100000 stars!! There aren't enough words to say how AMAZING this school is!!! Athena is a special,…read moremagical gem and we feel so absolutely lucky to have found it. The teachers and the atmosphere just radiate peace and positivity. The quality of education is incredible. My son turned 5 yesterday and is already about to start reading!! The amount of personal attention and care each student receives is incredible. My second child is about to "walk through the gates of life" this May and head to kindergarten.. I am honestly heartbroken to not go there everyday anymore lol! We have had a child there for the past 5 years and if I could keep them there forever, I would! We have had the honor to get to know Ms. Alex, Ms. Jazmin and Ms. Morgan over the years and these women are absolutely INCREDIBLE! They have huge hearts and really LOVE what they do, and it shows!! They have a magic way of connecting, communicating and relating to the kids. We are so THANKFUL for the values and knowledge they have bestowed in our children that will shape who they become forever!! We love each of you so much!! My kids made me promise to always take them back to say hello as they grow...that speaks volumes in my book. Athena is a purely magical place!

We have been blown away by our experience with Athena. The support and caring from the staff has…read morebeen amazing. Our son has flourished at the school. The growth from August until now has been exponential on all fronts. He is more independent, communicating more and becoming a member of his classroom community. The other parents as well have created a lovely community and support system as well. My husband and I didn't realize just how lucky we were to get a spot in the school!

Wow, what can I say, I feel like we won the jackpot when we found Magellan. our daughter started in…read moreKindergarten and although she isn't very good at adapting or transitions, she immediately fell in love with her teachers and school friends.. There are no cliques and no bullying and when we have had issues we have raised them with the teachers and they have jumped on them to solve them immediately, and unlike other private schools there's no sense of entitlement from the parents or students. Also, because the school is so good at awarding scholarships not everyone is 'rich'! The school also has a great parent teacher association which offer weekly meet-ups and play dates as well as adult only events. Each class also has a WhatsApp chat group so parents can easily communicate with each other. If it sounds like one big happy family you'd be right, that's exactly what it feels like. In terms of academics my adhd child has thrived. Diagnosed at 4 we thought she would struggle but the school has been amazing at supporting her needs and accommodating her. They also offer many different seating types from a bouncy ball chair, to cushions on the floor and other such. It's very holistic and non political and offers many diverse ways of learning. They have a calming corner, encourage reading and emotional open communication as well many other ways of teaching emotional and academic intelligence. They teach in Spanish from day one and introduce Mandarin from 3rd grade, they also teach following the international Baccalaureate which is amazing. It teaches the children self confidence through weekly presentations and teaches them autonomy. Honestly this school is amazing and now it goes until 12th grade we are obsessed and so you will be too. But, sshh don't tell anyone about our secret slice of heaven.

My son has attended Magellan since the age of three years old-- he is now in second and we have…read morealready registered him for third grade. Hands down, my husband and I feel it is best decision we have made for his education. Although it can be a bit pricey, we have felt that it has been worth every dollar. He is growing up to be a well spoken, well thought, caring little human. I love that he is bilingual, but I really love his open minded views and his eagerness to learn. The teachers... the teachers have all been so amazing. They are loving, caring and really take each student's personalities and abilities into consideration as they grow from year to year. As I said, it's not the cheapest option and we do discuss yearly if we will be renewing his tuition-- and, with each year this answer comes easier and easier with an astounding "YES". We love the school, the community, the parents and look forward to many more years at Magellan!

Both of our kids have gone to NWM and have absolutely thrived! The program somehow manages to be…read moreplay-based while still being very academic. Both kids graduated able to read and write well beyond grade level, add and subtract small numbers, and count to 1000. They've been over prepared for Kindergarten. The staff is lovely, kind, and enthusiastic. They do lots of hands-on crafts and STEM activities that the kids come home talking about. They also do occasional theme weeks/days like bubble units or bring your pet to school day which the kids look forward to. It's a wonderful school and we couldn't be happier with our experience.

Amazing school and teachers. Our daughter has been attending NWM since she was 18 months old, and…read morewe couldn't be happier with her growth and progress. It's a wonderful community of parents and educators who are truly dedicated to supporting the whole child. We're so grateful for Northwest Montessori!

My daughter started at Twin Oak Montessori School when she was 3 years and 10 months old and has…read morenow graduated at 5 years old. Our family moved to the US from another country, and her English level was very basic. I was worried about her adaptation without knowing the language. I'm so happy that I found Twin Oak because, over this period, she has quickly become fluent in English, made many friends, and looks forward to coming to school every day. The wonderful people from the school helped my daughter adapt to a new culture so easily. All the teachers, especially Miss Chuti and Miss Alina, have been incredibly kind and friendly to Nika. They really love children, and this is incredibly valuable to me. My heart always swells with happiness when I see my daughter smiling and happy after school. I love the educational program, which includes many topics such as science, math, new vocabulary, creative projects, and physical exercises like bicycling, splash days, and dance. Additionally, I appreciate how they support parents and lift my mood every morning when I drop off my kids. I'm so grateful to the Team! Sofia, mom of Nika

I love the Twin Oaks Montessori experience for my child. She joined at 18 months and just turned 3…read more She loves going to Twin Oaks every day, loves her teachers, and loves her friends. They may be more traditional (no screens, no digital communication), but I actually enjoy that. I don't need photos of her everyday. I can tell she's learning and engaged by the things she tells and shows us at home and how happy she is to see her teachers and friends each day at drop-off. I appreciate that the teachers are spending their time with my child actually teaching and guiding. My daughter knows her numbers, colors, shapes - even a song that names all the planets. She gets exposed to foreign languages (Spanish, French, Japanese, ASL), music, yoga, other cultures and countries, and so much more. There are some older reviews that mention coloring sheets, but we haven't experienced that. One of the teachers who has been there for roughly 2 years is an artist herself and helps the children with a guided (every child makes their version of the same image) or self-expressive (every child creates what they would like) each week. We even have some framed up in our child's room. I highly recommend Twin Oaks.

I would have never found this program without the recommendation from the director of the…read morepre-school program at st. George's (near cherrywood, where we used to live). I am forever thankful for that recommendation. My son will be starting in the 4's class this fall, and previously attended the 2's and 3's class. I visited a few programs but this was the right one for my son. There is a variety of free play and play based learning. The teachers have a wide variety of activities to encourage age-appropriate development. The teachers really work their butts off here. No TVs, video games, canned workbooks, etc. They set up new, engaging activities every day. No gimmicks here. I love it, and my son LOVES it. I am excited that this school has made him EXCITED to go to school and has encouraged his intellectual curiosity. The teachers really do go above and beyond. For example, Ms Maryruth even brought in a Texas insect book to help my son identity bugs on the playground when she noticed he's into that. They really go above and beyond to engage childrens' natural curiosity. If I had to mention anything negative it would be the limited school year and hours (a challenge for working parents) and the lack of diversity (like most of west Austin). It's worth mentioning that we do not attend this church (or another) and not all of the families are Christian. It is a very open, welcoming environment. We absolutely love this school.

We love St. Michael's - the Reggio-inspired approach is amazing -- it's hands-on and lets the kids…read morereally explore and learn through play. The guides are incredible -- so kind, creative, and genuinely invested in each child. You can tell they truly love what they do. Our oldest just graduated and grew so much here, both socially and emotionally. Our middle child is there now and comes home every day excited to tell us what she did. We plan to have our youngest join school soon. The classrooms are beautiful and thoughtfully set up, and the whole environment feels warm and welcoming. We couldn't be happier with St. Michael's -- it's a very special place.

I wanted to love Magnolia. We carefully chose this program because it presented itself as a place…read morethat understood autistic children and used modern, supportive, ABA-informed practices. Unfortunately, our experience did not match those expectations. During a trial day, a young autistic child became upset after a developmentally typical frustration in a new environment. Instead of observing the calm support, co-regulation, and individualized approach we expected from a program with this stated level of expertise, we experienced a response that felt escalating rather than supportive. There were also concerns with the emotional regulation of the leading staff member, and online records that reinforced concerns related to emotional regulation and safety. The biggest concern was the disconnect between the program's stated philosophy and what we observed in practice. A moment that could have been handled as an opportunity for connection, regulation, and teaching instead left us questioning whether the environment was truly equipped to support autistic children in the way it represents, or any child. Ultimately I did not feel comfortable trusting my daughter to Magnolia. I am grateful we had the opportunity to see this before the school year began, but it was disappointing to have to reconsider so close to the start of school after believing we had found the right fit. Every child deserves a program whose practices match its promises.

We couldn't be happier with The Magnolia School. Our kindergartener found public school…read moreoverwhelming, so three months into the school year, we made the decision to switch him. The small class sizes and personalized learning at The Magnolia School have truly made a world of difference. The teachers and staff foster a warm, engaging environment where kids can have fun while still learning. Our child is now thriving!

My little has been at this school for the past 2 1/2 years and has been provided wonderful care of…read moreby their loving staff. Would recommend to anybody who wants a safe, fun, play centered daycare. She is now about to start kindergarten and it will be bitter sweet to leave but she has been given the foundation she needs. I will be forever grateful for "her tribe" that has nurtured her through her toddler years.

We love this school. Last spring we started our son at a highly rated daycare school that was…read morepretty expensive and although we loved the teacher nothing about dealing with the school or director went smoothly. We moved our son to child craft and were a little hesitant at first with the price being significantly lower than the previous and just not appearing quite as new or fresh I could say. We love love miss rachel and my son is happy here. He isn't nearly as aggressive at home as he was with the other school and has learning to communicate better and follow direction better and he just loves the playground so much too and they do full on potty training too so the months of stalled potty training at his last school and two months of being at this one and at home training he is almost 100% trained aside from nighttime.

My daughter didn't like the location in river place at all. I would pull-up into the parking lot…read moreand she would have a full blown tantrum in the backseat kicking and screaming because she didn't want to go inside. She kept telling me that the teacher would tell her to go and find work to do. My child only attended the campus in river place for 2-3 days and they still charged me over $1200.00 dollars. I do not recommend this place at all!

This school could be a great choice for parents who are seeking a daycare program for their…read morechildren who are already accustomed to this kind of environment. The campus is impressive, with well-maintained facilities and a playground that could be every kid's dream. The teachers seem friendly and dedicated to their jobs. However, we had a negative experience with our 22-month-old son who had never been to a daycare before. We decided to enroll both of our kids in a full-day program from 8am to 3pm, despite having to commute 30 minutes every day for drop-off and pick-up. In the first week, the teachers suggested that we pick up our son at noon because he cried excessively, which was understandable. However, in the second week, they allowed him to stay until 3 pm for two days and then asked us to switch him to a half-day program because he was crying too much, and it was affecting the other kids. One day, we dropped our son off at school and left for home. As soon as we arrived at our garage, we received a call from the front desk staff requesting us to come back and pick him up in 20 minutes. Our son had cried so much that he vomited his breakfast, which we had previously informed the school was a normal reaction for him when crying, and not a sign of illness. When we told the staff that it would take us 30 minutes to return, they repeatedly asked if we had any friends or relatives who lived closer to the school to pick him up sooner, which we found odd. After several sick pickups in the middle of the day, the head of the school, Nichole, asked us to transfer our son to a half-day program to avoid disturbing other kids during their nap time. When we informed Nichole that we had enrolled our son in a full-day program but were asked to switch him to a half-day, she refused to refund us the portion of the tuition that we had already paid for the full month. Instead, she only agreed to refund us $3.58 for the two half-days, which we found confusing. Our advice for you is that be careful if you want SitH to be your child's very first daycare/preschool. They might not be able to soothe your kid and may put your family in the same situation like us. And you will lost a lot of money for them (their application fee, registration fee, security deposit, material fee, tuition fee. All are very pricey). We decided to enroll our children in another school the day after withdrawing them from School in the Hill, which turned out to be the best decision we ever made. Our son stayed in school until 5 pm every day and returned home happily. Another thing to be aware of is that the ZZ palm plants in the classrooms are poisonous from root to leaves. If your child loves plants or puts things in their mouth, please be cautious. We had asked Daniel, one of the school founders, to remove these plants, but they were still there when our children left the school. I have attached a photo of the plant, and I suggest you do some research about it.