Testimonials
We started our oldest daughter at Good Neighbor Montessori when she was two, and she left the program shortly before starting Kindergarten. Good Neighbor Montessori prepared her well for Kindergarten: she was able to sit still, listen to her teacher, and embraced every challenge that came her way. I feel Good Neighbor gave her a solid foundation for public school. We now send our second daughter to Good Neighbor, and she thrives as well. The children at Good Neighbor study and learn a variety of topics. The teachers arrange for visits from local community professionals so the children can have hands on opportunities to explore such things as tow trucks, fire trucks, and NASA space suits. When our youngest daughter expressed an interest in being a veterinarian, the staff arranged for a veterinarian to come and speak with the children about her job. The Good Neighbor environment is clean, calm, cheerful, and inviting. We always feel welcome by the teachers and staff at Good Neighbor, and we feel that they genuinely enjoy having my daughter as a student.
Kathleen & Barry
I decided immediately to send my elder son to GNM when he was 3 year old, after the initial tour. At GNM the teachers are very patient, kind and attentive towards the kids. My eldest son graduated last year, after spending two wonderful years at GNM. Now my younger son is at GNM and he is very happy. If you are looking for a place where you can leave your children without worries, GNM is the right place for you.
Kathy and Zhihua
We value how the manageable size of the school enables personal interaction, allowing teachers, students and parents to get to know each other well. The well-trained and personable staff emphasizes respect for others, and the children's time is well balanced between work and play. In a clean and well-organized environment, the children thrive on engaging activities; their enjoyment is evident in their eager smiles when they arrive at school and their excitement when they tell us about their day.
Marina & Fabio
Our three-year-old son has been attending Good Neighbor Montessori for more than one-and-a-half years and we couldn’t be happier! GNM’s "modified Montessori" program incorporates both the Montessori method plus play-based time. To us, this mix is very well balanced because the kids are given time to explore and develop both individually through self-directed activities (Montessori method) and socially through play and relationship-building. The GNM teachers are very loving and really listen to the kids. When I drop off my son in the mornings, circle time is full of smiles and laughter. GNM is proof that learning really can be fun!
Carol and Jason
My son has attended Good Neighbor for more than a year. The teachers and atmosphere are so nurturing and I'm consistently surprised by how much he has learned. The school provides wonderful opportunities for the children including language, gym, and music classes. I also love that they celebrate and learn about holidays from around the world, not just those common to America. The teachers are also careful to encourage healthy eating choices and they have been very careful about my dietary preferences for my son. I have been completely delighted with the school and feel great about my son spending his days there. I have full confidence that he could not be in a more nurturing and caring community.
Bree and Stewart
When we moved to Palo Alto, we looked into several local preschools, particularly those that follow the Montessori system. We found Good Neighbor Montessori (GNM) to have the most balanced program and environment overall. Our daughter has been attending GNM fill time for a year now, and we are very happy with how she has flourished emotionally, intellectually and physically in their care. The teachers take great care of her and have a holistic approach to the wellbeing of all the children. We have picked up many good tips on parenting from GNM, and very glad that our daughter attends a preschool of this high caliber.
Fahmida & Sajjad
My family and I have had a wonderful experience with Good Neighbor Montessori. Our daughter, who's currently 3.5 has been in the school for more than a year. She's blossomed during this time and has really come out of her shell. The teachers are incredibly patient and loving. They really do want to be there! The teachers control the classroom well so that everyone has a task and nobody is bored. The teachers immediately stop bad behavior and address it with the kids (this part is rare in other schools). Good Neighbor also offers extracurricular activities that my daughter loves and looks forward to every week, like dance, piano, Mr. Dave's physical education class, and foreign language programs such as Mandarin and Spanish. The most important aspect of the school is that my daughter loves it and asks to go to school everyday (even on weekends!). I look forward to her next two years at Good Neighbor, as well as my son's enrollment next year.
Mariela & Keith
It is so hard to believe that my son is almost 4 years old and has finished a year at Good Neighbor Montessori, and that he will be starting a pre-kindergarten curriculum in the upcoming year. Our GNM experience has been very important not only for our son, but also for us as parents of 3 boys. We have already developed some close relationships with parents of other students, and the experience here confirms what we expected; that a nurturing, flexible and semi-structured curriculum can be a terrific match for our son. In particular, the teacher-pupil fit has created and fostered an intellectual curiosity and love of learning that has been impressive. As a Child Psychiatrist, I appreciate many of the developmentally informed principles of GNM, such as gradual introduction to the program, time flexibility, and of easily accommodating special dietary needs.
While at GNM, our son has been particularly successful in developing social relationships and conflict resolution skills. Our son has been doing very well behaviorally, socially and academically, over the course of the last 12 months. He now eagerly looks forward to school each morning (as do we)!
We look forward to many more years of working together, as our youngest son gets ready to follow in his big brothers footsteps soon. Thanks to GNM for being such an important part of our lives!
Joshi and Mala