Bloomingdale Children's House

"THE BEST SCHOOL EVER! As parents we always want to make the right decision for our children, and we are so grateful to have chosen Bloomingdale Children's House. Our son attended this school from his early 2 to almost 6 years of age. He started with Ms. Juliette's class, then moved on to Ms. Terjiana's class and then to Mr. Tim's class. Each year has been such an enriching year for our son. The school provided an extremely strong academic foundation to our son. Along with academics, they taught him good discipline, manners and etiquettes. They taught him to love and be respectful towards animals. Our son enjoyed the extracurricular activities that he had in the school like music class, gardening, art and crafts, knit loom scarf and blanket, story-time, reading in the library. They made gingerbread houses during Christmas and the teachers organize a great Christmas program every year. The class sizes are smaller and hence the teachers provide 1:1 attention to the students and they make sure that each student is challenged well according to their potential. The teachers demonstrate the concepts by relating them to real life examples that makes it easy for the kids to understand making their learning so much fun. I highly recommend this school. Thank you, Bloomingdale Children's house, for shaping our son the way he is today, and we could not have done it without your incredible efforts. Forever grateful to Ms. Juliette, Ms. Terjiana and Mr.Tim. God bless the teachers and the school. An outstanding school that provides a safe environment for the kids to grow academically, socially and morally."

"We have our son at this school and he absolutely loves it! He really likes the chickens, ducks and rabbits, and gets very excited when he can help feed the animals. Every Friday they do a “cooking class” and help instill a love of healthy food in the kids there. Montessori allows children more choice and teaches independence. The last school we were at had a horrible teacher-student ratio, but my son gets a lot more individual attention at Bloomingdale Children’s House and thus, his behavior has also improved. I knew we had found a great fit when I went to pick up my son the first day and there were bits of leaves in his hair from exploring a tree."

"My older daughter has attended Bloomingdale Children’s House since she was three years old. By the time she was in first grade she was a fast reader able to read and comprehend more advanced stories like Amelia Earhart and the Wright Brothers. The teachers are extremely caring and professional in getting children interested in science, math, geography (she is asking questions about the great wall of china, the Galapagos island and the Eiffel Tower to name a few music, art and so much more. I like that I don’t have to wait for teacher/parents conference day to learn how my child is doing. I simply ask how her day was every afternoon when I pick her up and get an immediate response and suggestions on how to improve and make her more interested in subjects which are not her strongest. The school parties are wonderful with plenty of activities including inflatables, hay rides face painting and water slides for the summer party. The school has never asked for additional compensation for art supplies nor the pictures she frequently brings home. She has made wonderful friends and memories and the closed door policy is only for their protection so that I can go to work knowing she is safe."

"Our child has been attending Bloomingdale Children's House since he was 6 months old, and he is now 2. First of all, I cannot explain how fortunate we feel that we were able to find such a wonderful place for our son when he was an infant. I was terrified by "daycares" that we visited when we were trying to find a place for him. We knew immediately that Bloomingdale Children's House was different. The same teacher remained with our son all day, every day, and has a strong bond with him. I feel that when they are that young, a trusting relationship between the teacher and the child is extremely important, and our son has had this all along. Also important to us were the facts that they allowed him to use cloth diapers, and that they are supportive of his vegetarian and mainly organic diet. When our son was little, his teacher would carry him in a sling if he was fussy, because he was one of those little ones who just had to be held a lot. I love the family atmosphere at the school. Three of the teachers are relatives, but they treat us all like family. The children are very well-behaved and polite. This is a montessori school and class is structured in a different manner than traditional public schools, and I would recommend that anyone who is interested in having their child attend should at least have a basic understanding of montessori education so that they can understand why the school is structured the way that it is. That said, my child is only 2 and I can tell that he learns a great deal from his time at school; this includes things like colors, shapes, the alphabet, different animals, etc as well as acceptable social interaction. He loves the garden they have on the school grounds, and more than that, he loves the animals. (They have chickens and rabbits, among other things.) I feel that there is respect among the children, teachers, and parents. The montessori work is very interesting to my son and I can tell that he loves learning, which I believe is their main goal! Overall, we highly recommend this school."

"This is a hidden gem of a school. My oldest daughter has been attending for the past 2 years and my second will be joining her in the fall. The materials are incredible (and they make me want to spend the day there as well!), but what is even more important is the warm, intimate atmosphere. Mrs. Juliette is an experienced Montessori teacher with an amazing gentle hand, but incredible control on the classroom (I call her the Pied Piper, since I have never seen children behave the way they do with her!). I can't emphasize enough that she truly cares about the children and wants the best for each child that walks through her doors...which is pretty darn fortunate for a few little terrors that have attended her school through the years! The school is located in the Brandon/Bloomingdale area and her husband and daughter participate in the school as well so it has a true homey environment, but with truly professional and amazing materials. But the greatest indication of its success is both how much my daughter loves it and how much she has grown, socially, intellectually, artistically, and emotionally since attending. The small class size builds valuable friendships and all families who attend are a joy. The best thing that I've heard from other parents whose children have gone through Bloomingdale Children's House Montessori is that by the time they go to kindergarten, they are very well adjusted--apparently more so than graduates from other pre-schools according to a kindergarten teacher in the area. Take that for what it's worth because it's obviously a little biased, but would not surprise me in the least. One of the best experiences for any preschooler, this wonderful environment is filled with fun and learning, rich experiences and a great supportive community. As we approach our daughter's last day at Bloomingdale Children's House Montessori School this week, I wanted to take a moment to thank the school for being an incredible influence in her young life. She is an amazing little girl and much of that has to do with the time she has spent there. We are very proud of her and excited for her future. Her sense of self, her interest in art, animals and being outdoors, her understanding of personal space and the friendships she has developed are skills and emotions that she will carry with her forever. Run by caring and knowledgable owners. The only drawback might be the waiting list, so check it out early!"