Current thoughts on Keystone, particularly given upcoming staff transition?
Hi there --
We're considering enrolling our son in Keystone, since we just moved down the street from it. We visited and loved it. But our understanding is that woman who has been running things for many years now will be going on maternity leave soon, and that they don't know yet who may replace her, and that she isn't entirely sure she is going to return?
Does anyone have thoughts on the school overall, and whether they are likely to be able to handle the leadership transition without too much chaos?
And, while I'm at it, might anyone have thoughts on whether Montessori is a good fit for social, rowdy, impatient children? All the kids we saw there seemed so calm and organized, and I'm also a little worried my son will stick out like a sore thumb.
Thanks so much!
Parent Replies
I will say this for Keystone: it’s the one place a stereotypical boy can go to get a classic Montessori education without being punished for being a boy. We looked at Growing Light in Kensington and it is beautiful and nurturing, but waaaay too serene and low key for my boys.
Keystone weathered a much more painful transition when the head teacher for the older class left with 2 weeks notice in October. The owner, Mr. Shahabi, does not come to the school, nor interacts with the kids, so we stuck it out. And it has been fine. Shahabi’s wife is the director of the school and she is quite nice and very competent after over 30 years experience. The turnover of staff is low as well. Yes, Sheri’s absence during maternity leave will be felt, but I doubt she will quit outright. As an alum of the school she has Keystone in her blood, and the school is like family to her.
Long story short is that Keystone is able to handle rowdy boy behavior in a rational, practical, non shaming way. Boys are as nurtured and appreciated as the girls. And my boys LOVE going to school and are progressing academically really well, but at their own developmentally appropriate pace.
Good luck with your decision making. I totally get the trepidation!
I don't know anything about Keystone specifically, but wanted to chime in on your question about Montessori generally. I have a rowdy, impatient little guy myself, and shared your concerns about whether he would fit in whenever I visited a Montessori school. In fact, I was so sure he would wreak havoc in such a calm environment that I ruled out Montessori initially. After having to pull him out of his first preschool because he was bored to tears, though, we decided to give it a shot. We enrolled him in a Montessori school and are now total believers! I understand now that the reason the kids all seem "so calm and organized," as you note, is because they are truly engaged in what they are working on. They also do a lot of work on social graces, which helps. It was seriously only a matter of a couple of weeks at our Montessori school before we started seeing positive changes in our son's behavior, not to mention his academic skills. So my advice is, don't rule it out! All that said, I should note that my understanding is that some places are more "Montessori" than others, so be sure the one you're looking at truly follows the curriculum.