Versailles Montessori School

Anne S. _{on Yelp}

Dec 16th, 2010

This school seemed like a sinking ship. Several incidents of poor administration and many complaints about one of the main teachers. Parents chose to remove their children from this school during the time my step son attended. I did the same and have a much happier child now!

Lacey P. _{on Yelp}

Aug 30th, 2011

I can't say enough about this school. It's truly education for life, promoting not only education as a FUN experience but also teaching extremely important life skills and values such as sharing, teamwork, problem solving, self esteem, independence, healthy eating, conservation, and managing conflicts (and so much more!) It is these values that help us go far in life in terms of occupation as well as the quality of our life.  VMS feels more like a big family on a comfortable farm. My two children LOVE to go to school and at 5, my daughter is already working on multiplication because she enjoys it. Math is so much more fun when taught in a hands on colorful method. Maria Montessori was an amazing person and ALL schools can benefit from what she knew a century ago. I could not decide on the right school for my daughters but when I first visited, my gut feeling was this was the place for us and it was the best decision I could have made. I visited so many other schools, including other montessori programs, but none had the family feel of this one and the love these teachers and staff have for the children is exuded - you can feel it! I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of VMS and happy to answer any questions of my experiences.

Amanda P. _{on Yelp}

Jul 19th, 2011

This past fall, my husband and I chose to move our elementary student from our local public school to Versailles Montessori. Our girl did very well at Huntertown; she made great friends, received high marks, and was fortunate enough to have a teacher she adored. So why move? Because ay VMS, she had ownership of her learning experience in a way she never did at Huntertown.        I  was very involved in our daughter's Kindergarten classroom at Huntertown. I volunteered every Monday morning for 1.5 hours, assisting with reading and writing lessons. The experience was very disheartening for me. Though I loved seeing my daughter during the day when I wouldn't normally have otherwise, and though I loved the opportunity it afforded me to know her teacher better, I was dismayed by the curriculum. All students, regardless of level of ability or interest, would attempt the same lesson at the same time. Her teacher, though very compassionate and patient, would have to teach 20+ students simultaneously. This task was as impossible as it sounds, and it meant that most students needs were not being met fully; learning styles or levels were not respected. The most advanced of the students would finish long before those around them and then would just sit there bored. The students with behavioral problems or learning challenges would fuss, play, and generally distract the teacher, rarely finishing the material. The students in the middle would plug along, not always able to receive the help they needed because their teacher's time was already being eaten up by the weakest students. At the end of an arbitrary time period, a buzzer would sound and students would then all move on to the next task together, regardless of whether they had finished the first. There was a list of items to be gotten through, and the list was followed relentlessly to prepare for those future tests which loomed ever-present.         How is Montessori different from the traditional public classroom? When our girl finishes an assignment at Montessori, she can move on to another assignment - she does not have to waste her time and potential waiting for others to be done with theirs; accordingly, none of her peers have to wait on her. At Montessori, if one student needs help and the instructors are busy, they do not have to grow frustrated or feel helpless; instead, they are empowered to solve their own problems by turning to their peers. Montessori students are encouraged to help and mentor each other, sharing their strengths. Students make the best use of their time by learning to manage it on their own, instead of waiting for some buzzer to tell them that they should be done. Montessori work is meaningful - gone are the days of public school "busy work", and I cannot say that I miss her bringing 5 or more worksheets home a day in her backpack.         What has this meant for my daughter? Since coming to Montessori, she has learned through a variety of methods. When a 5 year old from the primary classroom gave her a lesson about a mathematics manipulative material that she had never encountered in public school, there was no shame attached to it. Learning from younger students is not embarrassing at Montessori - it is expected. When she did not know the definition of a word on her spelling list, she did not have to feel stupid - she simply asked an older student in her elementary class to help her navigate her way through a dictionary (which I had never even thought to show her how to use, thinking she was too young for it - shows what I know!) When the spelling words that were to be assigned to her for her age range were too easy for her, she was allowed to choose harder ones to replace them. When she realized that the rest of her class was writing in cursive, a task she was not expected to learn at the public schools for at least another year or two, she did not become overwhelmed - she just challenged herself to catch up with her class, and soon she was proficient in cursive.        In her first year at VMS, I saw our daughter blossom in a way that I didn't know was possible. She no longer whines in the mornings in anticipation of how boring school is going to be. In directing her own learning, She is more engaged in school than she ever was last year. She has developed a level of confidence in her ability to tackle new material that I envy and wish I could have felt myself when in school. She no longer turns to Doug and I to metaphorically hold her hand every time she finds herself in a new or strange situation! The Montessori culture encourages her everyday to become the sort of person we all wish to be - confident, capable, kind, and self-reliant.

Ruth B. _{on Yelp}

Jul 1st, 2011

VMS is the best possible school for my son.   My son has attended since right before his 2nd birthday.  He was in toddler for a little over a 1 year and has been in primary for a little less than one year.  Previously, my son was in a traditional day care setting and he cried every day when I dropped him off. The first day I dropped him off at VMS for a full day, he walked in and said "Bye, mommy".  I was astonished and continue to be.  The administration and staff are very supportive of our son and us.  We have joined not only a school, but a community.  Here are some of my favorite points:My son uses complex vocabulary for his age (one day he pointed to some plants and told me to look at the "foilage".)The food guidelines are perfect for my values.  No junkfood or sugary foods allowed.  My son has learned great coping skills to deal with his feelings and others as well.  He is very compassionate.The teachers and administrators are very willing to answer questions and provide advice to parents when asked.  I prefer to use the same methods at home as they use at school because they work.My son is very energetic and VMS provides many outlets for that energy.  Overall, we love this school, administrators and teachers.

Jeff B. _{on Yelp}

Jun 27th, 2011

I can say without reservation that Versailles Montessori School is an excellent educational experience for young children, and the skills they learn will follow them throughout their lives.  We have had both of our children in VMS.  My 5 year old daughter currently attends, and has since she was 18 months old.  My 10 year old son attended from 18 months through 1st grade.  My son scored in the top 1% of the nation in CATS testing with exceptional math skills and has been in the Woodford GATE program the past two years.  We attribute his scholastic success to the skills he acquired as a student at VMS, and see the same traits in our daughter.  As far as the first reviewer's comments regarding poor administration, I am not sure what school she is thinking of, but it certainly is not VMS.  In the 11 years I have had children in attendance at VMS, I have never encountered a single instance of poor administration, and if there ever is a problem Tony's door is always open.  Every teacher there is top-notch and they care for these kids as if they were their own.  You can't go wrong with VMS for quality education and, more importantly, the life skills learned.