Both my kids went to Terese Montessori and they both are thriving at their schools. The…read morefundamentals they learn are the best in Novato. They approach each kid different and it is an individualized approach. It is a strict program but my kids have learned to be confident and independent. My son has a lot of energy but has learned to focus in the classroom where now at his elementary school he is one of the best behaved kids in the classroom and releases his energy outside. Highly recommend this school and by far one of the best in Novato. My only thing it is small so great for ages 2-3.5 or a kids that needs that small class.

MFT has been an outstanding experience for our son throughout his time there. Terese, Lori, and the…read morerest of the staff are deeply attuned to the needs of young children and have created an extraordinary early education and social experience. We couldn't have asked for a better learning environment for our son to grow up in. Highly recommended!!

My daughter was under Magali's care for 2 years, and I can't believe the way she has blossomed!…read moreIt's been beautiful to watch. She has gained an understanding of what it means to be a good friend. I see her acting with patience and kindness. She can work independently with focus and care, and I see the pride she takes in her work. And for me, San Marin Montessori was the perfect situation. The hours are convenient, drop-off and pick-up were super easy, and I loved the way Magali would personally greet each student as they came in the door with conversation and attention. When I had parenting difficulties that I wanted help with (Ex. my daughter not wanting to get dressed in the morning), Magali was always available to talk about the specifics of the situation and she gave me great advice. Magali and her assistant Jesse won my complete trust. I studied Maria Montessori's work when I was pregnant, and I can see that Magali is truly using the philosophy and the tools. Most schools only use the name. I feel very lucky that I found this small school. My daughter benefited from so much love and personal attention!

My husband and I couldn't be happier with our choice of having our son in the care of Magali and…read moreJesse. We looked into many schools in the area and fell head over heels in love with the atmosphere provided. A very clean, organized, happy place my son looks forward to going everyday. They have routines that make the children feel comfortable and classroom changes monthly to keep the children from getting bored. Our son comes home daily with art projects and a smile. All of the children respect each other and love one another. The teachings of Magali are one in a million. I never thought we would start our school experiences with such an exquisite person, we are lucky and grateful. It will be hard to move on next year. Luckily our daughter will get a chance to spend her preschool days at San Marin Montessori.

This school is a joke! I would not recommend it at all. It has a high teacher turnover rate, and…read morewhat is on the website for the staff is a lie. All the teachers have left except one, but they only removed one teacher-- what a joke. Cindy "the director" is awful to engage with; she needs to retire and let someone else take over because she is very condescending and narcissistic. I am not sure why the preschool teacher is still there; she needs to leave ASAP. One of the former parents mentioned that she is being forced to stay, but I am a lawyer, and I will help her if that is the case. No one should be forced to stay in a work environment that is unethical and unpleasant. I would not recommend Hamilton based on my experience. While the school may have positive intentions, there were consistent issues with communication, organization, and overall support for both staff and families. Expectations were often unclear, and there was a noticeable lack of consistency in leadership and decision-making. A strong educational environment relies on transparency, collaboration, and trust, and unfortunately, those elements did not feel fully present. This made it challenging to maintain a stable and positive experience. To top it off, the "director" cannot be left alone with the children because she has no units-- that is something that is unheard of. The school needs to have a director that is ready to step in when needed. For families or educators seeking a well-structured, supportive, and communicative environment, I would encourage exploring other options.

There are many pros of Hamilton Montessori: great location and beautiful campus, it was really…read morefocused on developing life-skills and had a rich curriculum. Our 3 year old could tell us everything we ever wanted to know about the continents and dinosaurs by the time he left. But we found that the school wasn't very accepting of energetic, big-feelings types of kids. My son was sent home multiple times for incredibly normal and age-appropriate behavior (melt-downs, hitting, over-tiredness from not napping, etc.). I felt that the teachers lacked patience and understanding, and weren't very willing to help our child through these natural moments of toddlerhood. We were also not the only family to experience this, based on multiple conversations with other parents. It was suggested that we take our child for a behavioral evaluation for these "issues," which caused us so much stress as parents. This stress, on top of frequent calls to pick him up for what felt like an unwillingness to deal with a tantrum or an overtired kid, ultimately led us to realize that perhaps our child's behavior wasn't the problem. He's now thriving in a more play-based environment, and I wish we had realized the school wasn't a fit for our family sooner. FWIW, I think there were many happy families at HMS, and it seems to be a great environment for kids who are able to focus and do Montessori "work" for a large part of the day, it just didn't work for our sports-loving, energetic guy.

Hi Ana - I'm not sure how you intend to "discuss privately." Your entire team has not replied to a…read moresingle message in months. It shouldn't be this hard to just issue the deposit that you owe us. We also are in touch with other parents dealing with the exact same refusal to refund deposits from Guidepost.

Honestly, if I could give this place a zero I would. My…read moredaughter attended this daycare for nearly a year as an infant (completed in July 2025). Since that time, I have been trying to get the $2,000 deposit I paid before she started returned to me - which it hasn't been. It's been 8 months now. I can't encourage parents to look elsewhere enough. The leadership team is unprofessional and unaccountable. I wish I didn't need to share this review but at this point it feels like the only thing I can do is warn other parents.

My daughters love coming here! The teachers are great and my girls come home and are excited to go…read moreback to school the next! Can't thank Marcie, Katie, Jennifer, and Rosa enough for caring for my 2 girls!! I'm so glad I found this place!

My kid went here for a year and a half the staff there are great! They are caring and have patience…read morewith the kids. She learned so much while in their care and made so many great friends! I would definitely recommend them to any family in search of child care!

Wonderful teachers in a cute school. Full Curriculum is rotated monthly and teachers are friendly…read moreand caring. Spanish is also taught

My daughter received a puncture wound and nasty permanent scar in the center of her forehead from…read morethe faulty playground equipment there. Director Jennifer Easterman showed zero empathy and when I went to visit the site found one of the teachers taking a nap outside!! We removed our daughter from this school and found a positive peaceful protected space at Acqua Montessori in Terra Linda.

Wonderful clothes and store and owner! I love the purple…read moresignage. Happy holidays! I wish you strong sales during the holidays!

Just left a really cute children's store in downtown Novato. Plenty of choices and quality…read moremerchandise. Great customer service, you feel like you're going to your friend's house. I love shopping local, it always leaves me happier than just ordering on Amazon. Please check it out.