June 2010 Parent Testimonials:
• “As parents, we have been so pleased with the quality of teaching that Garden Montessori School provides in every aspect of our son's life, from social and life skills to academics. The way the teachers nurture and invest in the children's growth is something we will always be grateful for.
They are truly there to partner with us as parents in furthering the development of our child socially and academically. We look forward to another year and plan to send our daughter too when she is old enough.”
-Kerri Sadigh
• “We have enjoyed everything about the program at Garden School. The teachers are excellent and the size of the classes is small enough to allow for personal attention.”
-Shannon Hoffman (mother of triplets)
• “My 3 1/2 year old son loves to go to school at Garden Montessori! He literally jumps out if the car without much of a goodbye to mom because he is so eager to get inside. The teachers are patient, firm, and fair and somehow manage to treat each child as an individual with a personalized teaching approach. I've also seen the lessons my son is learning at school extending into our home, which benefits the entire family. I'm pleased that my son's first scholastic experience is so positive - hopefully he will always love school as much as he does the Garden Montessori!”
-Juliette Crew
• “We moved to Danville from NJ in August, 2009 and feel so lucky to have found the Garden School. It is a remarkable school with stellar teachers and a meaningful curriculum. Troy and Karine are supportive, caring and talented teachers. Our son has thrived there both behaviorally and academically. He came to the school unable to write, and with a short attention span. Now, nine months later he is writing, markedly more focused and ready to begin reading. The teachers truly care and make it their mission to get to know each child well and to foster their growth.
It was also important to me that I find a school where the teachers and staff were interactive with parents as well, in terms of answering any questions you have about your child, and acting as a team to solve problems and/or develop strengths. The level of interaction at the Garden School with Troy and Karine about Nate has been so helpful to me as a mom. You get to see the teachers at pick up and drop off, you can email and also drop notes that they read and discuss with you later. They are also available for conferences at any time. And finally, you can come observe your child in the classroom too, which was a meaningful experience for me when we were dealing with Nate's distraction early on.
Jaye, the owner of the school is the backbone of the Garden School and was one of the reasons we fell in love with Garden School right away. Her dedication to fostering a nurturing learning environment is evident in her choice of teachers, the facility and the activities. You have to visit the school to really understand what I mean so I recommend taking the time to visit.
Our children's education is of paramount importance to me and my husband and we believe that the Garden School has been the best possible prep for our son for kindergarten. My only regret is that he only gets to spend one year there. I look forward to the day when I can send my toddler there too. I strongly recommend the Garden School without hesitation.
If you have any questions please call me at any time. “
Margo Christou
925-389-2357
• “Why consider Garden School--let me count the ways:
*This is the school where teachers, like myself, send their own children!
*It is a Montessori school that gets children ready for elementary experience with
traditional Montessori activities like choosing work on his or her own and
working at child's own pace, yet providing enriching group activities like
circle time and calendar to prepare for kindergarten.
*Teachers with longevity and Masters degrees--they truly know children at the
preschool age/stage
*Very affordable for Montessori and twin/sibling discount offered
*Study of the seven continents, animal habitats, flags of the world, weather,
and so much more to engage children and offer a wealth of academic knowledge—my own children chose to be flags, yes, flags for Halloween (United Kingdom,France, and Germany)--we know this is because of what they learned at preschool.
What other preschoolers want to be flags for Halloween?
*Learn independence including making one's own snack, dressing oneself, choosing his or her own work.
*Garden School is truly a hidden gem!
I can honestly say it is THE BEST experience my 5 1/2 year old twins and almost 4 year old have had to date--I feel lucky to have found them 3 years ago...
I can go on and on even more--please feel free to contact me with questions or
e-mail the director, Jaye, with questions or even to observe--you will be amazed:
jjaye@gardenschool.net. Also, check out their website at gardenschool.net. It's
definitely worth looking at--your children will thank you!!!”
-Sarah Frank
• “My son has thrived at Garden Montessori School and all of the credit goes to the hard-working, highly experienced teachers and the rich environment they’ve created. It is hard to believe this confident, enthusiastic boy who exclaims “today is a Garden School Day!” in the mornings is the same boy who cried every morning for a year at another preschool. He comes home excited to ‘teach’ his little sister about the continents he learned about at school and takes pride in responsibilities at home (like cleaning up and putting his clothes into drawers) just as he does at school. This is a very special preschool dedicated to enriching the lives of our children. We look forward to eventually having our daughter share in the Garden Montessori School experience; even though she has a very different personality than our son, we can see how she will thrive in her own unique ways there.”
-Andrea Lin
• “In early 1996 when we moved to San Ramon I started looking for a preschool for my 3 year old daughter. I pulled out an online list of preschools in the area and started visiting them one by one. As soon as I entered the classroom in Garden Montessori I was impressed by the calmness and serenity I felt in the room. There were more than a dozen kids busy with their activities but there was no chaos which I had seen in other preschools. The small class size and wonderful teachers won me over. After four years my third child is now benefiting from the impressive Montessori environment created by these experienced teachers. I feel very fortunate to have found this school. My kids have learned so much over here and their personalities have literally blossomed into confident and independent students. I am proud to be part of the Garden Montessori family. I only wish more people knew about this hidden gem in our town.”
-Riffat Hussain
• “Garden Montessori is a wonderful preschool! I have been so pleased with my child's experience there. He is in his second year and has grown and learned so much. I am a past kindergarten teacher and I looked at many preschools when it was time to make a decision for him. I knew from the moment I walked into Garden that there was no other choice. The classroom is warm and inviting. I appreciate the print-rich environment and how everything is level to and accessible for little ones. Even when filled with children, it is a consistently peaceful, calm setting which is very conducive to learning. The children are focused on their individual work as the teachers weave through to quietly assist and guide. Circle time exposes them to daily lessons, stories, and songs which I always get to hear about. The playground is a big, beautiful backyard with various play structures and equipment, trees, flowers, and a seasonal vegetable garden.
The teachers are amazing. I consider it an honor to have these women influence my child's growth and development. They have endless patience. They want the children to feel heard and they listen to them. They help them learn how to resolve their own conflicts which is truly a lifelong skill. They teach them how to be good role-models even at their tender age. They are completely invested in not just the children's academic growth, but their social, emotional, and personal development. They nurture the WHOLE child, and are in tune with their individual strengths and weaknesses. To this day I am amazed at how well they know my child, and they offer me a new perspective that as a mom I may not have.
The curbside drop-off and pick-up is a very convenient system when you have another child. This may not be the best time to approach the teachers with questions or concerns, but notes are responded to by afternoon, phone calls are returned at the end of the school day, emails are answered promptly, and conferences can be arranged in person or by phone whenever requested. The head teacher once took over an hour out of her personal time in the evening for a phone conference with me, something I greatly appreciated as a busy mom of 2. They want to work together for what is best for my child and they have had such a positive impact on my parenting.
The curriculum is beyond impressive. Language, math, sciences, social studies, the arts, practical life- they have it all. I'm amazed by how my son challenges himself and how passionate he is about learning new things. I never imagined my preschooler would come home and talk about the 7 continents and what makes them unique, living and non-living things, natural habitats and more! Even more importantly, in my opinion, is that the children are learning important life skills on a daily basis. Independence, responsibility, accountability, grace, courtesy, and more are integrated into everything they do. All these things bring forth self-confidence and what I want is for my children to grow up to be confident and happy adults.
As an Art History major in college, I appreciate a concept known as "art for art's sake". I'm not sure how to really translate that into preschool terms, but I see it as it's not the end art project that is important, but the creative process. I have watched my child's creative development over 2 years through his school easel paintings. Bold, beautiful, and bright paint strokes have naturally evolved into clear shapes, forms, and compositions that have come from his imagination and skills. I love it. In addition, some art projects are just as creative and free form, while others are a direct extension of the curriculum. These are not cookie cutter, mass-produced art projects that children are instructed to trace, cut, and paste. There is a lesson learned in each one based on their units of study and their development as children. My son brings work home which I eventually return to his teachers because they take the time to create individual binders for each child's school work. When he graduates from Garden, he will bring home that binder filled with his work from day one for me to save forever. You can't ask for a better keepsake than that!
There is no greater feeling than seeing your child take pride in his accomplishments and thrive in his school environment. I have been so sad as the end of the school year is approaching because it means my son's days at Garden Montessori Preschool are coming to an end as kindergarten nears. On the bright side, he is ready for kindergarten academically, socially, emotionally, physically, and mentally. Luckily, my second son has the privilege of beginning his school years there this fall and I can't wait to watch him grow at Garden. Please check it out. Look at their website, go for a visit, and meet the wonderful teachers. You won't be disappointed.”
-Niki Lianides
• “We moved to Danville at the end of 2009 and didn't know many people or what we were going to do about preschool for our sons. Luckily, we met some very nice neighbors at a neighborhood holiday party. We found that we had twins in common and began discussing our preschool dilemma. They told us about Garden School and how much their children enjoyed it.
Thomas and Elliot began preschool at Garden School in the middle of the school year, end of January, 2010. We were thrilled at the easy transitions and the fact that they both instantly loved the school too. Every morning we get asked, "Do we have school today?". In fact, we are sending them more days next year because they want every day to be a school day! As parents (of an eleven year old daughter too), we know how important it is that their first school experience be positive one.
As parents of twins, we were also concerned about Thomas and Elliot developing their individual personalities. Garden School has been great because it offers an environment that fosters independence. During play time, the students are encouraged to choose their own activities and are given a wide variety to explore.
We are very thankful to have found such a fantastic place for them.”
-Donna & Bill Conley