For nearly two decades, MSS has been a beacon of Montessori love and expertise, nurturing and guiding children and fostering profound connections with both the children and their families.

Even as they step onto larger and broader stages, many of our graduates find time to return to their beloved MSS, reuniting with their former classmates and cherished teachers.

Recently, a few graduates from Xuhui Campus, hailing from the Blue and Pink classes, revisited our campus, reliving the beautiful moments they had during their time in the Montessori embrace.

We had the pleasure of chatting with these alumni’s parents to delve into their experiences.

Interviewee: Amber & Jade’s mom from Xuhui Campus

Primary school: Shanghai Concord Bilingual School

Question 1: How did MSS life and learning significantly influence and assist your child’s transition to the next educational level?

Reflecting on that critical year as graduates, we can confidently say that MSS’s seamless transition program played a pivotal role in helping our children comprehend and adapt swiftly to the rigors of primary school life. The class teachers proactively engaged with parents at the beginning of the academic year to ascertain the child’s academic direction—whether international, bilingual, or public school. Tailored assistance was provided, focusing on improving English speaking proficiency, fostering the courage to speak publicly, solidifying fundamental writing skills and basic grammar, and psychologically preparing the children for the imminent shift to elementary school.

The wealth of resources that MSS provided for graduates was evident from the work bags our children brought home every Friday. Alongside English language exercises and mathematical concepts, these bags included exercises on Chinese phonetics, stroke order, vocabulary expansion, and more. It’s safe to say that these resources left our children well-prepared and at ease in their primary school learning journey.

Question 2: Which specific MSS philosophy do you appreciate the most and consider highly beneficial for children?

MSS’s child-oriented approach, coupled with the profound respect for each child’s unique individuality, is highly commendable. Our twin daughters embarked on their educational journeys in MSS’s Violet and Blue classes, respectively experiencing different teachers, friends, and classroom dynamics. This provided ample space for the independent growth of their individual personalities.

In everyday teaching, MSS offered an exceptional learning environment rich with Montessori materials, empowering children to explore spontaneously and engage actively in their learning. The teachers acted as guiding lights, providing necessary assistance as the children gradually constructed their personalities.

Post-transition to primary school, we observed our children actively participating in various school activities like music performances, poster creations, creative art, and more. This proactive engagement, we believe, was a natural extension of the self-motivation they developed during their time at MSS.

Interviewee: Janet’s mom from Xuhui Campus

Primary school:Nord Anglia Chinese International School

Question 1: How did MSS life and learning significantly influence and assist your child’s transition to the next educational level?

Janet’s transition was smooth, and she adapted seamlessly to the rhythm of primary school. Throughout her four years at MSS, she exhibited remarkable progress and growth in communication skills, leadership, social aptitude, problem-solving abilities, daily life habits, and study routines. From a parent’s perspective, her growth over these four years surpassed our expectations.

Question 2: Which specific MSS philosophy do you appreciate the most and consider highly beneficial for children?

The mixed-age class at MSS is particularly noteworthy. Just like in adult society, children need to interact with individuals from different age groups. The mixed-age class at MSS offers children a wonderful opportunity to prepare for this reality. Naturally, when a child first enters the mixed-age class, they are the youngest and may be influenced and led by older children. However, as they grow, they transition into roles of leadership, becoming little guides and helpers for their younger peers.

In our family, we have a younger sister who closely observes her older sister’s conduct and interactions. The influence of the older sister on the younger one is substantial. The younger sister aspires to emulate her sister, to be a valuable classmate and a role model, someone who helps others. I find this aspect of MSS particularly appealing and commendable.

We miss you so much and hope to see you again!