Community Montessori School

805 Gillaspie Drive

School District

Boulder Valley Re 2
Grade

PK, K-6
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:15
Type

public

School Map for Boulder Valley Re 2 School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by other on August 01, 2024

My granddaughter has gone to this school 2 years. She has been bullied by her classmates from day one. She is very unhappy in school and resists going to school many mornings. She was also treated badly by one of her teachers in 1st grade. When her father has mentioned the bullying to the teachers they do nothing about it.
Submitted by parent on May 13, 2024

A lot of these reviews are outdated. Community Montesorri is the only public Montesorri school in Boulder. My daughter had a bad experience at her previous school and didn’t want to go. Since starting at CM she has been excited to go to school everyday. She is learning a lot, I am amazed at some of the things she comes home and teaches me she learned. Her teacher is very responsive and caring. The playground is fun and kids learn new skills through gardening etc. you will find issues with all public schools but if you want something that nurtures a love for learning Community Montessori is the way to go.
Submitted by parent on August 23, 2023

Community Montessori is an excellent school. Our children have attended from Pre-K through 5th grade. The Preschool/Kindergarten classes give children a smooth pathway into their Lower El grades. Our children have enjoyed their time and we have seen them grow academically and as individuals. The school's open enrollment creates a community of parents that are not tied to one or two zip codes which in turn helps to fosters greater social diversity. Overall, the Montessori approach is excellent. It's not fluffy or lacking in any regard. If you're not familiar with the approach - I wasn't - have a read online about Montessori learning and visit the school on an open day. It's very unusual to have a public Montessori in your district; even if your children go somewhere else knowing more about this school will help you with your final decision. Academically we've seen it really develop our children's understanding of the subjects they are learning and emotionally it's made them strong, young people. The school's overall approach and their 5th grade work also means students are in a great place when entering middle school.
Submitted by parent on May 22, 2019

We can warmly recommend the Community Montessori pre-school program. Our son was three when he started. He has grown academically, matured to become more independent, and made friends during the last year. The teachers are knowledgeable of the Montessori pedagogy and practice the Nurtured Heart Approach and bite-sized mindfulness. The indoor classroom environment is rich in well organized educational equipment spanning a wide range of developmental levels. There is a quiet box for the children to center and ground themselves. There is a peace rose and a system for resolving conflicts and declaring the peace. During parents' classroom observation one appreciates the organized and quiet dynamic among the students who span three years in age in one class. One can follow one's child's academic development throughout the school year through pictures published on-line in the Transparent Classroom portal linked to information on the specific "work" in question. The school's outdoor areas include playground structures and courtyard flowerbeds where the children weed, plant and watch flowers grow. The school organizes parent education nights and has a live group of volunteer parents that willingly contribute. The school facilitates knowledge transfer from returning to new families by several organized happenings and a mentor program. The administrative personal are friendly and accomodating. The school is an Eco-Cycle Green Star School that draws students from all of BVSD. Enrollment in pre-school guarantees eligibility for continuation into elementary school. We are looking forward to a second year of Community Montessori pre-school for our son in the fall.
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2019

We have had a mixed bag of experiences.
Submitted by parent on October 31, 2018

My daughters are very different from one another, but they are both thriving with wonderful teachers and a supportive school. They are finishing 5th grade, and after 6 years of Montessori school, they have never NOT ONCE told me that they don't want to go to school. In fact, they are disappointed when they have to miss school for any reason. This is a warm, nurturing community that attracts excellent teachers. There is some diversity at the school also, which is very valuable to us as a family.
Submitted by other on March 01, 2018

Excellent school, a great start for our boys, many friendships.
Submitted by parent on March 01, 2018

We love this school. My boys are complete opposites yet both have flourished under the montessori method. Tge teachers are loving, patient, kind and exceedingly wonderful at finding and fostering a child’s love of learning
Submitted by parent on February 21, 2018

My daughter has been at this school for almost 3 years now. We have had a wonderful experience with her teachers. Emotional support and development along with educational development.
Submitted by parent on December 22, 2017

Your boys deserve a better school. The only male role model in this school is the PE teacher. Many schools in BVSD have more men who will be role models for the boys in the school.This Montessori is like so many other Montessoris in that there is no focus on social emotional learning here so there are altercations among the kids. In private Montessori, teachers may ban certain games or ignore these issues and decide that kids will eventually figure out their own interpersonal skills. In this school, interpersonal problems end in “Student Support Teams” which are Friday meetings where the teacher, principal, and possibly specialists you have never met before pat each other on the back for what an excellent job they are all doing and decline to make meaningful changes to support the students.They will ultimately blame all of these issues on the children instead of using their experience as teachers to decide how to help the students who are wandering for issues that a lot of kids face. The issues can be difficulty learning to read, difficulty learning to write, boredom, or inability to focus. But whatever the issues are, they are not unique issues. Teachers in a lot of schools deal with these issues.There is no consistent Montessori philosophy in this school so the transition years can be very difficult because the rules of the new class may be very different from the rules of the old class.
Submitted by parent on December 31, 2015

The level of Montessori instruction varies widely by teacher. You can have anywhere from a magical experience to a downright horrible and traumatizing one. We started off toward the magical and ended with the traumatizing. Like the other commenter mentioned, if your child is outside the norm, and depending on their teacher, you may end up thinking your child is the worst human on the planet. Even though it was clear there was a more appropriate fit teacher-wise, they refused to move our child.
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2015

We love Community Montessori for its dedicated staff, its diverse student body, and of course its implementation of the Montessori philosophy in the public realm. My child has special needs and his needs are being met thanks to the flexible thinking and openness of the staff and administration.
Submitted by parent on April 18, 2015

My son attended this school for almost two years. My son is Talented and Gifted. During this two year time period, he was treated like there was something wrong with him for being different. He was treated like a caged, cornered animal-and when he reacted to his treatment-he was demonized. This is a horrible school. It is not a true Montessori either. If your child is different in any way-especially a boy. they hate boys-it is toxic waste. DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD! The principal is ineffectual, and the angry staff has the run of the school. My son, who is Gifted and Talented and loves to learn, now is skeptical of academic environments. His attitude toward school will forever be tainted by the disgusting behavior of this principal and its staff. I am speaking for other parents, as well, that have had the same experience.
Submitted by parent on January 25, 2015

My child attended this school for a short time and it wasn't a good experience. The principal would not work with me to have my child transferred to another class and another teacher pulled my child's hair. I love the idea of a public Montessori but one must remember that it's still a public school and still has to teach to the test.
Submitted by parent on December 19, 2014

My two kids love to go to school, and I appreciate the teachers dedication. They know each child so well and work to assure they are challenged.
Submitted by parent on December 18, 2014

Absolutely wonderful, dedicated teachers. I have a 1st and 3rd grader at this school. Teachers have a calm, assertive approach to allowing our children to thrive. After attending a lecture (by a neurologist) on the Montessori method of learning (and consequently devouring written material on said) I am convinced that this is a superior education system. The teachers at Community Montessori correctly apply this method. This school is in the BVSD, as well!
Submitted by parent on December 18, 2014

We have loved Community Montessori. Both of my children attend there- and both have very different learning styles and aptitudes- while the road to learning hasn't always been easy....CM's community of administrators, teachers and parents have pulled together to make CM an outstanding experience. If you're looking for a creative team, a philosophy that works- and a caring community- I highly recommend Community Montessori.
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2014

The dedication of the teachers and especially the principal have been so evident throughout our first year here. We are very grateful to have a public Montessori education for our child. The word "Community" is also greatly evident amongst the parents and children. Our child has received incredible support from peers in the primary, lower, and upper classrooms both in school and during after-school activities. It's a joy to send our child here and to watch the learning and growing that unfolds with the Montessori method.
Submitted by parent on April 25, 2014

My children have been attending CM for the last seven years. I feel fortunate that they get to grow up in a school that not only challenges them academically, but also encourages the development of traits such as caring, consideration and self responsibility. In my experience across the classrooms, there is a great sense of community in which no one is left on the fringe. While the Montessori method is much more than the materials provided, I have found each of the classrooms to be very well stocked full of learning materials that allow for independent exploration and self paced mastery. These materials look much different from the preschool to the upper elementary classrooms, as the children move from concrete to abstract learning. I believe this is a great school for any learner, and we are lucky to have such a school in our family of public schools.
Submitted by parent on April 14, 2014

I love the school and Iove the idea of public Montessori, but I also understand the frustration of some parents below. Some reviewers agree with that there is much at school that is not Montessori . I also believe as one parent below that CM is too political and parents are discouraged from asking questions about the curriculum. That needs to change and parents need to be asked and heard about curriculum matters too.