Highly recommend this pre-school. Our daughter attended this preschool for 2 years. Teachers are…read moreloving, and take great efforts in building a strong foundation for kids. We always felt that our daughter was safe, happy and well taken care of at this school. We are so lucky to have found this gem!

It's hard to give a universal review that applies to all children since each child is different and…read morehas their own challenges. However, our older son has been at TPMC since fall 2022 and I can't imagine any place better than this. My son loves going to school there and has developed close friendships with his classmates there. This is a major contrast to his previous daycare, which he did not enjoy at all. TPMC is a small school run by the same family for many years in a pretty location, only a few minutes from Torrey Pines beach. The class sizes are small, and it has a cozy, close-knit feel. The teachers genuinely care about each child, and give individual time to develop them. If I had to choose one word, it would be "balance". The environment is supportive and nurturing, yet has enough strictness to keep the classes structured and orderly. The kids have fun and have plenty of time to play, but this is balanced with a focus on learning and education, and time spent on math, reading, writing and art. Overall, we are very happy to have found this place for our older son, and now plan to enroll our younger son here soon. Of course, he has his own challenges but we are are very hopeful that our positive experiences with our older one will carry over to our youngest!

I can't believe I haven't written this sooner but sometimes you take for granted the amazing places…read morethat are part of your everyday life. Sandy Hill was a refuge for us when we were worried about sending our son to school during the worst of COVID but it became so much more. His dad and I are both early educators so we are extremely particular about preschool programs. It was important for us to find a play-based preschool because we believe that play is the universal language of childhood learning. At the time, classes were held outside and that made us feel very comfortable. Even as things opened up, we continued to feel like we were in a community of families that truly cared about one another and we were all doing our best to keep each other safe. The spaces at this hidden gem are nothing short of magical. I wish I could go back to preschool myself and spend my days digging in the sand and hunting for sparkle treasure. This was such a special place for our family and undoubtedly will be again when we send our younger son in a couple of years. Our pre-k kiddo went to the MWF on-campus program and then spent Tuesdays and Thursdays at outdoor class. Outdoor class with Miss Kacy is such a unique and wonderful gift to children who love exploring their world and being out in nature. Our son is in kindergarten this year but he talks about how he misses Sandy Hill pretty much every day, which is what inspired me to finally write this long-overdue review. We love you, Sandy Hill! Thank you for everything!!!

Love sandy hill! Magical outdoor classrooms and the lowest ratios around. The teachers have been…read morearound for a while and are knowledgeable and kind.

We have been at a handful of daycares and preschools due to moving for work, and CVM is such a…read moregem! They provide such gentle care, great structure, and have taught our son incredible things like the continents, planets, how to do practical things like get dressed and clean up. To this day he is so attached to his first teacher, Ms. Heena. Everytime we come for pickup we witness the strong attachment the kids have to their teachers, going to them for comfort and hugs. We have also made wonderful parent friends because of CVM.

My daughter attended Carmel Valley Montessori School. My wife is Stella S. This review supplements…read morehers of 3/11/2011. This review gives our assessment of the CVMS program, and Lynne Benedict's and Lisa Kaufman's performance in their respective roles as school administrator and teacher for our daughter. With this review, the reader will be able to judge whether their experience will be like Kate M.'s daughter's or mine. Given its posting date, the review looks like it was written at Ms. Kaufman's request about her class two years ago. Please message me for more details. Academic Development - CVMS did not use classic Montessori approaches with our daughter. Academic baseline was not set. Teaching priorities were not set. Progress was not tracked or communicated to parents. Music and art classes - though promised - were not delivered for the bulk of the year. It's worth asking what the hefty Materials Fee buys. Ms. Kaufman was unwilling to change her teaching approach for our daughter even after we asked that she do so. Ms. Benedict would not let us talk to Ms. Kaufman directly. Ms. Benedict said that our assessment of our daughter's level was wrong, and that she had seen Ms. Kaufman work 1-on-1 with our daughter "a lot". Ms. Kaufman's report for my wife's conference with her was filled with vague generalities. When we compared our daughter's report with those of other students in the class, they were interchangeable. In her interactions with our daughter, Ms. Kaufman lacked commitment and competence as a teacher. Ms. Kaufman did not interact with my daughter for almost two months prior to the parent conference with my wife (though Ms. Benedict said otherwise). She could not have had an up-to-date picture of our daughter's progress. [NOTE: Ms. Kaufman was out December 13-17. CVMS closed for the holidays through January 3. Ms. Kaufman was out the weeks of January 3-7, 10-14, 17-21, and part of 24-28. Ms. Benedict did not communicate the fact of a teacher's extended absence from the class until after weeks had passed, and only in response to questions from parents. This is normal.] Ms. Kaufman did not provide regular communications regarding her students' activities. When we received the 2nd of the school year in March, it was rife with errors ("loose" instead of "lose", poor grammar, etc.). Ms. Kaufman responded defensively to our feedback. She avoided my wife during morning drop off when my wife wanted to discuss our daughter's academics. She did not teach our daughter to read and write in a different (accelerated) way. She claimed to spend 1-on-1 time with my daughter when she could not have (23 other kids in her class, weeks not teaching), and when my daughter said she didn't. She punished my daughter after we criticized her. During my daughter's Special Week, Ms. Kaufman did not wish her Happy Birthday. She was cold and unwelcoming toward her during the morning line-up (witnessed by our nanny), then told Robo Feldman, the Boys and Girls Club director, that she was "over-the-top" in welcoming my daughter. Her assistant told our nanny that our daughter looked "bewildered" within her earshot (who knows the meaning of the word). Social Development - Ms. Kaufman has poor control of her students. This is partly due to class size, but she does not know how to control a certain problem student in the class (Child D). Child D has hit and pushed my daughter, but Ms. Kaufman did not keep Child D from my daughter. Ms. Kaufman seems to spend more time with certain students than others. Child D appears to be coddled. One of her students is the daughter of another teacher at CVMS and in my limited observation appeared to used to different, more individualized treatment. Our daughter had a fall on the playground resulting in a fat lip and skinned knee. Neither Ms. Kaufman nor her assistant noticed our daughter's injury during half a day of school. There was no injury report. After my wife complained to Mr. Feldman, Ms. Kaufman and Ms. Benedict filed reports for meaningless non-injuries. My daughter has been enrolled in Del Mar Heights Montessori School, where the teacher has PhDs in Education and Psychology. If you are more interested in day care with a side of academics, Kids Bay in Pacific Highlands Ranch is a great alternative. Charlie S.

Both of our kids attended/are attending this preschool, which is a testament to how much we love…read morethe school and trust that they will provide the best care for our children. The director, Ms. Sandy, is genuinely caring and very hands-on with day-to-day management. The office staff are friendly, organized, and incredibly responsive. You can just tell that they adore the children - my daughter will make a point to stop by the office everyday to say hello :) While we have had great experiences with all the teachers (from the 2 year old class to kinder, as we have experienced it all), Ms. Angel, the kindergarten teacher is especially amazing and remains our child's favorite teacher of all time, even when it has been several years since graduating. The facilities are clean and well-maintained, and the activities are thoughtful and fun--water play in the summer is a huge hit, and the class performances are super fun as well. I also love that the school app shares photos and short videos for the day, which keeps us connected to our child's school activities. Longer care hours (8-5:30) and year-long care with minimal closing days is also so convenient for working parents. Would recommend the school wholeheartedly - we have been burned with prior experiences at another preschool, and were so lucky to have found Bright Horizons as a safe, nurturing and warm place for our kiddos.

I want to share my review in two parts, as my child's experience at this school was mixed. He was…read moreenrolled from February 2023 through June 2024. Part 1: Exceptional Experience - 5 Stars The primary reason we chose to remain with Bright Horizons was that, after the incidents in the previous classroom, my child was moved to Ms. Angel's class. From that point forward, we had no issues or concerns. Ms. Angel's dedication and professionalism are extraordinary...well beyond the five stars Yelp allows. She provided weekly curriculum updates, clearly communicated her teaching approach, and scheduled meetings (in person and via Zoom) whenever we had questions. Her nurturing and engaging classroom environment gave my child a sense of security and confidence. Many families, including ours, felt she offered such a high level of care that they even considered delaying kindergarten for another year just to keep their children with her, and some did! Part 2: Classroom Concerns - 3 Stars Before transferring to Ms. Angel's class, my child was in the Mo Willems Room, led by Ms. V and Ms. P, where two concerning incidents occurred:     1.    Henna Activity (Spring 2023) Excerpt from the letter I wrote to the school: "Thank you for including my child in classroom activities--he is always eager to participate, and we appreciate that. However, I believe parental consent should have been requested before applying henna to a child's skin, as it is semi-permanent. When he came home, he became frightened that the design would not wash off. I didn't know it was henna at first and scrubbed his hand, unintentionally irritating his skin. Had we been informed, we could have explained what to expect and prevented the anxiety it caused. Considering that the school requires permission for sunscreen application, it seems reasonable that the same policy apply to henna or any other semi-permanent skin products."     2.    Disciplinary Incident (September 2023) Another concern was a disciplinary action reported by my child: "After school, my child told me that a teacher pinched his cheek hard enough to hurt his teeth. He was tearful and said he felt scared to return to class. I wanted to understand what happened from the teacher's perspective before making assumptions, but the nature of the discipline...physical pinching, was concerning and not appropriate for a preschool setting." Final Thoughts Although our initial experience in the Mo Willems Room was disappointing, the transition to Ms. Angel's class was transformative. She set a high standard for care, communication, and teaching excellence, and we had no further problems throughout the rest of his enrollment.

This school was recommended by my pediatrician and my daughter attended this school for just over…read moretwo years during the height of the Covid pandemic. My child has experienced three different daycare environments - a traditional daycare as an infant, Montessori, and this school which draws from numerous pedagogical approaches for early childhood education. Although I liked the Montessori school she attended, my child was never lit up at the end of the day. Children should love school, if not it's not the right fit. By contrast, this school was a great fit for her. We were very lucky to have provided my child with the opportunity to attend this play-focused school and are sad to be moving on. It was very clear that my child was well loved at the school, as are all of the children. All of the teachers know all of the children's names, they know who the kids best friends are, and they are warm and welcoming. I loved that my child got to experience cooking, baking, gardening, and music on a regular if not daily basis, in addition to pretend play, blocks, art, and outdoor activities. They are read to throughout the day. I appreciated the balance between group activities and free play. I also loved that the teachers took pictures of the children throughout the week so I could see what they were doing. The school is also very diverse for the area, both staff and students. In the past few months the Covid protocols changed so parents could come inside the school for drop off and pick up. If you get to school around 8:45 parents could listen to the morning song (but I was perpetually late and missed it). Regardless of when I appeared at the school I would hear laughter and children engaged in fun activities. I never once experienced chaos or a teacher in a sour mood. The most common parent complaints are parking can be somewhat of a challenge depending on timing, and they aren't pushing academics hard. Neither of those issues were a major concern for me. I recommend this school without reservation.

The best preschool I could wish for my daughter. Lovely and caring staff. Always greeting you with…read morea smile and interacting with kids and being engaging.

I wish I could give more stars. We love it as well, because our daughter loves learning at her own…read morepace here. ! She learns both English and Spanish! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! Quality of her teaching and the value the kids learn is amazing!!!!!

This review is overdue. Aria came under Ms, Gladys' care 2 years ago. She was skinny, picky at…read morefood. Aria could have gone to TK but I kept her at Gladys 1 more year bc I did not think she was ready for a bigger school. Now after 2 years, she has flourished so much. She eats all kind of food, actually Ms Gladys' food is the best not mommy's . She reads well, is good at math, follows Montessori. Kumon even complimented her she had passed TK level on math. This is coming to an end for Aria at ABCD as she will start kindergarten soon. It is such a bittersweet moment. But at least I know I will bring my second daughter to her soon. Thanks Gladys and Pablo for loving her, caring for her from feeding 1 spoon of food at a time. She is now ready for K, and she is well equipped because of you. This is not just daycare, it is preschool and love and heart. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

We absolutely love the Lulus Montessori! The staff is amazing with the kids and they get an amazing…read moreeducation. We are always surprised by how much they learn and how much fun they have. Also their meal plan is great. We are very fortunate to have our son there. We looked at around 10 different places and it gave us anxiety because we really wanted our son to be at Lulus which was much much better than all the other places we saw all over San Diego.

We've been taking our son to Lulus Montessori since he was about 18 months, and it has been the…read morebest daycare/preschool experience we could have hoped for. The teachers are incredibly loving and thoughtful. I especially love the fact that they celebrate birthdays and holidays and create opportunities for parents to get to know each other, too. My child has grown by leaps and bounds, and his interactions with the other children are fun to see. The fact that meals are provided (bfast, lunch and snacks) is a godsend. Several daycares/preschools in the region claim to be Spanish immersion but aren't actually (e.g., they speak English to the kiddos). At Lulus, I feel like we get a truly authentic Spanish immersion program for our son, knowing instruction is exclusively in Spanish. And it shows. My son 100% understands Spanish when it is spoken to him and he mixes Spanish and English in his vocabulary regularly. I credit Lulus for a large part of that bilingual ability and look forward to seeing his fluency improve in the years to come. Highly recommend Lulus!!