Love Dobson Montessori my granddaughter goes there truly a great place to learn and goes all the way to high school there school plays are wonderful looking forward to see another play read more

If you're looking for a school that will teach your child how to learn and enjoy it, Dobson Montessori is your place. I attended from Kindergarten all the way through High School, and that is the best gift my parents ever gave me. I left Dobson Montessori with 28 college credits (not AP credits, actual community college credits). I am now a Sophomore entering ASU for my 3rd semester pursuing a BA in Business Law, a BS in Entrepreneurship, and a BFA in Art with a concentration in Photography. Dobson Montessori not only gave me the credits to excel at university, but more importantly, the tools and knowledge. Not only did DMS set me up to have a perfect GPA in college, DMS set me up to love it. Suzanne Woodford (the principal and director of the school) treats every student as her own and goes above and beyond each day to make sure each and every student is on track and enjoying what they're doing. I have never met a women so passionate about teaching and so generous with her time. Suzanne pushed me to follow my passions. For example, if I mentioned I wanted to open up a booth at an art festival, the next day Suzanne would have a newspaper article about upcoming festivals and emails on who to contact as well as give me advice on how to make it profitable. When I was just 12, I had a booth at 2nd Friday Art Walk, a working knowledge on how to sew full dresses, the ability to talk to working professionals in my field without feeling scared, and most importantly, someone always in my corner pushing me to be better, and that is all due to Suzanne Woodford. Do yourself and your child a favor, tour the school. It was the best decision my parents ever made. read more

I attended this school from roughly 2002-2006. Looking back on my time at Dobson Montessori school, I don't think I have ever grown more or been exposed to more ideas than when I attended this school. I recently learned from my parents that I was sent to DMS because I was being bullied at public school for being different. I was an introverted child who didn't have many friends and honestly rarely left my room. This amazing school forced me out of my shell. During my time there I had to participate in group camping trips, Cook weekly lunches for younger students and generally learn how to be a productive and positive social human being. I CAN NOT say enough positive things about the whole staff of the school. Specifically Suzanne and her family who all work there. In all honesty I have never had people in my life who made as great an impact on me than her and her family. While being at this school I constantly was pushed beyond my comfort zone. I learned to speak up for myself in an articulate way. I learned to defend my beliefs and defend those I love. I learned how to be independent, empathetic, thoughtful and confident. We were taught compassion and responsibility through the animals we raised and taking care of the younger students. I didn't realize it at the time, but the small social lessons I learned at that school shaped me into the man I am today, teaching me about accountability, reliability and honesty. It was always a safe space to learn and express how you felt and have important conversations without being talked down to because I was a child, rather being spoken to as an equal and learning through deep conversation. As far as basic lessons, the students who leave this school are more versed and better taught than anyone I know who has gone to public school. In fact I Went to public high school after jr high here, and was far beyond what everyone else was learning academically. Suzanne, Michael, Trevor, Rylan and Heather are honestly shaping the next generation. They are giving young people the tools that the public school system neglects to provide; teaching you how to be a functioning adult. They care more about their students than any one I have ever met. And they changed my life for the better. If you are considering sending your children here, I highly recommend it. I wouldn't be who I am today without these wonderful caring people. And I know I owe them a great debt. Your children will be in INCREDIBLE hands. And they will learn more about the world and themselves than anywhere else I can imagine you sending them. These people are doing amazing work. And it is a privilege to experience what they have to offer. read more

Of the 3 sites - this is the Kindergarten. My daughter is attending here and I simply love it. She's five and is repeating kindergarten. She attended kindergarten last year early at the encouragement of her preschool teachers who thought she was bored in their classes. We are having her repeat because she's a little young for first grade, but this isn't an issue because the curriculum rolls every two years for that very reason. In her first year - she learned to read, write, do simple math, know all her sign language letters, and has more Spanish knowledge than I do. this year they will build upon all of that and take her further. The staff is great and care a lot about the kids. And when issues arise they work with the parents to get them solved both at school and at home. It's pricey. But so very worth it. read more

Do yourself a favor and DONT put you're children in this preschool. Besides the fact that the owner has very little patience with the kids, the building is literally rotting around you. When it rains, water pours out of the fire alarms and the light fixtures fill up with water. The back room floods half way across the room and the owner, Micheal Woodford does nothing to fix any of it. It's been doing this for 5+ years . The walls are rotten and crumbling. They have BAD ant problems . Ants crawl on the kids during nap time and they wake up with bites. I guarantee you there is mold in the walls and the plumbing is so old, the kids toilets flood almost daily. Some kids are scared to use the bathroom because they are afraid they will cause it to flood. When they do flood, the owner usually is the one to attempt mopping it up. I have watched this numerous times. The process is SO UNSANITARY. Same mop used over and over, never cleaned, and never use of cleaning ingredients. He just mops around dirty, poopy and urine water. No joke. The outside play area is old and badly warped. I havehad to bring to their attention multiple times of exposed nails. The owner won't put any money into fixing any of these problems. He will only put temporary fixes that usually aren't even done properly. I would not put my own children here. Pay very close attention to all of this if you go in for a tour and make sure to ask if the teachers are certified montessori teachers, because they aren't . My hope is that I can tell you the truth about this school but mostly I'm posting this so The Woodfords might actually see that they are making these children and staff live in a health hazard! These problems NEED TO BE ADDRESSED! They put in a good show up front, but the real story is quite different. Hope this helps read more

Fabulous, outstanding, SAFE & caring!!! (in a nutshell) THIS IS THE ONLY Preschool, Kindergarten & Elementary I & my husband would EVER consider sending our children to. It is well worth the cost for the 'Piece-of-mind' we felt re: our children's well-being, safety, care, values & education! We were welcomed on field & camping trips. Any issues were dealt with quickly & w/out prejudice. Our 2 oldest went there from pre-3 through elementary. They grew up slowly & formed strong bonds with friends & teachers alike. We too, made relationships w/parents, students & teachers. We all hold similar values and that's hard to find. We could never thank Michael & Suzanne (owners & principals) enough for the foundation they provided to our boys. Thus, there was no doubt that we wanted the same rewards for their baby brother...now 4 yrs old and who just completed his first week at the preschool. It was so nice to still see familiar faces after all this time. Our little guy LOVES 'HIS' new school, friends & teachers. He can't wait to go everyday. I feel so blessed that my children have and have had such a decent and outstanding place to attend school. Now the older ones are in HS and its as awful as I thought. Thanks to DM though, they aren't followers & have made good decisions thus far. Just hope DM expands to HS by the time our little one is ready. Love u guys, Cloe' & Bobby read more

We love this school! Our daughter was at the preschool for 3 years and is now at the other campus. Our son is now at the preschool. We have always felt that they care for and respect our children, and our kids have blossomed. The monthly thematic units are so cute and well done. As a former teacher I can appreciate all the planning that goes into it. The kids have so many hands on experiences both inside and outside. They just had a Thanksgiving day feast where they performed 3 adorable songs and they all participated in making the food. There are so many art pieces and projects that come home, and I am impressed by the vocabulary and knowledge he is picking up. Michael and the teachers are great...Michael cares deeply for all the children...he started doing this over 30 years ago to make a positive impact on the world one kid at a time. I saw a review talking about the school being old...yes, it is not a new building, and it has some issues as does any older building. They had some leaking during a major monsoon, and worked to remedy the issue. Overall I feel that my son is safe, loved, nurtured, and stimulated at Dobson. Can't recommend it enough! read more

My son is 4.5 yrs old and just started with their kindergarten program. the program combines pre-k (4 yo) and kinder (5-6yo). Our hope for him at this point is to really develop a LOVE of learning; and to nurture his curiosity and interest in exploring things. And I believe this school and their program meet all of the above. My son appears to be loving the program, the teachers and the kids. He is enthusiastic about going to school; does not want to miss a day. He asks a lot of interesting, thought-provoking questions at home related to what he is learning at school. We've attended their field trips (parents and sibs are welcome as long as there is space and there is ALWAYS space)- we've seen plays, visited the library, and they've been to a museum. I've sat in in their class as well. The diversity in the classroom is a plus for us. The kids show independence and initiative when it comes to picking what they want to work on, cooperating with their classmates, and being responsible for cleaning up after they are done. The teacher at their school is amazing. She has been teaching for at least 15 years (same program). She is confident in her interactions with both kids and parents. She is constantly assessing where the kids are academically and socially to make sure that they are getting what they need. She is very open to working with the parents in terms of giving the children support and guidance both at school and at home. She and her staff are warm and loving towards the kids; and very welcoming and open towards the parents and sibs. I genuinely feel that we have been blessed in finding this school and having their staff be a part of my son's growth both academically, socially and emotionally. read more

My son is 4.5 yrs old and just started with their kindergarten program. the program combines pre-k (4 yo) and kinder (5-6yo). Our hope for him at this point is to really develop a LOVE of learning; and to nurture his curiosity and interest in exploring things. And I believe this school and their program meet all of the above. My son appears to be loving the program, the teachers and the kids. He is enthusiastic about going to school; does not want to miss a day. He asks a lot of interesting, thought-provoking questions at home related to what he is learning at school. We've attended their field trips (parents and sibs are welcome as long as there is space and there is ALWAYS space)- we've seen plays, visited the library, and they've been to a museum. I've sat in in their class as well. The diversity in the classroom is a plus for us. The kids show independence and initiative when it comes to picking what they want to work on, cooperating with their classmates, and being responsible for cleaning up after they are done. The teacher at their school is amazing. She has been teaching for at least 15 years (same program). She is confident in her interactions with both kids and parents. She is constantly assessing where the kids are academically and socially to make sure that they are getting what they need. She is very open to working with the parents in terms of giving the children support and guidance both at school and at home. She and her staff are warm and loving towards the kids; and very welcoming and open towards the parents and sibs. I genuinely feel that we have been blessed in finding this school and having their staff be a part of my son's growth both academically, socially and emotionally. read more