Starwood Montessori School

My daughter attended Starwood Montessori from 2yrs old to 5. The staff really care about the students and formed a connection with her (and others) to the point you know they care. She attended summer and after school programs as well. She is now in kindergarten and has adjusted very well to the public school environment. She missed them and they in turn have expressed several times that they miss her. Her younger sibling will also be attending soon since we were so satisfied with their services, education and quality!

Posted 10/15/09 | Report Abuse

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My son was at Starwood from 2 until 5. My daughter also started at 2 and is in her second year at Starwood. I'm a working mom and I've utilized Starwood's aftercare and summer program's as well. My son is a young 5 year old who entered Frisco public school kindergarten this year. Contrary to my fears and feedback I've read re: Montessori schools, my son has transitioned very well into public Kindergarten. Through the Montessori, he learned respect of others, self control and how to challenge himself. He also has a huge leap scholastically given the self paced Monstessori curriculum. His reading level is very high compared to his peers in public kindergarten. The staff (teaching and administration) is exceptional, caring, available and very nurturing. They are always professional, respectful and very responsive. My children are very different and I relied on the advice of this incredible staff as to the right direction for both of my children and I am so pleased with the results. Not every teacher is for every child and not every child is for every teacher. Thank you also for providing me with the peace of mind knowing my children are safe, loved and having a wonderful time learning. This entire staff KNOWs and LOVEs children! Thanks Starwood for providing such a wonderful environment for my children to learn, grow and explore!

Posted 10/05/09 | Report Abuse

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Our daughter has been a student at Starwood for going on 5 years now. It has been a wonderful experience for her and for us as well. She has grown so much, not just academically, but as a person who relates well to other kids and adults. The Montessori curriculum encourages her to take responsibility for her own education by having her plan her day each morning and set goals for each week, which is a very important skill to master. Each child is able to work at their own pace, yet nobody is slacking off or coasting in the classroom. I have never seen a teacher raise their voice to a student in the 5 years that our daughter has attended, and I have never seen any kind of disrespectful behavior from a student toward the teachers or other students. Respect for others, and being accountable for your own actions are stressed as a part of the way the Montessori program works.

Anita Hanks and the teachers and staff of Starwood are like family to us. They know every child's name, as well as their parents, and are always quick with a smile, a hug, and a "good morning". They take time to talk to your child, ask them how they're doing, and give them a hand if they're having a rough day.

We cannot recommend Starwood highly enough. If you are considering private school for your child, you really should look at Starwood Montessori school.

Posted 09/20/09 | Report Abuse

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I have two children at Starwood Montessori, and a third to start later this year. My 6 year old is in his third year and my 5 year old is in his second year there. My sister had two children go through Starwood, so suffice to say that we are all big fans of Starwood Montessori.The school is very well organized and they do a fantastic job of keeping us abreast of what is happening at school through regular parent-teacher conferences, open houses, an open door observation policy, consistently sending home packets etc.The teachers and all of the staff are absolutely wonderful and clearly adored by all of the children. Teachers greet the children at the car and always do so with a smile and an enthusiasm that gets them off to a great start every morning.My oldest son reached a point where he needed more challenges in his Primary Class. I met with Anita Hanks, the Director of the school, and she thought a move up to an Elementary level would be appropriate. This required my son to move classes mid-year. Everything was communicated clearly, the transition was handled perfectly, an he is thriving!I cannot recommend Starwood Montessori highly enough. Every time I am at the school, I leave with a renewed sense of "this is where my children belong."

Posted 09/13/09 | Report Abuse

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My five year old son has been a student at Starwood for two years and we have been very pleased with his experience. It is a very child-centric environment that focuses on the unique talents of each child and allows them to experience the joy of "learning how to learn" at their own pace. After experiencing another childcare program before changing to Starwood, we were so relieved to see what a calm environment the school operates within - it's not a chaotic environment like other preschools. The facility is well-managed, the communication with parents is fantastic and above all the teachers are very caring and nurturing individuals who seem to all love the children and the appreciate the role they have in their lives.

Posted 08/31/09 | Report Abuse

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My oldest daughter is in her 5th year and my youngest daughter is in her 2nd year at Starwood. It is truly an amazing environment. I cannot say enough positive things about the high level of eduction my children receive and the warmth of the staff and teachers that they have now and have had throughout the years attending. I am a rather particular mother who focuses a great deal on the value of eduction and I can say that I do not think you can find a better preschool or elementary educational program in the area in either public or private schools. I highly recommend Starwood.

Posted 08/28/09 | Report Abuse

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My child is starting her fourth year at Starwood. I knew when I walked in the door of the school in 2006 that this was the school I wanted for my child.I visited other schools in the area, but Starwood really impressed me. The school has been wonderful for my child. She has developed a real interest in learning. She can't wait to get to school each day. She loves the playground, her teachers, and seeing her friends. She enjoys her school work and told me the work was not 'hard', but 'challenging'. I definitely recommend the school based on my experience.

Posted 08/27/09 | Report Abuse

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We have 2 children at Starwood, one in the Primary program and the other in the Toddler program. We cannot say enough great things about the school. The curriculum is outstanding. We have friends and family that are constantly amazed at the things my children know already. And my kids love going to school each day. Starwood fosters a sense of independence and respect. The children learn to respect their teachers and, just as important, the teachers respect each child. The staff is supportive and the only time we had a concern, it was resolved the same day. The school is extremely clean. Both my kids were in a daycare environment prior to being at Starwood and since they have been at Starwood they are never sick anymore.
We selected a terrific learning environment for our children and look forward to several years of being part of the "Starwood Family".

Posted 08/26/09 | Report Abuse

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Our daughter is beginning her third year at Starwood Montessori. She spent 2 years at the primary level and has just started elementary a year early. Her progress has been amazing! She thrives in the Montessori environment. We took her out of school one month this summer for a "break" from the routine. She said couldn't wait to get back to school because she missed the work! She/we love her classroom teachers as well as her aftercare teachers and other staff. Besides the classroom work, the teachers have done an outstanding job of encouraging respect for others, manners, responsibility and skills for living. Our only wish is that she could stay at Starwood through 12th grade!

Posted 08/22/09 | Report Abuse

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I have 2 children who attend Starwood. They are in the 2nd and 5th grade. It has been such a supportive environment for both of my children. I admire the directors immediate response to problems. My oldest child had been a victim of bullying at another school. I wanted to be certain that he was in a safe place....he is at Starwood. Respect is a theme at Starwood respect for others and respect for you....wonderful message for the children. I appreciate the communication with the teachers (who are available and responsive to concerns). As for academics, having the assessments at the beginning of the year to customize each childs lesson plan makes such sense. Who wants to be held back in math because they are struggling with grammar? This has made my children confident in their abilities and eager to learn and show mastery so they can move on to the next level of lessons. Starwood is a wonderful school where children can grow both emotionally and academically. I am thankful to have my children there.

Posted 08/21/09 | Report Abuse

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As a psychologist with a background in learning and cognition, it was imperative to me that I placed my children in a educational environment that simultaneously nurtured their spirits while fostering their independence, curiosity, and critical thinking. I wanted my kids to have an excellent foundation in learning to learn (rather than just learning to memorize facts) and the Montessori method does just that--and Starwood Montessori School does it beautifully.I have had two children at Starwood over the course of the past 5 years and couldn't be happier or more impressed with every aspect of the school. In the toddler, primary, and elementary levels my children were blessed with nurturing and competent teachers who enjoyed their jobs and the opportunity to teach children and watch them learn and grow. All of the teachers my children have had have been very proactive in communicating with me and have always welcomed my questions. Moreover, they welcome parents into the classrooms to read to the children and assist with parties, luncheons, etc. I also love being able to go into the school whenever I want to observe my children from the 1-way window. After attending Starwood from age 2 until age 6, my son started elementary school at our neighborhood FISD school where he was light years ahead in reading, writing and math. The teachers at Starwood do such an excellent job of teaching the children to read phonetically that they quickly become solid readers who can tackle material well beyond what would be expected given their chronological age. Further, the Montessori materials are innately interesting for the children and allow for a concrete understanding of math, geography, and geometry principles.We have had wonderful experiences with the director, front office staff, teachers, and aftercare teachers and would highly recommend Starwood Montessori School to anyone in the Frisco area.

Posted 08/20/09 | Report Abuse

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Having children is easy, letting go of them is a whole other story unless the transition is made seamless by a staff and school like Starwood Montessori. We began our due diligence on schools when our daughter was six months old. We knew we had selected the best school for our daughter but the proof is in the pudding right? She turned around on the first day of Pre-K , and removed the rather large lump from my throat, and said, I am ready for school , lets go. As I watched outside her classroom viewing window the following 3 days I knew she was right and I knew we had made the right choice. We have been extremely happy with her social development and she has astounded us with how fast she has learned to read as well as her math and computer skills. She came home from her first day of first grade today telling me, They only have three rules.respect yourself, respect others and keep your hands to yourself. If only everyone could remember that! We have never left our children with anyone but family and I can easily say the same is true as our daughter begins her third year at Starwood Montessori. Thank you Mrs. Anita and the Staff of Starwood

Posted 08/17/09 | Report Abuse

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I have had a relationship with Starwood Montessori since 2004, when my oldest daughter started in the toddler program. She is now a second grader there, along with my youngest daughter who is in kindergarten. Our plan is to keep each of our girls there through the end of 4th grade. Starwood provides an incredible environment for its students. It is the perfect blend of individual and loving attention with education and structure. My oldest daughter's personality absolutely blossomed there when she started, just shy of two years old. My youngest daughter is able to get the right balance of individualized attention and structure that she needs.In this school, all of the teachers know almost all of the children by name. As your child enters the school each morning, they are greeted by the various teachers and administrators. Many, many times, those greetings are accompanied by warm hugs. I would often stay to watch my children through the two-way window after dropoff, and I can honestly say that I always left with a "warm and fuzzy' feeling about the care and attention that was being provided to my children.In addition to being a very safe, clean and nurturing environment, Starwood provides an excellent education to its students. My daughters' education is comparable to, if not ahead of that received by their peers at other school such as Lamplighter (for far less $$). I am sure that they will be well-prepared for the next chapter in their education when they leave the school.

Posted 08/17/09 | Report Abuse

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Our middle son studied at Starwood Montessori for three years ( 3 - 5 years) and absolutely loved attending every day! He was welcomed warmly every day and truly enjoyed the friendly environment.

We were amazed at the level of content that he was learning - he knew all of his continents and where they were by age 5. His penmanship is excellent as well as letter formation. He takes great pride in his writing. We also felt that his reading was far above other students in other schools.

We are sending our daughter to Starwood Montessori this year and plan to keep her there for three years. I tell my friends that I would not miss the Starwood Montessori step in their childrens education. We transitioned our son to a private christian school for Kindergarten and he was a high flyer in his class! He was reading at a mid second grade level upon entering kindergarten.

Our only regret is that we did not give the gift or Starwood Montessori to our oldest son. Our experience at the school has been overwhelmingly positive. If you want a neat, clean and caring environment with competent teachers look no further than Starwood Montesorri!

Thank you to the entire staff at Starwood!

Amy C.

Posted 08/15/09 | Report Abuse

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For those of you that want your children to get a great start in life, Starwood Montessori (SM) is the place to begin. All three of our children attended this exceptional school and each one of them exited with exceptional reading skills, math skills, and artistic abilities, including music, painting, and small constructs.

Initially, our kids were on a waiting list and we could not place them in SM. We put them in a nearby well known child-care program. The program had no curriculum what-so-ever and was basically a kid zoo. It was dreadful.

When we finally got a chance to place our twin boys in SM we found it to be a fantastic blend of structure, education, and playtime. They simply thrived there. Later, when our daughter was old enough to attend, we signed her up and she did absolutely wonderful in her program.

We cant say enough about what a great start SM gave our children. We also cant say enough about the excellent and committed teachers that worked with our kids. They were professional beyond description. The director ran the school with an open door policy and the teacher/parent participation was excellent and encouraged.

Thank you for a truly wonderful program and providing the kind of environment that allowed our kids to get a great start in life.

Posted 06/19/09 | Report Abuse

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We have 3 children at Starwood Montessori - one in the toddler program, one in primary and one in elementary. We have been at the school for 6 years. We never dreamed our children could be so happy AND learn so much at a young age. My daughter was reading at 4 years old. The teachers are very loving and nurturing, and the staff is so helpful. My children LOVE to go to school every day - they jump out of the car with a smile on their faces. Each of my children have very different personalities, but they have all thrived and have gained such confidence and love of learning. The school has a very "open door" policy. Parents are always welcome to observe their children, and are encouraged to be involved in many ways. I read with multiple classes. The director is very involved and has a very good knowledge of the different children's personalities and needs.

Posted 05/29/09 | Report Abuse

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After six years at Starwood Montessori, our daughter is moving onto middle school. Our search for a new private school was difficult, because the bar had been raised so high.She is leaving with a solid foundation and is prepared to tackle and master challenging curriculum moving into secondary education and beyond. Our daughter has been nurtured,encouraged and challenged; I firmly believe that her years at Starwood have been instrumental for her love of learning. Our experience over the last six years has been wonderful from interactions with office personnel, the administration, to the parents and teaching staff. This team of professionals is willing and able to chart a course for success for your child - it takes partnership and we have benefited from our investment in our daughter's education. Thank you to all who have made such a difference for our child.

Posted 05/20/09 | Report Abuse

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My grandson just completed his first year at Starwood Montessori School and had a WONDERFUL year! (Thank you Ms. Anita and staff!) A few years ago I worked in the office at Starwood and saw first hand what a wonderful learning facility Starwood was. I saw the work behind the scenes, the care and compassion and the time and attention devoted to each child, always encouraging and challenging the child to reach for the stars. I recognized the safe environment and the love between students and staff, and I saw the two-way respect between the director and staff. Having had my grandson at Starwood this past year reinforces my belief that Starwood Montessori School is a top-notch learning facility that truly is all about what is best for the child. Sharing my thoughts publicly is my way of saying, Thank you Starwood Montessori School for treating my grandson like the special little guy that I think he is! You have made his first taste of school more than palatableMs. Anita, the front office, the teachers, assistants, etcyou are truly the best! On a scale of 1-10, you are a 15!

Posted 04/08/09 | Report Abuse

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My daughter has attended Starwood Montessori x 3 years. She was playing with several other kids who used to go to Starwood Montessori but now attend the public school in the area. They had to leave for financial reasons as their parents rather lease fancy sports cars than put a little extra money into their child's education. Anyway, not through rose colored glasses, but rather through the observations of the other children's parents my daughter displayed advanced skills in language, mathematics, and general problem solving. Of course there are cheaper alternatives than private education, but Starwood Montessori represents a fantastic investment where prudent money is spent.

Posted 01/26/09 | Report Abuse

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I Will Never Take My Child Back
By Anonymous
My daughter attended Starwood Montessori when she was 2 1/2. She is 5 now. About 8 months ago, we drove by Starwood M. She said, "That's the mean school." I said what are you talking about? She said, "They hit the kids who aren't quiet on the hands with sticks that have numbers." She was obviously talking about rulers. I thought that was quite interesting. I won't name the teacher she had but I always had a bad feeling about her. Of course, my daughter was only 2 1/2 at the time but for her to say "sticks with numbers" kind of convinces me that it actually happened. I would never recommend this school. Plus, my daughter was in the half day class. About 10-15 minutes before she was to leave, all the other kids began eating lunch. She had to sit on the carpet by herself. It was not worth the $620 a month or whatever it was.

Posted 09/21/07 at 6:02pm

Posted 12/25/07 | Report Abuse

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I drank the Kool-Aid happily regarding a Montessori education. However, Starwood Montessori fails miserably in many ways. As stated by another reviewer, it is a cold and sterile place, almost clinical. There is no PTA to speak of and parental involvement is actually frowned upon. The style of management is icy and imperious, and this nature permeates throughout the building. The philosophy seems to be "just trust us; we know what we're doing." There is little to no feedback and it feels like one has to dig to learn anything about one's child's experience at school. The teachers are nice, but with the exception of a blessed few, they are cold and unsmiling. I understand the Montessori "way" requires a low key and quiet teacher, but these teachers BARELY SPEAK ENGLISH. In their open house presentations, many of them stumbled through barely comprehensible explanations and left most of the parents open jawed and confused. These teachers who are supposed to be teaching language are butchering it as they teach. !?!? Totally incorrect grammar and syntax and noun/verb agreement. WHAT?! It is not a nurturing or inviting or loving environment. We took our child out after only semester. The formative years are so important, and this uptight and wrongly elitist school left a bad taste in our daughter's mouth, and that is not the goal here regarding education. The front desk staff can be friendly or cold, depending on the day. Weird. Besides the lack of proper speech and language usage, the complete lack of a "community feeling" was the worst. Most of the parents never even see each other... If you love your child, go somewhere else...anywhere else... Isn't it strange that the only press this school receives is an article about a young director and nothing about the education?

Posted 12/25/07 | Report Abuse

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Initially, we were very impressed by your facility and all that Starwood Montessori has to offer. However, I have grown increasingly troubled. As new parents we want to be certain that Starwood is appropriate for our child. For reassurance I can only rely on the director and his instructor.

Specifically, after my tour of the facility I was concerned with teacher/ student ratios and teacher turn over. Virginia convincingly stated that neither are issue at Starwood. After additional researches I find that teacher turn over is a concern. According to a former employee these are absolute concerns. http://www.insiderpages.com/b/3722074749. In our opinion, high turn over only indicates lack of consistency and less of an opportunity for success.

In addition, when I contacted the school questioning why second tuition payment had not been remitted to the bank I was rebuffed. The Starwood employee stated well, she cant run to the bank everyday to make deposit. At that time it was exactly three weeks since the check had been written. Parents were asked to submit payment by July 1. We submitted payment June 28th. It was then July 19th. Most child care providers are considerate, caring, and accommodating to children and parents.

Anyone know of another school we should consider. I'm all ears.

Posted 08/06/07 | Report Abuse

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I have three children attending Starwood and they love it!! The teachers are extremely warm and personable! I could not ask for a better learning environment for my children. The turnover rate is almost zero and each one has been there many years. They also have a great internship program for people who are working on their Montessori accreditaion. They offer every type of program you could think of for your child.

Posted 03/23/06 | Report Abuse

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I called the school to get some information when we first moved here, they did not give me any information on the phone. So I made an appointment to visit the school a few months after that. Did not like the school because all they talked about was the director is a prodigy and that she got her master degree in her 20s. The place was very steril, it felt like I was visiting a hospital. I did not get a very warm feeling from this montessori school. Parking space was very limited, during carpool time the place is jammed and Lebannon is back up because of it.
I had visited many montessori schools for my 2 daughter.s Would not recommend this school, tuition is too high. Save it for high school or college.

Posted 05/28/05 | Report Abuse

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