Bluebird Montessori School - Mini

I contacted the Bluebird Montessori about an infant spot at the daycare, and we were told to visit the school located at 958 Broadview (which doesn't seem to have a Google page, so I think it's fair to leave a review here for the establishment as a whole).We met with Ms. Seema, who briefly showed us the space and made a big deal about how the government makes them check up on the kids while they are sleeping - every 15 minutes. She stressed over and over again that it's a lot of work to do this. All the other daycares also have to do this, but not once was it pointed out to me that it was a burden at the other daycares that we toured. After this, she sat us down and went into great lengths and detail of the contract, the deposit, the administration fee, and the numerous penalties that we would incur if we should break said contract. Yes - you read correctly! There is a contract that states that you agree to leave your child there for a minimum of 18 months, otherwise you will lose the $1200 deposit. They also expect you to give them first month's fees (which are currently sitting at $2,025 a month) plus the $1,200 deposit and a $300 administration fee to hold the spot.Being that we hadn't heard back from any of the daycares I waitlisted for when I was only 8 weeks pregnant, we thought we didn't have a choice and she told us to have our decision in two days.We have never been told about commitment agreements or asked to put down first month and a deposit (or an administraton fee either, for that matter) by any of the other daycares. This made me uncomfortable, as what if my daughter hated it there? Also, daycare demand is at a premium in this city - the contract seems unnecessary and shady. I asked around and found out that not only was this unusual practice, but that the building located at 958 Broadview belongs to the Estonian community and they are already building a snazzy new building to relocate to.I confronted Ms. Seema with this information and asked her to please explain what would happen to the daycare should this happen. Despite her speediness at answering my emails when it came to the sales, it took her over 5 hours to respond, saying that it wasn't something to be concerned about as they would be given 2 years notice to move, so she had nothing to tell me, as they hadn't been given notice. A quick Google search led me to articles stating the conditional sale of the building in June 2018 and plans for the sale to be finalized by January 2020. I don't appreciate being lied to, and the fact that Ms. Seema did not disclose this information is incredibly shady.More online searches led me to some upsetting reviews, amongst one which said someone overheard a teacher yelling at a child to Stop your whining"

Our older son spent 2 years at this Bluebird location between age 1.5 and 3.5, where we saw him develop well on different fronts. As far as we can tell, the teachers care for the kids from their heart and truly see the best in them. We never had any issue in communicating with the teachers from day-to-day updates to finding ways together to facilitate our boy's development. The daily activities were well planned in advance and designed to ensure comprehensive development for every kid. Given the great experience we had with the older one, we will be sending our younger one there too in the near future and his brother can't wait to walk him there every morning then!

Our child actually attends the school and its amazing! We love that the school is small and tight knit. The teachers are great and have personal relationships with each kid, including knowing all our kids interests and quirks haha. And we're always blown away by the lesson plans and how much they learn - the other day they came back saying I didn't come from an egg

Worst contract we have ever seen for a daycare. They want you to sign a contract that states that you agree to leave your child there for a minimum of 18 months, otherwise you will lose the $1200 deposit. They also expect you to give them first month's fees (which are currently sitting at $2,025 a month) plus the $1,200 deposit and a $300 administration fee to hold the spot.We also were dismayed by the reaction from Ms Seema ( Head Administrator) about some worrisome reviews we read online about how the kids were mistreated in two particular cases. Instead of going into damage control mode and try to alleviate our fears she just said I thought you would have read those reviews before making an appointment." We were taken aback. I thought she would have said something along the lines of "those are isolated situations and the staff were dealt with accordingly"... " we strive to provide a safe and healthy environment for your child" But no

Our daughter just completed two years at Bluebird Montessori and we have nothing but great things to share about the school and the experience (attended from age 2.5 - 4.5). We started in the middle of the pandemic (Sept 2021) and commend all the staff and teachers for creating an incredibly welcoming environment despite a stressful time. The staff were fantastic with communication and navigating the ever changing policy environment with regards to attendance, symptoms and return to care with grace and patience, giving us tremendous comfort in the care our daughter was receiving. Our daughter loved her time at bluebird and will miss all her friends and teachers - we will miss being a part of such a small and special community - Thank you Bluebird for a wonderful experience!

Our child has been attending Bluebird for the past 2.5 years, first at the Bluebird North location and now at Bluebird Mini. We have been really happy with his experience there – the teachers are caring, kind and attentive, and he has really connected with so many of them. As a parent, I’ve appreciated the detailed lesson plans and the regular updates we receive from the teachers about how the day went and what the kids learned and are interested in. Our child has learned so much, and while we are excited for him to start JK in September, we will certainly be sad to say goodbye to his Bluebird community.

Both of our children attended the Mini location and the staff and environment were consistently outstanding! Our children both had extremely positive experiences and were tenderly cared for in a consistent and compassionate way. Both children learned and thrived under the weekly detailed curriculum while still having fun and enjoying their time. My daughter is now graduated but she loves to drop in when we drop off my son and the staff are always excited to see her and treat her so well - a sign of true care for their graduate's ongoing success. Thank you Bluebird!!

I truly cannot say enough positive things about Bluebird Montessori. My daughter is graduating after being there since she was 12 months old, and we will miss it very much! As a parent who was anxious about sending my daughter to any care environment during the days, Bluebird made the transition easier than I ever could have imagined. The transition plan was established prior to her first day and the staff ensured that best practices were followed to help her adjust. Within just a couple of short days, my daughter developed a clear sense of comfort and security. Shortly thereafter, she was thriving and eager to attend. She had a gigantic smile on her face at the end of each day.Fast forward a few years and my daughter is now 4 years old and still leaving Bluebird with a smile on her face. The staff are all kind, compassionate, intelligent, responsive, and sincere. My daughter has learned a lot while being under their wing, she's had an incredible amount of fun, and she is more than ready to transition successfully to the school system because of Bluebird's instruction.The staff at Bluebird have always been extremely responsive to any questions and have communicated with me if needed. They demonstrate exceptional professionalism, and ensure that the safety, happiness, and overall well-being of the kids are put first.I would strongly recommend Bluebird to anyone who wants their child to be well cared for, to learn, and to grow. Although my recommendation is sincere and will hopefully help others who are contemplating sending their child to Bluebird, my daughter’s expression of approval (from the last holiday season) speaks volumes- after being off for a couple of weeks over the holidays, she went running to the staff on her first day back with a big smile on her face and her arms lifted for a hug. I am grateful that I found Bluebird as a place where I can leave my daughter each day, knowing that she is cared for in a safe, kind, and engaging environment. Thank you, Bluebird!

Extremely unfortunate experience for us that ultimately led to us leaving this school. Some serious staffing issues with little oversight from the owner until complaints and negative reviews were posted. I do hope she can learn from this and ensure other parents don't go through this. The Toddler room was empty and every person has left since we are there so our child had no one to play with but one 12 month old baby. We have had 4 caretakers in less than 12 months. The best part was the facility manager who was kind and sweet and left for a new opportunity. All staff seem to be paid minimum wage and when going to tour Montessori facilities they are definitely not following the curriculum. Our notes every day say the same thing and most days reporting back about meals, naptime and activities is inaccurate. When development is so crucial at this age and we pay such a premium this is a rip off and I would never recommend.Luckily we are starting a new Montessori soon.

We couldn’t be happier with our experience at Bluebird North! We have had our son at Bluebird since he was 18-months old and he has absolutely flourished in their care. Sarah, who runs the North location, has always made us feel confident and she is a fantastic communicator - always free to chat. Exceptionally reliable. Super organized. Fantastic with kids and super calm with parents - her style was just what we were looking for. Someone will always pick up the phone. Sarah is doing an amazing job running the programming. We are forever grateful to all the teachers at Bluebird for their nurturing ways!The deposit was great for our family because it allowed us to secure a spot way in advance, but know that you are committing to enrolling your child for a set amount of time.Due to COVID, we haven’t seen the classroom in action, but our kiddo comes home happy and healthy, so we’re happy too! Thank you, Bluebird!