My daughter didn't like the location in river place at all. I would pull-up into the parking lot and she would have a full blown tantrum in the backseat kicking and screaming because she didn't want to go inside. She kept telling me that the teacher would tell her to go and find work to do. My child only attended the campus in river place for 2-3 days and they still charged me over $1200.00 dollars. I do not recommend this place at all! read more

This school could be a great choice for parents who are seeking a daycare program for their children who are already accustomed to this kind of environment. The campus is impressive, with well-maintained facilities and a playground that could be every kid's dream. The teachers seem friendly and dedicated to their jobs. However, we had a negative experience with our 22-month-old son who had never been to a daycare before. We decided to enroll both of our kids in a full-day program from 8am to 3pm, despite having to commute 30 minutes every day for drop-off and pick-up. In the first week, the teachers suggested that we pick up our son at noon because he cried excessively, which was understandable. However, in the second week, they allowed him to stay until 3 pm for two days and then asked us to switch him to a half-day program because he was crying too much, and it was affecting the other kids. One day, we dropped our son off at school and left for home. As soon as we arrived at our garage, we received a call from the front desk staff requesting us to come back and pick him up in 20 minutes. Our son had cried so much that he vomited his breakfast, which we had previously informed the school was a normal reaction for him when crying, and not a sign of illness. When we told the staff that it would take us 30 minutes to return, they repeatedly asked if we had any friends or relatives who lived closer to the school to pick him up sooner, which we found odd. After several sick pickups in the middle of the day, the head of the school, Nichole, asked us to transfer our son to a half-day program to avoid disturbing other kids during their nap time. When we informed Nichole that we had enrolled our son in a full-day program but were asked to switch him to a half-day, she refused to refund us the portion of the tuition that we had already paid for the full month. Instead, she only agreed to refund us $3.58 for the two half-days, which we found confusing. Our advice for you is that be careful if you want SitH to be your child's very first daycare/preschool. They might not be able to soothe your kid and may put your family in the same situation like us. And you will lost a lot of money for them (their application fee, registration fee, security deposit, material fee, tuition fee. All are very pricey). We decided to enroll our children in another school the day after withdrawing them from School in the Hill, which turned out to be the best decision we ever made. Our son stayed in school until 5 pm every day and returned home happily. Another thing to be aware of is that the ZZ palm plants in the classrooms are poisonous from root to leaves. If your child loves plants or puts things in their mouth, please be cautious. We had asked Daniel, one of the school founders, to remove these plants, but they were still there when our children left the school. I have attached a photo of the plant, and I suggest you do some research about it. read more

School In The Hills - Preschools Near Me - Austin, Texas

My family had a horrible experience at School in the Hills. This was the first school for my 2-year old, and his teacher quit a month after he started. They had the assistant teacher step in as the lead teacher even though she was not qualified, and the assistant teacher felt overwhelmed and unsure of this new role. She was very nervous when we spoke to her and said that she has never met with a family before. They did not (or could not) hire a new lead teacher for at least another 6-months. We received no communication from the school about his teachers the entire time. We switched classrooms to be in one with a qualified lead teacher and the second class was even worse. Our son was not taken care of, he was constantly dehydrated, he had lots of scratches and bruises, and he was feeling very depressed. So we quickly took him out of this school and enrolled him in a completely different program where he thrived. It seems to me that this school primary cares about making money and not about taking care of the kids. Do not entrust the care of your child to this school, they will not properly care for them or communicate with you. read more

I love our school! I have two children two enrolled and one just started in September. The environment is warm and welcoming and every staff member top- notch from the teachers to the office and kitchen staff to the janitors. SITH has a superb focus on early learners. Teachers and administrators know every student. Walking through the school every morning with my Pre-schooler and Toddler feels like being with a celebrity! The overall feel of the school is kindness and inclusiveness. Special thanks to Ms Aidee, Ms Gigi, Mrs Jessica, Ms Jay, Ms Ashley and Ms Ariana. Our family is forever thankful to EACH of you for your love, dedication and commitment to change the lives of so many children. I am so pleased to be part of the SITH community read more

There are not lovely enough words to express our love for SITH. Our daughter started here when she was 18 months old and the transformation for her and our family was almost immediate. The warm environment makes me want to stay all day and I'm not even one of the kiddos! They have fostered a fierce independence and love of learning in our toddler and have shown more love towards her than we could ever have asked for. After the first year of watching her growth and development my only regret is that I was unable to find a place this magical for my older daughter when she was this age. The teachers, administrators and everyone we've met at SiTHs is genuine, kind and loves the children. Fingers crossed they someday expand through grade 12 so we never have to leave! read more

We absolute LOVE LOVE LOVE School in the Hills! We have a two year old an four year old atttending right now. From the Owners to the teachers to the Chef....Everyone in this school is AWESOME! The love and care these people have in teaching children in this age category (and believe me, I couldn't do this all day every day!) is incredible. We have had our children in other preschools including really highly recommended Dell Center and Primrose School, and School in the Hills is far above the level of care we received in those places. My socially reclusive little girl now is comfortable meeting new people and friends. She is socialy interactive and comfortable in her skin...Both of our children have excelled since being at this school. We are so lucky to have found them! read more

I can't say enough good things about School in the Hills. If I could keep my kids there til college, I would. The administrators, teachers, chef, etc all care so much about the children. It really feels like a special place. The Montessori method is fabulous. My older child is reading and devouring math. He has a special bond with his teachers. read more

This school is wonderful. My older two daughters attended until they entered public elementary school and now my toddler attends, so I have been involved with them since 2010 and know them very well. 1) every child is treated with love and respect, and they teach the children to respect each other - it is a beautiful thing to see. 2) to say my girls were well prepared to enter elementary school is an understatement. They are both at the top of their classes and were able to begin with confidence. That is due to the skills and knowledge they gained at SITH. 3) they love(d) it. The staff is top notch and I completely trusted them to guide and teach my children every day. If you are not on the waiting list, you should get on right now. You will not regret it. read more

We are incredibly happy with our experience at this school. We see both of our children (5,3) thrive in the environment, one of caring and understanding. The school specializes in cultivating active, responsible leaders in the older kids, and respect and learning in the younger. We consider it our privilege to have the kids attend. The one problem is how difficult to get into the school; best to put your name on the waiting list as soon as you know you are pregnant, even though earliest age of acceptance is 18 months. read more

Our daughter is entering 1st grade and has attend School in the Hills since she turned two. We recently made the decision to have our oldest daughter stay for elementary school and have our youngest daughter start pre-K there.The staff, operations, and environment have made us feel comfortable in trusting them to lead our daughter in learning and growing. There is an element of attention and caring that I have experienced at School in the Hills that I don't see or feel at other places. As a busy parent, I have also appreciated consistent, timely communication both about school activities and any issues that might be occurring with your child. Anytime we have had any concerns, the staff have been very open to talking and figuring out the plan of action that is in the best interest of my daughter. read more

I can't comment on the learning experience since my son was there for only two months. He was active so the school asked us to withdraw him from there. It seems that the school could not handle active boys at all. Several of my friends with active boys had the same experience. I am glad that we switched schools since the new one turned out to be much better than this one. Another negative for this school is that the tuition is very expensive compared to all other montessori schools, so not good value at all. read more

Our experience was very poor and I regret sending my child there. There are very mixed reviews in Steiner about this school and I didn't hear the bad stories until I decided to pull him and switch schools. I felt like in conferences and emails, the parents were sometimes scolded and talked down to. My child was told that he couldn't learn certain things yet because of his age. He dreaded school, cried every day, and learned nothing. He was miserable and bored. His new school is FUN and he astounds us with his knowledge. He cried when he saw his old uniform. I talked to 2 other moms later from his class that had the SAME experience! Wow. Think twice before trusting them with your kiddos! read more

I love this school. I have sent both of my sons through School in the Hills and it is by far the preschool environment we have seen. The teachers are amazing not to mention Ms. Alicia who really sets a tone of care and respect that flows through the whole school. My older son now goes to leadership in the afternoons and has had an great experience so far. read more

If you're looking for a place that will get to know and love your child, a place where your child can soar as far as her abilities will take her, and a place that will develop your child into a well rounded, polite child with a life-long love of learning, School in the Hills (SITH) is for your family! My kids attended SITH through kindergarten and the opportunities given to both of my kids are priceless - from learning how to be a leader in their classroom by teaching and nurturing younger kids, to learning how to work in a group and on a team through Destination Imagination, to highly valuing proper manners and etiquette. I cannot say enough positive things about SITH. If they continued into Elementary School. we would still be there! read more

I cannot imagine my 4 year old going to any other preschool, School in the Hills just plain ROCKS. We are so very happy and satisfied with this school. The teachers and staff are so loving and supportive to all the students. The teacher to student ratio is great, they are excellent with communication and involving the parents. My daughter has been attending for only 2.5 months and has blossomed in all different areas, we are really looking forward to seeing what the school year brings. I highly recommend School in the Hills!! read more

My two daughters have been going to School In The Hills for over two years, and they absolutely love it. I cannot say enough about how happy I have been with all aspects of the school. The friendly staff greet you every time you come in and are truly glad to see you on a daily basis--this is rare. My children's teachers know my kids in and out--their strengths, as well as their hot buttons, and give me daily observations and great suggestions when I ask. The owners are always accessible and are tune with the goings-on of the school at all times. I also like the fact that they regularly plan and support community service projects. My oldest daughter was in public kindergarten this year but came back to attend their summer camp, and she was excited to go every day. All in all, every experience at this school has been positive and I'm excited for my youngest to start when she turns 18 months next summer. read more

We love this school so much! I didn't know too much about Montessori before we started here, but I quickly became a huge fan! Montessori learning is a great fit for many types of learners because it is child-centered, hands-on, and tailored to the individual. Both of my children have attended here and they have very different personalities...our daughter is a rule-follower and quiet, our three year old boy is much more active...they both have been very happy here and have thrived. I have been very impressed with the teachers. The lead teachers have University degrees plus their Montessori training and certificates. When they talk to me about my children, they really KNOW them very well and have a great understanding of where each child is academically. The kids are learning much of the day but it is in a very playful, fun, age appropriate way...no sitting at desks all doing the same worksheet....no sitting for long lectures. The kids also spend plenty of time playing outside. The owner is the director and she is always on campus and truly cares about the school and the children. She is a Montessori teacher herself and has that experience behind her. The school is organized and very professional. The owners are always upgrading the facilities and classroom materials. We just love it and are so thankful that we have such a wonderful school right here in the neighborhood. read more

I don't even know where to begin! Our son started at School in the Hills in their toddler room when he was 3, and moved through their program all the way into kindergarten. Academics is paramount there, but lessons in becoming a good citizen, family member, friend, and overall person is what stood out for us. The owners, Dan and Alicia Marker care deeply about every child in their school, and hire the best teachers who reflect their values in the classroom. One aspect that I didn't understand when it was first presented to me, was mixing of ages in the classrooms. That is the Montessori way. What I learned by watching our son at school, and outside of school, was the way he learned to treat younger children. His empathy and ability to help and guide others can be attributed to his natural inclination to be kind, but more so, the guidance that School in the Hills gave him to help younger children in his classroom, specifically in the Primary classrooms. I can't recommend this school enough. My son is a third grader now, and continues to recall good memories from School in the Hills, and wishes he could go back! read more