My oldest recently graduated from BSMA and my youngest is still there, so we've been part of Bright Star for quite some time. I can genuinely say we have loved our experience here and both of my boys have absolutely thrived! From the Montessori-style independent learning and social environment to all the fun add-on classes like golf, dance, gymnastics, sports, and more, I've always loved how BSMA gives the kids so many different opportunities to learn, explore and just enjoy being kids. Both of my sons are pretty social, especially my oldest, and I truly believe BSMA played such an important role in building his confidence and social skills. He grew SO much during his time here, not only academically but as a person. And the teachers!!! When I say we have loved ALL of our teachers, I really mean it -- both the current teachers and some who have since moved on. They have always been so thoughtful, kind, patient, and genuinely caring toward our kids. What I'm always so impressed by, was the way teachers/director remembered every student's name, including students that weren't in their class. A huge shoutout to Ms. Mary, Ms. Brianna, Ms. Adrienne, Ms. Olivia, Ms. Kayenne, Ms. Saide, Ms. Valerie, Ms. Malorie, Ms. Bethzay, Ms. Yu, and ofc Ms. Jin! Ms. Jin was actually one of my oldest son's former teachers and is now the director, which makes it even more special. One thing I will mention is that the structure and facility are a little different from a traditional classroom setting. It's much more open and the kids have opportunities to interact and socialize with one another throughout the school. I know that might not be everyone's preference, but I actually LOVED that about BSMA. I really think it contributed to how social and confident my kids became. My thought was always: they're going to spend Kinder through high school sitting in more traditional classrooms, so why not let their first educational experience be somewhere fun, creative, open, and different? Academically, I also feel BSMA gave my oldest such a strong foundation going into elementary school. He entered Kinder incredibly prepared, to the point where I sometimes feel like he isn't being challenged as much now because he already learned so much at BSMA! That really speaks to what a phenomenal job they did preparing him. Another thing I really appreciate is how well they keep parents updated through ClassDojo. Throughout the day, we get photos and detailed updates about what the kids are learning and doing, what they ate, restroom updates, and more. The teachers will often include lengthy descriptions explaining the activities and what the kids are learn/play, which I've always appreciated. You really get a glimpse into your child's day instead of just dropping them off and wondering what they did for the day! I'm so grateful that Bright Star Montessori Academy is where both of my boys got to begin their educational journeys. It will always hold such a special place in our family's heart. I was really sad for my oldest to move on from BSMA but glad my youngest is still there. read more

My daughter has been attending Bright Star for two years, and she recently graduated from the toddler class. We are so grateful for Ms. Bethzay and Ms. Malorie's patience, care, and guidance. My daughter is a very sensitive child, and it has been truly heartwarming to watch her grow from a shy and cautious little girl into someone who is more outgoing, independent, and able to express herself. The teachers have created such a loving and supportive environment for her, and we really appreciate everything they have done. Our younger son is also attending Bright Star now, and we are looking forward to having him learn and grow under Ms. Malorie care and teaching as well. read more

We are so grateful for the wonderful teachers and staff at this Montessori school. My daughter started in the middle of the school year in the earth room class with Ms. Olivia, Ms. Valerie and Ms. Sadie. They are caring, patience and always go above and beyond, especially helping my daughter during difficult at drop offs. Ms. Mary, Ms. Jin & Ms. Kayanne are also incredibly kind and welcoming, making our family feel supported every day. My daughter also enjoyed the extra curriculum that they offered at the school. ( golf, sports and gymnastics) Thank you all for creating such a warm and nurturing environment for the children! read more

We absolutely love Bright Star Montessori Academy! My daughter has been attending since she was 2.5 years old and is now 5, and she has grown so much during her time here. A huge thank you to Teacher Kayanne in the Jupiter class for being so incredibly patient, kind, and dedicated to the kids. It's amazing to see how excited the students are to learn every single day. Highly recommend this wonderful school! read more

Bright Star Montessori Academy - Puppet Show ‍ - Preschools Near Me - Walnut, California

My daughter has attended Bright Star since she was 2.5 years old. After visiting multiple preschools, we chose Bright Star because it was the best fit for my daughter. My daughter barely spoke and was pretty active when she first started, and we were so scared that she would have a hard time fitting in. However, most of the teachers in the school knew her name by the first week, and were so patient with her. She has learned so much in the 2.5 years she was there. She can recognize the letters of the alphabets and the numbers, and write her own name. The kids here are also very well mannered. My daughter loves playing with her friends. Today was her last day at Bright Star since she will be attending TK. We were so sad to leave since we really felt like a family here. We really love Bright Star and highly recommend it to all our family and friends with little ones. read more

We've had a wonderful experience at BSMA! My son has been attending since he was 2 years old, and as a parent, it's been so rewarding to watch him grow in confidence, independence, and social skills. The teachers are incredibly kind, patient, and genuinely caring, creating a warm and nurturing environment where children thrive. We're also excited that BSMA will be offering an after-school program for TK and Kindergarten starting in August 2026. It's an incredible addition for families and makes the transition to elementary school even smoother. We highly recommend BSMA to any family looking for a caring and high-quality preschool! read more

My son has been attending Bright Star for the past three months, and he absolutely loves it! I'm so grateful we found this daycare. His teachers, Ms. Olivia and Ms. Valerie, are caring, attentive, and truly dedicated to every child in their class. Not only does my son look forward to going every day, but he has also learned so much in just three months and has made wonderful new friends. It's comforting to know he's in such a positive, nurturing environment. I highly recommend Bright Star to any parent looking for a caring and supportive daycare. read more

When I first toured BSMA, the first thing I noticed was how sweet the teachers and faculty seemed. Genuine and happy to be with the students. My son started in their infant class about 4 months ago and he warmed up very quickly! He has a special attachment to Ms Rosie, but both her and Ms Rosa are amazing and attentive to the kids. I feel reassured because my son is always happy at drop offs and pick ups. Shoutout to the whole BSMA faculty for making a fun and safe environment for the kids! read more

My daughter is in room 2 at the BSMA. In room 2, Ms. Malorie is the lead teacher and me and my daughter really like her! She's patient, responsive, friendly, respectful, thoughtful leader. Everyday kids will have new project. They sing, read, play well in the classroom. I really like Ms. Malorie in this school. I will recommend it! Really valuable. read more

We enrolled our son Maverick here at 2 years old and they have been amazing! He's now going to be 4 years old and will continue at bright star. We love how they are caring, and have so many different opportunities for the children to learn and be well rounded. They are also accommodating if your child need special services coming into the school, my son was speech delayed, so his speech provider would come into bright star and provide services there. Every teacher helps one another for support, and they all know each child's name. It's wonderful and so thankful knowing my son is happy and safe. They use class dojo and send updates to you about any concerns and cute fun pictures of their activities. They have sports programs that come into the school for additional fee through golfing , gymnastics/dance , mixed sport program . They also do language classes which is included in their teaching. read more

My son has been attending to this daycare for one and half years. We are more than happy to have his baby sister attend this daycare in the near future. To begin with, it's affordable. Furthermore, I truly appreciate their hours of operation and variety of activities they provide(especially during summer) Miss Olivia and Miss Valerie from Earth room are the best. I do see they are very patient towards kids and are very passionate about their job. Miss Olivia calls my son "baby "and "my love", which is very sweet and gentle. Miss Saides helped me most with drop-off in the first few weeks (when dropping-off was almost a nightmare to us parents). Miss Mary and Miss Jin are very helpful in creating such a nurturing experience for my kid. My son has learned a lot of stuff so far. I am so grateful for everything they do to help my son thrive! It's recommended by my neighbor, and I never regret this decision. read more

Very hard working, caring teachers working here. This school really cares about the children. The owner is kind and respectful. She treats her staff well. read more

My nephew has been coming to Bright Star Montessori Academy since he was an infant and he is now 4. He is always taking about school and how much he loves it. Sometimes I am amazed by how much he knows and I like to ask him where he learns it from and most of his responses are from school. Today I got to pick him up and his teacher Ms. Nancy was so nice. Because of covid, everyone was wearing masks even students. Pick up is at the front door and only students and teachers may enter the building. I'm just happy that when I picked up my nephew he was so happy and told me about his day. His response is how I know that this place is a great school. read more

Bright star is the definition of the perfect preschool/daycare. I have two children who attend this school (1 yr, 3 yr) and I can't explain how much I love both the school and teachers. They truly care for the well being of the kids and teach them so many things. Just having my daughter in for a few months I noticed her education growing. They have taught my daughter her letters and numbers,months, and days of the week, along with so many other things. This school is everything Montessori and they are amazing with communication. My youngest daughter (1 year old) has an absolute blast with her teachers and her tiny baby friends, the teachers always keep me updated on what she does at the end of the day and I can truly say that the teachers are perfect at taking care of my children. Major green flags about this school is that they keep you updated about what your child does throughout the day via an app, notifies you about how many times your child has gone to the bathroom(diaper changes), how much they ate, if they napped etc. They always host amazing little parties for students and families and it's absolutely a blast. read more

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Our family loves BSMA, the staff is very friendly and you can tell they love what they do. I love that this school really shows that they care about the children and they don't just run it as a business. My daughters started in September 2021 with Ms. Samantha and they love their classroom. Ms. Samantha and Ms. Jennifer (director) are always ready to answer questions that I may have and offer extra love to my girls whenever they are having a rough morning. I also appreciate that they quickly got to know my daughters since they are twins I know it can be hard but they are able to tell them apart and learned their different personalities. I'm always recommending this school to everyone. Looking forward to more years here. read more

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My son has been going here since March 2021. I have unresolved PPA and I have generalized anxiety disorder. The safety of my children is my number one trigger. I literally worry about them all day. I can honestly say that when my son is at Bright Star, I am at peace and I can focus on work. This type of peace of mind is PRICELESS. I only wish they would accept older kids during summer so I can send my 7 year old there too lol. read more

I highly recommend BSMA My granddaughter attended for over 3 years and she loved it. The staff are awesome and are so caring & loving. I really like the curriculum, cleanliness and atmosphere. If you're considering a daycare where your child will learn, accelerate and be well taken care of, this is the place for you!!! read more

My son has been attending Bright Star since he was just 7 months old. He started out in the Infant Room with Miss Saide and Miss Rosie, who are just THE BEST! He received the absolute best loving care and learned so much from them! I may have cried on my son's last day in the Infant Room because I just love Miss Saide and Miss Rosie so much! My son went onto Room 2 and then Room 3 and all his teachers have been wonderful! My son has learned so much more than he would have if I'd kept him at home or with a nanny before starting kindergarten. I just love all the staff here and my husband and I always say that enrolling our son at Bright Star was one of the best decisions we ever made for our son! read more

I Love This Day Care They Have The Most Amazing Staff And They Are Very Clean.I Would Recommend This Day Care In A Heart Beat You Won't Regret It! read more

This place needs a more recent review! I just want to say, I really loved this place. I highly recommend any new parent to take their child(ren) here if you need childcare. Everyone is so nice and loving. I was sad to withdrawal my son from here (he is moving onto another school this fall) If I could, I would have kept him here. I noticed a HUGE difference in his social skills and vocabulary after the first week. Additionally (he's 2 years old) he was very interested in potty training. Miss Monnette is the teacher in the 2 year old class. She was always so welcoming and always, and I mean ALWAYS made sure that my son was happy and comfortable. He had a hard time adjusting in the beginning but after a week or so, he was excited to go to school in the morning. I also noticed that he talked more, sings a lot, knows his numbers and letters and was more interested in potty training. This is priceless to me! I wish all facilities were like this one. They are honestly the best! read more

Bright Star Montessori Academy - He only looks mad bc he just woke up - Preschools Near Me - Walnut, California

I have had two of my kids, a baby and 3 year old, attend bright star for nearly two years. Bright Star Montessori had been a wonderful learning and caring environment for my son and daughter. I cannot say enough good things about the teachers and principal. They have provided outstanding support, education and shown genuine care for my kids, and both have thrived and grown so much. We are very lucky to have found Bright Star and i would highly recommend it to anyone considering a day care and preschool! read more

I would love my daughter to attend THIS. This was real Montessori from what I saw. I will tell you a secret about other places with the name "Montessori". It is not real Montessori. This is the real deal. read more

UPDATE: my son advanced to the next class and is now with Miss Nicole and Miss Carissa. They're amazing and I feel so comfortable leaving my boy with them every day. Also I noticed soon after moving up he began coloring in the lines. I asked Miss Nicole and she told me she started having him sit next to older kids so he could learn from them. I also noticed his vocabulary exploded. They're learning continents. They read. They do jobs, which my son loves. Also, Miss Evelyn, the director, is amazing. My boy moves saying bye to her every day and showing her his latest art project. She's so good with him, and I'm impressed at how she remembers all the kids plus their parents. This is a truly impressive school. I'm so happy I stumbled on them. read more

I have two daughters ages 4 and 6 who have attended this school for the past 2 years. If I can give a separate rating for each year they've been there, I would. The first year for my eldest when she was 4 was good, her second year in TK was really good but then her last year as a kindergartner was just ok. For my youngest, her first year when she was 3 was not very good (she cried a lot and I didn't feel the teachers cared much about her as they let her cry until I got there) and her next year as a 4 year old was ok. Her teacher Miss Nicole was terrific but any other teacher who lasted there was boring and unfriendly. There was only 1 year that I rate this school high when my then 5 year old had Miss Janet as her teacher. She was very nice and approachable and provided high quality type work and challenging assignments and homework to my daughter. But then she left so the last year for my daughter has been with substitute teachers who aren't as challenging with their work and pretty much just let them color and play. There has not been much consistency with the teachers, going through new teachers every 3-6 months. Young kids need consistency and I was concerned, especially having to pay $1600+ a month for 2 kids. The school has not been consistent with providing high quality academic type work. I feel I've wasted money here. The food they serve is full of preservatives (frozen chicken nuggets, hot dogs, boxed Mac and cheese) My daughter has begged me sometimes to pack lunch for her since she thought the school food was gross. No school is perfect but this school needs improvement on maintaining consistency with staff, consistency with high quality academic work and needs to add healthier food choices. Miss Evelyn as the director was a sweetheart, memorizing every child's first names. However she lacked the skills in running the school with maintaining higher academic standards. I still attribute my kids' growing social skills to the school but I only wish it was better on some levels. read more

My daughter has been attending bright star for two years now. The director, Ms. Evelyn is super kind and approachable. Ms. Monette, Ms. Lily, Ms. Coco, room 6, Ms. Nancy, and Ms. Winnie are all caring and patient towards every children in the classroom, treating them almost as their own, and easy to communicate on all levels. My daughter has been extremely happy attending all classes and I am beyond grateful of all the teachers that have taught her, and always going above and beyond! Thank you!! read more

My son was enrolled to this Montessori when he was a little bit over 1 year old. He was at 2 other places before we found this place. My son got sick so many times when he was in the previous Montessori. Here I haven't see him sick. Ms Evelyn is very professional and attentive, I feel safe leaving my son there. My son loves his teachers as well. Now he is in room 3. read more

Bright Star is a great place. What made it stand for us was the STAFF! Ms. Evelyn knows everyone who comes and goes through the front door. She knows all the kids, and knows all the adults associated with each kid. This made me feel safe, to know that she is always watching. She's kind, caring, stern, and loved by all. All the teachers are excellent, like Ms. Monette, Ms. Jennifer, Ms. Coco, Ms. Sara(h), Ms. Karla, just to name a few. While not everyone can agree on whether this/that teacher is good, but I think there is a simple and objective measurement... ...Here's what I have used as a report card for the teachers: ask your kid(s) like I did with mine. If they like the teachers, then they will listen and learn. They'll start to come home singing new songs, sharing new words, and telling you stories about their day. Then you're in the right place. read more

As my son's last week of school approaches, I am reflecting on all the great memories we've shared at this amazing school. My son was almost two years old when he started at Bright Star. All the teachers were so caring and attentive each and every day. Miss Rosie was the very first 'stranger' I handed my son off to and now I think of her as family. As my child advanced room by room, his skills really impressed me. At four he was writing, reading, adding, subtracting and even multiplying. My son will be attending public school in the fall and he is already further along than most kids his age. I will forever miss all the friends, parents, teachers and the Director, Ms Evelyn. I am forever grateful to Ms. Nicole, Ms. Carissa, Ms. Monette, Ms. Jennifer and Ms. Nancy for treating my son like their own! read more

As May 7 is the week of teacher appreciation week. Would like to take this chance to thank teachers at my son's pre-school. My son started coming to the Montessori BrightStar when he was 2 and half years old. It has been two years now, and he is graduating from pre-school this coming June. First, thank you for the teachers taking care of my little boy with patience and heart. specially thank you Ms Zoe for potty training and knowing when to intervene during drop-off so my husband can make the transition to work a little more manageable. Sometime my son cried when daddy dropped him off or he refused to go into the classroom, Ms Zoe always gave him a hug, talked him through, and redirect him to a fun activity after he says "goodbye" to daddy. thank you Ms Lauren for teaching my little boy the importance of respect. For a while， when I picked up my son, he was playing with other kids and he just pretended he did not see me, or refused to leave, and just kept playing ignoring me asking him to go home. But Ms Lauren found a way to make him understand that this is not respectful to mommy and what should be done instead. Now, my little boy gives me the proper greeting when I pick him up. Also thank you Ms Caitlin providing good suggestions about handling my son's certain inappropriate behavior such as yelling at home or talking too loud in public. I understand that lately some employment turnover has incurred, and there are new teachers. My husband and I are expecting to interact with them more because we think it is critical to our son's healthy growth and our younger one is going to preschool soon! read more

I pulled out my son from school for about 3 months for now and i feel this is the best decision i made in my life. My son went to a Christian preschool before this and we had to move so I enrolled him in this school because of the positive reviews. My experience has not been positive at all. In the two weeks my son was in the school, he went backwards both academically and socially. Before he was always excited to go to school and since he has been going to Bright Star, he has said how much he disliked it several times and how he does not want to go back. The teachers he had were not loving to him. My son reported that he was not allowed to go to the bathroom. The school denied this but he came home with wet pants more times in the 2 weeks that he was at Bright Star then the whole 4 months that he was in the other preschool. Also, they say they do not punish the children using time out but my son said that he was told to face the wall. The school denied this but when I visited, I saw a girl sitting on the chair alone for time out. Also, he started telling his baby brother things like "go away baby" which in his other school, he never had this behavior. Most of the time when I would go to pick him up, I would see him playing alone. We enrolled him back to a Christian school and we see the difference. Every day he is asking if he can go back to school, even on weekends. I feel like my child is genuinely loved and cared for and they have activities up until 6 o'clock and I see that he is learning in a team environment. As parents, please pay attention and trust what your kids are saying about their school. Pre-school is an important foundation in a child's early development. Your child should be in an environment where they feel loved and are taught to love learning and love going to school. read more

Bright star is a great place for my son. He is currently in the infant room and started when he was only 3 months old. They took care of him like the pros they are. They are very loving and attentive to the kids there. My son has never been hurt there so I feel very safe to leave them there during the week. Ms Sadie, Rosie, Evelyn, Lily and the director Ms Evelyn are great! read more

Great school, one of the best Montessori in my mind. I was hesitate to transfer my daughter to this school from a different Montessori in Walnut because she was scared by one of the teachers from the other school. My daughter would cry after seeing that teach. So we had decided to transfer our kid here hoping her new teachers, new classmates, and new environment would help her erase the unpleasant memory from the previous school. Only a few days after transferred to this school, she had already fully adapted to the school and began making new friends. The teachers at her new school were all super nice and kind to her especially Ms. Lily, who helped her to feel very comfortable at the new school. I could feel the genuineness from the teachers knowing they do care about the kids, not just pretending it when parents are here. Another good thing is that the school's tuition includes lunch and breakfast, so that we don't have to worry what to prepare for lunch for our daughter. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the school and would definitely recommend other parents to send their kids to this school. read more

Both of my boys have been going to this school for several years. Most of the time, they are exited to go to school in the morning. Most of the teachers are wonderful. We can tell that they truly care about the children. There is just one thing I'd like to comment on: the teacher turnover rate is a bit high here. I'm not sure if it's also common in other schools. read more

My two daughters have been to this school. All teachers and staff were friendly and amazing to my girls! We're sad this year was our last time here now that my youngest is in kindergarten. I would definitely recommend Montessori to all the local moms! Ms. Carla, Ms.Tiffany, Ms. Nancy, Ms. Evelyn will be missed by our family. read more

We had 2 kids attend Bright Start Montessori Academy in Walnut, starting back in 2011 with our oldest through 2014, and then our youngest starting in 2015 through 2018 (today was actually his last day). So we've seen a lot over the years with changing the school's director, to many instructors coming & going, but overall we've had a very positive experience with Bright Star Montessori. The current director, Miss Evelyn, was originally my older son's teacher in Bright Star before she took over as the director. My son really enjoyed her class and we liked how she ran things in her class. We were extremely delighted to find out the news that she was going to take over as the new director for Bright Star. From that point on, we really saw a change in how the entire academy ran as things started to go uphill in terms of quality (inside & outside of the school), planning, student enrollments, and an overall more positive atmosphere. We had no hesitation sending our younger son to Bright Star. Miss Evelyn and the rest of the Staff are really accommodating to your needs and will work with you if you have specific requests or situations in regards to pickup and dropping your kids off. One huge positive was when Miss Evelyn became the director, lunches were then included into the monthly tuition at little to no additional cost from before, so that was a very nice bonus. I could also tell the food selection was much better and more healthier for the kids, so we greatly appreciated that. Miss Evelyn see's hundreds of kids every year, yet she memorizes just about everyone's name there and greets them every day when she sees them. You can tell that she takes pride in her position and for the academy, as it reflects positively to everyone. One last addition thing that we really found Bright Star to be such a benefit to our kids, was not only the social aspect of them being able to make new friends and do many activities, but their reading, writing, and arithmetic skills were far greater than others when it came to TK and Kindergarten in the Walnut school system. The methods Bright Star uses to help the children begin to read & write and count really works, and as a parent it has made reading to our boys much more enjoyable when they can interact and include themselves more in the reading activities. We're very great-full to Miss Evelyn for all that she has done for our kids at and at Bright Star, and would (and have, as others have sent their kids there) highly recommend Bright Start Montessori Academy in Walnut. read more

My 2.5 yr old boy went to Bright Star since August, 2016. It was a tough start for him. But he gradually began to like the school because of the responsible teachers here, especially Ms. Michelle from his class (Class 2). She's such a patient and nice teacher to her students, very responsible and caring. Ms. Michelle speaks Chinese as well which helps a lot in understanding and communicating with my boy. She has also built up a good bilingual environment outside the family. I feel so lucky to find this school and have Ms. Michelle take care of my boy. read more

My kid has been in this pre-school for almost a year. Since I joined, I recommended it to two other friends, who also enrolled their kids. It is a wonderful school...so much better than my oldest kid's pre-school, which was also a Montessori. They take great care of my child and she learns SO MUCH. I know this review sounds bogus because it sounds like it's too good to be true, but it really is THAT GREAT! Ms. Timea is my daughter's teacher, and she is absolutely wonderful. We also love Ms. Jane who is always nice and cheerful, no matter what kind of day she's had. I have been recommending it to anyone in the area...it truly is a great school! read more

Leaving your kids somewhere for the day is quite stressful. After looking at a few daycare/preschool facilities, my wife and I decided on Bright Star Montessori Academy in Walnut. We knew that we would see him grow by following the Montessori program. My son started when he was about 18 months, and what stood out was that the teachers and staff did not change much in the 4 years of him being there. I think the BSMA staff did a great job at watching my son and providing social growth from all the staff (especially: Ms Evelyn, Ms Sadie, Ms Linda, Ms Monet, Mis Jinju, Ms Karla, Ms Nancy, Ms Sarah and Ms Coco) that worked with him. The staff altogether provided a friendly family like environment that made us feel like we did not have to worry about leaving our son at there during the day. read more

My daughter has been going to Bright Star for several months and she really enjoys it. They do a great job catering to each child and the curriculum is very diverse. We look forward to spending several more years at this school before she is old enough to enroll in Kindergarten. read more

Unfortunately this is the worst school so far for my child. Ms. Karla is not caring towards children, and my child does not want to go to school ever since he started in this school. Instead of helping the child to understand what is right and wrong, she decided to blame them without the facts and without letting them know what is the reason. My child is unhappy in the school and it was the best decision to pull him out and he is very happy in the current school and has learned and progressed a lot both in academic and in his personality. read more