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.

Working with Claudia has been one of the greatest privileges of my career in early childhood…read moreeducation. She is one of the most intentional, attentive, and genuinely caring teachers I have ever met. Every interaction she has with a child is thoughtful. She meets them exactly where they are, and creates moments that make them feel seen, safe, and valued. Her new daycare reflects everything she stands for: a calm, welcoming atmosphere; developmentally appropriate activities; and a culture grounded in kindness, curiosity, and connection. I cannot recommend her or her new daycare highly enough.

My verdict: either mismanaged or malicious…read more Our son attended Sunshine Montessori Preschool for a year. We looked past a few red flags because our son seemed satisfied with his experience. Then, just six weeks before his third birthday, we were informed that he did not have a spot in the three-year-old classroom and that his spot in the two-year-old classroom had been given to a child on the waitlist. Yes, you read that correctly: Our son was forced out of this preschool without justification, and we were given six weeks to find new childcare accommodations at a time when most providers have six-month waitlists! After asking around, it became clear that this situation is by no means common for childcare providers. I won't get into the other red flags we identified because frankly, they pale in comparison to this infraction. I have had some time to process everything, and it has left me split between two conclusions: either Sunshine Montessori is managed so poorly that they failed to continue to care for our son or, for reasons I can't comprehend, the leadership at Sunshine Montessori made a malicious decision not to continue to care for our son. I'll leave you to draw your own conclusion. My only advice is to proceed with caution if you're considering leaving your child in the care of Sunshine Montessori Preschool. You too may be left scrambling to find a new provider on short notice.

Not a good environment for neurodivergent kids, significant lack of support or willingness to try…read moreimplementing simple accommodations to help them succeed (e.g. visual schedules), and only surface level engagement with the NWRESD process. My child was enrolled for approximately 8 months. Of the handful of places my child attended over the years this was by far the worst experience we had. The first red flag was when they declined to attend my child's IFSP meeting. They were uninterested in collaborating with us to develop strategies to manage challenging behavior (and would later send my child home early several times because they were unequipped to deal with it) or collaborate on accommodations they could implement. We left sunshine a month earlier than planned because we were so fed up, felt like they saw our child as a "behavior problem" that we needed to fix, and I was left with anxiety about how my child would do in kindergarten and beyond. If there wasn't such a shortage of childcare we would have moved programs earlier- the only thing that kept us there was a lack of availability. We also thought Sunshine overall felt unfriendly. The head teacher barely looked up at drop off to say hi and it didn't seem like the kids worked on very many engaging projects. I'm used to my child coming home with paintings, and paper plate animals, and handmade balls of wool, or cut out/glued on/colored paper, or seeing their artwork on the walls of the classroom- but that wasn't the case here. I want to be fair and say I don't think everything was terrible. My child made friends, she liked her room teacher, she made progress in academic learning, very occasionally brough home cute craft projects, played with some fun toys, had access to interesting learning materials, and I didn't fear for her safety. If your child does not need additional accommodations, is fairly self directed, follows verbal directions, and can still for extended periods they may do fine here. If they are wiggle worms that need extra movement in their day or have learning challenges, I strongly urge you to look elsewhere. My child is now THRIVING in kindergarten and I'm so thankful for the support they are getting at another school. I'm also so thankful to the NWRESD teachers that visited in the sunshine classroom and reassured me throughout our struggles my child was acting in age appropriate ways and doing their best even with such lack of support.

This is in response to Blue R's comment below:…read more I have been a parent at Gabriel Park Preschool for the last two years and I don't think you have the right school. My son was in the 3 year old class last year and our teacher is beyond kind and compassionate and none of what was described in your post happened at our school while we have been there. There was not a child with genetic condition or diabetes enrolled last year, nor was there a decline in enrollment. Also, our president was male last Fall and our teacher has not left (and hopefully never will!) I am so sorry you experienced what you described, it sounds truly horrific! I just want to make sure you leave this under the appropriate school so that families can be warned.

We LOVE Gabriel Park Preschool! This is my daughter's first year. She is in the youngsters class…read morewhich is 2-3 years of age. She looks forward to school each week and I am always excited to see the new craft projects and hear about school. Teacher Jen is amazing! She always has fun new ideas for the kids and they just love her. This is a really fun and creative environment where children are able to go at their own pace and learn and play in their own create way. I can not say enough wonderful things. If you are looking for a cooperative preschool, this is it!

First thing that needs mentioning, this school offers parents $50 for 5 star reviews. It's on the…read morefront page of their welcome kit. So keep in mind most of the reviews you will read i've been heavily influenced with free tutoring in exchange for positive reviews. My experience with the school was unimpressive. From the very beginning all they wanted to talk about was the payments and how much it was going to cost they didn't seem concerned with offering up any information about how the school runs. It felt like an extremely rushed process Focus was always around money. The intake person that we dealt with did not seem like she was that interested. Acted bothered by my questions almost. While we were in there the place seemed very disorganized. They claim to have a maximum of three students per teacher but they're all lumped into one noisy room. One of the main reasons I chose this place was because of its overwhelming reviews but now that I know that those reviews are bought and paid for and after my initial experience we chose to go a different route.

My son has attended Sylvan for about a month. My son loves it. They have taught him to enjoy…read morewriting. When my husband took a second job, Sylvan was immediately accommodating in changing my son's tutoring schedule. I am happy to have my son at Sylvan.

I've heard good things about this school and met a teacher that worked here and she said "It's all…read moreabout money at this school." I didn't believe her, but now I certainly do now! We decided to send our daughter here and put a $1000 deposit down and there was a waitlist. We decided to not send her that year, but for the following year. No one had told us that we would lose our $1000 deposit, nor did they tell us we needed to put down another $1000 again to hold my daughters place on another waitlist. After phone calls and emails to get her enrolled no one has ever gotten back to me. I had spoken to the director, Michelle and she never got back to me if there's room or if my daughter would even go to this school. No communication at all! This school didn't have a problem cashing my $1000 check but they have a problem with how they treat people that want to enroll their children there. After 5 months of complaining, they magically have an opening. My husband said, "do you really trust them with our child?" My thoughts are no. I'm a strong believer in "everything starts from the top". If the director of the school sets that kind of tone for the school, I'm not interested. I don't think anyone else should be either.

I found CHA through a referral and my daughter started going at 13 months and my son at 4. CHA has…read morebeen a blessing. Every day my kids are excited to go to school, are surrounded by warm, loving and skilled teachers and are thriving. There is nothing better than knowing my children are in this great environment while I work! I am so grateful for every staff member at CHA!

For the 2013 - 2014 school year, Village Montessori provided school day and after care Monday…read morethrough Thursday for my 2 children, 3 years and 5 years Doris provides a safe, loving, learning community in her mixed age Montessori classroom. During the main school day, there are 2 teachers and 16 children, fantastic ratio for children of this age. She has established process and discipline with the children, but does so in such a loving and consistent way. For instance, children are expected to clean up (and once properly instructed) held to a high standard to complete the task. When my children put their minds to something, there is very little they can't do. I've had to learn this just as much as my children. I love the songs my children come home singing. The map of Europe my daughter punched out from construction paper and assembled correctly blew me away. When you visit, notice how calm and focused 16 3 to 5 year olds can be when given this consistent direction, proper instruction and calm, effective redirection. When staying for the full day, older children who have aged out of nap time get additional instruction in "challenging work", which includes language, math and social studies. Sleeping arrangement for younger children is in a separated room on sleeping mats and is kept quiet. Wow, check out the outdoor space! It's an unexpected oasis, and lots of time is spent out there in the nice weather. Doris keeps in touch with a blog and emails after hours when there is something I need to know about my children, either good or bad. It's kinda nice to hear the good parts. The facility is a single family home near Lake Grove used exclusively for the school. It's clean and well maintained and set up for kids to thrive. The school is off for the month of August and all Lake Oswego SD holidays. As both parents in our family work full time, we had to scramble, but for the 2 Augusts for which we have participated, the change in schedule has ended up being a welcome change of pace. Price per quality is wonderful when compared to other Montessori options in the Lake Oswego area. Strong Recommend.

Our kids have been attending this school for the last 6 months. I love the teachers, and appreciate…read morethat there is little turnover (especially compared to our last daycare). It is not new. It is not shiny. But you know what? Our kids love it. It's comfortable and homey and clean. I feel good when I leave my kids. The outside play is awesome. They have a huge covered spot for the kids to run around and play even when it's raining (and it does that from time to time here in Oregon!). I love that my kids come back and have learned new songs or poems. My 4-year old can write her name and my 2-year old knows the months of the year! They provide lots of activities, so the kids almost always have something to look forward to. Picnic days, bouncehouse, clowns, picture day, reptile man, Tumblebus, Soccer Shots... it's so much fun! The location can't be beat (tucked away) and it doesn't feel like an institution. They allow the kids to get messy (my kids play HARD at this school, which means great bedtime!) and are always doing cool/fun artwork. I wholeheartedly recommend Blue Skies and Butterflies to everyone!!!

Not a preschool, as they claim…read more The only pro- It's a convenient location for us and the facility is in a great neighborhood with lots of playgrounds for the kids. On the exterior, it looks clean, well kept, and located on a spacious lot. The staff there is relatively friendly and seem to be interactive with the kids. Not sure if our negative experiences are due to the management but I wish I could give more positive feedback. We took our child there for over two years and its been an "ok to negative" experience. There have been a few incidents that have made us question why we didn't switch day cares sooner. When my husband or I would pick up our child, we both agreed, that the environment felt dirty. Whether it be sticky floors, stained walls and/or surfaces, or fowl smells, we stop to think about the germs that must be circulating. Our son was constantly sick, including hand foot and mouth, on multiple occasions. The food that's served to the kids (only posted on a board unless asked for a copy every month) are horrible. I'm not sure that corn dogs are a healthiest option even if you're serving it with sugared fruit or canned veggies. Some daycares serve "quick serve foods" such as corn dogs, due to lack of equipment, but blue skies has no excuses. They have a fully equipped kitchen that is capable of cooking healthier food options. For the amount that they charge, they are hesitant to provide documents. When we have requested any additional items, such as a receipt for our monthly payment, we had to ask multiple times and then told by the manager that we have to keep asking until "squeaky wheel gets the grease". No thank you. As far as communication with your teacher..there is a chart posted on the classrooms for parents to look at at the end of the day. This chart shows whether or not your child napped or ate, with check marks, however more then half the time, it's not filled out. If I ask the teacher there at the end of the day if my child ate lunch or not, they say they don't know. Really?! When we pick up our child at the end of the day, our son is always filthy. We started a habit awhile ago of not touching anything at home until we wash hands. Sometimes we take a bath before dinner, it's so bad. Kids get dirty, We understand that, but It doesn't even seem like they wipe they're noses. During our time at blue skies, the director of the facility was never present and had no communication with us. We've never been asked for feedback for improvement or approached about how our experience is with the staff or facility. We believe in some type of communication with the director of our child's preschool/daycare. Blue skies is horrible, in our opinion. I would ask what matters most to you, a nice outdoor facility or having your child engaged and lead to their highest potential. Last but not least, If you'd like your child to be included and treated like their peers, I suggest looking elsewhere. The staff is not motivated to engage and redirect children who may need extra guidance.