Montessori School of East Orlando is a true diamond in the rough in our local educational…read morecommunity. You won't just find a school here - you'll find a cohesive community of teachers, students, and parents that truly partner together to provide a nurturing yet rigorous educational experience. The low student to teacher ratio allows teachers to truly get to know each student and their individual strengths and needs so they can best support them where they're at. They don't only focus on teaching students academics but also support growth in necessary life skills such as time management, prioritization, social emotional skills, responsibility, and flexibility. They also have a wide array of classes outside of standard academics such as ballroom dancing, drama, Spanish, PE, and art so students have a well rounded experience. I couldn't be happier to have my daughter at MSEO and can't recommend this school enough!

We enrolled our daughter for her first year of preschool at Montessori School of East Orlando and…read morewe saw an immediate change in her ability to write her name and her interest in wanting to write more within the first month. The school brought a love and desire for learning to our child. Our daughter was very shy and struggled to communicate with anyone she didn't associate with on a constant basis and she would cry and hide if she was made the center of attention. The school's natural environment is encouraging children to come out of their shells. It's been an amazing transformation to watch her grow in confidence and learn to love doing something even if people are watching. At our daughter's first parent/teacher meeting the director/primary teacher said "She may never want to get up in front of a group and talk or perform but we will give her tools to use to be able to do it." We watched our daughter dread getting up in front of other to now excited to show off what she enjoys. It's been a beautiful transformation. I've never seen an environment where so many children of all ages love one another so much. The older kids look out for the younger ones and set an example that is exemplary. I feel so at ease that my child is getting good influences from her peers. Her classmates are encouraging to one another and rally to help a classmate in need and cheer them on The teachers and staff truly care about what's best for your child to make sure they are getting what they need and are progressing in their curriculum. They put emphasis on the process of a task over just completing it, so our daughter feels pride doing the steps that lead to the completion of the task just as much as feeling the joy of finishing something. I love that our daughter will have the same teachers for multiple years, I feel this will be invaluable to her growth because they know her and know what her capabilities are. I also love that she gets plenty of one on one time with the teachers as well. Everyone is great at communication if you reach out to them or need something, which is amazing because there is a clear and open dialog for whatever your questions or needs may be. Overall we think its a wonderful school and as a parent you can be as involved as you want to be with the many special events the parent's put on for the children. The existing parents are very welcoming to the new parents.

We love Guidepost Gear Lake! First, consider following Guidepost their social media. They follow…read morethe Montessori method, and the way they train their guides and organize everything is fantastic. Guidepost Gear Lake has wonderful staff, beautiful installations and they are very attentive about your child needs. Our daughter loves her guide and all the school staff. They also have monthly events to keep the parents updated and engaged with everything that is going on. The school also offers a online portal to get transparent class updates. We couldn't be more happy about this place! We really hope they open elementary, middle and high school soon! My advice is don't think it twice when enrolling you child at GP Gear Leak!

Guidepost at Gear Lake is an outstanding Montessori School! So pleased that we found a safe…read morewelcoming and highly educational school for our one year toddler! She has flourished here and we've found no other Montessori school that accepts children under 3 years old. Other pluses beyond the exceptional staff are the flexible hours from 7am-6pm Mon-Fri, Transparent Classroom, and low student teacher ratio. We could not be more pleased and highly recommend!

Both daughters continue to excel in the montessori school. New students are joining..very vibrant…read moreschool and the teachers are awesome!

This school confirmed all of my initial concerns. They have a complete lack of communication with…read morethe parents and between each other. The teachers will tell you one thing and the owner another. The owner favors certain families and students over others, allowing those children to be bullies, and she has no leadership abilities, she only strives to make certain families happy. The classroom size grew to twice the number after the holidays and none of the parents I spoke with even knew. The children were left to find their own work with little guidance and the teacher indicated that it was going out of her way to have any one-on-one time with the students. They have no regular communication with the parents and the owner is very confused by the concept of parent-teacher meetings. The owner also shows no concern for the well-being of the children, only the happiness of certain families.

My sister thought she was making an excellent choice by sending her child to a Montessori school,…read morebut Tuskawilla Montessori proved to be a disappointment. Parent orientation was the first clue. This event was both unsocialable and uninformative. On the first day a girl told her child that his water bottle was ugly, and this girl continued to bully him all year. The teacher and administration were fully aware of what was going on and did nothing to stop it. Issues like this surfaced on a regular basis. Personally, I thought that he should be removed from the school when I found out about a lawsuit that had been filed against the school, and the school losing the lawsuit. Tuskawilla Montessori lost the lawsuit because they were inadequately supervising several of the younger children, leading to an incident in which the parents sought legal advice and decided to sue. I would definitely not trust this school to oversee young children. Even though my sister had concerns about this school throughout the year, she tried to make things go smoothly, but there was such a lack of communication from both the owner and between the owner and teachers. According to the teachers everything was always great, but the owner seemed to be persuaded by others and had it in her head that her child was not a "good fit" for the school. However, the owner never communicated any of this until days before school was over. This school has horrible communication, is not able to ensure the safety of their children, and has no regular parent-teacher meetings, which should probably include the owner since she thinks she knows the children more than people who are actually with the child every day. Overall, this school does not put the needs and safety of the children first.

I've been taking the kiddo here for almost a year now, and it's been a wonderful experience. The…read moreprevious daycare we used was good, but nothing particularly extraordinary. At Baldwin Oaks, all the staff are friendly and caring. The Montessori style resulted in immediate changes: the kiddo has become more self sufficient by wanting to clean up after playing, washing hands, getting dressed by themself. I feel it's much better than just having playtime for most of the day. The school itself is a little worn around the edges (this is definitely not a new facility by any stretch), but well maintained. The office does have have a fingerprint scanner for check in/out, but otherwise not much else in the way of technology such as cameras, electronic doors, or online payment. But these minor inconveniences are far outweighed by the staff and the way the kid has developed this past year.

From the owner: Baldwin Oaks Academy is a Montessori school serving children 18 months of age through Kindergarten…read more Currently, our school offers a Toddler classroom (18 months-3 years) and three Primary classrooms (mixed age 3-6 years of age). We are a Full Member of the American Montessori Society. Along with our classrooms, we have a large, shaded playground and a Nature Classroom for our students to explore. We welcome you to come and tour our campus Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 9:00-11:00am.

My experience at OMBA has left me heart broken and hurt. I was dismayed by the treatment I received…read moreand had hoped my children would end the year with a positive .note, instead it ended abruptly. It has left us with a bitter feeling for me and my children. I am very disappointed I had a really bad experience In this school!!!

My kids have been attending this school for several years now. I am always blown away at the level…read moreof care and attention they put in to their students. My son's confidence is a prime example of that. He went from not speaking to anyone to knowing and speaking to just about everyone. Also, I don't always speak Spanish with my kids at home, and without having a lot of family around, it means a lot that they continue to learn the language and heritage while at school. What a blessing to have this type of school in the community!

AE Waterford Lakes is the place where parents feel their kids are safe, happy, learn and play a…read morelot, eat healthy and never complain of getting bored. The teachers are wonderful people, knowledgeable, dedicated, always smiling and caring for each child like their own, it is a very nice environment for kids of all ages. Best place to have your child in, either during summer camps or daily, 100% recommending it to anyone who cares much about their kids

My family's experience with Amazing Explorers was deeply disappointing and unacceptable. Based on…read morewhat my husband, my son, and I personally experienced, I do not recommend this location. We had repeated concerns involving communication, professionalism, cleanliness, supervision, confidentiality, curriculum transparency, cultural awareness, and leadership. When we raised concerns, we were often met with dismissiveness, disrespect, defensiveness, and a lack of accountability. Owner Marcelo asked me, "What kind of mother are you?" because I had not brought a towel for my son. I found that cruel and inappropriate, especially while I was trying to understand why my child had been placed in another child's underwear. That was alarming, unsanitary, and deeply upsetting. Instead of receiving an immediate apology and explanation, I felt blamed. Marcelo also told me he was in Las Vegas and would address the matter when he returned. A serious concern involving a child's hygiene and care should not be delayed because an owner is traveling. In my experience, he appeared more concerned about me leaving a negative review than correcting what had happened. Kelsey promised to follow up with me regarding an important concern and never did. Her failure to respond made me feel that our concerns were not being taken seriously. Based on my experience, she showed the same lack of accountability I experienced from Marcelo. The current director, Aya, Mary, and regional director Mio were also extremely disappointing. In my opinion, all three need serious additional training in childcare administration, communication, professionalism, confidentiality, conflict resolution, and accountability. During one call, Mary told me she would hang up while my child was still physically inside the school. I did not yell, curse, insult anyone, or behave rudely. I was calmly asking questions about my son. Threatening to hang up on a calm parent while that parent's child is inside the facility is a serious problem. Parents should also not be denied information about the school's curriculum. Families have every right to know what their children are being taught and how the program is structured. Refusing to provide that information raises concerns about transparency. I was also disturbed by what appeared to be gossip involving parents and private family matters. Information allegedly shared about families made its way back to several mothers. Parents should be able to raise concerns without fearing that their private business will be discussed with others. My son was sent to school clean, neatly groomed, with freshly braided hair, clean clothing, and quality shoes. We spend hundreds of dollars each month making sure he has everything he needs. Yet I repeatedly picked him up extremely dirty, with food or other substances around his mouth and on his clothing. I understand children get messy, but there is a difference between normal play and failing to provide basic care after meals and activities. The cameras were unreliable, the playground lacked adequate equipment for an extended period, and I did not feel Black history or Black culture was meaningfully represented. After repeated disrespect, broken promises, poor communication, hygiene concerns, unreliable cameras, gossip, lack of curriculum transparency, and a complete loss of trust, my husband and I removed our son because the school was no longer a good fit for our family. The school may deny or dispute this review, but I would never invent something this serious. This is what my family experienced, and I have retained documentation relating to my concerns. Based solely on our personal experience, I do not recommend this place. Parents deserve honesty, professionalism, transparency, accountability, properly trained staff, and respectful communication. Most importantly, children deserve better.

I attended a small prayer meeting one evening here. I was pleasantly surprised how fresh and brand…read morenew everything looked hear. My children used to attend school, that was over 20 years ago. Everything is clean, fresh looking, and obtained new security features. When my children were little, statue of Mary that I took a picture of, was all white and so was the background. They did a lovely job by putting background behind her and carefully and painstakingly painting the statue. Truly a lovely place.

I attended a Lenten fish fry dinner here at Saint James Catholic Cathedral school. The school has…read morebeen around since 1928. For the last few years during Lent they host a fish fry dinner for the community. It is held in the school cafeteria. Hundreds of people turn out to have dinner, fellowship, and donate to a good cause. The St. James Knights of Columbus and their families volunteer to batter fry delicious fish, make french fries, and various homemade side dishes. The side dishes, except the coleslaw, it's homemade by the parents of the school students. The mac & cheese is so, so, so delicious. The students also have a bake sale to raise money for their cause. The students are also the servers who bring our food and clean off the tables. They are always so sweet and hospitable and the beautiful representation of the type of students that attend St James Cathedral school. They only do the fish fry twice in Lent. But if you have a chance next year check it out! Also, most of the Catholic Churches around the area host fish fries during Lent. And I can tell you their food is top quality! And what a better way to have some fish and chips, then by supporting charitable causes.