REVIEW OF Sunrise Montessori School BY parent, Lily Ho

(5) Student Experience

My daughter is currently enrolled at Sunrise Montessori in their Casa program. My daughter absolutely loves coming to school on a daily basis and is always excited to see her teachers and friends. Upon arriving to school, my daughter will always ask me to carry her to the window to see whether her teachers and friends have all arrived. All of the teachers, whether they are from her classroom or the before/after school teachers, are always friendly, nurturing and always places the children's health and safety first. On another note, the school, in general, is very clean and organized. As a parent, having a clean environment is very important for the wellbeing of my child. On a daily basis, my daughter enjoys learning with her teacher and benefits from the low student to teacher ratio.

(5) School Leadership

Sunrise Montessori School has a very strong leadership and administration led by Ms Grace, Ms Ivy and their Supervisor Ms Gracia. They are always there on a daily basis and is always available to discuss with you whenever there is a problem that needs to be resolved. In addition to that, they always put their best effort in responding to all problems that have been brought up. It is through their open relationship with their parents, that have led them to develop a sense of closeness, and have created a sense of all families being in a school community.

(5) Teaching

Sunrise Montessori School follows the Montessori Curriculum while integrating aspects of the Early Childhood Learning. On a daily basis, my daughter learns her phonetic sounds, numbers, how to count and eventually she did simple addition with the Short Bead Stairs. At 3 years old, my daughter is building short phonetic words (i.e cat), reading these words and doing addition! In addition to all that, she is also learning about the world and her surroundings. While we were at the park, my daughter was pointing out the parts of a flower! I am very happy with the progress of my daughter and how she has developed over the past year. This is possible due to the passion of all of her teachers. Her teachers are very passionate about ensuring that all of the children are taught and stimulated on a daily basis. We also have an open relationship with one another. If there is anything that the teacher requires, they will always communicate with me. I believe that through this, it will really benefit my daughter and her ability to develop and grow.

(5) Academics

Sunrise Montessori School follows the Montessori curriculum, which encompasses practical life, language, math, sensorial and culture. Within Practical Life, my daughter has learnt basic skills (hand-eye coordination, concentration, sense of order, independence and fine/gross motor skills). In Language, my daughter learnt the phonetic sounds, which has helped her in building words and reading them. In Math, my daughter was taught the numbers, how to count and short bead stairs which allowed her to complete simple addition questions. In Sensorial, the children are provided with activities which will stimulate their 5 senses. One day, my daughter picked up both sunscreen sprays and told me, "Mommy, this one is almost done, very light". Within Culture, my daughter learned about her surroundings, for instance, the parts of the flower while we were at the park. These are just a few examples of what my daughter has learnt within the past year. All of the teachers are dedicated in what they do on a daily basis. Through this, I believe that my daughter will be prepared for her life's next steps.

(5) Extracurriculars

Sunrise Montessori School offers after extracurricular programs starting from 3.30 pm onward. These programs include, Pottery, Piano, Robotics, Soccer, Zumba, Taekwondo and etc. All of these programs allow the children to have fun, develop a sense of competition and the ability to stimulate their minds. Sunrise has definitely provided enough extracurricular activities that caters to all of the children. My daughter has always enjoyed dancing, hence, I enrolled her in the Zumba program. Every week, my daughter always looks forward to her Zumba Program. Both of the teachers are amazing, full of spirit and energy when dancing with the children. My daughter always has an amazing time and it is also a great way of keeping the children active.

(5) Students

The children have developed a sense of family within their own classrooms. They are always welcoming of other students and will always include others within their social circle. It is very important for me to find my daughter happy and socializing with her friends. It is through this social interaction with others that will help her grow as an individual. In addition to that, it also teaches them important skills such as turn taking, sharing, empathy, communication and confidence. My daughter has always been shy prior to starting school, always sticking to me when in public. However, after starting school, I have noticed a big change in my daughter's personality. She is always sharing her stories about her day and her playing with all of her friends. I am very grateful to the teachers and for them in instilling these values into my daughter and helping her to overcome her shyness.

(5) School Life

On a daily basis, my daughter is very excited to go to school. As a parent, I feel relived knowing that my daughter will have an exciting day planned by her teachers, have her friends to play with and have a great time. Most importantly, she will be safe. This is made possible by have a great team of dedicated staff and teachers who will ensure the health and safety of my child and all of the other children. This bond between the teachers and the children will greatly determine the wellbeing of the children and their ability to develop. The children also have a great place of learning and have the ability to explore based on their interest as well. This will build them into well-rounded individuals.

(5) Community

Sunrise Montessori School has established a very close-knit community amongst parents, guardians, grandparents, teachers and supporting staff. There is always a sense of familiarity with everyone within the school community. On a daily basis, you can see parents having conversations with one another and is a place where friendships are made. I have made many friends with other parents over the past year. Sunrise Montessori School possesses a Parent Council and has been active for the past decade. They comprise of dedicated parents, who work with the administrative staff, and educators to organize activities for the interest of the children. These activities include, bake sales, arts and crafts for Mother/Father's Day and etc. In addition to that, parent volunteers are always welcomed during Field Trips. I believe that there are many opportunities for parents to be involved in the life of the school.

(5) School Location

In my opinion, Sunrise Montessori School is located in a safe environment. Although it is nestled amongst other offices, the school has developed safety policies to ensure that it is safe for all of their children and their families. In order to access the school compound, all cars have to enter through one way and out the other. In addition to that, all parents are to drive slowly to ensure the safety of all pedestrians. During the school day, children do not venture beyond the school grounds. However, they do participate in nature walks with their teachers.