Chicago Montessori

We have had such a positive experience at Courtenay. My kid attended the pre-k this past year, and will be returning to Courtenay this year.This school is under excellent leadership. The admin is engaged with the whole community, dedicated to programs and initiatives that benefit both the students and their families. Whenever I’ve had questions or concerns, the administration has responded promptly and thoughtfully. I attended nearly all the monthly ‘Coffee with the Admin’ meetings with the principal and assistant principal and got to experience firsthand their appreciation of parental feedback. If someone had a question or concern that couldn’t be addressed at that moment, the principal was quick to get the information relayed to us. We loved our kid’s teacher team and were so lucky that they have the wisdom and experience to see when a student requires intervention. We were a bit worried about the transition from daycare to pre-k, but from the very beginning his teachers were engaged and communicative about how they were supporting him in the classroom and how we could support at home. I felt he was truly taken care of and given an environment in which to thrive. He came home happy and was eager to go back the next morning. During LSC and other school community meetings, I met passionate educators of the 3rd-8th grades and it seems that the entire staff knows every kid in the school. I also found the Child-Parent Center a great asset. Their sole purpose is to create opportunities for parents and families to get involved in the school community. They organized parent volunteers for field trips and school performances, and offered a variety of on-going opportunities (cooking club) and classes (CPR, wellness, culture) throughout the year that gave me the chance to meet other parents. To top it off, they have a flourishing ‘Friends of’ organization that further supports the students and school as needed and the new playground is fantastic for all ages.I’m so pleased this is our neighborhood school, and I am excited for our kid to continue to experience such an open and friendly learning environment.

I’m speaking for my sister and me. I am a regular student who had already graduated 2 years ago, this school is amazing. My teachers were great, really did try they’re best to give advanced education to us, they kept us on check, while also having some fun, yes of course some teachers were strict and not fun, but they really did prepare you. Likewise, My sister had some trouble with all the subjects and had to have individual classes to help her keep up. Which I found very great. She told me how the classes helped her, along with some books I gave her, that fit her interest, she grew well alongside supportive teachers. They gave her weakened work as well, and supported her all the way through. Great teachers, with great patience. The safety and diverse community is great, they have a lot of opportunities to be out and social, clubs and afterschool programs, a great park, and a great school ground with a safe community. Though, the counclers do need some work with keeping everything fair from a problem I had with another student. They do care about every student, adress problems the parents have, give meetings and try to keep the students comfortable. Other than that, the school is fine, and well. I’m saying this as a graduate from 24, and my sister just graduated. It was a good time in that school. I recommend putting your student in!!

I am thrilled to recommend NPES to families as it is a place that really centers and cares about children. As a small, independent school it is able to be responsive and nimble and I have seen so many excellent additions to the program in recent years. This is truly a gem of a school in a challenging chicago landscape.

Pilgrim has some strengths, including a history of preparing students for preferred high school placement. For families looking for a small (emphasis on small) school for a neurotypical student, it could be worth considering. There are caring staff members, welcoming families, the potential for more individual attention because of the school's size, and a lower tuition than many private schools. However, some perceived benefits may be more limited in practice. For example, opportunities for differentiated or accelerated learning may not be as robust and there are fewer amenities/resources than other options in the area.If you have a neurodivergent learner, I would encourage you to proceed with caution and ask detailed questions before enrolling. In our experience, school leadership and some teachers did not demonstrate approaches that aligned with current evidence-based best practices for neurodivergent students. We found that responses to challenges tended to be reactive and relied heavily on punitive behavior management rather than supportive strategies. Even when we shared recommendations and documentation from medical professionals, we experienced resistance. On more than one occasion, we documented contradictory statements and accusations made by a teacher, yet those inconsistencies were never acknowledged or addressed. We also encountered language that we found to be unprofessional and not in line with the child-centered communication we expected from educators.If you are the parent or guardian of a neurodivergent child, ask specific questions about how your child's needs would be supported on a day-to-day basis. Request concrete examples rather than general assurances, and make sure you understand how the school collaborates and communicates with families, as well as how it responds when concerns or challenges arise. Ultimately, we decided not to return because the environment had become distressing for our family and, most importantly, was no longer a healthy place for our child.

We have been a part of the St Ben's community for four years and are extremely happy with the quality of the education and how invested and caring the teachers are. St Ben's also has so many extra curricular activities for the kids, sport twice a week, Spanish, Art, STEM, music and many more. There is lots of school events to get involved with for example Daddy/Daughter Dances, Mom's/Dad's nights out, a Gala, Fun Run and great Oktober Fest that the Parish puts on. The communication to parents each week is very clear and informative. Our daughter is thriving at the school, we are very happy at St Ben's!