Wellan Montessori School

My three children are at Wellan Montessori in lower elementary, upper elementary and voyager (middle school program) respectively. I am most impressed with the way teachers partner with parents to help students thrive. My kids are appropriately challenged academically. Their social emotional and character development are also of equal importance. While the school's physical space is limited because of such amazing location to Newton Center, the administrators are resourceful in renovating and acquiring more space to use. The students often enjoy walks to fields and make use of train stations to visit museums and landmarks. Another key character of the school is the emphasis in community service. Children from a young age participate in various community services at school or with their families. There are also great opportunities in sports and arts. As an educator myself I am beyond satisfied with the education my children are receiving.

This is our first year at Wellan, and our first school experience, and it has been a great year so far. We chose Wellan because of our interest in the Montessori method of education, but also because it felt like more than daycare it's truly a school and one our 3-year-old can grow up in for many years. The classrooms are beautiful clean and bright. Everything is tailored to the children and facilitates their independence (such as child-height counters, tables, shelves, eye-level artwork, child-size sinks and toilets). They establish great routines and consistent schedules which has even helped with creating routines as home. The communication between families and teachers is great. They are very responsive to e-mails and for the younger children, updates are sent on a daily basis. The curriculum is engaging, and they incorporate seasonal or other relevant topics throughout the year. Parents are even invited to come share on a topic once a week. The feedback from the teachers at parent-teacher check-ins is very thorough. Throughout the enrollment process, the staff answered all of my questions and they even accommodated separate tours for my husband and I when our schedules didn't coincide. I knew what to expect at each step and it was an overall smooth process. As a new parent, I have felt very welcomed into the school community, with lots of opportunities to meet other families and the staff. I don't feel judged for not being "perfectly Montessori" and in fact they have an educational series just for families and caregivers who want to learn more about Montessori and incorporate it at home. Throughout the year the school and the Parent Association hold many events and activities where you can meet other families or parents. There are "fireside chats" with the head of school, student performances, community service events, and many others. Everyone at Wellan is warm, and welcoming, and you can absolutely tell they have a passion for what they do. Our son is doing amazing here and we can't wait to see how he continues to grow.

Our son has been at Newton Montessori for 3 years now - our daughter just started this fall - and it is fantastic! As a teacher myself (at a public school), I am constantly impressed by the dedication of the staff and the quality of my kids' experience here. Academics are top notch, but without the constant pressure of many "high performing" public schools in this area. The Montessori approach is amazing for the little ones (our daughter is 2), but also truly benefits kids all the way through elementary. Newton Montessori gives our son incredible support, while also encouraging individual responsibility and accountability. The kids here are doing academic work that is WAY above grade level compared with any of the "high performing" public school districts (our son is in 2nd grade and doing multiplication with products into the ten-million place.) Also, the leadership at this school is solid. We have friends in suburban school districts where principles seem to cycle through schools at an alarming rate! At Newton Montessori, the administration and leadership is consistent and always has the kids' best interests at heart. The parent community is amazingly diverse, welcoming, and inclusive. We've found the other parents here to be down-to-earth, friendly, and great to hang out with. This is truly an amazing school!