Childrens House Montessori

An absolute horrible experience. The school Director diagnosed our child with Sensory Integrational Disorder at age 3 and sent us to a therapist she recommended. Of course we followed through but after speaking with other parents MANY of the children were being diagnosed with this disorder and going to the SAME therapist. It seemed like a racket and likely was. We sought a 2nd and 3rd opinion. All Doctors vehemently reassured us our child was a very normal 3 year old and SID couldn't be diagnosed until much further on in her development regardless. When the Doctors called the Director for more info, she immediately retracted her "diagnoses" We pulled our child in May but were served by CHMS lawyers b/c we signed the contract for the next year even though they had the summer and some to replace her. We had enormous therapy/lawyer bills. Furthermore, while we were there many teachers quit without saying good bye and very few of the ones who stayed were actually Montessori trained or College Educated. Montessori Principals are NOT followed. Not a happy place. Dangerous for a child's psyche and not positive groundwork for school expectations. It should be shut down.

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CHMS is a fantastic, wonderful school. My interaction with the staff twice daily for almost three years was evidence that they care deeply about the children, and about preparing the children for school in the years ahead. Our son looked forward to going to CHMS, and he fell in love with his teachers.

The head of the school, Denise Touma, keeps the school very safe, places top priority on maintaining consistency for the children, and emphasizes a quiet environment which lets the children prosper and grow at their own pace.

To say CHMS prepares children for kindergarten is an understatement. Our son integrated well and fully with kindergarten from day one, and my wife and I are so pleased to know that he is prepared academically and socially for kindergarten.

I have spoken with approximately 10 parents of former CHMS students who have entered kindergarten this year. Every one has said his/her child seamlessly integrated with kindergarten, and all credit CHMS with preparing their kids for school.

We are grateful that our son had the benefit of being in a caring, learning environment that instilled a love of learning and self-confidence.

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Our daughter spent two full years at CHMS and loved every minute of it. We were pleased with the education she received in a very warm and nurturing environment. Denise Touma runs a well-organized and safe school ?? something we didn't find in our previous daycare. The staff at CHMS is wonderful. They have a genuine interest in the children and truly care for them. Our daughter has grown into an independent child in part due to the CHMS staff and their ability to foster a confidence in her abilities and skills. Our daughter started kindergarten this past week and it confirmed what we expected. CHMS has prepared her well for this next chapter.

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We have sent our three children to CHMS over a period of 10 years which includes two moves away from Virginia. There are many excellent things to love about this school and it all starts with the people and the atmosphere that the faculty creates. The faculty is excellent and so full of genuine love for children and for what they do.

The Montessori approach creates an environment where children can thrive. Our children (one daughter and two sons) all enjoyed the environment and activities offered. The classrooms have great activities available to the kids to facilitate learning. The fact that the school focuses on wholesome things like a good diet and lunch program, lots of time on the playground and an atmosphere of accountability and enforcement of good values with the kids help to make the school stand out.

My wife I especially appreciate the way the faculty advocates for children. They are sensitive and observant of behavior and abilities and act with the best interest of the children in mind. When we were going to make a mistake on placement of one child in school, the classroom teacher took the time to sit with is and to advocate totally on behalf of our son. The fact that they did not just go along with out ideas and instead helped us to step back and think about the situation is something I really appreciate.

CHMS is not a day care center, it is a school. There will be times that staff development days or items like that mean the school has an early release, but it really is an exception and worth the inconvenience. The investment in the faculty pays dividends in the education of the children and it was clear to us as a family over a period of years.

The school director is a great lady who puts her heart and soul into making sure the school runs right and that her faculty and staff are doing the right thing. She is wonderful and honest and her honesty can sometimes rub people the wrong way, but I respect her and the way she does business. This is Arlington/McLean and by the nature of the area, us parents tend to be Type A, driven and competitive. We like to always be right and if not right, we expect to be catered to. The director merely has the moral courage to call us on it and you have to love it.

I wouldn't trade CHMS for the world. It prepared out kids very well for school and more than anything else, it helped create in them a love and enthusiasm for getting up and going to school every day.

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Due to job relocation I sent my children to 4 preschools and this school is the worst in my experience. What I don't like about this school:
1. One year contract with a penalty for early termination
2. The director has a gift to ruin your day and always makes herself unavoidable (haha sounds like a joke but it is TRUE)
3. Overall bad hygiene environment (at least 3 reports of head lices from my child's class in 6 months)
4. Small playground with very old facilities
5. Bathroom has only 3 stools and not kids friendly
6. Abnormaly high teacher turnover
7. Afternoon care was supervised by people without high education and basic manners
8. $1 fine for each minute you are late to pick up your child

I give it 1 star for a teacher my child had there. She left the school though.

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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

We've sent two children to CHMS, including one in the Toddler program. Nearly every day, I count my lucky stars that we found this school and that my children get to spend their days in a high-performing academic environment wrapped in a loving and caring community. The teachers are well-trained in the Montessori method, and the classroom materials are complete and in excellent condition. My kiddos received strong basics in math, reading, writing, science and geography that prepared them well for kindergarten. In addition to working with traditional Montessori materials like number rods and counting beads, they get to make applesauce, care for class pets, create 3D artwork - and so on. The lunches catered by Good Food Co. are made about two miles away and delivered by van daily - totally fresh and healthy. The after-care program is truly outstanding. Teachers are so creative in making the afternoon playtime fun mixed with exercise. Examples include dancing to music, indoor moonbounce (two at a time), pirate adventures where they 'walk the plank', driving vehicles like tricycles and plastic cars, soccer, baseball, basketball, etc. The kids always look like they're having a blast. The Director is very specific about school requirements, rules, etc. She runs a tight ship, but has put together an outstanding preschool experience and has made some excellent hires recently. We've loved our time at CHMS and have recommended it to two families who sent their children there.

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This is a great school. My son just graduated this year and while I am pleased for him and his accomplishments I will be sad that he is leaving this wonderul, challenging, loving environment. My son has grown so much over the 2.5 years he has been at this school. He has matured and become a very self sufficient little boy that is proud of himself and his accomplishments. He now enjoys accomplishing things to not make me happy, but to make himself "happy" which is such an important life lesson. He also loves to learn -- he will be starting kindergarten and knows how to read, complete addition and subtraction problems, and has started skip counting (the beginning of multiplication) -- and while he knows he is doing work he loves to learn.

I am so very impressed with how this school is run -- I appreciate the rules and understand that it is focused on the children and their safe little learning environment. I have and will continue to recommend this school.

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The quality of education at CHMS is unsurpassed. I am constantly amazed at the ??work? that is completed by the students. My child will be very well prepared for Kindergarten and beyond ?? academically and socially. The mixed age classrooms allow the children to develop leadership skills, empathy towards others, and acceptance of those with different ideas. The teachers, staff and director hold the children to the highest standards ?? which at first seems too strict and unattainable ?? but the children quickly rise to the level beautifully. The sense of community among the families takes a bit of work since there is no formal roster but once established (usually by each classroom) there is cohesion and act as a good resource.

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Our family has been incredibly pleased with the staff and administration at CHMS. We looked at a number of preschool programs in the area and were thrilled with the philosophy and level of staff experience and care provided at CHMS. My children love to go to school, and each comes home with amazing stories about his/her day. Art, music, language, science, etc. -- it's all interwoven into the learning environment in the most exciting of ways. The staff is extremely loving and thoughtful and we??ve always found the administration to be open and helpful. We??ve been a member of the CHMS community for a number of years and highly recommend the school.

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My son went here and the teachers and staff here are great. It is different from a day care and you need to understand that going in. In order to give the students the ability to work so independently, everything has to be very structured. The children are picking their own works and working on their own with the teachers providing lessons and supervising them. It's amazing to see what the children are able to do.

As for the Mom who commented on being told not to bring their child in if they couldn't go outside with their class, I don't bring my kids in to their school unless they are ready to be back. It's better for the kids and, as a teacher, it is better for the school as they have student/teacher ratios to maintain and can't rearrange everyone to take care of one child.

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My 2 yrs old daughter loves this school. The toddler program is very impressive. It is well structured and the two hours seem like a perfect time to fit all the necessary routines. My daughter learned how to clean up after herself, put her coat on and became very independent. I also noticed a great leap in her vocabulary (we speak another language at home). The teachers are very competent and loving, and with the 3 teachers per 12 kids ratio it is a great learning environment. The school has specific rules about snacks, Halloween parties, etc, which I like and respect but for those who don't like rules and structure they should look into other programs. Overall great toddler program.

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I wished there were true and objective reviews for this school when I was considering this school for my child, but there weren't any at that time. I put my child there anyway hoping it would be a great experience but I was very disappointed. So for the other parents who are thinking about putting their children there, here is some insider's experience. The head of school expects children to obey orders and not to ask questions. She said more than one time to me "who cares how she (my child) feels". Last winter season when my child returned school from a week long sick leave her teacher volunteered to keep her inside at ourdoor activity times so she wouldn't get sick again but the head of school said "if your child is not well enough to go outside you cannot bring her to school". On the other hand, the teachers there are all nice and warm and loving. My child learned a lot from her teachers and she loves them too.

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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Our daughter has had a great experience at the CHMS toddler program. Sure, it's the first year that the program has existed, so there has been a learning curve, but the progress I see in my child is great. She looks forward to going every day and loves her teachers (who she does hug all the time). The teachers have pushed us to push her more in learning and I appreciate that-thanks to them our daughter was potty trained a few months after her 2nd birthday and is very independent in lots of ways. She has become extremely communicative and loves all of the activities she does in school.
I think a preschool, or any private school, is a very personal choice-a school won't be able to please everybody, but we have certainly been pleased enough to enroll her in the older preschool with no qualms whatsoever.

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