We absolutely loved Montessori Schoolhouse and were so sad when they left our neighborhood. Sarah…read morewas a joy to work with and fostered a loving, nurturing, and a rewarding learning environment for the kiddos. I especially loved Sarah's communication style with both the parents and kids. She was always quick to answer my questions and provide feedback about our daughter. It was very clear how much the kids loved each other and the teachers, everyone was always saying "I love you". Wishing Sarah and MSH the best of luck with the new location!

We feel incredibly lucky to have found Montessori Schoolhouse when our daughter was just two years…read moreold. From the very beginning, she absolutely loved being there -- and as parents, we felt the same. The warmth, structure, and intentionality of the program helped our daughter thrive. She learned to read by age three, developed strong social and emotional skills, and grew deeply curious about the world around her. Miss Sarah has created something truly special. Her curriculum fosters independence, empathy, and a real love for learning. She was always available -- whether by message or phone call -- and her communication gave us so much peace of mind. Though we were sad when the school moved to its new location in Poway, we are so happy for Miss Sarah and her new chapter. Montessori Schoolhouse is one of a kind, and we're forever grateful to have been part of the school community. Gloria

There are few teachers more loving, dedicated, and competent than Alexis. She genuinely loves what…read moreshe does, and the love she has for her little kids is obvious--and this is extended to her team. My eldest still talks about her, and now my two youngest attend and love it. Excellent covid protocols in place too.

Oh Alexis, Dulce, and Jennifer, I don't know where we'd be without you! This is the most loving…read moredaycare I could wish for. I found The Bilingual Montessori here on Yelp and now I consider it an extension of my home. Alexis is an amazing caretaker of all the children -- it is clear they adore her -- and she and her team instill fun and learning in every day. Dulce, Alexis' mom, is now an abuela to our little girl, who is talking up a storm thanks to all the stimulation she gets at school. Even better, the other families who send their kids to the school are just lovely - my child has so many favorite friends. One perk is that you can follow along on your child's day on Instagram, which is such a comfort when you are at work, missing your baby. Alexis is always quick to notify you if your child gets a boo-boo, isn't feeling well, or has some issue going on. I cannot say enough about this wonderful place. Look no further for a wonderful home away from home for your child!

I cannot say enough about the heart and soul behind New Adventures Montessori! Ginger, Bernadette,…read moreSummer and the rest of the staff genuinely love our children. My child loves going to school and not only is she learning academically but mentally and emotionally. I have spent money on another Montessori but the staff didn't love being there or the kids. You cannot put a price on loving your children like their own!!! Thank you NAM

I realized I have never reviewed New Adventures but recommend them to everyone looking for…read morepreschool or school!! My son absolutely LOVED attending preschool with Ginger, Summer, and Bernadette. We only took him out due to moving and he STILL talks about how much he loves school 6 months later. I highly recommend the school. I know they have added some new teachers since we moved but I have absolute faith in their process that they are hiring people who fit the same standards and mindsets they hold themselves. It's really a special place that will offer your child a rich supportive environment to thrive in.

We absolutely love the Lulus Montessori! The staff is amazing with the kids and they get an amazing…read moreeducation. We are always surprised by how much they learn and how much fun they have. Also their meal plan is great. We are very fortunate to have our son there. We looked at around 10 different places and it gave us anxiety because we really wanted our son to be at Lulus which was much much better than all the other places we saw all over San Diego.

We've been taking our son to Lulus Montessori since he was about 18 months, and it has been the…read morebest daycare/preschool experience we could have hoped for. The teachers are incredibly loving and thoughtful. I especially love the fact that they celebrate birthdays and holidays and create opportunities for parents to get to know each other, too. My child has grown by leaps and bounds, and his interactions with the other children are fun to see. The fact that meals are provided (bfast, lunch and snacks) is a godsend. Several daycares/preschools in the region claim to be Spanish immersion but aren't actually (e.g., they speak English to the kiddos). At Lulus, I feel like we get a truly authentic Spanish immersion program for our son, knowing instruction is exclusively in Spanish. And it shows. My son 100% understands Spanish when it is spoken to him and he mixes Spanish and English in his vocabulary regularly. I credit Lulus for a large part of that bilingual ability and look forward to seeing his fluency improve in the years to come. Highly recommend Lulus!!

At first, I was so excited to find Montessori Achievement Centre, I was looking for a traditional…read moreMontessori preschool for my daughter. During the tour, I asked a few questions to confirm what they advertised on their website -- that they were a traditional Montessori school. I asked Patricia, the founder and director, if there were any ways in which they deviated from traditional Montessori practices and principles and she said, "no, we don't deviate at all from traditional Montessori practices." So, I was shocked when picking up my 2 year old a little early from "Montessori time" (830am-130pm) to find the entire school huddled around a TV watching Troll cartoons. This is a double whammy of violating the Montessori principles of not using technology/screen time and avoiding fantasy. After asking Patricia about it, she confirmed that they put the kids in front of the television when it was hot outside. (With the location in East County, it is hot a lot in the afternoons.) Given that they lied about staying true to traditional Montessori practices and principles, I didn't feel safe continuing to leave my toddler in their care, because I don't trust that they aren't misleading about other areas of their care. I understand if a preschool decides to use TV sometimes, but I don't feel that it's okay to mislead parents about it. Their communication has been terrible from day one, from not telling me everything I needed to bring with her on the first day of school even when I specifically asked, to not informing me of major milestones like the first time she went on the potty. Since I've pulled my daughter out, I have not been able to get a response from the school about getting my full refund (they only sent a check with a portion of the security deposit and no explanation on why they are not refunding me for the entire security deposit plus the days she will not be attending in July) nor a reply to any of my emails.

My daughter loves going to school. She is developing a lot…read more All the staff is very nice and caring.

My child has been attending Learning Jungle La Mesa for about a year and a half, and I'm very happy…read morewith the school. Here's why: 1) Tuition is comparable to or beats some home daycares, and beats a lot of (non-home) school-like daycares. Also includes snacks and lunch. You may think you're getting a better deal at home daycares that provide diapers but I personally like being in control of what brands of diapers and wipes are being used on my baby's bottom! And for that matter, (compared to what I've witnessed at home daycare visits and have heard from others' experiences), there is a lot more oversight when your child is at a school-like daycare. I feel like there's less accountability at home daycares in general and it just gives me a greater peace knowing that the place my child spends 9 hours a day is more official and follows guidelines more strictly. 2) The teachers really care a lot for the children. I have great relationships with them, they're very communicative, experienced, and you can really tell that they love the kids! It's more than just a job for them. They use really nice language with the kids, for example, "No thank you," "Come this way, friends," or "Nice hand, please!" (You will not hear them "yelling" at children the way sometimes frustrated grown-ups or parents do). 3) You hear a lot of buzz these days about Montessori schools.. but honestly LJ teaches kiddos the same kind of independence and life skills (for example, the kids are expected to throw away their trash, return their water bottles to the fridge, and return their nap time bedding to their cubbies). What I think LJ does that's actually a greater service than the Montessori schools is that it provides structured activities and instruction that are similar to the format of traditional public schools. (I mean yeah, in theory, it's great that your kid can explore and learn with activities that vibe with his/her preference or unique learning style, but in real life, your student will be expected to participate in class activities during group time, and will be expected to work independently during individual work time, when he or she is in elementary school and beyond.) So, in that regard, I think LJ does better to prepare young children to meet the demands of kindergarten and school (and life, for that matter) than the Montessori schools. (I mean, there aren't learning centers for all grade levels and in all walks of life, right?) And lastly, 4) there are monthly activities and/or seasonal events that involve parents and guardians that are festive and fun, which make (along with everything else) LJ La Mesa altogether a fun, safe, educational and happy place!

I rarely leave reviews, but I feel it's important to share our family's experience with Learning…read moreJungle La Mesa so other parents can make an informed decision. Our daughter attended this center for approximately four months, and during that time the center went through two different directors. While leadership changes can happen at any childcare center, we experienced inconsistent communication and a lack of continuity throughout our time there. From the beginning, we wanted to partner with the daycare to help our daughter succeed. Whenever behavioral concerns were brought to our attention, we worked with her at home and asked staff how we could support them. Unfortunately, despite repeated concerns about her behavior, no one ever scheduled a meeting with us to create a behavior plan, discuss strategies, or ask what techniques were working at home. Instead, it often felt like incidents were documented without a collaborative effort to address the underlying issues. One of our biggest concerns was communication. We specifically requested that staff notify us if our daughter was having a difficult day or refusing to nap. Despite those requests, there were multiple occasions when she was in the office during nap time and we were not notified. On one occasion, my husband went to the daycare and found her in the office with markers in her mouth, which raised concerns for us about supervision. On another occasion, he found her cot placed by itself in a corner of the room, separate from the other children during nap time. We do not know whether this was a one-time occurrence or a regular practice, but seeing her separated from her classmates was upsetting and raised concerns about how she was being managed. Regardless of the reason, we worried that repeatedly separating a young child in this way could leave them feeling excluded rather than supported. As parents, it was difficult to understand why she was repeatedly removed from the classroom or separated during nap time without timely communication or a discussion about what was happening. We also repeatedly requested copies of incident reports involving our daughter but did not receive the documentation we requested. Without those reports, it was difficult to fully understand the incidents and reinforce expectations consistently at home. Another concern was hygiene. Our daughter was potty training, and there were multiple days when she had several accidents. On several occasions, I picked her up still soiled and needing to be changed. We understand accidents happen with toddlers, but we expected that she would be cleaned promptly and cared for appropriately. Communication with our family was inconsistent. Staff would tell us that "it's better when parents are involved," but when I attempted to become more involved, I was told, "We've got it." At the same time, concerns were often shared with me informally at pickup but were not consistently communicated to my husband when he picked her up. We wanted to be active partners in supporting our daughter, but we never felt included in developing a plan to help her succeed. Another thing that stood out to us was the classroom environment. Throughout our daughter's enrollment, we consistently saw artwork from many of the other children displayed in the classroom. We never observed any of our daughter's artwork displayed. While there may be an explanation for this, it added to our concerns about whether she felt fully included in classroom activities. The biggest reason I'm writing this review is because of what happened after we transferred our daughter to another licensed daycare. The difference has been remarkable. She has not been reported for hitting or kicking other children. She plays well with her classmates, comes home clean every day, and her teachers communicate with us in a positive, balanced, and collaborative way. They celebrate her accomplishments while working with us on any concerns, and we've experienced the kind of partnership we were hoping for all along. Every child deserves patience, respect, and a team of adults who work together with parents in their best interest. Unfortunately, that was not our experience at Learning Jungle La Mesa. My hope in sharing our experience is that the center reflects on its communication, collaboration with families, and overall quality of care so that other children and parents have a better experience.

My kids spent two awesome years at the French Montessori, and honestly, we couldn't have asked for…read morea better experience The teachers are so sweet, super patient, and just amazing with kids. A thank you especially to the director Emilie, she is super attentive, friendly and always there to listen to parents It's such a warm and caring environment, " MERCI BEAUCOUP!! " If you're looking for a great spot for your little ones, i recommend this school 100%!

We love TFM! Our daughter has been there since 2 years old…read moreand we will be putting our little one in the new infant program. All the teachers are amazing! Our daughter has learned so much, can write her name at four years old and follows rules and guidelines, as well as learned basic core values. We couldn't ask for a better learning environment, most importantly one where we feel comfortable and at ease. We couldn't be happier!

I wish I could give this school 6 stars! From the very beginning my kids and family felt welcome…read more Even with COVID I always felt like we were included in school activities. The teachers and director were always available to answer questions and provided my children with quality education. I felt like my son and daughter gained a 360 knowledge of each subject. They knew states and countries relationally, reading skyrocketed, and understanding of critical thinking was very clear. The teachers always greeted us with a smile and a fully detailed report of the day! I highly recommend this school!

Outstanding "guides"/teachers, excellently run by the Director (Jill), and a wonderful set of…read moreclassrooms filled with great prompts & lessons - oh and they have frogs, salamanders, a guinea pig, and more: Last month they had a large netted-display set up in the classroom with caterpillars who turned into cocoons and then became painted lady butterflies - the kids got to release them into their lovely yard to fly away. It was so cool and my daughter was enthralled! She talked about the progress of the butterflies every day. Lovely shaded yard with loads of imaginative play structures. Check out this school and be ready to put your name on the waiting list!