We absolutely love the Columbia Gorge Montessori! The directors and staff are wonderful people and…read morevery knowledgeable on how to help support the kids they are entrusted to. We are given updates each and everyday on how things are going and I love the app they use to communicate. We did extensive research for care in the area and we believe CGM is the best option around.

I could not be more thrilled with the education and experience my daughter is receiving at CGM. I…read morewas looking at Montessori schools, and on our initial visit I instantly felt comfortable and knew it was the right place for our family. We enrolled during COVID, and I've seen every staff member going above and beyond to make drop off, pick up, and any correspondence easy and stress free. I'm so grateful for Amber, and the staff at Columbia George Montessori. Thank you guys for being an exemplary school experience, and a place where my daughter can learn and grow with all the love and support she needs!

We moved both of our kids to Cascade Summit after them being at another Montessori school from the…read moretime they were both 3 months old. We really agonized over this decision but ultimately we have been very pleased with the move. Our son who is older and had a tough time adjusting a first told me soon afterwards "can we please stay at this school?" and has talked about how much he likes going there. The teachers and staff are wonderful and I have no hesitation leaving my children with them all day. The class sizes are great and I can tell how much time and attention my kids are getting. My four year old is already doing addition and subtraction and learning so much about various countries, the human body, how to write, etc. And for my toddler, they have been fantastic at assisting and supporting potty training which is such a nice bonus. She cannot wait to run in and hug her teachers and friends every day. As a parent and working mom, I really appreciate that we have NEVER once had to keep our kids home because the center lacked ratio, something that happened constantly at our last daycare and was a source of extreme frustration. Their prices are fair, they provide all the food and snacks, and they have minimal days that they are closed, in particular if you choose their extended day program. The people and other families are friendly, and the place has a great vibe to it, something you can sense as soon as you walk in. Overall this daycare center has been a great find and a huge asset for our family. I highly recommend them.

After almost two years, I no longer felt my child was safe at Cascade Summit Montessori. There were…read moresome positives. There are some wonderful staff and teachers. The school property is gorgeous. The playground is nice. Lunch and snacks are included in tuition, which I believed was reasonable. We tried to give the school time to regroup during this past year because we saw so much potential, but, it never got better. We received very little communication from our teachers, if any. The turnover has been extremely high. In less than two years, we've been through 3 directors and 5 teachers. We often did not know who would be teaching our child any given day, or if our teacher would even be there. The inconsistency was hard to ignore as you try to build your child up to depend on adults and to be able to rely on their teachers. A new teacher would arrive with a new routine, new rules, new keywords and phrases...and a few weeks/months later...a new teacher would arrive. The turnover rate just left our child in limbo, shuttled between classes, different teachers, different rules, for over a year. It was not a consistent, positive, nurturing experience. I was willing to overlook many of the negatives. But, this school has dealt with multiple shutdowns in the past few weeks due to COVID exposures. We would often find out on a moments notice, sometimes AT the door to drop off our child, that the classroom was closed. When we asked about reimbursement due to a staff-related exposure closure, we were told that there weren't any "fiscal updates." They didn't offer more vacation days or any other compromise or compensation. They didn't even care to follow-up or mention it again. When we inquired about their staff being vaccinated, they said it was a personal choice. But, when the classrooms closed due to a staff-related exposure, we were told to keep paying. After multiple COVID exposures, classroom closures, and extremely high teacher turnover, the school began requesting the assistance of parents to find substitutes. They also requested parents who would like to "do more within our community" to "volunteer" during pickup and dropoff to help take temperature checks for children at the door. This reminded me of one dropoff experience where I waited patiently at the door with my child, along with another parent and their child. When it came our turn, the teacher came to the door and taped a piece of paper to the door with a phone number. She cracked it open slightly, enough to let us know that "we're full, we're in ratio." My child looked up confused and said, "They're full? No school today????" The teacher said that we just needed to call the number and a teacher would come to the door. I asked if it wouldn't be too much trouble to let someone know, as I had left my phone in the car. She said "sure", closed the door, and went back to her classroom. Within a few minutes, before I could leave the parking lot, the director...and the same teacher...were at the door helping a new line of children. They were "full" and "in ratio" just a few moments prior. But, these are small examples of the inconsistent leadership at this school. Lastly, and what hurt the most, was when we told the director that we no longer felt our child was safe and we would be leaving Cascade Summit Montessori. This is the school my child had spent the past two years at. Two years. Almost half of my child's life. When I said we no longer felt safe and would not return, the entire email was "We are sorry to see her go." They didn't even bother to ask one question, or even leave a salutation, signature, name, nothing. That was how it ended. Seven words. When I arrived to pickup her remaining belongings that day, the director was notified I had arrived. I saw her helping other parents. She looked my way, but didn't bother to say a word. Nothing. After two years, I would expect a school to be more invested in my child, invested in their safety and their care, and be more professional. After two years, they could only respond with, "We are sorry to see her go."

Little Seeds has been a nurturing and expansive environment for our daughter. Teacher Sherry and…read moreshe formed a sweet bond early on, and my daughter loves going to school with the team there. The balance of play and developmental projects is good for her age and the large outdoor space with covered area is great to ensure the kids are outside every day, year round. Communication with the parents has been clear and open which is appreciated. AND! The parent community aspect is awesome. Everyone has always been so welcoming and fun to be around. Our family is grateful to have found Little Seeds.

Fantastic preschool. Our child has been blossoming since attenting Little Seeds Farm School…read more Everyday he brings home a new art project or story about something new he's learning in school. Children are very cared for and stimulated with attention to learning about hands on outdoor activities and crafts; animals, plants, and gardening-type activities. Engaging. All of the teachers are compassionate and supportive to all the students.

We chose to take our four-year-old son to SunGarden after relocating. It's a lovely small community…read moreof staff, teachers and parents, but unfortunately it didn't turn out to be what we thought it would be when we enrolled. Keep in mind, we have high expectations since we're talking about our children. We're within walking distance and we prefer Montessori methods, and SunGarden is AMI vs AMS (please research the difference if you're looking into Montessori schools)... so SunGarden seemed like a great choice. Everyone is warm and welcoming, and our son grew leaps and bounds academically (which is great if you're looking to raise an Einstein), but I was disheartened by a few things listed below: 1) Time outside: We were told when enrolling our son would be able to work outside when he wanted to (with provided lanyards) and they would often be outside anyway. However, he would come home and say he was not allowed to run outside (a four-year-old not be able to run?!). And although the outside area is beautifully cared for, it's extremely small for how large the community of children is, which is why they were worried about safety if the children ran into each other or any of the garden equipment. At this age, we feel kids need to run off their energy, especially after doing serious academic "work" in a classroom all day - see below. So the outside area and the rules that go with it ended up being a downfall and we were a bit displeased. 2) Turnover: We were only at SunGarden for one year and it was the director's first year in this position, as well as our teacher's first year (her name was Amy - but she was the best part about the school experience for our son). Their "outside guide" left the school mid-year making it even more difficult to allow children outside to do their work (something we were told would happen daily, but ended up not happening much at all). 3) The environment: I have to commend the school on its materials - it complies with AMI rules and materials have to be up to a certain standard, and they are beautiful Montessori materials, kept clean and orderly. However, as much as I love a calm, organized, quite environment for learning, the rooms were unusually quite (these are children ranging from 2.5-6 years). There should be noise and laughter and giggles. Anyone who needed to "move" - which was more often than not - was told to walk briskly along a circular line tape placed on the floor. It almost felt like caged animals when I observed this. 4) Academics: AMI Montessori schools want your children to thrive academically. I want my child to thrive in this area as well but he was still 4... not heading to college yet... and the reports I would receive from my teachers were how long my child would sit, focus and work on math or other subjects. And although he learned quite a bit for a four-year-old, I felt bad the days he didn't want to enter the classroom, crying and sitting outside, because I knew in my heart it was because he was entering what he felt, was a place he couldn't essentially just "be a kid." 5) Play & Art: In our son's previous years at another Montessori school (which we all loved but was AMS), he would come home exhausted, often-times dirty from playing outside (this is a good thing, parents...), or covered in paint and/or in a change of clothes after getting wet on hot days. Unfortunately, he always returned home from SunGarden as well groomed as he had been when he went in the classroom door that morning, so it seemed that very little art exploration, imagination, creativity or getting dirty was encouraged (at least that we saw). Again, it felt exceedingly academic for little minds. I do know they have some make-believe areas (such as a small doll house), sing songs (he came home reciting the same 50 states song I too memorized in 2nd grade), and read stories, but the teachers are there mainly to observe the children do their focused work quietly. 5) Flexibility: I want to be fair, the director did allow our family some flexibility, but again, complying with AMI methods, SunGarden requires your children to attend five days a week. So if you're looking for part-time care (because we wanted our child to be able to move and explore non-academic areas on those days off), then unless they've changed their rules, you don't have that option. Overall, again, everyone was warm and kind and I do know they care about the children. Unfortunately, I left with the impression they care even more so about complying with their AMI Montessori beliefs and methods than what the children inherently desire and need to be a kid at heart. It is a great school for those looking to ensure their children simply grow in academics and social responsibility. Again, these are the areas in which we saw our child grow the most with his time there and we are grateful for this.

As current parents of two children at SunGarden (one in each room), we couldn't be happier with our…read moreexperience. New to the area, we wanted a local Montessori provider where we could feel connected to the community. From the first day we dropped in (literally) to tour the school, the director, guides, and staff made us feel welcome. Since then, we've continued to have great experiences with the school, the parents, and the community. We love living in West Linn and often comment that SunGarden was the best decision we've made here. Specific to the school, we love the building and yard, the amount of outdoor time the kids get (rain or shine, they go out!), the pictures we get from the guides, and the ongoing parent/guide conferences. There are opportunities to connect with the guides, have drinks and coffee with other parents, learn about the curriculum, and interact with the whole community (annual events). SunGarden is the right place if you're looking to be a part of a Montessori community where your children will be cared for and given individual attention.

We have now been at this school for three years and we could not be happier. We left our…read moreneighborhood school mid-year because our son was being bullied and despite numerous conversations with his teacher, the counselor, and the principal little to nothing was done. When I picked our son up from his shadow day at FMES, he said it was the best day of his life. Within a week he was more joyful than he'd ever been at our neighborhood school. Three years later, he has some of the sweetest friends and is the happiest I've ever seen him. This past weekend (end of spring break) he said he was missing school because he is really enjoying math. Our younger son has ADHD and is also thriving. The options and flexibility really work well for him. FMES feels different from the moment you walk through the door. It's a very warm and welcoming community. Having taught special education in public schools for twelves years it was tough for us to make the decision to switch but we could not be happier. The love and care our children receive at FMES protects their innocence and joy, giving them a wonderful childhood.

I love FMES for so many reasons…read more When our needs were not being met by the public school system, the amazing teachers at FMES helped identify what our kids needed almost instantly. I'm not a fan of all Montessori pedagogy, but they have such a wonderful blend of taking the best parts, and being flexible where it's not working. The leadership was incredibly thoughtful, patient, and communicative in dealing with the pandemic. I felt respected, heard, and most importantly, that our kid's safety AND education were being put at the forefront. Lastly, the environment is open to all sorts of people. The religious components are opt-in. We were literally in tears of joy after the tour, feeling that we had found a match for our family. Four years later, we couldn't be happier, and now have FOUR kids enrolled. That shows how happy we are!

We have been so thrilled with our first year at Portland Montessori! The dedication and thoughtful…read moreapproach of every staff member is so evident in our day to day experience with the school. Our guide, Ms. Susie in the Rainbow Room, is exceptionally talented and has helped us instill grace and confidence in our (almost) 4 year old son. The aftercare staff and GIANT play space are the best we saw in our search or have heard about since, since the same support staff stay for aftercare they know all of the children really well and can respond to their individual needs. We have also loved Camp Vida this summer, they really stepped up the program from last year in terms of the diverse weekly offerings. Music Mondays and Cooking Fridays give our son something to look forward to every week! Great school!

Sharing our response to the denied acceptance email received pertaining to our son. Our daughter…read morewas accepted. We are completely caught off guard and very disappointed to hear you have decided not to accept Henri. After reading through the numerous emails from TPMS there was NEVER any information that his acceptance was pending a school tour. In addition to the emails, we specifically discussed our situation with Jessica during the tour and I followed up with telephone calls after. Jessica reassured us TPMS had children similar to Henri. We were worried about disappointing him and told her we did not want him to tour the classroom if there was a chance he would not be accepted. She assured us that it doesn't work that way and the tour was just for him to get familiar with the classroom and meet his teachers. I specifically told her I do not want to even apply if there was not room for both children. We had a secured/accepted a spot for Lillian at another Montessori school and had Henri on the waiting list, which we have turned down since receiving your "acceptance letter." It is too late in the school year to secure a spot for our children at another school. This decision is INCREDIBLY disruptive to our family and completely irresponsible per TPMS admissions staff. It is pathetic I had to email Braden to find out why we had not had any follow up after Henri's visit. It is also misleading Elisabeth did not indicate anything went wrong with his behavior during that visit. Her communication & demeanor with children and adults is lacking. Judging a 6 year old boy with special needs after observing him for 2 hours in a completely new environment full of strangers is unbelievable and inaccurate, and speaks volumes per your internal practices verses the montessori educational platform. Your policies should be clear that you don't accept children with an IEP or ADHD, to avoid wasting families time Lillian will not be attending TPMS. I HIGHLY suggest you take a look at your admission process and the way TPMS communicates with families. Because of your poor communication and decision our children will not be able to attend Montessori school in the fall. Considering our situation after much homework and clear communication on our part, we suggest TPMS advertises correctly and does't mislead people in the future as it's been a very disingenuous and incompetent experience that will greatly affect our family and our child's developmental plans. Parents are always going to be their children's biggest advocate and TPMS should be ashamed as your mission statement and admission process is severely flawed, and its obvious people should know the truth! In closing, I'm not looking forward to explaining to my son that he will not be attending the school we've been building up to be a great experience. He was greatly looking forward to the school & "new friends" and going to school with his little sister, both of which will not happen now.

After dealing with other after-school programs, I didn't realize the quality of this place--how…read morewell they handle children and guide them in the process. They would get five stars if their communication and correspondence were better, so I figured I would update their rating. Hopefully, I can get my son back in there.

Excellent school! My child attended for 4 years and had a wonderful experience. The community is…read morevery inclusive, and the teachers and staff are caring and supportive. We love the Montessori approach and the Spanish program--both have been amazing for our child's development. Highly recommend!