My kids favorite school!! A full American Montessori Society member!…read more My son attended Ms. Ali's beautiful school for four years. My daughter now attends, this will be her 3rd and a half year. I was looking for a school that felt like an extension of home. A loving and nurturing environment. I had originally missed the open house date but decided to give Ali a call for a private tour. The moment I stepped inside the classroom I fell in love. I knew right away that I had found our school! I have to say, what a relief. Ali explained to me the Montessori philosophy, admittedly I was not familiar with it. Now I can't imagine teaching my kiddos without this philosophy. First Stage Montessori has created a solid foundation for my children's independence, curiosity, confidence and responsibility. Whether your kiddo attends for 1 year or the entire 4 year program, you become family with the school. I cannot thank Ali and Angel enough for all the dedicated work they've put over the years into growing such thoughtful and amazing young students!

Such an amazing school! We couldn't have asked for anything better for our daughter. All the…read moreteachers are very sweet and super knowledgeable. So sad to say we will be moving to public school next year. I would highly recommend this school to anyone and everyone.

Great hand's on learning environment! A wonderful way to be a part of your childs education…read more Students get the opportunity to go on many field trips to local places; Pumpkin patch, the fire station, Hand's on Children's Museum, parks, wet lands, wild cat sanctuary to name a few. A wonderful place to start your childs education!

My daughter attended in 2011-2012 and this is still her favorite care experience of all time, which…read moreis saying quite a lot considering she's loved them all! The staff really engaged with her on a whole different level and she learned so easily there. Love love love!

From the owner: At Arcadia we promote a strong peace & environmental curriculum and appreciate the importance of…read morenon-violent communication in our classroom as well as the world. We realize the importance of the children learning & living outdoors. We have created a large garden that the children till, weed, plant, water, harvest and eat from.

I cannot stress enough how much I love this school and the teachers. It's a small close knit school…read moreat a home. Which has worked out so much better than the larger institutions we've tried out. The teachers here are so loving and caring. They genuinely love the kids and welcome new students each and every year. New Life has been such a blessing in our family's lives. My son has learned so much here. I highly highly recommend, and cannot thank them more than enough. We love it here.

We have sent 2 of our children to New Life Montessori over the past 3 years. We have been extremely…read moresatisfied and pleased with the amount of learning our kids have exhibited from the school, as well as the amount of attention and love that they receive from the teachers. The school has a very low student to teacher ratio. The school also has a multi-year rotating curriculum, so if you send your kid for more than one year they will be learning something new the following year. We've tried larger and fancier Montessori schools in the past with our oldest kid. We were sad that we didn't discover this gem of a school earlier.

This is my daughter's second year at Arcadia, and I couldn't be more in love with this school. Not…read moreonly has my daughter learned amazing social skills that will last her lifetime, she talks to me about planets, artists, ocean life, constellations over lunch now. She absolutely loves going here and is pretty disappointed on vacation days. I can't recommend them enough to anyone looking for a preschool.

From the owner: Our vision is to promote a safe, peaceful, and environmentally friendly atmosphere. We teach the…read moreimportance of thoughtful communication and respect. We provide outdoor play area allowing children to play and learn vital skills outside. With a low student to teacher ratio, we ensure every child gets care and nurturing he or she needs to thrive. We also build a sense of community by involving the children in annual fund-raising projects for global or local causes.

I simply cannot recommend this preschool enough. Both of my kiddos attended Pathfinders and as soon…read moreas my daughter started there we realized that we were a part of a very special family. With the low teacher-to-student ratio it is clear that they get to know the children and nurture them as individuals. They do a wonderful job of developing curriculum, covering the fundamentals of education, and make the extra effort to celebrate all of the special holidays (the Christmas celebration and Mother's day tea are SO wonderful). My daughter was absolutely prepared for Kindergarten having attended this school which is all we could hope for as parents. Tammie and the rest of the staff are excellent communicators, trustworthy educators and we just consider ourselves so lucky to have had such wonderful people be a part of such a precious time in our children's lives!

We are so grateful to have found and have our twins attend Pathfinders Preschool. They are such a…read morefriendly and nurturing environment where you truly feel a part of a loving community. My kids come home with such creative, thoughtful art projects and I appreciate that they do celebrate and recognize birthdays and holidays. Staff provides prompt communication. When compared to our experiences with the public schools my husband calls Pathfinders staff "Angels".

Both our daughter and son have attended the Montessori Farmhouse. They teach independence and hands…read moreon learning. Overall we are impressed with the results. One drawback is the price, currently around $1200 per month, but you get what you pay for.

We were over the moon to have our son go to this school. He had had a rough go of his last school…read moreand we thought this place would be perfect for him. Over the summer, we had a series of test done on him that resulted in an autism diagnosis. When we did the follow up session with the therapist, the first thinking we asked was what was the best thing for him as far as schooling as he is supposed to start kindergarten in the fall. The therapist said that while there was nothing wrong with a Montessori school, public schools would offer far more resources. That's all we needed to hear. Public schools it is. So my wife reaches out to farmhouse school to let them know that our son can not attend in the fall due to his diagnosis. They said that was fine, but that the first month deposit was non-refundable. $900!! Seriously?! We have a son who will require speech therapy, as well as other counseling and they're keeping our money? Ok. So then it turns out that friends of ours have a daughter that will also be attending this school next year, so my wife asks if our tuition can be applied to their child. Nope. A contract is a contract. This isn't a major corporation. This is a mom and pop business providing a service for mom's and pops, and their kids. Yes they have a contract. They know they don't have to honor it. They know they could have done the right thing. They chose not to. I guess I should be appreciative of the fact that they showed what they truly stand for before we went there. I can think of few things more devoid of moral decency than the way they chose to handle this. Our son has autism! Seriously?! What's wrong with you?

This is our second year in business and we are super excited after having a wonderful summer with…read morelot's of creative projects with the children. It was super successful!

I was able to participate in the end of summer carnival the school has. It has school age kids and…read moreday care aged kids. The end of summer carnival allowed the kids to play games (bounce house, cupcake walk, pennies in hay, basketball, fishing, ring toss, bean bags, face paint, putt-putt, bowling, and a few others). The kids won prizes such as videos, stuffed animals, books, plastic necklaces, mini tops, clanker things). The kids had a great time. It also looked like the school aged kids are regularly allowed to bring bikes to ride during the summer. My daughter loved it.

My child went here when she was a young baby, starting at about four or five months until she was…read moreabout nine months. Towards the end of her stay there she had been fighting diaper changes and one day she came home with bruises on both of her legs in finger pattern. When I had mentioned it to them they were quick to say that she had tripped over something and the lady had grabbed her by the leg. But both legs? No. And the day that had happened, when I picked her up there were three teachers in the room, one per child, who I had never met or seen before and they had my daughter in a chair she couldn't get out of and was crying while they were all gossiping.

Parent Review - Please Read Carefully Spanish versión in…read moreimages. Update: This review has been updated to include additional factual details for clarity and completeness. I am sharing this experience so other parents can make informed decisions before enrolling their child. I wish I had seen a review like this beforehand. My intent is transparency, especially for families who rely on childcare subsidies and may have limited options. My daughter attended this school briefly. During that time, we experienced ongoing issues with communication and transparency. The most concerning situation involved my daughter being injured on more than one occasion--twice by the same child within a matter of weeks. When I asked why my child was hurt more than once in such a short period of time, the Director became defensive rather than responsive. On both occasions, I was not notified immediately. After the first incident, a vague incident report was placed in my daughter's backpack for me to discover after arriving home. The report was written on Mt. Tahoma letterhead, which was confusing and concerning, as my child does not attend that school. During the second incident, I arrived for pickup while my daughter was still crying and visibly distressed after being struck on the side of the head by the same child. The teacher who brought her to the gate did not know what had happened, and the Director also appeared unaware. My daughter was initially handed to me as if nothing had occurred. Only after it became clear that I was upset and would not leave while my child was crying, red in the face, and hurt did a staff member offer an ice pack. When the Director arrived, she was unable to explain what had happened. When my daughter identified who hit her, the Director stated, "No, it wasn't him," without clarifying who was responsible. Although my daughter clearly stated she was hit, the school insisted she had been "pushed onto bark." Bark would not cause a bruise on her ear or the contusion later diagnosed by urgent care. The conversation with the Director and owner was brief and uninformative. Neither acknowledged who hurt my child or clearly explained what occurred. Instead, the incident was repeatedly described as "normal child behavior," and it was implied that my daughter's actions caused her injury. Some children at the school are as old as six; my daughter is only four. No apology was offered, and no prevention plan was discussed unless I specifically asked. An incident report was not offered. I requested one and was told it would be provided, but it never arrived. After following up, I eventually received a report that lacked key details, including staff names and a clear explanation of how the injury occurred. Most concerning, the report focused heavily on my daughter's behavior in a way that implied she was responsible for being hurt, while also stating that a teacher witnessed the incident and did not intervene to prevent injury. In a follow-up email--after I continued requesting a corrected incident report and additional details--the Director suggested that I consider withdrawing my daughter and placing her in a private in-home daycare, stating that my concerns reflected "very specific needs," rather than addressing how the school would ensure my child's safety. Beyond the physical injuries, my daughter showed signs of emotional distress while attending this program, including difficulty playing with peers and fear associated with school staff. Since leaving the school, these reactions have continued. I have not been able to return to work since November, as attempts to transition her into other childcare settings have been unsuccessful due to her extreme distress and refusal to enter facilities. The emotional impact on our family has been substantial. What troubled me most was not just the incidents themselves, but a pattern of delayed communication, limited transparency around supervision, and dismissal of legitimate safety concerns. I have since withdrawn my daughter and am sharing this to encourage other parents to ask detailed questions about supervision, injury reporting, communication practices, and how children are supported emotionally. This review reflects my personal experience as a parent.

My oldest son has been enrolled here for nearly two years, and the growth we've seen academically,…read moresocially, and emotionally, has been extraordinary. He came in shy and hesitant, and he has blossomed into a confident, curious child who loves learning and communicating with others. He now problem-solves on his own, initiates conversations, and brings home life skills he proudly teaches his younger brother. Because of the trust we've built, I recently enrolled my youngest son as well. One of the most meaningful parts of our experience has been the genuine care the staff has shown our family. When my father passed away unexpectedly about a year and a half ago, the teachers and administrators surrounded us with warmth and compassion. They checked in daily, supported my son through his big emotions, and made sure he felt safe and loved during an incredibly difficult time. That type of care comes from people who truly value the children they work with. Communication has always been clear, consistent, and responsive. The staff is proactive in sharing updates, answering questions, and making sure parents feel informed and included. Over nearly two years, any small hiccups that naturally happen in childcare have been handled with transparency, thoughtfulness, and professionalism. My son has developed strong, trusting relationships with his teachers, both under the previous ownership and the current leadership. He talks about them with so much affection, and it's evident that they genuinely know and appreciate him as an individual. They celebrate who he is, encourage his interests, and guide him with patience and respect. The sense of belonging and stability he feels at school has been a major factor in his growth. Every family and child is unique, but I can confidently share that this school has been a nurturing, communicative, and supportive environment for both of my children. We are grateful every day for the foundation it has provided, and I am thankful for the teachers who care for my boys as if they were their own.