Love love love this school. Our son continues to amaze us with what he's learning. Not only in the educational sense but also in his social skills, manners and independence. The Montessori theory is great and Alice's is a clear step above the rest read more

This is a message of immense gratitude to Ms Teresa, Ms Kecia, Ms Michelle, Mr Allan, Ms Devie, Ms Sara, Ms Sabrina, Ms Sam, and Ms Alice. My son is now six, and I'm a bit heartbroken that it's now time for him to move on to first grade. Yes, he did attend morning Zoom school for kindergarten at one of the public schools--and yes, Alice's did have compassion for the families by offering a special kindergarten afternoon daycare to help support during the pandemic. This was such a priceless gift to the families. My son has attended Alice's since he was two years old and in diapers. As a parent, I likely had all of the same interests and concerns as you currently have when looking for a preschool...and then some. I'm cautious and well-researched. Thanks to the glowing reviews for all three of the locations, I'm grateful to have found Alice's. All of the positive reviews are true. During non-pandemic operation, the school brings in guests like firemen and nurses, children learn tremendous social skills to take care of others and their environment, and the Montessori-style of teaching allows children to thrive. Thanks to their focus on phonics, my son is currently reading beyond first grade level. The teachers are natural educators and caretakers. To be honest, I would trust them to take care of my son over most of my family. Haha. I guess another way to put it is that they feel like the best of our chosen family. There were definitely tears from me, my husband, and the little guy at the thought of not seeing Alice's teachers on a daily basis. We hope to stay in touch with them for some time. read more

Very disappointed. We withdrew my two year old son after two weeks. Here's why... My son was never cleaned properly during diaper time. Every day I changed his diaper immediately after pick up and he still had poop on his bottom. This happened every day the first week. I emailed the Director and she alerted the staff. However, when I picked him up the next day, instead of just having some leftovers to wipe, he had a diaper full of poop. This was not a one off thing. During an afternoon visit I was playing with a two year old girl. She pooped and I told the teacher. The teacher's response was "oh teacher X is supposed to be doing diapers." However that teacher was indisposed. So because that teacher was unavailable the two year old girl sat in a diaper full of poop for the next 45 minutes. The lack of hygiene is unacceptable. None of the teachers ever tried to establish a personal connection with my son. No one greeted him in the morning or tried to incorporate him into the group during our afternoon visits. The staff was very ok with letting him cry alone in a corner. This is not how we parent and it is not the experience we had at his previous preschool. The teachers did not intervene when older kids were pushy on the playground. Our house rule is no touching friends. No hitting. No shoving. No grabbing. I watched my son be pushed off toys that older kids were playing with multiple times. No teacher intervened to help my child or to teach the pusher a better way to handle things. Instead the teacher's response was "oh I didn't see it." She was literally standing five feet away. So she was either lying or incredibly bad at her job. You're a preschool teacher! Your job is to see these things and to react. When I saw my son grab something from another student, no teacher intervened. So I did because I am not going to teach my kid that bullying is acceptable. I believe in letting kids work things out but when pushing is involved the teachers need to step in and provide proper guidance. My son had adapted to previous schools and nannies. I am used to the drop off tears and know that it takes a while to adjust. This was a failure of staff to properly care for my child on both hygienic and behavioral issues. It was a culture I was not going to allow my child to adapt to. Parents pay attention to how the teachers interact with your child here. We switched to Alice's because the location and schedule was perfect for our family, and we had heard great things. We were extremely disappointed. read more

This preschool is AMAZING! I am so sad that my youngest one is leaving, because we are moving to another city. My older son and younger son both attended Alice's and all the teachers are phenomenal! They learn so much here, feel comfortable, and make lots of friends. They teach real life skills along with knowledge about the world. They are super organized, clean, friendly, and professional. I highly recommend this preschool- it truly is one of the best! read more

My son just "graduated" from Alice's after attending from age 3-5, and I must say I'm sad to see him go. This is such a great learning environment for the kids, and the staff is really great. If you're on the fence about whether or not to send your child here, let me give you a brief rundown of my experiences. - They really focus on education, both through learning tools and real life experiences. They bring in guest speakers, in-class field trips, promote a culture of learning. They have had librarians, musicians, gymnastics, Spanish daily and even African drumming circles to give the kids a well-rounded, balanced experience. They're all about bringing the classroom to life! - The school promotes socialization skills, courtesy, and learning how to be a good friend. It sounds simple, but amongst a group of 3 year olds, that can sometimes be a difficult task. They really learn how to be independent, clean up after themselves, and treat their friends with respect. - Wonderful teachers. I can honestly say that my child came out of Alice's with a great EDUCATION. He can write his name, is learning to read, speaks in Spanish, knows human (and animal) biology. They really do impressive things with these kids, and that's largely due to great teaching. I hope you find your experience at Alice's as rewarding and gratifying as I have. Little sister will be heading there as soon as she's old enough! :-) read more

My son has been attending Alice's preschool for about 7 months now and we really love this school. He is currently 4 and is thriving in this environment. He is learning so much and loves to share with us and pretend to teach us at "circle time". If you are thinking about a preschool, this is a great option. The staff are so caring and spend valuable time teaching. read more

Our son started Alice'sin 2009 when he turned 3, and spent almost 2 years there. He began as 3 full days a week and then went to 5 full days a week. We absolutely loved it! Our son thrived on learning how to do things himself, exploring new skills as well as learning to sit in a circle, play with others, share, and learn to do things for himself. The children are looked after closely, teachers make sure lunch is eaten and children clean up after themselves. Our son progressed a lot at Alice's and made very good friends. The ages range from 2-6 and certain activities are separated for age, but our son got along with kids off all ages. He learned to help and teach the younger kids and learn from older kids. The school offered optional programs like gymnastics and music, which our son enjoyed very much. Guest speakers were invited in to speak about their jobs in the community like police offices, nurses, EMT's, as well as many others. The cost of the school is competitive, considering the location, hours, and level of education from the staff. All the staff was great and helped our son develop his skill so nicely and learn to have self confidence! read more

Both my son and daughter went to Alice's for their pre-K and having been to other pre-schools as well, Alice's was miles apart from anything we have ever experienced. The school's familial environment , friendly and educationally oriented experiential learning style along with the exceptional teachers make this school what all other pre-schools aspire for, but hardly ever reach. Alice's has not only touched that pinnacle of how childhood education should be, it firmly sits on the top. Highly recommended. read more

Dear Parents, It is not easy to find a place where we as parents feel comfortable to leave our children for long working hours. Alice's Montessori Learning Center felt for our daughter Diana as a second home and was the best place we could imagine to choose for her. This is why we loved this preschool: 1) The teachers and the director are wonderful. They are all very dedicated, patient, positive, fun and passionate about children's development. They treat all of the children as their own, and this is very unique. Our daughter developed a very close relationship with them. 2) It provides the children not only with excellent educational program based on Montessori principles, but also teaches them how to be a good friend and have good manners. 3) Children have multiple pets at preschool like frog, fishes, rabbit, turtle as well as some more exotic guest pets like Gecko, and a friendly snake. Thank to this exposure Diana is not afraid of any pets. 4) The preschool is building a community of children, teachers and parents and facilitates building long term friendships. 5) The facility is safe, clean, well maintained and feels like home 6) The director of the school, Mrs. Teresa is making sure that parents are aware of children's development and the daily life of the preschool. We are very grateful for the time our Diana was attending to this preschool. Thank you one more time for all you did for our daughter. read more

I currently have two sons at Alice's - one is five and a half, and heading to Kindergarten next year, and the other just turned four. Both kids have been at Alice's since they each turned 2 as both myself and my husband work full time. I cannot say enough good things about Alice's. My kids are very different personality-wise, and both have thrived in the environment that Ms. Teresa and her teachers provide. One is an 'old soul', and the other is very much a free spirit, and they've both found ways to grow immensely in their time at preschool. Mr. Ricardo teaches Spanish to the kids on Friday, and my older son is very comfortable speaking both English and Spanish both at home and in restaurants. They also teach Science to the kids in Extended Day (the older four and five year-olds), and my older son has learned to ask questions and experiment to see why things work the way that they do in the world around him. Not all Montessori's offer foreign language and science; this is something that really sets Alice's in Pleasant Hill apart from other preschools. Both kids love trying new things, enjoy reading, writing, and drawing, love getting dirty, and play well with kids both older and younger than they are. The multi-age classroom has allowed my boys to be together for the past three years, and for that I am so very grateful. Verbally, both of my kids are very comfortable having grown-up conversations with adults. They have incredibly expansive vocabularies and they know how and when to use words in appropriate context. Other adults are continually surprised to hear the way that my boys speak, and it makes me incredibly proud of them both. Lastly, Alice's works hard to teach the kids how to be polite and respectful of one another. Little people need to work hard to use their words to solve problems with one another, and the teachers really engage and encourage the kids to problem solve in a very mature manner. read more

We enrolled our 3 year old daughter at Alice's just a few months after they opened their Pleasant Hill campus. After spending a half day there as a trial, my daughter was thrilled (it was starkly different from the corporate childcare she attended previously), so we signed up! She spent over a year at Alice's and loved every moment. As parents, we felt our daughter was being nurtured socially and academically, and we noticed the positive influence of the Montessori teaching principles. The staff were patient, calm and well educated. They did a superb job guiding the kids along, while allowing them to be self-directed. They also supported the children in gentle communication and conflict resolution by giving appropriate tools. We also watched the school grow tremendously in enrollment, which happened very quickly, yet was handled as smoothly as one could hope. Additional staff were brought in, and changes to the facility were made as needed. We appreciated the community that evolved amongst many of the families within the school as well. Each day at Alice's was a pleasure. We all miss this wonderful place now that my daughter is in Kindergarten. I highly recommend Alice's to any family interested in Montessori education in a fun, nurturing environment. read more

We sent two of our daughters through here, the staff is fantastic, they provide a caring environment with plenty of freedom for the kids, Eleanor and Georgie loved all of their teachers so much. We've felt like family there and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a preschool experience. We'll miss them very much and can't thank all of them enough for taking such good care of our girls. read more

Our daughter attended Alice's for two years before kindergarten, and we couldn't be more happy with it. Socially, our daughter would wake up in the morning and could hardly wait to go to school and often times didn't want to come home when it was time! She was taught by the outstanding teachers how to peacefully resolve differences with the other 'friends.' It worked very well. Academically, she's beginning kindergarten now far beyond her peers, thanks to Alice's. The school has a myriad of different stations and programs that help the kids learn without them even realizing that they're learning. She's adding, counting, writing, informing me that in fact, no, that's not a whale, but an orca. :) I can't say enough about the teachers. They are truly devoted and are masters of this craft. They're in no way just hired employees. The kids feel their dedication and I think it helps them to feel valued and welcome there. Overall- FABULOUS! Five stars! read more

My daughter started here just after they opened, just before she turned 5, and spent almost 3 yrs here. The teachers are great and really care about the children. The facilities are nice and comfortable. It is almost like a family. My daughter has thrived here. She will start kindergarten this year knowing all her numbers and letters, basic math, some Spanish and being able to read and write several short words. I am sure Alice's has given her a head start emotionally, intellectually and socially! read more

Our daughter attended Alice's for just over a year. She started when she was 3 and left when she was 4 in August to attend Transitional Kindergarten at our local public school. Since we were new to the area we did a lot of research and meetings and felt Alice's was the best in the Pleasant Hill area. Teresa and the rest of the staff at Alices's were great with our daughter and the other kids. They were wonderful in assisting us with potty training and were very communicative about anything that came up. All of our emails and questions were answered quickly and respectfully. I would not hesitate to recommend Alice's to anyone looking for full time child care. Our daughter still has friends from Alice's and asks to come back and visit on a regular basis! read more

We had 2 children attend Alice's and were there for over 5 years. This is such a wonderful preschool with loving and caring teachers! Like the other reviews, I can't say enough positive things about this school. We really liked Alice because of its "at home" feel and small class size. Prior to Alice, our oldest child was at a larger preschool in the same area. We made the move to Alice because of the smaller class size which provided a more nurturing environment. Unlike the larger preschool, the teachers at Alice take an active role in the curriculum and activities at school. They actively participate in all of the different "work stations" at school and work towards making the children's experiences at those stations both more meaningful and enriching. We would recommend Alice's to anyone looking for full time child care! read more

My daughter came to Alice's a shy and timid 3 year old. She is now 5 years of age and has become a confident child. She is currently enrolled there and will go to kindergarten in the fall. I can't say enough good things about this school. She has learned so much and will be more than ready for the transition from preschool to kindergarten.They emphasize independence and respect that each child is unique and learns at their own pace. They provide an array of hands on materials allowing the children to learn by discovering concepts as they manipulate the world around them. The teachers are wonderful, caring and kind. Through their gentle guidance she has grown in so many positive ways. They truly nurtured her as an individual and she has thrived in an environment that allowed her to find her own way without being pushed. These educators are amazing and have given her the fundamentals she will need to succeed throughout her elementary school career! They have boosted her confidence and she is proud of herself and what she can accomplish. Priceless! It is important to note that the site is very clean and the outdoor area offers lots of room to run around and play. I highly recommend Alice's Montessori to anyone who wants only the best for their child. read more