Spondeo Montessori Preschool & Kindergarten, Gilbert | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

We love Spondeo! Both of our boys have gone through the 3+ years both in the primary classroom and our youngest also did a year in the toddler class. The big draw for us was their Montessori curriculum, our children both with different personalities and gifts have flourished in this environment. Spondeo has helped them build a foundation of independence, pride in their work and most importantly to us a great love of learning and school. Our youngest commented one day walking in that his classroom feels like another home to him, and as a parent it warms my heart he is so comfortable with his school family. We have had great experience with all the teachers and assistants over the years, they are all very loving and take the time to truly get to know each individual child and their unique gifts. One of the first things I noticed when touring the school 5 years ago was how calm a classroom with 15-20 students all doing different activities could be. Part of this is due to the nature of the Montessori philosophy where the children are highly engaged in their work but this is also due to the calm, professional demeanor the teachers model. Judy, the owner of the school, has also been wonderful to our family over the years, she is very passionate about child development and education and cares a lot about the families and school community.

A couple other highlights I love about the school outside the typical benefits of Montessori:

1) School lunches- this is optional, some kids bring their own lunch, but the school provides a great nutritious lunch that we had opted-in for. This had a dramatically positive impact on our picky eater, things he would have never tried at home he not only would eat at school but overall it broadened his palate and made him more adventurous in trying new tastes.

2) Uniforms- At first I was turned-off by having to put a preschooler in a uniform, however I now can’t imagine not doing uniforms. It helps the kids to be independent dressers and there are zero conflicts in the mornings about what they can wear.

3) Flexible program options- Spondeo has one of the most flexible options in terms of number of days to attend and Full Day/Half Day/ Aftercare options. We also like the generous before-school early drop-off and also nice that you don’t have to commit aftercare but can use as-needed. Judy was wonderful working with us when we had a family medical issue and needed to temporarily adjust schedules for a few months.

Before Spondeo, our family knew very little about the Montessori philosophy. And while we still do not follow Montessori to a “T” at home, we couldn’t be more grateful that our daughters (one who is now 5 years old and was at Spondeo since she was 9 weeks old! And the other who is 2.5 years old and also been there since she was 10 weeks old) are experiencing Montessori in the environment Spondeo provides. It has been fabulous to see our oldest daughter develop and become such an independent, kind, and thoughtful human being, much of which we believe we owe to Spondeo and its staff.

While the price tag and days closed for school observances is extremely HIGH (compared to other preschools) and Spring/Fall/Winter breaks are never guaranteed, we look at it as an investment in our daughters’ future and successful developmental needs.

As a parent, the thing I like most about this school compared to other Montessori schools (many of which we toured and decided against or have good friends who attend the other well-known Montessori schools in the area) is the down-to-earth, approachable staff. And as with every other school, there are bound to be various challenges everyone will experience when sending their kids outside the home; however, I never feel as if I can’t talk to my daughters’ teachers about concerns or requests for their individual situations from day to day. I love that I can always reach out to the teachers to the other parents to the school director without feeling like I’m bothering them or being a nag (usually). They always make time for me and listen to feedback. Spondeo really has come to feel like part of our family and that we have become part of theirs. ??

And coming from someone with extremely high expectations in general and even higher expectations for their kids, nothing makes me happier than seeing my child thriving (developmentally), enjoying her friends at school, and observing the personal care, attention, and genuine interest the staff has with our daughters. Thank you, Spondeo!

We fell in love with Spondeo on our tour! We loved seeing how the staff encourages children to truly enjoy learning. Allowing the children to choose what they want to “play” with and not interrupting the critical focus they are demonstrating. You can feel the staff genuinely loves guiding the children, it is not just a job to them. The room is calm and peaceful with positive speaking. We kept in close contact with Mrs. Jill the director after our tour, asking any additional questions we could come up with. She is incredibly patient, answered every question we had and was quick to respond. We signed up our daughter for T, W, TH which is another hard thing to find with preschools. She is in school half days drop off between 7:00a.m.-8:00a.m. I pick her up at 11:45a.m. after lunch. Our child’s teacher Mrs. Robin is incredible! Our daughter immediately felt comfortable with her during the student teacher meeting. Our daughter even gave a big hug at the end of her meeting. The school is like its own community and allows the families to be involved. Sign ups for snack, helping in the classroom, bringing in a small lesson to teach the class. Grandpa (retired engineer) goes every month and teaches a lesson on science. We also like parent night out where the kids come to school in the evening wearing pj’s. The kids eat together and watch a move while us parents get to have a date night. Last but not least parent ed night is amazing! We enjoy learning and bettering our families life. The teachers have a presentation for the parents every month on a topic and answer all questions.