REVIEW OF Curlew Montessori School BY Alum, Sarah Salvador

(5) Overall Experience

I cannot speak highly enough about our experience at Curlew Montessori. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with warmth and professionalism by Raihana. The teachers are not only exceptionally qualified but also deeply passionate about the Montessori method and their care for each child. Our daughter flourished academically and socially in this nurturing environment, Raihana and all of the staff took great time and care to understand her as an individual and give her the tools she needed. The classrooms are beautifully designed with a wide array of materials that cater to each child's individual learning style and pace. The emphasis on independence and self-motivation has instilled a sense of confidence in my child. One of the things I appreciated the most was that Curlew fosters a strong sense of community among parents, teachers, and students, creating a supportive network that truly feels like family. I am forever grateful for the positive impact Curlew has had on my child's growth and development.

(5) School Leadership

Raihana provides excellent leadership at Curlew Montessori. She is strongly committed to the Montessori philosophy and to helping parents to understand and implement this philosophy at home. I found her to be very responsive and respectful to any questions or concerns that I brought forward. One thing I really appreciated was that she knew my daughter as well as her teachers did and formed a strong connection with her throughout her years at the school, which has continued past her years as a student at Curlew.

(4.5) Teaching

Throughout our years at Curlew, our daughter has had many teachers (Toddlers/Casa/Before and After Care program) and we have found all of them to be kind, respectful, and hard-working. Ms. Natalia (Toddlers program) was our daughter's first-ever teacher and she quickly formed a bond with our daughter and put my mind at ease in those early days when it was hard leaving her in an unfamiliar place. Ms. Kiran and Ms. Siddiqua were both wonderful Casa teachers who worked very hard with my daughter (even during her stubborn phases) and both created a very strong bond. Almost a year out of Curlew and my daughter still talks often about them and wishes to go back and see them often. All of her teachers held high expectations for her but had a strong understanding of who she was and how she would be able to achieve those expectations.

(4.5) Academics

Overall, I found the academic program at Curlew Montessori promoted a high level of expectations and achievement but also a sense of independence and curiosity. I always felt that my daughter was appropriately challenged and supported with her academics. I found the hands-on learning experiences provided at Curlew, especially in Math, to be truly exceptional. Students work daily with incredible manipulatives that help them develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. She left SK knowing how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide which was very impressive! I also appreciated that students were exposed to the French language. There was also a strong emphasis put on social and emotional development in a nurturing and inclusive setting which helped her grow her communication, cooperation, and empathy skills.

(3.5) Extracurriculars

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we did not get to take part fully in what Curlew typically has to offer in extracurriculars. While my daughter was in the Toddler Program, she took part in the gymnastics program which she greatly enjoyed. From our experience, the extracurricular opportunities offered were for enjoyment more than competition. Extracurricular opportunities were always offered to all students but there was no pressure to involve your child.

(4) Students

Curlew is a small school (which we really valued) so the student body was not large. As a private school, the one thing that a typical student shared was that they came from an average to higher average socio-economic family. I never felt like there was a competitive nature within our daughter's group which I really appreciated, students were taught to value their independent qualities. During our time at Curlew, there were students from a variety of backgrounds, one thing I did notice was that sometimes there seemed to be more girls than boys but that would fluctuate. For the most part, students would interact well together and get along well together (considering their ages) and the teachers put a lot of effort into helping the children develop their social skills.

(4.5) School Life

Our daughter very much enjoyed her time at Curlew Montessori. While we were there we really felt that every child was valued and supported. During each drop off and pick up you could feel the warmth and respect of the teachers and staff towards the students and their families. School life was very engaging for our daughter; she enjoyed the hands-on activities, playing and learning outside, developing friendships, etc. Each year they would plant in the spring, they would prepare and put on wonderful concerts, they always have fun events for different celebrations throughout the year. They would have presenters throughout the year (e.g., musicians, plays, etc.) and they often pulled from their own community resources by asking parents to come in and speak about a holiday/celebration or share information about their job. I never found the children to be stressed or preoccupied by school, they were passionate and curious. Overall, it was a very engaging school.

(5) Community

The community of Curlew Montessori is what I miss most. Raihana does a great job of bringing families together as a Curlew community through education nights, potlucks, concerts, BBQs, etc. Parents were always welcomed in the school and we had many opportunities throughout the year to go into the classroom/school for activities (e.g., Mother's Day, Father's Day, Watch Me Work, etc.). Through conversations during drop-off/pick-up times and online messaging we were able to form great connections with other families at Curlew. It was a great support to me, navigating the world of schooling for the first time. My daughter and I made many great friends with the children and parents at Curlew who we continue to see. A group of girls from the graduating class have joined a dance class together and see each other once a week.

(4) School Location

The school location worked very well for our family. It is just off a major street and right by the DVP so it was easy to get to but tucked up a street so you had more of a neighbourhood feel. The students stayed at the school, due to their age, but the staff would take advantage of a nearby parks for family get together.

(4.5) Admissions

From what I remember the admission process was very straightforward. The process was well organized and the forms were very easy to understand and complete. Raihana was very responsive during the process. Each year, when it was time to renew we also found it very easy, not stressful, to complete the forms and secure our spot. I would have liked it if we could pay online, instead of through cheques. We did not have anyone helping us to look for schools.