Not sure why it has taken me so long to write a review of TBS! This is such a wonderful school. My…read moreson is in the kindergarten program and my daughter is in one of the young toddler classrooms. They have both been with Brunswick since they were infants. I am so happy we found this community and entrusted them to care for our children. All of the teachers we have had throughout the years have been extremely knowledgeable and caring. Both kids enjoy and look forward to school every day. The meals are a huge time saver (very healthy menu) and the extended hours are a huge benefit for full time working parents. The team has also done an excellent job managing this pandemic. Appropriate safety measures and constant communication. I hope the school keeps adding grades!

We are super satisfied with this school since day one and now it has been almost three years. It's…read morea super fun program, and kids will enjoy crafts, music/dancing, yoga, chess and Mandarin plus since last year, school has various choices of after school activities. In summer, kids will also do water play. In winter, kids might have chances to go to the nearby library and indoor gym. Food is always good which saves parents a lot of time preparing breakfast/lunch/snacks. Teachers and staff are always friendly and teaching method is very fun. In terms of culture, especially in the main campus, culture/backgrounds are very diversified. My kid enjoys the school every day.

Both of our sons attend Waterfront Montessori, our younger one in Primary 1 and our older one in…read moreLower Elementary, and we are very happy to be part of this school community! We are very pleased with the quality of education, the dedication of the teachers, and the variety of classes and after-school activities the school offers. The classrooms and overall environment are great, and the beautiful playground is definitely one of the school's biggest advantages. I am glad our boys have the opportunity to learn, play, and grow in such a nice environment, both indoors and outdoors. I also think the annual school musical, where all students have the opportunity to participate, is something very special for families. I am especially excited that our older son will be part of it this year! Both of our sons love going to school, and that is what matters most to us!

Our son has been in the Nido program for the past 6 months. Montessori Waterfront School has been…read moresuch a wonderful experience for our family. The people make all the difference, across all levels and faculties: caring, collaborative, and genuinely invested in each child. I know our son is loved for who he is and encouraged to grow with confidence. He has formed an incredible bond and adores Miss Bryanna, Miss Alisha, and Miss Abby, who are each so special and make an incredible team. We're so grateful for them!

Could not be happier. Our daughter is thriving socially and academically. The administration is on…read morepoint and so friendly. We love the extra curricular's as well and she is really building confidence. I cannot say enough great things about the school and staff!

Do not recommend…read more For the tuition paid the school would be expected to offer 1) a more structured curriculum 2) better facility for the students 3) and lastly ,be a reliable resource to parents and students. The school has been unexpectedly closed MULTIPLE days during this 2023-24 school year due to facilities issues. The students and parents are notified with less than 24hrs that the school is simply closed, not once but multiple times. There's is no make-up of the curriculum missed, no reimbursement of after-school paid classes. While our daughter had lovely teachers and received a beautiful care from the school's Nurse Ms Cathy, the administration is not a match. Despite the challenges listed above and lack of resolution/ commitment, the school submitted a 11% increase of the tuition for the next year.

Our experience with this preschool, was absolutely amazing and exceeded all our expectations! We…read moresaw ,firsthand, the positive impact it had on my nephew. From the first weeks, the teachers made a genuine effort to support his adjustment, keeping us , thoroughly informed and ensuring he felt secure and always included. That level of communication and Genuine care made a big difference for our family. Their classroom environment is very structured, organized, and welcoming. It is a setup, where the students, are not overly stimulated and they keep it simple, but, yet, very relaxed and productive! Smart Starts Academy has a curriculum , in which, encourages learning through, play while building important social and academic skills. Over time, we noticed improvements in his confidence, language skills, and enthusiasm for learning, which speaks volumes about the quality of instruction and Attentiveness to each student in their classroom! Emotions that each child may carry ,throughout their day, was Never ignored , but rather, very respected and handled with Extreme care and Genuine Understanding! The staff is beyond,professional, attentive, and Deeply committed to each child's development and learning journey! This preschool sets a HIGH standard for early education, and we would confidently recommend it to any family seeking a program that combines strong academics with Genuine care. Furthermore, the fact that, the students are to wear a uniform, distinctively separates, from other schools,especially because, the students are grasping the idea that, "we are going to school" and it clearly shows the difference between all other schools in the area. I absolutely RECOMMEND Smart Starts Academy and it will Not disappoint! The Smart Start Academy is a Great School for each child's first major steps in Learning and socially engaging in Healthy and Sustainable Growth and Development!

Our 3year old has attended Smart Start Academy (SSA Lumbar House) in Jersey City for almost a year…read more We are so happy with the facility, staff and overall program. 1) Love the mandatory uniform. She associates her uniform with "going to school", which is a great visual prompt to get us ready & out the door each day. 2) The administration and staff are so helpful & have been extra accommodating to her special needs. There is a great curriculum including an introduction to Spanish language skills & preschool preparation (tracing letters, using glue sticks & scissors, etc) . It's truly like a school rather than just a daycare facility. She loves her teachers Mrs Ruth & Miss Justine :) 3) The tech used by the facility is great. The app lets us check her in & out for the day with ease. We get information and photo updates throughout the day. 3) Food is healthy and our picky eater never goes hungry.

They discriminate among kids and judge a lot. Director and teacher lacks empathy and big time…read morehypocrites. Teacher to student ratio is also high. They do not spend on montessori material and use text book and old material for kids.

After much care, thought and extensive research, I made the best choice by deciding to send my…read moredaughter to Hudson Montessori School in Jersey City for several reasons: 1. I was looking for a quality education experience for my daughter that was geared towards her individual needs. The Montessori Method of self-directed activity, hands-on learning and teacher guidance of children to make good choices, greatly appealed to me. In my opinion, Hudson Montessori excelled in this area with quality and experienced teachers. 2. It was important to me that my African American daughter attends a school that honors and respects diversity. Hudson Montessori does an excellent job at celebrating the diversity of its students through parent-led cultural presentations. Children are free to explore and ask questions as they are exposed to cultural celebrations from all backgrounds. 3. Lastly, I absolutely love the concept of choosing a major theme for each school year for the children to learn about certain subjects throughout the year. The annual Social Studies Fair is an excellent event that allows us to see just how much information the children have learned as they study the theme from the beginning of the school year to the end. 4. The selection of after school programs is second to none. There is an activity offered for just about every child's interests including yoga, art, chess, tennis, gymnastics, healthy cooking and more. 5. Parental involvement is just as important and Hudson Montessori has a very active parent volunteer organization. Parents are encouraged to help out in a variety of ways - through in-class presentations, movie nights, fundraisers or volunteering to assist at the Social Studies Fair. There are lots of ways to stay active. In addition, every month there are parent education nights where we can learn more about the Montessori Method and the types of materials our children use in the classrooms. 6. Lastly, the Year-End Celebration is a fantastic performance where our children have the opportunity to showcase their talents and gain confidence. This is my daughter's 4th year with Hudson Montessori and I couldn't be happier with the results. When she says "Mommy, I love school" that is the best compliment I believe that any school administrator, teacher and parent could hear. I know that I made the right choice! Thank you Ms. Jolly (Director), Ms. Maki and Ms. Gina (school administrators), Ms. Tia, Ms. Alia and Ms. Caridad, Ms. Denise, Ms. Mariana and Ms. Mahrukh for taking care of her for the past 3 years. Now that she has started first grade, I know that she's in capable hands with Ms. Shannon and Ms. Gina A.

Our daughter started in a Montessori school in another state last year, so when we moved to Jersey…read moreCity, we knew we wanted to put her in another Montessori school if we could find one with the right fit. We came to an information session, saw Myani Lawson present on the BLMS curriculum and community, and pretty much immediately knew that this would be the right choice for our daughter. We enrolled her, and it was absolutely the right decision. Dropping her off and picking her up every day is a delight. She loves her friends, loves her teachers, loves her work, and loves her school. She has made remarkable strides on her reading, her writing, and her counting since starting: at home she's always sounding out letters, counting everything she can, and writing out the letters she recognizes. BLMS has tapped into children's' natural enthusiasm to learn and to teach each other. The community of families at BLMS is wonderful. The kids all recognize each others' parents and great them with delight. The playground get-togethers, potlucks, and school events have given us new friends -- just as BLMS has given our daughter great new friends. When one of the families has a new child, the PTA organizes a meal train to bring them fresh home-cooked food as they adjust to life with one more at home. And the parents came together to make sets and props for this fall's delightful production of The Three Little Pigs. I wasn't expecting the 3-year-olds to learn their lines for a ten-page play, but wow was I wrong. Yes, there was still a lot of shouting away from the audience and what you'd expect from first-time actors, but the kids all got the idea of a play and jumped into it with both feet. Ms. Lawson is a force of nature, and she has put her talents to good use creating a welcoming and supportive school. I can't speak highly enough about BLMS.

Beware of their terms and conditions. They are very unreasonable in my view. Here is our story:…read more We registered our newborn baby for this school more than five months before its start date (September 1st). Based on their terms and conditions, if you don't withdraw your application before July 1st, you are responsible for paying THE WHOLE year's tuition ($27000+ in our case). Even if, for whatever reason, you realize you can't send your baby to this school. Even if you relocate, or your baby is not happy there, or you realize you don't like their approach, or even (and this is the most absurd case) if your baby is inconsolable and they call you to come and pick him/her up every day, you are still responsible for paying the tuition in full. Moreover, they don't let parents observe how their baby adjusts initially. They don't guarantee to answer your phone call; indeed, we called four times and left messages, and they didn't answer for days. Some schools let you watch through CCTV, come and check in regularly the first few days, or have an app to see what's going on. This school has none of that. We are talking about sending a baby under one year old to an entirely new place for the first time without his/her parents. As parents, we have to stay in the dark about how he/she behaves. Considering these factors, we withdrew on April 26th, over four months before the term began. Despite having paid $3,800+, NONE of it was refunded. To be fair, they insist that their school is not for everyone. Take that seriously! We believe their registration's terms and conditions are very unreasonable, to say the least.

My five-year old attended the summer camp at Viaquenti this summer and had an amazing time. He…read moredidn't want it to end! He was so engaged and excited about all the activities they would do each day. He not only had fun but he also learned about all sorts of subjects such as geography, science, Spanish, in addition to the more summery activities like swimming and soccer. My focus when looking for a camp was for him to have fun with other kids and not necessarily to learn more school-related subjects, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much he learned about so many different things while still having fun. Although I don't have direct experience with their school year curriculum, I would assume that their approach to it is the same as during the summer, and if it is, then it's very effective for this age group. The only negative I would say about the school is that it doesn't have a green space or large-enough outdoor space. They do have a terrace that they use for some of the outdoor time but I wish there was more of a large, natural space for the kids to play at. However, I know it's not very common in this area, and even without it, my son loved the school and had a great summer. :)

We were nervous about starting our 1 year old son in any day care during the pandemic, but I have…read moreto say that Viaquenti have been amazing to us. Isaira and team have gone above and beyond to make us comfortable and excited each and every day we drop our boy off. The class itself is very well structured, the ongoing communication via an app with updates and photos are a welcome relief, along with regular feedback on how he is doing. Our son has developed so much in the short 2 months he's been there, especially in terms of confidence & socialization - shoutout to Ms. Nicole.

Sent my son there for two days and decided to withdraw - forfeited almost $3k of tuition and…read moredeposits for summer and one month of fall. Dealt with old director previously for enrollment and new director after starting. Similar experience to others in terms of the finance handling - was told no refund given we had signed application form - on a legal basis. Separately, on the quality of schooling itself, I wouldn't send my kid there after observing. If you are just looking for a place to for your kid to pass time, sure this place is cheaper relative to others in the area. We were initially attracted by the language differentiating factor. But just one day of observation led me to form the opinion that it's not a place where my son will be given the quality of care and learning. Teachers don't really have a consistent philosophy across - one teacher would say one thing and another teacher would have another opinion.

My son has attended Key Element Learning for seven months, first part time and now full time. I…read morechose Key Element because we speak Chinese at home and Key Element was the only affordable preschool in Hudson County that I could find with a Mandarin immersion program. In addition to Mandarin Chinese, my son is also learning Spanish, which he practices with his grandparents. He seems very happy at school and loves his teachers. I am thrilled that he is speaking three languages already, and being exposed to French and Italian as well. My only difficulty with the school (which is not their fault, nor anyone's really) is packing lunch to accomodate the multitude of food allergies among the students.

GOMS is a hidden gem in the Jersey City Heights neighborhood. My son has been attending GOMS since…read morehe was about 9 months old and has been in all three classrooms. The staff have been exceptional caregivers, very communicative, and are loved by my son. Some of the things we like most about GOMS: - Most of the staff speak Spanish and they do some lessons in Spanish. This was a big plus for us as a Spanish speaking household. - The GOMS community is a warm and welcoming one. The staff is incredibly consistent (low turnover from what I have observed) and therefore, it really gives a community feel. They never hesitate to give me updates, particularly when my son first transitioned to daycare and are always so supportive during transitions and milestones. - The hours are flexible and helpful for parents commuting to work. They are also open more often than other daycares because they don't have any week long closures, at least for the past 2 years. My son has learned so much from his teachers and the other kids. We absolutely recommend GOMS to anyone looking for a daycare in the Heights.

Our son has been attending GOMs for seven months. He started when he was a little baby of 5 months…read moreand is now a wild little toddler of one year. We all love GOMS. He literally laughs out loud when he gets to school. He loves it there so much. The teachers and directors are amazing care givers and you can feel how much they care about the kids. I feel like I'm leaving my baby with family. They have been there with us every step of the way through all our learning as new parents. The other parents and kids are also great and it's a really nice community. They recently added a shed to leave strollers which is a huge convenience.

Our daughter just "graduated" from Garden, and our son will be attending in the Fall. This is a…read morevery special place with thoughtful, well-trained, and loving teachers, and parents who choose to be deeply involved in their kid's preschool. Our daughter has been able to develop her creativity in many different areas, and has forged strong friendships. Because there is always a parent helping in the classroom, the kids know each other's family members, and learn by example to contribute to their communities. Our daughter truly feels part of a "village", that looks out for her. She wants to contribute, help, and learn about and from others. That's very much what GPC is about, and instills in our youngest citizens. Garden Preschool is a cooperative, and for it to run well, it takes a great deal of commitment from all the families. Parents are involved in all aspects of the school. . It also takes a collaborative spirit, and the willingness for parents, teachers, and kids to hang in there, and hear each other out! We feel lucky to be part of it, and Garden has been good for our family!

We have been with GPC for 3 years and absolutely love it. We love the families, the teachers, the…read morelearning style, and the access to outdoor space and play. Our daughter has thrived here, and the teachers are so personal and hands-on with every child. We love that the class size is set up so that children can get the attention they need, with a diverse curriculum. There are school trips every month to expand outside of the school, everywhere from museums to pottery and fairy trails. My wife and I love being Parent of the Day because we get to see our little one in action with all of her friends. It's amazing. We also get to bring a little bit of our family and culture to the school.