The teachers, support staff and administrators are WONDERFUL. It is a different level of attention…read moreand care than I have ever experienced in my 14 years of being a parents of 3! I love the Montessori principles, but this school is truly special. 2 of my children have gone there. Both kids have completely different personalities, and yet they both flourished there!

From the owner: Come visit our multi-age classrooms where children work together as a community, caring for each…read moreother and the environment. We believe that children learn best when they explore and discover on their own, constructing their knowledge through hands-on experiences and problem solving.

This location was my daughter's first school experience. Here she learned how to take care of her…read moreself and her environment. She attended this school at age 2 and left shortly before her 4th birthday. During that time she learned how to use a toilet, button and zip her clothes, crack and peel eggs, and how to interact with other children her age and older. She loved going to school in the morning! They were very supportive of her independence and strength. I spent most of my days hearing, "No momma, I do it!" They allowed her to thrive and build on the confidence within herself. She was able to work without being interrupted which allowed her to concentrate for long periods of time on any task that was put in front of her. These teachers worked so hard to lay the foundation for a strong and thoughtful young lady. My heart is full and my experience here is something that I hope every family has the pleasure of enjoying.

Both of my sons attended those school run by Carla, and for the first year everything seemed ok,…read moreuntil my boys were moved to this 5th street location in Springfield, OR where the teachers treated me like subhuman... the reason for this treatment I was told was because I picked the boys up a little early on day and the next time I came to the school, the director Sara, was very rude to me because the boys mother who is close friends with one of the teachers had called and complained and so she was negative right off the bat and insisted that I wait outside the building, I chose not to respond to her blatant diaper spect and went outside, when I can back in after waiting 14 min, she asked me if I had read the parents handbook and I told her I had, she then shoved a highlighted copy of the handbook in my face with my youngest son right next to her, demanding I take it before she would release my son. I have never been treated so badly by a teacher in my life... there is no excuse for Sara the director of this location to have treated me like that. In short, it was just this 5th street location that I had these issues with, and it ALL stemmed from April Kays biased opinions being unprofessionally gossiped to Sara the director, which influenced her reactions and decisions in this matter... even worse is that I called Carla the director about these transgressions and she did absolutely nothing about it, stating that she didn't think her teachers were sharing personal info about parents between each other and that in NO way effected Sara's reaction.... it's no coincidence that before being moved to this location where April Kay works, there wasn't ANY problems with me, in fact I took time and money out of my pocket to volunteer at their 10th street location to upgrade the play pits with more pea gravel. I thought Carla would be a smarter and a more compassionate owner, she has proved to me that she is not willing to address this in a way that questions her employees personal and social ties outside of the workplace and how that might effect the decision making process. I will be trying my hardest to get my son out of her schools, I would NOT recommend these schools to Anyone, your kids deserve way better than her "schools" offer. PS. her schools are basically old trailer homes converted into a school.... not the safest environment for kids.

I might update this as we've been there longer, but I'm surprised to find that no one else has…read morewritten anything about Far Horizons yet, since they've been in town for so long. They are a well established Montessori style school that serves kids 3-12 (potty trained and up). They have a primary level and an elementary level. I'm pleased with many things about their program, and just as perplexed about other things. We've experienced so many of the educational options for the under 5 crowd in town so I'll compare it to those. The good: 1)The teachers seem happy and relaxed and they don't experience the staffing turnover that other schools do. They are not a daycare and more of a real school, so it comes from a place of treating the staff as professionals, which they are. This is a huge plus 2)The playground is awesome! Their garden is awesome! 3) Their classes are kept tidy and organized 4) I'm a fan of montessori methods, so that's a huge plus 5) There is a large space to exercise and play inside when it's bad weather. The bad: 1) The security there is alarming -- I don't want to give anyone any ideas, but parents need to know that there is no level of security there and they don't check on who is picking up your child either, so that's a huge minus for FHM. 2)They seem to be very old school administratively -- no electronic payments, no front office person, their website is among the worst I've ever experienced 3) They have a LOT of picky rules and procedures, like no super heroes allowed on clothes.Nothing that generates any garbage in the packed lunch (don't even think about Chobani yogurt or a juice box!) and you have to leave boots and slippers at the school... 4) Their check in and check out procedure is highly inefficient and relatively inconvenient, and like I said before, also insecure/dangerous. 5) "summer camps," despite their ambitious themes, are actually just the kids doing whatever they feel like. 6) They are much more lax about things like applying sunscreen/hats, proper rain gear than at any other place we've been, as well as making my kid wear his prescribed glasses all the time. Overall, I'm pretty pleased with Far Horizons as the next step for the kiddo in a school, but my hairs go up when I think about the security there, which is a top-level concern, thus the three stars. If that were fixed, some of the policies relaxed, and some of the administrative things streamlined, this would be a 5 star review. I thought about 4 stars, but when we're talking about kids security must come first.

Far Horizons Montessori is fantastic. If you are looking for a place where your child will be well…read morecared for and learn in a nurturing environment, you have found it. My daughter first started going to FHM at the age of 3 and was in Lisa Cairo's class (I've dubbed Lisa the child whisperer!) for 3 years. My daughter loved it! She loved Ms. Lisa, loved all the school activities, forged close friendships and was so excited about reading and learning. For 1st grade we made the transition to public school. The joy of learning and reading was quickly snuffed out to the point where she didn't care if she had bedtime stories anymore. She did well academically and liked her teacher, but she hated that all activities (especially recess!) were rushed. The punitive nature of the public school with being tardy (to my daughter it meant she had to walk to class without a parent), the overcrowded and very congested classrooms, the high teacher to student ratios, the lack of music program (sometimes they sit and watch tv if the music teacher was absent) created a stressful environment which contributed to her lack of excitement in going to school. My daughter is very social and makes friends where ever she goes, yet she spent 7 months without making a single friend. At FH, they have large classrooms, a primary teacher and a secondary teacher with each class, time to complete their work, fantastic projects and a style of pedagogy that meets the individual needs of each student. I am so glad my daughter is back at FH. She's her happy, social, confident self again and has gone back to embracing her heritage, our culture, and begs for bedtime stories. She reads and does her workbook pages without being asked. She reads all the time, loves chapter books, and has started to write a few of her own. The owner, Lynn Rodrick, is a sweet person who knows how to run a school and educate kids. Lynn took over FH during my daughters 3rd year (December 2018) and has revamped the school. Door are now locked, website is much better, and she has set up an online pay system. Lynn changed the check-in system within months after she stared but now she has staggered drop off and pick up times. She personally checks-in each students, measures their temp, and assess for signs and symptoms or exposure to COVID. Lynn and the teachers' transition during COVID was exemplary. My daughter had in person school (there was an online option but my daughter needed to be around other kids) since Sept. 2020. All safety and precautionary measures were taken and Lynn and her team of teachers did what the other school districts in the area couldn't. The school went to great measures, incurring extra costs, to protect our kids without triggering anxiety in the kids. This school is truly a community. My daughter continues to thrive at this school and has done so well with the support of Ms. Kelli and Ms. Tarsa this past year. We are indebted to the school, to Lynn, and to the teachers. I have only one wish, and that's for Lynn to find a way to accept kids up to the age of 14!!! It would be amazing if our daughter could go through the tumultuous teenagers years under the care and supervision of great educators.

I've known Stacy since 1995, and I trust her with my children as much - if not more - than I trust…read moremy own family. In the two years my sons have been with her, their social skills, creativity, and knowledge have blossomed in ways that anonymous, big-name childcare centers never would have been able to foster. My five-year-old loves reading and my three-year-old can name plants and insects I didn't know existed. They know the water cycle, the life cycle of frogs, and how tomatoes grow, all because of time spent with Stacy and her skilled, excellent staff. They play outside, learn how to tumble, use sign language with their pre-verbal "school" mates, and care for animals in a safe, loving home. I'm moving to Portland; if I could bring Stacy with me as my nanny, I would. I don't know how I'm going to find anyone even half as amazing as she has been.

From the owner: About us: -We are a…read moreState Certified, In-home childcare, established in 2008 -We're open Monday thru Friday from 7:30am-5:30pm (we are closed on major holidays and two weeks a year) -We offer care for children 6 weeks to 12 years old (depending on space), Regardless of creed, race, religion, special needs, or anything else that makes us "different" ;) -We keep a clean and safe environment for the children, and have plenty of space to play! We have a large fenced in yard and small covered play area for rainy days. We are also close to a several great parks! -We are located off Maxwell Rd just before Hwy 99 and a quick drive to Royal/Barger areas, Hwy 99, Prairie Rd, Beltine, and NW Expressway. -We serve healthy and mostly organic and vegetarian meals, and can accommodate any diet needs. -We offer a structured preschool experience with all the comforts of home.

I couldn't recommend this school enough- not only did my child grow his social skills & emotional…read morereasoning, he was encouraged to develop at his own pace and became an avid reader by age 4. Kelsey is sensitive & conscious, and makes sure to include diverse curriculum and conversations (age appropriate of course) about cultural, physical, and socio-economical differences. She trusts the natural intuition of kids, and embraces their curiosity- even when getting into the "tough" territory. I always had complete faith in her to answer my precocious kid's surprise questions, that at times have caught me off guard, and we as a family learned many lessons from Kelsey's cool, calm, and kind way of approaching the world. My son is now almost 8 years old, and he consistently looks back at this time with Kelsey as some of his favorite memories.

This home based preschool is a beautiful blend of Montessori and Waldorf curriculum. Teacher…read moreKelsey's approach is gentle, holistic, and supportive, and she is well-organized with parent communication and calendars/administrative pieces. The environment she has created fosters curiosity, creativity, imagination, problem-solving, engineering, and overall confidence building. Additionally, she connects with other educators for supplemental opportunities such as yoga and music. Teacher Kelsey invests in continued education and training, as well as a variety of certifications for the school. Our family was enrolled for two years with Little Stompers and feel deeply grateful to have found such a wonderful school and teacher!