already on the so called 'elite' track. It was daily, it was constant, and I was chastised when I withdrew like a turtle into its shell. And while I admit my autistic tendencies made me internalize a lot more than I should have, the rampant bullying was apparent to all, that year, including the staff. There were other students who noticed. Nothing was done. Suffice to say, there was an incident that spring where I was pushed to breaking point, and I was removed for my own safety. It is also worth noting that once I was gone, one of my good friends became the new target, for largely similar reasons. The staff knew. The staff even aided and abetted the bullies, many of whom were among the wealthier families in the program that the admins would cozy up to. The message was clear: I was not worth the investment, boasted no ambitions for them to advertise in the future, and as such was cut loose. "Open Season." I have had many years of growth and therapy to digest what happened then. I wouldn't be writing this at all if I hadn't seen some social media videos featuring alumni testimonies, and see several of the bullies being plastered up as Star Student advertisements. With the small number of reviews here, I don't expect this to gain much traction. And, as I said, many years have passed since 2007, and I cannot speak to how things have changed. All I can do is share what happened to me, and if it happens to help even one person down the road, that's enough for me.

I attended HMS from Children's House through 8th grade, yet credit much of my later successes on…read morethe early lessons I learned there. The school teaches you how to think for yourself, how to cooperate with others, and how to be a global citizen. I was able to independently explore my passion for math and develop a ton of practical life skills at the same time. It helped me be successful at WRA and later Brown University before becoming a high school math and computer science teacher myself. I still use a lot of Montessori philosophy in my job today. Please send your child here and contribute to building a bright future of thoughtful and consider human beings!

Canton Montessori is an amazing school, with excellent leadership and a fantastic collection of…read moreteachers and staff. Our youngest started there mid-year, after having a rough time at another school. Not only did his issues at school disappear in the first couple of days, but he LOVES CMS. How many 4 or 5 year olds do you know that literally run into school every morning? He is one of them, although we do less running now, because the school has helped build his confidence and sense of personal responsibility to the degree that we now "car-line" most mornings. CMS isn't afraid to give the students as much information as the student feels like they can handle. A couple of weeks after starting at CMS, our youngest broke into an explanation of the political conflict that led to the pilgrims leaving England, of the dangers of the voyage on the Mayflower and the challenges they faced when they got to North America (including a sidebar to explain some of the difficulties native Americans faced with their new neighbors). Another dinner conversation was about the decomposition (his word) of leaves in the fall, and what effect that has on the larger ecosystem. This is nearly every day; but he never complains about being forced to learn, instead each subject is brought up brimming with curiosity. And the teachers... we love them. We had our first "parent-teacher" conference, and our son's teacher not only explained in general terms where he was academically, but actually had copied notes and progress reports for each area of study and spoke fluently about his specific challenges and achievements (down to letters he needed practice on, and examples of his improved writing). If you are at all local, you should consider this school for your children; there are few places on the planet more dedicated to your young people than here.

We have been a Canton Montessori School family for the past six years. We love the environment, the…read morestaff, and the Montessori method. We love Ms. Carla!! She has been a great educator and friend to all of my children. No matter what craziness is going on in life, the staff at CMS have created a welcoming and safe atmosphere, where the children feel loved and taken care of. * I cannot speak to the previous reviewer's experience. However, I can tell you that the Head of School and some staff have changed. And if you're in the area looking for childcare, you should at least consider checking them out.

This is the most amazing school! My child has been enrolled in the Montessori program for 2 years!!…read more I could not be more happier with her educational growth! She is beyond kindergarten ready!!!

My child has been attending Creative Playrooms Strongsville for the last 3 years and we are beyond…read morehappy with our experience here. She did not attend childcare previous and the amount of academic and social emotional growth she has shown is amazing. I accredit her success in kindergarten to her experience here and the teachers here as well.

Great school. Love Miss Heather. I appreciate how engaged she is with her students. It's not…read morecheap, around $6500 a year for 1/2 day pre-school, but I guess nothing really good is. Lots of opportunities for kids to learn with an emphasis of independence and group learning.

I have three children at KidsFirst. My two oldest have been there for three years, and my youngest…read morejust started. All three love going each day. My oldest is about to head to kindergarten next week and I feel completely confident that her experience with KidsFirst has greatly prepared her for school. She amazes me with all that she has learned over her time there. I didn't start my older children until 1&2 but I had to start my baby a bit earlier and I had no hesitations. She adapted to the transition to daycare with ease and I highly recommend KidsFirst. I have nothing but positive things to say about our experience throughout these past three years.

Absolutely love this place. My 2 girls are there and have been going since they were 1. The…read moreteachers are great. The leaders are great. I'm so happy i chose this place.