When we moved into our house, I was pregnant with our first child. We noticed Twin Oaks Montessori school at the end of our street and halfway-joked Wouldnt that be funny if that worked out for our kids?5 years later, our daughter has been attending TOM for 4+ years and our son has been there for 2.5+ years. We couldnt recommend it more. Its a true gem in our community!TOM has been open for 35+ years. One of my colleagues with college-aged children sent their kids to TOM 20+ years ago and had nothing but positive things to say about the school even back then.Before my daughter attended TOM, she attended a daycare. I was always so disturbed by how loud it was, how dirty the kids were and how I felt like my child was just associated with a checkmark or a task. When we toured TOM, I noticed how the kids were so well behaved and how the atmosphere was so serene.Our kids both started at TOM between 15-18 months of age. TOM has appropriately guided each one of them and tended to their differences as far as their learning and development. Both of our children have done so well with the early, foundational childhood skills TOM has helped them develop, and they both have a great base for their future education. We couldnt be happier with how well-rounded their education has been.Environment: Three classrooms: Star (toddler), Rainbow (2-3 year old) and Sunshine (pre-K/K). Ages of the children range from 18m - 6y. Each class has a certified Montessori guide and an assistant (i.e. two teachers per class). Very low turnover of teachers. Staff is multicultural. Two playgrounds outside.Curriculum: Traditional Montessori works and individual early learning activities (including but not limited to coloring, puzzles, blocks, traditional toys, worksheets, etc.). Curriculum topics: counting, colors, alphabet, opposites, matching, geography, culture, community helpers, animals, weather, lifecycles, sign language, etc. Lots of outside playtime. Group learning includes inside games/songs, Spanish classes, music classes, yoga classes, art activities, storytime etc. Traditional circle time commences at 9am. Soccer Shots, lessons from Laylas Dance Academy, and tennis classes used to occur weekly (for an extra fee) pre-COVID.Logistics: Open M-F except for AISD holidays (closed on New Years Day, MLK Day, Presidents Day, Spring Break, Good Friday, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Veterans Day, TG week, Xmas break). Hours are 8:30a-6p. For an extra fee, kids can arrive at 7:30a. Summer hours are the same and include additional activities like 4th of July Parade and Splash Days.Special Events: Celebration of cultural holidays. International Night in December. Parent-Teacher Conferences 2-3x a year. Gardening Days.TOM is not as high-tech as some other schools, so if that really matters to you, TOM may not be right for you and your family. The school utilizes signs on the school doors and monthly newsletters as their main mode of communication. However, the teachers are always available by phone. Tuition payments are expected at the beginning of the month via check.We have been so impressed with TOMs COVID precautions. After Spring Break 2020, TOM remained closed for a few months and then re-opened with smaller class sizes, frequent cleaning of surfaces, all staff wearing masks/aprons at all times, and parents dropping off children outside. Kids bring their own snacks with their lunch in their own bag. There have been ABSOLUTELY NO COVID cases/exposures at all. This just goes to show how all the TOM families/staff are all working together to ensure the best outcomes for the kiddos.TOM feels like a second home for my kids, and we trust the staff 100%. They have become like family, and they treat our kids (and us!) with such respect, love and care.We have been so happy with our time and experience at TOM. As our kids are preparing for the next phase in their education, we will always look back at our years at TOM very fondly.

Fantastic school. The care, love and attention that the teachers give the kids is extraordinary. Ms. Bona is simply fantastic. We feels so lucky that our daughter gets to have this experience.

Twin Oaks Montessori has been an absolutely fantastic fit for our family. This school is a very special place. Two of our children (ages 3.5 and 23 months) attend Twin Oaks. My 11-year-old daughter was a Montessori student, so we knew we wanted that experience for our younger ones. Our little ones love their teachers and talk about them all the time. The teachers are so warm, loving, and kind. They really connect with the children! The director is also very supportive, knowledgeable, and kind. Teachers are Montessori certified. The children have all sorts of opportunities to engage with Montessori work, as well as music and Spanish class. The children also enjoy doing all sorts of art projects! When I first went to visit the school in 2017, I was impressed at how big each classroom was. The children have so much space inside, and so many different Montessori works (arranged into subject areas and exactly at the right height) to choose from. The outdoor space is just as impressive - a huge and wonderful play area with lots of shade. The children play outside three times per day. They are also very effective at following health protocols for COVID - small classes, masks for the teachers, social distancing for the adults and kids, and lots of outdoor time. My son has not been sick (with anything!!) in months. For a kid in preschool, thats a miracle. We highly recommend Twin Oaks. Their calendar is quite well set up for working parents - they are open through the summer and 8:30 AM - 6 PM daily. This school offers it all!

Twin Oaks has a special place in our heart. They helped raise our daughter for the past 5 years and we couldnt have asked for better. My child is kind, considerate, helpful, confident, sharp, and just amazing all around. Besides what she was born with, I like to think that we helped with that, but the full-time daycare staff most definitely helped with that too. My little one would run into school every morning and ask to stay longer at the end of the day. She always wanted to invite all of her teachers to her birthday parties, and missed them when we were on vacation. All around, we had a great experience. My child started Kinder with great preparation, which I appreciate greatly. Montessori is such a fabulous concept, and Twin Oaks executes it very beautifully. Thank you!!!

We sent our daughter to this daycare from August to November of 2019. My daughter came home with a folder of all of the activities/ crafts they made during the month of October including this coloring page that says Christopher Columbus discovered America 1492.I wrote a short and polite letter requesting that this be taken out of their curriculum and recommended teaching about local indigenous people instead - and offered to connect with the Tonkawa tribe personally if that would help.I also printed out three articles around Indigenous peoples day including an article that the city of Austin since 2018 celebrates indigenous people day instead of Columbus day - officially.The owner of the daycare said she wanted to meet with me. It was a bizarre and unfortunate meeting...She told me that she had decided to pull the curriculum related to Christopher Columbus but not because of my letter but because she has done her own research. Then she told me that she simply cannot honor every parents wishes...She said some parents dont want to celebrate Diwali or Hannukkah or Christmas.... So I replied that this is (of course) a very different scenario because this is not a religious holiday. It is about ethics and the city of Austin has agreed that we have a responsibility to fight systemic oppression against indigenous folks.She kept saying to me that this was my perspective and that someone could just as easily say its their right to celebrate Christopher Columbus. I politely but firmly disagreed and said that this is not my opinion. This is about what is ethics and equality, and many many people including the city council where we live share this view.Once I realized that anything I said in that moment wasnt going to shift the conversation, I thanked her for pulling Columbus out of the curriculum and said (politely) I was going to go home with my daughter now.That infuriated her. She said never in her 20 something years of school administration had anyone ever spoken to her in this stern way and that I was the only parent who ever had a problem with celebrating Christopher Columbus.She berated my character saying that I was a bad listener and that it was either my way or the highway when it came to Christopher Columbus day. She even said she worried based on this discussion how I am at home.... As in how I am as a mother?!After discussing with other parents Im not even sure that this school is a real Montessori curriculum, making fake coloring crafts with 18 months olds.Giving an extra star because our daughter liked her teacher, but the leadership at this school is really behind the times. We pulled our daughter out and never looked back.

Our daughter Melody has been attending Twin Oaks Montessori for the past 5 months after starting at 18 months and we could not be more pleased with her care and progress. It is remarkable how her vocabulary has grown and the things she has learned in these past 5 months to the point that everyone assumes she’s almost 3 years old rather than close to turning 2. Every week she comes home with a project she’s created and proudly tells us “I made this” while describing it in detail. She recently did a unit on community helpers which included a visit by the local fire truck, a doctor, and the police officer and she has been so excited to see them now as we drive around the city. We also appreciate how play, especially outside time, is emphasized as this is one of Melody’s favorite activities.We believe in the Montessori method and also appreciate that all ages of children come together at the end of each day. Most importantly the staff truly love her and care for her as their own and the community of other parents have been so welcoming. I can not recommend Twin Oaks Montessori highly enough!! We are thrilled to have our daughter is such an amazing place that allows her the freedom to learn and develop at her own pace while fostering her natural creativity and curiosity!

This is a great school! Our three-year-old daughter attends and we look forward to our younger daughter going there, too. The tuition is reasonable. The building is older, but in good shape and in a safe neighborhood. Their playgrounds are nice and well-shaded. We love it when our daughter is exhausted at night from her outdoor time. Most of all, the teachers are great with the kids! There is a good mix of discipline, playfulness, nurturing, education, encouragement, and independence. I feel like Im leaving my daughter with family when I drop her off in the mornings.

Our daughter has thrived at Twin Oaks over the past almost 4 years. The teachers are caring and provide great structure and training. They care about the success of the children. We recently started my toddler there as well and its been so rewarding to watch him flourish and really transform from a baby into a child under the care and instruction of the School. Hes talking more, is eager to help with chores, and looks forward to going to school each morning. Im so grateful we stumbled upon Twin Oaks 4 years ago!

I have been in education for 21 years as a teacher, parent, and union leader. My partner and I have sent all three of our children (20,12, and 5) to Twin Oaks Montessori over the last 15 years and couldnt be happier. The key to an effective school is relationships. Ms. Bona and the teachers at Twin Oaks have been kind and patient with all three of our children and even our 20 year-old enjoys returning to say, Hi, to her. All of our children were well prepared for public school, academically, emotionally, and socially. Twin Oaks is a true gem.

2 and 1/2 years ago I found myself struggling to find a Montessori school that was true to the core beliefs of Montessori, and how to treat a child. When I found Twin Oaks Montessori I immediately knew this was the best place for my daughter. The teachers care for the children as if they were their own, and the directors of the school are hands on and exceptional. Being a former Montessori student this is a true Montessori school but with the most amazing, kind, and educated teachers and directors. My daughter has always been happy to come to school, and I am so thankful for Twin Oaks and especially Miss Bona and Miss Surangi helping me instill true values and lessons in my daughter.

My almost 5-year-old daughter has been at Twin Oaks since she was 1.5, so I have almost 3.5 years of experience at Twin Oaks. This review is a long time coming! My girl is happy to go to school and is thriving there. It is a relief to know that she is so well loved and taken care of while at school all day. The teachers are all amazing‼ The most important thing is that there is a loving and emotionally supportive environment, and TO has that covered 100%. In addition to that, she has learned a lot. She learns everything from facts (days of the week, months of the year, planets, continents) to manners to how plants grow and the seasons, and I know kindergarten will be a breeze because of how prepared she will be from her experiences at TO. There is a lot of community involvement at TO - they hold an Open House, gardening day, holiday program, etc. It is a happy medium as far as Montessori schools go, imo – they provide a Montessori mindset and incorporate Montessori themes without being so strict about applying Montessori theory that the transition to public school will be difficult for the kiddos. There has been some turnover in the last 3.5 years (mostly for the youngest class) but much less than I would have expected. I am very happy with TO and give it my most enthusiastic recommendation!

This school hires teachers who do not have proper teaching degrees so they can give them lower pay. They mistreat/guilt trip the teachers and tell them they are lucky to be in a school like this and if they leave they will slander their name. The leaders of this institution are corrupt and I am a concerned parent and family member. I hope the TEA or other officials audit this school. Unfair practices are thing of the past. Do not mistreat your employees and lie. You will be found out!

I am a grandmother with extensive experience in Montessori Education. Twin Oaks Montessori is an amazing Montessori school. It is led by Ms.Widyaratne who has worked and studied Montessori Education for over 40 years. She has headed Twin Oaks for 35 years.There are many schools that call themselves Montessori but whom are not.Following Dr. Montessoris philosophy Twin Oaks isa Childrens House headed by Ms. Bona who has a deep knowledge and understanding of Dr. Montessoris philosophy and children. This is extremely important for each childs success. It is where the parent -school connection is so important.Entering Twin Montessori you find peace and quiet because the children are engaged and absorbed in their work.Peace, love of learning, respect and manners are instilled and reflected in the eyes of each child.The child-teacher ratio is small and the Guide must be Montessori certified. They present lessons and follow the child for each is different. Therefore the teachers are trained to observe and understand through the eyes of the child. Every child at Twin Oaks is loved and respected.I am honored and blessed to have my granddaughter attend this school and watch her blossom.

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