Alive Montessori & Private School

Is a small, family-oriented school located in a peaceful setting in Forest Hill, Toronto. We believe that a child’s first school experience should be filled with curiosity, exploration and opportunities for independence. We provide an environment rich in purpose and experience so as to inspire, motivate and empower children to reach their full learning potential is achievable through implementing the four foundations of early learning: belonging, well-being, engagement and expression.

We offer Montessori programs for children 2 years of age through Grade 6.

At Alive Montessori & Private School, our mixed-age Elementary classrooms (Grades 1–6) create a natural environment for children to learn from and support one another. Older students often help younger classmates with reading, math, classroom routines, and new lessons.
This benefits both children. Younger students gain confidence by learning from peers they look up to, while older students strengthen their own understanding, develop patience, and build leadership skills by helping others.
Through this everyday peer mentorship, children learn to take responsibility, collaborate, communicate, and contribute to their classroom community. Leadership is not simply taught—it is practiced every day.
Our Montessori approach prepares children not only for academic success, but also for life by helping them become confident, caring, independent, and responsible members of a community.

1. How children learn – Traditional schools are teacher-led with the whole class moving together; Montessori lets kids work at their own pace through hands-on activities, with teachers guiding rather than lecturing.
2. Classroom structure – Traditional classrooms are single-age/single-grade; Montessori classrooms mix ages (e.g., Grades 1–3 together), letting kids teach/learn from each other and progress by readiness rather than grade level.
3. Independence and self-direction – Framed as the biggest cultural difference: traditional classrooms are teacher-directed, while Montessori students make real choices about their work, building self-management skills.
4. Academics (the "behind or ahead" worry) – Directly addresses a common parent concern, arguing Montessori kids aren't behind and are often ahead in math/language due to deep understanding over memorization.

Our goal at Alive Montessori & Private School is to provide the best possible start to our children through proper education, thereby instilling a life-long love of learning in every child. We aim to create a safe, caring and fun environment where every child will learn and will become more and more confident as he or she gains in abilities. Here you’ll find exceptional teachers, curriculum and learning environments that encourage children to learn, play and explore in a safe and nurturing environment.

Individual attention in a small-class setting
Educational field trips and school presentations
Positive learning environment for your child
Done properly, learning is fun