I recently had the pleasure of visiting Greenfriends Montessori for the day on 8/22/25. I was very…read moreimpressed with everything I witnessed. I am a Montessori mom with three grown children who all went through a Montessori school (starting in preschool and some stayed as long as middle school). We also briefly tried public school, Waldorf, and home schooling. So I feel I am in a good position to assess the current Greenfriends school. The school is located in a rural peaceful setting with a large outdoor play space with gardens and fruit trees. The interior space is absolutely beautiful - light, sunny, homey, cheerful and clean. The materials are so well cared for. The teachers are kind, compassionate, intelligent, loving and patient with the children. All the children were happy and engaged. There was a nice balance of intellectual/academic stimulation, reading/writing, play, relaxation, listening to stories, moving their bodies, relaxing during snack and meals, and social engagement with peers. I was especially impressed with Lakshmi Mohan, who is not only a seasoned Montessori teacher with a history of having run her own thriving Montessori school in another state for years, but also a wonderful leader to the entire Greenfriends school community. I have known her for 20 years. Honestly, my children had mixed experiences in their Hawaii Montessori school. But we had very limited options, and this was the best we could find. The academics were solid, but the character of some of the teachers was very poor. Character of a teacher is critical, especially in the younger years when the children are learning to bridge the gap between home life and school. So a teacher needs to be very loving, patient and show integrity because children are so affected by the vibe of the adults they are around. If only our kids had been able to have Lakshmi in their lives. I can only imagine how amazing that would've been for them. When I met her 20 years ago I wished we lived in her area. She has a very thorough understanding of the Montessori teaching methods which is very important. But to me in the most important part is her heart and character. She teaches the children with so much patience, love, kindness and joy. It was obvious to me that she cares so much about each child. Some people were born to work with children. Lakshmi is one such person. The other teachers were also wonderful and caring. This created a sense of calm, order, joy and happiness. School was fun! It was very heartwarming to see a three year-old little girl telling me how excited she was to learn and how much she loved MATH! The children went outdoors and had a lesson about trees on the grounds. They enjoyed finding a caterpillar. They worked on counting and writing. They were kind to each other. If there were any issues whatsoever, (all I saw was interrupting) they were redirected very patiently. When a teacher is very calm and loving, it sets the tone for the entire classroom culture. These Greenfriends teachers set such a beautiful tone for learning in school. The qualifications of the teacher comes through their teaching skills. Greenfriends is a gem, this is one of the most amazing schools I've ever visited. I highly recommend it. You will not be disappointed.

These are my personal observations, but if you're seriously considering sending your child to this…read moreschool, I strongly encourage you to do two things: look into Discovery Montessori in Ohio--specifically its license revocation--and speak directly with families whose children attended Green Friends in Elburn during the past two years. This school was once a truly special place. Unfortunately, that changed dramatically starting in 2023. While Lakshmi Mohan may have had a positive impact elsewhere, her involvement--along with the actions of the school board--coincided with a period of significant disruption and decline at the Elburn location. The result was a mass exodus of students by 2025. In 2023, two highly respected and beloved teachers either resigned or were dismissed mid-year. When concerned parents asked for transparency, they were met with dismissive, evasive, and at times manipulative responses from the board. While the new teachers who stepped in were wonderful, it was evident they were operating under strain--likely due to board-level dysfunction. I believe most of those teachers have since left as well. Several parents witnessed teachers being treated with extreme rudeness and condescension during board meetings. Meanwhile, board members repeatedly made commitments to parents only to later deny ever making them. Communication was marked by stonewalling and an alarming lack of accountability. The behavior of the majority of the board exemplified toxic power dynamics. If I had to sum up their attitude toward parents, it would be: (these are not direct quotes) -We never said we'd do that. Be grateful we even let you enroll your child here. We should charge you more. You're lucky to be here, and your opinions don't matter. Despite this, we are grateful for the time our family spent at the school--specifically for the wonderful teachers and fellow families we got to know. The teaching staff was truly exceptional, and we will always appreciate their dedication to our children. I don't know how many families plan to return, but it's possible that a new cohort could offer a fresh start. Still, I feel compelled to share our experience--not because I expect change (which feels unlikely), but because families deserve to know what they may be stepping into. Transparency and honesty should be the bare minimum from a school administration. Unfortunately, I don't believe this board values either, nor do I believe they take parents' concerns seriously. For further context, here's an excerpt from a June 7, 2021 article in the Akron Journal Star regarding Discovery Montessori in Ohio, where Lakshmi Mohan was named as the administrator in the article: "Over the four years of inspections, the state documented 30 infractions, including: Class sizes exceeding legal limits Unsupervised toddlers Unsafe playground equipment Hazardous substances accessible to children, including pesticide Medication administered without prescriptions Dangerous furniture setup in toddler rooms Many of these issues were noted repeatedly in prior inspections and went unaddressed." Source: https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2021/06/07/copley-montessori-school-appeals-state-revocation-day-care-license/7549735002/ I encourage all prospective families to do their research and speak with those who've had recent experience with the school before making a decision.

I'm going to be honest school just isn't fun but Holy Angels just makes it great. I am in middle…read moreschool here and I definitely like this more than elementary school here but there still are some problems. Mainly the middle school men's room is pretty much entirely out of order one sink works. Also the dress code is kind of strict just saying.

My kids are new to HA this year and they are so very happy. We've been thrilled with their progress…read moreand development making friends and getting involved. We previously homeschooled, and we are not Catholic (we attend a Protestant church) so this was their first time in a "real" school, and they were new to Catholicism, and they've adjusted wonderfully. The staff and faculty are warm and sincere, and it's apparent that they genuinely care about their students. There are lots of extra-curricular activities which our children have really enjoyed. Many parents seem to be very involved in helping out and it's a nice community to be a part of. Overall, we are very pleased with the school and the costs. Well worth the investment.

My son just started Galapagos and I really like the school. My son has adhd and I strongly believe…read morethat they will meet his needs. The teachers have shown me that they really care about my son education's needs. Miss. Starret, has gone the extra mile for my son in explaining how to do his work. I've never heard such a thing as sentence starters and paragraph starters until he enrolled in this school a few weeks ago. Most teachers wouldn't go that extra mile because they usually say their over worked and they can't explain every single step to a child because they have other students' but that was not Miss. Starret's approach, she helped him and he finished it up. In my opinion, attitude, plays a key role on how kids and teachers perceive each other. We all have different learning styles and teachers have to adjust to each child learning style differently. My son didn't have a report card but I went in to meet with all of his teachers anyway. Especially after looking at some of the positive and negative reviews, I was ecstatic to see and meet some of the instructors. I can honestly say, they are a bunch of focused individuals. I have most of all of my son instructors phone numbers, including the Principal (how rare is that). They seem to have a very good OPEN DOOR POLICY. I must say, they are on top of things over there. I'm a very over protective parent when it comes to my child's need. Especially with his adhd and attention span I have to be over protective. This school has me excited about my son's future in high school. If he is tardy to class they have this kickboard system that I can see everything he has done so it's quite obvious my son won't be getting away with being late to another class. when he comes home I can talk to him about what his positive and negative actions were for that day. With the kickboard he has to tell me, if not, I'll see it anyway on the kickboard. Cons It'll be nice if they could offer classes like kennedy middle school, 1st, 2nd and 3rd period. It'll make kids feel more responsible to make sure they are not getting to the next class late. Additionally, it would be great if they offered discounts for the school uniform. I purchased almost $150 of spirit wear at my son's prior school and he had almost 20 shirts. Nonetheless, so far so good but I'll post another review once I've established a better rapport Advice to Management I read all of the NEGATIVE and POSITIVE reviews. Usually if anyone have to go too a unsatisfied work environment It's usually because their voice isn't being heard. This action causes a unhealthy learning experience. It would be nice to get survey from the staff anonymously to hear their opinions. If someone is coming to work complaining all the time it's probably a TRAINING issue or an ATTITUDE ISSUE. Indeed, if it's a training issue and it doesn't resolve then It's an attitude issue that can take away from the overall good learning experience that our children need. That's my opinion.

This is a very caring group of people who work hard to help their students grow. They know these…read moreyoung people well and strive to meet their needs. They focus on the development of the whole child and are very serious about preparing them for a successful collegiate experience.

Nice employees and summer hours. Test practice as well for ACT. Good location. ...read more

Our experience with Huntington Learning Center has been outstanding. Our daughter improved her…read morescore from a 23 to a 30, which speaks volumes about the quality of instruction and personalized support she received. Because of the incredible results we saw, we confidently enrolled our second daughter in the program as well. We are so thankful for the positive impact Huntington has had on our family and highly recommend them to anyone looking for proven academic results.

Amazing teachers and staff. Kids seem really happy to go to school. Teachers always keep parents in…read morethe loop of what is going on. Any questions you have they will definitely answer you. Safe place for kids.

So proud of Oswego East today!!! I'd like to thank Mr. Savage and staff for coordinating fly over…read moreevent. What a remarkable demonstration of dedication, community and school pride!!! Outstanding!!!!! Shannon Tunk Proud OE Parent

I hate the school (I'm in it rn a senior), there are always kids smoking in the bathroom and trynna…read moreact tough and pressing people and the school does nothing because they are popular or athletes and when I smack one of them for getting in my face I get in trouble and the school doesn't actually help you unless your popular and all the staff have additude honestly just move to a nice place with a bad school if your worried about the school cause it's bad either way, don't send them here!

This is the best tutoring my children have had. My oldest did the SAT class and was tutored for…read morechemistry and calculus. She is now at Ball State University and is receiving their highest merit scholarship. My daughter tells me all the help she received is making college much easier for her compared to some of her fellow Ball State students. Now, I've enrolled my second daughter in the SAT class because I am confident it will help her as well. Thank you for all your help Learning Ascent!

My Son, Joe, worked with Deanna Gage now with Learning Ascent Tutoring in his search for the right…read morecollege. His desire to play DIII soccer also being a factor, Deanna was a great guiding light through the tricky landscape of him deciding where to go and he couldn't be happier than he is now at St. Norbert College. Thanks, Deanna!

My Alma Matter! So to speak.. I've got so many great memories of this school. I'm sure most of the…read moreteachers who taught me have retired, but if they've continued to hire fabulous teachers and staff, this place is the best.