Excellent school with small classes, lots of field trips and hands on learning experiences. Highly…read morerecommend The Journey School!

I can't say enough amazing things about The Journey School. Words that come to mind when I think of…read moreTJS are: professional, personal, caring, community, and experienced. The staff are exceptionally caring and thoughtful in their guidance of my children. We love the Montessori environment because my children have thrived here for the last two years. Beyond the classroom, The Journey School had cultivated a nurturing community that brings the staff, students and families together. With community events, parent education nights, and so much more, we feel like we are a part of supportive family. If you're looking for a school home for your children with a Montessori education, I highly recommend The Journey School. 10 out of 10!

Absolute gem of a school. We've had 2 girls that graduated from here and their academics and…read moresocialization have exceeded our expectations. They are ahead of their peers and more importantly have developed into caring and compassionate children. Both Ms Burkhardt and Mrs Jones are exceptional teachers who really care for their students. Our girls loved going to school here and we couldn't have found a better fit for them. Casa also has a wonderful before and after care program that is super flexible and provides a safe and fun environment outside of the classroom. This school has our highest recommendation and provides so much more flexibility and care than other preschools we've visited.

When we started searching for a preschool for our oldest daughter over 5 years ago, I stumbled on…read moreCasa on a local blog. We went to an Open House and within 5 minuted I knew this was where our kids would go. We met Mrs. Burkhardt and Mrs. Jones and could immediately tell how much they cared about the kids. We loved that it was a family run school and that their teachers and staff had worked there for decades. We put in an application on the spot and didn't look at any other schools. Our oldest daughter loved her 3 years and Casa and her younger sister couldn't wait to get to Casa. Now their brother is anxiously awaiting his turn. Casa is truly like a family. Our kids have had Mrs. Burkhardt, Mrs. Jones and Ms. Burkhardt and each one of them is a fantastic, caring teacher. Everyone at Casa clearly cares about all of the kids. I appreciate that they have pushed our girls to try harder and tailored their work to what they are interested in. I am always amazed at some of the work that comes home. My first grader is doing some of the same math that I see my 2nd grader bring home from public school. We consider ourselves so lucky to have found Casa. My daughter gets upset when I pick her up "too early" from school so that is how I know we made the right decision. We will be sad when our time at Casa is over, but luckily that is still a few years away!

Beware of this company! Our kids were at a sister school owned by the same parent company, Metro…read moreMontessori, which was SHUT DOWN on only a few weeks notice, leaving parents, teachers, and kids scrambling. It was discovered that company had known for a long time that the school would have to close (bc so many families left due to unaddressed safety issues that enrollment was too low to continue operation). But, Metro hid this from everyone until mid-July. By that time, many other schools were full, primary positions for teachers were already full, etc. We literally only had days to find a replacement school placement. This company doesn't care about your kids - they just want your money. Think twice before giving it to them!

I do not recommend this school. If you want transparency, about what is going on with your child;…read moredon't bring your child here. This place won't even tell you when your child gets hurt. Numerous unresponsive visits to the school and still, no information. Choose wisely, when sending your children here.

The best way to describe CLC is magical! We toured ALL of the preschools in the Olney/Ashton area…read moreand when we walked into CLC we knew in about 2 seconds that this was the preschool for us. This is my daughter's second year at CLC and my son will join the hummingbirds class next year. The staff is the top of the top. Every single person who works there knows my child and greets her by name every day, even the teachers she has not yet had. All staff have taken a genuine interest in getting to know my daughter and our family. They are incredibly skilled in teaching young children to love school and learn to become the best little people they can be. The teachers make learning fun and engaging through music, art, and play. while infusing academics in the most creative of ways. The staff is committed to making sure that my child's needs are always met and the communication between teachers, the director, and the parents is impeccable (conferences, responsive emails and phone calls, newsletters, and school-wide emails when needed) . They are extremely flexible with our needs in terms of aftercare with drop-ins available when I need it. They make activities fun and exciting for the children, such as a Valentines concert, Halloween parades and field trips in the community. The classrooms are clean, bright, fun, and inviting. The other families that attend CLC are as warm and welcoming as the school itself, we have playdates with friends we have made at CLC frequently. My daughter is excited every single day to get up and go to see her teachers and friends at school (not one complaint about attending ever). To put it simply, I wish my babies could stay at CLC forever!!

This is a true pearl of a school. I did a lot of research before choosing it for my son, touring…read moremany of the nearby preschools (e.g., Norbeck Montessori, Chesterbrook Academy, Children in the Shoe), and while I liked certain aspects of those schools, I just LOVED this school from the moment I walked through the door. Lots of pros and just a few cons. Pros: Teachers: Are wonderful. Full of energy and enthusiasm. Many of the teachers have also been there for many years. Two of the teachers in particular, Mrs Zechar and Mrs Harper, who are in the room for the 3-years olds, have been teaching at the school for more than twenty years and their experience shows. They are extremely patient and good at dealing with any issue arising. Director: Is fantastic. Lots of positive interactions with parents and children alike. Classrooms: Really like their set-up. In contrast to most other preschools, they have separate classes for 2, 3 and 4 year olds (with 3 and 4 year olds merging for aftercare). Also in contrast to many other preschools, classroom sizes are small with a maximum of 15 kids per room with 2 teachers. Playground: Is good. It is fenced in and away from any large roads or neighbors. It is also relatively large, with different activity zones. Program: Very flexible. They offer 2, 3, or 5-day options and various part/ full time options. Price: OK. It is not cheap but - at least for the full-time program that my son is enrolled in - the price is comparable to, or even lower than, prices of most other schools in the area. Cons: Not many. The main one, at least for me, is that the school does not offer a 12-month schedule, which can be a problem for households with two working parents. On a final note, while the school is sharing grounds with a church, it is not actually affiliated with that church.

My child is at the Hickory Ridge location and I cannot speak highly enough about the staff. My…read morechild, 8 months old, comes home each day happy and tired, which to me indicates a great and stimulating day.

Warning to parents about school's Hickory Ridge campus: On several occasions when our child was in…read morethe care of a classroom aide, particularly when the lead teacher was absent, our child came home visibly upset--this was unusual given how typically happy and loving our child is. Our child would often share concerning incidents involving the aide, such as being unfairly singled out, including having food taken away. The most alarming moment came when the aide told our child, "don't tell mommy and daddy" about something that happened, which caused fear and hesitation in sharing further. When we reported these issues to the administration, they dismissed our concerns and defended the aide's actions. After consulting both a pediatrician and a childhood psychologist, they both flagged the aide's behavior as a serious concern and advised us to remove our child from the school. Despite this, the school has yet to address the incident and continues to support and employ the aide. While there are wonderful teachers at this school, the administration's defense of harmful practices leads us to advise against enrolling your child here.

Finding the right childcare as a first time parent is a daunting task, but we couldn't have been…read morehappier at Little Owlets. So much that my child spent 4 great years at Owlets and we all cried a bit when we moved out of state and had to leave. I can't say enough about the warm, family-like environment. Teachers and classmates became a second family for my child, and families were really encouraged to get to know each other through events and gatherings. It felt like Owlets was a support system even outside of school hours. We loved the balance between structure and free play and really felt like Little Owlets prepared my daughter very well socially and knowledge-wise for kindergarten - the transition to elementary school was a breeze. My child LOVED the Montessori-inspired activity time and still talks about it. And there were so many creative and fun activities - cooking, yoga....We loved that outdoor time was emphasized in all but the worst weather and the kids got in quality outside play and exercise time. Oh, and the food was so good - I found myself envious of my child's lunches.

Where do I start? First of all, what I love about this…read morechildcare is the setting: it's on the main floor (not in the basement) with lots of windows and glass doors. That was the first thing on my list when I was searching for a childcare for my son. CHECK! I personally observed the providers and how they take care of my child and other children. Happy to put another CHECK right here! Aliya and Lola are very patient and nurturing. They have plenty of teaching materials and incorporate lessons into play every day. The 'Little Owlets" is my number one choice in the area! Oh, almost forgot - the food is all homemade and very delicious! I asked to try :)

My child has been attending Aya for the past 2 years, since they moved to their new location in…read moreColumbia. The school itself seems to be well kept, and they also seem to keep in line with the Montessori method of teaching (as far as I can tell, since the pandemic, parents are not allowed in the school, so everything I know is from my child). My one complaint is lack of communication. The school uses mainly the app Brightwheel to communicate with parents. They very rarely send photos of the kids, and never tell you if your child has gotten an injury while in their care. My child had 2 nosebleeds at the school that I had to find out from them (never mentioned by the school at all). Their was blood on their shirt, which they had to change out of during school hours, so the teachers must have known. In addition, when you reach out to the school with questions through Brightwheel, you rarely get a response back. Maybe about 50% of the time. You can also send an email to the admins, but they can take a few days to respond back to you. There is a phone number to call, but in my experience, no one answers it. My child has liked attending Aya, I just wish they would improve their communication with parents.

From the owner: Aya is an AMI Montessori Member School. Aya is an 1) MSDE…read moreapproved nonpublic School for ages 5-12, 2) MD-recognized Montessori School for ages 2-9, AND 3) OCC-Licensed Child Care Center. Aya is your child's second home. Our mission is to nurture the mind, body and soul of future generations and raise balanced children through spiritual, social, and intellectual growth grounded in authentic Montessori education, Arabic Immersion, and Islamic Education. NOTE: (Islamic Education is only offered for special tracks at the Primary and Elementary levels - ages 3+).

Our daughter has attended for one year so far and she is thriving. Independent, happy, speaking…read moreFrench, making friends and eating healthily. She loves it and we are very impressed with professionalism and credentials of staff.

Our daughter has been attending L'Enfant since spring 2023, first in the infant and then in the…read moretoddler classrooms. We have absolutely loved our experience with the daycare. The teachers and administration are working hard to make it a special, family-centered place. Kids have weekly music lessons and physical education lessons. School also arranged for artists in residence and monthly field trips. One thing that I particularly appreciate is their dedication to the time children spent outdoors, unlike the case in many other daycares we toured. What is also impressive, in less than a year our daughter fully understands French and can speak well. In other words, we are truly lucky we found this school for our daughter.