San Anselmo Montessori School

If I could give San Anselmo Montessori (SAMs) 10 stars I would. This school is so magical from the nurturing teachers to the well-planned classroom design and outdoor areas. I fell in love the first day I toured--so much so that I refused to tour another school. Though many Montessori schools can be extremely regimented, SAMs is more the perfect marriage between Montessori and fun. My daughter is super excited to come home every day and tell me everything she learned. This is huge -- making learning fun from a young age will resonate with my daughter for years to come. SAMs also brings in special guests for classroom enrichment including authors and musicians. And the kindergarten is a very special experience -- especially for ensuring your child can read before they reach 1st grade. But more than that, the kindergarten teacher is the kind of teacher that my children will rave about as adults -- she's that special.

We had two of our three boys attend Preschool and Kindergarten at SAMS and our biggest regret is that our oldest son didn't get to go there because we didn't live in the area when he was young. We truly love everything about SAMS - the kind, attentive and loving staff, the peaceful, child-led classrooms, the curriculum that makes learning interesting and exciting, the greenhouse classroom where they learn about nature and sustainability, the music program and special guests that come in regularly, including author visits and animal experts. The staff at SAMS is also very good at helping children navigate social situations and helping them grow socially and emotionally, as well as intellectually.

We also feel lucky that our boys got to attend Kindergarten with Denise at SAMS. The Kindergarten provides a warm and loving environment where, in addition to getting the children ready academically for the next step in their education, they also learn the importance of being good people and leaders for the younger children, how to relax their minds and bodies through yoga and meditation and get to experience going on field trips to interesting and thought-provoking places. And so much more...

Over the past four years our boys have thrived at SAMS and we believe they are and will continue to be better people because they had that opportunity. One of the toughest parts of having our boys get older is knowing that they will no longer be able to attend SAMS. We will always keep in touch with the teachers and value them as friends and mentors. I cannot recommend SAMS highly enough.

Both of our boys attended SAMS and we / they absolutely loved it! Our oldest son is a very focused, rule-follower who really enjoyed the ability to have sustained focus on whatever he was working on at the time. Our youngest child is different in a lot of ways -- more willing to move on to new experiences quickly and less of a rule follower. We honestly didn't know if he would fit into the Montessori program. With the nurturing care and dedication of the teachers at SAMS, he thrived and adapted well to a school / learning environment. The teachers at SAMS are absolutely wonderful -- so caring, dedicated, sincere, real, humble, and incredibly talented. We felt really lucky to be part of the SAMS community. We recently moved to a new city and our younger one went into a Montessori program mid-year. The program is considered to be on the stricter end of the Montessori spectrum and he fit right in thanks to the familiarity and nurturing he received at SAMS. We highly recommend SAMS.

Both of my boys have attended SAMS and they absolutely loved it!  Not only is the main classroom beautiful and cheerful, but the outdoor garden and greenhouse classrooms are nothing short of amazing.  But the best part of SAMS is the incredibly dedicated and nurturing staff.  They are what sets SAMS apart from most preschools.  From the thoughtfully prepared "work" to the amazing classroom enrichment guests I feel SAMS helps to foster a true love of learning in the children.

SAMS offers children a wonderful balance of Montessori principles and playful learning.  Warm, nurturing teachers oversee thoughtfully prepared classrooms.  Multiple periods outdoors give students time for free play and opportunities to develop physical and social skills. Students help care for an outdoor garden, which has its own light-filled and airy classroom.  The school also offers a Kindergarten year for its oldest students.  This is a one-of-a-kind school and community worth getting to know.

We absolutely adore SAMS. In early 2021 we relocated from Los Angeles to Marin and were not very well versed in the preschools here. I checked out several, but instantly felt a connection to SAMS. We could not be happier with our experience there so far. Our oldest son has really thrived with the Montessori curriculum and the sense of autonomy that is instilled. The teachers and staff are all lovely people, and clearly love what they do, my son has such a special connection to them and is genuinely excited to go to school everyday, which is all I could hope for! The entire school community is filled with wonderful families! We have attended another preschool previously, in LA, so I feel confident in saying I am very clear about what I want (and don&#39;t want) in a preschool, and SAMS truly checks all of my boxes. One of my son&#39;s favorite parts of school is the beautiful and expansive garden space and the garden teacher, it is such a wonderfully immersive learning experience. And for parents, the multiple drop off and pickup times are a lifesaver, I have a fluctuating work schedule and the flexibility of early care and afternoon program have been a lifesaver! I cannot say enough good things about the school and feel so grateful to have found it.

Our family recently ended a wonderful 3+ year experience with the amazing team at SAMS. Our daughter is now moving up to 1st grade and had nothing but positive experiences at SAMS. She was so happy to walk in every morning and full of great stories of her experience everyday when leaving. We were able to experience the pre-Covid &#34;normal&#34; environment at SAMS and were impressed with the teachers, facilities, and positive energy. The SAMS team really shined when it came to the Covid pivot. They were professional, pragmatic, and effective in adapting as necessary to ensure their students (and families) had the most &#34;normal&#34; experience possible. We thank the whole SAMS team for such a blessed experience and strongly recommend their school.

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