I first met Zahra in 2018 when I was taking the Early Childhood Montessori course with the CMTEI in East York. She was one of the instructors, and I could see immediately that she radiated the passion for Montessori education. The concept of “following the child” was authentic for Zahra, and it came across to the students each time she taught or led discussions. Zahra displays a true Montessori mindset, allowing the child to independently discover and think, and ultimately feel a sense of success. Zahra has a compassionate spirit, and I have witnessed not only her encouraging and positive energy, but also a distinct respect for the young child, which is so in keeping with the Montessori philosophy. She is artistic and creative, experienced and knowledgeable, and yet can easily relate to a child’s individual educational needs. Zahra’s school environment will most assuredly reflect what Maria Montessori had in mind when first creating her Casa dei Bambini. I truly believe that Peace Garden Montessori will bring your child confidence, comfort, knowledge, new friendships, positive experiences, and most importantly, the initial vital building blocks to further education.

Kelly Kennedy MACTE, BEd

Ms. Zahra is an expert in Montessori way of teaching. I had the pleasure of observing her classroom teaching as a parent and I have seen a happy class where the teacher met the needs of all kinds of learners and kept the curiosity of the young minds alive. Ms. Zahra facilitates her students in a way that they become independent learners. When my daughter graduated from her class she was ready for grade 1 and confident with her Math and Reading skills. Moreover, Ms. Zahra creates a personal connection with her students and their parents and is available to have a conversation whenever need be. We were fortunate to have Ms. Zahra as our daughter’s teacher in her early years.

Rozina Somani

Ms. Kara is the best teacher for always. My son, Marco, and I have known her for almost 10 years. I am so glad that Ms. Kara was Marco’s first teacher. She is hardworking, positive, caring, considerate and so respectful of different cultures—making her an amazing person. I am sure the kids who have her as their teacher are lucky! Keep up the good work, Ms. Kara! We all love you!

Diana Zhu

Words cannot describe how wonderful Ms. Zahra is. Any child that comes under her wings is going to soar. I know because my daughter was in her Casa class from 4-5 years old and whatever Ms. Zahra did has stuck with her even as a 6 year old now. She teaches using the Montessori method but more than that, her teaching strategies really focus on critical thinking and leadership skills from a very early age. She hones in on each child's individual needs and helps develop their skills in a personalized manner. There is not a single parent that I know who's child has been under her care that has complained about her. In fact, our hearts broke when the pandemic hit and we couldn't continue the year in person, but Ms Zahra did whatever she could to continue learning virtually. The love she has for her students is immense, along with teaching and education. You will not be disappointed in having your child in her care. 

Sidra and Adam Hassan

We have known Ms. Kara for the past ten years. She taught Mila, our daughter for two years at the ages 4-5. We remember that she loved participating in International Day, and especially enjoyed the year that they studied about Spain. Mila got dressed up in a Flamenco dress and danced Flamenco as well! They also learned to sing a song in Spanish. She loved her class. Ms. Kara is excellent and the best teacher Mila ever had.

Kata K Vegh

As an Educator & Leader for 30 yrs., I would like to emphasize the importance of understanding & nurturing the whole child. It is critical to address the social/emotional/ needs of a child before meeting the academic needs. In the 21st century, success in the classroom or remote learning will sustain and flourish when we nurture children with Mindfulness, yoga, and a love for nature. When children understand how to calm themselves, self-regulation and discipline can be achieved. My classroom always prioritized calm corners, mindfulness, music for calming & inspiration, and movement through dance & drama. Congrats Zahra Kara for feeding the souls & minds of your students with mindfulness activities and for respecting the environment.

A. Khan - Educator/Leader

Miss Zahra was an unassuming wave of brilliance. She taught my son Qayim now 7.5 and then 5, one of his sweetest life lessons; how to love and respect a complete stranger. She was always more than a teacher to him and us, she was a friend. She taught him that school was not just about learning but about feeling, and understanding. She was gentle but firm in equal parts, which allowed his education journey with her to feel so easy and fun that he learned with so much ease and retained every inch of information of his newfound knowledge. She has a distinct patience with all the children she taught and a beautiful ability to understand each child for who they are and what they bring to the classroom. Miss Zahra bought the best out in Qayim in every way, and he loved his teacher dearly. She is quite literally exceptional. Qayim said : “Miss. Zahra was always kind and helpful. I loved her because she always let me do fun projects and helped me complete them. We had a monarch butterfly in the classroom which I loved looking at. Miss. Zahra was always caring and really loved me.”

Afroze Jindani

Ms. Kara is a kind, positive and compassionate teacher. Her commitment and dedication to her students are just amazing and awe-inspiring. You can see that every child in her class is always eager to be there to learn and to be with their peers. My eldest son is now 12yo but his early years with Ms. Kara made such a great impact on who he is becoming as a young individual. I wish that our youngest children could have had the same experience. Sadly we do not live close enough to attend her new school. From her son Noah, "I remember the fun things we did for France and Nunavut for international day. It has been many years since I last saw you but I still remember how caring and loving you were as a teacher. Thank you for everything, Ms. Kara!"

Janet Zabala

Ms. Kara taught our child for 2 years. We loved Ms. Kara’s teaching style, she provided such a nurturing, caring, creative and holistic approach to educating our child. We believe that our children need to return to being embodied and connected to Mother Earth. Ms. Kara was able to support our child with wonderful teachings, through yoga, gardening music, food and the arts. We still talk about Ms. Kara today and our child is 11! Any child that is taught by Ms. Kara will have the most wonderful learning experience!

Van Mistry and Kyle Moore

Ms. Kara, whom our family has known since close to 10 years ago, is an inspiring and dedicated Montessori educator. When our daughter attended Ms. Kara’s class during her pre-Grade 1 years, we could not initially believe the depth and scope of the content covered in class. We did not at first understand how young children could pick up so many ideas and new concepts, but something was clearly working. Ms. Kara brings new learnings and experiences to children (and their families) in ways that stimulate their senses and encourage them to build and develop both passion and discipline in a safe and positive learning environment. With Ms. Kara, it is always a lot more than delivering a curriculum. Her kindness and patience bring out the best in the children she teaches. Her focus is not just on the here and now, but to bring out one’s potential and ready each child for his or her future. We truly believe that the habits our daughter formed and the learning foundations she established during those early years under Ms. Kara’s guidance and support had a strong and positive impact on shaping who she is and is becoming. We continue to observe every day in our little sunshine the many positives Ms. Kara role modelled. Thank you, Ms. Kara.

Gwen and Derek Cheung