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May 2023 by Lucia P.
We have been Butler Montessori parents since 2013. I clearly remember the day we toured the school and observed a primary classroom. My husband and I could not believe our eyes since the students, ages 3 to 5, were working diligently, each focusing on their task surrounded by a peaceful atmosphere inviting to learn. Over the years, the Montessori experience at Butler has only reinforced our certainty that we made the best decision when enrolling our children in this school. The benefits of the Montessori education along with the great campus allow students to actively learn, be independent, kind, and discover themselves in a safe and nurturing environment.Butler is not a traditional school. Children there build a solid foundation for learning based on the experimental, functional, hands-on learning, practical, among other educational approaches. Butler is also a school that holds my values, as parents that are committed to raise their children with strong, fearless, and capable personalities/characters.We cannot say enough good things about how satisfied we are to see our children enjoy the passion for learning. Furthermore, throughout all these years, we have received constant support from the staff. We truly value that the Head of School, Ms. Manack, has vast knowledge of the children's needs and personal journey, and works in conjunction with the teachers to provide the best academic and emotional support.We are very thankful for their honest care demonstrated these years, especially with our youngest child, who needed to receive certain accommodations and extra academic support.
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December 2022 by Vij S.
We just happened upon Butler when we were looking for a preschool for my then 2.5 year old daughter. So glad we did!Now it's our 11th year here and we moved our older daughter to Butler (from a public school) within 2 months of starting our younger one in the Primaries.My older daughter had the smoothest transition into Montessori and within 2 weeks we saw huge shifts in her attitude. From being the child who dragged her feet to school and gave the "minimum required" at work, she became the child who looked forward to going to school EVERYDAY and wanted to do as well as her peers! The environment is thoroughly nurturing and nourishing. She thrived!Whatever might have seemed abstract to us while our child was at Butler immediately became tangible when she stepped into High School - whether it's the way she figured her place in the new community or the way she handled her academics. Butler kids are more prepared for High School than any other kids, honestly - socially, emotionally and academically!She is now a Freshman at college and still considers Butler her home. You'll find her and many other alumni regularly visit the school and their teachers because that's the bond they hold.My younger one is almost ready to graduate from Butler and has grown to be the empathetic and confident, young adolescent who is ready to take on the world. The love she holds for nature and learning all come from here.You can see a marked difference in a child who has gone to Butler from other kids their age - whether it's the way they are comfortable speaking within an adult or unafraid to ask questions/directions or the way they own themselves. The skills they learn at Butler serve them a long while and make them the confident individuals who are able to navigate the highs & lows. I really cannot say enough good things about the teachers and staff here. To put it succinctly they know your child as well as you do. They can see the depth of the child and will do everything to ensure that the child lives up to his/her potential. They are kind and strict in the same breath and are really good at what they do. I can and do want to write a lot more, but will stop for the sake of retaining interest. Suffice to say that you simply cannot go wrong with Butler.
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November 2022 by E L.
The ideal Butler parent will seamlessly join what we like to call the Butler Circle Jerk ("BCJ"). They don't complain, they smile, they lap up every word that comes out of the staff, and they ignore red flags because they're so wrapped up in said BCJ. I know this because I was a part of it! I volunteered extensively at the school, was a class liaison in the YCC and Primary (we were there 4yrs), at one point was a part of the leadership committee for the BPC (it's like a PTA) and spent a considerable amount of time with other parents and the administrative staff because of this. The antithesis of the ideal Butler parent uses their critical thinking skills & doesn't treat the guides and staff at Butler as if they are the subject matter expert on children and learning. The school's success can be summed up by the following: ignorance, incompetence, and gaslighting led by a toxic narcissist. How can that be a formula for success? It weeds out non-conforming families and allows for the greatest number of docile parents to join the BCJ. When my son was 3 another boy touched his privates. I spoke to his guide and she spent the entire call telling me that it couldn't have been true (I believed my son). Guess what? The offending child admitted to it later. Her immediate response to the situation was to deny it happened, and she was wrong (Red Flag: incompetence, gaslighting). BUT I was a part of the BCJ, so I ignored the red flag. We went to the school for a meeting and Laura Manack started talking at me (at, not to) about how kids get all excited and riled up over privates, it's short lived and then they go about their lives. Yes, Laura, we are all educated here. I don't care what prompted it. When I asked for a better resolution w/the other fam, she got annoyed, got up, waved it off, and said while walking away, "yes, they are pretty laid back" (Red Flag: narcissism - doesn't like being questioned, has a massive ego). I ignored the red flag. When my son was four there was another student who, over the course of the school year, had solicited kids to show him their privates, threatened other children to get them to solicit other kids so he wouldn't get in trouble, touched other kids' privates, had lured another boy into the woods away from others to expose himself, and had punched another child. We will never know the extent of this other child's behavior (Red Flag: incompetence - can't keep track of preschoolers) and the school keeps parents in the dark about serious issues because of "privacy" (Red Flag: gaslighting). In my opinion they want to control the narrative of the goings-on at the school. I told my son's teacher on the phone that I thought this other boy was being abused and a licensed counselor recommended I report it to Child Protective Services (note: she is a mandatory reporter). I told her that statistics don't lie, they are underreported and the ratio is probably higher because adults fail children. Her assessment was that his behavior was a result of birth order (he is the oldest of two boys) (Red Flag!). Later, on another call, this time with Manack, she talked at me again, repeating what she had said to me when my son was three. Except this child's behavior spanned the entire course of a year. She would not listen (Red Flag: gaslighting, narcissism, ego). When I wasn't satisfied with their response to, and opinion of, the situation (this kid was obsessed with other kids' privates, and hurt kids emotionally and physically, etc. because he was "older" and needed to be moved to lower elementary) Manack told me to unenroll from the school (Red Flag: narcissism - can't be confronted or objected to). So we unenrolled. Academically, I will say that I was not impressed, either. My experience at Butler was so severely negative that I no longer believe in the Montessori method. It all sounds so great, but it's contrived. The school paints an amazing picture of self-led learning
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February 2021 by AM P.
Dedicated and passionate guides; huge campus; equestrian and pony clinic; organic farms; summer camps; and hiking trails along the creek, all together provides a unique setting for kids to learn and develop! My daughter enjoys being at Butler and despite staying there 8:30 to 4:30 every day, she always asks if she can stay a bit longer to do one more outdoor activity! She has developed her social skills and I do believe is advanced in her academics as well. She has started reading chapter books from age 5 and is able to lay out her plans constructively. On top of that, she is quite aware of her feelings, has an essential understanding of concepts like humanity, peace, freedom, and the nature-friendly lifestyle.
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December 2018 by R Prab
My son seems to be having fun at camp, which is great. The facilities are lovely. HOWEVER...The second day of camp he came home missing the following items:Swim topTowelShortsSocks (well, he came home in someone else's socks)I emailed this morning and got no response. My husband talked to them at pick up today, and all they did was send him to the lost and found, where only the towel was located. There was no explanation for how so many items went missing. There was no explanation of the system (if any) they have in place to keep all the children's belongings organized.This is a two week camp,. I am getting heartburn over how much of his stuff will be missing by the end of the two weeks!
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December 2017 by Lynn Blalock
Our grandson is 2 and enrolled in the early childhood program. He loves attending and seems to be thriving here.
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December 2017 by Mike Bailey
Great Private School in a country setting
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December 2016 by Kieran Mara
We have 3 children at Butler. We have seen our children flourish in the environment-- both socially and academically.
