Montessori Academy-West Omaha

I was fortunate enough to be able to keep my son home for nearly 2.5 years. But as he started to get older, I thought it was important for him to interact with other kids his age and have more structure to his day. I started to look around for different options in the west Omaha area and I was so happy when my neighbor recommended I look at Montessori Academy of West Omaha. The moment my husband and I stepped into the Academy, we knew it was the right place for our son. That was more than two years ago, and I can honestly say it's been the best experience for us and our son. Not only has he learned so much related to curriculum and setting him up for grade school, but he's also learned so many life skills that I assumed he was too young to know. At a young age, he was able to pour himself water during dinner, take his plate to the sink, sweep up his area, life skills that I know will stick with him. The staff is amazing, very communicative, loving, thoughtful and you can tell they really love what they do. The tenure of the majority of the teachers is long-term which is always a positive when finding a place to care for your child. I'm so happy we have one more year before my son starts kindergarten because I'm just not ready to say "goodbye" to this amazing place that's become such an important part of our lives.

Our children have already lived in 3 and 4 states at their young ages - which means we've been to several daycares/preschools. This is our first Montessori experience and both my children have thrived here - one started at age 2 (now 4) and one at age 4.5 (now 6.5). My older child, who only had the benefit of one year in Montessori, grew so much and was more than prepared for kindergarten - so prepared that the public school kindergarten structure bored him a bit. He's back at the Montessori part-time this summer (post-kindergarten) and fit right back in. He is able to play with his friends from last year and engage in work at his individual level. My younger child has had the benefit of being at Montessori Academy of West Omaha for 2 years, with one more year before kindergarten - she is excelling.

What truly separates this center from other centers are the teachers and size of the school. Several of the teachers have been with the school for years, which not only demonstrates their ability and experience as Montessori-trained teachers, but also speaks to the work environment. We ultimately chose this school because it has one toddler room and one primary room - the center operates like one big family. The kids know all of the teachers at the school and the transition for my younger child from the toddler room to the primary room was seamless. In our previous centers, transitions to new rooms for my son were always stressful - but the natural integration of kids and teachers at the whole-school level here eliminates that challenge. At our most recent center out of state, daycare was a daily source of anxiety for my children and me. It has been a relief not to worry about my kids anymore and for them to walk confidently into school each morning - to the point they forget to give me a hug. I'll take it.

The teachers and center director (Ms. Christine) care about each child and each family. They communicate well with parents and are flexible with families. During the pandemic, we have had variable care for our kids, and they were willing to work with me to let both of my children attend this summer (also, their handling of the pandemic/infection control has been excellent and makes me comfortable sending my children).

My twins boys attended Montessori Academy of West Omaha for three years. It is such an amazing school, and teachers. It truly is an incredible environment for kids to learn and really figure out what they are interested in. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience for them. Ms. Christine(the director) has been top notch and the nicest person you will ever meet. All the teachers are exceptional especially Ms. Susan and Ms. Sheri whom my boys gad the most interaction with.
They both excelled in the child centered/led learning environment that Montessori allows. The teachers and staff are amazing and their interactions with our children show how much they love their job! Both of my boys are reading and know they are very prepared for Kindergarten. Because of this dynamic learning community my boys are well spoken, community minded, confident, independent and self motivated and most importantly, the love of learning has not been "educated" out of them. The entire staff has become our family and will miss them dearly as the boys enter kindergarten.

I have sent my 4 kids to 3 different Montessori schools over the last 11 years. Our first experience (with a different Montessori school) was incredible but that school was bought out and the family first community and vibe quickly dissipated. After that, we were lucky enough to come across Montessori Academy of West Omaha. First and foremost, I have always felt as though each individual family is treated not only as family (as cliche as that sounds,) but the school understands each family's unique wants and needs. I am a teacher and wanted my kids home with me over the summer months, this is one of the only Montessori schools in Omaha that not only allows that, but encourages it because "what's best for your family is best for us!" even though that translates to a loss in tuition for the school. I have never once thought of Montessori Academy of West Omaha as a school that only sees my kids as a tuition bill, which I cannot say the same for the other school we attended. This school truly embodies the Montessori philosophy of "follow the child." Our daughter looks forward to school, her friends, and being challenged where she is at individually. The small class sizes at Montessori Academy of West Omaha allow for my daughter to receive direct, specialized instruction. We all know kids are not the same, not all kids are interested in the same things, this school has proven they can nurture each child in growing academically, socially, and emotionally. With my experience in Montessori for the past 11 years, trust me when I say, you will NOT be disappointed in sending your child(ren) to this one-of-a-kind preschool.

We are fortunate to have been part of the Montessori Academy of West Omaha family for the past year and we highly recommend it! It is such a welcoming place, we love the smaller class sizes and the low student to teacher ratio. The teachers take the time to understand and communicate with each child. They provide such a nurturing environment and provide exceptional care! We are so pleased with the growth our daughter has displayed not only educationally, but also socially and emotionally. It’s amazing how well her speech has developed and we have her incredible teachers to thank for this!