We had a lovely experience at Sunset. Our daughter thrived there and we met lots of nice families. I would highly recommend this school, particularly for the strong academic and social emotional learning. read more

I cannot begin to say enough good things about Sunset Montessori and its teachers. My son attended Sunset montessori, and built the foundations to grow strong, successful friendships, be independent in problem-solving, and to fall in love with learning. The staff is beyond kind and caring, treating each child as an individual and meeting their needs. My son who is now 11 pulls out his Sunset montessori yearbook all the time to reminisce about the incredible memories he made. read more

Sunset Montessori - Leo on animal day! - Preschools Near Me - Studio City, California

I have had my daughter in this preschool for about two years now, and we have had an incredible experience. The school is very clean, well cared for, and attentive. They are very selective about the children they bring in, and I feel that all the parents are kind and the kids are very sweet. My daughter is learning so much, and I am deeply grateful for the warmth and sense of home this school provides. I look forward to writing a more complete review in a few months when she graduates. read more

A loved one of mine attended Sunset and had a very positive experience with her teacher Mrs. Mirna. Mrs. Mirna is an attentive, kind, patient, empathetic teacher, and did an excellent job helping prepare her students. read more

For those who live in Studio City, I highly recommend Sunset Montessori. We have had our 2 children go through the program - including during the pandemic! While Mirna and Ilona have been our main lead teachers, they really work as a team at the school. They focus on structure and academics and also provide many opportunities for enrichment (both included and for an extra fee). The teachers focus on building relationships with the students and the mixed age groups allow for social development. For those who are unsure if the school would be a good fit, I highly recommend doing at least 1 parent and me session. You can get a sense of the lessons and the teachers + see if it works for your child! read more

Our son stayed at Sunset for almost a year from 2-3, and we eventually transferred him to a Pre-K5 private school. It's not only because he was 3 and needed to be taken seriously in learning, but also because his temper and behaviors changed during the time in Sunset. Having been an educator for more than 15 years, I have a realistic expectation for preschools. I am not looking for the best school with the best pedagogy because there's no such thing, instead, a good-enough one where our 2-year old son could play, learn, rejoice and even cry. Sunset was close to us and clean. Also the Montessori style, I used to believe, fit our son who is very independent and curious about everything. We tried parent-and-me program for one day at Sunset and my son was at school the next Monday which was a bless. The teacher-student rate at Sunset was around 1:15. Our son was assigned with Ms. Mirna who was the most caring teacher there because she was the only teacher who was willing to spend time to discuss my son's learning. However, based on my experience, the whole school lacked incentive and training support for managing kids who challenge teachers. Almost everyday I received report from teachers saying they had to put our son in a dark room for 5 minutes because he didn't listen, or they asked him to be the last to wash hands because he didn't listen. Gradually, I noticed my son became angrier and even said "mommy, I am gonna put YOU in the dark room for FIVE minutes because you didn't listen." At that point, I started to worried about emotions and confidence. Our son's new school teacher has a different view about managing children's behaviors. When I asked her (who has 25-year experience of teaching young children) how my son's performance was in class, what she said really touched and also surprised me, "when I saw your son the first time, I knew exactly what kind of kid he is. Because my son was like that when he was a little. Your son is creative, smart and independent. I love his brain and thinking. He is also pretty humous." I was happy but still not sure about if he behaved well in class; however, what amazed me the most was that she firmly assured me that she doesn't believe in punishment and then she explained the reasons and also how she guides kids in class with love. Now our son has been in the new school for 3 months. He is speaking English and French, and most importantly, he is happier. In my opinion, Montessori style doesn't fit all kids and I did see kids thrive in this method; however, comparing with a well-structured school with continuous curriculum, the resources for a kid to learn and develop in Montessori schools are very limited such as the space, book capacities, class varieties etc. Regarding Sunset, I hope the administrative team can set a higher goal to transform it to be a more education-oriented instead of keeping it as a over-rated glorious daycare that generates money every month. Several extra things to point out 1. The owner Ilona asked me to pay for our son's tuition fee to her personal account one time which for me is an unprofessional thing to do. 2. As soon as I informed Sunset that our son would transfer to a different school, Ms. Christy closed my access to class photos right away even though my son still had three days to finish at Sunset. (Eventually, she did the right thing-recovered my account) 3. Younger kids may be negatively influenced by older kids at school, which is a problem of Montessori method because kids are mixed with ages and learn in the same room. We reached out to Sunset one time about an issue: our 2 year-son went home one day saying "I have a gun and I am gonna kill you." Sunset started to explain to kids what guns are for and who are allowed to have them. read more

I want to apologize to Illona for my past negative remarks made for I felt that it wasn't fair to blame the business when one staff member was my sole reason of my grievance. However, in our overall experience with Sunset, our child's developmental were met and Illona's leadership contributed to that success...Montessori approach gives children the materials and time to learn independently and at their own pace. It strives to teach peace education, help children develop concentration and to learn without the promise of extrinsic rewards or grades. Thank you! read more

Both of my kids attended this school and I am very happy with the education and care they received. The teachers are very nurturing. The education is great. I love that the school offers a lot of enrichment classes. They do shows for Christmas and end of the year. The kids are taught independence and responsibility, which is amazing and is very important going into kindergarten, on my opinion. My daughter went into kindergarten very prepared academically and mentally and she is thriving now. My son transferred to Sunset Montessori Preschool a year before kinder and he has evolved dramatically. Our teacher was Ms. Christy and she is super super amazing!!! My kids adore her and respect her!!! I can't recommend this school enough! read more

This is the best preschool out there. They focus heavily on education, and the teachers are highly qualified to work with children. Both my son and daughter went here and my experience has always been nothing but five-stars. If you want your kids to be ready for grade school, this is the school for you. I like that the school is located in a great neighborhood. Entry to the school is gated, with a passcode to get in. They focus on Christmas and Hanukkah performances. They have movie nights with your kids, which gives you an opportunity to have date night. Also, very nice graduation performances. My kids were both in previous preschools and this is definitely the best one. I have no regrets from transferring them here. read more

I've long since debated leaving a review of Sunset Montessori as we had a very troublesome experience there and I wanted to make sure when I discussed my family's experience that I did it fairly and with a clear state of mind. The school is beautiful and warm and the materials for the children are great. There was lots to love in our initial visits. We did the Parent & Me classes and then enrolled my daughter to go on her own when she was old enough. The issues started a couple months after she started attending by herself (2 years old). My daughter - god love her! - is stubborn and she did not want to do things when she was supposed to do them so I get that she was probably not the easiest toddler to control. I am sad to report that she even pushed a friend of hers when her friend was annoying her. Not good! We found out about the shoving incident when the teacher that taught her age group alerted the director and they spoke to us. We took the shoving incident very seriously. I'm glad they came to us and told us about it but when I tried to follow up with them via email about tacts we were taking to resolve the issue, I never got a response. One day when I came to pick my daughter up her teacher insinuated that more steps would need to be taken. When I asked her to clarify she said there should be a meeting with us, herself and the school's director. It made the situation sound serious so it concerned me but ultimately I thought a meeting was a good idea. I followed up and asked about it later but they never got back to me. No meeting ever transpired. A couple months later we were asked to de-enroll our daughter. I negotiated her staying one extra month (only three weeks extra as the month was shortened by holidays) because I was working a big job and had no easy alternative care plans ready to go. When I went to drop off my daughter at the beginning of that month, her teacher very nervously asked me what our plans were. The impression I was left with was that the teacher was surprised my daughter was back and wanted assurance she wasn't going to be her problem much longer. I've thought about that interaction a lot since then and I am left with an impression that this teacher did not have the skills to address a stubborn toddler who had ideas of her own nor how to handle conflict resolution with that child's parents. What was the most disturbing was how my daughter was excused from her last day. They packed up her things, took down her photo from their wall, handed her a box of her stuff and sent her away. My daughter still remembers this day. She recently brought it up on her own and started to cry a bit about it. (She can be histrionic so by no means do I take this terribly seriously BUT I do believe the experience really bothered her.) Reality is the preschool has a right to not accept certain children. I may not like having my daughter rejected but clearly the school was not a good fit and I'm glad we made a change. However, if you are going to reject children from your program, I think they need to take a serious look at how they do it. I'm a boss so I get it. I've fired people before. But if I am considering letting someone go, I speak to them ahead of time, give them warnings, talk out the problems with them and then, if all that's failed, dismiss them with us much compassion as possible. This did NOT happen in our experience and left my husband, myself and my daughter with a bad taste about our time there. I am happy to report that we found a wonderful new pre-school for my daughter where her strong personality was embraced. They were tough on her - she needed it! - but they loved her individuality and independent mind. It was a much better fit. PS: Over time I have met some other parents who had similar experiences at this school. read more

We love Sunset Montessori!!! My oldest son went there and now he is a first grader. He told us on daily basis when we asked how was your school today? His normal response would be "It's good... but I learned all this from my preschool." For many of the parents, we all want to have the best for our children. Most of us have our small complaints here and there... No doubt I was one of them; I complaint about Sunset Montessori playground was too small; I even wanted to transfer my son to a different school. After doing my diligence, I learned Sunset Montessori is a place your child can really grow and learn the most knowledge you can possibly ask. I was shocked on daily basis what my son brought home. He learned about the solar systems, the united states; the history, mannerism etc, anything you can imagine. Now he is very advanced in his current school because Sunset Montessori has helped to give him such a strong foundation. Now I have my younger son enrolled at Sunset Montessori as well and have peace of mind that he is in very good hands. Teachers and staff are very knowledgeable; very understanding; and loving. I love the school. Seeing the review were giving so little stars just due to a tour, which seems very unfair. I hope any parent if you have any doubt, give another chance to tour the school, ask questions, ask parents, or teachers, even the kids. They will give you the answer you are asking for. Healthy growing knowledge kid, starts from the very first step. read more

Between our two kids, we have been going to Sunset Montessori for 5 years now and could not be happier. Back in 2012, when we moved to Studio City, I visited a few schools in the area and Sunset Montessori by far impressed me the most. The first time I called to ask a few questions and set up a visit, I felt the passion they had for learning and shaping young minds. Later I realized that the teacher who spoke to me skipped her lunch break to give me time and answer my questions. When our older boy graduated and moved onto kindergarten, he was very well prepared and had a seamless transition both academically and socially. The environment the teachers have created is truly inspirational. Every day during drop off and pick up, I see happy kids engaged in activities or simply free play. The one thing that continues to impress me the most is the balance of structured learning and the freedom the kids have to be kids. And all is done with such kindness and genuine care. The teachers consistently reinforce the concepts their whole philosophy is based on: respect and care for others, love for learning and exploring, and endless creativity. The array of classes the kids are exposed to is amazing as well. They go so far beyond letters and numbers. Throughout the week, they have dance, yoga, French, music, art, gym, and even reptiles on Fridays. We have a year left at Sunset Montessori and will be so sad to leave but we are also so grateful to have been a part of such a warm family where our kids grew up to love learning, their friends and their wonderful teachers. read more

We absolutely love Sunset Montessori!!!!! My daughter and I moved from San Francisco in 2014 when she was a baby. After moving here, we started visiting preschools all over the Greater Los Angeles Area. From the moment my husband and I toured Sunset, we fell in love with the warm and tender care provided by each and every teacher. Through the years with Sunset Montessori's guidance and wonderful culture, our daughter loves school. More importantly, she loves learning! We could not have asked for more from a preschool. If we could, we would give Sunset Montessori 10 Stars! The teachers are very caring and guide each and every child with personal care. The facilities are pristine clean. More importantly, the education is state-of-the-art. Learning is effective and fun, while allowing each child to gravitate to his/her nature talents. Words cannot express how much we love Sunset Montessori Preschool. read more

This is an absolutely excellent school. We did the parent and me program twice when my son was 18 months old to familiarize him with the program and immediately enrolled when he was 2 1/2. What impressed me most was seeing all the children sitting and focusing on a self-directed task of their choice before they transition into group learning. My son learned to pick some sort of project to work on (it could be coloring or puzzles or mixing liquids of different colors or more "academic" activities like letters and numbers) and his attention span grew exponentially. He learned to put his project away before starting a new one, to try to see a task through to completion instead of giving up, and to clean up after himself. There is ton of play time and music time, lots of dancing and cultural instruction and a lot of emphasis on respect and manners. He is so happy there. He is a late potty trainer and they have been really at ease and helpful with this. They let me know if any issues arise (he was boycotting eating his lunch for a bit) but it wasn't a big deal. I had the wrong idea before we went there that Montessori schools were overly stringent and academic and that couldn't be further from the truth here. They are warm, caring, nurturing and make him feel special. In the meantime he is learning a ton. It is a pricey school but so worth it, I think, as they say the first few years lay the foundation for your child's educational experience. 10 Stars!!! read more

We LOVE Sunset Montessori! Our older daughter is in her 3rd year there and has thrived! Our younger daughter started at just over 2 and went from partial day to full day in a week or so because they made her feel so comfortable! The teachers focus in and give individualized focus and lessons. The facility is clean and well laid out. And the shows and extra curricular activities are very well done! We feel very lucky to have found this great environment for our children to learn, play and grow! Highly recommended! read more

We were looking for a Montessori school that followed all of the Montessori principles and structure, yet still offered plenty of play and movement time. Sunset Montessori is just such a school. Led by the lead teacher, Ilona, the teachers at Sunset Montessori are extremely caring and patient. My son's teacher is Mirna and she is so kind, yet firm with him. He also receives a lot of individual attention. It's just what he needs to thrive. He also loves Christie, she is so fun and playful with the kids. My son has been attending Sunset Montessori since he was 2.5 and now he is almost to graduation. He went from being at a different preschool where he was very unhappy to looking forward to going to school and blossoming under the care of the teachers at Sunset Montessori. He is encouraged in all of his individual interests such as dancing, art, music, and reading. He has always loved letters, books, and learning and they really fostered that interest... I can't believe how well he is already reading at 5 years old. I couldn't have asked to send my son to a better preschool. We will miss everyone at Sunset Montessori greatly when he graduates in just one month. read more

As of tomorrow, we would have put three (!) kids through Sunset Montessori and are extremely happy with our experience (though a bit sad to go). Having read through the other reviews, my spouse and I echo the same plaudits regarding the school's balance of structured work and freedom, the quality and attentiveness of the instruction, the benefits of the Montessori method, the engagement from parents and students and of course, the academic experience each of our children has enjoyed. Every child is different and each of our children received a customized educational experience that benefited from the knowledgeable, compassionate instructors. With our first child we learned that a few initial check-ins with the teacher can go a long way to setting the course for the year to make the most of the learning and personal growth opportunities that Sunset can provide. We followed that track with our other two children and are bursting with pride (and yes, some tears) in seeing the positive impact on their development. The Montessori environment is not for everyone (Naz G) but it was exactly what we wanted for our children and seeing them flourish here has validated our choice. Teacher turnover at the pre-school level is a fact of life, particularly for smaller schools so that's always something to watch out for in the future. If we had to offer any constructive suggestion, we'd recommend some more structure around parental involvement with the school primarily in service of communicating key issues around calendar, school needs and program changes. It would also help link the community of parents, families and graduates to deservedly strengthen the school's profile in the area. Several years ago we opened the front door at Sunset and instantly felt it was the right place for our family. Today, particularly in the quiet moments when we take notice of our kids' development, my spouse and I clearly recognize the transformative impact of the enriching experiences offered by Sunset Montessori, its faculty and staff. We give it our highest recommendation. read more

My daughter who recently graduated, has been attending this school since she was 2 years old. She has thrived academically, emotionally and socially. The school provides an environment that allows the children to feel comfortable, happy and challenged. Every teacher there was amazing and they made all the children feel loved. Ilona, who is the director of the school, always made me feel comfortable to address any suggestions or concerns I may have had. Christy and Mirna were also very open to communication and keeping me up to date regarding my daughter's progress and/or any obstacles she may have been experiencing. This made it so much easier to navigate through the developmental milestones that my daughter would go through. She is now 5.5 and off to kindergarten. She sings songs in French and knows so many words in Spanish. She is reading at a very advanced level for her age. I can not express how grateful I am for this school! My daughter came home every day with a big smile on her face because she had so much fun at school. Thank you to all the teachers at Sunset Montessori! read more

We toured this place and I will start by saying that the establishment was clean and beautiful. However if I had walked in there with blindfolds on I would not have known there were kids in there as it was super quiet. For a place filled with little toddlers there was not one toy on the floor (or anywhere to be seen) or any playing going on. The backyard was gorgeous but it looked like the toys had never been used. I personally want my two year old to have fun at this age and not be in a place where it feels like his in AP algebra class in 10th grade! All the other places we toured although all different, had one thing in common and that was kids were running around doing various activities and having fun. But the kids here were sitting on their chairs, no playing, no fun, super serious environment for bunch of babies! When I asked the woman what happens if a child doesn't want to nap at nap time, her response was "your son doesn't nap!?" and that was that. All other places we toured had a very positive response and explained all the different approaches they would take to help the child nap or at least rest. read more

Our eldest daughter started attending Parent and Me at Sunset Montessori when she was 2 years old and in a few months, after 3 wonderful years of attendance, she will graduate. We have been so impressed with the well-rounded experience that she received over the past 3 years. In addition to working with Montessori educational lessons, the children are exposed to music, dance, French, Spanish, art, yoga, animals etc. There are also multiple times throughout the day when the children go outside and play in their lovely play area out back. The school is welcoming and clean and most importantly the staff have always shown great care and concern for our daughter and her emotional development as well. It has been wonderful to watch our daughter go from being one of the youngest at the school to being one of the leaders of the class. We now have our younger daughter attending as well and there is nothing better than seeing pictures and videos of our two girls enjoying an art project or laughing on the play ground. Sunset Montessori Preschool has been a wonderful experience for our family! read more

Sunset Montessori in Studio City has been and continues to be a Wonderful school for our children. Our oldest daughter is now six years old and graduated from Sunset Montessori two years ago. She couldn't have loved it any more. And the same goes for us! Initially we were concerned because our child was very shy and apprehensive about going to PreSchool. As it turns out that wasn't such a big deal after all. Ilona and the staff made her feel very comfortable and safe. The variety of jobs and activities had our daughter looking forward to school each day. Academically speaking the Montessori program has surpassed our expectations. Our daughter entered kindergarten with a head start on the material and greater self confidence with the education she had received from preschool. As soon as our second child was old enough she also started at the Montessori. And without a doubt she too loves it too! In addition to the schools normal program children have the opportunity to enroll in enrichment courses. Our daughter who is currently attending really enjoys these courses. She's become quite the yoga expert and probably speaks more french than her parents. Lastly it shouldn't go without mentioning that the Sunset Montessori was one of the most secure, (self closing gates, keypad entry system) and cleanest schools that we toured. All in all a great choice for our child's earliest educational experience. read more

Sunset Montessori Studio City is an excellent school. My daughter recently graduated and while she was attending, without fail, every few days she would reveal something she learned at school that would impress us immensely. From geography to art to science, there were so many things she learned at such a young age that my husband and I were sure we didn't learn until we were much older. Plus, as other reviewers have mentioned the school is very secure, very clean and orderly and the teachers are wonderfully caring, nurturing and patient. She is more than ready to enter kindergarten and it's all thanks to the curriculum and staff at Sunset Montessori! I look forward to when my son is pre-school aged as I plan to enroll him here as well. read more

I am so thankful to the teachers at Sunset Montessori for how well they cared for and inspired my daughter. She attended Sunset Montessori for 3 years (ages 2-5). She developed well and fast in all aspects: social, academic, cognitive, and physical, that she got accepted "early" to one of the best kindergartens in the valley to start before she even turned 5. That is thanks solely to this school. They foster incredible independence in the children, relying on everyone to be a self-starters. They combine structured learning, play-based social and inter-personal development and academic learning resulting in a beautiful formula that works wonders with the kids. The teachers are loving and nurturing, the environment is warm and cozy and the parent community reflects this wonderful spirit. Visiting teachers focus on dance, acting, art, spanish, french, gym.... It is such an amazing and diverse program. I knew from the moment I walked in that this felt like the right school. I am so glad I relied on my instinct because my instinct was right. To the teachers at Sunset Montessori: you will always be the solid foundation that my baby's life is built upon. I can't thank you enough. read more