Testimonials

Amy Rauch Neilson
Occupation:Writer/Editor
We love Schoolhouse Montessori Academy and will keep our child enrolled there through the sixth grade. Our son started off in the public school system this year (his Kindergarten year), and it was a disaster on so many levels. We were thrilled that SMA was able to accept him as a transfer in Mid-November. We saw an immediate improvement in his environment, from the supportive teaching environment and materials to his overall feeling of wellbeing. We are astounded and so very pleased with the academic progress Theo has made this year! We feel blessed to have such an amazing school so close to home. We do not worry about Theo during the day as we are confident that he is in good hands. We especially love that whenever anyone asks him how he likes school, he always replies, “I love it!” Thank you for fostering such an incredible learning environment.

Michelle Morrow
Occupation: Supply Chain Analyst
Employer: Ford Motor Company
Each time we attend a parent teacher conference, we are reassured that we have made the right decision having our child enrolled in Schoolhouse Montessori. When we read the weekly Scribbles of what the children are learning about, we are amazed. We see a positive difference in our child in comparison to other children the same age that do not attend this school. We know this difference has so much to do with the environment she is in. Our child has a desire to learn because that’s all she knows. This is such a critical age and children are such sponges, why not give them the positive educational opportunity if you are lucky enough to have the choice? We could not be happier at this time.

Swati Saini
Occupation:Engineer
Employer: Ford Motor Company
I love the classroom environment for my son and I am amazed at how much he is learning. I love how the kids learn to work independently and know that they have the responsibility of completing their goal sheets every week. The work ethic they learn at school is amazing and we are so happy with the elementary classroom. Mrs. Sullivan and Ms. Usher are top-notch teachers who really care about the kids and I have seen firsthand how well all the kids respond to them during field trips and classroom visits. My husband and I are very happy with the school and all of the teachers. My son is very happy with his school which makes life for us very stress free knowing he is in a caring environment all day.

Diane Spiteri
Occupation: Senior Internal Auditor
My husband and I spent numerous hours researching pre-schools in order to make the right choice for our daughter. Looking back, we absolutely made the right decision in choosing Schoolhouse Montessori. Our daughter has flourished academically and socially. It is amazing to see how much she has learned after one year of pre-school. The teachers and staff are knowledgeable, caring and very patient. We feel incredibly comfortable in leaving our daughter in their care. KUDOS to Schoolhouse Montessori!

Sarah Spumerman
Mother of Jack
I like that Montessori enriches my son’s strengths. I have seen so many positive changes of every aspect of his development. He is always happy and excited when speaking of his day at school and also shares what he has learned. I also like the social interaction he shares with other students. I am always comforted with knowing he isn’t getting lost in the shuffle as he might in a public school. Both Jack’s father and I often express to others how happy and pleased we are with our decision to enroll our son at Schoolhouse Montessori.

Mrs. Grier-Coleman
Mother of two SMA students
Both my children have had a wonderful experience in the Kindergarten program. Their learning has gone far beyond my expectations. They learned to be more independent and were exposed to a variety of cultural experiences helping to round out their learning development.

Leslie Burns
Occupation: Restaurateur, Owner
Employer: The Pantry Restaurant
Our son loves going to school everyday. He talks about the kids and the teachers all the time. We put him in this program because we heard it was excellent.  Now we can tell others that it is!  If he is having a bad day when I drop him off it is reassuring to be able to use Web Hugs to see if he is okay later in the day.

The Allen Family
Parents of two SMA children
We have loved Schoolhouse Montessori for our two children and, particularly, Mrs. Hallas’ classroom because it has provided a structured, yet fluid, educational environment. We have seen both our children thrive under the Montessori method enabling each child to actively participate in and direct their own learning experience.

Yuqin Zhao
Mother
Every day I pick up my daughter from the school, I see hers happy face and she can’t wait to tell me what she has done and learned in the school. I know that we made a right decision to place her in the Schoolhouse Montessori. The enriched environment, knowledgeable teachers, wonderful kids-club staff, and the well-organized school give my daughter space to grow up and to become a polite and positive girl. It is a good starting point for her future life.

Kristin Dulay
Occupation:
Database Administrator
Our daughter’s development has been significant at Schoolhouse Montessori. She loves to read and she is very good at it. She is a typically shy girl by nature, but her teachers have been encouraging, helping her grow socially. She loves going to school. When she comes home, she talks excitedly about the new things she’s learned for the day – like a new song, how insects have “compound” eyes, how to make lemonade, George Washington’s teeth, what continent we live in, how she liked Beethoven’s music even if he was deaf. She could go on and on.

Kristol Coleman Wynton’s mother
Montessori allows my son the freedom to explore his environment and to use his imagination. The entire classroom is his work space and he is not limited in the amount of new things he can learn. He is allowed to let his personality shine and is given independence, while still being nurtured and guided by his teachers. He gets to learn and teach, and is building social skills. WE LOVE MONTESSORI!!

Mrs. Dolenc
Mother of two SMA students
I am very pleased with my decision to continue my son in the Schoolhouse Kindergarten program. After visiting other kindergarten open houses, I felt that Schoolhouse offered more educational opportunities. The kindergarten program would challenge him to his skill level and not limit him on his learning. The one on one attention he receives everyday has benefitted his confidence in reading and math. He is really enjoying his kindergarten experience.

John Raptis
Occupation:Small Business Owner, President
Employer:Raptisoft
We found that Schoolhouse Montessori was willing to give our child exactly what he needed, both academically and socially.

Dana Evert
Erin’s mom
Our child’s favorite quote: “I can do it myself.”

Parents of Katie Qu
We made the right decision to have our daughter start early in her education at Schoolhouse Montessori in Troy. During a recent family vacation trip, many times we were surprised and amazed by our daughter’s knowledge about Mother Nature. At our friend’s party, we also found that our daughter’s social interactions and behaviors were better than the other children at the same age. A lot of learning and playing materials, a lot of after-school kids programs and activities, many unique teachings in Montessori ways, a well managed school, and the most important part: the best and friendliest teachers and staff! We are happy and feel lucky that our child can learn and grow in such a good school!

Melanie Wendt
Mother of an SMA toddler
What I like about Montessori for my child are:

• the values that are promoted
• fostering independence
• diversity in the classroom
• no overload of toys
• teaching practical life skills
• individual learning pace
• teaching love and peace

Doreen O’Driscoll
Occupation:
HR Compensation
Employer: Yazaki North America, Inc.
I love how my children talk about things that surprise me daily. . .from comments on Rosa Parks to the regular lectures I get on the importance of recycling. The scope is broad and yet they are emotionally invested in so many different topics and challenges that they have accomplished and proudly share with me. My son is still currently enrolled in the program, and is a very different child from my daughter. I love the way that the teacher adjusts things to benefit and help him. She does this in so many ways, but it can be as simple as having him hop around a table while saying his letter sounds – which she did many times and was one of his favorite things to do. It would have been easier for her to just expect him to sit still and say the letter sounds instead of recognizing that he needed to burn some energy and that he seems to learn things better when his body is physically engaged. He learns the same things that our daughter did and exhibits many of the same outward characteristics (the joy in learning things, willingness to explore and a delight in helping other people learn things), but his unique characteristics were recognized and fostered within the structured program

Dario Chianni
Father
I like that Montessori is hands on learning that promotes cooperation and integration.

Giovanni Vecchio
Occupation: Electrical/Mechanical Engineer
Employer: Continental Teves
I was born and raised in Italy and had the opportunity to learn about the Montessori system first hand. I was delighted to see that here in the U.S. there are good schools following the Montessori system. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to send my daughter to Schoolhouse Montessori Academy. Her social and academic development will help her become a good citizen of the world.

The Ferich Family
Parents of two SMA children
We love the dynamic learning environment that Montessori offers to our children with an emphasis on academics and well-rounded development. The dedicated staff and one-on-one learning is a very essential part of our appreciation.

Michael Larsson
Occupation: Group Vice President
Employer:  ABB
Schoolhouse Montessori Academy has provided our son with an excellent starting point for his academic journey and created an appetite for learning while promoting social interaction and behavioral rules. The curriculum is well-structured and managed by a professional staff that goes out of the way to ensure a great learning experience! The combination of a curriculum where the children learn at their own pace in combination with social interaction has greatly benefitted my son and daughert. They both have a very keen interest in learning and are eager to go to school every day. I believe that the Montessori system has greatly benefitted both of them.
Frequently traveling abroad, Web Hugs has been invaluable to me as it has enable me to part-take in the daily activities in school as well as making it possible to discuss daily events and progress with my son even when I am overseas!

Parents of Guhan
We like to thank Schoolhouse for all their efforts in nurturing Guhan for the last 4 years. The Director was especially accommodative to our special needs (planned early transfer). All the lead teachers were very friendly throughout the years. Especially, the last year, Mrs.Lamsen was very outstanding in catering to the Guhan’s needs/development – excellent customer service!!!
Overall, we had a very pleasant and long partnership in our child’s development over the last 4 years.

Kimberly and Jonathan Zaidan
Parents
We are so glad that we kept our son at Schoolhouse Montessori for his kindergarten year. The child centered approach has allowed him to excel at subjects/teachings when he was ready resulting in a rapid assimilation of the material. Our friends who have sent their children to “traditional” education programs have been greatly frustrated by the “one size fits all” approach and the stressful impact it has had on their child. We are also pleased to see our son grow into the role of leader mentoring those younger than he. We highly recommend anyone consider Schoolhouse Montessori for their child’s kindergarten year.

Nidhi Rajpal
SMA mother
Schoolhouse teachers have given my son time to develop and find his own interests.

Rutvi Krishna
Occupation: Financial Analyst
Employer: Visteon
I saw tremendous improvement in my daughter’s social skills within a year she started going to Schoolhouse. The teachers and the materials available for children’s growth and development are amazing. I always recommend Schoolhouse to my friends who are considering preschool for their children. Great job, Schoolhouse, and thank you!!!

Chris Taylor
Mother of two daughters
I like the love and care that the teachers share with our daughtersÑthe passion for teaching and how the teachers bring out the best in a child.

Angela & Benjamin Lingo
Occupation: Brick & Landscape Design
Employer: Crystal Falls, Lingo Inc.
Joining the Schoolhouse family has been the best decision we have ever made!

Todd and Michelle Carter
Parents of a son
We like the open but supportive learning environment. We are amazed with all that our son has learned since starting Schoolhouse Montessori.

Anitha K Maramreddy 
Occupation: Senior Programmer Analyst
I remember one morning driving my son to school and thinking, “This is how I want to feel as a parent.” I felt happy bringing him to school every morning, where he would have bright and talented people working with him in a community that would appreciate him. We began his education in Schoolhouse Montessori Academy’s nursery program five years ago. As he now enters fourth grade, it is amazing to see how much he has blossomed into a confident and self-assured child who eagerly waits for the next day of school. The quality of the school program was evident in the smiles and excitement of my child as he enjoyed his experiences at the school. It is fulfilling to watch my child grow, learn and come into himself in a nurturing environment.

Svetlana Latysh
Ellen’s mother
What I like most about Montessori is the peaceful and friendly environment. I like that my child is learning math and English in volume and pace that corresponds to her age and ability to learn. I like the professional quality of teachers and their attentive and kind attitude towards children.