Our son Stanley enrolled in this school at 2 years 3 months and he just turned 3 years old. He becomes outgoing and love dancing now! He love his teachers Mrs Rose and Mrs Eva and always come back home with a smile! Both of them show their love, care and patience to the children and always make sure my boy is eating well,taking snap and learning happily. There is a positive and encouraging vibe in the class and kids are pretty organized and learning new things everyday. Montessori school is unique. They will arrange learning schedules, including drawing, spelling, counting and even spanish language！After being here for almost a year, my son becomes more self-discipline and he enjoy reading books now! The school hosted Halloween party and invited parents to celebrate together. Kids dressed up to dance,sing and play, which is a memorable experience. We will relocate to other states but would like express our appreciation for Mrs. Eva and Mrs.Rose! read more

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I do not recommend this school as it is not all inclusive. The school discriminated against my child because they have Type 1 Diabetes. The ignorance displayed by Ms. Giuliana about the disease was insulting, she even asked me to consider enrolling my child at her school once the disease is "cured". I wish there was a cure for Type 1 Diabetes, unfortunately, there isn't one and there won't be for a while. Bottom line: children with medical needs are not welcome here because their medical needs are an "inconvenience" to the staff and other children in the school. read more

My kids had a very personalized experience at this school. The teachers get to know the children well & take care of each of them to meet their individual needs. The director is very flexible with make up days and special exceptions as needed. It feels like a little family. My daughter continues to ask to return for visits and drop in days. read more

My experience with Montessori Harbor Mesa has been great. It is clear that they care deeply about the children and implementing the montessori method of learning. Principal Giuliana is friendly, informative and has a successful history of leading this school well. If you have pre-school or elementary age school children, you should certainly tour the campus and speak with Giuliana. read more

This school is a wonderful place for children to learn and grow. The teachers are caring and patient with the children. Our daughter attended this school over 30 years ago and learned so much. Now, our grandson attends the school. I can say that Mrs. De Frenza, the owner, creates an amazing environment at the school. read more

We love Montessori Harbor Mesa! The teachers are absolutely incredible and bring such warmth, kindness and care for the children and our 4 yr old who attends. My husband also as a child went to this school and Mrs. De Frenza is a stellar principal/owner. She's been there for as long as he can remember and it still is such a stand out school! My son truly thrives here and we are so grateful to Ms Eva, Ms Rose, Ms Irma, Mrs De Frenza and the lovely front desk staff. I can't say enough wonderful things about this school. The teachers and staff care so much about the children and really go above and beyond on a daily basis. We're so happy to have our son attend this school, he's only been for a few months and the difference in his language, engagement, coloring skills etc is a complete 180! read more

This school/daycare is truly a diamond in the rough. The teachers are caring and warm, the play equipment clean and fun and the academics rigorous without sacrificing fun. My kid has been going for 3 years and we love it. read more

DO NOT PREPAY for this school. I prepaid Feb 1 to June 2020. While there was/is a pandemic, other Montessori and preschools stayed open. This school chose to close and I've been reaching out about a refund since mid March and they have ignored all my emails. When I call, they said they'll call me back and I've never heard back. read more

We came here fresh off of a bad experience at another local preschool (Kids Kastle on Fair & Fairview) and were experiencing a lot of stress and concern about what was going to happen at this new school. From the start the director was amazingly sweet, informative, and helpful, even providing me with advise on possibly moving my daughter to their private elementary school through our childcare subsidization program. She was seriously SO helpful! I noticed an immediate change with my daughter as soon as she started attending school here. There were no more hard goodbyes, she was happy to get up in the morning and get to school and always had great things to say about her teacher Ms. Lourdes. From what I could tell the school was actually challenging her, giving her more responsibility and harder work because she was ready for it and it really made a difference in her behavior even at home. Whereas her old school claimed she had serious behavioral problems, this school said she was a little stubborn but when given work she thrived. This was a huge relief to me and I believe they did a great job really meeting her needs as an individual kid, which is crucial. She's not a napper and if she didn't want to nap they let her just read or play quietly, which was a huge improvement over the old school. At the end of the day she would always tell me all about things that she learned and it was just great. I think they did a better job in 4 months preparing her for kindergarten than the old school did in over a year. The staff is amazing, the school is amazing. My only regret is that we didn't switch to this school sooner!! read more

I am very pleased with the experience that my son has had at Montessori Harbor Mesa. He started at 3 at the younger school across from the library and has migrated over to the pre-K program at the school behind Rite Aid. His teachers have been incredibly kind, loving, patient, and responsive. While we were happy with his experience at the younger school, we have been even further impressed by the pre-K program. His teacher, Ms. Sue is phenomenal and has helped him grow and learn by leaps and bounds. He loves going to school and loves Ms. Sue. We are thankful to have found her and Montessori Harbor Mesa. read more

We just previewed Harbor Mesa school for our 9 year old. Though we have not made a decision yet we were very impressed by Mrs. DeFrenza, the owner and educator. Quickly you realize that your child will be put in a great situation with caring people. It is a small school so if your child needs individual attention this would be a great school for him/her. Mrs.DeFrenza obviously runs this school a a labor of love and not for profit. read more

The WORST preschool in Costa Mesa. I had the worst experience at Montessori Preschool and I am sure other parents who sent their kids there will all agree. The conditions @ the preschool: 1. The preschool on Baker Street is very run down. 2. The school materials are old and books are worn out. (The teachers have to buy their own work materials or ask for donations from the parents.) 3. There are no air conditioners in both classrooms for the preschoolers. ( I had to file a complain to the teachers and the director finally put in fans to cool down the room for the kids) 4. The kids are sleeping on worn and torn cheap mats on the dirty floor. (I complained to the teacher and the director still has not bother to buy new sleeping mats for the kids) 5. The playground area is so small and kids are constantly running into each other and hurting each other. The classroom size @ the preschool: 1. There are only 2 classrooms for all age groups. Ranging from 18 months babies to 4 1/2 years old toddler. (They advertised that they only take in 2 1/2 years old but that is not true). 2. Due to overcrowded classroom and not enough teacher assistants, my 3 years old came home with dirty underwear from no teacher helped him to wipe after he did a #2. 3 teachers/teacher assistants quit since my 3 years old attended the preschool within a year. The director then replaced those great teachers with horrible teachers who don't have any teaching credentials plus the teacher assistants who don't care for the kids. Basically, Montessori Harbor Mesa Preschool is NOT the best school to send your child to if you want them to learn and be more prepare for Kindergarten. Plus the director of the preschool is a very difficult and very unprofessional. read more

My two boys have been attending this school for over a year and a half now. The school came HIGHLY recommended by several different people whose children had attended the school in the past. Both boys started off at the preschool. My older son (5 1/2) is now in the Kindergarten program. Both of my children are THRIVING at this school. My 5 1/2 year old is already doing multiplication!!!! As far as the post above, with the "bad" review, I have to say the comments "against" the school as far the "sugar" goes happens to be yet another reason why I love the school. The teachers care about the whole child and are very aware of how foods affect behavior. My 4 year old's teacher makes sure he eats his main food (sandwhich, etc) before diving into the "junk" (juice, chips, etc.) that he would rather be eating. I love this school and highly recommend! read more

My niece attends and we have seen a dramatic increase in her creative thinking, problem solving, decision making, and leadership skills. Most importantly we've noticed an independent little girl with an awesome confidence and character. We are very thankful for Mrs. Guliana De Frenza and and her teachers. Their love and passion is genuine and obvious. We are very fortunate to have such an awesome school in our community! Thank you!!!! :) read more

Montessori Harbor-Mesa School - Preschools Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Two of my kids have been attending this school for the past 6 months and they love it. They are doing well, especially my younger one, who was not talking. We were concerned for him but now his speech has improved. He learned his colors, numbers, alphabets so quickly. He's made so much improvement there and he gets one on one time with his teacher, Ms. Eva. The teachers are great. Most of all, the principal, Mrs. Frenza is very special and kind. She's very understanding and has been a principal for many years. She's wonderful! Because of her, we decided on this preschool than the other ones nearby. My daughter really enjoys it! They literally run to their school every time because they are so excited to see their friends! This is very diverse too. No ethnic group dominates the other and I want my kids to be in a multi-ethnic group. It's really perfect for them. If they are happy there and it's affordable for us, everyone is happy! read more

Mrs. Guliana De Frenza and Mrs. Kim are the nicest people in the world who will mentor your children at Harbor-Mesa Montessori. They are loving, kind, smart, joyful and extremely intelligent. Thank you for everything you do. read more

We were looking for a Montessori preschool for our daughter and of course, we turned to Yelp. After looking at numerous schools in the area, we decided to make appointments with a few including this one. Upon meeting with the principal Mrs. De Frenza, and seeing the children and teachers interacting, we knew this was the place for our daughter. The children had smiles on their faces, they were playing well with one another and with the teachers. Along with the excellent curriculum and facilities, we knew our little girl would enjoy coming here. The very first day had zero drama. The teachers made sure they gave her extra attention so she would not feel abandoned. I think my daughter cried for all of 5 minutes and then went on to play with the teacher and the numerous projects they have for the children. And when we picked her up, she had so many stories to tell. She really enjoyed going to preschool. Fast-forward to today and it's amazing what she has learned, including refined motor skills, manners and Spanish, along with the basic curriculum of numbers, colors, arts and crafts. She continues to love going and has made many friends. She also participates in many of their extra-curricular activities such as dance class, soccer and music. This is a great preschool, with loving and caring staff and a great learning experience for the children. I would not hesitate to refer friends and family here, as this was not only the one Montessori where I felt would fit my daughter better than the other schools in the area, but it was also the one that was more reasonably priced. Bottom line, it's a great school with caring staff and happy children. read more

It's simple and nice.. The owner is very nice lady.. Enough of teachers.. Good environment .. I would definetly recommend this school

Our daughter is 2 1/2. She talks about school like it's a treat. The staff is nice and the prices are very reasonable. We feel our daughter is safe and happy here. Can't ask for much more at this age. read more

This school is a Godsend. We have had our daughter here for almost 2 years and it's the best for encouraging development just at her level. She is spellimg three and four letter words, phonics and doing simple addition, subtraction and multiplication with the help of the Montessori method and a staff with a combined 65 years of experience. The teachers are CARING and realistic of the children's capabilities at the time. For example, when my daughter first entered, she was not fully potty trained and the staff and peer influence helped her to make the transition to big girl panties. What a relief, as a working mom--this, and all the rest of their wonderful care makes me feel like I made an OUTSTANDING choice. I recommend the school highly! read more

I had my son there for one month. This was his first school and first time in a day care setting. Mind you we just came out of covid lockdowns so I was unable to have him in school prior. My son was having issues with pushing and staying still. I was told when I enrolled him that my son was a big 2 year old and needed extra help since he had not been around many children. Well he was too much for them to handle. Which I completely understand and accept but what I did not appreciate is the insults that I received from the Director Mr. Guliana De Frenza, who felt it was necessary to tell the Teacher Mrs. Carol in front of me that you dont have to worry you only have one more day with her son and then you will be happy! She said this laughing and acted as if my son was a monster. Mrs. Carol had the compassion to apologize and say was sorry for how to acted and that she did not know why she was acting like that. She came off like a senile old woman. I am proud that I did not stoop to her low class level and say something insulting back to her. I would no recommend this school due to poor treatment and lack if compassion. It was evident they did not have, love, compassion or patience for my 2 year old son. Something that I would expect from a school who claims to be in business for 50 years. Evidently helping children learn help provide structure is not something they are willing to do or care to. Individual attention was not something they were willing to handle so dont waste your time. read more

My daughter has been attending this pre-school for 3 months now and we couldn't be more pleased with the staff & curriculum. They provide a great balance of structure & creative learning. My daughter made the transition from another school easily and never once asked to go back to her previous school, which I was totally afraid of! I would highly recommend this program for your little one. UPDATE: My daughter went onto the Pre-K program at the elementary campus. She enjoyed her time there and developed some great friendships. She was fully prepared (even over-prepared) for Kindergarten. This school provided an awesome springboard to a lifetime of learning. read more

Wonderful school. Great teachers. It's a great way to start of my daughters education.

Our son has been going to this school since he was in pre-school. He is a first grader now...Great knowlegeable teachers. Excellent curriculum. Tuition is reasonable. They offered many extracurricular activities from sports, arts and crafts, computers, languages, and tutoring. They really care about their students. They get the parents involved about their children's education. They are on top of things. We are very amazed of how our son has grown and improved intectually and socially since he is been with this school. When were at social gathering once, our son was still three at that time...there was also a boy who was the same age as him... My husband and I, observed that our son was very independent and social compared to the other boy. He got his own food and fed himself whereas the other boy, his mother still have to feed him...we know there was nothing wrong with that... prior to this, we thought it was just normal for our son to be more independent and social. My point is, in this school, they teach independence, respecting personal boundaries, and how not to be socially awkward at early age. He was potty trained here. He learned how to type or use the computer since he was three. Overall, we can say that since our son has been part of this school, his critical thinking, problem solving, mathematics, spelling, reading and creative thinking skills has excel tremendously. A+++ for this school. We want to personally thanks Mrs De Frenza for having excellent teachers such as Miss Kim, Miss Sue, Miss Susie and to the other teachers who have helped and continue to help molding our son to be a better knowledgeable fine human being. read more

My daughter has been attending this school for two years now, and we just love it. The teachers are all very loving, and the director is very sweet. The children are happy and they all seem to truly enjoy themselves here while learning so much. At a recent birthday party, several other parents and I were all commenting on how much we love the teachers, especially Ms. Eliana. I cannot sing her praises enough. I definitely recommend this school! read more

My 2 daughters went to this school and later on they transferred to the big school in Deodar.... We love this pre-K school.... they teach our kids how to read, count, sing, hand craft, etc... We also love Mrs. De Frenza whom we know since 2006. She is a nice and smart lady... she knows how to manage the curriculum for pre K students so they are able to learn a lot at their age. read more

My daughter has been attending this Montessori ( preschool portion) for 7 months now and I have nothing but great things to say about it. The teachers are so loving and caring. I could see my daughters knowledge of numbers, letters, shapes improve just within a week or so. She attends both soccer,music, and computer classes there at school and she has the best time with all of them. My daughter has met so many wonderful friends and does so many amazing art and outdoor activities. She loves reciting the pIedge of allegiance and singing all the songs with the group in the the morning. She can count in Spanish and English and her writing is developing very well.The Teachers are great at guiding them with their free time learning activities and are super supportive. couldn't be more pleased with the school and staff. read more

I love this school. Both of my children attended this school. My daughter is still enrolled. Currently she is in the pre-school program. She is already reading very well. Its because of the school. They are wonderful caring teachers who actually teach your children. I highly recommend this school. We have had nothing but a positive experience. As far as the bad review all I can say is some people like to complain. You should do your research and find the best fit for you BUT I feel strongly that this is a very good school and have been VERY happy with it. read more

This is a great clean pre school environment. It's exactly what we were looking for with learning and playing combined. It's not just a drop off daycare, but a true pre-school/Montessori learning in a fun way prep for what schooling is meant to be. read more

Started our daughter here at 2-1/2, and she loves it. Everyday when I pick her up she is excited to tell me about her day. The first couple weeks she began she would ask if she could go back the following day. The facility is a clean and a fun environment. The teachers are wonderful; my daughter runs up and gets big picked up hugs from her teacher (Ms. Eva). They spend a lot of the learning time through art, song, and play. The tuition is reasonable and the hours are great for a Pre-School. Best part is I know my daughter is learning, having fun, and getting plenty of outside play time (she's all sweaty, skinned knees, messy haired when I pick her up. Which I feel is a GREAT thing). We will be enrolling our 2nd child when he's old enough for sure. read more

We love the teachers, Miss Roberta is kind & patient. Wish we could say the same about the office staff. The last receptionist was friendly & helpful, but the new receptionist, unfortunately is rude, rarely smiles, don't be a little late on the high tuition, she'll scare you & your young children, she had me in tears! As long as you can avoid her you'll have a wonderful experience. read more

My son started at their pre-k school at 2.5 years old. He's now 5 and will be going in to kindergarten in the fall. We love this school and can't say enough great things about it. My brother and sister (now in their 30's) also went to this school when they were young, and the quality of the teachers and staff, as well as the commitment to education, has not waivered. When people meet my son, they can't believe he's only 5. He is already reading, writing and spelling 3 letter words, doing math and has leant a lot about American History. He's extremely well spoke and I feel like this school gave him the platform to really succeed in his education. He loves going to school, because they way they teach is fun and at each child's own pace. And the cherry on top is that they don't charge an arm and leg for tuition. It's completely reasonable, and far less than other schools we looked at. More importantly, it's one of the best schools out there. If you're looking for a wonderful school for your child, this is the one. read more

I love this school. The teachers are genuine and truly care for the little ones. The curriculum is fantastic, and they keep the parents involved. The tuition is great especially for a Montessori. I like that dance and soccer (as well as others) are offered at the school. Everything is always clean. I love Miss Paula, as well as all of the other teachers. It feels like a family, not like my child is just a number. I am so impressed with how much my child has grown. I can't wait for my youngest to join her big sister :) read more

I have two daughters (ages 2 and 4) that have been attending this school since February. In the few short months they have been at Montessori I have seen more progress with their development than I could provide as a stay at home mom. They are learning in English and Spanish, days of the week, songs, numbers, to write, they know their continents and can fully recite the pledge of allegiance...That's just a few things listed among many more. As a single mother of two girls I needed to feel reassured that my daughters would be in a safe environment that would also offer the best education at the same time and Montessori Harbor-Mesa is so much more. They go above and beyond and instill the same values and morals I try to teach my girls daily. I constantly receive compliments every where I go on my daughters amount of speech and comprehension as well as manors :) I highly recommend this school to any parent putting their child in school for the first time. read more

My daughter is reading in Ms. Kim's class, I must admitted that we never expect it can be so good and my daughter could learn so much things there. The principal, Mrs. De Frenza, is a elegant, warm heart, and respected lady, who established the school 43 years ago, and still teaching children in person sometimes. Ms. Kim is an rigorous and versatile teacher, children in her class not only learn how to behavior properly but also lots of book knowledge, I was stunned on seeing the amazing science works by children on open class, most of them were looked more like an encyclopedia work, some topics even go beyond my knowledge ken. My daughter has been learning here for three months, she will celebrate her sixth birthday next month, she can do multidigital addition and subtraction, two digital multiply and divide. Her reading ability and communication also improved apparently. She likes go to school, and enjoy playing with friends there. We all love this school! read more

our boy has been here for 2 years and he loves it.the teachers and staff are excellent. we are very happy with this school.it is an excellent value read more

I recently signed up my 4 year old son Zac at this school;ever since he's been always excited about getting there, he really loves it. I love it too, it's clean, safe, reasonably priced, excellent curriculum, and teachers are super friendly (every one staff and kids are happy with big smiles :) and I like that). This is an excellent preschool for my son and I would certainly recommend it to my family and friends. read more

My son has been attending this school since July of 2012. He was 2 and half. I did my research with schools. I work in Long Beach and commute back and forth between there monday thru friday and Ladera Ranch. I looked at schools in Ladera Ranch, Irvine, Huntington Beach, and Long Beach. I toured several schools only to find out that my son would be smooshed like a sardine in some classrooms in run down neighborhoods. When I toured Harbor Mesa Montessori, I saw the classrooms set up with the dining etiquette, plenty of room to run around and play, all of the great materials that they learn hands on to count, measure, read. It is set in a nice residential neighborhood safe and scured, real close off the 405 exit. The teachers are all very positive, nurturing, very patient and understanding with children and the parents. They meet my son where he is at, the curriculum is designed to be child centered, when they master certain letters and numbers then they move onto the next item, The teachers are excellent with their communication to ensure that information is going back and forth and discipline(teaching) is flowing back and forth between home and school. My son just showed me yesterday his tracing of his name and it is awesome to see the progress he has made in a year. He has been taking computer classes, learning socialization and etiquette. I caught him one morning singing to me a song in Spanish, then he sang and translated it into English. And this is very important too, it is affordable quality education for your child, because now adays if we are lucky to have employment, then comparing the costs of education can become daunting. I encourage parents to come by for a tour, as well as read the reviews, and meet with Ms De Frenza. read more