My child attended MKU for a short time as we were not pleased with the overall experience. The…read moregood. A code to get into the front door for each family and another code to sign the child in. The curriculum seemed okay, however they frequently did something different than planned. Cons, required uniforms with their logo on it, so we had to buy it from them. No food included, must pack snacks and lunch. The playground area seemed nice however the largest structure had rust on some areas that did not seem safe at all. When I toured I was told the tv was very rarely used, however more often than not, the children were watching tv or a teachers phone/tablet. Or I would hear from my child how they did this. The payments are monthly with a high annual fee. Plus additional costs for special activities. They are closed for two weeks during the year (around July 4 and December Holidays) which you do not get to not pay for. This may be a good fit for others, it just was not for us.

Both of my kids have attended this school. My shy kiddo really blossomed here. Wonderful teachers!read more

This school is less follow the child and more crush the will and subdue the spirit. My child's…read moreteacher did not have a degree in education, and I found her classroom control methods cruel. Homework was also excessive. Methods did not seem Montessori. Any concerns were met with immediate condescension. I left this school when urged to do so by both my child's pediatrician and a specialist. I do not recommend this school.

My experience with Beach Park was formed as a teacher AND parent. I remember the day I met head of…read moreschool, Kim Delaney. I was for a scheduled interview that was set up over the phone as I was covering my grounds right before summer end (2024) to place both my girls at the same program since I had one VPK ready and an incoming 1st grader that I was trying to keep close. I loved the fact the school was Montessori as I am an early childhood educator with KinderCare lead teaching background and experience across Bronx NY and Tampa FL. I've worked in professional environments since I was 18 years old. My intentions were to get the girls inside a private program under the Step Up scholarship award that I discussed with Kim to make sure her school accepted. To my surprise not only did she say they accepted that scholarship but ALSO invited me to interview for a position as the co teacher to the primary class. I NEVER APPLIED FOR THIS POSTION, IT WAS OFFERED. A month later, I was terminated without notice or an explanation, let alone write up or staff meeting that was disrespectfully PROMISED to me the following Monday after being yelled at by BOTH lead teacher of primary, Ms. JANET and KIM Delaney because I could not make a (well known disruptive) child stop yelling during nap time. The unspeakable treatment I witnessed (even my daughter receive from her 2 Lower Elem teachers, Mr. G and Ms. Lauren) received in the short amount of time I was there by some of the staff members was ridiculous, unnecessary and uncalled. I grew up middle class in an area where I was already used to being the only person color so being the only person of color in staff was not a problem, as many of our families were integrated. I actually LOVED the community, the children. The problem was the ADULTS in the matter. A lot ego and insecurities for me to manage as I was often antagonized by Ms Janet, lied on by Ms Jennifer when she accused me of mentioning "white privilege" during a conversation she couldn't even remember but "claim" I said it multiple times. I literally watch Ms. Janet catch attitudes if the children were "too interested in me", she would label it attachment to the point she actually had parent conference with a child's parent about me, WITHOUT me being present to actually present the facts. I watch Ms Lauren yell at my child for accidentally backing into another child's space. . Another day, watched her take my child's lunch one day from not her sandwich first. Lauren's response was, "we are a sandwich eating class", however when I spoke to another volunteer parent who's son was in my class, she gave me an honest observation of her son who is also in the same class and said she never had that experience. I believe my family was singled out the day they began to label me a problem. Mr G. rudely told me "I never met a child that can read but can't write to my face referring to my child whom I vulnerably shared needed writing assistance. The teachers gossip about everything but asked me to not share my opinions with other parents, as I was also a parent, which is completely hypocritical. I thought about unemployment, but God is too good to me, I was offered another opportunity as usual because I have a good heart and that's why I never belonged there. My wishes to anyone who chooses to be a parent/teacher of different background decent but my prediction is, they will not be hiring any more confident black educators, but they will unapologetically accept tuition from them. Mixed integrated families should think twice about making this school your child's second home. The heart of child is just as important as the education. Even after I left in peace, Kim made sure to terminate my children from her school, leaving them school-less for almost 2 months out pure spite because she no longer wanted to wait for the scholarship she told me to not worry about from day one. Imagine a 4 and 7 year old being turned away with a now terminated, single parent looking for work. By the end of that month, my daughter's scholarship was approved for full tuition and I placed her inside a real Montessori program up the street from my home, called Harmon Prep after waiting another month to process her into a new school, as I was terminated the day my sister took her life, September 7, 2024. My only regret is that I never got a chance to say goodbye to lovely and wonderful group of children inside the primary class who dearly loved me and I still love them. I know this because I had students telling me this the 2nd week of school! It's sad star quality teachers are leaving the school system because of toxic gate keepers inside the education system. I had a student ask me one day, what makes my skin brown, such an APPROPRIATE question for their age to ask, which let me know the children at that school never will get to experience an authentic diverse culture inside that community.

Look into the staff carefully if you are thinking about sending your child to this school. The…read moreteacher we believed to be Montessori trained departed the school in December. Parents were initially told she was on vacation when she had actually resigned. This information came only after the director was pressed for information. To date there is not a Montessori trained teacher on staff. The director (owner?) claims credentials and occasionally visits classrooms but continues to collect Montessori tuition rates while children are overseen by run-of-the-mill day care workers. If you want your child to have the advantage of the true Montessori experience, look elsewhere.

My child has been going to Seeds of Knowledge for about a year now for mathematics. Homeschooling…read morecan be tough, we turned to Jennifer for mathematics and it has helped tremendously. We no longer argue about math! Jennifer has been able to take her several levels above her typical grade level. She is works well with gifted learners and their nuances such a perfectionism, anxiety, and even helps to establish executive function skills. We are thrilled that we found Jennifer as now our home is far more peaceful that it was before. She is very organized and easy to deal with. We would recommend her to anyone needing tutoring.

Jennifer had a hard time getting along with my daughter, a very independent and motivated IB…read morestudent. Her inability to change her work methods to fit the student make her a one trick pony, and it came up short for my daughter who struggled with her tremendously (and a first ever with my daughter). The laborious card system, and other organizing methods took away from actual education towards weaknesses. Miscommunications regarding appointments, and Jennifer in the end not honoring a verbal statement she made to us the after we committed for the big package, make this tutor a disappointment for us, and not effective for us. If you are allergic to cats you can't go there, they roam free in the classroom space, and are locked out only when a session takes place. Overall just disappointing.

Our family was let down by First Discoveries Academy. From the outside, the venue appears to be a…read moredream school, especially for those kids who have special needs and might struggle in mainstream schools. We took a tour of the place in July with Cindy, the owner. Cindy and I all agreed it would be a good fit for our child, even though my husband had a bad feeling about the place, so we paid a $500 deposit to hold her spot, with a starting date on September 1. Cindy gave me the information for the scholarship to pay for the (very expensive) school fees. I obtained and provided the required documentation to the scholarship program and was approved for the scholarship. After that, I shelled out another $130 for school supplies on a list I had to acquire myself on their difficult-to-navigate website. Cindy then informed me that I would receive a conference call to educate me on the inclusion program, but, that call never came. A few days before our child was to begin school, I took her for a two-hour visit (they require a visit before the child is able to attend school) and dropped off the $130 worth of school supplies. When I went back to pick her up, Cindy informed me that our child needed ABA to be able to attend the facility, as it was part of the "inclusion program". Again, the program she said she would call to speak to me about, but never did. I said that was fine and that we would sign up for ABA and pay out of pocket until we were able to get it approved through our insurance. Cindy said she would send the referral to the ABA provider, and someone would reach out to me soon. She said I could leave my school supplies, since our child would be able to attend her school in the near future. Well, weeks passed by, and I heard nothing. I called the school several times over a course of two or three days before I finally got ahold of Cindy for an update. She stated that there may have been a technical issue when she sent the referral over to the ABA provider, so she would send it again. In other words, she forgot to, just like she forgot to call me about the inclusion program. Again, more time went by with no communication, whatsoever, so, after putting a lot of effort towards contacting Cindy again, she finally wrote me an email saying there's a waiting list for ABA. I said we would wait a little longer, as I really, really wanted our child to attend this school. Weeks went by with no communication, so, reality finally sank in for me, and we decided to not let this place waste any more precious early childhood time, so I began the process of enrolling our child into a different school. I informed Cindy via email that we were disappointed with her lack of communication and for wasting time, and that I had located another program for our child. I requested our deposit back, as well as our school supplies, and stated that my husband or myself would come by and pick them up. Cindy finally responded and unapologetically offered to mail me a check for our deposit, along with $100 for the school supplies. So, that means they used our things without our permission. What would have happened if our child began school at First Discoveries and she had no supplies because they had the audacity to use (steal) our possessions? So, after stating that the supplies were worth $130, and that they didn't have permission to use our things, but we would accept Cindy's offer of the deposit plus $100, here I am waiting for our shorted refund. Too bad we can't receive a refund for our time, emotions, and effort this place wasted. Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise because now I know why my husband had a bad feeling, and I would never trust this place with my child. Learned my lesson.

Our kids love attending First Discoveries. They offer full time care and after school care. They've…read moreestablished so many positive relationships with teachers and other students. It's great to see all the kids get along so great when dropping off and picking up. Definitely recommended