REVIEW OF Sunrise Montessori School BY parent, Layla Li

(5) Student Experience

I have been sending my child here since she was in the Toddler classroom. The teachers are very welcoming to my child, they get down to her level and greet her every morning. They come in on a daily basis with a smile on their faces, which is very warming to a parent's heart. My daughter has learned lots - the phonetic sounds, numbers, colors, shapes, and daily self-help skills. She has learned the basics that a Montessori School should be teaching to their children. She has so much fun at school that she does not want to leave when I come in the evenings. Now that she is in the JK/SK program, there are extracurricular activities which are great! She even gets to go on field trips as well. The staff members are all so organized and practice lots of care during field trips that it is assuring to me.

(5) School Leadership

Sunrise Montessori School and it’s team have an open relationship with their parents. Whenever in doubt, I have no worries dropping by the office to have a conversation with their supervisor or even the principal. They are always there to greet you and solve have problems that you may have. In addition, they will respond to any problems in a very quick and professional manner. The supervisor and principal have a great relationship with both the parents and the children.

(5) Teaching

The teachers are Sunrise Montessori School are very passionate and knowledgeable and possess an interest in ensuring that all of the children are well taught. I have always had an open relationship with all of my daughter’s teachers. They are always available to have a conversation with me with regards to my daughter’s progress. They always ensure that we work as a team to ensure the success of my daughter. If there are avenues in which they require us as parents to assist, this was always communicated to us. We believe that our daughter is surrounded by teachers who adore her and have her best interests at heart. At Sunrise Montessori, our daughter was able to flourish and grow academically and socially as well.

(5) Academics

The academic level at Sunrise Montessori School adequately prepares your child for the next steps and beyond. The educators at Sunrise Montessori are knowledgeable with regards to the standards of each stage in a child’s academic life. All of the teachers ensure that they will learn what they need in order to move onto the next stage. My daughter learnt her phonetic sounds, numbers, colours, shapes and how to use the potty when in the Toddler Classroom. When she moved to the Casa classroom, she was fully potty trained! She also continued with her phonetic sounds, which allowed her to build words with the movable alphabets and even started with simple math. She also learned how to hold and pencil and eventually write with a pencil. She learnt about the world and its components (geography), science etc, and while learning she also made lots of friends while having fun. The academic level progressed with difficulty as she grew older and into the JK/SK program. She was constantly being challenged and learning from it all.

(5) Extracurriculars

The Extracurricular program provides at Sunrise Montessori School is available for children who are 2.5 years and above. The extracurricular activities vary from year to year and they include: soccer, taekwondo, pottery, Mandarin Lessons, Robotics, Zumba, Multi Sports and etc. In addition to that the children also participate in field trips as well. The children will have the opportunity to visit the farm, go pumpkin picking, watch plays, visit the aquarium and even the Science Center. All these activities provide the children with opportunities to have fun, while engaging in ways to compete with each other as well.

(5) Students

All of the children at Sunrise Montessori School are considered as a family. They have been taught to treat everyone with respect. My daughter came home one day, and while telling me about her day said “We have a new friend today, his name was Andrew. We are all friends”. I truly believe that they are all friends. I have personally witnessed this whenever I arrive to pick my daughter up at the end of the day. I have noticed that all of the children will play with one another and in addition to that, the teacher will be joining in as well. There is a friendly atmosphere between all.

(4.5) School Life

Being at Sunrise Montessori School for some time now, I have personally witnessed and have come to learn about the children. The children and their temperament vary and this also affects their behavior. To begin with, most children will always cling onto their parents, as it is a new environment and the routine of a child has changed. However, once the child has become comfortable with their environment, their teacher and made new friends, they will love going to school. This was my experience when sending my own daughter to Sunrise Montessori School. Nowadays, when my husband or I arrive to pick her up from school, she insists on playing for 5 more minutes with her friends and not wanting to go home. Sometimes she even says that we have come too early to pick her up!

(5) Community

As mentioned prior, Sunrise Montessori School provides you with a sense of being a part of a larger family, a community. They are always there for you and your family, allowing us to have an open relationship with all of the admin staff and teachers as well. They alsi have a Parent Council, whereby parents come together to discuss about their children, families, and ongoing activities to bring everyone together. Decisions are made collaboratively. We are often contacted and discuss possible ideas and ways for the school, in general, to improve on. I have participated in the Parent Council in the past, and have really enjoyed working and collaborating with other mothers as well. By participating in the Parent Council, I myself have made lifetime friends as well.

(4.5) School Location

Sunrise Montessori School is located in Markham. Their major intersection is Denison & Warden. They are located amongst other businesses and are in a very accessible location. This school is very convenient for those who live and work within the Markham area. Despite the school being in a business area, the children still have an opportunity to venture outside of the school building. The children often go for nature walks around the school.