Testimonials
Read What Our Parents Say About Our School
"We spent several weeks visiting nearly a dozen Montessori schools looking for the right program for our precious 3-year-old. We encountered a wide range of facilities and approaches, some that impressed us and some that definitely did not. We saw one that seemed devoted primarily to being an exclusive and prestigious private school; we saw another that would not allow us even to step inside the classroom because it would affect the “purity” of the Montessori environment. We saw one that seemed very good, but was prepared to have 40 children in a class; we saw more than one located in cramped and tired-looking church basements.
As we explored, we realized that Kennedy was the one we kept comparing the others to. It presented the best balance of the elements that we valued most:
- A clear understanding of Montessori principles, but with a flexible and pragmatic approach
- Teachers who welcomed us and were obviously very comfortably engaged with the children
- A clean, bright, spacious classroom; excellent resources (we were surprised to see how many of the other programs we visited had hardly any books)
- And a principal who is a pleasure to deal with!Our child has been there for several months now, and all of our initial impressions have been confirmed. We had decided from the start that we would not compromise in our choice for our child, and we did not. Kennedy is the program we had been hoping to find."
- Jeff and Athena, parents of a Casa student
"The perfect combination of caring teachers and a proven authentic Montessori method have provided my children with an excellent foundation that will always benefit them in their future educational paths and aspirations."
- Teresa, parent of a Casa graduate, at the school from 18 months to age 6
"We researched several Montessori schools before sending Arjun to Kennedy Montessori. At Kennedy Montessori, the dedication and commitment to educational excellence, starts from the top with Mme Dimoff and trickles down. The staff is enthusiastic and very good at what they do. Besides having an enriched curriculum, it is a welcoming and culturally diverse environment, where everybody knows your name. Arjun loves going to school and in less than a year has progressed in leaps and bounds."
- Sai Nabar & Amit Kekre, parents of a Casa student
I don't remember enjoying going to school the way my kids do today. They look forward to their reading buddy assignments where they get to read to the younger Casa students. I think they try to teach the younger kids in the same way and with the same patience that they were once taught by their Casa teacher. The kids love being part of the rotating weekly chore assignments/responsibilities which include clearing the tables after lunch, cleaning the whiteboards, sweeping the floors, taking out the recycling and monitoring the chores. The teachers are the best! They encourage the kids to be creative and to learn at their own pace without constraints.They sincerely care for all the kids and want the best for each and every one of them in terms of education and life lessons. It's been amazing watching my once shy and quiet kids transform into outgoing, confident and independent thinkers that just enjoy learning. While I may not fully understand the intricacies of the Montessori system and all its tools, I can definitely say that the end results are amazing.
- Rob, parent of an Elementary child
The teachers, assistants and after school staff treat the kids like they were their own, teaching them to be polite, responsible, mindful of their manners and the importance of respect.
- Angela, parent of an Elementary student
"As individuals and as a society our greatest assets are our children! One of our monumental tasks is the development of our children starting in infancy to build a successful foundation for their future journey. To do justice in this arena we must first educate ourselves as parents with the options available. Suggested reading in this area includes:
- The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle
- Outliers; The Stories of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
- The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
- The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge
- And the list goes on and on.
First we slay the myths that abound. Greatness isn’t born. It’s Grown! Contemporary neuroscience may have found the holy grail of development that can be cultivated and nourished known as myelin. The more myelin sheath around the axon of a neuron the faster the synaptic activity travels. The axon becomes more myelinated the more we practise and fine tune the skill set. This is the only differentiator in both motor activity and cognition that enables individual superiority or talent. The most important breakthrough in neuroscience in four centuries has occurred in the last 20 years with the understanding our thoughts can change the structure and function of our brain! Wow! We can raise IQ...
Malcolm Gladwell and Daniel Coyle both address 10,000 hours or ten years of practise in order to develop talent. Contrary to popular belief Geniuses are not born but developed, that means there is hope for all of us. Based on the Talent Code and the Brain that changes Itself, talent is grown. In summary to grow talent you must have three elements; deep practise, ignition, and master coaching as defined in the Talent Code. The combination of deep practise, ignition, and master coaching results in proven results for talent development by myelinated neurons.
The first element of a successful foundation is relationship building. Relationship building involves enhanced communication. As the author Susan Scott in Fierce Conversation writes, building a relationship is nothing more than one conversation at a time. It all starts with a successful conversation, which involves; interrogating reality, provoke learning, tackling tough issues, and enriching the relationship. These four elements all build trust. Whether it be our infants, toddlers, or young children it is the same journey.
Childhood development is no different. We must create a nurturing environment of mutual respect and understanding and empower our children with choices. They have the same degree of intelligence as we do but in different areas. The educational development of our children is our responsibility and the selection partner to assist in this task is one of the most important decisions we will ever make in life. The partner we choose will determine the type of foundation we give our children.
Why choose Kennedy Montessori School? What role does Kennedy Montessori School play in society from a parent and student perspective?
Reasons:
- Application of an International proven teaching philosophy for over a century; the Montessori way.
- Visionary institution of learning with a proven track record of success.
- Structure without being structured. Children are not regimented. They are empowered in their activities.
- Shared stewardship responsibility of relationship building with our children.
- Parent relationship building and trust development with the custodians of our children.
- Partners in harvesting our children’s intellectual potential.
- Respect for individuality – every child is different!
- Children’s activities encourage habit formation such as; organization, responsibility, sharing, patience, focus, concentration, perseverance, persistence and thoroughness.
- Motor development through repetitive task in a fun environment with guiding coaches.
- Children gain motivational experience.
- Enhanced memory, reasoning, problem solving, and thinking.
- Learning how to learn.
- Learning how to think.
- Personal development with one on one with the coaches.
- Confidence building and articulation.
- Advanced rules of engagement in a fun learning environment to catalyze and assist theme foundation to harness optimal neuroplasticity and motor skill development.
- Engagement of activities empowering our children in meaningful discourse.
- Exposure to a multicultural setting with both Eastern and Western philosophy.
- Integrating learning, cognition, and emotional well being.
- Theme development sessions; alphabet, numbers, shapes, colours, vocabulary, math, reasoning/logic, etc.
- Building better brains and developing foundation for future talent.
- Task repetition – or as our grandparents use to say, “Practise makes Perfect”.
- Recognition, respect and understanding for childhood ignition, in terms of passion, desire, or areas of pursuit that excite our children.
Last but not least to quote, “The role of a Montessori teacher is one of guide and observer, whose ultimate goal is to intervene less and less as the child develops. The teacher builds an atmosphere of calm, order and joy in the classroom and encourages the children in all their efforts, thus promoting self-confidence and discipline."
This sounds like a mastering coach.
I would like to sum up with a quote by Eden Phillpotts. “The Universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper."
- Bruce, parent of a toddler student
"My wife and I have had our son at Kennedy Montessori for a few years now, and we would not have him at any other school. This school, the staff, the principal, the teachers--are AMAZING. Not only are they well-organized but more importantly, they are very down-to-earth. And at the same time professional, knowledgeable and extremely friendly.
Our son loves it there and has made many good friends. And he LOVES his teachers! And probably most important of all: we have seen the very noticeable increase over the years in his learning, his capabilities and his own independence.
Thank you so,so much!"
