Ana and Marko Teittinen (Google and Intelligent Automation respectively)

“I would like to add to the list of things we like about the school that the educational materials seem to be a lot of fun for the kids to work with. They learn by playing rather than by listening to the teacher.

Another one of our observation for our daughter Maya is that she has improved her social skills significantly this academic year. I think that some of it is just natural growth, but I think the school and teachers have helped a lot.” Marko

“What we like about the school:
1. teachers are very patient with students
2. teachers encourage students to learn independently as well as learning with others
3. teaches science and geography lessons
4. provides tools to teach math
5. provides very organized classrooms with materials that engage and challenge the students

What we saw in Maya since she started attending the school (personal testimony):
1. Maya was so interested in learning more about the Solar System for almost two months after she learned about it in class. She continued to borrow solar system books from the library. She actually corrected us on some of the facts.
2. Maya can now count by 2's, 5's, and 10's to 100.
3. Maya at can recognize names of countries outside of the US.
4. Maya can identify odd / even numbers.
5. Maya can identify parts of a volcano.
6. Maya can identify parts of a tree.
7. Maya can identify parts of a frog.
8. Maya looks forward to getting the weekly Friday homework and doing it immediately that night. She at times insists on completing it before going to bed.
9. Maya enjoys math so much that she did all 20 addition take-home problems on a Friday night.
10. Maya enjoys sharing a book during circle time (when she remembers to bring one). She tells us what she said during sharing time at school before she goes to bed. She would ask us to sit in a circle when she does this at home.
Thank you Sunita. We (and Maya) love the school very much!” Ana

Monica and Barry Stipe (IBM Software Group and Hitachi respectively)

“Subject: Above All The Rest
Dear Ms Sunita and All the Teachers of Evergreen Montessori School (EMS),
Its not every day that I stop to write accolades or give a testimonial, but as Sydney's school year is nearing the end, and we start selecting kindergarten options, I really wanted to thank you all for the excellent education you've provided her over the last several years.
Over the years, we have watched her develop before our eyes in many ways - academically, socially, emotionally and physically. We've learned that those she spends the most time with have the greatest impact on all these critical areas, and luckily we've had her in good hands - you're hands.
These last few months we've especially started to appreciate the investment Sydney (and our family) has made in EMS, as we continuously watch the light bulb click in her brain - as our daughter's age/growth development hits that stage where everything the school has been teaching her thus far progresses beyond simple repetitive learning, to connection, reason, and purpose in her real daily life. It's a joy watching her face light up when she makes a connection or solves something on her own, when she finally sees it come together, and gets the pattern or purpose of what she has learned in the steps that she has learned them. We've also been impressed with the schools balanced curriculum of academics (that extends beyond the typical numbers and alphabet to studying the solar system, the continents and countries/cultures within them, the ancient Egyptians, animals/insects, horticulture/plants, arts-n-crafts, and the like) and pure fun - from the special instructors and guests who frequent the school (including music teachers, sports coaches, professionals (i.e.: Dentists), clowns, bubble experts, Indians, international cultural costume guests, and the like) to the special school performances, field trips, trike-a-thons and social events.
EMS truly is a rare find these days. Its standards in academics, and behavioral sciences are only the tip of the iceberg to making this school stand out. The harmony of personalities between the teaching staff and students is unlike any I've seen in other schools. Contributing to Sydney's excellent overall development is likely the fact that there has been very little staff turnover in 3 years. EMS has never felt overcrowded or cluttered, nor been anything but spotless and organized. Over the years we've seen countless enhancements to the school grounds and teaching supplies/tools - proving the long term commitment and dedication of its management.
EMS is not a school for parents looking for day-care. It is a school for parents dedicated to enhancing their child's minds and exposure to life, and opening their hearts -- at their own pace. But then we did extensive researching selecting this school yeas ago and knew that going in. We wouldn't have stayed if it didn't live up to that.
Ms. Sunita, congratulations on running an excellent learning establishment. It's clearly above all the rest! And a special thank you to the outstanding teaching and personal support that Ms. Suhalia and Ms. Varsha have provided Sydney. Honestly, we feel like they both are like her second family - and it couldn't make us happier.
Best Regards,
The Stipe Family”

Revathi Naryan and Panch Chandrashekhran (Altera and Xilinx respectively)

From: Revathi Panch
Date: April 1, 2009 9:31:20 PM PDT
To: sunita@emsmontessori.org
Subject: About EMS

“Dear Ms. Sunita,

Evergreen Montessori School was the first school we enrolled our daughter, Indhu, in. Indhu was 21/2 years of age, was very talkative in our native tongue, curious and spoke just a few words of English when she joined school. Over the 21/2 years she's been at EMS, she has grown from a toddler into a confident little girl, extremely fluent in English with enriched curiosity for everything from simple activities like folding clothes to doing 2-digit addition.
EMS is a wonderful environment that nurtures sharing and curiosity in children, fosters learning in all spheres and contributes toward wholesome development of the child's personality.
The activities organized by the school expose the children to cultures from around the world - we loved the fact that our 4-year old daughter could talk about the pyramids and Egypt!
Our daughter loved going to school every day and she absolutely loved and looked up to her teachers. The Montessori curriculum was molded expertly by the principal, Ms. Sunita Prakash who was always on the lookout for adding creative elements to the curriculum. We will always look back on these fun years with fondness.
EMS, in addition to being a fun, enjoyable place of learning also prepared our daughter for the rigors of learning as expected by the private schools in the SF Bay Area. She easily passed the entrance tests at Stratford and at Harker for the kindergarten level. Our hearty thanks to EMS for giving her a head start for a lifetime of learning and enrichment.
Thank you for all the help and learning you have provided to Indhu.
-Revathi”

Varsha Praveen (Architect)

“Dear Ms. Sunita,
Thank you for the wonderful school that you have created from scratch. I have been so impressed with everything you do at EMS. Thrisha, my daughter, is blessed to have been a part of it. I will miss everything as much as her.
The best choice we could have made: your school is a good combination of the care and attention that a personalized environment provides to a child and the professional and structured education that a big private school would provide. Because my daughter who has been there for the last year and a half has got the best of both worlds. She is only 4 1/2 and she is reading really well for her age and more than that she has acquired a good knowledge in various subjects, especially geography. She has developed a love for learning and a love for school which is what we wanted her to develop.
Thank you for providing her with such a good start to her education.
Best wishes,
Varsha”

Supreet and Angel Oberoi

SPECIAL COMMENDATION FOR MS. SUNITA PRAKASH AND THE STAFF AT EVERGREEN MONTESSORI PRE-SCHOOL
While making the choice for a Pre-K school for our daughter when she turned two and half, we had specific desires about what we wanted from the teachers and the school. First and above all, we wanted the school to create a culture where the children could experiment, feel safe to make mistakes and be perpetually curious. We were not looking for a day care. We understood that the first five years of a child's life are very consequential, so we wanted a school that believed in (as much as us) the importance of creating a sense of values, integrity, curiosity, and - of course - academic excellence.
Ms. Sunita Prakash had just taken over the establishment at that time (2006). Unlike today (2009), her school had yef not gained the rock-star like reputation as an institution of excellence in the Evergreen area. Our first interview with Ms. Prakash lasted over 90 minutes, and her passion of child development based on the Montessori system impressed us a lot. It was not a very tough decision for us to forgo "brand name" pre-schools for Evergreen Montessori School.
And it proved to be a correct decision beyond our wildest expectations...
What we found over the following weeks and months was that the culture of excellence, compassion, creativity and civility permeated the entire organization. Our child, like some others, had challenges in growing from a toddler to a kid. Ms. Prakash's team handled all these challenges in a patient and a loving manner. Above all, they provided us with valuable tips and lessons on how to manage these challenges. We should also add that the children were not the only ones that test the teacher's patience - parents such as us also take a fair share. Again, Ms. Prakash's team handled our concerns very effectively and respectfully.
This year, Arina had to take two tests for admission into the Marker School. The first session is a solo test between the evaluator and the (four year old) child, and involves testing for various aspects of intelligence including emotional maturity, puzzle solving, ability to comprehend new concepts. The test lasts over 90 minutes. The second test involves testing on academic and motor skills, such as reading, writing, math and craft skills. Arina passed both the tests with flying colors (Marker formally shares the result of the IQ test). Thanks to the grooming and foundation provided by her pre-school experience at Evergreen Montessori.
We feel that Arina - given her very shy nature- would not have succeeded in these had it not been for the years at the Montessori school which developed her confidence and skills. We now move Arina to the K-12 school with bitter-sweet feelings. While we are excited about the new opportunities, we certainly will miss being a part of a very special institution.

We wish you the very best .
Supreet & Angel Oberoi