Dearcroft Montessori School

My son just graduated from Grade 8 and has spent 8 years at Dearcroft. When I think of Dearcroft, I think of a well rounded education, a great Montessori curriculum, a family and community, a supportive inclusive environment, gifted, caring and dedicated teachers, a wonderful and caring administrator, beautiful and crafted outdoor grounds and well thought and designed indoor (middle school room) environment, truly passionate directors. All said, it all sounds wonderful, but what matters is who my son has become, a happy, thoughtful, confident, inquisitive, caring human being with a broad knowledge of the World and Canada from its beginnings and throughout history and its current issues. Dearcroft has nurtured his care for the environment and our world and its people. Dearcroft has instilled in him the love of learning and he is a pretty independent learner. Most importantly he has kept his curiosity and imagination intact which I believe is innate in all children. Yes, he has a solid understanding of math, English and grammar and the core subjects learned in a concrete level in the earlier years and more applied and abstract understanding in the latter years but not in isolation or as units but with a broad view and with a connected understanding of them as part of a whole taught thru an integrated curriculum. The last two years Grade 7 and 8 has been a culmination of all the previous years as it all has come together and my son has consolidated his knowledge. Two of the best things in West Wind are the independent study projects thru which my son has acquired incredible research and formal essay writing skills, with a solid foundation on independent learning and strong study habits and along the way has learned study strategies to make him a better learner. The second is Expedition education which is a labour of love from the part of Gord Phippen and the teachers, the amount of effort and work to prepare these trips translates into amazing learning experiences that will last a lifetime for our children. My son has truly experience Canada’s beauty and its history, geography, society, its people, First Nations, FIRST HAND, he has been there. They have been to every capital city, almost every province, countless of museums, terrains, climates, met incredible people from all walks of life along the way, the list goes on. They have travel in planes, trains and motorhomes. They have slept in hotels, motels, lodges and tents. They also have a world view as they have tackled issues such as poverty, conflicts, climate change having participated in the Model United Nations in New York. I am excited for Dearcroft and its future because in the past 8 years I have seen the school grow and get better and better, from improvements to the outdoor grounds to the ideas that is shaping its students. I consider Dearcroft a forward thinking school that is always evolving and reshaping itself to meet the demands of an ever changing world and dedicated teachers and staff that just want to get and do better and better and they have.

Two of our children graduated from Dearcroft, the youngest just this month. From the moment they started at this school we had a good feeling. The teachers, the owner and the environment all gave us a very positive feeling of safety and caring. The enthusiasm of Gord Phippen is great for the students - he is so passionate about their learning and really provides great opportunities for the students to learn so many things above and beyond the "normal" public school type curriculum. The end of year expeditions are amazing travel/learning experiences. Being involved in the United Nations in New York City was an incredible lifetime experience for them. The bonding trips were a good time for the kids to get to know one another, while learning. These trips provided an opportunity for our children to learn geography and history and also important life lessons. The small class numbers made for an incredible student to teacher ratio which you cannot put a price on. All of the teachers were fantastic, and sincerely wanted the best for our children. This contributed to a feeling, for us as parents, that our children were being dropped off daily into a very healthy, safe environment. We loved that security. A big thank you to Gord Phippen and all of the teachers at Dearcroft Montessori School.

I don’t normally write reviews, however, at a time when teaching our children about the importance of standing up for others and being an ally is more important than ever before, it is for this reason I feel compelled to stand up for Dearcroft Montessori School by sharing my own amazing experience with them. Let me first start by saying I have extremely high standards as a parent - and it is for this reason I chose Dearcroft Montessori for my toddler - over the other accredited Montessori schools in the Oakville and nearby areas. What stood out to me immediately was the warm and caring atmosphere shown to me by the staff who work there. It was very clear that their knowledge and passion for children is second to none, and I feel very lucky to be part of such a caring and intimate community. My son has been in Ms. LaRoche’s and Ms. Kim’s toddler class since September 2018. Under their caring leadership, he has excelled and continues to excel in all areas, including his vocabulary, confidence, and overall independence. I have a very positive relationship with Ms. LaRoche, Ms. Kim, and Catherine DeBorba, and I have seen and experienced first hand the excellent care they provide to my son and our family on a daily basis. I'm especially grateful for the amazing care and attention that Ms. LaRoche has shown my son and our family. She has my son's best interest at heart, and I have come to rely on her as a positive influence in my son's daily life and development. There is no other class I would rather my son be in than the toddler program at Dearcroft Montessori under the compassionate and kind leadership of the staff who work there. I want to personally thank Ms. LaRoche, Ms. Kim and Catherine for the positive difference they make and continue to make in my son’s daily life, and in our family’s life. Added: Thank you so much for your thoughtful response. I really appreciate it. Your kind reply further validates the amazing customer service I continue to receive from Dearcroft Montessori. I want you to know that I have registered my son for next year's toddler class because of how much progress he continues to make under Ms. LaRoche's wonderful leadership. And what's truly music to my ears is when I tell my son that he's going to school to see Ms. LaRoche - his face lights up with a big smile and he shouts - 'yay!' in sheer delight. That to me is a true testament of the caring learning environment that is carefully and thoughtfully orchestrated by Ms. LaRoche and Ms. Kim. PS: Every time I call the Dearcroft office, Catherine continues to impress me with her above and beyond customer service and knowledge about the school. Her warm and kind demeanour truly embodies and accurately represents the values of the caring and intimate school that make Dearcroft stand out. Your team is truly amazing! Thanks again, Lidia

My kids spent their elementary and part of their secondary at Dearcroft before moving to a new country. Dearcroft was not only a school to us, it became our family and the kids enjoyed every single day during their time... Not to mention, Dearcroft provided them with the best education and taught them many life skills that will remain with them forever.. Special thanks to all the staff, the administrator and of course Mr. Phippin.

My daughter started in the toddler program doing a full year and is presently in the casa program. After my daughter started the toddler program at age 2 under Ms LaRoche, Mrs Shipton and Mrs Kim’s care, not only was it a safe and loving environment but at the same time one that nurtured independence and responsibility to duty. The toddler teachers are an excellent mix all being very consistent with the Montessori principles as well as someone my daughter could always count on whenever she needed that extra touch of kindness. My family have been especially appreciative of Ms LaRoche plain honesty to us as parents, it has help us work together to help my daughter grow. I value her honesty to us as parents very highly. Needless to say the foundation done at the toddler level has helped my daughter immensely at the CASA level, and I say this not only in the academic sense but more her attitude to learning. My daughter still speaks dearly about Ms LaRoche, Mrs Shipton and Mrs Kim every now and then, for a child her age to be doing so even though she has been in the Casa class for half a year already says a lot of the positive impact they had on her. A special note on the administration at the school, Mrs Deborba never cease to amaze us with her consistently prompt replies and follow ups. At Dearcroft Montessori I know my kids are in safe hands and nurtured to be independent, respectful and responsible individuals.

My daughter has been attending Dearcroft Montessori School for the last five years. I can not begin to tell you how wonderful this school has been for my child. She is confident, supported and feels very secure in her surroundings. The owners are amazing people with big hearts, the teachers are passionate, caring and always pleasant.

An amazing Montessori school - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED I work in education and visit schools and teachers around the world and I can confidently say that Dearcroft is easily one of the top learning environments I've had the privilege of participating in. I am proud to put my 3 children in this school despite all the other great options available in Oakville. The teachers are personable, empathetic and caring and true to Maria's Montessori's teachings they develop the whole child. The kids I've interacted with from Dearcroft are exceptional - they are respectful, industrious, and helpful. It's an absolute pleasure to volunteer for school events and interact with the school community. Some of the other schools we looked at had a 'sterile' and 'luxury' feel to them that I didn't like -- Dearcroft feels more down to earth. That said -- the facilities could still use some updating -- and in our previous Montessori school the kids did get more french.

This is our fifth year at Dearcroft and we continue to love this school. Our children love their teachers, classmates, and environment so much, and are having their best year yet. The things we love most about Dearcroft are the values that the staff demonstrate: nurturing curiosity and a love of learning, kindness, and empowerment. With the support of their teachers and peers, our children have not only gained confidence, but have also learned how to build up their classmates with kind feedback. The Montessori teaching model has been a key factor in the tremendous social, emotional, and academic growth we've seen in our children. The school has put in place creative and effective solutions to ensure that cohort sizes are small and the integrity of each cohort is maintained throughout the school day, which we especially appreciate during this Covid-19 pandemic. The teachers adapted quickly in the spring as the pandemic started, and have continued to go above and beyond to make the experience amazing for the children. Instead of restrictions being obstacles, they've been turned into opportunities. For example, since singing isn't allowed at the moment, their music teacher decided to teach the Junior Elementary students to play the ukulele. The staff truly have a passion for education and Dearcroft is a place where they have the space to exercise their creativity to the benefit of the students.