With summer ending, I wanted to write my experience with Hudson Country Montessori School…read more As a mom of a 3 and 2 year old, who went through the pandemic and had trust issues with daycares or "strangers" caring for my kids, I can't thank HCMS enough for the amount of peace and reassurance they've given me. Everyone there is just absolutely lovely and such beautiful people. They have shown my children so much love and care. My daughter is a Velcro baby, meaning she's a literal baby koala. I can't thank Alexa, Rose, and Renee, in the infant room, enough for holding her when she wanted to be held, as long as she wanted. She then moved up to the waddler room, with new teachers, but they are as amazing as the infant room teachers. Sara, Susan, Chelsea, and Rebecca are literal angels. I just can't thank them enough for everything they've done for my daughter and us. They took such great care of her this past year. My son started in the toddler 2 room with Ms Mimi, Graciela, and Kristie. We absolutely love them! They're all such sweethearts! Ms Mimi is so good with the kids! She knows exactly how to take control of her class, which are all toddlers! Touché to her! Ms Mimi is also so loving and caring. I really couldn't have asked for a better school for my children. They've learned so much while being there and they've made such amazing friends and connections. I also love their security! It's gated, and you need a special passcode to enter the school. Although my children have only had the teachers listed above, everyone in that building is so friendly and welcoming. Ms Carmela is in charge of the toddler program, and she is just so amazing. She takes her time to meet families and hears any concerns you may have. If HCMS was on your list of schools to check out, go with it! You won't regret ever enrolling your kids there. It's a real Montessori school, filled with loving, hardworking, respectful teachers. You'll really see your children bloom into such smart, independent, loving, little people.

Amazing facility and staff.They are experts caring and very attentive. Highly recommended if there…read moreis room.

My son stayed out of school because of poor management…read more We have applied for a spot for September in mid JULY when we came back from visiting grandparents. We were in Honey Tree from February to June, 3 days a week schedule. Everything was fine until two weeks before September I asked for curtain days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - 3 days in a raw) - and Kaia responded that she will see what they can do. No sign of trouble yet. Week later, on August 26th (a 5 days before September) I reached out again to confirm the days cuz we were also figuring out a schedule for "Birth to three" program (visits in school for speech therapy) and I found out that we don't have a spot in class because payment didn't go through. What!? Why I wasn't informed? Why nobody called and asked "Hey , are you guys still want to go to our place?" Or hey guys - try another card, or pay manually don't wait till Autopay (Which was set for Aug 27th!) Card was on file the WHOLE TIME! How could this happen? We are not new customers, they had both of our contacts to reach out and ask if we still need a spot?! Or if they found someone else who goes full week (5 days schedule) - the right thing will be is to inform us about them,at least 2 weeks before school starts, Or ask if we want to go full time too?! It was very unprofessional and irresponsible ! I called all possible schools around and of course they are all fully booked or don't have Two's program. Very disappointed! You should work on stuff training, management are very week if this simple situation was handled in the worst possible way!

I never write reviews, but childcare is one of the most important decisions a parent can make. My…read moreson went here for 2 and a half years, so it wasn't all bad. They have a handful of amazing teachers but they are few and far between. I'm sure I will be met with a condescending response to this review from the owner, but I come with receipts. I'm a very relaxed parent and I'm not asking for my son to have some kind of special treatment. What I am asking for is for my son to be treated with basic respect. When you bring up any situation, you are gaslit to believe you are a problematic, dramatic, and an unhinged parent that isn't pleased despite their "efforts." They have an app called "Watch Me Grow" and it's on this app I witnessed a teacher kick my son's cot right by his head in an attempt to disconnect his cot from another cot. (Sept. 2022). I watched my son get hit in the face by another child(I get it, they are children), but what I don't get is why an incident report was never made, why no one told me what happened, and why I was the one that had to bring up what I saw. He came home with a bruise that night. The teacher assistant was too concerned with cutting up an art project and wasn't even paying attention to the children. When my child went to her, she wouldn't pick him up to even check to see if he was alright. When she did finally pick him up, she held him away from here body and then plopped him back down I guess he looked fine to her.(Oct. 2022) In Feb 2022, I watched every baby be handed a cupcake except my child for no apparent reason. It wasn't until a teacher that had grown fond of my son came in, saw he was the ONLY child without a cupcake, and she handed him one. I've called DCF in the past, and all HT did was move the teacher out of the room to a room with older kids where this teacher would go on to cause more problems with more children and families, but that's not my story to tell. The day before Thanksgiving 2023, my husband went to drop our son off. The same teacher assistant I had the issue with when he was injured was subbing in the room. She rolled her eyes when she saw my son. My husband picked up our child, and told them he didn't want him in the classroom with her because of her constant attitude. I'm not the only parent to talk about this TA's horrible attitude. I have heard it with my own ears, so I know I'm not crazy. Furthermore, my husband runs a business. I don't know any parent that would take their child back in an attempt to drop him off and go to work if there wasn't a problem. The owner called me within the hour and had already made up in her mind she didn't want my son back at daycare. She stated that "this was the 4th incident in 2 years, she felt like she couldn't make us happy, and the TA was crying." Every incident we have ever had was NOT made up out of thin air like the owner claims. She stated we are "looking for things to be wrong." I also don't know a parent that would keep their child at a daycare center to "look for something" to be wrong at the expense of their child. My son loved his actual teacher and TA, however this daycare hires family members and friends of family that already work there, so when a teacher is out sick they throw these people in their place. Fine by me, but at least make sure they like kids. I cannot tell you the amount of times I've walked in, and someone was on their phone. The owner went on to say she would be happy to help me find a new daycare, and refund me my money. When I asked her "are you kicking my son out of daycare?" she laughed and repeated she could refund me. Before we were even off the phone she took me off the cameras, and then 1 minute later I got a refund, followed by a text stated "they loved my son and she hoped I was happy at his new center." My child wasn't enrolled anywhere until March of 2024, so the day before Thanksgiving she left us with no daycare because of HER STAFF that SHE HIRED nasty attitude.Were also NOT the first family she's done this to, but again not my story to tell. I was also informed by a teacher that another teacher stated some very nasty things about my child. When I approached the manager about, I told her I wanted to discuss what was said, and I told her about the cupcake situation. When I brought the issue back up while she was kicking my child out of school months later she said she had never heard about the cupcake situation. Please document every issue like I did! Any time a situation occurs, the owner will tell you "the teacher bust into tears." Which indicates to me some of the staff have learned to cry to get out of the hot seat. The owner even tried to pin me against his teacher! We had situation where we noticed our son was in a corner in a high chair eating alone because he was smaller while the the bigger kids were on the other side of the room eating lunch. The teacher and I RESOLVED the issue and the manager threw it in my face as she was dismissing my child from school.

I highly recommend TBC over many other daycares in the area. Other daycares pride themselves on…read moreplay with no curriculum. TBC does an amazing job incorporating fun and play into structured, educational activities that help child grow socially, cognitively, and mentally. They have interactive activities all day in and outside the classroom. The building is immaculately clean and safe. I know my child is cared for by the amazing staff who are so friendly and personable. The owners are so kind and educated in early childhood development and education, I can trust them with my child and have no worries. The tuition is worth every penny to ensure my child is ready for kindergarten.

After 7 years and two kids, I'd say I'm pretty happy with the value and quality of care my two…read morechildren have received. In the little kids building (Greenfield Hill), 9/10 teachers were attentive, considerate and patient -- both my sons learned a lot and made lots of friends. The in-school field trips were awesome, and I appreciated the time to volunteer. At Villa, we had the same positive experience. The owners and managers responded to concerns I've expressed about safety on numerous occasions, and both kids learned to potty train pretty much because of the head teacher at Villa (Miss Emily). Would I change anything if I could? That's a hard question to answer because I haven't been to any of the other daycares in my area (other than tours). It would be nice to have a smaller student-teacher ratio, but for what we're paying, we really can't complain. I'd recommend TBC to any working parent in FF or surrounding areas.

I highly recommend this preschool/daycare. The owner and loving staff always worked diligently to…read morecare for my children and started them on the path to the correct education. I would often ask parenting questions of the owner as her years of insight working with many children was invaluable as a new mother. My boys have food allergies and the staff always made sure that the snacks and parties had safe options for them. The boys were always happy and loved going to school.

I writing this post in regards to a situation that happened to me this past week at my son's…read morepre-school. I would first like to state that any feelings expressed in this post are not indicative of how I feel toward the wonderful teachers that have cared for my son while he attended Bright Beginnings. Especially Ms. Jennifer. Although my son only had the pleasure of being in her class for a month and one week, she left a lasting impression on him. It is such a shame that the directive staff at Bright Beginnings is so unprofessional and they are ruining the reputation for some very nice teachers that are dedicated to helping our children. My story begins when I found out that my son was accepted to another pre-school program last week. This new pre-school is very popular and because it is so sought after there is a wait list that is created. There is a lottery for the spaces and his named was not pulled and therefore he was placed on the wait list. As September came, we still did not hear any word and enrolled him at Bright Beginnings for another year. Last week, we got the phone call that his name had been called off the wait list and he could start on Tuesday as long as all of his paper work was completed. I talked it over with my husband and we debated for days over what we should do. After a few sleepless nights, we decided that the best option for us was to send him to the new pre-school. I had informed Bright Beginnings last week that his name had been called off the wait list and we were THINKING of sending him but wanted to make an informed decision. One of the pieces to this puzzle was getting our money back from Bright Beginnings. I wrote them a check for tuition in September that paid for September through January. I asked Susan Hamilton, the director, what the policy was for refunds and she told me that I would have to speak with Mary Arnold, the owner/executive director, because she handles all money questions. I was told that she would call me but NEVER heard from her. On Thursday October 8, 2015 I dropped my son off and when I returned to pick him up I was told by his teacher that Mary and Susan were looking for me. I thought they finally had an answer for me about a refund because at this point I had not confirmed with them that my son was withdrawing from the school. When I walked into the lobby with all THREE of my children (my daughter had a half day from kindergarten), Mary was standing in her office and came to the door holding an envelope up. I approached her as she proceeded to fling the envelope at me with a look of disgust on her face and her exact words were "I do not want anyone here that does not want to be here". I was holding my 22 month old in one arm and the hand of my daughter on the other side while my 4 year old son was chatting with a friend. I was in shock because I never once said that I was not happy at Bright Beginnings. I have been a customer there for almost 3 years. I asked why she was saying that to me and with hatred in her eyes she said that she could not believe that I was taking my son out of program in October to jockey him to another program where he did not know anyone. I told her that she did not have the right to criticize my parenting because I was a making a decision to do what I felt was best for MY child and family and I am sorry that this decision did not include you and your business. When I got to the car and looked at the check, the amount was only for November - January which meant she was keeping all of October. I went back inside to ask her why October was not prorated and Mary told me that she would not do that for me. One of her reasons was because she had never met another parent who would pull their child from a school in October and because of that I was not worthy of getting all my money back. She also said that it would be too difficult for her to go back and count the days that he attended her school and she would not do that for someone like me. Well, I did the math for you Mary and you owe me $347.25. I asked Mary what I could do and could she please show me the policy regarding refunds. Her response was I could take her court, but I would never win. She said that she has the right to keep what ever she wants and it is not her policy to give any refunds. Please show me any business establishment anywhere that does not have a policy on refunds, I welcome the debate. As if that was not enough, I was berated even further when she told me that she went around and asked the other mom's in my son's class about what I was doing and told me that they all thought that what I was doing was wrong and they too think that I am a horrible mom for pulling my child out of a program that he has become comfortable with.

I was told that If my child has a tough time transitioning from being at home w/ mom into the class…read moreroom for example, cries a lot, they will ask I come and get her in order to not disrupt the other children. When asked about masks, i was told not to worry if my child doesn't like wearing a mask, the other kids will call each other out and point if they take their mask off Felt very lord of the flies 2 stars because it was a walkthrough and i don't want to assume the entire school is cold and inflexible + the grounds are pretty.

I can't even believe there is a bad review for Wesley. Our daughter (and I) absolutely loved her…read moreexperience here in the 3s classroom. It was her first year in preschool and we researched all of the schools in Newtown and Bethel. We decided on WLC because we loved the teachers and the balance of play/socialization with age appropriate learning. Our daughter came home each day with stories about science projects, art projects, science experiments, and her favorite--gym class. During the COVID shutdown they continued with zoom classes even though we weren't even paying tuition. I wholeheartedly recommend Wesley. We will be back next year! To the previous comment, there is a new director (started this year) and she is wonderful.

I think anything that can go wrong , went wrong at this school. Lack of communication between not…read moreonly teachers, but also the director. No organization to the point my son is stuck in a class I have continuously said he is not enriched in due to a rotation of teachers in it, and no updates throughout the day on my sons activities or curriculum. Was quoted the wrong tuition from the start and my concerns expressed along with other family members were ignored. If you want a school with a classroom that truly enriches kids without rotating teachers (I've seen up to 6 teachers in my sons class periodically) , active communication and detailed curriculum activities in the app they use..do not go here.

My worst nightmare happened at Tutor time in Norwalk when my daughter came home with unexplained…read moreinjuries. When she started, she would cry unconsolably when we dropped her off. When I watched her on their video app, I noticed she wouldn't be comforted. I also noticed that she spent hours in the crib despite only napping for an hour. The teacher was cold towards her and my daughter seemed specifically scared of this teacher. There was a lot of neglect and isolation. When she was picked up by this specific teacher, it was without empathy. I saw my daughter fearfully retreat into the crib when she was approached by her. I saw my daughter swat at her face and the teacher then took her to an area of the room that isn't visible on camera. When I tried to screenshot or record what I saw, it disables the app. I called the assistant director and spoke with him about my concerns. That evening when I went to bathe my daughter, I noticed multiple abrasions on her chest, armpit, back and puncture wounds on her hand. I sent an email to the assistant director and met with him and the site director in the morning. When I undressed my daughter and showed them her injuries they stated they felt they occurred by the teacher picking her up and being scratched by her long nails accidentally. There was never an incident report made. It's impossible that my daughter was scratched harmlessly with her clothes on leaving a total of 9 marks on her left side and two on her right hand. There is no way that my daughter scratched herself nor another child. I am a ER physician and their lack of concern is appalling. This was not an accident. I believe Tutor time is not naive to instances similar to what occurred with my daughter based on their response. They are not a safe facility for any child to attend and I definitely would warn anyone not to do so.

We have now been at RMS going on 2 years with a second child entering next year and we are so happy…read moreand grateful to have found it. We looked into every Montessori w/in a 25 mile radius (Wilton, Ridgefield, Danbury, Newtown, Washington) and the Toddler/Primary programs here are second to none. The school is not too big, so you feel you're part of a family. There is something so special here and you feel it as a parent the moment you walk in, but your child experiences it, too. We saw this during observations and we're experiencing it now as parents. It's important to know several things about Montessori schools. 1. Not all are created equal and each is independently owned/run. This means some adhere more or less to Montessori values/principles. RMS is a beautiful balance, adhering to the principles while making room for modern needs and allowing each child to grow but also, to be. 2. As in any school setting, the teachers make or break it. The Teachers in every room/program here are beyond plugged in, nurturing, warm and caring. AND, they work very collaboratively while still minding their individual programs. This means a holistic approach for your child as they grow through the years. My daughter embraces each of them and speaks so highly of them outside of school. She looks up to them but doesn't view them as simply 'adults' or teachers. These are her guides and she is so thankful for her relationships with each one of them. I did see a review from several years ago mentioning 25 students to a class/teacher. Not only is that not the Montessori method, but it has never been the ratio at this school (nor do I believe it's allowed by the state in these settings, but I could be wrong). For interested parents: In each Toddler room (2), you're looking at about 10-12 kids with 2-3 teachers/class (depending on enrollment each year) so usually a 1:4ish ratio and the Primary room (used to be 2, is now 1 large room broken up into 2 sections to follow core Montessori method) you're looking at about 30-36 kids total with 4 Teachers and the class is somewhat split into 3s/4s Section and then 5s Section w/2 teachers focused on each at any time. You're still at a 1:8 ratio roughly, so not sure where the 1:25 ratio came from. In any case, we're active and present and have seen this school from all angles and truly, couldn't be happier. The physical space itself is also beautiful, pristine and built for kids (bathrooms in the Toddler room, bathrooms right outside the Primary class). The biggest issue we're facing is what comes after RMS as we've yet to find anything in the area that is suited to follow. We hope others will take the time to come see for themselves what makes this school, the teachers, the program and the students so [truly] magical. These years should be spent exploring through play, not rigid curriculum, and RMS has made good on that every step of the way while still exposing these littles to the world around them in a way that engages them and lays a foundation for a true love of learning. Thanks you, RMS

I was recommended Ridgefield Montessori School by a friend when my son was just a baby. I am so…read morehappy she did! My son went to the school from when he was 1 years old when they used to have an infant room all the way until Kindergarten. My son is now in public school and misses RMS very much. It was like a family to him and the relationships he made there were wonderful. We loved how independent and creative he became all due to the Montessori way of teaching. He is currently thriving now in public school because of the foundation he was taught. They also have very flexible hours for working parents which was very useful. He loved the after school activities like cooking and science. He would beg to stay late. The staff and teachers are the best! You won't regret your decision to send your children here!

The St. Paul Christian school has been such a blessing. We have had 3 graduates and one still in…read morethe school. My three older children were so well prepared for kindergarten. Not only academically, but socially and emotionally as well. The teachers are all so kind and loving. The director and office manager are so helpful and have an open-door policy if you ever have any concerns or questions. One thing that I think is great is how they deal with conflict. A child is not put in a time out chair. They work with the children on conflict resolution having the children express their feelings and how better to solve their issue. The theme that surrounds each day at St. Paul Christian School is love and kindness to all. The community of parents are the most down to earth and kind people. I urge anyone who is looking for a preschool to check it out and bring your little one in too. They have 1's-kindergarten. They started a new EARLY 2's program which is great for ones you feel may be on the young side to start too.

We came to St Paul's for our son's Pre-K year. We saw ourselves utilizing the program as an…read moreacademic and emotional bridge from his last preschool to his kindergarten year at private school...a one year deal. We had no idea that the school would very quickly come to feel like a second home to our son and a second family to the rest of us. The teachers couldn't have been more creative, stimulating and nurturing in their teaching, and our son grew more academically AND emotionally/socially than we have ever thought possible. We are so grateful for the time and energy spent by all to help our son transition to a new school and to welcome our entire family to a new community. It was such a tremendous experience that we have now decided to not only keep our son there for his kindergarten year but also to enroll our daughter in the 3's program. We are thrilled that we have more years left to enjoy and participate in the gem that is St. Paul!!!!