If you're reading this, you are probably in the middle of the crucial quest to find what is Best…read moreFor Your Child. Play-based? Study-based? Experiential? We visited SO MANY schools and talked to SO MANY teachers. Lots of nice schools, lots of nice teachers. But Meher was the only one where we came away from our visits and meetings feeling like they had a real, concrete plan, and an understanding of children's behaviors, wants, and needs from the educational process. There are a lot of "Montessori" schools but not a lot of real Montessori schools. Meher is, as they say, a real one. We've never come across an educator like Mrs. Wildhaber - such a unique, insightful, caring, special teacher that when the Altadena school was lost to the Eaton fire, most of the parents from our kid's class decided to spend an extra couple hours of their day driving their kids to Mrs. Wildhaber's new classroom in Monterey Park rather than switch schools. Our kid has come into her own socially, linguistically, artistically, and in other ways in just a year at Meher (and we intend to keep her there). We're proud of her and we're indebted to Mrs. Wildhaber, Ms. McCray, Ms. Van Ness, and all the other caring and capable teachers and staff. Thank you, Meher.

My daughter attended Meher for 2 years at the Altadena campus, and when we lost both the school and…read moreour home in the Eaton Fire, we transferred over to the Monterey Park campus to finish out her final year before she starts kindergarten this fall. Words fail me to describe the kindness, generosity, and strength of the entire Meher community during an incredibly challenging year for us and for the school as well. Beyond all the positive academic developments our daughter gained, as detailed in other reviews, Meher is filled with the kind of kind, hardworking, and humble humans that you want your children to be around as role models. I have only the highest praise for the school, and we saw them react and adapt under very difficult circumstances. They supported my family in so many different ways, and I will always be grateful to the entire school community for their grace under pressure.

We have had such a lovely experience at IMA. First of all, I didn't realize that schools needed to…read morebe certified Montessori -- this is one of the few schools in SoCal that is actually certified, and it definitely shows. Our children have been to other "montessori" preschools that weren't certified, and they were completely different. At IMA the staff are highly trained, knowledgeable, and responsive. The classroom environment is beautiful and quiet, and filled with activities for the kids. Our son has thrived here. He loves his teacher and friends. The IMA parents community is also wonderful, the staff shares parent's contact information so it's easy for us to have play dates with other families. 100% recommend with no reservations (as a parent whose children have been to a combined 8 daycares!). It's such a relief to drop my son off at school knowing he will be safe and well taken care of in an environment where he can grow and thrive.

Our daughter attended IMA as a 2-year-old for about five months. We left several months ago, and…read morewith some distance, I wanted to share our experience for other families. Our biggest issue was communication. The school moved her between classrooms more than once without discussing it with us first. Our repeated requests to move her back went unanswered, and updates on how she was doing were few and far between. Our daughter was struggling at IMA and it was clear that the school did not have the skills or staff to support her. Their approach was not a good fit for our daughter. If your child may need individualized support or a more communicative partnership with caregivers, I'd encourage you to ask detailed questions before enrolling. We wish we had, and we wish we'd trusted our daughter's unhappiness sooner.

My child transferred to this preschool because of the Eaton Fire. One of the main reasons we chose…read morethis school was that it is much more than a regular daycare -- it offers a trilingual learning environment with reasonable price. Even though my child is in the English program, he also takes Chinese and Spanish classes. Friends of mine from other cities and states often see the school activities I share/post and tell me how envious they are that we have access to such an amazing preschool. My child has learned so much here, especially in STEM-related subjects. His life skills, independence, and hands-on abilities have improved tremendously. The school also provides a wide variety of enriching activities, including science fairs, carnivals, puppet shows, bubble shows, and animal petting events where the children can ride ponies and interact with rabbits and other animals. The school also hosts special Mother's Day and Father's Day breakfast events that make families feel very involved and welcomed. Every year, the winter and spring performances are what I look forward to the most. It is truly impressive to see a group of 4-year-olds confidently perform three English songs, one Chinese song, one Spanish song, and even a dance routine on stage. The children always look so confident and joyful. This year, my child will be graduating, and I am incredibly grateful to Ms. Joanna and Ms. Regina. They are warm, energetic, patient, and genuinely caring teachers. The classroom environment they create is loving and harmonious, and the children are kind and supportive toward one another. We will always appreciate the wonderful experience our child had here.

We have had such a wonderful experience with this preschool, and I cannot say enough positive…read morethings about the teachers and staff. Our child is thriving in the dual language immersion program--not only academically and linguistically, but socially and emotionally as well. The teachers are incredibly attentive, patient, and genuinely caring. It's clear they truly know and love the children in their classrooms. We've been amazed watching our child grow in confidence, communication skills, and curiosity every day. As parents, there is nothing more reassuring than knowing your child is in a safe, nurturing environment where they are well cared for. We are so grateful for this school and the amazing teachers and staff who make it such a special place.

With two children and a few moves along the way, we've experienced several preschools, which made…read moreus think carefully about what really matters in early education. At Aria Montessori School, we found an environment that genuinely shifted our perspective. I used to think preschool should mainly be about love, play, and happiness. While that's still important, we came to see how these early years can also build strong habits, focus, and a real foundation for learning. With the right structure, young children are capable of much more than we expect. We especially appreciate the school's approach to communication. Rather than constant photo updates, teachers focus on being fully present with the children. At first that felt unfamiliar, but over time it made a lot of sense. Seeing our child's growth firsthand became far more meaningful. At the same time, when something needs attention, the response is quick and thoughtful. The director is very hands-on, which builds real trust. We also value how children of different ages naturally interact, helping them develop confidence, empathy, and social awareness. The parent community is equally supportive and engaged, which clearly carries over to the kids. Overall, it's a thoughtful, well-balanced environment. We've been very happy with our experience and would confidently recommend it.

Our son attends Aria Montessori, and it has truly been a happy place for him…read more Before Aria, he attended another private school starting at age three. That school had beautiful facilities, a large playground, and lots of fancy toys. However, despite all of that, our son cried almost every morning when we dropped him off. Over time, we noticed that our normally very happy and talkative boy became quieter and less excited about school. Everything changed after we transferred him to Aria Montessori during the summer. After about a 10-day break from the previous school, he started at Aria. From the very first days, he was excited and genuinely happy to go to school. Now he wakes up looking forward to his day. He has learned wonderful manners, greeting his teachers with a cheerful "Good morning" during drop-off and happily saying "Bye-bye Mommy." Many afternoons he even reminds me not to pick him up early because he doesn't want to miss activities like cooking on Tuesdays, science experiments, or popsicle day. What we appreciate most about Aria is that while the environment may be simpler than some larger private schools, the teachers truly care about the children. They create a warm, nurturing atmosphere where kids feel safe, valued, and excited to learn. The Montessori approach provides a more individualized style of learning that encourages independence and curiosity, which really helps children grow and develop qualities that many top private K-12 schools look for. For our family, that feeling is far more important than a fancy facilities. A school where children feel safe, loved, and excited to learn is priceless. Seeing our son happy, confident, and eager to go to school every morning means everything to us. As Elon is graduating from Aria, we can clearly see how much he has grown. He was recently admitted to one of the top private schools for kindergarten, and we truly believe the confidence, independence, and curiosity he developed at Aria played a big role in preparing him for this next step. We are also very grateful to the principal, Mrs. Schofield-Smith. She knows every child and family. The teachers also know each child by name and greet the children and families warmly every day, which creates a strong sense of community. An involved principal makes a big difference for a school because she understands the children, supports the teachers, and can make thoughtful improvements when needed. We truly appreciate the teachers and staff at Aria Montessori for creating such a warm and nurturing place for children to grow.

It's been a few years since we graduated from Our School and we are still so happy with our…read moredecision to send our daughter here. We visited recently and everyone still remembered our daughter's name and anecdotes about their time shared together. Everyone here is just so generous and loving; Im so grateful they exist in our community.

Our daughter started going to Our School in April 2023 when she just turned 2.5 and fully potty…read moretrained (required). And now she is going to be turning 5 this summer and graduating! Time flies and I couldn't be more thankful for the wonderful women who make this school so special. It is truly a safe space and a home away from home. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this place. Where to begin? I've toured a lot of preschools before seeing Our School and I instantly fell in love with how cozy and intimate the environment felt. Some of the other schools felt a little too "corporate." Here, there's no app or portal. Just good old fashion face-to-face chats with teachers and Ms Janel. They genuinely foster a sense of community so it feels like you are a part of the school too. In general, the school is well structured and organized. The staff ensures a good mix of boys and girls and will move kids up classes when they are ready socially and emotionally. Our daughter started off in Ms Yolanda's class, then Ms Doretha's class, and now in Ms Tiff's class. She has so much fun! She's grown so much socially and academically. The school gives you a booklet of the work they do everyday and it's such a treat to see how much they progress over time. I have no doubt she is more than prepared for kindergarten. The school also has a saltwater pool and my daughter swam everyday in the summer as an extracurricular (additional fee). This is her third summer swimming and is swimming like a fish. In the fall and spring, the school offers dance and gymnastic and pizza Mondays year-round for an additional fee. There's tons of fun activities that Miss Tiff does to make school so engaging and exciting. But above all, they all know your child SO well that you know they are truly paying attention to each child everyday. And during the Eaton Fires, Miss Tiff opened up her heart to make school feel as normal as possible and made sure the Our School families were cared after. Pajamas days, lunch provided for all students, donation drives for affected families, she did it all. There is so much intention and humanity built into this school and I am so grateful to have been a part of it. It's going to be really hard to say goodbye.

What a gift Bridge has been for our family! We have a 5 year old who just graduated and is in TK…read moreand a 2.5 year old in her second year at Bridge. We are so lucky to have found this school after relocating from the Bay Area. Everything about Bridge has been easy since day one and our kids love it. Each teacher in each year has been great and taught our girls so much. They also have wonderful leadership under Ms. Aarthi. Our 5 year old was fully prepared for TK and adjusted very nicely and we attribute a lot of this to the curriculum at Bridge. They have tons of programs the kids can participate in: dance, Spanish, art, etc. They also offer a paid lunch program which is awesome and makes things so easy. If you are searching for schools, feel very confident in sending your kids to this wonderful school. We love it!

I cannot put into so many words, without the help of ChatGPT to say how much we love Bridge…read moreMontessori. So bare with me... Our son went to the Pasadena campus, off of Lake Avenue for over a year, and will continue to attend every summer and every break if his current school (because we moved and are no longer local, but will make the drive) is on opposite breaks. He started during their summer program before TK, went for TK and then half the summer after that. He enjoyed his teachers, his friends, and the school. He has excelled so much that he's way beyond his years in math, reading and writing. He really is starting kindergarten strong. They truly are a gem and I'm sad we moved and he won't be attending on a regular basis, but glad he's had such great teachers and made such sweet and amazing friends. They have set the bar very high for us. We have been recommending the school to every one.

Foothill Progressive Montessori is a truly exceptional school that we have had the honor of sending…read moreour daughter to for the last two and a half years. Run by Ms. Kanthi and staffed by a truly excellent array of teachers, including Ms. Chrissy, Ms. Kim, and Ms. Fatema, Progressive has been instrumental in the growth and development of our daughter from age 3 to 5. With the guidance of Progressive, our daughter gained admission to our first choice private school, and one of the most competitive schools in the state. Over the years we have come to deeply value the warm, thoughtful environment of the school. Birthdays are truly special occasions frequented by princesses and superheroes, exceptional art is made with the guidance of teachers, and the educational rigor is unmatched. With the dedicated guidance of Ms. Fatema, our now 5 year old daughter can read, write, and do basic arithmetic at the level of a late Kindergartener, winning the admiration of family, friends, and admissions directors alike. Just as important, Progressive has allowed our daughter to find her voice, speak up and give her opinion, and instill her with a level of confidence that wows everyone around her. While perhaps less well known than other preschools that profess to be "feeders" for the competitive Pasadena private school scene (and who charge accordingly), Foothill Progressive is exceptional in that it stands not on a name, but the merits of its teachers and genuine commitment to the success of its students. Our daughter's success is proof that this is what truly matters. Thank you, Progressive Montessori, for everything you have done for our daughter and family. You deserve nothing less than our highest recommendation and we encourage all parents in La Canada, Pasadena, and Altadena to join your wonderful community.

We absolutely LOVE Foothill Progressive Montessori School. Our kids have been at this school since…read more2022, and I was a student 1997-1999. Ms. Kanthi was my teacher and now she owns the same school and teaches my kids! She is absolutely amazing! All of the staff are incredible. Ms. Fatema, Ms. Chrissy, Ms. Kim, Ms. Sumudu, Ms. Raquel, Ms. Angelica, Ms. Hazmik. Literally every single one of them. All of them treat the kids as if they were their own, so much love and patience with the kids. My kids love going to school and they actually get excited about learning. Ms. Fatema's science class has been amazing in instilling a love for learning for our oldest child. We can't wait for our other kids to take Ms. Fatema's science class and Ms. Kim's science class. My oldest is definitely ready for kindergarten solely because of Ms. Fatema. The school has great hours for working parents from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Hot lunch is available for an additional fee. The school goes all out for all of the holidays and graduation. There are lots of opportunities for parent involvement should you want to be involved. The environment is screen-free and true to the Montessori method.

My daughter has been attending Evergreen Montessori since she was 10 months old, and she's now 18…read moremonths. As a first-time mom, I was definitely nervous about leaving her in someone else's care, but the director, Rosi, was so warm, friendly, and welcoming that she made the whole transition so much easier. It gave me such peace of mind knowing my little one was in good hands. My trust in Evergreen also came from my sister's experience. Her eldest daughter attended from infancy until she started kindergarten, and her youngest is currently enrolled as well. That reassurance, combined with my own first-hand experience, has made me confident in choosing this school. The teachers are truly wonderful, always happy, friendly, and caring. My daughter has grown and developed so much since being here. They put so much love and effort into everything, from daily learning and fun activities to thoughtful artwork, gifts, and celebrations for holidays and events. Even the food they provide is high quality, which I really appreciate. While tuition is on the higher side, I honestly believe it's worth every penny. The care, attention, and nurturing environment they provide is priceless. Their hours are also very accommodating for working parents, which has been a huge help. I have absolutely no complaints and would wholeheartedly recommend Evergreen Montessori to any parent considering it. Knowing my daughter is safe, loved, and thriving there is the best feeling.

Please review before posting:…read more My family was referred to Evergreen after we lost our home in the Eaton Canyon fire and honestly it was the best thing to ever happen to my son. Kristine, the owner, called personally to make sure we had all of the information and ensure us that we'd be able to use their services as soon needed. My very shy 3 year old blossomed under their care. He began talking more, became more outgoing and absolutely fell in love with his teacher, Ms. Katie. He definitely views her as more of a friend than a teacher. My family was in such a dark place when my son enrolled. I could barely get out of bed, let alone actively participate in his development but Ms. Katie and Ms. Rosi, never made us feel bad. We forgot pretty much everything (e.g. water bottles, clothes, forms), you name it, we forgot it but Ms. Katie would always supply whatever he needed with a smile and so much compassion that it's bringing me to tears while writing this. Due to unforeseen circumstances pertaining to the fire, we had to leave but our hearts will forever be apart of the Evergreen Family. Ms. Katie, if you ever read this, I want you to know how much we appreciate your love and attention to our little guy. Your daily pictures and considerate updates on his behavior and attention never went unnoticed and we will forever be grateful that he was able to spend time in your care.

After my son's previous preschool burned down, I was overwhelmed trying to find a new place where I…read morefelt truly comfortable leaving him, somewhere he wouldn't just be one of many, and where I knew he'd get real attention and care. Then I met Ms. Cassandra, and everything changed. From the moment she gave me a tour, she was warm, welcoming, and incredibly supportive. I instantly felt at ease, and I knew right away that this was the school for us. The teachers here are amazing. The first ones I met, Ms. Samar, Ms. Emani, and Ms. Cassie, each took the time to help my son adjust, and I saw a difference almost immediately. His behavior has improved so much since starting here, and I know it's because every teacher truly cares. I also have to mention Ms. Jane and Ms. Lassandra, they are all so wonderful. You can tell they all love what they do, and the kids feel it. Another huge plus: they offer after-school programs like Soccer Shots and piano lessons, which my son absolutely loves. I honestly can't express how much I love this school and everyone who works there. They gave my son stability during a difficult transition and gave me peace of mind. I'm so grateful we found this place. Highly recommend!

Our daughter enrolled at Enchanted Castle just shy of 2 years old, after we moved cities and…read moredespite my worries of how she would adjust to the new environment, she thrived and stopped the drop-off crying after just a few days! The super nurturing energy from her teacher, Ms. Samar, is so obvious and reflects in how my kiddo has become so excited to see her friends at school... she even used to carry her security cat (a literal Halloween black cat) during the day and now, she says goodbye to it at home! Leadership at the school is excellent - Ms. Cassandra is truly hands-on and adds to the positive energy for students and parents! There are holiday events for parents year round and kiddos work on art projects daily. The staff is super attentive - you can easily communicate via the Brightwheel app, which shares daily photos, videos, and messages with staff. Any school is scary for parents when it's the first time and your kiddo is very young, but Enchanted Castle has truly put my mind and concerns at ease. (For reference, we do M-F part-time which is 9AM - 12PM. Our kiddo doesn't nap at school but they have little cots for those who do).

Mrs. Shamalie and her entire staff are first class. We have sent both of our boys to the school,…read morewith our youngest attending since he was 18 months old. As both of our kids move on to new schools after this summer, we are incredibly grateful for the love, care, and support they have received from their teachers at Foothill Progressive Montessori. The school uses the Brightwheel app, which is a great tool for parents overall. One of the highlights is the regular communication and updates on your child's progress, along with plenty of photos. It is easy to stay connected and look back at special moments from their time at school. Even as our kids move on, they will continue to return for summer programs, which they love. The school has a pool, and the kids swim twice a week, with the option to enroll in professional swim lessons. If you are looking for a year-round school or a summer program in the La Canada area, I highly recommend Foothill Progressive Montessori.

We've been going here for four years now and highly recommend this daycare/school! We had toured a…read morefew places and so thankful we found Foothill Progressive; I don't think we could've made a better choice! The teachers are all wonderful and have taken such good care of our kids. They're like family to us. We've never had to worry about our kids in their care. Also, our kids have learned so much, and starting in the preschool class, they have music and dance teachers come in as additional enrichment at no extra cost. We will definitely miss it here when my kids age out.