Dear Parent, As a parent myself, I had sent daughter to a traditional childcare center. My daughter went to a Kiddie Academy for the first four years. She was happy to be there, made many friends. The facility was well managed. The staff friendly. Yet something was lacking. It is not as if we did not consider Montessori education for my daughter before. We had just moved to Basking Ridge, NJ a year prior to the arrival of our daughter. We first decided to send our daughter to childcare center when she was about a year old. We looked at many nearby facilities including Montessori schools. We do recollect our visits to Somerset Hills Montessori and Al Brook School. The word that describes it well is "daunting". The overall cost of care came somewhat higher in Somerset Hills Montessori and significantly higher in Al Brook. The facilities seemed less impressive and the front office somewhat curt in their response. We remember that they wanted a full year commitment in Somerset Hills Montessori and a multi-year commitment in Al Brook. We had to make our decision by spending a mere half a day at the facility, observing the children. Being new to the town, we were simply not sure we would be in a position to do that. There were some insurance options to deal with loss of job or relocations but we were not comfortable. In contrast, the childcare centers we visited made no such demands, had excellent tours of their facilities. We picked the Kiddie Academy. For the last year, prior to her Kindergarten, we decided to send her to a Montessori school, more as a change in scenery. We checked out Somerset Hills Montessori again. While the facility seemed a bit old and drab, the teachers were friendly and the children seemed happy. By now, we knew we would be in Basking Ridge for at least another year, if not more. We enrolled her there. She was equally happy and made new friends. In less than a month, we noticed things different about her. What we found was the extra sparkle in her eyes and the level of curiosity that we have not seen before. She also made a big leap in her language and math. She reveled in doing things and showing it to us. Suffice to say, we regretted not having her in a Montessori school earlier. My interest was piqued about Montessori education. A yearlong research convinced me more about the method of education and reinforced the thought that what we noticed in our daughter was not an anomaly but the expected result. Montessori method opens the child to an education that is not passively received by the child but is actively sought out and obtained. It kindles the curiosity and inspires initiative and spirit of adventure. It inculcates in the child both Leadership and Teamwork, what at first thought seems paradoxical but is not so upon deeper inspection. During my research, I also found that our initial experience in Somerset Hills Montessori and Al Brook were not abnormal either. Most parents who visit a Montessori school come across similar experience. There is this expectation that the parents know about Montessori method and are willing to take a leap of faith. Not much effort is made to educate them the positives of this method of education. It is also the parents who should assume the risk should their child not like this method of education, as they are on hook for a year of commitment. A year of unhappiness in a child is comparable to a lost decade in adulthood. Yet, that is what the parents are expected to sign on. I found the reason they charge higher than a regular childcare center as well. Montessori method involves trained staff and specialized materials, which are more expensive than the teachers and teaching aids you find in a regular childcare. This is when I decided that I would merge the Montessori education I am so impressed by with the convenience and customer service of a childcare center. When I looked at prospective locations, I was surprised to find that there was no Montessori school in Hillsborough, NJ where I have many friends and know it to be an upscale community of well-educated professionals. There were some among our friends who were taking their child to far off Montessori schools in Princeton, Montgomery, Raritan and Martinsville. It seemed a no-brainer to have a Montessori school here. A yearlong effort in planning and starting a Montessori school in Hillsborough is now at its fruition and we are opening the doors this school year. My commitment is to strict adherence of the Montessori method coupled with superior customer service and convenience. I have assembled a group of experienced, Montessori certified teachers that I am proud of and I have made sure that we don't cut corners when it comes to selecting appropriate materials and furnishings. I offer it at a cost comparable to a regular child care center by avoiding franchise costs, minimizing advertising budgets, prudent financial management and by minimizing margins. I am confident of the quality and value that I offer, there is no yearly contracts to retain your patronage by force. I hope this opens up the option of Montessori education to many a child who would benefit from it. I hope this makes the decision easier for you to give this method a fair trial and in the process help their child excel. Welcome to Lil Sparks Montessori - Academy of Childhood Excellence! Sincerely, Padmaja Hari Director Lil Sparks Montessori