REVIEW OF Westmont Montessori School BY parent, Harlow Morrison

(4.5) Student Experience

Westmont provides a supportive learning environment for my children with plenty of opportunities to spend time in nature. The teaching style supports individuality in student needs while still achieving the requirements of formal education. As a parent I appreciate the transparency in administration as well as opportunities to be involved at various levels. The size of the school helps us feel like a true member of the community and not just another student. I feel comfortable bringing up discussions of concern to teachers and admin alike when times have arisen. The values of Westmont put the children first. The facilities are wonderful and although we lack a gymnasium I do feel the less formal outdoor space serves the kids well. I do think my kids worry about the decrease in student body in middle school and beyond and as a parent I worry about not having enough different individuals for my child to interact with.

(4) School Leadership

I appreciate the use of the restitution process to handle discipline issues. I do find that communication can occasionally be slower to come but I can appreciate that these scenarios can take time to fully assess. I do feel that when I’ve asked for meetings or brought up concerns, they have been addressed in a way that we feel heard. As well, there is emphasis on students finding ways to work through differences with others, highlighting that just avoiding an individual is not realistic in the adult world.

(4) Teaching

I am very satisfied with the level of care the teachers have for my children. There have been times that the staff have fluctuated which is not ideal but given the challenges of the pandemic and challenges in all walks of life to hire the best staff, I know they work hard to find good people. I feel the teachers try to really know the students to best assist them to be great learners. At times there can be the universal parental concern of “Are my kids keeping up with what they should know?” but I also appreciated that education in the broader sense is not linear nor easily fully tested with traditional testing methods. The Evening Updates provided by the principal are a great way to know what is being taught at the moment in the classrooms.

(4) Academics

Looking over the span of five years, I have seen growth in both my children. Certainly, there have been times that one or both could be considered behind but when I see the will to learn, the curiosity and genuine love of school, I am reminded that the Montessori method is so much beyond specific tangible benchmarks. My children truly enjoy school and that is an achievement when I know not all children feel the same way. At times I do feel that there can be more encouragement to go above grade level learning if the ability is there. As well, at times the timelines for project completion have been more flexible than expected which I occasionally feel concerned about. Lastly, expectations for the school work are at times lower than I anticipated for a particular grade level.

(5) Extracurriculars

Given the challenges of being a smaller school and not having a gymnasium I am still always pleasantly surprised by the variety of extracurriculars available. The majority of them are certainly based on recreational level opportunities and not much on competition except for the track meet and perhaps a few other small-scale competitions in other sports. In the past, we’ve benefited from parental lead activities but it is nice to see some school-based initiatives.

(3.5) Students

It certainly is a smaller school but there are still many opportunities for the student body to intermingle and for families to get to know each other. There is a bigger drop off in student enrolment from middle school and beyond but it is encouraging to still see growth year to year. As Montessori schooling is based on multi-year classes, I do feel it supports mentoring from older students to younger ones which is a valuable lesson on both sides. I appreciate seeing frequent displays of encouragement amongst the student body. Although there inevitably can be some bullying happening I personally feel it’s at a lower level than what I hear in larger schools. I genuinely appreciate the level of kindness I see often.

(4.5) School Life

My kids are always happy to leave for school each day. But for families to get the most out of the experience, it’s very important to be involved whether that’s at a PAC level, classroom level or Board member level. There are many parents that have great ideas but if other parents do not support these initiatives it can be very difficult for them to move forward and ultimately impacts a students experience overall. Trust that each opinion counts, no question is too small and parental voices matter. I appreciate that my children are really not forced to do things they do not want to. An example would be when my child did not want to participate in a track meet but was still tasked with being involved.

(5) Community

The school provides ample opportunity for parental involvement and in so many different ways. Some can be done alone and some can be done outside of school time. I also appreciate the PAC initiative to send out surveys to find out what skills parents have to best tap into areas of interest and specialty. I like having the (mostly) monthly open houses to have the chance to go into the classrooms and speak with teachers. I do think that rotating the days of the week this fall could facilitate more opportunities for parents to attend. I have seen many parent-led initiatives become a reality based on the openness of the school to allow that involvement. I would say this is certainly one of Westmont’s biggest strengths.

(5) School Location

The school is located adjacent to Witty’s Lagoon which is such a gem in an area already renowned for its beauty. There is also ample farm land which provides opportunities for students to learn in. There are plenty of out trips yo explore the community. Last year the students were able to change a planned immersion trip which highlights the student-led approach.

(5) Admissions

Advice to prospective parents would be to talk to other parents and have your child(ren) attend the school for the day. We felt very welcome in the inquiry process even if we were somewhat unfamiliar with Montessori-style learning. If I could describe the overall experience in one word it would be that of warmth. I appreciate that there is a bursary available to help those who may not be able to afford the school otherwise. As well, during the pandemic a reduction in fees was greatly appreciated and shows the level of care the school had for families.