Countryside has been the preschool of my dreams, giving my daughter a foundation of learning and friendships that will last a lifetime. My daughter spent the last three years at Countryside, and has come away with a love of science, reading and math. The Countryside teachers are excellent, many have been at Countryside for years. They have inspired love of life and love of learning in my daughter. She has established work skills that allows her to get out work, organize and enjoy it, and put it away. Socially, my daughter is graceful and kind, with solid enduring friendships. Countryside -- wonderful, welcome.

Having had two kids go to Countryside and having been to many preschools, I can say that Countryside is a most wonderful preschool experience. The devoted and loving teachers and beautiful environment made it a perfect place for both my boys. Family dinners brought families together and built a community that the children were excited to be a part of. Watching the older children help the younger children and develop nurturing skills and empathy is so important at this age. Curiosity is celebrated and explored. My youngest son started at 2 1/2 and felt safe and happy from the start. He is still there and now gets to be helpful to this years new kids. My older son went through kindergarten at Countryside and was more than ready for first grade the following year. Countryside is a wonderful preschool!

My daughter being at Countryside Montessori was one of the best experiences of our lives. Your child will benefit from all the great teachings of Maria Montessori in a safe, loving, respectful environment. The teachers are fantastic!! Loving, fun, smart, caring....I could go on and on. We gained a community from Countryside; my daughter still gets together with her Countryside friends and they are all 10 now! The best preschool in Boulder!

A fabulous home-away-from-home for my kids! You know the saying, It takes a village to raise a child, well, this is the village you want. The teachers have created an environment that fosters caring for others, problem solving, self-directed learning, confidence, self-worth and conflict resolution. Countryside kids are some of the nicest people I know. They are also primed for success in school environments when they graduate. I am so grateful to the Countryside teachers for the formative influence they have had on my kids, and on me as a parent. My now-13-year-old daughter still views her teachers there as the best she ever had, and I agree 100%. My younger daughter has been at Countryside for 2 years and will continue there for kindergarten next year. I wish she could stay there for elementary school! The good new is that Countryside kids can always go back to visit--and they do go back, in droves, and stay part of this great community of teachers, parents and kids.

Greatest school ever! My son still talks about his Countryside family. The staff and the environment invite exploration, a love of the outdoors, and a love of each other. Who could provide a better start for your childs school life than this wonderful place?

My name is Justin Oberndorf and I am the father of two wonderful sons, Ryan (10) and Lucas (4). I am also very fortunate to say that I am a Countryside Parent. Ryan attended Countryside between 2007-2009, and after our experiences my wife and I put Lucas on the waiting list. We knew, without a doubt, that this was the school we wanted our second son to attend. The amount of love and care that children get at Countryside is abundant. The communication given to the parents is not only professional, but detailed and loving. These teachers know their students and are committed to the success of each one of them. I am a teacher in the Boulder Valley School District, and I can honestly say, I have never seen a school prepare their students for the next stage of their education, like Countryside. My son was extremely prepared for the transition from Countryside to Coal Creek, an elementary school in Louisville. In fact, teachers commented on his academic abilities and more importantly, his positive energy and citizenship he brought to the school. I know for a fact that Countryside was the reason. Teaching children to love and respect the world they live in along with all of the different types of people that make up the world, is a gift that Countryside gives and my family couldnt be happier to be a part of this community. If you have any doubt about where to send your little one to preschool, send them to Countryside. I promise you will not be disappointed.

We have been part of the Countryside family for almost 10 years now. All three of our children have been fortunate enough to be a part of the Countryside magic! The staff are the most loving and kind-hearted caregivers in the Boulder area. The environment fosters individuality and independence, while teaching the children how to be caring and considerate to others. We are so blessed to have this school in our town! Dont forget to check out the amazing playground and the chickens!

Our son Sammy went to Countryside throughout his preschool years. Our other boys had been in other Boulder preschools before we discovered Countryside and I only wish we had found them earlier. They are simply the best, kindest, and most nurturing preschool you will find.Moreover, they build a tight-knit community amongst the parents with events like the holiday performance, dinner nights, and (of course) Pigfest.Highly recommended!

I have told every friend/relative/neighbor with little children I know that Countryside has been the best thing ever to happen to my kids. Wed have kept them there until grad school, if Nancy would let us! The teachers are superb; the curriculum is fantastic; best of all, the kids (and parents) love it. Our oldest countryside kid is in high school now and still returns regularly to say hello and help out. Really cant recommend Countryside enough.

My daughter went from 2 3/4 years old through Kindergarten. It was a wonderful experience in a small country setting with great teachers. There are animals, gardens and abundant outside play space in addition to the learning inside. Absolutely great!

My 3rd child is at Countryside Montessori and my only regret is that we didnt find it in time for the first 2. Countryside is a 25 year old school full of great, loving traditions. The teachers and traditions set parents up to be better parents from little things like always having breakfast set out to having Montessori jobs set up that are designed to support you in interacting with your child when you pick them up to little dixie cups of a travel snack at the end of the day for both my preschooler and older siblings. My daughter plays, plants gardens, learns about African animals, tastes new foods, feeds chickens and fish and makes great friends. I have also made great friends as Countryside is a great community with dinner cooked and served by Preschoolers several times a year.

Best preschool/Kindergarten in Boulder, hands down! All three of our boys attended over the past 15 years. Countryside treats each child as their own individual, and addresses their individual needs, strengths, weaknesses, nuances, etc. In addition, all three of our boys were more than prepared for first grade after their top notch Kindergarten year at CMS.It really is like a family, and we will be forever blessed to be a part of it.

I sent both of my kids here. Their staff is wonderful and they have such an amazing playground. They built such a wonderful community of Countryside kids and their families. The environment is excellent for kids to learn, both academically and socially.

This school is magical. For the kids, there are loving, long-term instructors who are wise in the ways of helping to shape kind, considerate, thoughtful kids who are bright and curious and confident. Excited to learn and ready to have fun at school, at home, and wherever they are. They have an absolutely incredible yard, with chickens and bunnies and a track for bikes and a wonderful garden they plant together and great play structures. For the parents, the same instructors are always available to talk about parenting strategies, little tips to get you through a tough phase or partner to solve any larger issue, should you even need it. The school works hard to build and nurture a community of caring, fun families excited about learning and involved in the magic of raising wonderful kids. As much as my child has benefitted from her time at Countryside--she was there from 2.5 years through kindergarten and back this summer! and LOVES the school, her friends and the teachers--our family too has benefitted from the support and friendship thats part of being a Countryside Family. So, stop reading now and call Nancy or Kim for a tour. Think about if you were a kid, which school would you want to go to? I would choose this school over and over and over again.

This is simply an amazing school! We have sent both of our children there through kindergarten, and are still reaping the benefits of all they learned, academically, emotionally and socially. The school strikes the perfect balance between montessori independent learning and a loving, supportive environment all within the context of a strong community-building atmosphere. All of this plus the best discovery-oriented backyard ever!The teachers are tremendously dedicated and foster the best possible learning environment on all axes. They truly love the children, and the ties made here will last a lifetime.

Both my kids attended Countryside Montessori and loved it. They still enjoy going back to Countrysides annual Pigfest and during summer. We love all the teachers there and the kids still talk about what they learned from different teachers there. Countryside inculcates great values in the kids and helps foster lifelong friendships among the kids as well as parents and teachers. :)

Very loving, very no-nonsense experience. If you dont want affectionate guidance coupled with frank feedback on your children, CMS isnt for you. Kids learn accountability and respect for each other and for their teachers. The only drawback to CMS is eventually your kid ends up going to a public Boulder school and that helpful adult supervision disappears and your childs left to fend for him/herself on the playground which can be a painful experience to watch them go through.

Countryside is still the one school I can look back on and feel totally optimistic about the direction of our school systems. If every single person in the world could go there, I believe it would make the world a better place. Countryside teaches kids how to be stewards to themselves, their families, their communities, and the world beyond. Most of the poignant learning experiences of my life can still be traced back to some lesson I learned from the amazing family of teachers at Countryside. Not only did I learn the basics such as: Stop, Look, and Listen before crossing the street; Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle; Clean up after yourself; Share, but I also had the responsibility of taking care of my own small garden plot, I learned how to cook for family dinners, how to read, and how to be an active member in making KidFest come to life.

I cannot say enough good things about Countryside Montessori. We had toured several Boulder preschools -- with mixed feelings -- but from the moment we stepped foot inside CMS (and even more so when we saw the incredible playground and garden) we knew without a doubt that this was the right place for our daughter -- and for us. That was 3+ years ago and those CMS years have been wonderful. Our daughter has since graduated but we come back to visit whenever we can and she is currently there for their fabulous summer program. The teacher quality is exceptional. The warmth and caring is palpable. There is so much thought that goes into making CMS a rich, supportive environment for children and parents alike, creating a community while catering to the individual needs of each child. We really appreciated the convenient hours (7-6), thoughtful little perks like the travel snack before going home, and being able to ask for guidance around parenting challenges from the wise and experienced staff. And we love the community. The school has helped our daughter develop and blossom into a happy, bright, caring, curious and well-adjusted child. I cant recommend CMS enough.

Countryside Montessori has been a godsend to our kids and family. Our son was previously at a renowned “brand-name” pre-school and it just wasn’t working out. The teachers there didn’t seem to be able to work with kids who weren’t naturally easy to manage. After looking at a few pre-schools we visited Countryside and immediately loved the place. As my wife told me when she first saw it, “They have chickens.” And, “have you seen that back yard?” They weren’t the best parts. The teachers, most of whom have been there for many years, all had a calm, pleasant demeanor with kids. They understood all types of kids, calm ones and more active ones. Not only that, they work hard to instill that type of acceptance and calm approach into the kids: helping them work through conflict and allowing them to make independent choices. We’ve now sent both our kids through Countryside and couldn’t be happier with the place. In the years our kids have attended the school we’ve frequently sought help with child rearing questions. They have always provided great insight. They have truly been co-parents with our children and we couldn’t be happier. Another thing we cherish about CMS is that they really focus on community and family. As if they didn’t already go above and beyond, they host family dinners throughout the year where the children help prepare food and learn how to be hosts and hostesses, and families attend to eat and visit. They host a Halloween dinner, complete with a Magic Show, followed by trick or treating. They also host one over the December holiday time where kids perform in English, Spanish and sign language and get to celebrate the holiday. The kids love these meals (and the parents do too!) It is something we will miss now that we are into first grade. BUT, we will look forward to the annual Pig Fest, which is a party for current CMS student and alumni! As every child who has been there knows, “Once a Countryside Kid, Always a Countryside Kid”.

Where do I begin? I cant say enough good things about Countryside Montessori. We moved away from Boulder before our last child finished pre-school, and the most difficult thing to leave was Countryside. We were originally attracted to the school because of my belief in the Montessori method, but this school is truly so much more! The teachers are amazing, experienced, and consistent -- a rarity in pre-schools. The program is incredibly enriching for young minds. My son loves science, and I give a lot of the credit to Erwin who opened his eyes to all the wonders of nature. Beyond learning skills that will help them academically, Countryside helps to simply create good (and nice) Countryside kids. Before and after living in Boulder, our children attended a few other pre-schools and daycares, and I can honestly say that nothing compares.

My younger brother and I both attended Countryside as kids in the late 90s. I consider the teachers, former students and their families a part of my extended family. Scholastically thanks to Countryside I went into elementary school far more advanced than my classmates in science, reading, and math. I remember my brother being able to explain his 9s times table (18, 27, etc.) and how they added up to nine when he was in pre-k! In addition I had learned spanish and sign language that I was able to draw on through college. More than anything I learned many personal skills including how to share, communicate my feelings and most importantly how to listen when other people were communicating theirs to me. Countryside is a community Im proud to be a part of. I am a better person today because of that community and Im still a part of it. Everyone is surprised that Im attending weddings and holiday parties of families I met at Countryside. They continue to be a part of my family and we consider ourselves so blessed.

This is a fantastic preschool. The most important thing is the teachers--they are unbelievable. So dedicated, warm, loving with the children, intelligent -- very thoughtful about where the children are and what they need. Theres also remarkably little teacher turnover, and some of the teachers have been there for 10+ years (and many of the most senior teachers recognize some of the original kids come back to help when theyre in high school and college). They are really committed to the school, to each other, to the children. Some of the things that set this preschool apart from others in Boulder:• They really cater to working parents. Little things, like having a going-home snack ready for each kid to take home in the car. They are a full service preschool -- if your child is here, she wont feel sad seeing most of her classmates disappear at lunch. Theyre all here for the day.• The preschool is housed in a blue house that is not as spiffy as some others (e.g., Boulder Journey). But the organization of the school and the rooms and the garden are incredibly thoughtful, and make it possible for them to sometimes have the kids all together, sometimes separated by age. (Dont get me wrong -- the school is always clean and tidy and well-maintained, its just not in a brand-new modern high-tech building.)• They have chickens, rabbits, a huge vegetable and flower garden that the teachers maintain. The playground is huge, one of the best playgrounds Ive seen in Boulder.• The teachers and the two co-directors, Nancy and Kim, put a lot of emphasis on community, and caring for each other -- not just the students, but also the parents and teachers. There is a potluck get together at the school maybe every month; at other get-togethers, the kids do all the cooking for the parents! E.g., homemade cornbread, applesauce, etc.• We loved the Montessori program. The teachers all have tons of Montessori experience, but somehow we felt that it was not overly rigid or doctrinaire, and that they added a lot of their own ideas about how to educate kids at this age. Our kids came out of this program incredibly well prepared for 1st grade.• The kindergarten program is a little smaller than the other classes because many kids either go to the public school kindergarten in their local school, or they go to Community Montessori which is a public Montessori school in the Table Mesa area with a kindergarten program (i.e., free). However, you have to add on the expense of adding on daycare for before and after school care, vs. the advantage of having your child in one place, with the same teachers and classmates throughout the day. Furthermore, the Countryside kindergarten really is the high point of the experience there -- they get so much loving care and attention from the kindergarten teachers (Carolyn and Kerri) -- and they are old enough to really absorb some of the Countryside values that are taught, i.e., caring for and taking care of each other.