Best Montessori programs in DC for early childhood?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are a Shining Stars family and have been happy, though the school has had some growing pains this year. But the school is very committed and passionate to the Montessori method and my DC is happy and learning. The parent network is growing and I think will only gain strength over the next year making SS even better.

We are also at Shining Stars this year and agree with what's said here. We have no complaints with our child's classroom experience. The school administration's communication could be improved, but thus far, it hasn't had negative effects on DD's experience.

[Anonymous]

I live in petworth and am also interested in montessori. Can parents at Christian Fam montessori in petworth tell me how much of the curriculum is religious though? I really don't want that to be a primary focus of the day.

[Anonymous]

CFMS parent here. The school has a very gentle, child-appropriate approach to religion. I would not say that it's the focus of the day, but it is central to the school's ethos and culture. The school uses the Catechesis of the Good Shepard, which employs small objects and lessons, to introduce religion. We really love CFMS, and are not particularly religious, but you should definitely visit and decide if it would work for your family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a Shining Stars family and have been happy, though the school has had some growing pains this year. But the school is very committed and passionate to the Montessori method and my DC is happy and learning. The parent network is growing and I think will only gain strength over the next year making SS even better.

We are also at Shining Stars this year and agree with what's said here. We have no complaints with our child's classroom experience. The school administration's communication could be improved, but thus far, it hasn't had negative effects on DD's experience.

Another Shining Stars family here. We're also thrilled with the classroom experience. My 3 yo DC has made amazing progress since the school year began. I do agree with the other posters concerning the admin. There are definitely some kinks that need to be worked out, but it is getting better, and the parents are a very dedicated group.

[dcmom]

I would love to hear more from the Shining Stars families about what administrative challenges you've faced and what they have done and are planning to do to address them. We are considering the school for our list of 12 in the common lottery, and they haven't yet held any open houses. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I would also love thoughts on Shining Stars.

[Anonymous]

My son went to Childrens House of Washington in Georgetown on Dumbarton Street. One class. Great teachers. Really nice community. Cannot say enough good things about it. No one seems to know about it…I think it's just word of mouth.

[Anonymous]

Re: Shining Stars communications - I expect that most of this will be worked out before any of your kids potentially go there. This year has been complicated for a number of reasons (2 teachers departing early/unexpectedly, need to hire a new office manager, expansion to 3 primary classrooms). It would be nice to get slightly more notice about school events and have a slightly more organized process for communications from each classroom. I get the most meaningful information about what's going on at school (parent night, parent teacher conferences, weather-related closures) from other parents on the (closed) Facebook group created by the PTA. We are working to identify what ways parents would prefer to be communicated with and will then pass those requests/recommendations along to the administration, who have generally been responsive to requests/contacts.

I do not know specifically when the open houses will be. I went to an open house this time last year and honestly, it was kind of hard to get a sense of the school at that time. Parents are not permitted in the classrooms during school hours (a policy I'm not thrilled about though I understand the rationale - disrupts the work, etc.) so you can only really look through the doors and see the common areas. This year, it will also be hard to make decisions about the physical space, as the school is planning to move but nothing is finalized yet. So the space you see likely would not be the one your child experienced next year. I was told by a staff member that the space they are looking at is over by Howard, has parking and an outdoor play area for the children. I don't know what space it is specifically or where the negotiations stand.

If you have specific questions, I'm happy to try answering them from the perspective of someone who's only been involved with the school for a few months.

[Anonymous]

Former CFMS parent. I was a long-time parent and loved the school. Child has graduated but it is a very lovely school. We are not religious either, but the lessons seemed to be around themes like "you are special, etc.) Very much a feel good school and I had no worries at all with my child there. My child grew a lot and loved it there.

Anonymous wrote:CFMS parent here. The school has a very gentle, child-appropriate approach to religion. I would not say that it's the focus of the day, but it is central to the school's ethos and culture. The school uses the Catechesis of the Good Shepard, which employs small objects and lessons, to introduce religion. We really love CFMS, and are not particularly religious, but you should definitely visit and decide if it would work for your family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Re: Shining Stars communications - I expect that most of this will be worked out before any of your kids potentially go there. This year has been complicated for a number of reasons (2 teachers departing early/unexpectedly, need to hire a new office manager, expansion to 3 primary classrooms). It would be nice to get slightly more notice about school events and have a slightly more organized process for communications from each classroom. I get the most meaningful information about what's going on at school (parent night, parent teacher conferences, weather-related closures) from other parents on the (closed) Facebook group created by the PTA. We are working to identify what ways parents would prefer to be communicated with and will then pass those requests/recommendations along to the administration, who have generally been responsive to requests/contacts.

I do not know specifically when the open houses will be. I went to an open house this time last year and honestly, it was kind of hard to get a sense of the school at that time. Parents are not permitted in the classrooms during school hours (a policy I'm not thrilled about though I understand the rationale - disrupts the work, etc.) so you can only really look through the doors and see the common areas. This year, it will also be hard to make decisions about the physical space, as the school is planning to move but nothing is finalized yet. So the space you see likely would not be the one your child experienced next year. I was told by a staff member that the space they are looking at is over by Howard, has parking and an outdoor play area for the children. I don't know what space it is specifically or where the negotiations stand.

If you have specific questions, I'm happy to try answering them from the perspective of someone who's only been involved with the school for a few months.

This is so helpful, thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Re: Shining Stars communications - I expect that most of this will be worked out before any of your kids potentially go there. This year has been complicated for a number of reasons (2 teachers departing early/unexpectedly, need to hire a new office manager, expansion to 3 primary classrooms). It would be nice to get slightly more notice about school events and have a slightly more organized process for communications from each classroom. I get the most meaningful information about what's going on at school (parent night, parent teacher conferences, weather-related closures) from other parents on the (closed) Facebook group created by the PTA. We are working to identify what ways parents would prefer to be communicated with and will then pass those requests/recommendations along to the administration, who have generally been responsive to requests/contacts.

I do not know specifically when the open houses will be. I went to an open house this time last year and honestly, it was kind of hard to get a sense of the school at that time. Parents are not permitted in the classrooms during school hours (a policy I'm not thrilled about though I understand the rationale - disrupts the work, etc.) so you can only really look through the doors and see the common areas. This year, it will also be hard to make decisions about the physical space, as the school is planning to move but nothing is finalized yet. So the space you see likely would not be the one your child experienced next year. I was told by a staff member that the space they are looking at is over by Howard, has parking and an outdoor play area for the children. I don't know what space it is specifically or where the negotiations stand.

If you have specific questions, I'm happy to try answering them from the perspective of someone who's only been involved with the school for a few months.

This is a very thorough run-down of the issues, especially concerning communications, which can be frustrating. It does seem that the admin realizes that there is an issue and is working to address it. I think that some hiccups are to be expected in a newer, smaller school, and I am willing to give the school a chance to improve upon them.

On the positive side, the Montessori classrooms are really excellent, the materials are top-notch and we are very happy with DC's teacher. I have been very happy (and even a little surprised) at how much progress DC has made since the school year began, with how much DC has learned and how independent DC has become. The school seems committed to the Montessori method, and most of the parents seem committed to the school. The student body is very diverse, with kids from all around the city (and I don't mean that in a negative DCUM code-word kind of way).

The school isn't perfect, but it's pretty great for a free Montessori education, and I expect it to get even better as issues are fixed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re: Shining Stars communications - I expect that most of this will be worked out before any of your kids potentially go there. This year has been complicated for a number of reasons (2 teachers departing early/unexpectedly, need to hire a new office manager, expansion to 3 primary classrooms). It would be nice to get slightly more notice about school events and have a slightly more organized process for communications from each classroom. I get the most meaningful information about what's going on at school (parent night, parent teacher conferences, weather-related closures) from other parents on the (closed) Facebook group created by the PTA. We are working to identify what ways parents would prefer to be communicated with and will then pass those requests/recommendations along to the administration, who have generally been responsive to requests/contacts.

I do not know specifically when the open houses will be. I went to an open house this time last year and honestly, it was kind of hard to get a sense of the school at that time. Parents are not permitted in the classrooms during school hours (a policy I'm not thrilled about though I understand the rationale - disrupts the work, etc.) so you can only really look through the doors and see the common areas. This year, it will also be hard to make decisions about the physical space, as the school is planning to move but nothing is finalized yet. So the space you see likely would not be the one your child experienced next year. I was told by a staff member that the space they are looking at is over by Howard, has parking and an outdoor play area for the children. I don't know what space it is specifically or where the negotiations stand.

If you have specific questions, I'm happy to try answering them from the perspective of someone who's only been involved with the school for a few months.

This is a very thorough run-down of the issues, especially concerning communications, which can be frustrating. It does seem that the admin realizes that there is an issue and is working to address it. I think that some hiccups are to be expected in a newer, smaller school, and I am willing to give the school a chance to improve upon them.

On the positive side, the Montessori classrooms are really excellent, the materials are top-notch and we are very happy with DC's teacher. I have been very happy (and even a little surprised) at how much progress DC has made since the school year began, with how much DC has learned and how independent DC has become. The school seems committed to the Montessori method, and most of the parents seem committed to the school. The student body is very diverse, with kids from all around the city (and I don't mean that in a negative DCUM code-word kind of way).

The school isn't perfect, but it's pretty great for a free Montessori education, and I expect it to get even better as issues are fixed.

I'm the PP, and I agree with my fellow Shining Stars parent's assessment. The parent teacher conference was extremely helpful, as was the parent night (where the student gets to show off a 30 minute work cycle to their parents - DD showed me the activities she likes the most and I noticed many of the things we'd discussed at the conference in play - focus on beginning sounds rather than names of letters, practicing grace and courtesy, completing tasks before moving onto other tasks, etc.).

The classroom materials are top notch - actual Montessori supplies and activities as opposed to knock offs or stand ins. The space they are in now, while it is a warehouse and has a very industrial feel, is used well and I really like DD's classroom.

There are 3 primary classrooms - 2 with an age range of 3-6 and one that is just 3 year olds. DD is in one of the mixed age classrooms, so I do not know what the plan is for the 3 year old room next year.

I will say that we do not intend to keep her in any Montessori school for elementary school and will likely be looking to move on for kindergarten/first grade. I love the Montessori method for young children as it has been great at teaching DD practical life skills and how to direct her own activities in ways that her previous play-based environment did not, but I would much rather have her in a more educationally traditional environment as she enters elementary school. I have several friends who were in Montessori school until later in elementary school and they all mentioned difficulties integrating with a classroom that has stricter rules and is less individually directed, which I know has been mentioned by teachers on this board as well. This is absolutely not a commentary on our experience at Shining Stars, though. Just overall educational priorities. They were actually my first choice this season, and we were so thrilled to get the call just after school started.

[Anonymous]

CFMS is fantastic! It has a parent coop which keeps costs down and helps to foster a close knit community. Also it is one of only two AMI schools--the other is Aidan. The charters including Lee Montessori, which will start in 2014, are all AMS if that matters to you. The school is religiously, racially
, ethnically and economically diverse. There are also same sex parents and adopted kids, bilingual kids etc. very diverse and a lovely place to learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re: Shining Stars communications - I expect that most of this will be worked out before any of your kids potentially go there. This year has been complicated for a number of reasons (2 teachers departing early/unexpectedly, need to hire a new office manager, expansion to 3 primary classrooms). It would be nice to get slightly more notice about school events and have a slightly more organized process for communications from each classroom. I get the most meaningful information about what's going on at school (parent night, parent teacher conferences, weather-related closures) from other parents on the (closed) Facebook group created by the PTA. We are working to identify what ways parents would prefer to be communicated with and will then pass those requests/recommendations along to the administration, who have generally been responsive to requests/contacts.

I do not know specifically when the open houses will be. I went to an open house this time last year and honestly, it was kind of hard to get a sense of the school at that time. Parents are not permitted in the classrooms during school hours (a policy I'm not thrilled about though I understand the rationale - disrupts the work, etc.) so you can only really look through the doors and see the common areas. This year, it will also be hard to make decisions about the physical space, as the school is planning to move but nothing is finalized yet. So the space you see likely would not be the one your child experienced next year. I was told by a staff member that the space they are looking at is over by Howard, has parking and an outdoor play area for the children. I don't know what space it is specifically or where the negotiations stand.

If you have specific questions, I'm happy to try answering them from the perspective of someone who's only been involved with the school for a few months.

This is a very thorough run-down of the issues, especially concerning communications, which can be frustrating. It does seem that the admin realizes that there is an issue and is working to address it. I think that some hiccups are to be expected in a newer, smaller school, and I am willing to give the school a chance to improve upon them.

On the positive side, the Montessori classrooms are really excellent, the materials are top-notch and we are very happy with DC's teacher. I have been very happy (and even a little surprised) at how much progress DC has made since the school year began, with how much DC has learned and how independent DC has become. The school seems committed to the Montessori method, and most of the parents seem committed to the school. The student body is very diverse, with kids from all around the city (and I don't mean that in a negative DCUM code-word kind of way).

The school isn't perfect, but it's pretty great for a free Montessori education, and I expect it to get even better as issues are fixed.

There are 3 primary classrooms - 2 with an age range of 3-6 and one that is just 3 year olds. DD is in one of the mixed age classrooms, so I do not know what the plan is for the 3 year old room .

The core of Montessori is mixed age classroom so a class of only three year olds strikes me as problematic and not really Montessori.

[Anonymous]

I would like to note that Little Flowers Montessori is not certified AMI or AMS. The director told me she is AMI certified but the institute has never had a record of Little Flower.