Interview with Clanmore Montessori School PARENT, Pauline Cheng

There's nothing that I don't appreciate about the school. I can trust 1000% that when I send my children to school, it's about the child, and it's always about the child, and first of all, their safety, but also their happiness and their development.

My son was very shy. He has since graduated from Clanmore Montessori School, and he's in high school now, but he was very shy when he was a little thing. That's still part of his character, but I wanted a loving environment for him where he could ease into the classroom and learn. I just didn't want him to be overwhelmed with many other kids around him and get lost in the shuffle I learned a little bit about Montessori schools, and I loved the approach, and it aligned with my values I live in Oakville, but I was searching for schools all around Mississauga and Oakville. I would sit and have an observation session just to see. So I was going from school to school to school. As soon as I walked into Clanmore Montessori School, I just knew it's like when you buy a house or rent an apartment, as soon as you walk in, you just know.

Clanmore Montessori School is a beautiful, small school. When I walked in, it felt so warm and inviting. I just knew as soon as I walked in that it was the right choice.

My son loved Clanmore Montessori School Over the years I saw his confidence build. He has quiet leadership. He has confidence in himself. He's confident in what he says, and he has good self-esteem. Those are all really important. I think the climate at Clanmore Montessori School had a lot to do with that, because they really look at the child and they nurture the child. Because every child is different, you could have somebody who has a really explosive personality, which is great, or somebody who's very introspective and introverted, which is what my son was.

There was not one day where I would bring him to Clanmore Montessori School where he would say, ‘no, I don't want to go to school today.’ He would happily bounce out of the car, and away he went, and he didn't look back.

What my son loved most about Clanmore Montessori School was his friends, and the memories they created through all the activities. They've gone camping, they've gone on Odyssey trips, and those really stuck with him.

I have my complete trust in all the staff members at Clanmore Montessori School. It's a small community, and it really speaks to the school and the entire staff at the school when every single teacher knows your child's name.

Clanmore Montessori School being small is part of its charm, and part of why you send your child there is because you like that small, tight-knit community.

There were always fun surprises at Clanmore Montessori School for the kids. Always good surprises.

The highest values at Clanmore Montessori School is that they really put the child's interest at heart first. Always first and foremost, and I appreciate that. It's about the child, the safety of the child, the child's well-being, and the growth and development of the child. I love their values in the sense that they teach restitution to the children, and that's a value that when you instill in the child, it carries through. You hope they carry the values of accountability, restitution, being respectful, being polite, and courtesy for the rest of their lives. All little things that are not necessarily taught to them specifically, but because it's emulated through the example of the teachers, the kids pick up on that, and that's carried through.

Everybody at Clanmore Montessori School holds the same values in the sense that they want the best for their child. They send their child to Clanmore Montessori School because of the people. Everybody has their family. There's not one family that's the same as another. I can't speak for other people, but we go there because we want the best for our child.

As parents, we know that once they reach Clanmore Montessori School, the love, the attention, the well being of the child is always first and foremost at the front of the teacher’s minds. It's about them growing and learning and knowing that they'll make mistakes along the way, but knowing that it's okay to make a mistake, correct it, acknowledge it, correct it, and move on.

One of my son’s fondest memories from Clanmore Montessori School would probably be the school trips away from home, with his peers. For example, when they got to go to New York, be a part of the Model UN and their Odyssey trips to Northern Ontario with his peers. He talks about that a lot. I know that they're happy memories and they're good memories. I'm sure there were times when there were hardships, whether it was canoeing for so many hours, or being wet, or whatever, but it all comes back to being a really happy memory in the end.

I can't say that I've had an unpleasant experience with the teachers at Clanmore Montessori School. Everybody is very helpful. If this isn't the right person I need to speak with, I'm always directed to the right person about a certain issue or a topic. I've not had any issues with any of the teachers, so they're all lovely. I've encountered many teachers throughout the years based on grade level, and they're all great. They're great.

The teachers all have a great sense of humour, and everybody is genuine. I appreciate that my child will be well looked after. If somebody is looking for a Montessori school, I think that the quality of education at Clanmore Montessori School is excellent.

The Clanmore Montessori School community is great. Everybody is lovely, kind, and has their child's best interest at heart. Not to say other schools don't, but you really feel the warmth, and you really feel the authenticity of the community. It's just not something that is easily replicated everywhere else.

I wish I knew about OurKids as a resource. I really didn't have any resources. It's not Clanmore Montessori School specific, but it would have been nice to have a resource, a place to read up on what to look for.