Copper Beech Montessori

My son spent three years at Copper Beech Montessori. He is now almost eight and is thriving at his charter school. Looking back at his time with the teachers and the director at the school I am in awe of the nurturing environment they provided for my son along with fostering his independence. I still see remnants of the school in my son's overall intelligence, eagerness to jump right into projects (of his own creation) and his ability to concentrate and apply himself to tasks. He is a quick learner and I think that Montessori is responsible for that. When I look back at pictures of the time my son spent at Copper Beech and all the things the teachers did for the kids (cooking with them, creating an end of year carnival, yoga) I realize that not even the school he is in now can top his experience there. It is just that special.
--Submitted by a parent

I know of no more caring principal for the children, the parents and the staff. The curriculum is strongly Montessori where the children learn to be self-sufficient as well as considerate of others. The programs are interesting such that anyone wants to jump in and learn. The principal is a Doctor of Biology and deeply interested in sustainable materials and lifestyles. The parents are engaged and involved. You can do no better than this school

My daughter has been at CB since September '09. We love this place!! She learn a lot of things so far and she keeps very good temper because of the maria montessori's theory. They open from 8am till 5:30pm no additional fee and reasonable tuition. Very helpful for working Mom and Dad!
--Submitted by a parent

My child has been at Copper beach for two years and we are very happy with the school. It offers excellent education and a nurturing envoronment. It strives to be affordable and to cater to working parents. The teachers are treated failrly with reasaonable compesatin and benefits packages. The director and staff focus their efforts on the children and not on marketing or pandering to parents - a balance we are happy with but others may not be. The Montessori method suits my child extremely well and the personal and educational development and achievlement I have observes is impressive. Parents' satisfaction will also be dependend on positive views of Montessoi.
--Submitted by a parent

My son has has learned so much. The teachers are competent & friendly to the children, which is the important thing. Parents are not their focus and they make that pretty clear. They're there with answers to questions, but they save the conversations about the kids for the parent/teacher conferences. The director is very friendly, but again, she is focused on the administration of the school, the teachers, the state regulations and the children and not so much on the parents. If you're a parent that is ok with letting your child go and interact and develop on their own, it's a wonderful place, but if your the parent that wants to know every little thing that your child did, said, who they played with and how many times they went potty, it's probably not for you. It's been a great experience for my son and he really loves it.
--Submitted by a parent

My son has been at Copper Beech for a year, and he enjoyed it a lot. The teachers were responsive to the kids and parents, and the principal is very open and accessible. The only reason for 4 stars is lack of bigger playground and the school year which follows exactly the public school schedule.
--Submitted by a parent

Teachers are very poor quality. Incompetent and not really caring! Unwelcoming principal!
--Submitted by a parent

Our son is in his first year at Copper Beech, and already he's learned an impressive amount. He adores his teachers, is consistently coming home and surprising us with his new skills, and best of all, thinks of learning and playing as the same thing.
--Submitted by a parent

My son is in his third year at Copper Beech. We are extremely happy with the school. My second son just started his first year. The staff is incredibly caring and attentive. The classes are diverse on every level. Academically, my son goes through tremendous bursts of learning, sometimes focusing on math, other times reading. He could count to 100 at 31/2. They teach geography, sciences, etc. When he was 3, he was enthralled with the solar system. He taught me about the inner/outer planets, the difference betweens comets and asteroids ('rock balls'). This interest was exhibited in his play and his art. CB has a full-time art teacher. No cutesy projects they learn about painting,photography, weaving. They have yoga & movement classes, performed in a full-fledged dance studio. This small school, nestled in a tiny neighborhood of Boston is a hidden gem. And they have an open-door policy for visiting.
--Submitted by a parent

Just say no to Copper Beech. Ask them permission to observe your child during the school year, and you'll be denied. I didn't like the attitude of the staff.
--Submitted by a parent