I am very impressed by this school. After attending a tour and meeting the teachers and staff, I…read moreobserved a great level of care and engagement by everyone. The teachers are kind and very knowledgeable about what it takes to help students learn to the best of their ability. I saw students paying attention and actually LEARNING! I think it was the way the teachers kept their students' interests and the level of engagement in the classroom. I am particularly impressed with the friendliness of the staff- they are very approachable and I think that is important in a school community. I am excited to have found this school. ALSO I want to emphasize how much I love that this is a public charter school. Their curriculum is slightly different than a "traditional" public school. The teachers are given freedom to teach in more creative ways (I think that why the kids seemed more involved) - I looked at a great number of schools, but this one really impressed me. I am very excited about Golden Door.

Both of my children have attended Stevens Coop School. My son graduated from 8th grade there, and…read moremy other child currently attends. We have been a part of the school for almost 10 years, and have been extremely happy. Even with the choice of schools on Staten Island, Northern NJ, & NYC, I still selected this school for my second child. The education is second to none, the staff are amazing - vibrant, excited, and well skilled in their given subjects. While the Newport campus is smaller & newer than the original Hoboken campus, the building in Newport is beautiful (it was built to spec for the school by Lefrak), and has a full size gym & incredible views of the Hudson River from almost every classroom. I wish my house had such great views! It is a mecca for progressive education, and this style of teaching/learning extends to every class, every teacher, and every activity, including their camp which runs during the summer. My older child got into an incredible private High School in NYC, where they accept only about 15-20% of the applicants (he was accepted at many of the other high-end schools that he applied to as well, but we chose the one that was right for him). The admissions team, from application to Kindergarten through assisting each family with selecting the appropriate high school for their student is SECOND TO NONE! As far as the other reviewer's comments about taking a family's money when they dropped out of their contracted spot 3 months before school started - this is standard & usual practice for all private schools. When you sign the contract, it clearly says that you will be fully liable for the entire year's tuition even if you don't send your child there or pull them out mid-way through the year. This is the only way to ensure that expenses, including teachers salaries, are paid for as budgeting is planned in advance for the year. Overall, an incredible educational experience right here in NJ!

My personal experience with this school was simply awful. Management is inflexible and unsupportive…read more. Shady business practices with a profit before kids mentality. Bad vibes.

Our daughter has been in 5 different Montessori programs over her short life thanks to my chosen…read moreprofession as an executive nomad. All the schools we've been a part of are different and have different specifics but with common core values. My daughter has been at Waterfront for just under a year and there is no doubt in my mind that Waterfront captures the Montessori spirit in spades. When we moved to Jersey City my daughter's skills were not completely aligned with the other kids her age in Waterfront. She had more experience in certain areas and less experience in others. I was concerned that she would feel overwhelmed and get discouraged because she had not been exposed to some of the work her peers at Waterfront had already done. I discussed this concern with the teachers and they were not only supportive, but by the time we talked they had already observed what I was concerned about and implemented a plan to help keep my daughter from getting overwhelmed. I was impressed. Their observant attitude and willingness to meet my daughter where she was and encourage her have been a wonderful help to our adjustment to Jersey City. All the montessori schools we have been a part of have expectations of independence that typically exceed social norms. My daughter learned to tie her shoes at age 2 at Brickton Montessori in Chicago. In that same school she was potty trained (in coordination with us, naturally) and learned basic grooming. Learning to be a responsible young person is messy because it requires struggling and failure. I have always had the attitude that the best thing I can give my daughter is safe places to fail, struggle, and make messes. I see this same, "safe place to struggle" attitude in Waterfront. While my daughter is many years past diapers, her struggles are more around time management, spelling and social dynamics. I'm very glad she's part of the Waterfront community during these struggles. My observation, however, is not all parents are emotionally and logistically ready for Montessori programs. There seems to be an attitude among some parents that paying for a private school means the school should not allow their kid to struggle and sometimes safely fail. I think those parents get very frustrated, not only at Waterfront, but also at other schools I've been a part of. As a parent, if we want our kids to successfully learn self sufficiency, we really have to let them struggle, get frustrated, and learn to get back in there. Sometimes it's messy. I've found Waterfront to be a wonderful partner in embracing the struggle. It's what they do, and they do it well.

I am the owner of Premier Chess, which has run a program at Waterfront Montessori for 5 years now…read more I love working with the administration and seeing the students progress with their chess learning. 5 Stars school.

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.

Hamilton Park Montessori has been an incredible environment for my son. The school's headmaster…read moreAlexa comes from a successful history of running Montessori schools and her strong reputation is well-known in Central New Jersey. Our son's head teacher Michele is an extraordinary teacher. Most notably, she takes the extra time to write us notes on our son's progress (good and bad) without our prompting. Most importantly, our son is happy and making strides in his development. Just the other day we were amazed that he drew a story on his own that was extremely detailed. He was barely able to make a stick figure not too long ago.

I love watching how my little girl thrives in this environment! She is able to socialize, "work"…read moreand loves her teachers and friends. She looks forward to coming every day!

The Embankment School is a magical place for children to learn the life skills they need to…read morenavigate an ever-changing world where social-emotional intelligence and curiosity will prove to be just as important as scholastic achievements. My husband and I so happy with our choice to send our son to this wonderful, progressive school. The founding teachers are highly experienced and have created a brilliant mix of project based, hands-on learning, and academic programs for reading and maths. The individual focus on each child allows students to develop at their own pace both academically and emotionally. Safety has always been very important to us and we've never had a reason to worry about our son's wellbeing while at school. For example, there's a strict rule that the children are never to open the front door to anyone, not even their parents. If they see someone waiting to get in they have to notify a teacher. A few days ago the policy was put to a test. My son saw me through the window when I came to pick him up and in his excitement he forgot the rule and ran out of the classroom to let me in. Before he knew it, the head teacher had caught up with him and she firmly reminded him that for everyone's safety, only the teachers are allowed to open the doors. My son nodded and then they walked down the hall together to let me in. There is a good balance of freedom and creativity on the one had, and discipline and responsibility on the other. Overall our son has thrived tremendously in Kindergarten. School is now like a second home and he is always eager to get there in the morning. Everyday the children get to play outside, regardless of weather. Movement, music and dance is part of the curriculum and arts and crafts are natural components of every project the students are working on. As parents, we couldn't be more pleased with the progress our son is making; he is not only learning to read, add and subtract - he is learning to collaborate, to problem solve, to lead, to innovate and to be an independent thinker. He is not even 6 years old! What an amazing start in life. Thank you Embankment School!

We could not be more impressed with the school that Rachel and Jessica have created. Our girls have…read morereceived the highest form of education, while being allowed to be outdoors (regardless of weather), and given the space to be at their individual levels. We chose to send them to The Embankment School and have never once regretted our decision. I admit it was hard to pass up a space at a local Charter school, but after weighing out the things that were important to us, we felt it was more than worth it to send them there. The children are so happy to go to school each day. They never want to miss a moment. The student to teacher ratio is so amazing that children do not get left behind. From field trips to after school add ons, the education and activities have a huge range. Our kids have participated in farm trips, river walks, talent shows, fencing, Bollywood dance, chemistry and even magic classes. They are building skills that I never imagined they would, are being challenged, and still have time to play and be creative. We believe in progressive education and our children truly receive that there. This does not mean that they "play" in the traditional sense all day. They have learned to read and write but not by doing repetitive workbook/ homework. And the best part is that they WANT to learn. They love to read because they are encouraged to try without fear of being wrong. The way the teachers document the weeks by sending home images and a detailed description of the week, provides parents with questions to ask the children to provoke thoughtful and meaningful communication about their experiences. All in all, the entire experience at Embankment has been extremely positive and empowering while also providing an environment that induces scholastic as well as personal development. Thank you Rachel and Jessica and all of the outstanding teachers there!

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.

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.

We love OLC School. The environment is great, the teachers are engaging and caring, and the…read moreteacher/student ratios are good. My son loves the school so much that he doesn't even take a break during the summer and has me enroll him in summer camp at the school too ;) We are also very pleased that the school has leased additional space to expand its facilities starting this September (2018) as we were worried they were going to run out of space in their current building.

My daughter goes to LCCS and I am happy with the school. The circle value that they teach their…read morekids works and helps to keep an environment of love, free of bullying, of love for learning, even the bullies get turned to be better people at this school, it comes naturally since there is a sense of respect for others in this institution. The LCCS system get the parents involved in the school community, get to know the other parents better and the other kids. Another thing I love is that the parents have the same goal, we hold our kids responsible for their effort, and we moved to get our kids in this school because we want a better education for them, better than the current public school system. There are lots of great teachers, a few that are not great (can't lie).

This school gets 60% of what public schools get for funding and is able to do so much because they…read moreare active in the community and have done fundraisers to get by. They have done such a great job that a majority of the graduating 8th graders have been accepted to McNair High School! I believe the tests scores are tops in J.C.! I know my son loves his school and has made a great deal of friends there in the 3 years he has attended.