My child was having behavioral struggles prior to Clay-Platte (CP). We thought sensory was a…read morecomponent & I had her tested for cognitive ability due to complaints that school was boring. She tested high & I thought perhaps she wasn't being challenged combined with overwhelming sensory inputs. She lacked behavioral struggles at home which told me the school environment was the trigger. I'd been looking into CP since she was a baby so I decided to take the leap. I enrolled her in the 6-9 year class. Before term I got a call that the school's 9-12 class teacher had left & they'd be combining classes so that 6-12 year olds were in the same class. I trusted the school wouldn't make that decision without consideration so I was still onboard to give it a shot despite reservations. Behavioral struggles began immediately and I took my child back for more extensive testing. Before completing testing, my child was asked not to return to CPs aftercare program. W/o aftercare I could not keep my child at CP. I moved her to a different school & got the results of her testing. She has inattentive ADHD. She began medication for ADHD & is doing so much better now. Having the dx explains a lot. My child is smart yet struggles to focus on a subject. She knows she can learn something yet cannot direct her attention to learn it. This caused significant frustration. Also, in times where she is receiving undesirable sensory inputs she seeks sensory outlets. The combo of these also led to her eloping the environment causing her stress. I'm writing this review to share some insights for parents who also have neurodivergent (ND) children. I had hoped that I would be met at CP with empathetic minds given the nature of Montessori education & I don't feel that was the case. I felt judgement here & that my child was seen as a problem rather than a child struggling. I didn't get this sense from all the staff, but I shouldn't have gotten this sense from any of the staff. I don't feel like the school was equipped for my child, even as she is now with a dx & medication. It's one thing to have a child led school with child led curriculum, but another thing to effectively lead a child & it starts with how you interact with them, not what you try to teach them. Once when I went to pick up my child she'd found a ladybug. When I got there the lead teacher said, "Here at CP, we don't keep the bugs. You must leave it here." & began the campaign to tell her to put the bug down. I stepped in & said something like cool ladybug, let's go find him a great home. We did & she left without issue. It seems super small, but instead of leading my child, the teacher put herself in a position of authoritative conflict. For ADHD kids who have higher rates of ODD this is not ideal. When I had my child tested, the psychologist sent questionnaires to her lead teacher. Each of the questionnaires is given a bias score. The responses received from the CP lead teacher were flagged for negative bias, indicating that they could be excessively critical or judgmental. Specific to aftercare, a lot of the staff was just kids in the high school class. Once at pickup I was met by the director because my child was refusing to go back into the building & the conversation I had with her wasn't encouraging. She kind of ranted about how this was a business & she was going to have to raise aftercare prices. The conversation lacked the professionalism I would expect & instead of being centered on helping my child it felt more like, "take a look at your child not listening to an adult & hear about how it affects my business." Less important than the educational stewardship of my ND child, I paid Aug & Sep tuition, Aug & Sep aftercare, & a material fee. My child attended the school 8/15-9/23 & aftercare 8/15-9/8. When I asked about a prorated refund I was blown off. I paid for 2 full months of aftercare for 19 days. & I paid for 2 full months of tuition for 30 days. I doubt my child utilized $500 worth of the material fee I paid.

We've had a truly wonderful experience at Clay-Platte Montessori School over the past two years…read more From our very first tour with Lishchkaya (who became Head of School shortly after we started), we felt welcomed and seen. We were drawn to Montessori principles, but what really impressed us was seeing how beautifully those ideas are lived out in the classrooms. Our son was in a Primary classroom with Mark as the lead guide, and we watched him grow so much in his independence, confidence, and curiosity. The teachers and staff are top-notch: patient, caring, and incredibly intentional in how they observe and support each child's development. The access to nature has also been a huge highlight. Whether it's exploring the creek or building outside, our child came home full of stories and wonder from his outdoor experiences. And beyond just academics, he learned real, practical life skills (things like how to care for his space, solve problems, and take initiative), which we know will serve him well long after he's left the classroom. One of the things we appreciated most was how well they got to know our child and us. It's a place where relationships matter, where each child is respected as an individual, and where learning is joyful and meaningful. We couldn't have asked for a better foundation for our son's early education, and we're so grateful to have been part of the CPMS community.