I would like to begin by sharing what a truly pleasant experience Montessori Explorer has been from the very first visit. From the moment you walk in and are welcomed with a tour, you immediately feel the warmth and care that defines this school. Ms. Jennifer does an exceptional job creating a welcoming environment not only for families, but also for the staff. She is always kind, attentive, and genuinely invested in everyone who walks through the doors. What stands out most is their openness to feedback. Ms. Jennifer and the team consistently invite parents to share their thoughts and truly take that feedback into consideration. This reflects their genuine commitment to growth and excellence. It's rare to find a school so dedicated to continuous improvement although, honestly, it's hard to identify anything they need to improve, as they already go above and beyond in every aspect. In addition to their outstanding program, Montessori Explorer now offers parent workshops and classes that have been incredibly valuable. These have supported not only our family, but many others as well. Within my circle of fellow parents, we often find ourselves talking about how wonderful this school is and how much it has positively impacted our children and families. If you are looking for a place where your child will feel safe, supported, and inspired to learn, I highly recommend visiting Montessori Explorer. It is a place where children truly enjoy being and where they are nurtured to grow academically, socially, and emotionally. I share this not only as a parent, but also as an educator. Montessori Explorer has been an exceptional experience for my child, and I am incredibly grateful to be part of this community. read more

Overall, our child had a wonderful experience attending Explorer for kinder through second grade. The director--who taught those classes--is a very practiced teacher. She knows how to run a classroom. Your kids will be in great hands as far as academics and structure is concerned. There are some peculiarities to how the school is run that may not work well for all children. Cleanliness and politeness is highly valued. This is a very ordered school. Kids who need to stim with fidgets or walk back and forth frequently may not be as supported as they might in other environments. (I'm being very general with the "may not be" since I don't know for sure. I just know that my kid appreciated a very ordered classroom thrived, but there may not be a lot of room for deviation from the standard.) In an age where EdTech is dominating schools with computer programs in every class, it was wonderful to give our child a tech-free start away from the pressure of assessments and CAASP testing. I wish we could go back. read more

This school is such a great structured environment for students to have and it provides so many creative outlets for the students to explore and grow independently! As well as so many wonderful hardworking teachers to help guide every student! read more

Our daughter has been enrolled at Montessori Explorer since the Fall of 2021 when my husband and I no longer had the option to work remotely. It was a scary time, COVID surges came and went, all while the school staff worked their hardest to keep our children and our families safe. There is so much love in the school community. The directors and teachers really care and our daughter loves going to school. We've had nothing but a great experience here and are grateful for this team and everything they do for our kiddos! read more

My daughter was a mid-year transfer, coming from a very dissatisfactory experience with her previous school where she was constantly sick and simply not cared for by her former teacher. Thankfully, we had the exact opposite experience at Montessori Explorer. She was welcomed with open arms and academically challenged from the very beginning. Within just a few weeks, she was adding and reading three-letter words. One year later, she is adding, subtracting, and multiplying as well as reading independently with minimal assistance. She's also displaying problem-solving skills in everyday life. I am extremely pleased with our experience at Montessori Explorer and only wish that we found it sooner. read more

I don't even know where to begin with but our family loves the school so much! (Yes, even us as parents!). We attended many school tours before we decided, and this was the only school that teachers have so much passion being a teacher, loving kids as if they were theirs. Our son learns many things everyday he goes to the school, after he comes back home, he tells us how much he had fun at school. The teachers' communication with parents are great, even little things they let us know immediately so we can work with him at home. If we say we want to do volunteers, the teachers think with us how we can help kids and they let us do volunteers (we read books for kids in our son's classroom so we were able to see how he spends his time at school!) They have tons of animals, (students can feed them too if they ask the teachers!) such a cute backyard that they can play with in a safe environment. Also the school has such a family vibe, all of the teachers knows who he is, upper graders kids even greet our son every-time they see him. It's a best / safe feeling that the whole school is supporting all of us :) Many and only good things that I can write about but in the end we love the school so much and we made the best decision to let our son attend to school :) read more

This school has changed my child's life, this school is clean, they are fair to everyone that walks through the door. I highly recommended this school for everyone! read more

I am sorry to have to give this rating because the school itself is very nice with lots of amenities and the teachers seem to be very nice people. Our experience with the director, however, was truly awful. Communication was extremely poor. We were told we would receive information about what our son was learning weekly. In 6 weeks that he was there, we received one small piece of paper one time listing activities. We were told the school would send photos of our son (since we obviously could not go in due to Covid). We asked several more times about this when we got nothing and then were told "we can't be sending you photos every single day." Again, in 6 weeks we received one email with 2 photos and were treated like we did something wrong for asking for something we were already promised. We ended up removing our son because after being at the school for 6 weeks, he was sent home with a runny nose. Of course, we understand that, but then, we were continuously told he could not come back for 2 more weeks even though we took him to the doctor, got a negative Covid test, etc. We communicated the negative test to the school as soon as we had it but they still said he couldn't come back. When we withdrew him, the director lied and said we told them we had emailed the results. When we pressed her on that, she admitted later that she just made that up. She referred us to the sick materials in the handbook which state nothing about getting Covid tests and nothing about keeping kids out for two weeks with a stuffy nose. So, we went beyond the requirements and were punished for it. We cannot afford to pay for preschool and to concurrently pay for separate childcare. When we explained this to the director, she basically said too bad and that she would charge us with the maximum amount she could justify under the contract. All told, we paid for an annual registration fee plus 3 months of school when our son attended for 6 weeks. Then, she said she would send us a receipt and let us know when we could pick up our son's stuff and she did not do that either, she just cashed her check and walked away until we forced the issue. If you don't have any issues, you may like the school as the teachers seem very nice and caring, but just a warning if you ever have a problem and have to deal with the director, she is all about money first and kids and families last even during a pandemic. read more

Ms. Dinusha and all of the Teachers at Montessori Explorer Elementary have been outstanding to my son and family. It was challenging as a dual military family that moved around to find a school that would help our son to develop the necessary skills to focus and become a bright independent student. Our son needed the challenge to work at his own pace because he was ahead of his public school grade and grew frustrated and bored. Our son had many personal struggles related to the stress of both parents being in the military. All of the Teachers did their best to help our son through teamwork, regular communication and provided helpful resources to make our time at the school successful. My son graduated this year and he is excited to start his new school. We cannot express enough how much everyone at this school changed our lives for the better. We would gladly recommend Montessori Explorer Elementary to anyone who is looking for a school that will help your child develop both independently and academically. Best school for gifted learners. ​ read more

My daughter has been going her for about a year now and it's been a great experience. Teachers are very warm and supportive. We always felt so comfortable discussing anything with them. The school provides a very warm and nurturing environment for young kids. I'm so glad we decided to send our daughter here. She absolutely loves it here, she even wants to go to the school on the weekend ( that tells us how well she's cared for at the school ). They do a lot of art and crafts and the preschool class has a fantastic learning program, my daughter has learned so much here. Special thanks for Ms Jennifer for being so supportive and kind all the time, it truly feels like a community. I had toured all the Montessori schools in Chula Vista and decided to go with this one because of how welcoming and supportive Ms Dinusha and Ms Jennifer were the first time I met them. So blessed to be a part of Montessori Explorer family. read more

The teachers are amazing here and as a volunteer I was able to see how fast the kids developed different skills. it's amazing work these teachers do .Would definitely recommend to bring your child here !!!! read more

We arrived at Montessori Explorer over 7 years ago. Our child needed a safe place, that would embrace his differences and allow him to develop his skills. We found what I know come to describe one of the best partnerships in my parenting journey. At Montessori Explorer, my son was embraced and loved for everything he was, the gifts, and the areas of growth. The teachers and children included him in all activities and made sure he always felt valued and supported. When he needed accommodations to allow him to access the curriculum Montessori Explorer created the setting and schedule that would allow him to thrive. It has been over 2 years since we graduated from Montessori Explorer, he stayed with them for as many school grades as possible. One of the things that I thoroughly enjoyed were the writing assignments, children were given writing prompts that prompted them to be insightful and reflective of their own human experience. When it came time for my son to publish his first book a collection of those writings were the backbone of his project. Now a published author, my son remembers with great love and gratitude all the support he received at Montessori Explorer. For me, I am grateful for the opportunity to find a school that became not only our learning environment but also an extension of the caring and safe world we created for our son at home. A community compassionate and caring that could see the best in him and his different abilities. As an educational institution, I am impressed by their openness and willingness to collaborate with other professionals and experts to fortify their already strong school in the areas of need of the students. Four years ago, with a 10-year difference, we had our second child. You bet our first and only choice for him was Montessori Explorer. There is no better feeling than dropping off my child at school and knowing, with no doubts or questions in my mind, that he is learning at the best place he can be outside my home. Their COVID measures have been impeccable. My son is a successful, happy, child who learned, thanks to Montessori Explorer, the ways the pandemic required without feeling deprived or restricted. Economically, it has been seamless, easy, and fair. They have a great electronic system, they take cards and offer various payment options. It worked great for us. Most valuable of all is their approach to the children's mental health. When they grow up, I want both my children to have strong self-esteem and mental health. Montessori Explorer approaches education with full awareness of the value and impact of what they do and they do it great. My older son is now working on his third and fourth books. I know that Montessori Explorer was key in building the confidence needed for such great goals. read more

First off, kids are not provided food or snacks. No toys 'because that's the montessori way.' The last month June you pay a FULL month's tuition for your kid to go less than two weeks because school ends early June. But again, the director who you will never get to know as she only reaches out when she's ASKING for donations to fix the school, will tell you that the school tuition is calculated for the year and divided into the total months with taking into consideration all vacation days. The director will send emails telling parents about water damage that has been resolved but now needs construction material donations. Who does that? We have been to many montessori schools and never have I seen no toys, no playground THEY HAVE NOTHING. Once the teachers complained to us that our son was engaging in inappropriate recess behavior as he was doing CARTWHEELS on the patch of grass they have as a playground. These teachers literally picked on my son for the SMALLEST things. How are cartwheels on grass inappropriate behavior? The teachers obviously have no training on child development and normal behavior. One day they had a class food activity and one of the kids had a food allergy and they complained to us that my son purposefully tried to touch the kid with the food they were allergic to. But guess what? It wasn't even us or my son that brought that food! The teachers had it for the class activity! Knowing the child had a food allergy they allowed that food item to be a part of the food activity and allowed that child with the food allergy to be part of the activity! They literally asked us to talk to our son about what he did wrong that day and blamed my five year old for 'not knowing better.' I literally had to talk to his teacher and tell her that it was the school's responsibility for having that food allergen in the class activity knowing a child was allergic to it. How did she respond? That our son is "old enough to know better that an allergic reaction can cause death." How can a five year old know what death or allergies are? They are the adults and at fault, they should have known better! The teachers kept picking on my son. So we decided to get a behavior specialist to watch our son In school to determine if he was acting out or if the teachers were lying. Turns out the behavior specialist said that our son was not disruptive. Therefore, it was clear the teachers have no bacherlors degree in child development and therefore have no idea what is typical child behavior. They expected perfection. The director was disgusting telling us in an email, you bet we have paper trail of how flawed their expectations are of children, where she says that our child would do better in PUBLIC school. As if Montessori Explorer is a mansion with a beautiful garden that teaches top notch academics but no it's literally run down house with no space for kids to have a playground. How offensive and hurtful is for the director to tell us that our son belongs in public school? They never have open house so you never get to see the inside of the school probably because they don't want parents seeing what conditions or lack of stimulation in the classes. They don't do any nice arts and crafts for the holidays. They literally come home with paint on a plastic plate. Or at the end of the week they come home with printer coloring pages. All this money we give them and you don't have anything for them? Even the behavior specialist said our son was bored as they don't have much and only do workbooks all day. Do expect to get an email THE DAY BEFORE from the director saying the kids will be performing in the CHURCH NEXT DOOR. NEVER was a permission slip sent to the parents asking if it was okay for our son to LEAVE SCHOOL PREMISES and/or go to a church. As parents we weren't notified or invited to attend the shows they put on for whoever it was in the church. Like what if families are not religious and don't want their child stepping foot inside a church? Our son stayed home on those days. Our son missed a lot of days because they picked on him when he was there on every little move he made. In case of emergencies forget it. You will not be notified but they say they called yet you will not have any missed calls on your phone. If you try and call the school the school phone was broken the entire year we were there and calls never went through. The director clearly stated being aware of this but guess what? Still hasn't fixed it because I'm guessing that will cost her money and she will probably have to ask for donations. For the holidays expect emails from the director saying that SUPPOSEDLY so many parents were asking for what the teachers would like for presents that she took it upon herself to send an email saying that teachers wanted GIFT CARDS for gifts to target and starbucks. But of course every teacher made a list of monetary items they wanted because this school only cares about money. Don't take your child here. read more

Programs offered during school hours cost extra money. Examples include karate, dance, and piano. Piano is sometimes taught by their staff. Karate is not in dojo but is in the school. No belts are earned via their classes. Prices are steep for what you are getting. Afterschool programs include coding, socker shots, and art. Both are about $200 each. If you were to pay tuition, piano, karate, dance, coding and art the cost would be about $1300 per month. Art has exhibition where parents can come see what the children are doing. Karate and piano do not. Fundraisers are good but should give the kids more for the money you spend. Pizza Friday is $5 for 1 or $7.50 for 2 pieces of pizza. Pizza is from Costco and costs $10 per pie. The contract is definitely made to protect the interests of the school (money). If you disenroll after 1 April, you will pay the rest of the school year's tuition even if your child doesn't attend ($1600-$2400). Owner will not budge and contract also states you will pay their legal fees if the dissagreement goes to court. School is good, people are trained and friendly. However, you can tell it is a business. Be careful and perhaps consider another school with a more lenient contract and less extra fees. Also, if you are 15mins late in picking up your child, be prepared to incur a fee. read more

This is a great school overall, highly recommended, great attention to detail. Montessori Explorer instills values into the children which is rare to find nowadays. Ms. Dinusha is a great leader with a fresh and kind approach to teaching. The teachers overall are upbeat, supportive, patient, kind, understanding and knowledgeable. This is our second child currently attending Montessori Explorer and our relationship with the school now goes back to more than 8!years. I encourage you to visit the school and take a tour, you will not be disappointed. Very high marks overall!! read more

The academic program at Montessori Explorer is absolutely fantastic. My wife and I were more than impressed with how our children learned math and reading skills, all before kindergarten! Another valuable component of the curriculum at Montessori Explorer to us was the exposure to other languages and teaching self sufficiency and good citizenship. The teachers there are also very caring & nurturing. I highly recommend them to parents that are looking for something more than traditional day care or pre-school. read more

This is definitely the BEST Montessori school in South Bay!!! My daughter has been going to this school since she was three and she is currently a 2nd grader there. She looks forward to going to school every day and this does say something about this school. The environment of the school is clean, neat and super organized. The director of the school has invested a lot money on the Montessori learning equipment and supplies. And the teachers at the school are so loving and caring. I strongly recommend Montessori Explorer if you would like to put your children in a Montessori learning environment. And this is the only Montessori school that offers lower elementary curriculum in the South Bay!! read more

Montessori Explorer is the best montessori school in South Bay. Staff are committed, friendly, and provides an environment that's great for children. I gave it a four star due to the fact that when they are off for two weeks or less, you'll definitely be paying double tuition from another institution, if both parents are working. If you're a stay home Dad or Mom, you will not be affected by it. Furthermore, that's the only thing that I find as a discrepency, but other than that... the school is AMAZING! read more

This school is great! My son has attended for two years, and has learned so much! The teachers are top-notch, very involved with each child. My son, at age 4, is starting to be able to read words, does simple addition and subtraction, and has a very good grasp of world geography. The school also offers piano lessons and karate classes. I would recommend this school to any parents who want their child to learn and grow in a nurturing, caring environment! read more

Great traditional Montessori school. My daughter learned so much in 2 years. She was reading at 4 years old and can indentify 50 states. All the teachers are bilingual, kind and nurturing. Ms. Dinusha is a great director, she listens to parents concerns and responds right away. Now my daughter is in kindergarten and she is way ahead of everyone in class. I highly recommend this school if you want your child to have an early start. read more