Our Experience at Patience Montessori: A Cautionary Account Our time at Patience Montessori was unfortunately marked by significant concerns regarding the care of our child and the overall environment of the daycare. What should have been a nurturing, supportive partnership turned into a stressful and unhealthy experience for our entire family. Mismanagement and Poor Communication From the beginning, I had concerns about the center's management. When I approached the director to discuss issues such as classroom transitions, choking hazards, teacher turnover, and the handling of pumped breast milk, I was met with a dismissive and defensive attitude. Instead of engaging in a constructive dialogue, the director consistently deflected responsibility and placed blame on parents or staff. Communication at this daycare was a recurring problem. Any concerns raised were typically ignored or met with hostility. Over time, it became clear that the director only engaged with me to point out what she believed I was doing wrong as a parent--including breastfeeding choices, carrying my child, or even my child removing her shoes at school. This level of intrusion into parenting decisions felt entirely inappropriate and overreaching. High Staff Turnover and Questionable Hiring In just six months, my child had six different teachers in the toddler room. This high turnover created instability and was never proactively communicated to parents. After the sixth teacher, my child--previously happy to attend--began crying at drop-off and describing the new teacher as "mean" and "scary." I later learned that this teacher refused to offer milk based on a personal belief that another child might mistakenly drink it. Shockingly, she had cycled through twelve different daycare centers before arriving at this one. Concerning Treatment of Children and Staff More alarming were the reports I heard directly from staff members, who confided in me about the director's behavior. They expressed discomfort with being sworn at in front of children, being pressured to operate over legal child-to-adult ratios, and being given questionable directions, including how to minimize parent-teacher interactions during drop-off. On multiple occasions, the director interrupted private conversations I was having with my child's teachers under the pretense of needing to "talk privately" with them. This left me feeling that transparency with parents was being intentionally avoided. Emotional Wellbeing and Child Development One of my deepest concerns was the director's approach to emotional development. Patience's philosophy, as described to me, discouraged staff from comforting children in distress. Staff were reportedly told not to hold, soothe, or validate a crying child's emotions. "She needs to be on her own," they were instructed. This rigid interpretation of the Montessori philosophy felt, to me, like emotional neglect rather than encouragement of independence. Montessori education values independence, yes--but not at the cost of compassion and emotional support. Children deserve comfort and guidance as they learn to regulate their feelings. What I witnessed and heard about at Patience Montessori deeply contradicted those values. Final Thoughts What I hoped for was a nurturing and professional childcare environment--one that would support my child and work with me as a parent. Instead, I encountered a toxic culture, a lack of professionalism, and a director who was more interested in control than care. Ultimately, we had to find a new daycare where our child could feel safe, supported, and understood. I share our experience to help other families make informed decisions and to advocate for higher standards in early childhood care. read more

My daughter absolutely loves Patience Montessori! Ever since we've started we've been nothing but surprised at how much she's learned and progressed. They really focus on social and interpersonal skills as well as practical skills to help your child in everyday life. She's learned really great things regarding the alphabet and numbers and all of the things that will prepare her for kindergarten. The teachers seem happy to come to work and there hasn't been much turnover of staff since the chaos of COVID died down. One thing I do want to mention is that I know that Patience Montessori gets some variation in review. And our experience has been that a lot of this has to do with implicit racism. We have felt this racism as a product of taking our daughter to a black owned school. In our experience these reviews are not representative. Patience is a very direct person, but she has decades of experience under her belt and she works with parents to make sure that the parents and the school are working together to provide the students with the best chance of success. The state auditors seem to hold Patience to an arbitrarily stringent standard. For example, one time Patience had to reprint all of the sign in sheets because it said "sign" instead of "signature". This doesn't really seem reasonable note indicative of how well the school knows or complies with state standards, which seems to be more than some of my friends' kids' daycare. We love Patience Montessori and would definitely recommend it to others. If I had a second, there is no doubt in my mind that they would go here. read more

My son was at Patience from 0-5. The school really pays attention to each child and communicates well with parents to highlight areas to focus on. This year we got to watch a class play of the 3/4 yearolds singing songs and reciting part of the periodic table of elements from memory...it was one of the highlights of the year for us. I recommend the school strongly and feel proud to be part of it. read more

Our daughter has been at Patience for the past two years since she was 4 months old. She's moved through the classrooms (nido, wobbler, mini). All the teachers have been wonderful, taught her independence and helped her grow through her phases as a little person. We feel fortunate to have found such a caring/nurturing school for our baby! read more

My son really enjoys preschool at Patience. He gets along well with the other classmates. The teachers are easy to work with. Overall a good experience for my preschooler. read more

Uncooperative management team and owner. As a new parent, it was shocking to see how mismanaged a childcare center could be. I wouldn't recommend this place to people who like their children. I heard and saw way too many red flags from the owner to even continue to roulette my child there. Who yells at children? There are staff members who are fantastic, but otherwise the management was abysmal when we made the mistake of coming there. Hopefully they have made changes post covid and added a staff who can actually deal with kids and stay awake during shifts. read more

For the past two years my son has been a student at the Patience Montessori School. We did not actively seek out a montessori school for him, but rather looked for a facility and a program that provided a nurturing, fun, and educational environment where he could develop friendships, learn, and enjoy his day. We toured several different places, but none matched up to the serenity of Patience Montessori. It just felt like a place where our son would feel safe and comfortable. The teachers are wonderfully calm and patient with all of the kids, which perfectly compliments the peacefulness of the environment. As we have learned more about montessori we have developed a real appreciation for the approach to learning, and how Patience and her team of teachers use this approach to help the children develop. Additional benefits like Mr. Scott's music program are another huge plus. During the holidays his teachers have always put together simple, yet wonderful and thoughtful gifts for the children, which show true care and understanding. We have even gotten to know several of the other families, which has extended our own community. There are certainly some opportunities for some updates, but there is nothing that I worry about. Everything is clean and tidy, there is just some wear and tear in a few places that could use some attention. Overall we have been very happy with our experience at Patience Montessori. Our son is always excited to go to school, and talks about his friends and his teachers constantly. read more

My nephew has been a joyful and enthusiastic attendee of this school for two years. His experience has been wonderful and has led to friendships that extend outside the classroom. Getting to know children that live in different neighborhoods or come from different backgrounds is one of the advantages of this program. This gives my nephew a broader world view and fosters his innate curiosity from a young age. I have had the pleasure of interacting with numerous teachers and students and am grateful for the calm, gentle, and respectful culture and example set by the teachers. My nephew has blossomed in this environment where his empathetic and nurturing nature is both supported and encouraged. The hours of operation are a definite plus for parents who are juggling work and family obligations. On the occasions that I have handled the evening pickup, the teachers are excited to meet other family members and obviously care about the children and their wellbeing and development. read more

Our son has been attending Patience Montessori for nearly two years and it has been a wonderful experience for both him and us -- especially as first-time parents new to the area. When touring other day cares and schools, we first and foremost looked for a safe environment, nurturing teachers and caregivers, and a place with both educational and fun activities. This school has those criteria an then some! As two working parents with full-time jobs in Denver, we also needed to find a daycare with long operating hours -- and Patience Montessori has extended hours to accommodate our schedules. Of note, while some other day cares appeared more updated inside, they always seemed hectic during tours. Upon entering this school, one of the first things we noticed is the calm and peaceful environment. The teachers have been amazing with our son! They encourage kids to excel in their areas of interest while learning practical skills and manners. Every day, the teachers let us know how our son is progressing, socializing with other kids, and when he needs some help or encouragement in certain areas. When he graduated from the "Mini" classroom and moved into to the "Primary" classroom, the teachers were especially helpful with the transition. To the negative reviews about Patience, she has been extremely caring and attentive with our son. He has been struggling with potty training, and her encouragement and knowledge of best practices has been so helpful. In addition to having to run the school, she never hesitates to actively help the teachers through reading and playing. Our son is thriving at Patience Montessori, and we are so grateful. We would highly recommend this school! read more

Our Daughter went to this school for two months in the fall of 2013. The teachers were fantastic. Patience on the other hand was not so great. She was very difficult to communicate with and seemed to nickel and dime us all the time. Our daughter was injured there. The teachers were great, one of them even came with us to the hospital. Patience on the other hand has handled it very poorly. At first I was going to just absorb the medical costs. She was not willing to fix what had injured our daughter and put a piece of duct tape over the sharp piece of metal sticking out of the fridge. I suggested that she should check with her insurance company to see if they would reimburse me. She dragged her feet. Barely giving me enough information to proceed. We were traveling out of the country and I am pretty sure she was hoping we would just forget about it. I was able to piece together enough to connect here insurance company with the hospital and doctors involved. Luckily, her insurance company is good. and they reimbursed us for everything except the deductible. Patience wouldn't respond to my email about the deductible... So, the teachers get 5 stars and the administration gets Zero. read more

My daughter has been attending Patience Montessori for over a year and a half now. My wife and I looked at a variety of local schools and chose Patience because we loved the diversity among teachers and the convenient logistics. Colorado isn't a particularly diverse state so having several ethnicities and cultures represented at school is important to us. Our daughter has been taught to love learning and be independent there. She's been shown a tremendous amount of love and has grown out of her shy, quiet demeanor into a social, confident personality. The fact that Patience is open from 7:30am to 5:45pm has been an unexpectedly important part of our happiness with the school. As a two income family having the flexibility to drop off early and pick up without having to leave the office in the middle of the afternoon has taken a lot of stress out of our lives. I highly recommend that you look at Patience - we have been incredibly happy with the education, care, and love for our daughter. read more

Wonderful school! Our two daughters love going Patience Montessori! Our three year old daughter has been attending Patience for the past year and half. She has grown and developed so well during her time at Patience Montessori. The teachers are all kind, patient and attentive to each student. The kids have dedicated activities and exercises to their age group but also encourage engagement with younger students. The school is very much a community where the teachers care for all of the students and parents know all of the other student names. The school is always calm and orderly. The teachers give each student he space to play and be creative. Our youngest daughter loves the infant classroom where she has a safe area to explore and interact with other infants. Her older sister loves to be able to check on her! We appreciate the care and attention that our two daughters consistently receive while attending Patience Montessori school! read more

Simply Amazing School! I'm touched by the spirit of Grace that emanates from this place. We feel very lucky and very proud to have our son riding the path of evolution assisted by the Kind and Brilliant Souls that compound the entire staff of the Patience Montessori School and by all the beautiful kids that attend it! We want to see more and more kids having the same life training and bright education like this so we'll be sure to live in a much better world. Thanks Patience Montessori!! You Rock!! read more

Please do yourself a favor and find another school. Patience is impossible to communicate with. If she decides that she has a problem with you, you and your child will suffer for it. She becomes cold, and in the words of my three-year-old, "She's mean to me." If you have a question about billing (which changes constantly) you might get a response like this exact response we received: "We are expecting the full tuition for XXXX, which is $XXXX. We will not explain this anymore then we already have. A late fee will be applied to any incomplete payment." Friendly, right? Expect this to be the rule and not the exception. Also notice the improper use of the word "then" instead of "than". These are self-professed educators. Patience can't keep quality staff. In 6 months my daughter had FOUR different primary teachers. Stability is of paramount importance to very young children, and they will not find that here. There is a huge problem with dishonesty in this school. It has become so bad that the parents created an email list so we could communicate with each other more readily and wade through the lack of information, misinformation, and outright lies that we are told. Most of the parents that I have known to have children enrolled at Patience Montessori have either pulled their child(ren), or are actively seeking to do so. We have maintained contact with many of the teachers who have fled this school, and have heard some pretty bad stories about the way Patience treats her staff, and a few stories about how poorly she speaks to the children. When many people have all had the same experience it is hard to discount them. If I can save one family from going through what we have gone through I will be happy. Think about this - waiting lists are long and if you realize, as we did, that you've made a mistake, you may have to live with that mistake for many months while you try to get your child into a better, warmer, happier place. read more

My son was bullied while there by the headmistress' son. Unfortunately he never told us while he was there, but it came out after he left. I can't believe the teachers wouldn't have noticed. For a 6 year old to continue to recall that he was bullied there as a 4 year old is astonishing to me. Not a good situations. read more

Our son attended Patience Montessori for close to 5 years and went through all 4 classrooms there. Patience does a fantastic job of hiring wonderful teachers that really care for the children and help them thrive and excel. Our son learned sign language before he could communicate verbally and this proved to be very helpful in eliminating some frustration that he was having. As he grew older, we found the other classrooms to be just as wonderful. The Montessori discipline worked very well for us and our family and our son was more than prepared for Kindergarten when he started. Aside from the academic focus that was so great, our son also met some wonderful lifelong friends that he grew up with at Patience Montessori. There was really a sense of family there. I can't say enough great things about how well Patience herself and her Staff cared for our son and helped him spend those critical early years developing and growing. I am so appreciative of the time we had at Patience! read more

Do not send your children here. I sent my children here for almost 3 years, and in that time, I learned the facility has a giant problem: the owner. In a nutshell, she cares about herself and money, not the children, not her staff, not the parents. If you're able to avoid any conflict with her whatsoever, you will probably be fine here. However, the minute you question anything, you will be on her list. The list of issues I came across there ran from problems with my bill, to seeing rats outside near the playground, to not putting sunscreen on my child before going outside, to classrooms being out of ratio, to taking the children outside without eye protection during the eclipse this past summer. Each time, I was met with anger and hostility, as well as excuses and/or lies. Each time, I was reminded that the owner "knew best" and I should blindly follow her leadership. However, her leadership included a complete lack of any action when there was a repeat biter in my child's room, and a recent citation for being in violation of safe sleep standards in the infant room. Part of her leadership was an utter ignorance when it came to the safety of the children during the eclipse. When the owner informed me there was no plan for the eclipse, I sent her literature about how dangerous it could be, and she still took the children outside without eye protection and blamed parents for teaching their children about it and creating a curiosity where the children would want to look up. (For the record, I took a day off work and kept my children home due to my well-founded concerns.) Her "I know best" attitude also includes a significant lack of communication to the point where the parents developed an email list to exchange information and compare stories. While we were there, I watched as more than a dozen kind and loving teachers left due to the poor treatment they received. (This included 4 teachers in 5 months in my daughter's classroom.) I kept in touch with several, and each had stories of accusations made against them, and being treated terribly. Some were told to leave without being allowed to say good-bye to parents. In almost every case, the parents found out from the employee they were leaving, communication from the owner either came very late, or after the fact. I've heard the owner yell at employees in front of children and watch her treat them with a terrible lack of respect. As parents, we try to teach our children to be kind to everyone and here I was, leaving my children with this adult as an example. We found a different school for my daughter and once we pulled her, our tenuous relationship with the owner unraveled. She changed our bill for our remaining son without notifying us (something I have learned is habit with her), and when I asked for a meeting to discuss, she quickly began to yell at my husband and me to the point where her assistant had to ask her to settle down. At that point, it became clear this was not the woman I wanted to entrust my child, or anyone else's child, with. However, in that meeting, we agreed to work on our relationship, and be professional, for the sake of my son. Two weeks later, the owner's lawyer sent us a letter, full of lies, telling us we had to leave by the end of the month. I took my son home that day and we have not been back. We truly could not be happier to be rid of her from our lives. Several parents made the same decision as we have and recently pulled their children too. On another note, I have asked several parents that have left if they were able to get their deposits back. Not one has said yes. The owner will tell you your contract changed, even if you sign nothing, and you can't get it back. To be fair, I didn't even bother. The loss of money was worth it to be done with her. Boulder has a severe lack of options for daycare, especially care for infants. I would strongly encourage parents to find alternative care, even if it means spending more money. In the long run, it will be worth it. As my three-year-old has said, the owner is simply "a bad person". Do yourself a favor and read the "not currently recommended" reviews below in addition to the ones you can see. read more

Ok, let me start with the good. I have a son currently in the school. He loves the "works" (materials) and they are of great quality. The classrooms are clean (thanks to the teachers) the environment for the children is orderly, peaceful and supportive. The teachers are mostly fabulous, however, they have gone through about 4 assistants in the primary classroom in the last year, which says something (not sure what, but something). Miss Manuela, Athena, and Michelle all have their head on their shoulders and work WAAAAY too many hours and are readily not compensated hourly, but salary, which is technically illegal for Montessori teachers in the state of Colorado. They were recently under review from the state for Administrative reasons and the director did not want anyone knowing that it was because SHE herself had not turned in necessary forms to the state or completed her necessary things as a director, yet played it off on the teachers as well as being at inappropriate ratios. They are still in their probation period, which you can call the CO dept of child care and they will read your their entire file as a matter of public record. This brings me to what I see as a major drawback to the school. Vera, the office assistant is very sweet and a pleasure to deal with, but either messages are not relayed from her to the Director (Patience S.) or the director literally pretends not to get the message or the whole message. Patience is not at all flexible with seemingly anything and plays it off as "We" don't do that/this/whatever, when really the entire administration is run by her, so it is up to her. They charge you $20 for EVERY FIVE MINUTES (!!!!!!) you are late past 6 p.m. without mercy. If you are 15 min late they charge you $60 dollars. They are very clear about this and post it in all of their letters, but this is beyond excessive. I understand the message trying to get across to parents to not make the teachers stay late, but the policy feels downright mean. Patience is clearly only working for the money, which is not, in of itself a crime by any means, but we parents hope for a nurturing and supportive director for our schools don't we? I have seen some of the assistants crying, sleeping, and/or being depressed on the job, this all strikes me as odd. Not, particularly inhuman, but odd for a daycare facility with kiddos. I was at another Montessori school for a time and left due to us moving and being now further away and when I told the old school where we were going the head teacher cautioned me about the director saying that she was a pathological liar. I, of course, thought this must be a bit harsh, but she gave me details of phone conversations that she had with her that did seem very incongruous. I went ahead with my choice for location, excellent teachers and my son really liked it when he toured and I'm not taking him out either, but I avoid the "administration" like the plague and am glad that Patience doesn't really do anything in any of the classrooms. They also have nice holiday celebrations and do a good job focusing the kids. There you have it, my two cents read more

Our child has been attending Patience Montessori for the past 2 years and it has been an excellent fit for him and our family. The school is small and calm. You quickly learn the names of all the children in each class, and become friendly with other parents at pick-up/drop-off, so it becomes a pleasant sense of community. We toured a lot of schools before selecting Patience, and these are the top things that stand out to us most: 1.) A Montessori education - love the well-prepared "child-sized" classrooms, natural materials to work with, and really everything about the Montessori method which truly helps foster independence and polite manners. 2.) The outdoor play space is fantastic. Real grass/gardens, dirt to dig in, flowers, bugs, etc. The outdoor play area is also fenced in by a high fence so it provides added security. Other schools we toured initially had either artificial turf or just wood chips, and chain-link or low fencing 3.) The school is always very calm and quiet - well laid out, organized, large classrooms to the ratio of children, nothing ever seems hectic or loud. 4.) Most importantly - the teachers are all absolutely wonderful and they truly make the experience. LOVE THE TEACHERS! There has been some teacher turnover in the past 2 years which has been unfortunate, but they have all been extremely loving, kind, and very well-educated in Montessori methodology...I have trusted them completely. Our recommendations for improvement: the school could use some new ceiling tiles in some areas due to discoloration, a few upgraded toys outside (ex. ride-on toys), more "open-house" and parent/teacher conference days, and additional information provided to parents about the month's curriculum/focus and how to continue what is learned in the classroom at home, but overall, we have been happy at Patience Montessori. read more

My son has been here for about four months now and we love it. It's very clean, the atmosphere is always very quiet/calm when we are there, and he had no issues transitioning when he started and always seems happy when he is picked up and dropped off now. His teachers are very kind and patient and they have great parent/teacher communication protocols as well. We are very pleased with our choice :) read more

Patience Montessori School has served my family in the best ways possible. My son received the highest quality care and education during his time there from an American Montessori Society Credentialed Teacher. His teacher was prompt, consistent, warm, responsive and very reliable with her care and instruction. His teacher also provided suggestions of specific things to do at home to help support and further his development at home. I felt as though as parents we were truly supported and we always felt comfortable approaching our teacher and Patience with questions or thoughts. Patience and Nancy are a great team for the school and we are so glad we found this gem of a school for our son. Patience herself is an AMS credentialed Director which is a rare find in a Montessori School and the Montessori Community as well and we loved being a part of her school community. We are forever grateful to the school for our experience there. Thank you, Patience Montessori! read more

After searching most Daycare, and Montessori options in Boulder, we had decided to enroll our son at Patience Montessori. It has been almost 2 years now. We chose this school initially because of the cleanliness of the school, and the professionalism of the teachers and staff. However what we get for our 2 year old, is an early childhood education. At school, not only has he been well taken care of, he has learned more skills than any child could possibly learn at a regular daycare. They encourage my son to do the things he likes, allow for him to be social with other children and he comes home every day with something new that they've taught him. And believe me, it is astonishing how much he learns here. His teachers honestly care about him like they might care for their own, they communicate well with my wife and I, and have so many interactive activities that they do!!! I would highly recommend Patience Montessori to anyone considering this school for their children. You won't go wrong here..... Update June 2016: Though I wrote back in 2013 that this place was great, I had to post this update, 3 years later. Though the first couple years were good as I had stated above, as my son grew older, things started falling apart, so I thought I'd share my view as a whole on Patience Montessori. If you're looking for a daycare, this place is perfect. Their attempt of being a Montessori school is valid, but the headmaster has put her ego in front of the faculty and students education. It was sad watching the teachers come and go. 16 total in the 5 years my son was enrolled. My son went here for 5 years. He met friends, learned a bunch about being a kid, and we found some of his strengths and weaknesses. There were some great teachers here, and there will continue to be. However, they will continue to go as well. They do this because they are treated poorly. The Headmaster will not listen to their complaints, nor will she listen to us as parents. And the children are the ones that suffer the most with the high turnover rates. Of the 40-50 different children that my son had the pleasure of meeting, only 1 or 2 actually finished school with my son. In the last year, she (the Headmaster Patience) refused to speak to me any longer because I questioned her on her policies. My son's mother and I went through a divorce while our son attended patience which is why we decided to keep him there. Everyone else left. And at the end of 5 years, Patience decided that there should be no ceremony for the children that completed their studies there. "It wasn't in the budget," she said. It was quite disappointing. So as I said before, this is an excellent Day Care Facility that your child will learn much more than going to daycare. There is a good chance that Miss Patience will change her ways too. But from what I've seen in the 5 years my son attended, I could not recommend this place in good conscience as a Montessori School to anyone.... read more

I can only talk about my experience with Patience Montessori within the "Nido" room (6 weeks to ~18 months). My daughter has been there for almost a year now. Patience runs a tight ship. Every business has challenges. What I can tell you sets apart one business from another, is how the leadership reacts to issues when they happen, and in that sense, we have had nothing but good things to say about the owner and staff. The positive: --teachers are well-trained, accredited and educated. They take their jobs seriously and they see this room as a classroom, not as a daycare. When my daughter comes back from school, she is exhausted and happy. --The head teacher of the classroom, Susan, meets with us quarterly, to tell us how our daughter is doing developmentally, comments on her dietary habits and ways to improve it, and quotes state regulations. --They have a simple atmosphere; it is very clean...they label everything. We had gone to two other daycares before this one, and could not believe the precarious conditions that some kids are left to. --They have a curriculum. They are structured (which is more than I ever expected), they learn sign language, play music, and have other educational modules. They even have take-home modules that parents can do with their kids before bedtime. --They are culturally inclusive. In my daughter's classroom, there are kids of all backgrounds, and they treat them all really lovingly. They play music from all cultures and encourage native-speakers to share with the kids. They teach Spanish and other languages whenever they have someone who is well-trained in the language. They also celebrate different holidays from all religions. The negative: My husband and I do not have anything bad to say about the school. --Yes, they do have a strict policy on picking up children on time. This probably comes from bad experiences in the past, where parents left their children behind, being inconsiderate of the owner and employees time. We do not mind having the excessive penalty, as it keeps us in check to get there on time. I am willing to bet that, if for some reason, my hubby and I have an emergency and can't get there by 6pm, if we give them a call and explain the situation, they would be willing to waive the fee if it is really an emergency. --Regarding the school being on probation, the week it happened, Patience sent a letter to everyone explaining the reason and letting everyone know openly what had happened, which was something related to some paperwork not being submitted on time, not extreme violations of codes. I mean, the State came in one day to check on them, and they dinged their score because my daughter was sleeping with her binky, which was a binky with one of those little stuffed animals (wubbanubs). Seriously? If that's the worst that they do, I'm happy! Bottom line: when you go in search of your baby's or toddler's daycare/school, use your judgment and not only let descriptions on yelp.com guide you. Yes, it was good to get an idea, but pretty much, my hubby and I made our decision based on what we saw, comparing if it aligned with our values. There is risk in every new endeavor like this, unless you have friends that have had their kids there that can tell you candidly about their experience. Ours has been a great experience. Good luck with your search! read more

If I could give this pre school negative stars, I would. Horrible experience! My daughter had 7 teachers in the seven months we were there and in the last month we didnt even have a montessori trained teacher. Ms. Patience wouldnt even talk to us after we turned in our quit letter, and was completely rude. read more

My son attended Patience Montessori for 4 years beginning at 15 months. I can only say that I am forever grateful that this is where my son's education began. PM is filled with loving teachers, experienced staff, and the heart beat of the school Patience and her family. Our son thrived in its nurturing environment and entered kindergarten way ahead of his peers both socially and academically. Patience Montessori set the stage for our son's love of learning, and allowed his sense of self to blossom. My son still talks about Patience Montessori to this day ! And is is always with fondness of the people there, the activities they did, and the lifelong friends he made there. read more

We had a horrific experience with Patience. The care in the Nido room is not only far below the standard any parent would hope for their child, it's inhumane. The Nido teachers are overwhelmed and have very poor judgment. After a full day at Patience Montessori, I picked up my 9 month old daughter; she was wearing the same diaper she was wearing when I dropped her off that morning. Her cubby was stocked full of her normal disposable diapers, but this particular day she came in wearing a cloth diaper (this was an oversight on our part, however, one of the teachers in this room had previously invited us to bring her in cloth diapers). Rather than changing her over to the disposables, or calling to let me know something was amiss, they "wiped out" the cloth diaper a few times during the day and forged the daily report to indicate normal changes. I should never have taken her back, but Patience assured me she would make sure that we would have no further incidents. Later that week, I picked up my daughter and noticed that her bottles (breast milk) were missing from her bin in the fridge, where they normally would have been. As always, she went to school with three bottles, but this day the teachers said they must have been confused and given her milk to another child. 1 - My daughter didn't have adequate food and no one even called me. 2--Gross, some other child got random bottles of breast milk. Patience's response was astonishing! She had always been icy and focused on the dollar, but at this point, it rocked my world to realize her philosophy on childcare. She was very clear that she was aware that the care was unacceptable, and that's not her problem. She said she sleeps just fine at night because her contract is bulletproof. Misconduct of the teachers is not her problem because they are contractors, rather than employees. She couldn't care less about the wellbeing of the children, let alone creating a positive, educational environment. Once we began having serious issues with Patience, other problems began emerging. We found several families who shared stories about her unethical business practices. The contract terms automatically renew. It's shady. Leave before a year, no deposit reimbursement; Leave at a year on the day, deposit reimbursement; Leave at a year and one day, no deposit reimbursement. Also, none of the teachers in the Nido room are Montessori trained, but they don't advertise that tidbit. Find somewhere else for your little ones. read more

Terrible experience. Our daughter has never had any trouble adapting to any school except this one. She cried at every drop off and had never in her life been so happy to see us at every pick up. When we expressed our concern to patience, she acted bothered. After trying to talk with her and getting stonewalled three times we decide to pull our daughter out of patience after three miserable months. Adding insult to injury, when we informed "patience" of our intention, her first and only response was, " you know you owe me another month of tuition, right?" I would not recommend this school to anyone. read more

I was referred to Patience Montessori by an elementary school teacher whose son went to Patience from age 6 months to 5 years. As an experienced teacher herself, she knew the quality of care and education this school provides. From our first days there, I knew my daughter was in a great place to learn, grow and thrive, she settled in well, learned the routines of the school and was a happy, enthusiastic learner. In fact, two other families followed us there after they were unhappy at their Boulder preschools. Our daughter's lead teacher will remain one of our favorite teachers and people forever. Not only is she an amazing and dedicated teacher, but she has a way of celebrating the heart and spirit of each student that makes the kids and families feel wonderful! My daughter still talks about her as being her favorite! My daughter graduated from Patience Montessori last year and has continued to thrive in school. The academic, social and lifelong skills she learned at Patience Montessori have continued to served her well. read more