Montessori School of the Epiphany

I have 4 children currently attending MSOE, twins age 6, age 5, & age 3. Before deciding to place my children here I observed at several other schools. In my opinion, there was no comparison. The vision that Annie & Glenda had for my children and the commitment to them was and is amazing.
As a parent they have helped me to understand what my children are capable of at such an early age. Things I would have normally thought they were too young to understand I’ve realized they are ripe for.
They empower the children by giving them freedom while maintaining a vision and working toward a goal. When you observe the classroom you will see children totally absorbed in what they are doing and interested in what they are learning. In a world filled with so much technology and noise this real life experience is like a breathe of fresh air.
You will not meet two more dedicated people. They care about the whole child; mind, body & spirit. I have 4 very kind-​hearted, intelligent & joyful children that are happy to be there every day.
This experience has laid a foundation that I believe will last a lifetime. Annie & Glenda will forever be in the hearts of my children and I will always be eternally grateful for their love and dedication to my family. If you decide this place is right for your family you will not be disappointed.

My son is now in 3^rd grade, and attended MSTE for 3 years. My daughter is now finishing her 1^st grade year at MSTE. Our family has been at the school for 6 years. We love this school. Words cannot express what this school has done for our children and our family! Families who attend here know that their children are getting a preschool experience that we would never be able to find anywhere else.
The children learn not only academics, but also important character skills. They develop mindfulness, confidence, and focus while learning courtesy and respect. They learn to choose work, start it, complete the work, and then put it away. Everything they learn is taught step by step, in age appropriate ways. The children develop a deep sense of confidence and joy of learning through these important life skills that they take with them in the years beyond MSTE.
The children have regular 45-​minute play time every morning outside. In the event of rain, there is a playroom separate from the classroom. Additionally, they have nature walks around the property on nice days right after lunch time.
The teachers get to know each child very well, and seek to form a true partnership with the parents in helping the child reach his or her full potential. There are regular parent meetings, which provide a forum for parents to learn from each other and from the teachers. The teachers give helpful feedback. The teachers’ advice for setting up the home environment to suit our kids’ developmental needs turned our home into a more peaceful place.
As is the case with many Montessori schools, the teachers are focused on the children, not the parents, at drop off and pick up. They are busy helping the children transition into or out of the classroom environment. This is very different from some traditional schools where teachers chat daily or give daily reports to each parent at drop off and pickup times, and it gives the children a feeling of security while transitioning into and out of their school day.
Communication is done via phone and/​or in person. The way that I communicate is to leave a voicemail message and then wait for them to call me back. In 6 years at the school, every call has been returned in a timely manner. Also, some parents send a note with their children asking for them to call and someone from the school calls back.
I was welcome to schedule observations, and did so on numerous occasions. What I have observed is joyful children working peacefully in a lovely light-​filled classroom environment (there are huge windows all along one wall) with caring and nurturing teachers.
Academically, most children from MSTE are ahead of their peers. Also, MSTE students do well socially and emotionally. My children both love this school, and when I ask them why, some of the things they say are: choosing their work, having interesting (appropriately stimulating) work choices, kind and respectful classmates, the way the teachers listen to and respect what even the youngest students have to say, and the beautiful classroom and work materials.
One important thing to consider: MSTE is true to the Montessori philosophy. When considering whether to enroll in MSTE or another school true to Montessori philosophy (many that call themselves Montessori are not), I strongly encourage people to read up on Montessori education. See if it seems like a good fit for your family.

My daughter attended the Montessori School of the Epiphany for four wonderful years. Since she has graduated, I continue to appreciate how much she learned from Annie and Glenda at MSE. They are highly experienced and loving guides who provide an environment of tranquility and order in which children can develop into increasingly capable, confident, thoughtful, and caring human beings.
The Montessori method, as implemented by Annie and Glenda, allows children to discover the true joy of learning. In this classroom, the children achieve a level of self motivation and concentration in their work that is transcendent. The children aren’t pandered to or showered with excessive praise as is so common in schools and children’s activities today. Instead, they experience an internal sense of accomplishment through independence of choice and real work.
You should understand that what is offered here is a reality-​based education. The children have time when they engage in imaginative play. However, the focus is on the real-​world, and the children find great excitement in exploring, engaging, and creating in the areas of language, mathematics, geography, science, art, and other subjects of the real world. It may surprise you, but I kid you not — it is absolutely true, at least for children whose family life also supports these values. Of course, this doesn’t mean that MSE will be the right fit for everyone, but for us and for our child, it was fantastic. Our child continues to benefit from her time at MSE, and we will be forever grateful to Annie and Glenda for all that they did for her.

Both of my kids have attended the Montessori School of the Epiphany for the past three years and during that time I have seen them flourish academically, socially and just blossom as awesome little people.
Are they respectful and quite during the class time? Absolutely.
Has their spirit been broken? Certainly NOT!
I feel lucky and blessed to have found such a peaceful, caring, and natural environment where my children can learn. Annie and Glenda are so incredibly dedicated to my kids, and they understand each child as an individual. This is especially important to me, since mine are twins.
MSTE is a teacher run school. They have their methods of teaching and quite frankly, I think they do an incredible job. I don’t claim to understand every reason behind every method, but the proof is in the children.
My children are sweet, smart, engaging and fun. I feel like I’m giving them a great head start to the rest of their lives. The way Ms. Annie understands the different sensitive learning phases in a young child’s life is pretty amazing. Both of my kindergarten children are reading, writing, completing multiplication and division problems, drawing the world map, sewing, and currently, they are learning the united states. Both of my kids are in love with learning. I contribute that to Ms. Annie’s teaching methods and her love for my children.
The older kids get to go on nature walks around the school’s beautiful acreage during good weather. And it has been our experience that they get to play outside most mornings for about 45 minutes. And, while we are enjoying mild weather, they get to play outside in the mornings and afternoons.
If you’re looking for a high-​tech, computer filled preschool or a daycare with lots of technology then MSTE is not the place for you. If you want to see your child learning daily in a caring environment that places the focus on the child, not the parents, then MSTE might be a great fit for you. They don’t use email (the worst communication tool in the world) — they use telephones and good old fashioned face to face speaking. I’ve seen reviews where people say they don’t communicate. It’s just not true. Communication is a two way street, and I don’t know any time that I can’t stop in when picking my kids up and speak to Ms. Annie or Ms. Glenda.
If you are looking for a place where your child will flourish under the loving care of skilled professionals, and, you are lucky enough to ‘fit’ into this wonderful place, then congratulations! You’ve found one of the most special, precious schools I’ve ever encountered.

Our daughter just completed her four years of primary education at the Montessori School of the Epiphany (MSE). Her last week was full of tears about leaving her beloved school to move on to elementary. We feel she received a incredibly strong academic foundation from MSE, while also learning a love of nature, a sense of responsibility and mindfulness for others, and a feeling of joy in learning. The classroom is bright and peaceful, and the Montessori materials were engaging and challenging.
The teachers at MSE are highly experienced Montessorians who care deeply about the children at the school. The teachers also hold parent education meetings, parent conferences, and an annual open house where the children show the parents the classroom materials. Parent observations during the school day are welcome; we did many over the years. The teachers were always open to our questions and requests to discuss issues relating to our child. We also enjoyed the many opportunities to interact with other parents at the school picnics, weekly park playdates, and monthly Mom’s Night Out. We felt very lucky to be a part of the MSE community.

Parents beware. This school totally lacks the ability to communicate with parents or provide the least bit of nurturing to children. The teacher/​director refused to return our phone calls or talk to us in person about our son. We had never had any confrontation or negative conversations with them. We had always trusted and taken their advice. The director does not allow parents to drop by for observations. I tried to schedule an observation twice and was given excuses for why I could not attend. This is a HUGE red flag. My boys were in fear of the teachers and one would tell me that his teachers did not like him/​hated him. Also, they do not think it necessary for children to go outside while they are at school whether it be a long day that goes from 8:30−4 or a short day from 8:30 — 1:30. The staff thinks it is not their job to nurture your child or provide outside play time while at school. The facility is dark and uninviting and during the winter it is kept very, very cold. Furthermore, the school did not have a contact number for our family; although, it has been given to them numerous times. While Montessori schools are supposed to be secular, this one has a strong tie to the Catholic religion. This is a non accredited private school and is not regulated by the state. From our experience, this school’s philosophy is to break down the child’s spirit until they are completely submissive and afraid. We have now been made aware that other parents have had similar complaints against the school. We put our trust in this school and they completely let us down.