Reviews

Our youngest of four children has attended lakeshore Montessori since Dec 2017 and we LOVE it! She attended another sought after school in the area for 1 1/2 yrs and never thrived there like she seems to at lakeshore. Both the inside and outside of the property are congruent with learning and inspiring creativity and the children are encouraged to go outside and explore daily. They have a mud room area where each child has a pair of muck boots and winter coats, allowing for play in almost any weather. Which we personally love! At her last school they could go outside and play in the fake grass so long as it wasn't raining. At lakeshore montessori the kids have named a particular tree "the climbing tree" and somebody is always trying to work their way up it. Needless to say, the difference in their positive attitude towards outdoor time is priceless and, we feel, essential to a happy childhood. The classroom itself has the traditional Montessori feel with little work stations and "jobs" set up around the room. They even have a few class pets! I'm no expert, but my understanding is that the Montessori method is based on the belief that children thrive and grow confident when they are treated like little members of society and are given their own jobs. As well as taught and encouraged to explore their personal talents and interests as they evolve. Lakeshore Montessori definitely encompasses that. The children clearly feel comfortable to express themselves and explore different ways of doing things. Miss Katrina herself clearly loves the children and has a obvious understanding of their individual personalities and what makes them tick. Her end of the week summary emails are pretty cute and leave you feeling like you have a real beat on what the kids would say was the BIG happenings within the classroom that week. My biggest complaint about having a child at this school would be the amount of negotiating I have to do to get my daughter to comply with leaving each afternoon ;)

From a Grandfathers point of view I am impressed with what I have seen. When occasionally picking up my granddaughter, I practically have to talk her into going home. I also have to echo what other parents have said. I do know that she has progressed in learning her colors and always talks about her "friends" at school. And I see a staff that cares about the children in their care.

My son has attended Lakeshore Montessori School for 2.5 years and we've been thrilled with the love, support, and knowledge he's received from his teachers. He's been busy learning to read and tells us about the cool things he learns at school each day. I enjoy the fact that his education is so well rounded and I'm always impressed when he can tell me interesting facts about sharks, dinosaurs, pirates, or planets. We'll definitely miss Lakeshore when he leaves for public school Kindergarten in the fall.

There's a lot of things I love about this school, which is why I wanted to leave a review. I also know that it's stressful when you're trying to find a good school for your child... so I thought it might be helpful to list some of the things that I think are wonderful. 1.) I love that the teachers are fully engaged with the children when I drop him off in the morning. They're usually singing songs, dancing, or playing some sort of group game, which makes the drop off easy. My son walks in the door and instantly wants to join in the action. 2.) Their snacks are healthy and look delicious. They serve fresh fruits and veggies, lots of organic / natural foods, and sometimes the kids get involved and bake their own pizzas, scones, or muffins. No junk food is served here, yet the kids don't mind at all. 3.) The teachers find fun ways to make learning easy. They have TONS of educational "jobs" that teach math, geography, reading, etc without it being boring. 4.) I also love how calm and controlled the classroom feels when I pickup my son. Children do their "jobs" on rugs or at tables and they're expected to pick up their station before they can move on to something else. I've been to other preschools that seem chaotic but Lakeshore is smooth and controlled. 5.) The outdoor play area is huge and the kids get plenty of fresh air, space to run, and there's always some sort of "new" activity to keep things exciting.

I am so happy we enrolled our son at Lakeshore and I would fully recommend it to other families as well.

Provides a great environment for our three kids with two easily transitioning to the next level of learning. Develops personality as well as essential skills. Has provided strong feedback and willing to listen to any parents to develop the best plan for the students. Can't ask for much more from a school.

Our girl is on her second year at Lakeshore and we couldn't be happier with the results. At 4 years old she can read, do simple math problems, and is thriving as a social butterfly all because of the wonderful and respectful environment at Lakeshore. Also, the effort that the director (Miss Katrina) puts into the special projects in nothing short of amazing. I've seen her come in on many weekends to make sure the Chinese dragon was just perfect or put the finishing touches on a holiday feast. We didn't look at other schools because Lakeshore was so close to grandma's and feel like we were incredibly lucky (or it was meant to be!) that we landed in such an amazing school.

I was really anxious preparing to send my son to preschool, but Lakeshore has been an amazing fit for us! I love the huge outdoor space, the knowledgeable and loving teachers, and the Montessori format is perfect for my spirited kiddo. One moment that really stood out was the morning after my son had thrown an epic fit at the end of a school day. I was so embarrassed by his behavior, and asked him to apologize to his teacher the next morning. When he approached her, she pulled him into her lap and snuggled him before he said a word. She really met his outburst with love, understanding, and compassion, and that's what good childcare is about for me.

My twins are currently thriving here. We have been in both classrooms: starting downstairs and now upstairs. In our experiences all of the teachers have been patient, attentive and fun. I can tell my children's attendance here has promoted their confidence/independence as well as nurtured their curiosity and thirst for learning and understanding of the world around them. I would recommend this school for anyone looking for an alternative to public traditional school in Vancouver.