My two-year-old daughter has been attending AMS since its opening in January, and I've already seen…read morenoticeable changes in her speech and sense of responsibility. She communicates verbally when she needs/wants things, and she has taken to cleaning up her messes, often saying 'I need a toth (cloth)' when she's spilled something (she's a toddler - it happens). The staff have been very interested in my daughter's development and have shown sincere dedication to doing their best for each child's education at the school. They've been friendly and have been very helpful with answering my questions and explaining the Montessori method to me. This is not just a daycare, but a great learning environment for kids 18 months to 6 years. I'd recommend Atlantic Montessori School to anyone looking for the best for their children.

The Maple Tree Montessori School is a beautiful and calming space, designed lovingly for preschool…read moreaged children. I've been spending some time here lately, practicing yoga when class is not in session. The school is open-concept, consisting of one large room with hardwood floors and large south facing windows. There are lots of neat looking supplies for art projects, plus a full kitchen where I'm assuming fresh meals are prepared for the kids attending classes. If you're looking for a place to send your kiddies to preschool, you should look into the Montessori approach, which focuses on developing children's' skills in a safe and creative environment. If you have the chance to attend a yoga or meditation class here, you should take it. The space really is lovely and it's nice to be privy to different educational settings within the Halifax community.

Plus side, nice clean space and lots of creative supplies. Fresh baked muffins and healthy snacks…read more Montessori learning and kids yoga and music which is awesome. Teachers were very nice. Negative side, on top of a higher rate for this daycare, all food is not included; you must provide fresh fruit or vegetables daily for snack, there is no progress or feedback for individual students and they do not pack water for their daily park/playground trips as there no toilet in the park, and do not always get outside twice a day, as per standard. Also, the schedule is around the private school sked so if you are working parents, prepare to try to find care for your 4/5 yr old 18 days around Christmas, March break and the last two weeks of June (when there is no childcare camp program at that time of year). Felt like parent teacher night was just a general speech by the owner talking to/at everyone, only interaction with other parents was the last day, nothing to encourage relationships and friendships like other daycares I have experienced. Would be better if they gave individual feedback from teachers on how your child was doing, progress or creativity, even just something they did or if they had a good day, drop offs and pick ups could be warmer to make parents feel welcome.

"Words cannot describe how exceptional Ayesha is as a daycare provider. From our daughters' first…read moreday, she treated her like she's one of her own. Our daughter can't stop talking about everything she does while at daycare; between playing hide-and-seek in the playground to all the running games and slides, to playing with her friends and doing arts and crafts, she loves it there. Ayesha always sends pictures to us while they're playing; our daughter is always excited to come home and look at the pictures of her with her friends. Our daughter looks forward to going to Ayesha's each day and she is always happy when we pick her up, happily jumping around, singing and dancing, full of life, brimming with energy. "A great teacher takes a hand, opens a mind, and touches a heart." Ayesha has indeed made my daughter highly independent. Since my child joined Ayesha's daycare her level of confidence and cognitive and motor skills have improved. She now wears her own shoes, socks, gloves, jacket, is potty trained and can use toilet independently, knows how eat and drink by herself using fork and spoon, speaks very clearly, using sentences of five or more words, tells a story in complete sentences, understands the concept of time, knows how to recite poems, songs, stories, and rhymes, and to our surprise, she even baked a pizza for us at home and boxed it. She tells us about all the projects she did at the daycare pointing at each one of them in the activity book Ayesha sends home every Friday (particularly the snowman project), and we were so happy to learn that she has learnt so much. Special mention to the Father's Day project, our daddy is super happy to see #1 Best Dad in the world project that she did. Always puts a smile on his face when he sees it . She is ready to advance to preschool with confidence now and that's how incredible Ayesha has been. I think a role model is a mentor - someone you see daily, and you learn from them. Our daughter has indeed learnt a lot from Ayesha, and we are very grateful for the friendly atmosphere Ayesha provides at her daycare and sending our daughter to Ayesha has been the best decision for our lives. It's been an incredible experience for both us parents as well as the child. We feel so lucky to have found such a wonderful childcare provider. We more than HIGHLY recommend Ayesha as a daycare provider and thank you, Ayesha, for everything! "Humble on the Outside, Confident on the Inside". This quote is so true to what Ayesha truly is. She is so humble and kind on the outside and confident on the inside. This humble quality of her interspersed with warm and welcoming beautiful smile and brimming confidence is something we truly admire in her. A happy child is a happy family! Thank you for creating a second home for our daughter in your daycare and it is now indeed a home away from home. Thank you, Ayesha, for being a STAR and lighting up our family with so much of abundant joy and happiness. You are a "HERO" in our child's life! Thank you Ayeshah - Regards Mady and Arya

From the owner: A dayhome with a beautiful space for kids to play, learn and grow together.read more

Elaine is an amazing Doula, and went above and beyond for us many times during both my pregnancy,…read moreand the birth of my son. She gave me unyielding support, invaluable advice, and endless compassion throughout this journey. I learned a lot of things about birth, delivery, babies, and my body, as well as many techniques to help me through labour. And even though this was not my first child, I went into this birth so much more prepared than I ever could have become on my own, and I went into that hospital confident, brave, and ready. Elaine checked in on me several times a week (Every day once my due date drew near) full of advice, love and support, and it was so wonderful to have someone like that during my pregnancy, my own cheerleader, and she made me really understand how amazing of a process I was going through. When we learned at 28 weeks that I had gestational diabetes, Elaine immediately and without hesitation was on board with all my decisions, talked to me about my diet, my options, and what having GD could mean for my pregnancy and delivery. It was not only educational, but extremely reassuring to me at a time I was feeling very helpless. Though things did not go as we hoped (I was induced due to my diabetes) Elaine talked me through each contraction, stayed by my side every second, and was able to support me through the entirety of my labour while not getting in the way of me and my partner, as we bonded over the birth of our son. I was unable to make it through without an epidural as I'd hoped, due to the increased pain of drug induced contractions, but Elaine once again supported me completely. She helped me get as far as I could, and the second I said I needed the relief of drugs, she accepted it, and continued to tell me how amazing I was doing, and how brave I was for making it so far on my own. It was thanks to her that I was able to continue through labour without feeling like I had failed, without feeling as if I had done wrong by my child by needing relief, and I will never be able to thank her enough for that. I cannot recommend her services enough, no matter how many children you have had. I have never felt more amazing about myself than I did during that birth. And even though my plans went completely awry, it was still the most empowering experience of my life, and an experience all women deserve to have with their births. There are really no words to express my gratitude, and I implore any women considering a Doula, to give it some thought, and to at least meet with Elaine. It was life changing for me, and for my partner, and we will always be glad we chose her. It was worth every penny we spent, and more.

Elaine went above and beyond our greatest expectations! Her invaluable support as a childbirth…read moreeducator was very comprehensive. Her array of knowledge is extensive and she readily provided us with any helpful information we requested. I highly encourage anyone who is considering a doula in Halifax to contact Coalesce Birthing Services.