Reviews of Smart Start Montessori School (Kindergarten)

Edward Kinaga

Our daughter started attending Smart Start in March of 2017. She had some difficulty in communication and social skills and most importantly not being able to self express. Within a year Smart Start was able to reverse that and give our daughter the ability to self express, communicate and be able to interact and engage positively with other children. For parents who believe they are doing their best to provide the best environment for their child and yet not see tangible results can be very demoralizing and discouraging. But Smart Start was able to give us comfort in what they do and now we see remarkable results in our daughter who is now doing exceptionally well and being able to participate in the regular daily curriculum activities. All our thanks to Smart Start for sheer dedication in what they do best in integrating our young children to the beginning of a great education. In Swahili we say “Asante sana” which means THANK YOU VERY MUCH...

Erin C

Wonderful school. My daughter has flourished significantly since starting at this school at 18 months. During this unfortunate lock down she has been asking daily to go back to school as she misses her friends and teachers. The staff and everyone at the school are so caring and attentive. They provide such a safe , supportive and happy environment for the children.

stephanie sitt

Both Mia and Luna had their first learning experiences at Smartstart and they absolutely loved it. Thanks to the wonderful foundation your teachers gave them, they enjoy learning and are well adjusted children. Please send our thanks and love to all the teachers and staff who took such wonderful care of our sweet girls for all these years. It was an absolute pleasure and we wish you all the best in the future during these crazy times.

VT

Smart Start Montessori is a great school with very kind and caring teachers, good facilities and programs. My husband and I were both so impressed with how much our daughter has learned through the application of Montessori education from this school. She has gained passion for learning. She enjoys reading, writing, drawing etc. She loves to go to school everyday. I would definitely recommend this school to anyone interested in Montessori

Sharmila Debalton

They forgot our son's tour appointment and didn't even bother rebooting it

Shawn Lin

My daughter went to Smart Start Montessori School since last year. She likes the school and the teachers so much. The teachers love the children a lot and that makes my daughter feels it's like a family in a home. We especially want to thank Alicia Gomez who is my daughter's teacher in Casa 3. We can feel she loves and takes care of children really with her heart. She is so patient and pays attention to details. When my daughter started to adopt the lunch from the school, she recorded how my daughter had lunch every day and gave us notes about what happened during the day. Unfortunately, because we are moving home, my daughter will be leaving the school and going to another. But we wish we that she could stay at this school. We would definitely recommend Smart Start to any parents and their children!

Sumu Sothinathan

My daughter attending Montessori at smart start. I find the staff very friendly and the kids seems to have a blast. My daughter loves getting up in the morning to go school even on the weekend. The graduation ceremony we attended was great fun and was fun watching the little one having a great time. Congrats to the staff for showing how much my daughter love dancing. Thanks

Malaika Nallawangsa

Last week our little man graduated from Smart Start Montessori School. We have no words to express how much we will miss our Smart Start family. Kaiden has spent the past four years at Montessori where he has been given the best stepping stone and foundation to help him with the rest of his academic career. From math to language and practical life skills he has gained some very valuable skills which he will always carry with him. Kaiden has come a long way in his academics, making us very proud parents. He has gone from being a very care-free, playful little boy to a very responsible, respectful, caring and helpful little gentleman. Kaiden could not have excelled the way he has if it wasn't for the guidance of his teachers. When Kiana graduated from Smart Start we were often asked why we wouldn't send Kaiden to public school where we would be free from school fees and the stress of multiple drop-offs and pick-ups. This thought never crossed our minds because we saw how much the Montessori program helped Kiana and we wanted Kaiden to reap the same benefits. Thank you to Smart Start Montessori and all of the teachers for taking our children under your wing and not only guiding them academically but for also teaching them valuable life skills that I know they will carry with them at every stage in their lives. We will miss each and every one of you because you have all touched our lives in a very special way! Thank you!!! Smart Start Montessori School ❤️

Prachi Sharma

We were moving to a new neighborhood and looking for a caring environment for my 1.8 month old that time, and we found Smart School Montessori. I will not only call ourselves lucky as we were wait-listed but also blessed that Ms Meru - was able to accept our registration on a phone call, that day! My little one loves her school, her friends and especially her Teachers. The warm , loving and Nurturing environment is always inviting. Ask any parent - its so difficult to tell the kids in evening "Hey- mumma is here, lets go home " - and the first response back is - "No - we want to stay longer" Or "Wait we are having a tea party". Thank you Ms Meru and the teachers for making the school a second home for my baby !!

Carm Diep

We love Smart Start! I put my son in at 18 months and we stayed until he needed to start kindergarten. We decided to enroll him because the staff were friendly and welcoming from the moment we stepped into the building. All the teachers are amazing! They were all professional, caring, and had great team work. I could tell right away that the staff really truly loved working there (bonus: there was very little staff turnover over the course of our enrollment). The owners are also very caring and empathetic, always treating staff and parents with respect (one specific gesture that really impressed me during my first visit was when the owner introduced me to the Pre Casa room teachers, she stepped in right away to take over putting the cots away after nap time--no job was beneath her). My child was always happy to go to school and happy at pick up, I felt very confident leaving my child in their care all day. My favourite parts are the special events that happen throughout the year: mother's day and father's day tea time, graduation concert... we really appreciated how much love and adoration they shared during parent-teacher meetings. The food is yummy and the backyard is spacious. I highly recommend visiting for yourself if you're looking for an educational preschool experience with a good balance of home and nature.

itali madhusmita

Our kids started at the Montessori just a month back and have settled down quiet well . The staff is very caring and nice. We were superexcited to see them and all other kids as well on stage . It was a evening well spent . Thank you Piyush and Itali

Melissa Aniff

Our daughter joined Smart Start Montessori in October 2018 in the pre casa room and is now in Casa 1. We are extremely happy with the care and knowledge our daughter is gaining while attending SSMS. We have seen a growth in her language, writing and social skills. The teachers are caring, patient and nurturing. The teachers take the child’s lead and help them progress to the next level at their own pace. The activities which the children do are hands on which help them develop practical life skills. When the pandemic hit our daughter was sad that she would not be seeing her friends and teachers. However, In August 2020 SSMS decided to open their doors to the families. They have been thorough in the Covid 19 policies and procedures as per the provincial government. They have done a great job in following through the proper guidelines and teaching the children proper hand washing, social distancing and the importance of wearing a mask all the while having fun and learning. Thank you to Mr & Mrs Meru and the wonderful teachers for all your hard work which you put in with the children. We truly appreciate it.

Sanjida Khondkar

My toddler has been going to this school since September 2019. This summer, I have sent both my toddler and older child for the month of August 2020. I cannot even begin to say how satisfied and grateful I am with the staff at this school. I always knew the Montessori method was best for children's development, but the teachers here are so caring and so patient that it adds to this school's charm. My older child has Down Syndrome so I was initially hesitating to ask if I could enroll her along with my toddler since I knew that Smart Start did not have the resources to accommodate children with special needs. I was especially concerned during this pandemic of how they would handle the health guidelines while continuing to provide the same quality of care and education. However, Smart Start handled everything so beautifully and I noticed a huge difference in the way my older child with Down Syndrome was advancing in her development. I was extremely satisfied with how the staff were consistent in up-keeping the safety precautions and guidelines without compromising the quality of care and education for the children. I would recommend this school to anyone who loves the Montessori style for their children!

ivy liang

My son attended Smart Start Montessori since he was 15 months old and this September, he will be going to JK at our neighborhood public school. I am so thankful for the professionalism, love and care of the teachers and staffs. My son enjoyed going to school and learned so much from the individual care and attention a small class size offered. We will miss the school, the teachers, the staffs and students that were a big part of his formative years. Thank you Ms Meru and great job in adapting to these trying times. All the very best and see you all around when it is safe to do so.

Betty Chan

Dear Mrs. Meluri Meru, I am writing to thank you for the opportunity to visit your school for an hour or so last Thursday (September 20, 2018). As a Grandmother and retired elementary school teacher, I was curious to see the magic which your online reviews have mentioned. I was a Grade 8 teacher for 33 years and I was always fascinated by the kindergarten teachers on how they motivate the little ones to learn. I am glad I had the opportunity to observe just that. Ms. Trisha and her other two colleagues were gentle, patient beyond all measures, and at the same time attentive to the needs of the individual children. I liked the way each distressed child was consoled especially the individual attention of one teacher to a boy who was not versed in English. She spoke to him and attended to him constantly in his own language. Ms. Trisha's calming voice and her "magic" of rounding up students to sit around her when she read to them was most effective. My Grand daughter was free- spirited, but she managed to pay attention to Ms. Trisha when she called her name to get her attention. My presence was definitely a distraction for my Grand daughter and a few of the other kids. Yet, Ms. Trisha continued to attend to the needs of the children especially when one of the students threw up. I am grateful to share my relief with my daughter and her husband that their child is in good and safe hands. Please tell Ms. Trisha and her colleagues how wonderful they are. God bless you all, Betty C.

Alekhya Redmi

I was hesitant to send my daughter to a daycare because I didn't find any of them I was satisfied with, so I had to quit my job and became stay at home mom in 2017. I started looking for jobs and planned to send her to a daycare in 2019 and fortunately found Smart start Montessori. My daughter is the only child at home and she is not good at sharing her things, also couldn't communicate well. Within three months of smart start school she started talking well and improved her social skills. I felt relieved and safe sending my daughter to SSMS. Thank you Mrs. Meru and Ms. Gayatri for taking care of my daughter. Mrs. Meru is one of the best and kindest person I ever known.

Cherri Rong

We are so happy that we have chosen Smart Start Montessori School to provide the first education experience for our kids outside of our home. From cozy clean environment, healthy food, caring teachers, wonderful learning activities, to good communication with parents, interim progress reports, graduation blasts, Smart Start Montessori School is the place to be! I am so grateful for what my kids are taking with them from this very first learning journey in their life. I also trust them following the health and safety protocols amidst Covid-19. My younger boy has enjoyed so much in August for chances of learning and adapt to new norm of wearing mask, he is now ready for going to Grade 1. We will sure come back and stay in touch even now the two kids have graduated from SSMS.

S L (JDM)

My son graduated from Smart Start 2 years ago. Smart Start Montessori is one of the best Montessori schools out there. A lot of it is because of Mrs. Meru and the amazing teachers. This school is so far away from where we live and it was a lot of travel time and expense for us to take our son there but we didn’t care. He loved going to school every day. Smart Start Montessori closely follow the ideology of Dr. Maria Montessori, not only by the name of their school but in the way they treat kids with special needs. When I found out my child was in the spectrum, I searched the whole of Scarborough for a private school I could take him to. A couple of private schools did not even return my calls when they found out he had special needs. In fact, one very well known Montessori school not too far from Smart Start’s location told my husband and I that our child is too much of a liability. So if you are looking for a safe school, a school that promotes inclusion and diversity, a Montessori school that strives to follow the steps of Dr. Montessori, then check this place. You will be giving your child a very good foundation.

Anoshan Ahangama

My son attended Smart Start Montessori from 3.5 years to Senior kindergarten. The Smart Start Montessori took my heart away when I first visited them back in 2015. I enrolled my son in Casa 1 program and the calm, inviting and homelike atmosphere gave us such comfort knowing that out son was in good hands. Now, my son has moved on to grade school and we have enrolled our daughter in SSMS. The most caring and genuine school management and the teachers guided/educated my son in his own learning path by guiding him to achieve his potential during the most important first journey of his life. I am writing this review just to express the gratitude we feel for giving the same beautiful environment to our daughter who will be rejoining her "my school" in few weeks time. The Smart Start has gone above and beyond to make sure the safety and well-being of the children and staff during this pandemic. I sincerely thank the nurturing staff at Smart Start Montessori for their dedication and wish them nothing but the best during this difficult time.

Costas F

The education of children is something that everybody has some very strong opinions on. With that being said, before I wrote this I was curious to see how others felt. Reading through each of the reviews, I found myself just nodding my head in agreement at all the praise. There was much difficulty in writing this because everything already seemed to be said. The bottom line is that this is very much a school that is run by good people with a lot of love. I have two children currently at the school. My oldest started at 1.5 years old, and my youngest began when she was 2.5 - if not for a pandemic she would have started earlier. Both of them have thrived in the environment and are excited to go to school every day. At home they are always excited to show us what they've learned. Class sizes are small and there is little to no staff turnover. The teachers care greatly about the kids and make each and every one of them feel special. Having been on a field trip with the school (pre-pandemic), they are attentive to their needs while somehow balancing that with a bit of independence to let the children make their own way. Quite honestly, me and my wife are incredibly happy with this school and would not hesitate to recommend it to anybody looking for a Montessori for their kids!

Janet Kim

My child has had such a wonderful year at Smart Start Montessori! He was asked to leave another Montessori last year because he had an allergic reaction to an unknown cause and I searched through countless Montessories and daycare centres and found Smart Start. After having visited so many different centres, I could immediately see the difference in the teachers at Smart Start. And after a year, I can say only wonderful things about the school and how they have exceeded my expectations by far! My son has developed so many skills that I didn't know a 3 y/o could do, and he's grown such a strong love for learning and a profound confidence in himself. His teachers, Ms. Alefiyah and Ms. Tania, are absolutely astounding and exceptional teachers. I wish I could have them as the teachers for my sons all their lives!! It's evident how Mrs. Meru leads the school with passion and dedication. She has always been so understanding with us every step of the way and she truly cares about the children and their well-being and growth. I highly recommend this school to anyone who is searching!!