If the original poster is still looking at options - Paint Branch Montessori School is another great option. They accept children ages 2+. My husband and I toured many of the options suggested here last year and ended up choosing PBMS due to the friendly staff and the facilities. This was one of the only facilities that had large windows that allowed for natural light.

My daughter has really loved her experience at PBMS.

A parent who thought SJA's admissions counselor should provide some input on this thread alerted me to it.

There's some great feedback in previous posts on the program and teachers. I would just like to clarify a few details:

* There are separate enrollment events for the Montessori preschool and the Classical primary school. During the weekday open houses, we don't provide tours of the Montessori classrooms, due to the importance of maintaining a regulated environment in those classes. However, one of the teachers, Ms. Spaulding, does allow visitors to take a peek into her classroom, and we often do stop there so that visitors can see what a renovated classroom looks like. (We are in the early stages of a major interior renovation of our 70-year-old facility. As of this fall, both Primary classrooms will be fully renovated.) This does not substitute for a parent observation of the class, however, and those are scheduled separately. Both Montessori Primary classrooms are available for parent observations, by appointment.

* Ms. Spaulding is AMS-trained and certified; thus, as others have noted, her classroom methods are somewhat hybrid of classical Montessori and more modern innovations. Ms. Van Versendaal is AMI-trained and certified, and follows rigorously a purist form of Montessori education. Both classrooms are set up according to AMI standards and use AMI-approved materials. Next year, we are planning to hire an AMI-certified co-teacher for Ms. Spaulding's class, so that we can attain the AMI accreditation that we seek. Some parents prefer Ms. Spaulding's approach and others, Ms. Van Versendaal's. They're both excellent teachers, who use overlapping but somewhat different methods. I encourage you to observe in both classrooms and see which appeals to you more.

* SJA also offers a Montessori Toddler program for children between the ages of 18 and 36 months. There are two part-time classes, one meeting on Monday and Tuesday mornings and the other on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. The two Toddler teachers -- Ms. DeLee and Ms. Oriani, classroom, and materials are all AMI-certified. Some children are dual-enrolled in the Toddler Room and the St. Jerome Child Center, with an aide taking them back and forth.

* I apologize for the SJA Montessori website, which is not being updated pending the development of a new website for the whole school. Parents interested in the program can submit a query for more information through that website, at http://sjamontessori.org, or at the main school website, http://stjeromeacademy.org.

I agree with the previous poster that CFMS is an excellent Montessori school. In fact, one of CFMS' Primary teachers was part of the committee that guided the development of SJA's Montessori program, which is going into its third year. Both schools tend to have long waiting lists, so I'd encourage parents to apply early and to apply to more than one school, to help ensure that their children gain acceptance in at least one high-quality program.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, the main distinction between the two rooms used to be that one for half day students and the other was for full-day plus the kids who were completely their KG year in the Montessori room. Now, both rooms offer full day, though I think the older kids were still in more-traditional Montessori room this past year. I'm not sure if there's going to be a meaningful difference in who's assigned to which room next year - probably not, as the Montessori program is very popular, with enough demand for both to be full.

Thanks for all of this. We'll be starting at CFMS in the fall, which is super AMI as far as I can tell, so we'll see what happens when I get what I wanted.

Is that the Christian Montessori school? I don't know the full name, but I've heard other families talk about it and met some of the kids who go there at weekend neighborhood activities. I hear good things - I'm sure your family will be happy there!

Anonymous wrote:Also, the main distinction between the two rooms used to be that one for half day students and the other was for full-day plus the kids who were completely their KG year in the Montessori room. Now, both rooms offer full day, though I think the older kids were still in more-traditional Montessori room this past year. I'm not sure if there's going to be a meaningful difference in who's assigned to which room next year - probably not, as the Montessori program is very popular, with enough demand for both to be full.

Thanks for all of this. We'll be starting at CFMS in the fall, which is super AMI as far as I can tell, so we'll see what happens when I get what I wanted.

Also, the main distinction between the two rooms used to be that one for half day students and the other was for full-day plus the kids who were completely their KG year in the Montessori room. Now, both rooms offer full day, though I think the older kids were still in more-traditional Montessori room this past year. I'm not sure if there's going to be a meaningful difference in who's assigned to which room next year - probably not, as the Montessori program is very popular, with enough demand for both to be full.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't get on a waitlist without a due date. My kid is at the St Jerome's Montessori preschool. We also applied to St Ann's and Heritage - both offered us spots a year after applying, so if you get on the list as soon as you find out you're pregnant, plus take a few months of maternity leave, you should get an infant spot when you're ready to go back to work.

Preschools are good in the area and there are several options. Infant care is more limited, but the houses are large, so you could get an au pair, or hire a nanny.

How is it? We visited the SJA Montessori classroom, and were kind of disappointed. It seemed like a regular preschool classroom with Montessori materials, but no real integration of the philosophy. For example, the kids were having snack at a preset time, prepared and served by the preschool staff. Similarly, the staff were putting kids' coats and hats on rather than teaching them to do it themselves. The self-sufficiency that I'm used to seeing in Montessori classrooms (including where my oldest spent three years) was missing.

I'll admit the program was new and it was relatively early in the year, but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

Weird. I wonder which classroom you were visiting. In my daughter's, the kids rotate in responsibility for snack prep. I do think snack is prepped all and once and generally eaten before they all go to the park, so there is a set-time. Lunch is also eaten at a designated time. To me, that's a non-issue but perhaps it matters more to others. The kids still do all the place setting, fruit-cutting, flower arranging, wash their own dishes after meals, etc.

They also hang up their own stuff. On day 2, I helped DD hang her coat and I was politely asked to let her to do it herself.

A PP said that the more strict of the Montessori teachers doesn't allow visitors. We only saw one class (the other one was off-limits), which now makes sense. The frustrating thing is that the person giving the tour didn't make any distinction, or explain that the other class had a more AMI-aligned philosophy, so I walked away from the school with the impression that it was not the right choice for our family because we were looking for something more closely aligned with the Montessori pedagogy in order to provide my daughter with some continuity between her old preschool in another state, and her new kindergarten.

I wonder if he didn't know, or if he didn't think it was useful information.

Probably didn't know, honestly. The 1st-8th grades are based on a classical curriculum and most of the academy staff are more familiar with that. The Montessori preschool is a relatively new addition to the school. Now that I know which room you visited - that is with the younger, newer teacher who just recently completed her Montessori training. She seems very sweet, and I've liked all my interactions with her, and I hear only wonderful things from the parents with children in her class. The room you didn't see was Ms. Spaulding's, who is the more traditional Montessori instructor and my daughter is in her class. Ms. Spaulding has 30+ of Montessori teaching experience and she is very dedicated to the methodology - and that includes minimal disruptions to the class. Even the parents have scheduled observations - not a free-flowing drop-in policy.

There's an open house for SJA's Montessori preschool usually in April. I recommend signing up for alerts and attending when that's organized. You'll get to tour both Montessori classrooms and can speak directly to Ms. Spaulding then. In fact, you could probably request to meet her sooner as well if you're sure that's the room you'd be more interested in.

There's also a toddler Montessori program that meets a couple times a week and the teacher for that is so warm and loving - really what you'd imagine as the ideal preschool teacher.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't get on a waitlist without a due date. My kid is at the St Jerome's Montessori preschool. We also applied to St Ann's and Heritage - both offered us spots a year after applying, so if you get on the list as soon as you find out you're pregnant, plus take a few months of maternity leave, you should get an infant spot when you're ready to go back to work.

Preschools are good in the area and there are several options. Infant care is more limited, but the houses are large, so you could get an au pair, or hire a nanny.

How is it? We visited the SJA Montessori classroom, and were kind of disappointed. It seemed like a regular preschool classroom with Montessori materials, but no real integration of the philosophy. For example, the kids were having snack at a preset time, prepared and served by the preschool staff. Similarly, the staff were putting kids' coats and hats on rather than teaching them to do it themselves. The self-sufficiency that I'm used to seeing in Montessori classrooms (including where my oldest spent three years) was missing.

I'll admit the program was new and it was relatively early in the year, but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

Weird. I wonder which classroom you were visiting. In my daughter's, the kids rotate in responsibility for snack prep. I do think snack is prepped all and once and generally eaten before they all go to the park, so there is a set-time. Lunch is also eaten at a designated time. To me, that's a non-issue but perhaps it matters more to others. The kids still do all the place setting, fruit-cutting, flower arranging, wash their own dishes after meals, etc.

They also hang up their own stuff. On day 2, I helped DD hang her coat and I was politely asked to let her to do it herself.

A PP said that the more strict of the Montessori teachers doesn't allow visitors. We only saw one class (the other one was off-limits), which now makes sense. The frustrating thing is that the person giving the tour didn't make any distinction, or explain that the other class had a more AMI-aligned philosophy, so I walked away from the school with the impression that it was not the right choice for our family because we were looking for something more closely aligned with the Montessori pedagogy in order to provide my daughter with some continuity between her old preschool in another state, and her new kindergarten.

I wonder if he didn't know, or if he didn't think it was useful information.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't get on a waitlist without a due date. My kid is at the St Jerome's Montessori preschool. We also applied to St Ann's and Heritage - both offered us spots a year after applying, so if you get on the list as soon as you find out you're pregnant, plus take a few months of maternity leave, you should get an infant spot when you're ready to go back to work.

Preschools are good in the area and there are several options. Infant care is more limited, but the houses are large, so you could get an au pair, or hire a nanny.

How is it? We visited the SJA Montessori classroom, and were kind of disappointed. It seemed like a regular preschool classroom with Montessori materials, but no real integration of the philosophy. For example, the kids were having snack at a preset time, prepared and served by the preschool staff. Similarly, the staff were putting kids' coats and hats on rather than teaching them to do it themselves. The self-sufficiency that I'm used to seeing in Montessori classrooms (including where my oldest spent three years) was missing.

I'll admit the program was new and it was relatively early in the year, but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

Weird. I wonder which classroom you were visiting. In my daughter's, the kids rotate in responsibility for snack prep. I do think snack is prepped all and once and generally eaten before they all go to the park, so there is a set-time. Lunch is also eaten at a designated time. To me, that's a non-issue but perhaps it matters more to others. The kids still do all the place setting, fruit-cutting, flower arranging, wash their own dishes after meals, etc.

They also hang up their own stuff. On day 2, I helped DD hang her coat and I was politely asked to let her to do it herself.