We initially looked into KUBO thinking it was a Japanese-run facility, but we soon found it is operated by a wonderful Filipino team. For any Japanese families considering this school: while the origin of the name might be different than expected, the quality of education is world-class. Having gone through a Montessori education myself, I have high standards, and this program exceeded them all. The teachers provide amazing attention to individual development, supported by an excellent student-to-teacher ratio. The curriculum perfectly balances education with character building. The level of discipline and respect shown by the graduates here is truly admirable--something often missing in standard TK programs. We also appreciated the professional touch of annual parent-teacher conferences and detailed progress reports. On top of the great environment, the food is fantastic! It's healthy, balanced, and introduced our children to delicious flavors like lumpia. We are so grateful to Mrs. Jeck and the entire team. If you are looking for a place where your child will be treated with respect and given the tools to excel, this is it. Our yongest is graduating this year and we are sincerely going to miss seeing Ms. Jeck and the staff on a daily basis, but we look forward occasionally swinging by just to say hello! read more

Long overdue review! We're so fortunate to have found Kubo! We had a very bad experience at another school and had to pivot fast. The moment we stepped into Kubo, I knew it would be the perfect place for our daughter. It is a very serene and loving environment with a wonderful Montessori curriculum . The teachers are amazing! Homemade meals- what a life changer! A supportive parent community. We could not be happier to have found this little gem. read more

My kid went to this daycare while he is 21 months, the teachers there are great, very caring, help him growing developing. Rhe teachers guide my kid to be able to eat meal independently. My kid was happily there, while I picked him up, he always happily sing songs loud in the car on the way home. It's a small class with many fun/creative activities, kids get more attention with a great teacher/student ratio. Daycare provides fresh meal, my kid always ask more of its food. They also have a big backyard for kids to play. Teachers and daycare are flexible and always accomodate with your request/what you need. My kid only one time got light fever and teachers notify me immediately. We really appreciated teacher's dedication and support ! We definitely love to recommend Kubo Monterssori as a loving an joyful environment for kids to grow. read more

I don't even know where to begin when describing the positive impact Kubo Montessori, the teachers, and the community have had on my family. My son started at Kubo Montessori in mid-2021, and since joining Kubo flourished into a confident, capable, and happy child. The teachers provided an environment where he was able to learn while also still be a child. We found his vocabulary and motor skills improved dramatically while in the school's care. We loved Kubo so much, when my daughter was old enough to attend we enrolled her. As with her brother, she flourished, speaking longer sentences, more complex words, and was more independent. Within the Kubo school we also found a loving community of teachers and families. My son is going into second grade (and is thriving), but also still maintains friendships with several prior Kubo classmates. My daughter does extra-curriculars with classmates as well. My daughter is graduating to TK, and we are so emotional over the change but so thankful for all Kubo and the teachers have done for our family. We will absolutely be staying in touch, and checking in because Kubo was a major lifeline during the pandemic and beyond for our family. read more

Both of my kids attended Kubo--seven years apart--and we feel so lucky to have found this little gem of a school twice. When we returned for our second child, we were thrilled to see that Ms. Jeck, who had taught our first child, was still there. She's an incredibly loving, caring, and dedicated teacher with a professional Montessori background, and her presence alone says a lot about the school's consistency and heart. Kubo is a small, family-style preschool tucked into the neighborhood, and it truly feels like an extension of home. The teachers are warm, nurturing, and genuinely happy to be there--which, to me, is the #1 sign of a great school. I always look at the children and the teachers: are they happy? At Kubo, the answer is a resounding yes. Our kids came home with joy, stories, and laughter--sharing what they did during the day and, adorably, what they ate! Speaking of food, the meals are incredible. I still remember a potluck where one of the teachers made baked salmon that could rival a restaurant's. That level of care and quality runs through everything they do. Kubo isn't about flashy facilities or rigid academics. It's about learning through everyday moments--caring for plants, helping younger children, baking together, and growing kindness and independence along the way. For parents who prioritize love, warmth, and real-life learning, Kubo is a truly special place. read more

Both of my kids went to this preschool (started at 3.5 and 1.5), and they loved it from day one! The teachers are amazing and so caring. I also loved that they cooked fresh meals right at school--my kids still talk about how much they miss that food, and they're in elementary and middle school now! They learned so much and made friends they still have today. Big shoutout to Ms. Jack--she's the best, and all the kids love her (and her ukulele!). If you're looking for a warm, caring, and fun environment where kids thrive, I highly recommend this preschool! read more

Very sweet little school. We toured and liked it a lot. Ended up at another closer to home but this was our runner up. If your kid needs a small calm environment to learn I would check this place out. 6:1 kid to teacher ratio was kind of amazing too. read more

If anyone in San Mateo or broader area is looking for daycares, do check out Kubo Montessori, who told us they're trying to fill some open spots (as of roughly the time of this post)! Their staff are great and caring, they have a great outdoor play area, very good rates, small classes with great teacher student ratios, freshly cooked and nutritious lunches and snacks, and thoughtful activities throughout the day. Compared to our experiences with center based daycares, this in home daycare has meant few/no incident reports, and way less frequency of getting sick. Highly recommend! read more

If you are ok with your children screaming/crying for hours at a time in this person's backyard this is your place. I can't imagine they would charge that much per kid seeing as how they don't really care for them.... Unbelievable read more

We have loved our experience with this preschool. They offer a clean and conducive space for children to thrive. The teachers are kind and well trained and keep you informed of your child's development and well-being. We liked the personalized attention our daughter received in comparison to large corporate setup. They offer great service at a reasonable rate. The delicious and wholesome snacks and a fresh hot lunch are unbeatable ....it makes you want to eat there. read more

The staff is excellent, and the consistency of having the same main teacher, unlike other schools where teachers change every few months, is truly valuable. Despite the small class size, the teacher provides personalized education tailored to each child's needs. My daughter learned to write, read, and even calculate numbers at an early age without additional studying at home, and her table manners and behavior have greatly improved. They also serve delicious, warm meals. Given the quality of education provided, the tuition is very reasonable. We deeply appreciate the teacher's dedication and efforts in nurturing the children. Highly recommend Kubo Montessori. read more

My son has been enrolled in Miss Jeck and Miss Nelly's class for several months. Prior to that my son was in Miss Nancy and Miss Novas class. All of their teachers there are wonderful. My son is thriving at the school. He has learned so much there. Not just academics but social skills and manners as well. They cook delicious organic meals and provide healthy snacks. There are plenty of fun events too. Miss Jeck and Miss Nelly really take great care of the kids. They spend a lot of time with each child. At 3 years old my son already knows how to hold a pencil and use scissors. Highly recommend if you can get a spot. read more

If you believe the proper playground for your young child is the driveway of an old duplex, then sure, this is a great school. That's what this place is, an old duplex apartment, and the kids get to exercise and play in a 16'x16' concrete square. Sure there's no grass fields or trees upon which to form precious childhood memories. Those are overrated anyway. Such a nurturing environment. I'm sure your kids won't hate you when they realize the concrete nightmare you forced them to play in. Oh also, their smoke detector was chirping for at least 8 weeks, constantly, due to a low battery. I finally couldn't take it anymore and went and bought them a 9 volt battery, and put it in their mailbox. Miraculously, the detector's chirping stopped, and all the neighbors could once again sleep all night. So keep in mind, these are the kind of people you'll have raising your kids. read more

My oldest daughter (now entering second grade) attended Kubo for 2 1/2 years. As soon as she was off to Kindergarten, I didn't waste any time in slipping her little sister into this gem of a preschool. With one more year to go before my youngest "moves up" to Kindergarten, I am already lamenting having to leave this wonderful loving place. Both my children have thrived at Kubo under the supervision of Ms. Mary and her wonderful staff. The student ratio is low. It's mixed age, so it really feels like a family, with the older kids taking the younger ones under their wing, as they teach them also. And the younger ones looking up to the older ones is also nice. The environment is diverse, with many cultures represented and everyone respected. Manners and kindness are taught to the children, which I think is very positive. A warm home cooked meal is served every day. You won't believe the smells that come from the kitchen as you drop your child off. It's no wonder that my oldest still wished she could go back to preschool for the food! The academics speak for themselves at this place. My oldest was more than prepared for entering Kindergarten, and now that my youngest is officially "pre-K", I'm begin to worry she may be bored at "big school" when she starts. Not necessarily a bad problem to face, I realize... but she is so prepared already given the education she is receiving at Kubo. What stands out the most to me, is the loving and caring environment in which my children have learned. I would recommend this school to anyone with preschool age children. read more

The teachers in Kubo Montessori are the most dedicated and most loving I have ever seen. They go over and beyond what they are supposed to do for the kids... and because of this you can clearly see the children grow and develop. read more

We are fortunately to find Kubo Monterssori for my 4 year old daughter when she turned into 3. At that time, she did not speak much English, and it is hard for both of her and the teachers understand each other. We chose Kubo as one of our friends recommended it to us. We soon found out that not only the school has good teacher to kids ratio (3: 14), they also serve great food, the teachers are very patient and caring. My daughter picked up English very quickly and she loves the school and the teachers! Kubo teaches all kinds of geographical, historical and mathematic knowledges, the kids also do lots of art work. Additionally, the teachers have specific attention on different kids. As when we were expecting our second kid, the teacher reminded me that my daughter became very sensitive and needed extra attention as she was aware a newborn would take some of her attention, they were right- my daughter was very sensitive at that time and needs our attention. Thank for the reminding, we were able to manage it well. Therefore, we do recommend Kubo Monterssori as a great preschool to go! read more

Kubo is amazing! Our family relocated out of country 3 years ago and we are so grateful that we found Kubo. Ms Mary is a loving, passionate and experienced teacher who truly care about the children in her school. The Montessori method keeps preschool children engaged and learned at their own pace, and Ms Mary is very flexible to adjust any needs that each child need. Although our son has graduated Kubo, we often miss the school so much and will often go back for visit! The low teacher-student ratio is wonderful for young children, and the included meals is something we missed too, they are delicious nutritious home-cooked meals so that we never have to worry about packing lunch. Words cannot express how much we appreciate Kubo, without any doubt- we strongly recommend it! read more

My older son had been a student at Kubo for 2.5 years and it's amazing how much he learned and grew as an individual! He loved going to school (and often didn't want to leave), doing jobs and learned great life lessons such as caring for others and the planet, showing respect, taking turns, using your words, etc. Ms. Mary and team genuinely care about all of the children, dedicate one on one time with each student and foster a great learning environment. Before graduating to kindergarten my son was reading, could copy words and write some independently, was doing math drills, and had a great summer enrichment experience through art and science projects. We have been fortunate to have found Kubo Montessori which has fostered my son's learning and development in so many ways. My younger son is now attending and completing his first year at Kubo and loves it. The student to teacher ratio is great - often 3 teachers to 14 or so students and organic hot lunches and snacks as well! They also celebrate all of the different cultural holidays and often make regional food and crafts as a lesson. My son especially enjoys helping with the cooking. Instead of attending the transitional kindergarten program in our district, my husband and I have decided to keep our son at Kubo next year due to the great curriculum and great environment-I highly recommend Kubo Montessori! read more

My son transferred from a different preschool to Kubo about a year ago when he was 4. He stayed at the previous preschool for about 5 months before we made the switch. We saw such a big difference between the two schools right from the start! My son didn't understand English when he started preschool, so he could not follow directions very well. The teachers in his old school could not understand the anxiety he was having and were not very patient with him. Understandably my son didn't enjoy going to school and it made a very bad cycle. This was why we started looking for a different school. And we feel blessed that we have found Kubo! It is a definitely day and night difference !! At Kubo, all the teachers are so nice and patient.. They respect the difference in kids and allow each kid to grow and develop in his own pace. They don't push, but they consistently work with kids for each small step toward the right direction. It's amazing how the teachers never lose patience with kids. I think they are really a lot more patient with my son than I am ;) My son had a problem with greeting or saying good bye properly. He would either not greet at all or just say hi in a blur without looking at the other person. I often got frustrated when he did that. Ms Mary and Ms Mellisa worked with my son for 2 months on that!! Every morning when he goes to school, they would show him how and encourage him to follow. He is much much better at that now. Ms Mary and her team really put their hearts and love into creating a fun, nurturing and learning environment for kids. They blend learning into fun activities and kids just learn naturally. I am always amazed by the breadth of subjects they cover in school, from geography, to biology, to culture, to science. You name it. They do a lot of art and crafts. They celebrate holidays from different cultures. They do their everyday reading and math work. They even have a counting to 100 exercise so that kids can stretch their little bodies while learning counting in a fun way. I sometimes can't believe how much my son has progressed in the past year since he started going to Kubo. From a boy who didn't speak much English, to one who has learned to read story books on him own. From a boy who could not draw a perfect circle, to one who can copy paragraphs and write birthday cards for his friends. From a boy who could only count to 20, to one who can do skip-counting by 2, 5, 10, 100, to thousands, and do addition and subtraction within 20. From a boy who didn't know much sciences, to one who is fascinated with so many subjects. I couldn't be more happy to see him totally thrive at Kubo. read more

My son started to go to KUBO since he turned 2. Before I decided to enroll him, I at least visited 20 preschools in Peninsular. As a stay at home mother, I spent almost every day searching online for a good school for my child. I could tell KUBO was the right place for him after chatting with his two teachers, Ms. Nelly and Ms. Jeck. I know from the bottom of their heart, how much they love and enjoy being with young children. My son developed a lot a good habits and learning skills since he started school and I'm more than happy with that. The school is only one block away from our house, and it is one of the major reasons why we stay in this neighborhood, paying a ridiculous amount of rent. I also introduced two other families to enroll and they both are very happy with the teachers and the teaching philosophy. I took some Child Development Classes before so I know I have made the right decision for my son. read more

My son has been a student at Kubo for 1 year and 4 months. He joined when he was 2.5 years old. Before then, he stayed at home with grandparents and nanny. He had a hard time during the first week but all the teachers were very loving. They spent a lot of time with him and hugged him a lot. And all the other kids were very sweet. They would bring snack to him when they saw him crying. He cried less and less everyday and after a week, he was fine. Now he is very happy at school. He never complained about the school (like saying 'I don't want to go'). As he grows older, he also learns to take care of the younger kids ( like helping them with cleaning up spills). There are a lot of fun activities at Kubo. He does crafts almost daily and everyday when I pick him up, he will have made something. His teachers were very patient with him when he tried to become more social at school and when he started to learn academic skills. For a few months, my husband and I were concerned that he may have problems learning and achieving some of the skills, compared with other kids. But the teacher told us that every child is different and boys are different from girls. She thought he was doing OK and making progress. She was right. A few months later, he picked up a lot. I was happy that I followed the advice to let him develop at his own pace. One of my friend's daughter (younger than my son) was at a different pre-school. The teacher complained a lot about the young girl's counting skills. She even challenged the girl in front of the whole class (when my friend was picking her up) just to prove she was right. I would not want a teacher like this for my child. So I am very thankful for the teachers at Kubo because they help my child to learn and they help me (as a first-time parent) understand what my child really need/does not need. Kubo provides very yummy lunch and snack. My son is a picky eater at home but he eats a lot at school. I have asked for several recipes so that I can make the same thing for him at home. Overall, after 1.5 years at Kubo, my son is happy, calm, loving and always curious. It may be his personality but I think his teachers and friends at school definitely contributed a lot. read more

When we were looking for a good preschool for our son, Kubo Montessori came highly recommended from a friend of ours whose daughter went there and really liked it. It has been over a year now that my son has been going to Kubo and we are really glad we made the decision to send him there. When he comes home equipped with terminologies like continents, aborigines for example, that I can hardly believe a 3 year old could speak, I know he is learning a great deal from his teachers and older students. He started speaking full sentences quite early with the exposure at school and expressing himself using words. He certainly enjoys going to school and as the other reviewer mentioned, often times doesn't want to leave. When I ask him "How was school today?", his usual response is - "It was fun, I played, I did my jobs.". He has made some good friends as well. The teachers are very caring, nurturing and patient. This is a great environment for a child to be in - to develop, to grow, to learn. read more