Small school big family! Both pf my sons attended this school. Every child in this school is…read moreknown to each teacher and administrator. Your child will not be just a number. My son graduated last year and had the best experience in a loving, caring environment. My other son is currently enrolled as a Juniorand his vigorous curriculum is already setting him up to be successful in college. I definitely recommend Whitestone Academy in Queens, NY

I don't normally write reviews for a school. But this school is really top notch for all the…read moreschools I have searched for my kids. Great school, great programs including music, art, science, and social classes from preschools to higher grades. As a parent, I'm very impressed and the kids are happier here. Trust me, there are schools, private schools out there can't even come close to this. The principal is leading her team of staff to an excellence model of all schools should be.

My child attended this school when he was 18 months old. At that age, he loved blowing raspberries…read more-- a common developmental stage in early language development. Rather than gently redirecting the behavior, one of the teachers put a mask on him, even though children under 2 are not recommended to wear masks for health and safety reasons. Unfortunately, I saw this happen to other children as well. I also witnessed and heard yelling from some teachers -- which is not only inappropriate in any early childhood setting but especially concerning for a school that claims to follow the Montessori method. You don't have to be a Montessori teacher to know that yelling at children, especially toddlers as young as 18 months to 3 years old, is not acceptable. I later confirmed with certified Montessori educators and visited other Montessori schools where this kind of behavior would never be tolerated. To be fair, there are some truly kind and capable teachers here -- like Delancey and Dina -- who genuinely treat children with care and respect. However, The director herself has also been seen yelling at children. There are two bathrooms shared by both children and staff. When the kids were potty trained, the children used to go to the bathroom alone without supervision. It wasn't until a school inspector visited that the practice changed -- only then did they start sending a teacher to accompany the children. This raises questions about the school's priorities and compliance with basic safety standards. One more thing to be aware of: at the end of the school year, parents are expected to give "tips" to each teacher -- with a minimum of $30 per teacher. If your child has one lead teacher and 3 or 4 assistants, that adds up quickly. However, the tip money is collected by the boss first, and it's unclear if or how it's distributed to the teachers who actually work with your child. That process made me uncomfortable, and I felt parents deserved more transparency. In the end, it's your decision. I just hope that by sharing my experience, I can help other parents make an informed one. Every child deserves a safe, respectful, and nurturing environment.

When my 5yo daughter and 2 yo son attended summer camp at Countryside Montessori back in 2022,…read moretheir experience was not positive. I kind of forgot about it until recently when we were talking about all of the summer camps they have attended so far and Countryside Montessori came up. My daughter started to share more details about her experience 3 years ago that concerned me. She mentioned that she would get yelled at frequently for small things like not lining up right away or for speaking up for her younger brother- something that she did out of care, not out of defiance. Once there was a birthday party and they were giving out juice boxes. When they offered one to my 2 yo son, my 5 yo daughter spoke up on his behalf and said that he doesn't like juice, to which the teacher replied "stop talking, let your brother speak for himself!!" While I understand the intention, the delivery felt a bit harsh for a 5yo who was just trying to help. Another time, my 2yo son coming home and all of a sudden he became scared of taking a bath or even a brief shower. Turns out that the teachers would hose down the kids outside to "cool them down" even though my 2yo son expressed that he didn't like it. They did not respect his wishes and kept spraying him. He eventually became terrified of water even though he used to be okay with water before this experience. When my 5yo asked them to not spray her younger brother she was often ignored. When I brought this up to the director at the time I was told "it's too hot outside, they need to cool down." Perhaps things are different during the regular school year, but based on our experience, I would not recommend this place for a summer camp. If we could give 0 stars based on how they treated my children, I would.

This school is very caring and dedicated to ensure your child is comfortable in a classroom…read moresetting. My son who was very afraid to go to school, overcame his anxiety and enjoys his teachers. I give a lot of thanks to Ivy as I am more comfortable that he will do well in elementary school.

I recently signed my daughter to this school and I have made the right choice after a long search…read morefor a school. The staff made her feel very welcome and safe which was my main concern for her . The classrooms are clean and they offer a wide range of activities. Will recommend this facility to parents who ate looking for a nice place for their little ones.

I highly recommend this school ! My husband and sister in law came here . The teachers are…read moreabsolutely amazing ! Wonderful , smart , patient , caring . Everyone who works in the office is super friendly , knows who I am and who my children are . I love the new principal!!!! She is so smart and caring , she only has been working there for a short period of time but is amazing ! She knew my name and children's names in a matter of weeks . She's gone out of her way to make sure that my son gets the help that he needs and always checks on us . They have so many activities and school trips for the kids every year . They also have a school carnival at the end of every school year . Games , prizes , rides , food and candy ! Lots and lots of fun ! I couldn't ask for a better school for my kids , and oh yeah they have a beautiful and clean playground .

I'm surprised that no one's added P.S. 107 into the list! This is the best elementary school I've…read morebeen to, and I'm not just saying that because I attended here myself. Back in my day, our principal was a man named Mr. Phair and he most certainly was fair to all of us. He was the coolest principal in the city, the type you would only expect to see on TV. He was super chill, even when we got sent to him after a fight, and I only remember him truly losing his stuff only once, which was in the morning when he saw that a drink driver drove right into the school entrance. Anyway, school had it's ups and downs, but it was above standard for a NYC public school. Wish I can say the same for some others I'd go to, but that's a story for another day. Who knew I'd be back here in school to vote well over two decades later! I didn't even live in Auburndale then - I recall taking the "white bus" by Weeping Beech Park to school when I lived in downtown Flushing, back when free street parking still existed in ample amounts, but I digress. Oh yes, this school is fairly accessible by the way, and I recall them doing a pretty good job at accommodating special needs and such, despite being part of the NYC public education system. They had a pretty mean music program when I attended, a solid chess team, an amazing computer lab for it's time, and an awesome rooftop basketball court that opened up when I was in 3rd grade. Anyway, hope this school is still doing well!

Forever grateful for this school! They are technically renamed B'Above but their sign and app still…read moresays Metrokids. Both my kids attend here from 1K - PK4 and they absolutely adore their teachers. It's a tight knit small school where practically all the directors/teachers/teacher aids know all the kids in every grade by their names. They have early drop off, late pickup and extracurricular classes in Reading, Piano, Arts, Mandarin, Spanish, and Ballet (for additional cost). They have a big outdoor and indoor playground and the teachers bring them outside for nature walks. Ms Una is the sweetest, most knowledgeable, and organize Director! Shout out to Ms Zohra, Ms M, Ms Alexis, Ms Sosan, Ms GG, and Ms Fiona! They also have early intervention, PT/OT/Speech therapist that works with the school if your child needs the extra attention. Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better school. The only thing I wish they have is more pre-k 4 spots available.

My daughter went this School for 2 grades preK and kindergarten after she finished the kinder…read moregarden I had to take her out of school because the principal has changed and all were start to go wrong. Sadly a great school turned in to a night mare for us. School stuff including the teachers getting very aggressive and bully with out bullying and were doing some great act. Also I had a very good teachers that they were very good and professional and sweet and we together had good 2 years. It was pleasant and happy 2 years. The school is in Bayside and very good location. Parking is very painful and hard.