Philosophy FAQ Montessori vs. Traditional Video Do You Know? Montessori Books
Primary Toddler Infant Summer Camp Enrichment GA Pre-K
Overview Guideline Eligible Student Video

References by Parents

To Whom it May Concern,

I would like to say thank you for a great experience at the Cresco Montessori School in Marietta. My family was new to GA when selecting Creative Montessori for our children and it has been such a blessing in our lives. I had been able to stay home with our three children until we moved to GA and was reluctant to put my children in any childcare and nervous about how they would respond. After researching and visiting several schools in the area, we decided to put our oldest son in the pre-K program and our two year old twins in the toddler program. Our four year old son in one year went from letter recognition with little interest in reading and writing, to reading short book and writing sentences. We also noticed a big change in our twins ability to interact calmly at home with each other and their older sibling. Both classroom teachers understood my children’s needs and were attentive to personal things going on in their lives. A bond was established quickly between my children and their teachers. The administration was also very accommodating and went way above and beyond in making sure our family was taken care of.

I would highly recommend The Creative Montessori to anyone looking for a first class, diverse, caring environment for their children.

M. S.
I am a stay at home Mom and I have been taking my son to Cresco Montessori School for 4 years now. He started going for three half days when he was 14 months old (and I needed some me time as I was pregnant with my second). My son is now almost 5, in Pre-K and is in Ms. Sumaira's Primary class. My daughter, who is now 3 1/2, has been going for three days since she was also 14 months old (She is in Ms. Humaira's Primary Class).

1) What were your reasons for choosing this school?
I toured several daycares around the area (I live in East Cobb), and this was the school that I felt the most comfortable with as well as it fit my budget. I also only wanted three half days and some flexibility which this school offered. Several of the other "moms morning out" programs in the area require the kids to be at least 18 months or they weren't willing to let me have a more flexible schedule if I needed it.

2) What other schools did you look at or have you used….Another Montessori school is close by
I did not tour the other Montessori school close by, I looked at two name franchises, and one other that I can't remember the name of. I have not used any other school. When I toured the schools I looked to see what the kids would do (I wanted a bit of structure for him even thoug he was only 14 months old), cleanliness, and the overall 'feel' of the place. Creative Montessori was the last school I toured and I just had a good gut feeling for the place, as well as their good daily schedules and the cleanliness.

3) How is the facility…clean, organized, productive? Is there outside play space?
The Facility is clean and the classrooms are very organized. Part of the Montessori teaching is practical life skills and when children are done with their work (which is often set up neatly on a tray for the child to carry to the table by themselves) they put it back where it belongs. There are two outdoor playgrounds that were just completely overhauled a year ago, they also have plans to revamp the garden area into another play area.

4) How are the teachers…are there any specific ones you would recommend or not?
In general I hate to play favorites, and I have a child in two different classes there. I have been very pleased with the entire staff. My son who can be a bit hyper does really well in Ms. Sumaira's room. He can easily read through all of the level 1 readers we have at home, as well as write a lot of simple words. He also can do basic addition and subtraction. My daughter who is a bit more independant, does great in Ms. Humaira's room. I would highly recommend either one of those teachers. Ms. Jennifer in the Senior Toddler Room is the most wonderful toddler teacher ever. I know your daughter is too old for her class, but I just thought she deserved mentioning.

5) Is the school focused on the right things?
I really think so. The two most important things they focus on is Love and Education. They want the children to be happy in their environments so that they can learn. My son has had his off days and has received a little extra TLC from his teacher, assistant teacher and even Jessica. Sometimes if a child is upset (which happened with my son when he started) or just not themselves, Jessica will sit down with the child and have a talk with them to calm them down. The teachers and Jessica are also a great source of help for dealing with the normal behavior struggles I have at home with my kids. I really lilke the personalized info I get from the teachers, they tell me what my kids enjoy doing most and what they need to work on so I can also help my kids at home.

6) Do they deal with discipline problems appropriately so the entire class isn’t affected?
They are great with discipline. I have volunteered in my children's classes and a few times someone was placed in 'thinking time' and I had no idea anything had ever happened. The school is also strict on any sort of violent behavior by children, (i.e. biting, hitting, etc...) It is simply not tolerated.

7) Is your child in pre-K? Would you plan on putting your child in pre-K here or somewhere else?
My son is currently attending Pre-K at Cresco Montessori School. I did contemplate putting him into another private school for Pre-K but after I toured their school and talked to some of the teachers at that school, I realized that my son would learn more at Cresco Montessori School. My daughter will be attending Pre-K next year.

Overall I have been extremely pleased with my experience with Creative Montessori and have never once considered changing schools because I was unhappy with the care of my children. I can't think of any major disadvantages to sending your daughter there. Most of my 'complaints', if you even can call them that are the fact that they dropped the 'Halloween' Party this year in favor of a Formal Tea Party. I'm kinda against changing names of Holiday parties (like the Christmas Party, or the Halloween Party) to more politically correct things. But that's more of a personal thing for me. I know that when I leave my children at school they will be safe and excellently cared for. My kids don't fuss or cry when I drop them off and love to tell me about their days when I pick them up. I can see that they are enjoying school and learning a lot, so that is the most important thing for me.

I'd also like to say that I have seen schools that had prettier classrooms or a newer building, but I didn't let that affect my decision on where I sent my child. I also realize that having a group of children can cause a bit of friendly chaos and that not every day is going to be perfect. I do like how even though this does happen sporadically in the classrooms, the staff is flexible and patient enough to redirect the children into more purposeful activities.

I hope this helps with your decision!

A. G.
Thank you all so much for the wonderful Pre-K experience Claudia had since her enrollment in November. She was very reluctant to begin in Georgia but she was welcomed with open arms the staff and teachers at your school. My husband and I are very proud of the hard work she had done and what she had accomplished here at the Montessori school. We owe so much to the teachers at the Montessori School. In just six and half months she has attended, she shows tremendous progress and strengths in areas she previously did not show strength in. As you all know, she turned 5 in December and she already knows 40 states in the United States, she can write the numbers to 20 and she also knows how to recognize and write three letter words. She does a great job in writing her name and my name and copy down perfectly anything you write down for her.

I know she is going to do so well in kindergarten next year and will be so much more prepared for taking on this new challenge. Again, thank you so much for being such supportive and wonderful teachers and inspiring her to learn more and more each day.

Sincerely,

J. W.
A Parent's Comment on Johns Creek Campus

This is the school my son goes to. It is the BEST school I have ever found! The building and equipment are brand new. The teachers are so friendly and sweet! My son loved this school on the very first day. More important, he is learning a lot from them everyday and I can see the difference (compare to our previous daycare) already in just 2 weeks. I strongly recommend this school.

R. C.