REVIEW OF Central Montessori Schools BY parent, Malar Kulandaivelu

(5) Student Experience

My daughter loves CMS and her teachers. It is a second home for our child and everyone in the school is like a family to us. They provided a very caring and nurturing environment to my child, and when she first took me to her classroom, she was so proud to say "Mom!! See, this is my world" as a preschooler. Every teacher knows every child in the school. As a Montessori school, they instilled independence and discipline at the perfect proportion. CMS has set the scale so high for us in standards and expectations from schools. Every day is a happy exciting day for my child to go to school. They created the foundation so well with my child’s academics and social skills. The support and encouragement we receive from the teachers are great!!

(5) School Leadership

Communications are considered very important in CMS. As a parent, I always had the confidence that my child can reach out to anyone in the school when she needs. And same for me as a parent. Concerns are addressed immediately and actioned. Never had to follow up, and always felt comfortable talking to the management team with any challenges or issues. Parents also received a note on the status of any issue raised. Over the year, teacher - parents communications are set at the right amount. Either be it about the child’s academic progress, participation and so on. Parents are well aware of initiatives with weekly newsletters and a calendar of events.

(5) Teaching

The academic growth of my child in CMS has set a high standard and expectation for us to look for in other Montessori schools. The standard of education is amazing. With experienced teachers, we love the level of learning and skills our daughter developed. I would give more than 10 in this regard on the rating scale if allowed. We are thankful for the wonderful foundation they provided for my child. Beyond that, I am very proud of how well they instilled essentials such as environmental awareness, social skills, and to act as good members of the community, regardless of how young they are. A great place to start a child’s education. Children learn independence with confidence and respect with care. Montessori practice at all levels lets the child grow at their own pace. Teachers are so encouraging, respectful and loving towards children.

(5) Academics

Montessori practice lets the child learn at their own pace. With encouragement from experienced teachers at CMS, my child is so proud of the challenges she could meet. The quality of writing, reading, vocabulary and arithmetic skills of students from CMS shows their excellence. As said earlier, CMS has set the scale so high. With continuous practice, the child is more confident in what they are learning. And with attention from teachers at the individual level, there is no limit to learning and nothing is better than learning happily!! When a child comes home and is eager to teach you what they learned new from school with excitement and awe, to me as a parent that is a sign of expertise she is gaining. With a lot of practical lessons, Montessori materials and exposure to actual objects, along with the independence to take their time to learn is a key factor for us to love CMS more. The Montessori method is applied at every level for learning in CMS. Overall CMS is one of the best schools in North York.

(4.5) Extracurriculars

Yes CMS has good gym lessons and lots of extracurricular class available for children to take part in. Both mandatory gym activities and optional after-hours classes are available. All the teachers and extracurricular activity coaches are very experienced and make the sessions both fun and engaging for children. A very accommodating before and after-hours program is hard to find across schools in Toronto. CMS stands out on that factor.

(5) Students

Children at CMS are very respectful towards others. These social skills are taught to them in a kind, loving fashion. Mixed-age class sizes in CMS help children learn leadership at a very young age. Though it is surprising for us to learn what my child could and did offer to her younger peers to help, she is very proud to be so. It reaches a level where they see others’ success as their own. A lot of personal space for work at school, helps our child focus. Organizing and planning are taught at a very young age in CMS. Children are participating and working with the teacher in planning weekly work. It helps them push themselves to achieve their goals. Overall CMS is excellent in every aspect and the children of CMS stand out.

(5) School Life

My daughter loves going to school every day. As they grow, they are made aware of the schedule for the day by teachers, and in elementary children work with their teachers to set up their weekly goals. There is the perfect amount of encouragement from teachers to work independently with confidence and pride. Children are treated with respect, yet raised with discipline. The Montessori practice of independently choosing their work makes my child more eager to work than being force-fed a lesson. She is so eager to learn, and as a parent, I know she is safe at happy at school. Some of the CMS locations offer a hot lunch program, which is a great assistance for our morning routine. I never had to push my daughter to go to school. And the management is very understanding and supportive of the needs of every child in school. In general, myself, and fellow parents I met over years are all happy with the school, teachers and management office too. The classroom spaces and indoor infrastructure is very pleasant and self-sufficient at the Maplehurst location. It would have been great if they have bigger outdoor space and structures in this specific location we attend school in. We as parents always felt assured that my daughter is well taken care of, and I can trust the teachers at CMS so much on any advice related to my child. They were always supportive and advised what is best for my daughter and her good. It is not always to the benefit of the school. They go above and beyond to support the children and their families.

(4.5) Community

I got most of my friends in Toronto through my child, as they are fellow parents from my kid's classroom. Most parents I met over the year are very nice and have active participation in their child's education. I wish there were more opportunities to participate and volunteer in school for parents. These chances to volunteer are available only during special events. That being said, it should not disrupt the well-planned and designed schedule for children. Apart from that, I am happy with the school's community involvement, and age-appropriate lessons and guest visits for kids to learn about important community events and culture. But generally, there is no parent board or open community group of parents. It would be nice to have, but most likely not many parents would have thought of it or initiated the same.

(5) School Location

CMS has multiple locations in North York. Very convenient wherever we are located in North York. Hopefully, they will expand it further around the York region in the future. Outdoor infrastructure in a few locations in hot spot busy zones such as Maplehurst is smaller than the other ones. But the indoor infrastructure, classroom space, gym, lighting and location are perfect and pleasant.