We couldn't be happier with our experience at the Montessori School of Novato. Our older child, now…read morein 3rd grade, has absolutely thrived since he graduated from there. His reading skills are well beyond what we expected for his age, and it's clear the individualized approach and the thoughtful guidance from the teachers made all the difference. The teachers really take the time to get to know each child, not just academically, but as whole individuals, which helped our son build confidence and stay engaged. Our younger child, who is 3, has also had a wonderful start at Montessori. It only took her a few days to settle in, and after just a week of teary drop-offs, she now runs into the school with a smile. She constantly surprises us with new skills she's learned, especially how independently she can work through an entire project from start to finish. She often tells us how much she loves her teachers, and we can see how much she's growing and learning. The teachers also take pictures of the kids every day and post them so we can see what they are working on. Montessori School of Novato has created a warm, supportive, and stimulating environment for both of our kids. We are grateful to be part of this community and highly recommend it to any family looking for a thoughtful and enriching early education.

I recommend all teachers except Amanda. She is unprofessional and hold grudges against children…read more Tells other parents personal information about other parents both economic status and personal at home life. Parents, staff and children find her cold, hard to read, and cruel. If your child craves connection and safety her class is not the place to be. We loved all other staff and teachers.

Both my kids went to Terese Montessori and they both are thriving at their schools. The…read morefundamentals they learn are the best in Novato. They approach each kid different and it is an individualized approach. It is a strict program but my kids have learned to be confident and independent. My son has a lot of energy but has learned to focus in the classroom where now at his elementary school he is one of the best behaved kids in the classroom and releases his energy outside. Highly recommend this school and by far one of the best in Novato. My only thing it is small so great for ages 2-3.5 or a kids that needs that small class.

MFT has been an outstanding experience for our son throughout his time there. Terese, Lori, and the…read morerest of the staff are deeply attuned to the needs of young children and have created an extraordinary early education and social experience. We couldn't have asked for a better learning environment for our son to grow up in. Highly recommended!!

This school is a joke! I would not recommend it at all. It has a high teacher turnover rate, and…read morewhat is on the website for the staff is a lie. All the teachers have left except one, but they only removed one teacher-- what a joke. Cindy "the director" is awful to engage with; she needs to retire and let someone else take over because she is very condescending and narcissistic. I am not sure why the preschool teacher is still there; she needs to leave ASAP. One of the former parents mentioned that she is being forced to stay, but I am a lawyer, and I will help her if that is the case. No one should be forced to stay in a work environment that is unethical and unpleasant. I would not recommend Hamilton based on my experience. While the school may have positive intentions, there were consistent issues with communication, organization, and overall support for both staff and families. Expectations were often unclear, and there was a noticeable lack of consistency in leadership and decision-making. A strong educational environment relies on transparency, collaboration, and trust, and unfortunately, those elements did not feel fully present. This made it challenging to maintain a stable and positive experience. To top it off, the "director" cannot be left alone with the children because she has no units-- that is something that is unheard of. The school needs to have a director that is ready to step in when needed. For families or educators seeking a well-structured, supportive, and communicative environment, I would encourage exploring other options.

There are many pros of Hamilton Montessori: great location and beautiful campus, it was really…read morefocused on developing life-skills and had a rich curriculum. Our 3 year old could tell us everything we ever wanted to know about the continents and dinosaurs by the time he left. But we found that the school wasn't very accepting of energetic, big-feelings types of kids. My son was sent home multiple times for incredibly normal and age-appropriate behavior (melt-downs, hitting, over-tiredness from not napping, etc.). I felt that the teachers lacked patience and understanding, and weren't very willing to help our child through these natural moments of toddlerhood. We were also not the only family to experience this, based on multiple conversations with other parents. It was suggested that we take our child for a behavioral evaluation for these "issues," which caused us so much stress as parents. This stress, on top of frequent calls to pick him up for what felt like an unwillingness to deal with a tantrum or an overtired kid, ultimately led us to realize that perhaps our child's behavior wasn't the problem. He's now thriving in a more play-based environment, and I wish we had realized the school wasn't a fit for our family sooner. FWIW, I think there were many happy families at HMS, and it seems to be a great environment for kids who are able to focus and do Montessori "work" for a large part of the day, it just didn't work for our sports-loving, energetic guy.

Hi Ana - I'm not sure how you intend to "discuss privately." Your entire team has not replied to a…read moresingle message in months. It shouldn't be this hard to just issue the deposit that you owe us. We also are in touch with other parents dealing with the exact same refusal to refund deposits from Guidepost.

Honestly, if I could give this place a zero I would. My…read moredaughter attended this daycare for nearly a year as an infant (completed in July 2025). Since that time, I have been trying to get the $2,000 deposit I paid before she started returned to me - which it hasn't been. It's been 8 months now. I can't encourage parents to look elsewhere enough. The leadership team is unprofessional and unaccountable. I wish I didn't need to share this review but at this point it feels like the only thing I can do is warn other parents.

My daughters love coming here! The teachers are great and my girls come home and are excited to go…read moreback to school the next! Can't thank Marcie, Katie, Jennifer, and Rosa enough for caring for my 2 girls!! I'm so glad I found this place!

My kid went here for a year and a half the staff there are great! They are caring and have patience…read morewith the kids. She learned so much while in their care and made so many great friends! I would definitely recommend them to any family in search of child care!

Wonderful teachers in a cute school. Full Curriculum is rotated monthly and teachers are friendly…read moreand caring. Spanish is also taught

My daughter received a puncture wound and nasty permanent scar in the center of her forehead from…read morethe faulty playground equipment there. Director Jennifer Easterman showed zero empathy and when I went to visit the site found one of the teachers taking a nap outside!! We removed our daughter from this school and found a positive peaceful protected space at Acqua Montessori in Terra Linda.

We all search high and low for the best schools and daycares for our kids. Niro was an absolute…read moreblessing for our daughter, she was in Niro's care since she was 6 months old and truly was a blessing. Niro's attention to detail and her caring personality shined everyday when she greeted us with a smile every morning during drop off! This was not just another Montessori or a daycare this was home for our daughter and she was so caring and ensured all the kids were well taken care of! The kids future as much as their well being mattered to Niro. She took pride in creating a curriculum appropriate for pre schoolers and without fail communicated with the parents on how to support the kids at home both emotionally and academically. This is an excellent school and we were blessed to have her as our caregiver :)

Here is the best "family " for the kids growing, and provides a nurturing and engaging learning…read moreenvironment where my child thrives! Neemo is passionate, attentive, and really focus on individual needs, it is not only fun but also really knowledge to be fun! I am so happy my son is growing here. Our family loves weekidZ .

Wonderful clothes and store and owner! I love the purple…read moresignage. Happy holidays! I wish you strong sales during the holidays!

Just left a really cute children's store in downtown Novato. Plenty of choices and quality…read moremerchandise. Great customer service, you feel like you're going to your friend's house. I love shopping local, it always leaves me happier than just ordering on Amazon. Please check it out.

This place is truly special. It is where profound love, awareness and soft discipline are coming…read moretogether to shape a young mind into a strong kind and creative individual. Each teacher is special in so many ways. Our son went from being all over the place to being focused and eloquent. They not only give education but emotional awareness. We are truly grateful for you guys being able to work with us and our requests since we are health freak, family :) thank you for letting us be the part of the family. And thank you so much for doing your job brilliantly with such dedication. So sad that we have to move on, but hope we will see each other in the future. Liana and Giancarlo

Carolynn, Laura and Alma became like family over our two years at Miss Carolynn's. This truly is a…read morespecial place. My daughter developed self-confidence, respect, kindness, knowing how to take turns and work independently and with others. Miss Carolynn also supported us with parenting skills and community with the other parents. An amazing preschool experience.