Freehold Montessori School was my (now four-year old) daughter's first introduction to a…read moreclassroom/learning environment and we could not have been more grateful and appreciative of the entire experience. Nothing has compared to the peace of mind of dropping her off every day knowing that she was being thoughtfully developed in a safe and joyful environment by an academic staff that would embrace her individualism while instilling within her the skills to become a life-long learner. Honestly, our only regret was not enrolling our daughter sooner. While I cannot say enough wonderful things about this school, here are the most immediate that come to mind:
1. Ms. Margaret - If only we could clone Ms. Margaret and put her into every classroom across the country! She is truly an effective teacher that is passionate about sparking curiosity in her students and ensuring they are given the tools to maximize their potential. She effortlessly goes beyond "textbook" teaching to insert micro lessons about everyday life. The students are constantly learning in a fun and memorable way. Ms. Margaret also understands that every student is different, she is very tailored in her engagement. While we did not have the pleasure of working with teachers from the other buildings, I have to assume they are just as spectacular and aligned with the overall vision and philosophy of the school.
2. Relatedly, we were very appreciative of the thorough parent-teacher/director feedback loop at FMS. Parent-teacher conferences are in-depth and productive. We were given the details of our daughter's performance, saw samples of her work, side by side progress in her writing, and tangible examples of her day-to-day/contributions to various activities in the classroom. We were given the gift of learning about our daughter in a completely different setting and were able to understand areas we could reinforce at home.
3. Similarly, the school director - Ms. Yogi - is prompt, accessible and always acting in the best interests of the students. If we ever needed anything, she was very responsive, took action immediately and was incredibly thoughtful in following-up. During my initial tour of the school with Ms. Yogi, I noticed that she not only knew each student across all three buildings by name - but she truly understood each child and their personality/needs. She is an impressive leader and has cultivated a nurturing and emotionally secure environment for her students, while delivering excellence in academics. Within the first few minutes of speaking with Ms. Yogi, I knew this was the school for my daughter.
Having meticulously researched and visited most preschools within the area - I can say FMS operates in a class of its own. There is no other school out there that provides a nurturing, yet academically enriching and diverse learning sanctuary. I am confident that any parent enrolling their child here will be just as pleased with their experience.
