Testimonials



We have been part of the community since 2013 after we relocated to Michigan from Washington State for work. The philosophy is true to our family values of inclusion and kind treatment of others. SSMS is true Montessori, and the guides and staff are all devoted to the children and their success. The relationships that have been made by us as parents as well as our children’s have been amazing. 

Many of the families are long time members with children staying throughout all of the available school years. As in any community we have areas for opportunity and growth. Overall though the community is all about the children and has always been inclusive and inviting to all. The model that Montessori utilizes is so successful and builds the whole child and prepares them to become a successful and caring adult.

- Tonisha and Abe J.

Our son benefited from having the same teacher guides and peer group for multiple years. We feel they all knew each other really well and had a strong community that wasn’t bound by one-grade level like in traditional schools. And the multi-year classrooms support the fact that kids develop skills at their own pace, so there isn’t an artificial standard that must be met or “you’re behind”. Our family was with Stepping Stones for 8 years and we all loved it. 



- Deanna M.

When asked why our son goes to SSMS and why he has continued his education through the middle school (and to the farm school next year!), I have a couple answers. One is a warm and fuzzy answer; another is a cold and calculated one, but both are centered on the potential of our son.

The first answer is found in the name of the school. Stepping stones are the purchase by which we cross obstacles. It’s a plural noun. No worthy obstacle can be crossed with a single stepping stone! Like each stone leads to the next, each year of Montessori education builds upon the next. Our desire for our son to have a mind like Da Vinci, comfortable in acquiring all kinds of knowledge is why we chose Montessori and why we continue to choose Montessori: The process isn’t complete. If we stop now, there are a billion synapses that may never fire and trigger something indefinable in our son so when he seeks “the what”, he will also seek “the why.”

The other reason we choose Montessori is based on my professional career. I’m sure we’ve all worked with men and women – brilliant in their fields – who lack the thing. We want our son to be a person-in-full, balanced intellectually and spiritually. We believe that the longer we attend a Montessori school, the more developed our son will become and when he goes out into the world, the people with whom he studies and works will understand the value of a Montessori education.

- Justin and Sachiko J.