Recommendations
From Parents
Not a day goes by where I don’t count my blessings for finding this incredible school. When I visited Giving Tree Montessori for the first time, my heart immediately told me that my son would be loved and cared for by amazing teachers and that he would thrive in this school, both socially and academically. Believe me, they have exceeded all my expectations. When I drop off my son in the morning and pick him up in the afternoon, I am so proud of the confident and kind-hearted boy the people at this school have helped nurture, teach and love over the past 2 1/2 years. I remember my shy 2-year-old who began Giving Tree not uttering a word in a group, who cried when I would have to pry his fingers off my legs and hand him to a teacher (who reassured him as much as she reassured me that things would be just fine). I remember the day when all of a sudden, he DIDN’T cry in the mornings any more, but instead got upset in the afternoons because he was not ready to leave school. He still had WORK to do and he kept asking me why I came so early to pick him up!
I look at my son now at five years old and see him brimming with confidence, leadership, and people skills that extend far beyond the walls of Giving Tree. And intellectually? Let’s just say that during one Kindergarten assessment, they expected him to read 5 words and he was able to read 19 out of 20. He comes home talking about chemical reactions and asking me to dig out the vinegar and baking powder so he can show me what he learned at school. One day last year he came home excitedly talking about how hard he worked on “condiments” that day. “Condiments? Like ketchup and mustard,” I asked him? “No, mom. Condiments. You know, like Australia and Africa!” Then he proceeds to belt out a song about all the continents. His environment piques his interest every day and more often than not, he forgets to even tell me goodbye these days as I see the back of his head either making a beeline for a work station or heading off to greet his friends outside. The teachers have truly been a blessing in our lives and soon, my daughter will be starting her exciting journey at Giving Tree. I can’t wait! I cannot thank these teachers enough for giving so much of themselves to our children.
-Aileen
My husband and I knew the moment we walked into Giving Tree Montessori that this was the school for our son. We had already taken him to look at four other Montessori schools, and while we thought they were wonderful, Giving Tree provided for us an environment that we knew he would feel at home in.
One of my favorite things about the school is that the teachers and staff welcome every child as they enter the classroom or playground. I don’t mean that they simply say hello; they engage in the stories each child has to tell and show genuine interest when a child has something special they want to show them.
The Staff has created an environment the celebrates each child for their unique and individual self, while at the same time creating a strong sense of community.
It has been four years since we first stepped foot in Giving Tree Montessori, and now have two children attending. I love hearing all the things my children have learned each day, the experiences they have had. I love that they are learning by exploring the possibilities of this world; that to understand how plants grow, they grow a plant from a seed and watch happen.
My only complaint is that the school only goes through Kindergarten; I’d send my kids here their entire school career if I could.
-Naomi
Dear Maria and the staff at The Giving Tree,
As this school year draws to a close, I am just realizing that our last year at your school is looming near. This disappoints me more than I can put into words. Our family has benefitted so much from the supportive, caring atmosphere that everyone at The Giving Tree helps to provide.
When I first met Maria, she made me cry. (I have since learned she makes most of her moms cry!) Maria, your enthusiasm and warmth are the heart and soul of the school and engenders trust in everyone you meet. I leapt at the chance to put my children in your care and you and the wonderful teachers on your staff have never let me down. Every concern, every victory was addressed immediately and thoroughly. Both Lorenzo and Helena (and myself, actually) are more independent, more confident, and more enthusiastic about learning and being after having attended The Giving Tree. I wish they could go there for longer!
Thank you for providing a school that nurtures the child in every aspect: mind, body and spirit. Thank you for showing my kids how learning can be fun. Thank you, everyone on the staff, for being caring and supportive of the parents, just as much as of the children! You have all made us feel like we are all part of a community more than just a school.
With great affection,
Rebecca M. Sanabria
“给予树”蒙氏幼儿园是我们来到美国以来唯一去过的幼儿园。我们家两个孩子都先后在这个幼儿园就读过（都是从2岁半上到去小学，都去过楼上和楼下的班级呦:）。为什么我们会选择这个幼儿园呢？可以用两个字概括—惊喜！
这个幼儿园看起来是那么的“不起眼”，但学校的教学环境，课程设计，活动安排，老师家长孩子间互动都是让我们选择这个幼儿园的原因。
- 教学环境的惊喜——无论什么时候走进教室都是静悄悄的，即便老师在教学过程中也是充满耐心，静静的教授！让人惊喜的是孩子也学会了安静，控制情绪：），而且各种教学内容随手可触，极大的满足了孩子的学习兴趣。
- 课程设计的惊喜——我是一名有10几年教学经验的小学老师，很关注学校的课程安排，学校开有英语，数学，音乐，美术，科学，二外等科目，这些科目的课程设置的很系统，老师安排的很合理，教学衔接很自然，让我的孩子很容易一步步的学习了很多知识：）。同时每周末老师都会给家长发电子邮件把本周所学，和下周所学都发给家长，让家长了解到孩子们的学校进度。
- 活动安排的惊喜——学习，午饭，休息，交流的时间都安排很合理，天气好的时候，老师还经常安排孩子们在门廊下面吃饭，交谈，孩子们很是惬意：）
- 老师，家长，孩子互动的惊喜——天气冷时，老师提醒戴手套，帽子，厚衣服；天气热的时候，老师给孩子挨个抹防晒霜，驱蚊液，这让做妈妈的很感激，老师真的把每一个孩子都当作自己的孩子来对待。孩子间有矛盾，老师总是细心说服，让孩子在矛盾中学会成长。
我们家老大是个注意力很容易分散的孩子，老师根据她情况，总是适时耐心的提醒她学习，而且Mr. Dan还经常和我沟通，告诉我孩子最近学习了哪些内容，给我时常发过来照片进行分享，让我十分感动。
我们家老二是个学习能力很强的孩子，Ms. Sarah 就根据她特点，专门给她单独设计课程来经行超前阅读，现在已经已经把BOB这个系列的第一套读完啦，在读第二套（俺家老大是5岁才开始读的呦！）
我们很感谢学校，很感谢老师，很感谢在这里的一切回忆，一切都是那么美好！
Xiaodan (daisy)
Let me just start by saying that Giving Tree Montessori has exceeded my expectations and that I could have never imagined a better experience for my daughter’s preschool years. From the first day she started to her last day three years later, she has been enthusiastic every single day about going to school and “learn about everything” as she would put it.
After intensive research on the school offering in the Knoxville area, I decided to visit Giving Tree Montessori and just stop by the school during spring break. Even without an appointment, Maria welcomed me in the classroom and gave me the feeling after only 5 min talking to her that this is the place I have been looking for my daughter over the past months. My daughter started the following fall and I have never regretted my choice.
The teachers from both the upstairs and the downstairs class have been instrumental in giving her the love to “learn about everything”. As a result, she is now extremely curious, an avid reader, and her favorite subjects are math and art.
We are now leaving the school for her to start elementary school but we are not leaving the Giving Tree Montessori community.
Thank you Maria, Dan, Suzi, Tiana, Theresa, Katrina and Sarah.
– Natacha