This school is nothing short of outstanding. The quiet hum of activity, the independence and…read moreself-respect that's fostered, and the beautiful campus all combine to make MCS a really special place. We feel so lucky our daughter has been able to be a student here. And the community at the school is wonderful for parents, too--whenever I've come to a teacher or staff with a question or concern, I have always been made to feel as if whatever I have to say has value. My presence and my thoughts feel welcomed at MCS, which means that my daughter and I get to be partners in her education. Oh, and there are no screens in the classroom! It's amazing--kids can still learn to read and do math without using a tablet. Who knew? Maria Montessori, that's who. Bonus points for good old fashioned pencils and notebooks.

From the owner: Montessori Education for toddlers - Kindergartenread more

This preschool experience has been magical. My child had a marvelous time the past two years and…read morewe're so thankful to be a part of their family. Donna and Vicky have been instructing together for 17 years and it shows. They have cultivated a wonderful world within those walls and I will forever be grateful. We had checked out quite a few schools on the island and have had experiences in other cities - this school has all others beat by miles!

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.

Poor quality and service. They take an exuberant amount but mistreat your kid if they are non…read morespanish native. I faced a lot of discrimination, snarky commentary as a parent when I picked my kid up. Even my daughter got mistreated a few times. Steer away from this location they don't treat the kids well. Also food, they give the kids many sugary items at the end of the day before they send them home. Every day is a meltdown day.

***Edited*** I was so excited to start our daughter here,…read morefor the bilingual and Montessori experience. Everyone seemed very nice and although everyone was masked and provided appropriate safety measures on the tour, my child's teacher and at least two other individuals that work here do not believe in wearing a mask to protect the vulnerable children during this deadly pandemic. We had to un-enroll her after just two days here. To me, this demonstrated a poor lack of judgment among other things. Why wouldn't you want to protect the children you're teaching? I spoke with the director and she apologized and refunded all of our money. The issue with the staff not masking is complicated as they claimed a religious exemption to masking (which isn't a real thing)! We're two years into his pandemic. Wearing a mask isn't hard. I'm a nurse and wear one all day while caring for patients. It's not hard to protect yourself and others. It amazes me that I even have to write this right now but I want others to be aware before enrolling here in case keeping their children safe at preschool is a concern for them.

It is important for families to understand that if you enroll your child at Pacific Crest, you are…read moresigning a contract obligating you to pay the full year of tuition and forfeit your deposit regardless of how the school handles communication or concerns prior to enrollment. I believe it is important for prospective families to have a clear understanding of what they may encounter before making such a significant financial and emotional commitment for their child. We first attended an information session in 2025 and later met with the school with the intention of enrolling our four-year-old daughter for January 2026. During the admissions process, the director was attentive, responsive, and reassuring , effectively an excellent sales lady. We were repeatedly told that the school valued communication, community, and a child-centered approach, which strongly influenced our decision to enroll. Unfortunately, once we signed the contract in August and paid tuition, the level of communication changed dramatically. In November, I reached out to the school seeking guidance regarding our daughter's upcoming January start date, including next steps, meeting her teacher, and understanding what supplies or preparations were needed. I received no response. After following up a second time and again receiving no response, we finally heard back nearly three weeks and three emails later with a generic reply stating that the classroom teacher would contact us within two days with additional information. Unfortunately, that follow-up never came. By this point, we were becoming increasingly frustrated by the ongoing lack of communication and professionalism. Over winter break, the continued absence of communication led us to seriously reconsider whether this was the right environment for our daughter. It became difficult to feel confident placing our child in a school that struggled to provide even basic communication and follow-through during the enrollment process, especially after emphasizing those values so heavily during admissions. We eventually met with the director the same week our daughter was supposed to begin attending. She apologized for the communication issues and at that point, the alternative presented to us was a meeting with the financial department regarding our contractual financial obligations to the school. Wanting to remain open-minded and hopeful that the experience itself might ultimately be different than the enrollment process had been, we decided to move forward with a classroom observation before making a final decision. We decided to complete a classroom observation so we could better understand the environment and meet the teacher, whom we still had not heard from directly prior to our daughter's anticipated start date. Although the observation was brief, several aspects of the classroom gave us pause. Most concerning was the aloofness and emotional coldness the primary teacher exhibited toward the children. She appeared disengaged and minimally interactive with the students throughout our visit. More broadly, the classroom atmosphere itself felt unexpectedly disconnected. There seemed to be very little sense of joy, warmth, friendship, or community among the children -- something I would have expected to see naturally develop among four- and five-year-olds who had reportedly spent anywhere from six months to over a year together. As a parent, it was difficult not to notice how emotionally disconnected the environment felt overall. Frankly, the children did not appear especially happy, engaged, or socially connected. After the observation, we briefly met with the teacher. The director was not present at the school that day and was unavailable to speak with us. What ultimately solidified our decision not to move forward was the teacher's statement that she generally does not communicate with parents outside of scheduled conferences, though she could "make an exception" if necessary. As parents preparing for our daughter's first school experience, we did not feel it was unreasonable to hope for occasional communication regarding how she was adjusting socially and emotionally. Following the visit, we sent three follow-up emails to the director requesting communication regarding our concerns and asking whether our deposit could be refunded. We never received a response. Regardless of contractual policies, the continued lack of follow-through, responsiveness, and professionalism throughout this process was deeply disappointing and ultimately very upsetting for our family. On a positive note, our daughter is now thriving at a neighborhood preschool with warm, engaged teachers and a classroom culture filled with genuine connection among the children. The experience has only highlighted for us the stark contrast between the sense of warmth and community we now see daily and the emotional coldness and disconnection we witnessed during our experience at Pacific Crest

We believed Pacific Crest would be a strong fit for our daughter because of her independence,…read morecreativity, and love of learning. During the admissions process, the director presented the school as warm, welcoming, communicative, and child-centered. Unfortunately, our experience was the opposite. The communication from the school became extremely poor once we enrolled. After observing the primary classroom and developing serious concerns about the emotional environment, we reached out multiple times to discuss what we had witnessed. Despite several emails, the director and primary teacher never responded. I ultimately had to go to the school in person to address our concerns. During our 45-minute classroom observation, we saw multiple troubling interactions. One young boy sat isolated in a chair by himself for the entire observation without engagement, support, or invitation from the teacher to join activities. Another child arrived late and was completely ignored by the teacher -- no greeting, acknowledgment, or warmth. The overall classroom atmosphere felt emotionally cold, separated, and institutional rather than nurturing or interactive for primary school-age children experiencing their first school environment. When I raised these concerns in person, the director dismissed them and suggested that ignoring the child who arrived late may have been part of a "behavioral plan." We found that explanation deeply concerning and inappropriate for young children. What was most disappointing was not only the classroom environment itself, but how our family was treated afterward. Our concerns were ignored, communication was nonexistent, and the school refused to return our deposit despite the circumstances. I genuinely worry about the emotional impact this environment may have on children and whether prospective families are receiving an accurate picture of the school experience before enrolling.