We could not have asked for a better start to my children's education than at MCS. My kids started here at just 18 months old and stayed all the way through TK....it was the best experience from start to finish. The staff is warm, caring, and truly dedicated to every child's growth and happiness. We always felt confident and grateful knowing our kids were in such good hands. Leaving was bittersweet, as it was simply time to move on to the next school, but we will truly miss the entire team. If you are thinking about bringing your children here, just do it....you won't regret it! read more

MCS is an amazing school with phenomenal teachers and staff! Our daughter spent her very first year of school / preschool here before transitioning to CMP Carmichael, right next door. On our daughters very first day of school, her teachers, Ms. Serena and Ms. Malih were so caring and thoughtful with her. She was nervous to be there and didn't want us to leave in the morning. Ms. Serena took her by the hand and spoke gently with her, and made her feel more comfortable. We knew we were leaving our daughter in good hands that morning, and the positive experiences continued on until our last day of school. The office staff is very friendly, and always makes me feel as if I'm part of the MCS family when I talk to them on the phone, or see them in person in the office. Whenever I stop by the office with my daughter, Ms. Galina goes out of her way to say hi to her and often gives her a warm hug and sometimes a sticker =) I would highly recommend Montessori Childrens School to my anyone I know that I is looking for a wonderful, caring place for the children to go to school / daycare, or anyone that plans to continue with the Montessori teaching philosophy. read more

After a change in ownership I would not recommend this program. We had been a family attending the school for the past six years. While a few of the amazing original teachers remain, the schools change in culture no longer maintains a Montessori curriculum that supports children preparing for school. read more

I would definitely recommend MCS, the school and teachers are amazing! We had a tour with the director Miss Serena, she was wonderful! The school and programs are great! This would be a school you would want to check out for yourself and find out the wonderful and positive things that have been implemented here. I am so thrilled we came across this place and decided to enroll our son here! read more

I started at MCS last year with my 4 yo daughter (who has ASD) and 18 mo son. My daughter "graduated" to Kindergarten this last June and grew tremendously in the year she was there! My son will continue there until Kindergarten. Since the beginning I have always felt comfortable leaving my children in their care, which is the number one priority for me. The fact that they learn so much and love going makes it even better. This is a great preschool! read more

My son attended Montessori Children's School from August 2019 until the Coronavirus shut down in March of 2020. He was in Ms Serina's/Ms Malia's pre-k classroom with Ms Galina being the schools director. He is 5 and has multiple life threatening food allergies. I toured 5 pre-schools just to get a feel for what to expect putting my son into a public environment for the first time. There's a reason I chose MCS and in short, they have all been fantastic every since we made the choice to place him here and we miss them! I'm so sad that we are moving on from this school as we transition to Kindergarten this year. Our time may have been cut short but the experiences and memories we made won't be forgotten. My son enjoyed school and truly loved his teachers. I was able to come and participate in the class for events like Field Day and Harvest Festival and really felt the sense of community fostered within the classroom. They had a precious winter program to celebrate the holidays this past year as well. I was most impressed seeing my son bring home good habits that he was learning/being reenforced at school. We are always impressed with a school that enforces good "soft skills" as well as the traditional "hard skills" of the academics. We believe that things such as a sense of confidence, self- reliance, fostering wonder and delight, and instilling a sense of personal responsibility help create a well rounded child. In addition, and some might argue the most important right now, diversity! Not only in the topics the children learn in the classroom but the children themselves. My sons classroom was beautiful. His friends diverse, just like our communities are. This is a family owned school now and because of that it's their heart and soul. They take pride in their ownership and I feel it shows. The owners, Ms Galina and her husband, were always on site and available for a question, concern or even a pleasant chat! I'm a mother of 3 kids - 17,15, and 5. Having the perspective I do with the age range with my kids, I'm always grateful to find a genuinely good school run by good people. I wish them nothing but the best. Good luck on your preschool hunt for best fit for your child but I would definitely put this one on your list to tour and not to pass up! read more

My poor review speaks of the woman Miss Diane that runs the school and the poor ability to appropriately staff for the amount of children. I have no doubt that she manages to meet the state minimums because she occasionally has substituent teachers present, but by no means does this mean that the child to teacher ratio is sufficient. My daughter has been at MCS for 5 months and in this time there have been 2 incidents reported to the school board: When bringing the children in from playing, one was forgotten on the playground by them self, and another incident where children were in the play house showing/touching each other in inappropriate manners. I know that it is impossible to see every single child every single second. I am a completely rational parent and expect there to be incidents here and there, bad words to be learned, and children getting rough with one another on occasion. In addition to this, I pick my child up to a dirty face with a snotty nose that is running into her mouth on a nearly daily basis. She has feces in her underwear because she is expected to wipe herself or it isn't' being done at all. MIND YOU SHE IS 2 YEARS OLD. I have been nothing but polite and patient on the two occasions that I have tried to address my concerns with Miss Diane. She is very unapproachable and insincere. Again, the teachers are very nice and understanding but there just aren't enough people present for the amount of students and that is a BIG deal. I will say... This is my first yelp review for a reason. I religiously read up on schools/businesses on yelp and think it is important to know this kind of information. read more

My son has gone here since he was 18 months. He is now 5. It was the most welcoming place and I always felt very safe dropping him off and had a very close relationship with each of his teachers. Well, in 2019 they changed ownership and it went downhill from there. Only one senior teacher remained, who was phenomenal (Ms.Serena)The owners were not welcoming and truly seemed like they didn't have a clue how to run a Montessori school or had zero compassion for kids. I didn't feel safe leaving my kid. When I was about to yank him out, Covid happened. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. read more

Do not go there is very dirty in and out and they don't have a playground for kids is all dry grass outside WTF haw are they open and running under the state licensing CCLD read more

My daughter was in this program until she started grade school. My son is currently enrolled. The Montessori curriculum has been extremely beneficial to both of them. Galina and Oleg, the owners, are flexible and really care about delivering quality care for the kids. This is also one of the best priced programs in the area. The teachers are great and work closely with the kids. My son regularly comes home with projects and work that he's done at the school. 10/10 would recommend read more

My daughter attends the Montessori Children's School (MCS) and when my son is old enough he will too. MCS is an amazing school and Dianne, the director/owner, has many years of experience. She is truly invested in the happiness and education of the children and takes the time to know each of them individually; she also makes it a priority to get to know the parents. The teachers at MCS are wonderful and caring; my daughter has excelled beyond our expectation and she displays a LOVE for learning. I would highly recommend this school to anyone!!! read more

If you are looking for a school that is warm, inviting, and led by people who exhibit grace, courtesy, and kindness, I implore you to RUN THE OTHER WAY as fast as your feet will take you and do not look back! My now 6 and 4 year old boys attended Montessori Children's school from the time they were 18 months old until they were old enough to move on to transitional kindergarten. Prior to the change in ownership this past year, we absolutely loved all of the staff and our experience at MCS, however things have changed drastically under the new owners' dictatorship. If not for Ms. Serena with whom we have maintained a wonderful relationship throughout the years, I would have pulled my 4 year old from MCS before he graduated with his class this past June, simply to avoid having to deal with Galina who now owns the school with her husband Oleg. We have a third baby boy, and had planned to enroll him at MCS once he turns 18 months old, and looked forward to having Ms. Hanna as a teacher again. But now, under zero circumstances would we even think to add our baby to the wait list with these new owners at the helm. We are saddened that so many beloved, trusted teachers who had been there for years and who had become close to so many families, have resigned of their own accord this past year due to the awful treatment they received from Galina, or were asked to leave for bogus reasons, without being given the chance to say goodbye to the students. During the last few months we were at MCS, most of the new staff members did not make eye contact, did not introduce themselves, nor did they check to see if I was the correct person picking up my child, and every time I went into the main building, all the classroom doors and office door are ALWAYS closed. A far cry from the once inviting, fun and happy atmosphere that MCS used to have before Galina and Oleg took over. Children who were once so comfortable and felt safe with teachers, became intimidated and unhappy. Our good friends' son had an accident and sat in his own filth for HOURS until his mother came to pick him up. He was too afraid to tell his teachers, and what boggles my mind is that despite the stench, NOT ONE of his teachers realized that he had defecated in his pants. This poor child was covered in excrement and ended up with a painful rash on his bottom all the way down his legs to his ankles. He was transferred to a different teacher's classroom the very next day per the demands of his parents, to avoid being reported to the Health Department. Other families we know have shared similar heartbreaking stories of neglect, but because their children still attend MCS, I will refrain from providing further details to safeguard against any potential retaliation by Galina or the staff she now employs, many of whom are her family members (sisters). If parents raise any concerns or have any issues at all, Galina's knee-jerk reaction was to excuse the child from the program, and she would then say that MCS has an overflowing wait list from which she would happily fill the empty spot. This happened to us and to NUMEROUS families we know! When I responded to Galina's threat to excuse my son from MCS by letting her know that we would expose the way she has behaved and treated our family, and that we would share the deplorable experiences children have had at MCS ever since she took over, Galina instantly changed her tune and wanted to discuss how we could work things out instead. This should NOT be the way schools function! We had never before had a single issue at MCS nor experienced anything like this, and were so shocked at the way Galina treated us and that so many other long-time once-very happy-MCS families also experienced the same thing! Despite what Galina will tell you, there ARE many other great options in the area. We found one Montessori preschool just a few miles away, that has Montessori credentialed teachers in EVERY SINGLE classroom (not just 1-2 within the whole school). In contrast to MCS, this Montessori school had a welcoming, positive environment, and both the teachers and children actually smiled and made eye contact, and looked HAPPY. What was once a happy, loving preschool, with welcoming teachers who knew all the children and parents by name and who treated everyone with kindness and respect, has become a very cold and sad place. If you are on the MCS wait list or are even considering adding your child's name to the list, and if you seek a place where your child can feel safe, loved, nurtured...a preschool run by people who are trustworthy and have the children's best interests at heart, I URGE YOU TO LOOK ELSEWHERE. read more

If the negative reviews below (since new ownership) & the fact that only ONE original teacher remains at this school aren't enough red flags for you, maybe our experience will be. What once was a warm, inviting & safe space for my kids to spend their days, turned into a cold, unwelcoming & questionable institution. We had referred 3 different families to MCS prior to new ownership. I now regret referring a single soul to this institution & I wouldn't recommend MCS if it was the last preschool on earth. Please know that there are other options for preschool/childcare out there. Do your research! The owners may come off a certain way upon first meeting them, but once your kid is in this environment, it's like living in a never-ending nightmare. I want to bring to the forefront the threat of the kids' safety & health at this school under this ownership. My child had a serious medical condition & at one point had an accident in their pants. My child sat in this for God knows how long. When I arrived at school I had to throw all my kid's clothes away & they had a rash all over the entire bottom half of their body. I was sick to my stomach & FURIOUS with the school. The owners attempted to make it right & pretended to worship the ground we walked on after that, but I know it was only because I threatened to report them to the Health Dept. There was another incident that I know of first-hand where a kid requested to use the restroom before nap time & the teacher (Ms. Emily) refused to let them go. The child had an accident in their cot & had to lay in their urine the entire naptime (which was 2 hours). Another incident was during naptime & 2 kids somehow managed to undress themselves completely & were playing around. Where were the teachers?! How could three-year-olds be unsupervised long enough to get naked!? Not only was it inappropriate but think of the potential health hazards associated with that! The only reason I never reported this preschool to the Health Dept was because I was afraid of retaliation against my child by the new owners. I was also concerned the owners would threaten to kick my child out of the program, when we only had less than 6 months left there. To this day I still regret never making this report. We had our kids enrolled at MCS for close to 5 years. Prior to the new owners taking over, every. single. teacher at MCS knew our kids' names & our names & would greet us when we walked through the door. We felt like family, & when your kids spend the majority of their days with someone else besides you - that's important! We became close with the teachers & felt comfortable contacting them directly if we wanted to know how the kids were doing throughout the day or if we needed to fill them in about something. Communication with the teachers & original owner (Diane) was great & it was a peaceful atmosphere that my kids & I looked forward to every day. Fast forward to the new owners: I DREADED taking my kids to this "Montessori preschool." One by one the original teachers were either terminated or quit. The remaining teacher (Ms. Serena) is an excellent Montessori teacher whom we love, but you're lucky if you can get your child into her class. The other "teachers" currently in this preschool are unwelcoming, cold & regard you & your kid as just another number. No one greets you when you walk in & I doubt they would even remember your child's name. The "teacher assistants" that are brought in are never introduced to parents & parents are never provided with updates concerning the various changes to teachers & assistants. One day you walk in & there's a new stranger in your child's class & you're just supposed to hand them over to their care without knowing a single thing about them. The assistants are ever-changing & often speak very little English. Parents are FORBIDDEN to correspond with your child's teacher directly; everything must go through the owners. If you disobey, the owners threaten to kick your child out of the program. Once new ownership took over, it was impossible to keep track of the multitude of rules put in place. Everyone knows that circumstances come up when you might be a little late to pick up your child or you arrive 5 minutes late to school starting. The owners provide no type of courtesy reminder. They immediately jump to the threat of expelling your child. As a parent, you know the threat of the potential loss of childcare is scary, & the owners use this fear to their advantage & it's so unethical & WRONG! All this to say, I would compare this place to a cold boarding school. These owners have no business being in the childcare industry. They are so far out of their element with running a facility such as this, that it's a joke. I have never been so relieved as I was on the last day my child had to attend preschool here & I would advise anyone considering this place to run the other way - FAST. read more

My concern with this school is that it calls itself a Montessori school. How many of the teachers have Montessori credentials or even training. Also arete the administrators have the credentials and training to run a supposedly Montessori education. If not, where is the Montessori education? read more

We enrolled our son earlier this year. Since he's been attending we have seen him blossom under the curriculum. We find the teaching really reinforces what we teach at home both from a technical learning perspective and learning to be a good citizen. He brings home new ideas and words which we really appreciate. The teaching staff and owners have all been more than welcoming. They have shown concern for our little one and his development. When we have to call or speak to someone in person, the staff has always been available or returned my call immediately. Since we are new, we never experienced the way the school was run under the previous owners but I can say these folks care about the kids and they teach them what they need to learn. Isn't that what this is all about? read more

My daughter says "mom, i want to go to school!!!" i think that says it all!!!!! i love the fact the kids wash their dishes after lunch.... the teachers are always smiling.... great place!!! read more

I found out about MCS through a friend whose children attend. I initially thought it was a little out of the way (10-15 min.) but because she spoke so highly of the school and we were ready for a change- I set up an appt. for a tour with the director Ms. Diane. She was so pleasant and answered all my questions. My husband and I were considering removing our son from his current preschool because of what we felt was a decline in the quality. During the tour I realized that MCS provided everything that our preschool was lacking. At MCS all the teachers made eye contact and said friendly hellos, they invited my children (at the time 4 and 2) to engage in the classrooms. Ms. Diane provided me with school paperwork that I found was very thorough. Any questions I had or would have had were answered in the handbook- no confusion:) We enrolled our son at MCSand he has since completed their program and our daughter is still attending and very happy with her teachers and friends. A note: my daughter was starting preschool at MCS for the first time and her transition involved a few tears. Ms. Diane and the teachers immediately soothed her and distracted her while I removed myself (so as not to make the transition for any harder). After a few days she was telling me "bye mommy-see you later!:)". That solidified our decision to choose MCS. The peace of mind knowing that my children were in capable, nurturing, and patient hands was huge and we have never looked back:) Thank you MCS staff!!! read more

MCS has been wonderful for my daughter. She is almost 2 and started when she was 18 months old. I have read the negative reviews on here and am so confused with some of the comments. Our experience has been nothing but positive. When we started I was made aware of the ownership change right away and when my daughter's teacher was leaving I felt confident that a replacement would be found, but would take time to find a good fit. Ms. Golina kept me updated on progress with finding a new teacher for the class. My little girl has always been greeted when she comes in, and I am always greeted. The teacher's even know my other daughter's name because she goes to CMP next door and is with me at drop off. I have never witnessed any coldness or standoffishness. I've never felt uncomfortable with leaving my daughter there, she's loved and respected. After reading the poor reviews I felt compelled to write my own experience, but I also understand that having a change in ownership can be difficult and not always a smooth transition. I have just never experienced any of the really negative stuff people wrote about, and I am pretty observant. Please come see for yourself. I highly recommend MCS. read more

My daughter had a wonderful experience at MCS! She loved every teacher and it was a great introduction to Montessori principles. After she finished at MCS, she continued on to a Montessori k-8 and had a foundation and understanding of how a Montessori classroom is run. She learned so much and grew both emotionally and academically. She knew how to be a peaceful and respectful classmate and friend and that was something she struggled with initially. From my observation, the children learn, have a lot of fun, and greatly increase their level of independence! I would recommend this school! read more

Loving, caring, stimulating environment for my toddler. Montessori Children's School is the epitome of what a good pre-school should be. The director, Dianne, appears through her many years of experience to know how to hire teachers that have common sense and know kids. What I mean by that is that the teachers know how to get your kids to be happy and do the things that need to be done in the classroom. Each child is treated like an individual. My 2 1/2 year old has HATED school since he started at about 18 months. I always felt that he was bored. When we placed him here, we saw an instant change in his attitude towards school. He is excited to go every day. He even asks to go on the weekends! He comes home talking about things he did at school. He says, "Mom, I had fun at school today." We are very happy with this school. I think you will be too. read more

More than just a school, they are an extension of your family. The teachers and staff have been there for us for the last several years in countless ways, many of which were way beyond what you should expect. Their smiles, attitude and skills with dealing with the kids continues to amaze me. I can not begin to express how happy I am that my two boys went here. The Montessori learning program is so great for children to begin with, but the staff take it to a whole different level. I love my kids and can lovingly say that they were not the easiest children for the staff to deal with, but how the staff did and how the kids grew while at MCS is a true testament of the quality. MAKE SURE YOU AT LEAST TOUR MCS IN YOUR CHILD CARE DECISION!!! You won't be disappointed. read more

My son started going here in September and they have been wonderful to him. This was his first preschool and went through separation anxiety. They worked with him and comforted him more than I could have ever expected. Ms. Treka and Ms. Fe have done everything to show him compassion and given him all the hugs he needs. Ms. Diane has reassured me on many occasions that he is doing great and invited me to come by anytime. We Love it and so does my son! He is doing great and we love the individual teaching they are dedicated to. We are so blessed we found them. read more

This is such a great establishment! I love all of the teachers and staff. My daughter started preschool here when she was 3 1/2, and since then she's learned so much! Her teacher Miss Elizabeth has the patience of a saint, and works great with the kids. Everyone is very friendly and kind, and the hours are quite flexible. I highly recommend this school! read more

I am so happy that our family found Ms. Diane and the Montessori Children's School. Our daughter attended for a year prior to entering kindergarten at a nearby Montessori elementary school. The Montessori Children's School did a wonderful job patiently teaching and guiding our daughter so the transition to kindergarten was seamless and she was fully prepared academically. Ms. Diane and staff are honest, forthright, trustworthy, loving and patient while teaching a comprehensive Montessori curriculum that benefits each individual child. I would recommend this school again and again. read more

My daughter has been going to this school since September and so far we are very happy! My son goes to the charter school next door, so it makes it very convenient! It's a very nurturing environment where they're not afraid to hug children and take care of them. read more

MCS is a small, hidden gem! Our son loves it and we are constantly amazed at what he learns. The staff is caring and compassionate. Dianne runs this place with her heart and soul. Rates are very affordable. So glad we found MCS! read more

I love the teachers and the director, Ms. Dianne. Each teacher makes eye contact and is available to talk. Smiles are everywhere, on the students and teachers. I feel secure that there is a key code pad in the entryway, so you must be a parent or teacher to get in. I love the monthly newsletters and all the enrichment art that they do. My child comes home singing the songs from circle, and the Flag Salute poem is adorable! I am very happy with this pre-school. read more

Both of my children LOVE attending this school. They arrive happy and come home happy. The teachers are very professional and caring. They are also very educated and serious about their jobs. They treat all children with love and respect. The director is very compassionate and listens to parents. You feel like your child is the most important concern at MCS. After visiting other daycares, we are so happy we discovered this place! read more

I have two daughters that go to this school and it has been the best decision I have ever made for my children. My oldest daughter has some sensory issues and was having a really hard time with preschool and didn't want to do her homework, got very frustrated with herself that she couldn't write her letters correctly, was a little behind her age group in things like picture drawing abilities due to her sensory issues, and just didn't enjoy going to school. We switched her preschool to the Montessori Children's School and she just blossomed. She was writing her letters with confidence, learning how to sound out words, and started drawing the most beautiful pictures and liked going to school. The patient, kind, caring approach that the teachers have there is amazing and I am learning from them how to work with my children to make them the strong and independent people that I hope for them to be. read more