I'm updating this review with heavy, mixed emotions, but I believe sharing our full experience is the right thing to do. I left my initial review while my daughter was in 1st grade -- 6 years later, I have a very different opinion to share. I still believe DCS Montessori is a wonderful choice for preschool, however I strongly urge parents to consider a different choice for lower and upper elementary. Here is why: there is simply no enforced curriculum consistency from classroom to classroom. While my daughter had teachers who were very structured and ensured all the right materials were covered throughout each year, my son wound up with more unstructured teachers who simply didn't take care to cover material that should have been required for each grade level. And because DCSM sets NO STANDARD CURRICULUM FOR EACH GRADE, there are no checks for parents to fall back on. Teachers are simply allowed too much freedom to pick and choose what and how they teach. I know at every school, the teacher your child gets can dramatically change his/her experience; however, there should at least be common curriculum standards set for every teacher to follow. Until they establish some common expectations for all teachers and hold each of them to the same standards, you are rolling the dice that your child will get a teacher who will actually cover the material that meets Colorado state standards for each grade. read more

Seriously -- Yelp! is ridiculous. We love DCS Montessori and have for 6 years. I would leave a 5 star rating, but I thought it might get kicked off the "recommended" list. I guess too positive an experience is considered unlikely and therefore suspect -- very sad. If you are exploring schools in the Castle Rock/Castle Pines area, you owe it to your children to visit DCSM and learn more about the programs (now going thru middle school). There are SO many more positive experiences at DCSM than the one recounted in the only "recommended" review. Yes, there were some staffing issues a few years ago that have been sorted out wonderfully -- every school has staffing issues from time to time. We love DCS Montessori for both our children and our school has a lottery and waiting list of families who would like nothing more than to have their children attend this school. in fact, I know of several families personally who this year pulled their children from another well known, high stress charter school in the neighborhood in order to attend DCSM. I hate that some families had poor experiences at our school, but be sure to click on the hard-to-find link underneath the "recommended" reviews to see ALL the reviews. There is a lot of good to read. read more

This is the best school! Individualized learning that teaches kids to work until completion. Kids get to choose some of their work, allowing them to learn about what they are interested in. My son has been here for 4 years, since kindergarten. He loves and I love it. Each teacher has been wonderful, very caring to the children, open and honest with parents and also willing to listen to the parents. The Head of School (Principal) is available to parents and treats the children with such a high level of respect. I can't even imagine a better school for my child. Highly recommended! Regarding the review from LJ below, I am curious how long ago she had this experience? The front desk personnel are great also, very loving to the kids, nice and respectful to the adults. I can't speak to the teacher that she references, but the teachers we have had are awesome! read more

DCS Montessori is a spectacular school. The environment foster by the staff and administrators allows students to grow and flourish academically, emotionally and interpersonally. My daughter is just finishing kindergarten (her 3rd year at DCSM) and her growth over that time is astonishing. From an academic standpoint, she is reading and writing and working with addition and subtraction. But as a person, she has gone from being shy, unconfident and introverted to outgoing, confident and popular with her classmates. By address the needs of the whole child (academic, emotional and social) DCSM is having a tremendous positive impact on their student. If you are even slightly interested in this school for your children, I strongly suggest you sign up for a tour to learn what DSC Montessori is all about. read more

We have had our daughter enrolled since she was three. She will start Kindergarten in the fall. Let's just say the previous review was not characteristic of this school. We have had nothing but great experiences! Our daughter who hasn't even started Kindergarten yet is adding, subtracting, knows the Continents, and the list goes on. She has learned so much coupled with a fun and nurturing environment. This school far excels any preschool I have had my children in (was a former Director), and I cannot wait to see how she thrives in the Primary grades. I strongly recommend this school and I am equally impressed with the Montessori teachings. It is such a phenomenal approach to learning and in developing bright, confident, independent thinkers. read more

DCS Montessori has been a wonderful experience for our precious 4 year old. She is doing addition, subtraction, learning the concepts of multiplication and reading. Her classroom is a place of calm and she dearly loves her three teachers. The ratio is 1:10 in the pre-k/k class. The mixed ages allows the children to move at their own pace academically and develop friendships with different age children based on true likes and not age. The kindergarten class has PE, Art class and spends extra time with the lead teacher. Our P4 is anxiously awaiting kindergarten as though it were cloud nine. This school is all that is good about a charter school and all that is great about the Montessori method. read more

DCS has a very good environment where you can notice a deep inter-relationship between all of the teachers and the students. Students are happy and the overall energy of the school is warm, positive, and encouraging. All of the teachers are confident and hold a space for their students that is grounding and calm which provides a solid environment for good learning. My daughter is learning how to learn with a strong curiosity, a positive attitude, and a very high level of confidence. DCS teaches my daughter based on how she learns and understands things which has allowed her to excel in everything she is learning. We absolutely love DCS. read more

Please read the additional reviews rather then taking the only review posted, written by someone who no longer lives in CO (at least according to where they say they are located) who wrote this 3 years ago. As of this summer I will have 3 children at this school. They are excited everyday to go to school and are educationally ahead of their peers at other schools. This is a great school that truly cares not only about your children today but who they will be when they are adults! Its not about getting through school but getting through life! We are super lucky to have a Montessori Charter close by! read more

We love DCS Montessori! Both our boys attend and we have been there since 2007. The entire staff is incredible and truly care for our children. Teachers and administrators are extremely responsive to any concerns and we get a weekly email from both teachers! The curriculum is amazing, teaching my boys much more than just academics, but vital life skills. There is an assistant in every classroom which is unheard of in public schools. Having spent years in public schools as a special educator, I feel confident that my children are getting so much more than they would any where else. read more

DCS Montessori Charter School is wonderful school full of committed teachers, and staff. My son's teacher was able to guide my child from complete hell-raiser into a kind, loving, independent, young man with a strong work ethic who is worldly, and empathetic beyond his years. I strongly support this school, in part because of the Montessori Philosophy it incorporates and how wonderfully the approach differs from high pressure, high word load, intense typical charter schools, but also because of the great community of staff and parents that call it theirs. read more

Our daughter is a 6th grader and has been at DCS Montessori since she was 3. We are so grateful they have added a Middle School so that she can continue here. She has teachers who truly care about her and know her learning style. She thrives in this environment which encourages her to be independent, help others and question what she learns. We are confident she will have a life long love of learning. Here they do not teach to passing the test. read more

Our daughter has attended DCS Montessori since she was 3 and she is thriving!! As a preschooler she loved expressing her creativity through art and as a kindergartner she has thrived putting everything she learned as a preschooler into new cognitive experiences. I highly recommend this school if you are looking for something outside the traditional classroom experience. read more

Both of my daughter attend DCS Montessori and love it. It is our second year here and we have not had any issues with teachers or other parents. The carpool lot is a bit tricky at first but the school has a pattern and one you figure it out it really makes sense. They do have plenty of specials for the kids to engage in different activities. read more

My experience at DCS has been wonderful. My son has attended DCS for 4 years, and he is socially, emotionally, and academically prepared to transition to middle school next year. The teachers go above and beyond to provide a quality experience for all students. read more