I went to this school from age 3-18. I love this school! The campus is very clean, the teachers are…read morevery kind, attentive, helpful, and wise, and all my classmates were really cool! We did so many amazing field trips, too, like every year we go to Ice Palace and Wet n Wild. In high school, we did four trips, one per each year, three mission trips and one educational trip. All those trips were such great moments to grow close to my friends and see God's creation! KCS is an excellent school.

If your child has any behavioral issues or learning disabilities, they will be treated poorly. KCS…read moreis not equipped to deal with these children and views them more as problems versus wanting to help them. For those who are neurotypical, I am sure this is an okay school.

This is not really a review about the operation of the school itself, but rather of my experience…read moreas a potential teacher there. I was positively impressed even though my interview happened to occur during one of the few crisis near panics that the city of Honolulu has undergone. The staff seemed to take everything in stride and kept calm so that the student body was not as panicked as was the general public in the urban environment in which this school sits.

MCS has become a second family to us and our two children. It is truly a special place where kids…read morelearn independence, confidence, skills and knowledge, all while having fun and feeling a part of the community. As parents we feel very supported by the teachers and administration. All of the teachers and staff know us and our kids. We have touchpoints with them every drop-off and pick-up and they always make themselves available if we have concerns. There is a full time counselor that is a valuable resource. If we have a concern -- even if it's a behavioral issue at home, the counselor will help support us and even do observations of the child in the classroom if it is something we want. Montessori method has also proven to be an amazing, timeless way to engage and teach children in an intuitive way. Reading some of the other reviews, it is disappointing to hear that a couple people had negative experiences. I believe these to be very specific, isolated cases, as all the other parents we know absolutely love the school and administration. We would highly recommend MCS!

I went to Ma'e Ma'e from 3rd to 6th grade a long, long, long time ago. Back then there was a huge…read moresubmarine shaped gymnasium in the field behind the temple but that has been removed some time ago. Family Fun Night (In May, annually) included such games as fishing and you could buy a piece of sugar cane to gnaw one for $0.25. My daughter now attends Ma'e Ma'e and Family Fun Night is a much bigger deal. This year there were rides, giant bouncy castle things, and a climbing wall. As far as how the school is now, my daughter is only in Kindergarden so I will update my review as time goes on but so far the teachers are all caring and helpful.

Many of the main office ladies are super nice and helpful, and they're my favorite thing about the…read moreschool. Unfortunately, my daughter's experience wasn't so great. She had Mrs. Namba and came home crying a lot, saying that she made her feel dumb in front of the class. I've heard similar things from other parents. Maybe she thinks she's helping kids toughen up, but all that's happened is that my daughter now cries about going to school, and her self esteem is now even lower than it already was.

What a beautiful quaint little elementary school here in the islands record of safety end child…read moredevelopment is well known on the island they have a park across the street where kids can play soccer they've got of parking problem they've got a traffic problem could be cleaned up I have been cars coming in one way from the Diamondhead side. I think they need more things like teaching kids how to grow their own food need to be gardens I think they also need to teach kids how to plant trees and clean up the Ala Wai. .I think if they want a fundraiser for the school day host to soccer tournaments and Kapi'olani Park or a concert at the Shell I think there are ways to enhance the education of youth with a strong emphasis on practical skills and something that's useful in life other than talking and chatting on the phone

This is our first year here at this school and our son loves it. They have afternoon activites…read moreduring A plus that are run by teacher's that students can pay to join. So far my son did a ceramics class that he loved and this year is trying soccer and capoeira. There is always traffic in morning because only one entrance into school which is sometimes a hassle. During the year they have activities for families to enjoy, we had fun at the Halloween program.

Love this gem of a school!…read more My child is now finishing our second year of school at Honolulu Waldorf School, and will be starting 2nd grade next year. It was very important for our family to attend a progressive school, and in this case "developmentally progressive" in terms of educating the whole child. Our child is very active and talkative, and we didn't want to go the traditional route of public school - especially when on our first tour of a public school they pointed out a "wiggle chair" in a corner that kids would go sit in if they couldn't sit still for long periods of time, and that particular teacher indicating our child might not do well there. For kindergarten, and where our child was developmentally - this was not going to work and we could visualize a year of phone calls about inability to sit still. In Waldorf education (and many other countries) children don't start classroom lessons at desks until they are in 1st grade and 6-7 rather than 5-6. And for us, that felt like the right fit. The teacher we had in kindergarten in the early childhood program (EC) was phenomenal, and I loved that the kindergarteners are in a mixed age class ranging from age 3-6 with various stages of development acknowledged (star children age 3-4, moon children age 4-5, and sun children aka kindergarteners age 5-6). When my child was a "sun child" they were the oldest in the class and became leaders in many opportunities. They have a very structured day which leads to a lot of centeredness and calmness as they move through play time, reading circle, snack time (provided by school and quite nutritious!), arts, more play time, nap time, music - lots of singing - and each activity meeting the child where they are and building on that. My child was very resistant to arts at the start of kindergarten, and by the end was weaving, sewing (!), painting, and drawing. Being restless was not an issue throughout the year, and going without a nap during nap time was also something that could be worked around. After finishing kindergarten, the children move into 1st grade with a beautiful crossing of a symbolic bridge leaving the grounds of the early childhood area and entering the grounds of the grades area / classrooms. In 1st grade, a the class size was 16 children which was a great size for us, and subjects of reading/writing, math, Spanish, Japanese, Hawaiian studies, handwork, movement, music are covered throughout the week. If a child needs more attention in an area, they are quick to spot it and suggest additional support of needed. Our teacher was incredible at holding the class, and attentive to all of each child's progress and needs. What's also amazing is that the same teacher continues into 2nd, 3rd and beyond as is part of the Waldorf pedagogy. Sometimes life changes happen (pregnancy / moving etc), but at this school the same teacher can be expected to continue on for many grades, building a beautiful bond between teacher and student. Also for the community; the school fosters a great sense of community with a strong Parent Hui group (parent volunteers) that work to make each of the many Waldorf traditions come alive. The school participates in Waldorf events of Michaelmas, Saint Nicholas Day, the Winter Spiral, Lantern Walk, and also brings in via its Spanish program a celebration of Dia del los Muertos, Salsa Night, and through its Japanese program Girls Day, Children's Day, Hawaiian - La Mei (May Day) and more. When thinking about all of the events throughout the year it's a magical, welcoming and educational experience for the children and families alike. Not knowing a lot about Waldorf education at the start of our attendance, I have gained a whole new perspective on childhood development as this school also educates parents on how children learn. The reading and literacy is on a different timeline than public school for valid developmental reasons and by 3/4th grade many students are avid readers reading and comprehending books well above their public school peers. Overall, I believe the children become excellent learners through and can tackle any topic with the curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. Last, the school is screen free up to a grade (6th?) This is a huge incentive for our family, as we do not want our child to be exposed to screens more than necessary - as we learn how it is negatively affecting brain development in young children. Eventually, the concept of appropriate screen use is introduced in Cyber Civics classes in middle school - as it is unrealistic for screens to be completely avoided in life, and an awesome opportunity to teach children about how to have an online presence, be responsible and respectful online, and to have personal boundaries around its use with social media, and length of time. Big fan of the school, the caring teachers and admin, and the awesome and strong parent community that goes above and beyond to be involved in their children's learning and environment.

The MonkeyPod Mākeke at Honolulu Waldorf School is a cozy shop open for 45 minutes after school on…read moreFridays. Created and run by parents, it has beautiful Waldorf art supplies: beeswax molding clay, watercolors, colored pencils, and coloring blocks - alongside small treasures children love to choose for themselves or friends: journals, necklaces, and other thoughtful trinkets under $3. You'll also find handcrafted gifts like felt leis made with care by parents and teachers. I purchased one for Mother's Day! It is a warm, intentional space that brings joy to the children and community alike.

Summer School Music Program was outstanding. The teachers understand well that those little bodies…read moreneed to move to learn. Children learn better after exercising and this school has it down! Exemplary. I'm hoping they have a morning curriculum where the whole school exercises before class!

We attended a Christmas program for the elementary school students on Friday evening. The school…read morewas festive, the students and attendees were brimming with excitement for the program to begin. 2 lines formed before entry, one on each side of the chapel doors. Lots of seats and standing room was available inside for the program. The lighting was good, sound could've been better but overall, a good experience. My only con for this is the parking. Extremely limited parking is available on the campus and surrounding streets. We parked in the cemetary where there is little to no lighting. And pro tip, only the entrance nearer the school is open to exit after the program ends.

We love this preschool! Everyone is so nice and caring. It starts from 7:30am and finishes at…read more4:00pm everyday. You only have to pay one fee for the whole day. I know many other preschools charge you extra if your child stays after 2:00pm. You don't have to worry about that here. The school communicates with parents via the Brightwheel app, so you get updates about events, classes, and how your child is doing throughout the day. We love seeing our son bonding with all his classmates and teachers over the past year and a couple months. There are events and field trips to educate the children and they allow parents to interact with their children every month or two. We get to see how our son is learning to do things independently and become more social with his peers. They also have a nice playground for the kids to play at in between classes and after school while all the kids wait for their parents to pick them up. The Director Ms. Nancy and her team of teachers are always willing to talk with parents about what the kids are learning or if you have any concerns.

I've had two kids at this preschool, and although during my daughter's time there (2010-2013) the…read moreschool went through some turnover of teachers, this is still a fairly new school (started in 2008) and I think it probably takes time to find the right fit for things and get the foundation you need for long lasting relationships. I think and hope that their teacher roster has finally settled in, as I love the teachers there now and think each and every one of them are compassionate, creative and have invested themselves in these kids just as a good teacher should. My son is now in the 3-4 year old class and his teacher, Ms. Zyrah is awesome! (His 2's teacher, Ms. Mika, was also wonderful). Ms. Zyrah is so creative and has so many hands on activities for the kids to learn from and experience. We get an email every day on how my son's day went and although last year, my daughter would often get two or three sentences at most, Ms. Zyrah always paints a great picture of my son's day, and gives us not only the standard notes such as how much he ate, if he took a nap, etc, but also provides us with a nice idea of what he is showing strengths in and what he is still working on. For things she works on with him, she always lets us know what works and what doesn't, and this helps us work with him at home too. She also always points out nice things he says or helpful and respectful choices he makes and gives us insight into times in his day that we would love to be able to see, but of course cannot be there to witness :). She also finds time to send us pictures when they go on field trips of participate in special events and we really appreciate that. The school overall is small - which was one of the reasons we chose the school. There's just 6 kids in the 2 year old class and no more than 12 in the older classes. The kids wear uniforms (which I think is great - no hassle in the morning to get dressed!) Each year, they add more to their program and this year, the director even had a shade tent structure built over the playground - which is makes me feel so much better when I forget to put sunscreen on my son! Their playground is small, but beautiful, with nice green grass and a great hill the kids love rolling things down on...even themselves! The director also tries out different things for the special events and this year they are even having an "open mic" for Thanksgiving lunch that lets the kids or even parents sing or share any talents they may have. They also do different things for May Day and even have a grandparents tea party and Sweethearts ball for Valentines day that is so cute...just like a toddler prom! And possibly one of the best things - for me anyway - is that the school is the cleanest preschool I've ever been too! And although their sick policy is pretty strict, as a parent, I appreciate their efforts as I've been to other preschools where half the class has green snot running down their face and the teachers do nothing about it! yuck. I would recommend this preschool to anyone who is looking for a smaller class size, warm and caring teachers and staff, and a strong foundation in Christian values. Last year, I would have given 4 stars due to the high turnover, but giving 5 stars in hopes that the teachers will remain next year as my sons enters the pre-k class!

Love love this place . My 2 year old son goes here . Also 2 of my nephews and my niece . They love…read moreit here . Teachers are so amazing and caring .communication is excellent . I have nothing bad to say . They really do take care . I'm so glad I chose this place for my son . I was very nervous taking my son to a preschool especially with all these stories now days about day cares and preschool but this school proved me wrong. Highly recommend this place .. && the prices for the tuition is reasonable as well. They accept assistance for child care .

Jikoen Hongwanji Lumbini is an amazing preschool that greatly cares for their students! My…read moredaughter has learned patience, perseverance, and is completely potty trained after attending for a few short months! I am amazed by how warm and welcoming the teachers are and how well they care for my daughter. I despise the yelp review which states her child was mishandled as I feel like it casts a negative view on Jikoen Hongwanji Lumbini. Please look past the review bellow, as I myself had my doubts initially due to this review; however my daughter has excelled in her ability to speak and initiate conversations most children do not even comprehend at her age. I can't thank this preschool enough for how much they have taught my daughter in such a brief amount of time. Not to mention the flexibility of the school which offers early drop off at 6:45AM and late pick up at 5:30pm. Unlike most preschools Jikoen offers 2 snacks, an AM and afternoon, as well as lunch prepared on site- All included in the tuition! For a working mother like myself, the ease of knowing my daughter is being taken care of and not worrying about what to make the night before is amazing! They offer summer school and minimal school breaks which allows for me to go to work and not have to use my leave for senseless days off. I can save my leave days for family vacations, yay! Lastly, I would like to say for all the mothers and fathers looking through these reviews and trying to figure out the best fit for their child, you won't be disappointed! If you want a preschool that gets to know your child's interests, talents, and specific needs then go with Jikoen Hongwanji Lumbini preschool!