Testimonial: June, 2011

My son has just completed his second year at Kirkland Montessori and we absolutely love this school. My daughter also attended for 2 years and was very well prepared, both socially and academically. The Director, Anne Auerbach, has many amazing qualities and is able to nurture each child's unique characteristics. She has been effective at calming my child during times of separation anxiety. She teaches them to have fun and enjoy each day. My child may arrive at school unhappy, but he always comes home energized, eager and genuinely happy.

The small class size at Kirkland Montessori allows Ms.Auerbach to focus on the individual child while also developing important skills they need when working together as a group. They take field trips each year, appreciate music and arts, engage in nature, practice leadership, and play outside. The kids develop their love of learning in a safe and stimulating environment, true to the Montessori method.

I would not hesitate to recommend Kirkland Montessori to anyone looking for a quality Montessori education for their child. It is a wonderful community to be a part of. We are a supportive network of families. It has been a true blessing in our lives.

- A grateful parent of two Kirkland Montessori kids.

Testimonial: June 16, 2011

To the families of potential Kirkland Montessori students:

It was our good fortune that our daughter enrolled at Kirkland Montessori three years ago. Today, she graduates. While this commencement is tinged with a little sadness, I know she moves to the next level with a great foundation: her preschool years were a time of enormous growth and learning, and she thrived under Anne Auerbach’s tutelage.

A welcoming place, my husband and I felt at home upon our first visit to Kirkland Montessori. Meeting Anne convinced us this would be the best place for our little girl. There are so many wonderful things about Kirkland Montessori, from the work to the warmth and comfort of the school. Most definitely, Anne is the heart and soul of Kirkland Montessori!

Anne delights in seeing her students grow and flourish – personally and academically – and most importantly, she wants them to be happy, kind, self-sufficient citizens of the world. She is compassionate, patient, and respected by her students and their parents.

She abides by the Montessori principle of “follow the child” – when it comes to learning, one size does not fit all. Anne respects the abilities of each student, adjusting accordingly to ensure everyone learns at the pace appropriate to their abilities, without compromising on how much or what they learn.

A guiding principle of Kirkland Montessori is to behave with kindness and respect, and Anne models this by treating everyone who enters her school that way. Her example encourages the children to accept each other and appreciate each other’s diversity.

I think Anne inspires her students every day. They delight in her enthusiasm for their endeavors – whether it’s attempting a challenging work, or telling her about their weekend activities. Anne listens carefully to their insights; her concentration on and interest in their perspectives bolster the children’s confidence and desire to share their ideas with her and others.

I was in the classroom the day Anne congratulated my daughter for completing a particularly challenging work, one which took two days to complete. My daughter could not have been more delighted! It was not only the praise at that moment, but the fact that Anne supported and encouraged the progress along the way that made it a special moment for my child.

My husband and I believe in the outstanding quality of Montessori education – both of our children completed preschool in the Montessori environment. We are delighted with our experiences at Kirkland Montessori, and we are thankful that Anne and her school had a role in our families’ lives. We will never forget our time there, nor will we forget our dear teacher and friend, Anne.

Sincerely,

A Grateful Family

Testimonial: October 23, 2006

I highly recommend Kirkland Montessori. I have two children there—a five-year-old girl and a three-year-old boy---and I find that it is a great learning environment for each of them. Anne Auerbach is an attentive, loving, well-organized teacher. She fosters an atmosphere of kindness and respect. Her love for learning is clear in her excitement in her students’ achievements and insights, and I see every day how this in turn encourages and increases my children’s natural joy of learning.

Many aspects of Kirkland Montessori’s method impress me; below are three in particular:

1. Montessori work challenges each child at his or her capacity at all times. Each work by design provides an individual challenge to the child.

2. The multi-age classroom gives the students the opportunity to teach and to learn from each other. The tendency of older students to exclude the younger ones--that can be seen at some schools--is re-directed toward teaching, at Kirkland Montessori. This provides a good complement at home, where I encourage the children to play and work with their siblings older and younger.

3. One area that fascinates me is the mathematics work. I can see that my children are learning about numbers in a way that bypasses sheer memorization and helps them see and enjoy the relationships of numbers, their order and their beauty.

Overall, I deeply appreciate the atmosphere of dignity and respect at Kirkland Montessori. Each child’s gifts are appreciated while shortcomings are treated with patience. The materials are also treated with respect and kept in order.  The order of the day provides an opportunity for individual contemplation, work with others, and play with others. Anne Auerbach, the Montessori method and the other families have become an important part of my children’s lives.

A grateful parent

Testimonial:

Kirkland Montessori was a wonderful preschool for our daughter.  The
teacher, Anne Auerbach is incredible.  My friend recommended the school to me for my daughter.  When she described it,  she told me, “ Anne is the “child whisperer.”’ After sending my daughter there, I totally
agree.  

Anne has an incredible gift and skill set when working with
young children.  She treats all of her students with respect and
teaches them to respect one another.   The environment nurtures the
whole child.  The children are enriched with academics, social skills
and life skills.  

Prior to attending Kirkland Montessori, our daughter
struggled with the desire to do things on her own and often had
tantrums when she could not do them.  Over the course of the year she
attended, Anne helped her to become much more independent and capable of doing things for herself.  

After attending, she  is a much happier child with a strong sense of self esteem.  Anne is very aware of how home and school affect a child.  One time my husband was traveling and my daughter was having a difficult morning at school.  She was very sad that she had not seen her Dad in several days.  Anne called my husband on his mobile phone so our daughter could talk to him.  I was amazed and impressed!  At that very moment, Anne knew just what our child needed.  

Since attending Kirkland Montessori, our daughter has become very good at putting her toys and desk supplies in the  places they belong.  She takes more pride in her things and takes care of them.   I wish our daughter could have attended longer.  I cannot say enough about this incredible teacher and school.  I highly recommend it.