| What Others Say About Khalsa Montessori School |
What Khalsa Montessori Parents Have Said In 2010-11
Comments on the 2010-11 KMS Parent Questionnaire
"She was completely transformed from a toddler making necklaces, to a student who loves to learn and is an avid reader"
"The supportive teachers and staff … really have helped our child grow into an independent and caring person."
"We have really seen her blossom this year. Our daughter has always been the type to stay engaged and enjoy learning, but since switching from traditional day care to Khalsa, she seems to be challenged and excited on a continuing basis. She has even taught me a few things she learned in class that I didn't know. Most importantly, when I ask her how she feels about Khalsa she has a variety of good things to say. I am also increasingly impressed by the After School crew. When I pick up my daughter from school I enjoy observing the enriching and engaging activities that all of the children are participating in and the superb ways conflicts are handled."
"She loves going to school and seems to thrive in the Montessori environment."
"Accountability and flexibility in the teaching method has been great for our child. She has also benefited greatly from having older children in her class."
"This year, my daughter has learned to read at a much more advanced pace than last year. She has experienced the ballet and other field trips that have expanded her horizons. Yoga has become one of her favorite classes and I see her body strengthening regularly. Spanish and gardening round out her education."
"We love the learning environment and his teachers."
"We've been very impressed with [her teacher]. She has been a tremendous help answering questions, and assisting with the particular challenges we and our student have had this year…. Particularly in the areas of writing, spelling, and to a lesser extent, reading, I feel our child has made significant progress, undoubtedly in large part via the classroom environment/teacher's efforts."
"I feel that my child is challenged academically. I like how they problem solve in the classroom…. I like that he has free time to read in school. The animals in his room bring my child joy. I love the field trips they go on too. He enjoys his class very much."
"My child was encouraged to "grow up". She was asked to do more practice to improve her writing and to do challenging works much more often. She has experienced some frustrations at not being good at everything but is learning how to get better at those things."
"We really appreciate the attention given to understanding our child. It has been a team effort to sort through our child's issues and [our child's teacher and assistant teachers], (as well as the other staff), have put a lot of effort into helping our child. Thank you everyone!"
"Her reading and writing skills are fantastic. She seemed to focus more on math and science this year. I believe she is learning to accept differences in others and learning the importance of these differences."
"Learning independence and autonomy in upper elementary [is the best aspect of Khalsa]. The transition socially has gone very well... and although he started out a bit slower academically, I think he is coming along very well now."
"The best aspects of [our daughter's] experience has been [her teacher's] influence on her. She has been instructed with kindness and patience and has learned so much and made so many new friends. She loves backyard too. She has told me that her favorite activities are: Washing cloth, puzzles, Yoga, jumprope/hula hoop, [and] math work"
"Learning about other countries, she really enjoys that. She loved learning about the desert and the field trip really helped to bring it closer to her."
[The best aspects of Khalsa are: our child's] maturity and growth in all areas (social, artistic, global consciousness, academics); the sense of pride, self-discipline, self-motivation and confidence that he is expressing more and more each day; the ability to show compassion, problem solving and communicate and express his feelings; the completion of the cycle from a younger child to an older child which resulted in leadership skills."
"We're so proud that [our daughter] is sounding out words and reading. She really enjoys her teachers and classroom environment. We're so happy that she's thriving and growing as a student and little person."
"[Her teacher] has been a goddess of love for [our daughter] this year. We loved [her former teacher] but [our daughter] and [her current teacher] seem to have a special bond. It's very comforting to this mother."
"The education he has received in [his teacher's] classroom has been wonderful. He is so proud of what he can accomplish! And we are too!"
"Our son has truly blossomed during his 9 months at Khalsa. Best aspect - his friends and his respect for his school and his friends. He is excited to go to school in the morning and talks constantly about his friends, his work, his naptime, the Outback, his teachers, his big school, etc. We love to hear him come home and sing songs he has learned at school or tell us about his work or show us his yoga moves."
“I’d like to personally thank you for the educational contribution Khalsa has made to my children over the past three years. You have provided them with an academic and moral framework interwoven with a spirit of peace and love for the earth from which they can now steadily grow in NYC. For this, we are forever grateful.” —2010-11 Khalsa Montessori Lower and Upper Elementary school parent
“We want to thank you so very much for a wonderful year at Khalsa. As a family new to the school, we were immediately impressed by the professional, kind, and welcoming culture of the community, as well as the academically rich quality of …[the] classroom…” — 2010-11 Khalsa Montessori Elementary School parent
“We have enjoyed her journey from Miss Jan’s class at Toddler Sheridan with her not wanting to leave us to [the Upper Elementary] class with the overnight trip to Friendly Pines in Prescott that was the highlight of her year. She will miss taking her shoes off and being able to work freely in the classroom, the weekly yoga classes with Carol and Dapper and relishing the success in the garden.
We appreciate and thank you for the fine education she has received over the years in addition to the outstanding and dedicated staff. We have no doubt that she will cherish her experience at Khalsa and remember it as a defining part of her young life.”
“Khalsa has been a part of our lives for 5 years, and we have loved being a part of Khalsa. {My child] will carry with her so many wonderful memories, including such dear memories from her years at Primary.”
Email Received By The Khalsa Administration 3/2011
Dear [Khalsa Montessori School Education Directors and classroom teacher],
Thank you all for recommending that [my child] [stay in] kindergarten for one more year. Watching her grow from one year to the next has been an amazing journey for me, as a parent. Last year she struggled with reading. This year, she is reading at such an advanced pace compared to last year. She is excited to read and wants to read everything. Several people have told me that [my child] now shines as a leader in the classroom and on the playground. I contribute this to her repeating kindergarten. I think being in [her teacher's] class for one additional year really helped build her confidence. She is so excited about learning! Instead of noticing that she is not on pace with other kids (as she did last year), she now comes home boasting how far ahead she is on the moveable alphabet than the other children. It's wonderful to see her so proud of herself and she glows with confidence.
So, thank you again, for your recommendations. You definitely know what you're talking about! As parents, we can only rely on what we know about our children within the realm of our own parameters. Leaning on you, as teachers, gives us knowledge on how our children compare to other children their own age. Thank you for steering me in the right direction. [my child's] confidence and excitement for learning will never be the same. I know she is well on her way to academic success.
For any parent that may be struggling with whether or not to let their child repeat kindergarten, my advice to them would be "DO IT NOW! You will not be disappointed and you will be setting your child up for future success! The additional year of tuition is costly, but the payoff if priceless. The Khalsa staff are top notch and truly have our children's best interests in mind when making the tough decisions. Trust them and trust their experience. You'll be glad you did. I know I am."
[2010-11 Khalsa School Parent]
