As I drove into the parking lot of Montessori de Terra Linda with well thought-out questions so neat and tidy in my folder, all logic and reasoning went out the window and a sense of fear overcame me and I said to myself...how can I possibly make the right choice for our child?  I am not ready for this, he’s not ready, I need more time, is it safe enough? And yes, I did ask the question, will they be nice to our baby?  I hesitated and just sat in the car for a moment to rethink this whole thing for the hundredth time.

The first thing I noticed and felt was a sense of calmness when looking at the lush landscape of the property and I slowly released my grip from the steering wheel.  I then saw a little bunny resting under a willow tree; I am no expert, it was just beautiful.

Then, a small person holding a basket of flowers arrived to the green grassy area, and as I continued to watch this child, he made his way across the green field and gently approached the bunny. With care and in a natural way, he started to feed and nurture the bunny by putting its bedding so neatly in its cage and carefully minding his little feet so they did not disturb or frighten the bunny.  Following the child was an adult whom I believed to be his teacher. Watching her with this child was like seeing Mother Nature herself.  I quickly left my car to get a closer look by peering through the fence and the lovely woman said to me, “Hello, can I help you?” I nervously say, “I am here to have a tour.” “Wonderful” she says, “My name is Laurin and I’ll take you right in.” 

On my tour, I observed a community of children of all ages helping one another as I had never seen before, perhaps in my dreams, but in all seriousness, seeing these children working, helping, nurturing, laughing and playing together, all with a sense of peace and order, truly amazed me.  It was an order that was not forced or dictated, but somehow made sense and seemed so natural that I had to know, how does this work? 

My tour continued to the last class, upper elementary, and that same community that I saw amongst the younger children was mastered by the older children, and I was even more engrossed by the environment and way of learning. I knew this was the right place to be.

I believe that all parents, just like me, want that perfect place for their children. I know now there is no such thing, but what Montessori de Terra Linda offers is more than lessons in learning, it offers a sense of home, and that to me is the best I can give to our children.

After nearly five years at the school our children have grown into the most loving, thoughtful, confident, proud, energized, independent beings, and have formed relationships with their peers that will last a lifetime.

Montessori de Terra Linda offers that not only for the children, but also to the parents and staff.  There is a very strong connection and commitment between the two, and I find comfort in knowing that this is more than an institution, it is family.

With great respect and appreciation, thank you MdTL for loving our children.