Wonderful teachers and experience at MAN with my 1st and 2nd grader. This school is truly a hidden…read moregem.

We've been coming to this school for over 6 years. We love it. The Montessori Method is the best…read moreway to go, and a smaller school actually helps keep a close community.

I believe that Cedar used to be a great school. The reputation and success with children have…read morecarried this school on for many years. This is now a very poorly-maintained school with limited resources. The director (very experienced) and administrator (mother and daughter), have a good heart and intent, but are sometimes very unprofessional, rigid, gets very emotional and does not have enough people to help run the school. You will find that the adult-to-children ratio sometimes shifts because the adults transform and begin acting like children. They are very nice, and they say they will "work with your child" until they cash-in your check. In advance, we informed them that we would not be able to take a week off the kids' first week to "transition" them into the school, and they said it was okay until we paid. "This is we do things here". No wonder they keep losing teachers and students... In general, this school is located at a run-down building that looks like an old motel, and the parking lot is half-finished for the few months we attended. The classroom temperature is kept uncomfortably high, so the children are sweating a lot. Awesome, free sauna. I asked if the AC is working, and yes it is... maybe they are saving money. Administrator (Morgan) juggles various tasks, including intake in the morning, taking care of her infant child, office administration, front office phone, accounting. Parents, beware, you may need to develop mind-reading skills with Morgan. She thought it was rude for us to inquire about tuition at a certain time in the morning, because she was also doing intake. Strange. Unprofessional, argumentative, and snarky. Probably as a result of being over-worked, and never receive training / feedback on her behavior towards parents / customers. Director (Kelly Thorpe), is trying her best, but has failed to keep up with running a "best in class" school. It's a very rigid program that did not fit our children. She went out of her way, and scheduled several conferences with us to discuss how the children are doing. Sometimes, she cannot maintain her composure, and would have emotional outbursts. I think she is under a great of stress, but really shouldn't take it out on parents. Ms. Thorpe is very caring and has a good heart. There are so many "hidden" rules that we discovered along the way... like, no diapers, only pull-ups, no onesies, prefer water-cups where the sprout is not exposed, cannot drop off after 9am without prior notice... There is already a mountain a paper-work (because the same kind of questions like your name, address, etc is re-asked multiple time). If a rule-book is published, it would probably be another mountain! Home cooked meals provided for a small charge, and we thought it was worth it. A good variety of menu-items were offered. After a few weeks, the both the children dreaded being dropped off in the morning, and ran to us to be picked up. We forfeited some tuition to switch to another Montessori school before our contract was up, and we observe an immediate change in behavior in our children. They love their new school, and cannot wait to go in the morning, and wouldn't leave in the afternoon. We think Cedar is generally fine, and will be a good fit for other families. We had the unfortunate experiences with Ms. Thorpe and Ms. Morgan.

I truly cannot say enough wonderful things about this school. I genuinely shout it from the…read morerooftops to all of my friends because I absolutely love how LOVED my children are by every single staff member here. One of the things that continues to amaze me is how every staff member even the aftercare staff, whom my boys don't regularly see knows them by name. It may seem like a small thing, but as a mom, it means the world to me. It makes you feel like your children aren't just students here... they are truly known, cared for, and loved. Melanie was the one who kick-started our Montessori experience, and wow, did she set the bar high. She is the absolute epitome of what you hope your child's first school experience will be. Her patience, kindness, warmth, and genuine love for the children are so evident in everything she does. She has made such a lasting impression on our family, and this school is incredibly lucky to have her. With my boys being only 13 months apart, they weren't able to be in the same class, which I completely understand, but I was admittedly a little apprehensive about starting over with a new teacher for my younger son. I couldn't have imagined a better person for him than Cira. She is such a compassionate, loving, patient, and guiding teacher. We absolutely adore her and most importantly, so does my son. Watching the bond they have built has been so special to me as a mom. We have also been incredibly happy watching our oldest son transition into the Primary program with Madison and Ana. The way the Primary program fosters independence, confidence, creativity, and a genuine love of learning is something we value so much. Seeing him grow into his own little person while being supported and encouraged every step of the way has been such a joy. At the end of the day, there is nothing more important to us than knowing our children are somewhere they feel safe, happy, confident, and loved. This school has given us that peace of mind, and we are so incredibly grateful. We truly feel so lucky to have found this school and these teachers. Thank you for loving our boys, believing in them, and helping them grow into the little people they are becoming. We couldn't ask for a better place for our family.

Initially, the staff was really nice and we took our four-year-old son, who has level one autism,…read moreand high-functioning, for a trial day at the school. Everything seemed to go well and they told us that they will contact us by the end of the week. That never happened and we waited another week to hear back, just in case, and they just never called, us no email or anything. Even if we were denied, we would have loved at least a call or an email. It just seems like they didn't care to tell us.

We love IMA. The teachers are experienced, caring, and committed.Only the highest quality teaching…read morematerials are used--wood, metal, and even glass, as children are taught to safely and properly pour, hold, and carry everyday items as a practical skill. Students also learn about geography, math, social studies/culture, & language on a level so deep, it's at times hard to believe. I think it is incredible that my 4 year old daughter already knows about all the continents !!! We love the IMA, and I would recommend it to any parent looking for great school!

I have one child in the Primary class and 1 entering the toddler room next year. We couldn't be…read morehappier with our experience at Island Montessori Academy. The teachers are outstanding and caring. We are amazed at the things our daughter learned this year whether it be the name of the continents, how to write her name or ho to fold laundry!! My daughter feels a part of a family and is so happy to go to school each and every day!!

This school is a huge disappointment. My two children attended Renaissance school for two and a…read morehalf years. I had no choice but to transfer them to a different school mid-year. Both my children were behind in academics. My kindergartner didn't know all the letter or sounds of the alphabet. Her self-esteem was low and she was very shy. My 3rd grader was completely reluctant to writing and reading. He didn't even want to pick out a book at the library, which had not happened in the past. The longer they were at Renaissance school, the worse they became. It was very sad to see. At home, they were misbehaving and were very reserved about discussing their day at school. Obviously, they were not happy. We got the complete opposite of what was promised to us. I believed in the school's vision, but Renaissance school does not follow traditional Montessori teachings. My children had a total of 13 different teachers within their 2.5 years there! Apparently, the administration is very difficult to work for, and only a couple teachers have been there for more than a year. The energy of this place felt wrong for some time (over a year). I couldn't quite understand what I was feeling, until I volunteered in the school field trips. I saw, first hand, how the children, including my own, had little appreciation and respect for their learning environment and teachers. 3 months forward: My kindergartner now reads fluently. She has even moved up to reading chapter books. She is confident in her abilities at school, and she has become calmer and respectful at home. My 3rd grader now loves reading! He reads at least one grade-level book a week. He is so happy and responsible now. He now wakes up before me, so that he is early to school each morning. Although, it was a very scary decision to transfer my children mid-year, I have no regrets. Both my kids have told me that they learn so much quicker at their new school and that they are having a lot more fun. They both love their news teachers. I thank my friends and family who supported and encouraged me during my children's difficult school transfer. For anyone who is considering Renaissance School for their children, I highly recommend to search for another school. Not only is Renaissance school very expensive, it just does not deliver. During the time that we were still there, an undisclosed employee/ex-employee at Renaissance School, told me that my children would be better off attending a public school. I now see how that is true. The very limited academic progress that my children had there, was and is completely unacceptable. I am so happy and grateful now that my children left Renaissance School. P.S. I am not the sole parent who has experienced this. I have many parent-friends who have left Renaissance school for the same or similar reasons. I feel it is very important for other parents to know the truth, through our experience.

We are in our second year at this school and more pleased than ever with our experience. My…read moredaughter's language skills are astonishing for a 2.5 year old - she is a kind, loving, emotionally secure child who has been lovingly cared for by her teachers and the school community. I feel we get double the value of our tuition because they involve the parents so much and teach us as much as they teach the children. They individualize the experience for each student and know the children so well. When my daughter was ready for more experiences and challenge, her teacher created a custom curriculum for her. We feel this school is literally helping us raise an amazing child.

What they lack in constant communication they make up for in everything else. The center is clean…read more The teachers are seriously incredible. Plus, just when you could possibly ponder that they're not doing enough for your tiny humans, they're organizing shows or events or parents night out. The owners work there, they're not just in it for a paycheck. They also have one of the best curriculum's for a non-Montessori school, plus the rates are reasonable. It's tough out there to find a place to take care of your littles, but even through all the crazy you'll find they genuinely care about the people who care about the center. If that means they're favorites, so be it. Parents who do more than drop off and pick up, and build relationships with the teachers are going to end up having better relationships than others. That's life.

Our family started at Milestones in mid 2015 with our oldest child being 2 1/2 years old. Prior to…read morethat we had some bad experiences at other day cares. We are approaching our final days at Milestone with our youngest graduating VPK and could not be more grateful for the love, care and education our 3 children received. I am deeply saddened to say good bye to all the staff. They take all of the children's welfare, safety and health seriously; and sometimes this can be misconstrued. I would recommend Milestones Learning Center 9/10 times!

I wish I would have came across this daycare earlier on. The staff are incredible, the owner is…read morevery hands on. My daughter I feel is doing amazing, excelling within the vpk program. I couldn't have made a better choice for my daughter. The environment, the staff, the program is all 100% & beyond.

From the owner: Advanced Learning Academy Preschool "Enhancing The Minds Of…read moreThe Next Generation" We are certified through the Florida Department of Education and the Early Learning Coalition of SWFL & Florida's Heartland as a School Readiness and Voluntary Prekindergarten Provider (VPK). We offer nurturing care with Montessori style academics in a clean and secure, safe environment. Ages accepted: Infants through 5 years, plus camps for elementary aged children when elementary schools are not in session. Breakfast, lunch and snacks included. Privately owned, est. in 2009. Located in North Fort Myers, just 3 minutes west of I-75, exit 143 (Bayshore Rd exit), near the Slater/Bayshore Rd intersection, just behind the Publix in Eagles Landing Plaza. DCF License C20LE0154

I will be leaving a very detailed review soon to post/ revise detailing our very bad situation with…read moredirector, Marcella.

High teacher turnover No consistency. Lots of potential but…read morenot executed properly. Aggressive children go unpunished