REVIEW OF Montessori Academy of London BY parent, Lin Yuan-Su

(5) Student Experience

This is my personal perspective as a parent rather than the direct perspective of my children. My son, who is 10 years old now, very often simply says, "I don't know," when I ask him how school went today. My daughter is only 4 years old. That being said, I have had many opportunities to observe and interact with the school and the teachers. My kids are very well taken care of and genuinely loved by the teachers and staff. They are learning in an environment that truly fosters their authentic selves. They come home happy, joyful, respectful, courteous, loving, and caring. As a parent, I personally do not prioritize them being the best academically or achieving amazing things in life. My first and foremost priority is who they are becoming—that they are loving, caring, kind, and true human beings. I believe they are being guided to become exactly that. The activities they participate in through the school are so much fun and are very stimulating. They build great friendships with their peers because it is a smaller school, and they get to see each other all the time. This is all so very important for the well-being and healthy growth of a child.

Why Montessori Academy of London?

Our son attended another Montessori school for preschool. We really enjoyed the Montessori system, so we decided to keep him in it. The only school in London that offered Montessori education at the elementary level was this school. We never considered any other school, including public schools.

Expectations vs. Reality

When our son started at the Montessori Academy of London, we did not really have many expectations. We had heard lots of great things about the school from friends and acquaintances who either had their children there or had graduated from the school themselves. As time went on, we were wonderfully amazed by the amount of care and love shown by the teachers and staff. When our younger child started in the Toddler program and then moved into the CASA/Kindergarten program, we were amazed by how many resources the school allocated to the students. On a regular basis, our daughter brings home crafts made on full-sized craft paper, using all kinds of colours and craft materials. We never saw that level of investment from the school when our son attended.

Your Advice

The teachers really love and care for their students. Many of them have been at the school for decades. They could have chosen careers in the public school system, but they chose this school instead. They are passionate about what they do and about their students' well-being. When you are truly willing to work with the teachers as teammates in your children's growth, you are going to be amazed by the journey and by your children's development. My son is a child who requires movement. We are quite convinced that if he had been in a public school or a traditional teaching environment, he would have been labelled as having ADHD, or at least as being a disruptive child. The Montessori system allowed him to be who he is and truly let his brilliant mind shine through. The teachers gave him Grade 4 math material when he was in Grade 2 because he was ready. This is the kind of guidance, education, and care they provide for all children. If you are considering this school, definitely take a school tour, ask lots of questions, and experience the atmosphere. If you decide to choose this school, I believe it will be a great decision.

(5) School Leadership

Yes, most definitely! The Principal of the school is amazing and positive. When Alex was in Grade 2, he got sick. After being off school for a few days, he returned while still not feeling 100% well and had an incident with the French teacher. He then inflicted self-harm and walked home with scratch marks all over his face. I met with the French teacher and then eventually with the Principal. It was clear to me that the French teacher did not handle the situation properly and, in my personal opinion, failed to ensure the number one priority in the classroom, which is the students' safety and well-being. As a mother, I was very upset. However, I still wanted to present the situation objectively and create an opportunity for the school and the teacher to learn and improve. The Principal created a space for me to vent and voice my objective concerns and feedback. She invited me to provide all the information I had, shared it with the Executive Director and the Board, and the matter was addressed. The students are truly the centre of the school's daily operations.

(5) Teaching

Yes, yes, and yes! The teachers are so passionate! As I mentioned before, many of them have been with the school, often in the same classroom, for decades. They truly love what they do. They care about and love their students. The teachers are really good at their jobs. They are always open to a phone call or a quick chat if there are any concerns about the students. During parent-teacher conferences, they provide very thorough feedback, which allows us as parents to have a complete picture of how our children are doing. Recently, my older child was in a situation where he did not plan his study time at school very well, so he had to take work home. He was not happy about it, but the teacher challenged him to do his best and finish the work. He did that night, and it was the first time he had worked until late to complete his homework. I did not ask the teacher about the situation. The next day, when she saw me, she brought it up and told me that she had encouraged my son to do his best to finish it, and that if he could not, they would figure it out together. It was a great experience for my son to go through.

(5) Academics

We are both immigrants. Neither of us went through the Canadian education system, other than for post-secondary education. Our attitude toward our children's education has always been: learn something, complete your schooling, give it your very best, but most importantly, learn to be a great human being. The Montessori Academy of London provides the structure for exactly that. Not only do they give the children an advanced academic education, but they also teach them to be great human beings. They become kind, helpful, respectful, caring, and willing to assist others, while also learning to organize their work and time at a young age. The three-year, one-class structure is brilliant. The children develop a very strong sense of community. The younger ones know they can ask the older ones for help, and the older ones take pride in caring for, assisting, and mentoring the younger students. Ever since my son was little, many people have commented on how social and kind he is. I believe his schooling has played a big part in that.

(5) Extracurriculars

The school recently had an art expo, which is a great example for this question. We attended for the first time. In previous years, we always had other commitments on the evening of the art expo. This year, the school decided to extend the hours to make sure parents and family members could attend. We were amazed by the artwork our son created. The students are encouraged to be creative and have so much fun while creating their work. My son was also on the basketball team because the school does not select players—everyone who wants to be part of the team gets a chance to play. He also went on a four-day, three-night trip with the school. It was such a great experience for him to develop his independence.

(5) Students

The kids are great! Most of the students are from middle- and upper-class families. Many parents are successful business owners, medical professionals, lawyers, etc. One of my personal concerns was that there would be a certain amount of "snobbiness" among the students and parents. It turned out that the student body is a great group of kids, and the parents are humble. Also, because the school is a non-profit organization that offers scholarships, there are families from all kinds of socioeconomic backgrounds. There has never been a case of bullying that my children have experienced. Once again, the three-year, one-classroom setup really allows the children to love and care for each other. Both of my kids come home and talk about their friends very often. I can certainly tell the difference between the children at this school and children at other schools. They are so much more respectful and kind.

(5) School Life

I feel that both of my kids feel right at home when they are at school. The older one walks around the building, truly like an owner, which I love. First of all, the school is set up among a few houses in a neighbourhood. It really feels like a home to begin with. Then the school creates an energetic, home-like environment. The only complaint I have ever gotten was from my older son one day. He said the water at school was not as tasty as the water we have at home... Yes, it was a laughing matter. The school has a water filtration system, I know that. But after four years at this school, if that was the only thing even remotely "complaint-ish" from my child, that says something about the school.

(5) Community

This is purely my personal experience. When my son was in Grade 2, I was asked to be the parent representative for the classroom. Since then, I have been involved with the school community in that capacity. The school involves parents, but only when it is appropriate. For example, no parents were involved in my son's four-day overnight school trip because the whole focus and intention of the experience was to help the children develop independence. The school provides lots of social events for parents to get to know one another. There is even a Grandparents and Special Friends' Day. Throughout the year, there are multiple classroom visits where parents can visit the classrooms, see exactly what their children are learning, and experience the environment they are in. I think that because this school is much smaller than a typical school, there is a very strong sense of community.

(4) School Location

The school is located in a lovely and quiet neighbourhood. Sometimes the school can be a source of noise because, when there are a group of children playing, it is bound to be noisy. They walk to their gym class when they use the gym space from a nearby church, and the teachers are always with them. As they get older, they have more opportunities to walk around the neighbourhood. The reason I rated it an 8 is because it is located in a downtown area beside a park. There are homeless people around the park. There have never been any incidents involving the children that I am aware of. I feel very safe for my kids to be at the school. However, I do hear occasional comments from other parents about this situation.

(5) Admissions

The application process was straightforward and easy. There are deadlines, just like any application. Everything is online. Some people may find the forms a bit too comprehensive, but I enjoyed filling them out. To me, that shows the school really wants to know my kid. There was a school tour, which was very lovely. We got to walk through the different buildings that my kid would be spending years in. I never needed any assistance from an admissions officer, so I cannot comment on that.