We love Montessori school. Our son is been going there…read moresince 18th months old. Is been an amazing experience to see how he grow so happy and full of joy. Already have life skills as small as they are and learning the basic of Maria Montessori! Great teachers, great staff.

I can't say enough good things about MCS and the community it fosters. It was our lifeline during…read morethe covid pandemic. I can't work from home, so zoom school wasn't an option for us. We started with MCS for that reason (one of the few, if not only, schools offering in-person instruction and childcare). But we have stayed for elementary school because our experience was so wonderful. Not only are the teachers at MCS warm, caring, and nurturing, but they are incredibly communicative (as is the leadership/administration). If I have a question or concern, it is responded to almost immediately. Everything is very well organized and I can focus on work each day knowing that my son is happy, surrounded by friends, and growing in a nurturing environment. MCS has fostered my son's learning and confidence. He regularly works in class with children from other grades and has developed wonderful friendships across the ages. Assignments, homework, and projects are appropriately challenging. It's been awesome watching him grow and develop in this environment. I am not sure what we will do after sixth grade -- I just wish MCS continued through grade 12! - but this certainly is an incredible place for us now.

The preschool program here is fantastic and we found the elementary program to be very good as…read morewell. I like that the children are encouraged to learn additional skills such has prioritizing their own work and that they're not simply following directions. My children have all done very well there and the problems they were facing in the public school system slipped away as they progressed through the grades at Children's Montessori School. There are things I wish were better but that would be true anywhere. I'm very pleased with the experience from my children's educational and developmental perspective.

Our children have attended CMS since Spring 2013 and we are confident that they are receiving a…read morequality education. The Montessori method has been beneficial to both of our children, both in the Primary and Elementary classrooms. The teacher quality is exceptional. They truly care about each student in their care. We strongly believe in the Montessori Method which offers research and evidence to supporting their techniques. I would recommend CMS to any parent looking for a high quality school for their child.

I have two children enrolled in school here and they have been so good to us as newbies to the…read moreneighborhood. They're great community builders as well hosting family get together so the parents can get to know each other as well as the children. The teachers are warm and welcoming and my children love it there. Montessori is such a wonderful way to help children learn and flourish. My boys are so much better behaved after learning the Montessori way and this school really helps with that.

A real gem in our community. From the moment you walk through the blue gate you are enveloped in a…read morewarm and nurturing environment where children can blossom into their true and confident selves. The teachers are caring, competent, and guide your child through their learning journey with a perfect balance of love, respect, and support. Our daughter attended this precious school for 3 years and has now started K. All the tools she was provided with at Sunrise have helped her ease into this transition. Sunrise is not just a preschool but truly a home. Thank you Felicia, Jennifer, Jean Marie, Margarita, Kimberley, Rosie, Nina and big Jason for all your love and wisdom.

Our son loves going to school (well...most days, anyways). The learning environment is really…read morecatered to each child's ability so there's a lot of encouragement both from the teaching staff and from the older students. From math and science (his favorite subjects) to yoga, gardening and sports day - the school really strives to develop the whole child and their place in the world. And the camaraderie that the parents develop is great - the school board really does listen to the parents and it shows in the content of the monthly newsletters as well as some of the projects that we are asked to participate in to spruce up the school grounds. Definitely glad we are a part of this community!

If I could I would give 0 start to this place. This is one of the worst schools I have ever…read morevisited. The lady who was supposed to give me a tour was very unprofessional and rude. She was offended that I had some questions to ask. The school itself looks horrible. Tiny and very dark with a very small outdoor place.

I bought our son here during COVID-19. Let me just say, he and I loved it. He was in the part time…read moreprogram from 8-12 and then he told me he wanted to attend all day. To me as a parent, that says something. He enjoyed it SOOO much! Thank you to the staff who helped my child thrive. We ended up moving so we had to disenroll. But If it was up to me I'd 100% put him and my daughter back in LSM. All the activities they would do and daily pictures helped me during the height of the pandemic. I really appreciate them. I would recommend taking your children here. Plus, it was competitive when it came to the value and pricing!

Very nice place and staff my tour went great and the director was very pleasant to interact with .read more

This school has been absolutely amazing for my three-year-old daughter!! We recently moved here and…read moretried another school that was just not a good fit. After talking with Elizabeth, the school's director, I felt so peaceful and excited about the school's vision for teaching, and their approach to child lead learning. My daughter has thrived at school! She is a highly spirited, very vocal, and a quite lively child, and she gets everything she needs and more. They have a large outdoor classroom that they utilize every day, that lets children learn through play, and movement, which is so appropriate for their developmental stages. She is already learning math, and doing very well picking up Spanish. It has taught her independence, and build her confidence, and ability to self regulate. I cannot say enough great things about the school's approach to learning! Then there are the teachers, who are some of the nicest people we've met here in Santa Maria. They are patient, they talk to my daughter with respect and kindness. Every time I pick her up, I see teachers down on the kids levels, teaching them, and helping them to solve their own problems between one another. Whenever I ask, they are so quick to share positives that they see in my daughter, and ways she is improving (along with ways that they are helping overcome obstacles that are unique to her in the classroom). I cannot say enough good things. I was recommended through a mom I met at Trader Joe's, and have recommended the school to several of my friends, one of which has recently enrolled her daughter, and is in love with the school too.

I am the father of a 4 1/2 year old preschool student who was recently expelled/kicked out. I write…read morethis review because no child should be punished for their parents speaking up regarding the health of their own child. How did a simple request regarding keeping my child inside on a cold and wet day escalate to an expulsion? Our main concern was the fear of having our child get sick that would increase the severity of her asthma resulting in us having to give her regular breathing treatments. The owner Elizabeth didn't agree with our request to keep her indoors on a wet day because she operates an outdoor Montessori school. So, I picked up my child on a cold and wet day and soon a flurry of text messages between my wife and Elizabeth resulted in Elizabeth soon determining that her school was no longer a good fit for my child. Take into consideration that all of this was by text message, the professional courtesy of a phone call or a sit down meeting to explain the situation and work together to find a mutual solution NEVER took place. As a parent in Santa Maria finding a preschool is tough enough and the last thing we want to do is criticize or question our childrens teachers. Flaws were always there yet we choose to look the other way. But, sometimes a culmination of flaws must be addressed. We often wondered why other parents were leaving the school. Now I am that other parent looking in and I am speaking up. Multiple lice outbreaks in 1 school year is unacceptable. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, I will be glad to explain in detail my experience at Casa dei Bambini. Zero stars!!!!

I would like to provide an update of my review from several months ago…read more While our initial experience with the Montessori School of Ojai's administrative staff was frustrating and lacked professionalism, once they were made aware of our experience they made swift action to correct the situation. Not only that, but our son (~1 1/2) absolutely loves the program. We were initially skeptical that our son would take to it because he was very attached to us--his mom in particular--and would cry whenever she walked out of the room (how is he going to handle being dropped off at school for several hours?). But, the vast majority of the time (including the first day) he is excited to be there. (Special thanks to Coral and Alex!) As a parent, when you leave your kid in the care of others, you want to feel (and know to the best of your ability) that they are in as good if not better care than if they were with you. My wife and I both feel this way about MSO, and for that, I highly recommend this institution.

If you want a place for your child to be given the freedom to be themselves and get a good…read moreeducation then this is it. Our daughter graduated a couple of years ago and I still miss it, I honk every time I drive by. These people became like family to my daughter and to us. I cannot say more about the integrity of this school and the people who run it. Not many schools leave you, let alone your child, with a feeling of goodness and dignity these days. This place does. We love you Montessori School of Ojai! Thank you for taking such fine care of our beloved daughter and sharing yourselves with her and us...

Danielle Monroy is the owner and director of Creative Care for Children, and she does an amazing…read morejob! Both of my children attended Danielle's, and both my kids loved it. Danielle has a wonderful focus on art and outside play - in the summer it is not unusual to see a handful of kids laughing and playing in the sprinklers in her gorgeous back yard. Her facility is amazing - a HUGE backyard with a Victorian wooden playhouse, lovely grass area, children friendly vegetable patch and flower garden, multiple climbing structures, and a paved bike path. Though technically she's a childcare and not a preschool, she still takes the time to teach the older children their basics. My son attended Danielle's until kindergarten, and I felt that he was well prepared for his first day of real school. Do yourself a favor and go check her out - you'll and your child will be happy you did!

We searched and searched to find the perfect preschool for our 2-year-old. We toured all the…read morehighest rated schools in SB and weren't excited about any of them. And then we found Danielle. We couldn't be happier! She's caring, attentive and it's abundantly clear that she adores the kids. It's not a standard school - it's out of her home, in a residential area. But, she has a fully equipped, expansive backyard where the kids run free and explore. Danielle has a master's degree in early childhood education and believes in the importance of outdoor learning. There are numerous daily art projects and most are nature based. Inside, there are wooden Montessori and Waldorf toys as well. I've also noticed that she spends a lot of one-on-one time - teaching and reading to the kids. We are so glad to have found this affordable, small little school where our daughter has thrived.

From the first moment I spoke to Alice I felt at ease about her gentle nature and knew I had found…read morethe best person to spend this important time with my 3 daughters. She has genuine interest in each child and their unique needs and personality. My daughters developed a great affection for her and the special enrichment persons and activities that she carefully selected and introduced into their lives. She is also great with routine but flexible and not rigid with her program. Her life evolves around creating a truly SPECIAL home like educational and emotionally nurturing place for children to thrive. The animals are a super bonus as well. I highly recommend MY SPECIAL SCHOOL

We found Alice by chance this summer and our daughter has been thriving under her care. The inside…read moreof the home is very well thought out and there is plenty of room in the backyard to learn, play, and explore. Alice is extremely kind and loving, easy to talk to, and truly cares for the kids. In addition, Alice takes lots of pictures and videos to send to us every day, and is very thorough with any updates (running nose, different behavior, etc.). We are very happy we found my special school!