Best Montessori School Independence Near Me

Tori Ormiston: My son went here starting in pre-primary all the way to kindergarten. This is the best decision we have made for our son. All of the teachers love the children like their own and always encourage kindness, respect, and curiosity. Amazing school!

Jon Olson: Just had my children start today! Excited for them to learn!

Briana Miller: My daughter attended here as a pre-k student the year before she started Kindergarten. In that time, she learned so many new skills and actually learned how to read. Not just sort of read, but REALLY read. Her Kindergarten teacher was so shocked. She always told me how much she loved school too.My son is going to start soon and do the same. I hope that he gets the same experience. I'd recommend this school to anyone.

Lei Shaw: My son stayed here for a year before we moved. We enjoyed the school.

Robert Prutsman: Lori and her staff run a top shelf operation at Sunrise and I’m grateful my boys have the opportunity to attend their facility. I encourage anyone with interest to stop by for a site visit and tour of the academy, then you can see for yourself what a hidden gem this place really is. Fingers crossed they have openings!!

BayleeWhetsel: Love the atmosphere of this school and the staff who work here. They always make learning for the child interesting and fun. Everyday the children learn, laugh, and explore their curious nature in a safe and welcoming environment.

Megan Zirkle: This school is like a second home for my children. I absolutely cannot say enough about this wonderful school. They are loving, always teaching amazing lessons, and I just love it here!

Kristy DeMeyer: I have one child that has graduated from Sunrise and one that will be there for another 2 years - they LOVE it - I LOVE it - it's an amazing school. My daughter was very prepared for kindergarten when she started and my 3 year old is spelling her name and knows her numbers. We love the focus on nature and a world view. I can't recommend this place enough!

Michele Potts: My son went to Sunrise the first year they opened and now my daughter goes here 5 years later. This school is flat out amazing. If you want your child to be a student of the world and to grow academically this is the place. Lori Smart and Steve Ward are passionate about what they do. My children aren't just students here, they are loved everyday and treated as they are theirs!There will always be an unhappy customer with any business because some people cannot be pleased. I actually feel saddened to hear there are some who have had a misunderstanding or seen a misrepresentation of what actually goes on daily. It is true that not every teacher has to be Montessori certified BUT that goes for all Montessori schools. However, this team has several who are actually certified and they encourage academic growth amongst their staff as well! As far as being "over priced" I would suggest you check out pricing in the area. Non Montessori day cares charge $600-800 a month. While Blue Springs Montessori and Lakewood Montessori charge $800-1000. This school is actually far less expensive!My son is in third grade. He attends school in the Blue Springs district and is and has been an incredible student. His first grade teacher estimated his reading level to be around the 8th grade level. He was ranked in the top 8 percent of all other second graders that took that test last year. Every category was well above mastery. I know Sunrise is to thank because they had him reading by 4 years old. My 3 year old daughter just started going this year. She already knows all the days of the week and the months and can even tell me them in Spanish. She is excited to learn and loves finding out who SHE is!!I can't recommend this school enough. All the staff have been a wonderful blessing!!! They will teach your children with hands on activities about Science , math, English, Spanish, History, art, and music. They will have the opportunity to be a part of growing a real garden and eating what they grow! They will learn about being resourceful and about loving our Earth! Check it out!!!

Gabriel P.: Horrible. Absolutely terrible. Lori Smart, the owner is a horrible human being, and should never be around children.Here's the truth. There was a child who had an allergic reaction to peanut butter, because that day they made bird feeders. The parents well informed Lori Smart that this child was allergic to peanut butter, and when this incident occurred, she covered herself by having all the teachers lie about what happened. Just so she wouldn't get sued. She sent out an email to all of the teachers stating that this is not to be discussed anymore, and that the child was never in contact with peanut butter. SHE FLAT OUT LIED! You have to be a sick person to do that. Her only concern is your money, not those children. It's supposed to be a Montessori School, but she has stated before on record, that she DOES NOT have to have a Montessori teacher present with our children.. What am I paying her for then? Day care!?!I see that she has posted here on Google review as a client, not like she owns the place.. Who does that? Someone who is willing to do anything to make money, and not the honest way. Please for the love of God, do not send your children here. It's an over priced daycare, ran by a horrible person.

Maynard Cleaning: They have the best staff! My son and joyed every minute of attending sunrise Montessori Academy. I would highly recommend this to any parent looking for a great place to take their kids

Dwayne Boyer: I'd have to honestly say that this place is no more than a high dollar day care so much more than a learning experience for the children! I stopped by one day to pick up my child. And looked in on what was taking place there. And all I witnessed was the Childrens all playing! There was no teaching at all being done there!

Ashley Thomas: Our family is so happy with Sunrise Academy. As an educator myself I was very worried about finding the best fit for our son. I toured alot of traditional and Montessori facilities and was not finding what I was looking for.When looking for a school I was looking for advancement academically, self independence and an all around self awareness of himself and others. When I toured Sunrise Academy I was blown away, from the cleanliness, how organized and how engaging each teacher was. Lastly, I loved how each teacher was certified. Our son has been attending Sunrise Academy for 4 1/2 months now and I cannot say enough how impressed we are. My son is academically growing and gaining independence! If you are looking for an overall educational program, I strongly encourage you to have your child attend Sunrise Academy!

Ernesto Vazquez Borrero: Te atienden en español !! Excelente colegio

Lori Smart: Excellent Montessori School with very caring and compassionate teachers who are not only trained and certified, but also who go above and beyond to provide an excellent education. I have three children and have experienced a variety of programs over the year and this school more than meets my expectations. My son excelled at Sunrise and entered elementary school academically advanced!

Sarah Chao: I saw the other google review here, and decided to speak up. I visited in late 2018, I arrived without an appointment, and the director had a child in her office and was yelling at him for disobeying a teacher. It was a threatening disciplinary speech; I remember feeling very uncomfortable. She did not know I had walked in and was in the waiting area - the door was NOT locked. When she noticed me, she acted kind and familial and sent him back to naptime. The children were napping in a crowded, unfinished area, and the babies were in a crowded back room. I would only send a child here as a last resort.

Morgan Kelly: The old witch is hitting the children. Please do not send your babies here.

Afsheen Shahzad: Our experience at AMI has been truly amazing. They have the best and most qualified teachers who are an inspiration for the kids themselves. The kids are exposed to variety of subjects and interests with ton of hands on experience. My daughter has truly flourished in the environment. Teachers and staff are all kind and caring. Would highly recommend.

Rupal Gupta: My daughter has been a student at AMI this academic year and I find the school to be excellent and the staff to be extremely caring with her. She is growing and blossoming in this environment and I love the staff's knowledge and expertise in so many fields of the Montessori curriculum, the family-centered approach to snacktime and scheduled events, and the friends that she has made.

Stacie Smith: Great school - They are very focused on giving the children the best education. I'm impressed with all my kids have learned so far. We will continue to have our two children attend this school as long as possible.

Jessica O'Leary: BEWARE FOR YOUR CHILD'S SAKE! I was warned and read several unfavorable reviews before choosing this school. I thought it was just isolated cases. Nope, I wish we would have heeded the warnings and evident signs. We were only at this poor excuse for a Montessori school for a few months and had enough. Our son was at a great Montessori school (Child's World) before but aged out. Once he started at Clay-Platte he went backwards in his learning (especially reading). They have a transient staff and they can't keep the same teachers for more than a month. I hoped and prayed that if we just "stuck it out" it would get better. Not only did Clay Platte NOT meet our reasonable expectations, THEY FAILED COMPLETELY!Diversity? Community? That is a joke. I did everything to be a part of all the happenings and was never welcomed. We were constantly treated differently by the staff and teachers because of our sincerely held religious beliefs. We followed all the rules and yet still got targeted. The staff has taken extreme disciplinary actions against my son and when we approached the director Jen Stoll to clarify and explain the unprecidented discipline, she was dismissive and uncooperative. She said the school had to "target families like ours" more extremely because we believe something different. That is prejudice and hateful. Shame on you!Clay-Platte preaches they have all these ways of communicating what is happening in your child's day. BS! Don't be surprised when you don't get daily or even weekly updates. Communication is terrible! Now the only thing that gets communicated is through our son. "Mom, they said to tell you...yadda yadda" um, who tells a child to tell their parents about what is going on?? You can message me via email, phone, text, Transparent Classroom (what a joke that is) Facebook, and even parent social groups. But no, I have to hear it from my child and hope the message was complete. I would expect less at a public school, but not a Montessori school that I'm paying an arm and a leg for each month. What were we paying for? I can't tell you. It's not academics or scholastics or even a positive learning environment. I am sad we wasted our time, money, and energy. I am even more upset that we subjected our sweet child to this hot mess of a school. We will move on to better places. If you love your child/children, heed this warning before you make the same mistake and subject them to this negative environment of fear and prejudice.

Bushra Iftikhar: Both my daughters went to CPMS until they started KG. Both are completely different personalities and CP gave each opportunities to develop their unique strengths. What remained common to both was confidence, curiosity, kindness, and love/respect for small things that make up their surroundings. Thank you for letting us be a part of such a great community!

Brandy Wilson: When your child attends CPMS, not only will they thrive in the Montessori environment, your family becomes woven into this richly diverse community. I love the family dynamic this school provides! My daughter raves about going to the creek, spending time with the animals, and seeing the animals grow and their family expand. It's conveniently tucked away on 10-acres with crops and animals which are cared for by the students. The staff is top-notch providing exceptional care from office personnel to the lead guides and assistances. Stop your search; you have just found what you've been looking for!

Amy Hanson: Just off the free way is another world -meaningful meadows, wistful walking trails, familiar farm life, growing gardens, tantalizing trees- and that's just outside! Inside is a world of love. Every adult has the child's best interest at heart. They care and love each as if they were their own. I'm beyond grateful to have this support of raising four boys. My children needed more than I could give and hiring Clay-Platte Montessori has taken a huge burden off my shoulders. The more who love our children, the better.

Meghan Nichols: Our child has attended Clay Platte for four years. The teachers, administrators and staff are excellent! The campus is beautiful and offers unique opportunities for play and learning. We feel very lucky to have our child at this school.

Elizabeth Yago: I honestly cannot sing enough praises about Clay-Platte Montessori, the teachers and staff. This school has enabled my child to blossom and be wholly herself in all aspects. This is an environment that sparks the children’s love for learning, allows them to embrace their creativity and encourages their individuality. We have found a community in Clay-Platte Montessori. There is so much love on the campus. During this pandemic, my daughter has constantly informed me of how much she misses going to school. Clay-Platte Montessori has become her home away from home and I honestly wouldn’t trust her attending school anywhere else.

Alex Steele: We love our school community! It’s not the same as traditional school, but we genuinely FEEL we have to give our son “better and different” than we had in order for him to have a different life. We can’t wait to see him continue to grow here.

Cristi Hernandez: We love our school. The Montessori approach is like no other. The outdoor environment is fantastic and the teachers are so genuinely caring and invested in the children.

Morgan Ashley Allen: Both of my daughters have been growing with Clay Platte for almost a decade now. We've spent time with a number of Montessori schools in the areas as well as public school. From infancy to high school—quality people work here. Our family is so appreciative of the staff and teachers that have shown us they really care. It's like family.

L Pompey: If I could I would give it 100 negatives for staff beyond very early childhood education, development. Understand 3 yr ago before new teachers, principal took over.

Angela: I went to school here as a child. Recently we had an issue with my daughter's Montessori school - the first thing I did was call CPMS. I was hesitant at first because of the very mixed online reviews, but I knew that I would know if it was a good fit once I walked in. Needless to say I took the leap. My daughter has been here about a month. She is thriving. I am so happy that we made the move. I feel supported here and my daughter feels safe and accepted. I truly believe in the work the administrators at CPMS are doing and am so happy to be part of the community.

Kim Bolch: My 5 year old son has been at this school since December of last year and it's been fantastic. The guide for his class is extremely loving and nurturing. My son has blossomed emotionally, socially and academically as a result. The staff takes the time to listen to parents and encourages parents to be involved in the community they've worked so hard to build. They offer "extracurriculars" that you don't see at other schools for preschoolers. My son took gymnastics and chess club and loved both. I'd highly recommend this school!

Mark Stanley: The teachers here are top notch! 10 Acre woods of fun!

Kylie Stoll: My daughter has struggled for so long in public school! This school has been such a God send for us! They can give her work she is interested in so she is more involved and excited about school! I cannot say enough good about Clay Platte! I love her teachers and staff!

Liz Roberts: My kids and I love this school. They make the students their priority. I love the easy communication through Transparent classroom and the ability to see what my kids are working on. Having the progress reports allows me to encourage their development at home.

Megan Watson: My 5 year old son has attended Clay Platte for the better part of 2 years now and our experience has definitely been a positive one. Hudsons classroom guides have only really changed once and he has had an amazing educational journey. He is MORE then prepared for Kindergarten next year. He is happy, independent, confident, intelligent and so well adjusted. We thank Mrs. Dewey especially for the love she has poured into the children in her classroom.The reason i gave 4 out of 5 starts is merely because if you are using this school as your primary source of “daycare” for your little one- the cost can be outlandish and the amount of time the teachers take off for “intersessions” is extraordinary. I understand this schedule is an accommodation for the year round schedule for the upper elementary students, etc...however, for working parents, the constant breaks are difficult to manage.Overall, we are extremely grateful to Clay Platte for the lovely education our son has received. At the end of the day- he is stepping into society, prepared and educated for the next step. Thank you.

Megan: The director of operations is a terrible, selfish, and greedy person. She’s wrecked the place that used to be a safe haven and turned it into a nightmare. The once light filled memories of this place are now ruined and destroyed. She’s fired amazing people on the basis of her own terrible opinions and three said staff members daughter’s stuff into a box and sent her on her way. I’m extremely dissapointed in the new director and her behavior. It’s extremely immature, manipulative, and disgusting.

Brian Henke: This school is an amazing learning experience for my children. They are excited to go to school every day and are learning far more than when in a more "traditional" classroom. Having daily interactions with farm animals and enjoying the outdoors is a plus! I am so happy to have found Clay Platte. I must say, however, that as a current parent it makes me sad to see former employees (and their family members) rate the school poorly due to their disagreement with the current administration. I understand change is hard and if you're not on board with that change it's okay to part ways, but to focus your frustration in a public way such as Google Review is unfortunate for the rest of us who think the school is an excellent option. If the kids are happy, safe, and learning - isn't that what it's all about?

Sydney Reynolds: I loved this school whenever I was younger, my feelings however, have drastically changed. I believe that through primary, and maybe even lower el are very good programs. My mother had to teach me about the history of slavery which she had been suggesting since I was in first grade, mind you I'm in eighth now, and I finally started learning in school about it half way through sixth grade, the curriculum is missing many parts. I never learned anything about any of the wars, physical education was low, publications, and even the dark ages. I believe that many of the staff members are selfish and self-serving. This school used to feel like a second home, now apparently people hate me, and now my nom and I are completely un-welcomed. They fired my mom for no good particular reason, and she had been involved with the school since 1978. I do not recommend this school for 6th grade and up.Adding onto what I recently said, I have started public school and I am failing two classes due to my lack of education in middle school. I'm failing math in which we skipped a very big step at cpms, and I'm also failing social studies in which I learned nothing but being told Columbus discovered north America, in second grade. We spent too much time with the animals not even dressing out for them, leaving all of the animals contaminence all over our bodies. I now know more about farm animals, when I will not be an owner of chickens or goats. My old teacher completely shunned me and I don't even know why. Another saftey issue is for a while the door was propped open with absolutely no one in the office, and there is NO active shooter drill.

Erica Stock: They were able to make room for us in the middle of the year and we've all been very happy with the move. Every teacher we've worked with is great and the administration is accessible and easy to work with. I feel my son has truly blossomed in the open loving environment provided at Clay Platte.