We have had children at Hillcrest Country Day School across multiple age groups, from infancy…read morethrough the preschool years, and it has been a truly special place for our family. Tucked up in the hills above Whittier, it is removed from the noise and pace of the city below. There are trees, open sky, and a sense of calm that is hard to find elsewhere. In the mornings, you hear birdsong instead of traffic. That atmosphere carries into the classrooms. The exterior can feel a bit understated or even slightly worn. But that first impression doesn't reflect what's happening inside. The infant room, in particular, is remarkably peaceful. It has a quiet, steady rhythm that feels very intentional and reassuring for both children and parents. As children grow, the toddler and preschool rooms are warm and thoughtfully decorated, with clear care put into making them feel inviting and engaging. There is a strong emphasis on creative play and hands-on activities. Crafts, imaginative play, and exploration seem to be in the daily routine in a way that feels natural rather than forced. Another standout is the teacher-to-child ratio and the continuity of teachers. It allows for a level of attention and familiarity that is hard to find, and it shows in how well the staff know and interact with each child over the years. We moved from Pasadena and were genuinely surprised by the affordability, especially given the quality of care and environment. It is a rare combination of a nurturing setting, strong programming, and reasonable tuition. If you are looking for a smaller, more serene, and genuinely caring environment for your child, Hillcrest is well worth a visit.

Our daughter has been attending this daycare / after school program for over 5 yrs. Our daughter…read morehas special needs and the staff has always been caring, patient, and helpful. Mrs. Linda has been flexible with our schedule through out the years. Our daughter often comes home with Christian hand made crafts, which she enjoys very much. She's made good friends with the other kiddos that also attend. We are very thankful for this facility and faculty.

I can't say enough good things about this preschool. Two of our girls attended from ages 3 and 2…read more With COVID, one had to start later, but I wish we could have had more years there because the staff is amazing! The teachers are kind, loving, comforting, and patient. The activities they do with the kids keep them engaged, learning, and my girls always had stories to share. I never had a worry while my kids were at school because I knew they were in good hands. Both were prepared for TK and even ahead of some of the students. I am forever grateful to all the staff!

Truly the BEST & most affordable care for your kiddos! I am forever grateful and thankful for such…read morean amazing daycare & preschool for my two little ones! My son started at 2, just graduated and now in Kindergarten!! The care and guidance they gave him to be more than ready for Kindergarten is just truly amazing! I'm lucky enough to enjoy all of the amazing teachers since my 3 year old daughter is still attending! They have seen my children grow and consider them like family now. I would 10/10 recommend the Shepherd Center!

I love this school and school district. I have been so impressed with how well the principal Mrs V…read more manages all concerns that pop up. I have loved the kindergarten and 1st grade teacher my kiddo had. They are so caring and love what they do! I have also been so impressed with how considerately the superintendent of the district Jim Coombs keeps all the parents in the loop on any security concerns regarding our children. I couldn't have asked for a better district and school for my kiddos to attend!

I used to be a student here at Olita. At first, I was actually amazed on how good of a school it…read morewas. Or at least I thought it was good. First of all, I ended up getting an illness because of the moldy walls and roofs. There were literally holes in the roofs the school refused to take care of! I had to get my tonsils removed because of this. Then, the kids. These kids are far from friendly. I saw a kid literally get forced to eat some bird crap. The kid grabbed the other but the neck and yelled out "eat it!" Then there's that unfriendly lunch lady. She's older so I get it, but you don't always have to yell at the kids for "making too much noise" opening a bag of chips...That actually happened I'm not joking. Then Mrs. Haworth, the K-1 teacher. She treated us badly when we were all in kindergarten. And then the reason I left the school...These two grown ahh parents decided they had nothing better to do, so they spend time terroizing the school and the kids who lived in the neighborhood. I will only say that the mom's name starts with an M and the same for the dad. They try to get you on their side, and then they convince you to do horrible stuff. They egged our car one night because we wouldn't get on their side. Stay clear of Olita. Update: Mrs V did nothing to take care of this...

I cannot rave enough about this Montesorri. All three of my children have attended this school and…read moreare overly prepared for elementary school thanks to Ms. Mano and her staff. I have sent my children here for the past 10 years. They opened an infant center when my second was born. Which was the biggest blessing! The infant teacher Ms. P is AMAZING! She doesn't just care for my kids, she actually loves them and nurtures them. They started at 5 months with her and I was a nervous wreck but her nurturing was more than I could ever ask for. So when I had my third and enrolled my little one, I was so happy it was Ms. P again to care for her. I couldn't have asked anyone better to trust to care for my baby. The director Ms. Mano has always conducted a great academic program for the little kids. She has always communicated if there were any issues or incidents and has always addressed my concerns. I recommend this school to all of my friends. I definitely feel blessed to have found a Montessori that I've trusted to send all my babies to!

I wish this review could come with the information we were seeking but unfortunately we were never…read moreeven given the opportunity. I reached out to La Habra Montessori after doing research with La Habra moms groups and recommendations based on their child care in the area. I have a 18 month old and am currently pregnant, looking for enrollment for both my children in the future. We've reached out to multiple facilities and been given multiple tours based on our enrollment timeframe and had no issues until this facility. The first issue we ran into was the way we received our first email response. Despite my email to the "Director" being signed as my first and last name, the response I received was addressed to a Ms. (Maiden name). Confused, I responded, and clarified, both mine and my husband's name as well as our intent to tour their facility still. The response I received was again addressed as Ms. (maiden name). At this point it feels disrespectful, since I've now addressed what my name is twice and the response we're received hasn't reflected that knowledge. Curious to how (and why) the "Director" is addressing me this way I decided to just ask where they got that name from. Apparently my email icon shows my maiden name, unknown to my knowledge till this point (and never having this issue before). My issue is the lack of respect in addressing a potential client as the signed (and clarified) name, on not one but multiple response threads. There was a point when it seemed intentional in speaking down to me. Additionally to this, the response we received for our actual tour inquiry was to essentially "come back later". So we were declined a tour based on the timeframe of when we were hoping to start enrollment. No matter what our timeline is, we have questions that have now gone unanswered. Is this facility one that we're going to consider when the time comes? Likely not. It would have been nice to have our questions answered, meet the staff, and see the facility so we can narrow down our choices when the time comes to decide one of the most important choices of who to place your children in care with. Very unfortunate considering how close we are to this facility and the convenience it would have been for our family. Just based on this limited experience unfortunately our family cannot recommend reaching out.

I have nothing but great things to say about Escalona.! Even though my children have only been at…read moreescalona for two school years going on the third, our experience at Escalona has been great, everyone at the school is extremely friendly, kind and knowledgeable of what they are doing, they go above and beyond for the children. Moreover, the school has a new Principal. She is full of amazing ideas that will only make the school an even better place for our children. Also the PTA is amazing, they plan so many great events for the students. Overall, my children are very happy at Escalona and that makes me an extremely happy parent.

We have had a terrible experience at escalona. The teacher has been focused on disciplining 5 year…read moreolds instead of teaching. Every time we have brought up our concerns to the principal she thinks we are the problem instead of addressing the issue. Communication has been terrible with parents as well. I do not recommend. Don't be fooled by the new principal.

Best school nice teachers. Lunch lady's are nice Ms. Romero is a kind teacher taught my daughter…read morewell. They keep the kids safe and have many field trips lots of fundraisers that are fun for kids

Coming from an LAUSD school, Mulberry Elementary is what I wish my school would have been like, or…read moremy sons 1st elementary. From day 1 i noticed the difference in communication and attention to the kiddos. The amount of school spirit the faculty and staff have is so heartwarming.

Both of my kids attended Dream-I. My daughter started her kindergarten this week and I was very…read moregrateful and proud of how well she has been adjusting to her new school. Dream-I has prepared, exposed, and provided great experience for my kids and l believe it was fantastic stepping stone for my kids. Thanks for exceptional care to all teachers at Dream-I!

Overheard my 3-year-old being screamed at, during his first week of school…read more On my son's third day, my husband and I arrived early for pickup. While waiting in the lobby with an administrator, we heard a teacher full on screaming, a tone I can only describe as road rage level screaming. The administrator stepped into the hallway, then came back and told us it was directed at our son, who had tried to open the classroom door. I'm all for firm boundaries, and teachers can have bad days. But I've never been screamed at like that as an adult, and I can't imagine how terrifying it is for a three-year-old. We met with the teacher and administrator afterward. The teacher was not genuinely apologetic and said that- sometimes you need to raise your voice. The administration overall was empathetic, but we were told of no consequence for the teacher. We withdrew our son, and the school refunded our tuition. The most basic expectation of any school is that children are physically and psychologically safe. After what we heard, I did not feel his classroom was a psychologically safe place for him. To be fair though, the secondary teacher in his class seemed very nice. This could've been an isolated event, but imo a preschool teacher should be able to emotionally regulate themselves enough not to full on scream at a toddler for opening a door. A final comment I'd like to add is that very likely no other parent would be able to overhear anything like this situation even if it did occur because parents are not allowed inside or near the classrooms after the first day of school. And there are no cameras in the hallway or classrooms either. So we feel lucky that we came early and witnessed how the teacher handled a very minor situation, and that we were able to pull him out of the school early on. For about two weeks, our son didn't want to talk about his teacher or the school but eventually he was able to tell us how he felt. We've since found a school where he's thriving, with a classroom open-door policy and teachers who are warm and calm with small children.

Best school . My children attended…read moreMacy School since kindergarten and have been extremely satisfied with the quality of education it offers. They provided my children with a solid foundation of learning. The teachers and staff are the best: very attentive and approachable. Go Eagles!!!