I am a current parent. I strongly question some of the reviews written by others as I think they might be petty and malicious (maybe even one sided). I'll try my best to give an honest unbiased review broken down as best as possible aside from the white elephant in the room, the citation in which the teacher in question was terminated and things have moved on and progressed! Every teacher has been through additional training.
Facility: New built with today's standards, bright, large space, organized, clean, visually stimulating for young minds. Cute cubbies for each student. There is a separate eating table for children who have allergies in each classroom. Security, has a wrought iron fence surrounding perimeter and a punch pad to access building.
Playground: Efficient for a child's needs. There are numerous things a kid can do to get the wiggles out. Playtime is supervised.
Teachers: I have only had experience with Room 2 and on occasion pleasentries with some other teachers. The head teachers are extremely knowledgeable and patient with their students. I have never seen Ms. Shiroma punish, scold, or shame a child. She is probably the most Zen like person you can encounter. If you have any doubts about this school, take a look at each classrooms lesson plan (not the schedule) for the month! Not many preschools will have this level of planning and I dare you to find one which does! My son is very communicative. I ask him every day if he likes his school and what he learned and every day he tells me he loves his school and the jobs he did.
Program: this is not a "true" Montessori but it is pretty close to being true. Honestly, check out One World Montessori to compare. I find in a "true" Montessori kids are allowed to putter around and do what they want without little direction. Hey, if your kid can manage on her/his own then go for One World! We prefer a little more direction and interaction for our child which is what Appleseed provides. The kids do art, science, math, phonics, put on plays, dance, and sing songs! Ask to see a lesson plan!
Parent participation: This is where I think the school should make it mandatory to have a few hours of parents time as volunteer. There is almost 0 parent participation. Even the simple task of packing their child something to share with the letter of the week proves too much work?! I find that parents at this school think it's the teachers job to handle their children's needs as far as feeding massive lunches, potty training, dealing with behavior issues, and everything else when in fact this is the parents job! Teachers are there to support what you have started not to solely provide. If you want someone to soley provide these things, then a preschool is not for you and maybe you should look into a nanny!
Diversity, this school is not diverse but I know they try their best about discussing diversity.
Director: This is a large school and I'm sure it has its challenges of managing but the school is always clean and cheerful, the kids are well taken care of, and the programs go on without a hitch. Unfortunately, I don't think Ms. Mae does the teachers, parents, and students service by brushing certain things under the rug, ie. Bullying by students and behavior issues which are things which aren't being addressed.
All in all, this is a great Montessori if you actually take the time to invest in your child and not just pass them off to the school and wash your hands of any involvement. We looked at over 20 preschools, did not have a set budget, and looked at schools twice the cost but we decided on Appleseed due to the environment and the teachers. read more