Simply NO! I would not recommend this school! There were many red flags leading up to our first day but I brushed them off due to the convenience of the location and the desire for our daughter to continue in a Montessori program after she aged out of our previous school. To name a few of the most significant issues faced during the 2021-2022 school year: -The assistant teacher left the school within 1 month of working, the hired on assistant left within 2 months of working and the lead teacher left within 4 months of working. (At the end of the school year, I learned 2 more teachers left). This alone should be very telling! -The communication from the owner Katrina was chaotic. We were flooded with nonsensical emails frequently. The policies were always changing. -We prepaid tuition for the year and received confirmation that we "paid in full for the year!" Then during winter break there was a tuition increase and we were asked to pay the difference. This made us question the business management measures Katrina had in place. Why would we ever choose to "pay in full" if it is actually not "in full" and the price is still going to increase for us halfway through the year? -The children in the upstairs class missed over 1.5 months of school (over a 5 month period) due to covid cases. There was no tuition reimbursement for these closures. No other preschool in our area (16 were called) dealt with the inconsistency, the closures, the regulations and/or the protocols that this school had in place. The interpretation of the state wide covid protocol was not in line with the other local preschools and the chaotic nature of dealing with covid/sickness once again made us question the leadership as a whole. When the parents started to question these policies and procedures, families were literally KICKED OUT of the school and their personal items were left on the porch for pickup. More than 1 family left on their own volition, several others were looking at their options at the time of this occurrence. -She attempted to kick our child out via text message because we questioned her inconsistent and ever changing sickness protocol. Our child has had excellent behavior and was never a troubled kid. She simply did not want ANY dialogue regarding her policies. -Upon telling Katrina we decided to pull our daughter out she shared "I was not kidding when I said she can go, her stuff is already on the porch." She never once made an attempt to allow her to say goodbye to her class or receive any kind of closure. -We were told a check for our tuition reimbursement of $3000 was sitting on the front porch of the school with our daughter's stuff in a bag over the weekend (SO INAPPROPRIATE). We told Katrina we were out of town for the weekend and she responded with, "It will still be there on Monday." When we returned to pick up the bag, there was no check. She claimed she "mailed it to us" on two separate occasions. After confronting the situation 3+ times because it never arrived in the mail, Katrina finally sent us a paypal payment for our $3000. A check never was sent in the mail and never arrived. It was straight up dishonesty. It is important to note the director Katrina wanted to retire and she did not plan on being a teacher this year. Though, due to all of the staff leaving she was forced to pick up and teach again mid-year. I am not sure how it was in the past, but at the present moment she demonstrated emotional volatility, impulsivity and most sadly, dishonesty. I understand the year of 2021 was very difficult. We had a lot to deal with regarding the economical and social impacts of covid. However, this does not justify the lack of professionalism, poor business practices, insensitivity to children and transitioning out, chaotic leadership and dishonesty. Keep looking for other schools and good luck. read more

I have put both my kids through LMS, my youngest is currently enrolled. I have had nothing but positive interactions with the program director and her staff. My kids both love Katrina, and I have no doubt she cares for them. What I appreciate about Katrina is that she meaningfully engages with the children. She likes to talk to them, and listen to them, and make them feel seen and heard. She gets on the ground and plays with them. I have seen both of my kids make great strides under her care, from understanding basic numbers/letters, to life skills, like confidently putting their own shoes on, and washing their hands before/after meals. Finally, when my 5 year old entered kindergarten this year, she was already reading and writing, which is owed in full part to LMS. I understand there were some safety concerns earlier in the year, but I was satisfied with the way Katrina handled them. I also personally did not take issue with Katrina's conservative approach to the pandemic. At the end of the day, what matters to me is: a) are my kids happy, and b) are they learning? At LMS, I can confidently answer yes to both. read more

I was impressed with my observation I did at Lakeshore but did not like the lack of professionalism I experienced from the director. She initially told me she did not have room in her class, but then called me back to tell me she did. I spent 24 hours getting ready to make the switch to this school...dr. note, papers done, talking to family etc. When I checked my personal email the next day she had emailed TEN minutes after our conversation to say she made a mistake. She did not even take time to call me to tell me this. I just have not words. I would expect something different, even at a fast food restaurant than this. read more

My son has attended Lakeshore Montessori School for 2.5 years and we've been thrilled with the love, support, and knowledge he's received from his teachers. He's been busy learning to read and tells us about the cool things he learns at school each day. I enjoy the fact that his education is so well rounded and I'm always impressed when he can tell me interesting facts about sharks, dinosaurs, pirates, or planets. We'll definitely miss Lakeshore when he leaves for public school Kindergarten in the fall. There's a lot of things I love about this school, which is why I wanted to leave a review. I also know that it's stressful when you're trying to find a good school for your child... so I thought it might be helpful to list some of the things that I think are wonderful. 1.) I love that the teachers are fully engaged with the children when I drop him off in the morning. They're usually singing songs, dancing, or playing some sort of group game, which makes the drop off easy. My son walks in the door and instantly wants to join in the action. 2.) Their snacks are healthy and look delicious. They serve fresh fruits and veggies, lots of organic / natural foods, and sometimes the kids get involved and bake their own pizzas, scones, or muffins. No junk food is served here, yet the kids don't mind at all. 3.) The teachers find fun ways to make learning easy. They have TONS of educational "jobs" that teach math, geography, reading, etc without it being boring. 4.) I also love how calm and controlled the classroom feels when I pickup my son. Children do their "jobs" on rugs or at tables and they're expected to pick up their station before they can move on to something else. I've been to other preschools that seem chaotic but Lakeshore is smooth and controlled. 5.) The outdoor play area is huge and the kids get plenty of fresh air, space to run, and there's always some sort of "new" activity to keep things exciting. I am so happy we enrolled our son at Lakeshore and I would fully recommend it to other families as well. read more

Provides a great environment for our three kids with two easily transitioning to the next level of learning. Develops personality as well as essential skills. Has provided strong feedback and willing to listen to any parents to develop the best plan for the students. Can't ask for much more from a school. read more

My twins are currently thriving here. We have been in both classrooms: starting downstairs and now upstairs. In our experiences all of the teachers have been patient, attentive and fun. I can tell my children's attendance here has promoted their confidence/independence as well as nurtured their curiosity and thirst for learning and understanding of the world around them. I would recommend this school for anyone looking for an alternative to public traditional school in Vancouver. read more

I was really anxious preparing to send my son to preschool, but Lakeshore has been an amazing fit for us! I love the huge outdoor space, the knowledgeable and loving teachers, and the Montessori format is perfect for my spirited kiddo. One moment that really stood out was the morning after my son had thrown an epic fit at the end of a school day. I was so embarrassed by his behavior, and asked him to apologize to his teacher the next morning. When he approached her, she pulled him into her lap and snuggled him before he said a word. She really met his outburst with love, understanding, and compassion, and that's what good childcare is about for me. read more

Our youngest of four children has attended lakeshore Montessori since Dec 2017 and we LOVE it! She attended another sought after school in the area for 1 1/2 yrs and never thrived there like she seems to at lakeshore. Both the inside and outside of the property are congruent with learning and inspiring creativity and the children are encouraged to go outside and explore daily. They have a mud room area where each child has a pair of muck boots and winter coats, allowing for play in almost any weather. Which we personally love! At her last school they could go outside and play in the fake grass so long as it wasn't raining. At lakeshore montessori the kids have named a particular tree "the climbing tree" and somebody is always trying to work their way up it. Needless to say, the difference in their positive attitude towards outdoor time is priceless and, we feel, essential to a happy childhood. The classroom itself has the traditional Montessori feel with little work stations and "jobs" set up around the room. They even have a few class pets! I'm no expert, but my understanding is that the Montessori method is based on the belief that children thrive and grow confident when they are treated like little members of society and are given their own jobs. As well as taught and encouraged to explore their personal talents and interests as they evolve. Lakeshore Montessori definitely encompasses that. The children clearly feel comfortable to express themselves and explore different ways of doing things. Miss Katrina herself clearly loves the children and has a obvious understanding of their individual personalities and what makes them tick. Her end of the week summary emails are pretty cute and leave you feeling like you have a real beat on what the kids would say was the BIG happenings within the classroom that week. My biggest complaint about having a child at this school would be the amount of negotiating I have to do to get my daughter to comply with leaving each afternoon ;) read more

From a Grandfathers point of view I am impressed with what I have seen. When occasionally picking up my granddaughter, I practically have to talk her into going home. I also have to echo what other parents have said. I do know that she has progressed in learning her colors and always talks about her "friends" at school. And I see a staff that cares about the children in their care. read more

We did an extensive search of quality early childhood education programs before choosing Lakeshore Montessori. The school offers everything our family values: academic rigor, cultural exploration, outdoor play, the most wonderful creative art projects (a kiln fired bird feeder for Mother's Day!), and music literacy. The school also reinforces manners, grace, courtesy and independent life skills as part of its curricula. Our daughters are well-ahead both academically and socially (in a good way!) having been students at Lakeshore Montessori. The school does a great job of balancing structure with independence. And my children and family have developed lovely friendships with other likeminded families within the Lakeshore Montessori community. Ms. Katrina has a true talent working with preschoolers to go along with her Masters in AMI. read more

Our girl is on her second year at Lakeshore and we couldn't be happier with the results. At 4 years old she can read, do simple math problems, and is thriving as a social butterfly all because of the wonderful and respectful environment at Lakeshore. Also, the effort that the director (Miss Katrina) puts into the special projects in nothing short of amazing. I've seen her come in on many weekends to make sure the Chinese dragon was just perfect or put the finishing touches on a holiday feast. We didn't look at other schools because Lakeshore was so close to grandma's and feel like we were incredibly lucky (or it was meant to be!) that we landed in such an amazing school. read more

I recommend Lakeshore Montessori to anyone looking for high quality preschool in a caring, supportive environment. My son has attended for the last year and we have been extremely impressed by the curriculum and approach to learning - they have a multi-cultural classroom where he learns appreciation for other cultures, "jobs" that provide opportunities for exploration and independence, and, at 3 years old, he is excelling in beginning level reading, writing, and math. Katrina (the owner and teacher) provides individual attention to each child and provides the perfect balance of structure and freedom in the classroom. Having experienced other childcare and preschool arrangements, the thing that makes me happiest about Lakeshore is the love Katrina and the other teachers show my son. You can tell when people love what they do and truly care about each child, and that is the situation at Lakeshore. My son considers his teachers as his best friends, so you know it is a special place and I highly recommend it for other parents! read more

While it seems like this school has everything a child and a parent could want, the longer my child was here, the more problems we had. The play ground is great, the classroom area is bright and cheerful and the director seems like she has lots of experience. However, the initial appeal wears thin after awhile and the school began to feel a bit bi-polar. The highs are high, but the lows are low. The classroom can become chaotic, the students can get really loud and then get yelled at. The policies are there, but they are implemented haphazardly. For example, my child picked up a few choices swear words and phrases from other students and while that's normal in school, it wasn't ever handled the way we agreed. I was left feeling unsupported and frustrated. Another child I know became so nervous, she was biting her nails off by the end of the day and having bad dreams. Her mother pulled her after 6 weeks. I wish I had followed her example. Yes, there is art, music and a bit of Spanish, and the kid friendly playground. But the consistency that children really thrive on is missing. Turnover is high, and there's a reason for that. If I want my child to become wild and unruly with other children and then get yelled at, I could do the job myself for a lot less money. Interview elsewhere before choosing this Montessori. read more

If I could give LMS 10 stars I would! We have been privileged to have our two youngest children attend LMS for both Pre-School and Kindergarten. Wow! I could not be more impressed with the environment and opportunities for learning available at this great school. The teachers genuinely love the children and the children feel of that -- you automatically have a prime learning environment just with that alone. The teachers are amazing facilitators of creativity, curiosity, life skills, and true learning, Both of our children were reading very well at the age of 4! It was wonderful. They always looked forward to school each day and that was very comforting as a parent. The variety of learning strategies, activities, and the breadth of topics taught is fantastic. I could not have asked for a better environment and teachers to entrust my children with, for five years of our family's life. The foundation of reading, mathematics, love of learning, and life skills they promote, is the best I've seen. All LMS students are prepared for further learning throughout their continued education. I've had each of my four children at a Pre-School prior to Kindergarten, but LMS is wonderfully unique and a true gift! I sure wish that my two oldest children could have had the blessing of attending LMS -- but we did not live in WA when they were younger. I strongly encourage other families to enroll their Pre-Schooler or Kindergartner at Lakeshore Montessori School. You will never regret it! I genuinely thank the great teachers for EVERYTHING they do and for how they've blessed our children's lives forever. read more