Parent of an MVM student. This school is not for everyone. You are enrolling your family, not just the child. It's important to have a clear understanding what your family is signing up for, when you're looking into Montessori education (Seeing complaints about having to attend a pre-application presentation- why is this a problem? This teaching method is very different than what most parents had grown up with. This presentation is not just a 'check-the-box' exercise. It is to be sure you can commit to and subscribe to the methods they employ (as parents are expected to engage in the school and mirror teaching methods in their home environments (the Teachers visit your home to learn about the child's home environment)). Better to find out that's not something you can commit your family to prior to enrolling (vs. finding out after you've started). Children operate in developmental plains and the classrooms and learning materials reflect that. Pre through K (3yrs, same Teacher, same classroom). Grade 1-3, Grade 4-6, Grade 7-8). Learning is crafted around the child's interest, and at the child's pace, to try to instill the desire to explore, learn, and problem solve (rather than being dictated to and introducing learning through memorization). A child is 'on-track' if they're developing towards the next plain of learning (not through an annual calendar progression or standardized testing). There is a time for that but preparing for testing is not the primary focus of this school until they approach middle-school (again, they're focused on ensuring the desire to learn and achieve is fostered). Caring for your community and developing empathy are also core values of the school. Schooling does not have to be a competition (those who are solely signing up for a 'private school' pedigree will likely be disappointed as Montessori is not solely focused on academic achievement). We've found Montessori methods are helping us to mold a young mind into a productive, caring, empathetic, engaged member of their community. To have a desire to explore and learn. That is what we hope to instill in our kid, and reflect in our family and community. read more

We wanted to love the Montessori platform so much that I think it was a huge detriment to our kids development. This school in particular with its administration, values chores and task driven activities over academics. We decided to pull our two daughters out of the school and move them to public where services are available and they have improved immensely, but unfortunately, they are still behind all of their peers. Every single staff member we work with in the public school setting tells us the same thing, montessori does not have a high standard in academics as they do not test and score like they don in public schools, which is import to catch where they are behind before it's too late and provide that supplemental support/early intervention. The administrators at MVM knew of the problems our kids were facing because they did do some assessments and said they will catch up but that's what they tell every parent, and coming forward with our story we are finding more and more parents just like us with the same exact story line! We believe this school to be unethical and driving a myth behind the montessori platform. If we could go back and change we would never have look in the direction of MVM. read more

My son didn't attend this school. I repeatedly reached out to them and finally received a response back stating that I would need to attend a meeting (they only have one in September) in order to fill out an application. So, I respond back letting them know I don't even live there yet and would like more information on a day in the life since the school Tuition is 12K... doesn't seem like an offhand request, right? Welp. Apparently the ONLY way you'll receive information about this school is if you attend their what I'm going to assume is a child interview in September. Oh and don't even bother, because they're full. So, you have to attend a meeting that they only have once a year to fill out an application to a school your child will never attend because they are already booked up. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE. It's funny that the is same type of thing happened three years ago to someone (just saw that below) ... seems NOTHING has changed here. It's a big NO for me. If they're like this before you enter the school, I wouldn't wanna know em after acceptance. Kindness matters and I didn't feel any sense of it during my limited interactions. read more

In order to apply you have to sit through three hours of PowerPoint presentations before you are allowed to apply. They are presentations on how to parent because you obviously cannot parent your child without them teaching you how. They are full of boring arrogance. If the school want La to force me sit through how to parent classes, taught via PowerPoint, after my kid is in, I think that is arrogant and pigheaded, but I would do it as part of what you have to do. However, making me sit through three hours of PowerPoint slides just to be able to apply is stupid. If Reno public schools were their current cesspool of learning, this place's arrogance would put it out of business. Once in I hear that the dictation is solid, but oh my good what jerks! read more

I'll start with the positives: It really is a wonder to watch adorable 3 year olds navigate their own way through a classroom with minimal distraction from the teachers. For certain kids, this program works wonders. The dark side, unfortunately, it that if your kid does not fit the perfect mold of what MVM wants, the administration will make you and your child feel like failures. They'll push needless psychiatric care (and possibly get your child addicted to needless pharmaceuticals) and worrisome diagnoses instead of EVER acknowledging that they admitted a child who simply didn't fit their agenda. But then they'll kick your kid out with no apology. This happened to my child at a young age. So we moved him to the local public elementary school, Hunsberger. Within a few months at the new school, he had friends, was thriving AND he learned to read, which is something MVM seems to want to prevent children from learning until they're much older. And now that my kids are older, I can assure you that their love of reading is intrinsic and not dependent on when they learned to read. My other child also attended Hunsberger, and reads constantly for fun. Overall, MVM is a good school for SOME children, but it's aura is too cult like. Parents are basically intimidated into thinking that if their little Johnny does not make the cut, that his life is ruined, so instead they retreat in silence rather than stand up to the legitimate abuses of power that I've witnessed. read more

We love MVM! It's a great community for children and parents. People are usually very respectful and it's nice to have a place where the children are learning the same values from toddler through jr high. The enrollment process can seem a little out of order. There are classes you have to attend before your child(ren) can attend when there is an opening. We started the process the school year before in order to have all the requirements done for when there was an opening. We got the notice that we hadn't gotten a spot and then a few weeks before school started they had an opening! I'm so glad we had everything done so that it was a seamless enrollment and transition for us. I would say that it is well worth the time and money as it's amazing how much growth there is in such a short time. However, if you are not a hands on parent and want to be involved then this is not the best place for you. This is a very hands on/involve your child in a lot kind of place. read more

So when I first moved up here I called some schools to see if they had openings. This school notified me that they didn't have any openings for that school year. I thought to myself it must be a great school. But- then I got a phone call 2 weeks later that they were having a parent meeting night? This seemed like a way for them to scope out parents and make a decision as to weather or not they would want that family/child in their school. Seemed kind of odd to have a parent night if they have no openings!!?! It felt a little snobby to me. I could be wrong- but I'm usually right. Lol! read more

I have know Dennis Wanken for 50 years. We met in High School. He was charming, smart & very caring. Even though our lives took different paths, we always remained close friends. My parents & family loved him & he was always involved in any family activity. My dad passed away in 2013 & Dennis's kind & beautiful words were used at my dad's service. There's not much else to say, except I am lucky to call him friend. read more