This school is so UNDERRATED. I can't express how much my daughter and I loved this school. She was showered with love from all the teachers during her time there. Everything is extremely organized and there's lots of activities, programs, arts, music... It's Montessori based but not fully Montessori, so the kids have a great mix of structure and independent learning. I recommend this school to everyone I know. It's located behind Salt Lake shopping center and the campus is clean and well-kept. I can't recommend this school enough. read more

St Philomena Early Learning Center - Rainbow over the parking lot/church - Preschools Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Don't remember this preschool too much since I was pretty young, but I do remember some fun music classes and lunch times. This was also the first time I had a traumatic fall that resulted in a lot of blood that I can remember. I was trying to spin on the lunch stool, and it didn't spin, so I fell off and smashed my face into the ground. My teeth punctured my lip and there was a lot of blood on my shirt. My dentist thinks that since that happened when I still had my baby teeth, it might have damaged my permanent teeth which is why there is a dark spot on one of them! Totally just a toddler being a toddler! read more

This review is long overdue. It's my daughter's second year here and she loves it! She always looks forward to going to "school" in the morning. Even with COVID, the school has taken the CDC precautionary measures to stay open and I'm glad they did. I feel my daughter wouldn't progress as much as she does in her language, social skills and overall development if she didn't go to school. All the employees genuinely care and they know my daughter by name. Even the director is very hands on and I see him daily when I drop off my daughter. When early morning care was open, he'd be in the classroom greeting the children. Over time I seen how the teachers are so diligent on student safety and their learning development. There's curriculum even in the youngest toddler class. When I first brought my daughter to St Philomena, she was seventeen months and I was only looking for a safe environment while I worked. I had my worries because she was so young and this was her first placement away from family. But the school helped with the adjustment and she thrived. The school assists in potty training, provides breakfast, lunch and snack in the tuition. The teachers do a daily journal and are easily accessible by email or phone. I've been told my daughter speaks so well and seems older than her actual age and I just have to blame the school for her advancement. I hope for her to stay there until she reaches elementary school age. read more

We absolutely love everyone and everything about St. Philomena Early Learning Center (SPELC)! We vividly remember taking a school tour when our son was 15 months old, seeing huge lot with free, ample parking and pleasantly surprised how office and toddler classrooms are organized, clean and efficient. Safety and security is a huge priority with high, sturdy gate including digital key pad that requires passcode for entry and exit. Offer before, during and after school care earliest at 6:30 AM until 6 PM for ages 15 months to Kindergarteners age 6. Preschool starts in mid-July and ends the following year in mid-June. Optional two weeks of summer intersession in June and three weeks of summer school offered in mid-July to early August. Potty training: School encourages parents to use pull-ups, not diapers if your child/children is under age 3 and have not mastered potty-training. Staff are trained, will clean, wear gloves and wash their hands in the event of potty accidents. Children ages 3 and older must be potty trained prior to moving to 3 years old class. Classrooms are grouped together - ages 15 months to 1 year old, 2 to 3 years old, 3 years old to 5 years old, separate classroom for Grade K. There is at least one teacher with one teacher's assistant and one to two teacher's aides depending on number of students. Older students serve as role models and sometimes as helpers to younger students. Dress code: Toddlers have option of free dress days or school uniform - SPELC shirts with khaki shorts, skirts, skorts, or pants. Students ages 3 and up are required to wear school uniform unless school sends home verbal or typed notice for free dress days. Food: I will miss Cafeteria cooks preparing and making family style well-balanced breakfasts and lunches for the children, plus scrumptious breakfast bowls and desserts for fundraising bake sales with the goal to help all teachers attend NAEYC conference in NC. I will truly miss various school celebratory events. Yes, breakfasts, lunches and snacks are included in the tuition. My mom, husband, MIL, and I will certainly miss the delicious meals made with love by Cafeteria staff. My son attended preschool at this location for three years from ages 2 through 5. He went from being a handful at 2 to 3 years old and flourished into a well rounded child at ages 4 and 5. He enjoyed attending preschool here as he spontaneously shared with us about his teachers, friends, classmates, and fun activities. Education and Academics: All the staff from Director, Administration, Teachers to Assistant Teachers will take the time to familiarize themselves with all students on a first name basis, very genuine, caring, and friendly. We love the Catholic teachings and Montessori curriculum that helps each child thrive in communication, emotional, social skills, fine motor, gross motor, physical, theology, and academics. There are lots of hands-on and interactive activities that are age appropriate for all students to enjoy and learn valuable life lessons and skills together. Example is a teacher will have students make homemade pizza while tying the lesson into theme of the week, learning letter of the week, identifying shapes, colors, applying fine motor skills, home economics, team work, and so forth. Children are taught to stand in single file line with their hands behind their back or partner by twos and hold each other's hand while transitioning from classroom to bathroom to cafeteria or church. Children have play time together during mid-morning recess and afternoon. Students are also taught language arts, math, science, social studies, cosmic studies, arts and crafts, music, physical education, and foreign language - Mandarin. Awesome to hear my son at home saying, "Ni hao ma?" Students are asked and encouraged to participate in front of the class and share about an item or something fun they've learned during presentations. Quarterly field trips to Daniel K Inouye International Airport, Living Art Marine Center, Aloun Farms, Pacific Aviation Museum, and Bishop Museum are educational and fun. We're very happy that our son is able to write his first and last name, knows A-Z, can comfortably count numbers from single to double digits, days of the week, is learning how to add and subtract single digit numbers, and the list goes on. Perfect for full-time working parents that don't have to worry about cooking and packing breakfasts, snacks and home lunches. Remember to pack water bottle, nap mat, change of clothes, sunscreen and your child will be off to a great start! Don't be late to pick up your child/children; otherwise, you will have to pay a week's worth of lunch in cash for every minute behind. My son, husband and I will miss all the wonderful staff and friends he's made. Educational foundation at SPELC tremendously helped our son grow in all areas of development. read more

Moved to Hawaii from D.C. in Spring 2018 and chose St. Philomena Early Learning Center site unseen. Enrolled my then two year old and I have never been happier! My child LOVES this school and is happy to go in the mornings and sometimes doesn't want to leave at pick up! He is thriving and learning how to follow the rules. There's good communication between teachers and parents and I'm always impressed that the staff (not his teachers) all know him by his name. Everyone is very caring and nurturing and I feel like I'm part of a family. There's a good make up of local and non-local families. We have to move again this spring and I can't even bear the thought of pulling my child out of this school, it brings me to tears. read more

Sent both of my children here since they were 16months to 5 years old! They soar through elementary and I believe it was the foundation from SPELC that helped mold them. The minus half a star due to the price but I am more than willing to pay for quality education, I just wish it was more affordable for families. Their classrooms are clean, staff and faculty are exceptional, they have fairs and programs for the children and their families that are always fun. The food that they serve our children are outstanding! The Montessori ways of teaching is what I prefer for my children and I highly recommend this pre-school to everyone. read more

This Montessori based school seemed like the best early learning center for my 4 y.o....caring staff, great curriculum, and instilling Christian values!! What more could you ask for? Overall, the program is great; my child has learned and grown tremendously. A large part of that is credited to my child's teacher and assistant. But, I feel that the present director (replacement of Ms. Nicole Darity) is by far NOT in any way, shape or form...equipped spiritually or educationally to be in this position. An experience of mine happened in the front office...the present/current ELC "director" was speaking with the secretary in front of me and was basically saying that the teachers don't have a say on that particular topic because she was in charge now and the secretary agreed. Need I say more...if the "director" treats her staff in this manner; how does our children fit into this? Ms. Nicole Darity needs to be brought back. All the kids loved her. It's funny how the kids don't run up to the current "director" like the way they did with Ms. Nicole. Where has the values gone? And doing the right thing? The previous 5 star reviews was when Ms. Nicole Darity was the ELC director. Addendum: this post has been flagged as inappropriate...hmm...honesty doesn't seem to fair well with spelc... read more

Ok this review is for 2 years ago when my daughter was enrolled her for pre-pre school (3 years old). I can't believe that no one has reviewed this school yet, so I will take it upon myself to do so. I decided to enroll my daughter here for two reasons, the first was it close to my work and my mother's house so I could pick her up after school and drop her off during my allotted lunch break. The second reason was because it was a Montessori school. The tuition here is unreal! Its super expensive but like I always say you get what you pay for. The school is very well kept and they have to wear uniforms. The school takes children as young as 18 months and goes all the way to 2nd grade. I was really surprised at how well my daughter adjusted here, and they learned soooo many things! Things like astronomy, and the body, and animals and thing along those lines. I was rather impressed that some of the things that they were learning I never learned till I was in first grade already (different times ok I'm not 'that' stupid LOL). The teachers are very nice and really know there stuff. I would have kept her here but my daughter got into the Kamehameha schools pre-school (which I regret and I will leave for another review) which was 1/3 of the tuition (got what I paid for...). I would highly recommend sending your children here or any Montessori school for that matter. They do not hold children back or leave them behind if they cannot grasp the concepts taught, and help each child individually according to their level of understanding. read more

I have 2 daughters that attend St. Philomena's, one is about to be 4, and the other 19months. My primary interest in pre-school was to cultivate an interest in learning. I don't hold any belief that what pre-school my girls go to will have anything to do with future matriculation into the Ivy League. As such, my eldest was first enrolled in Kamaaina Kids in Kailua since it was close to home. However, after a few months, I felt she was actually regressing, and when I heard her teacher pluralize "mice" as "mouses" it was over. I was not a Montessori product, but after doing some research, and watching how my eldest daughter seemed to learn best at home, my wife and I decided to give St. Philomena's a try. I have been extremely impressed, so it was a no-brainer when it was time for her little sister to join. The facilities are very nice and secure (gate code), and the teachers seem genuinely concerned about each student. I also enjoy the Catholic aspect that is incorporated into their lessons, as it's nice to have Theology taught alongside vocabulary, letters, numbers, geography, history, biology, etc. The school is currently applying for accreditation, which would be a great feather in its cap. The lack thereof did have me on the fence initially, but I would be shocked if it was denied, and I am happy we decided to send them there! read more

I have never written a review before, despite using Yelp daily, but finally decided to do so because St. Philomena's ELC is definately a facility praise worthy. Before choosing St. Philomena's as the preschool my son was to attend, I considered every other available option and had numerous visits to the different preschools from Waialua to Honolulu and everything in between (I live on the North Shore but work at Tripler). I consider preschool to be one of the most important decisions I have ever had to make bc if you think about it, on most days, your child will be spending more time at preschool than with you (my son is is there from 6:30am-4:00pm, Mon-Fri). What stood out to me about St. Philomena's was the safety precautions the school has in place to include a code access gate, a tall and solid gate that surrounds the school, strategically placed surveillance cameras, and a low teacher to student ratio. The school is clean, spacious, organized and not at all cluttered (i mention this bc you'd be suprised on how CLUTTERED some school offices/classrooms are. First impressions are HUGE and you dont want it to be "woah, thats a lot of "sh*t). During my site visit, I also observed how genuine the teachers care and concern for the children was. There was no yelling or visible frustration as I noticed in other schools (at one particular school that I stopped by w/o appointment, I literally saw a teacher grab and pull a child's arm, shake it and told him that he needs to stop crying). Another thing I noticed was that the children were all under control and surprisingly well behaved; keep in mind, the children in the class I was sitting in with were 18 month and younger. Ms. Sherri (the administrative professional who accompanied me through my school tour), answered any and all questions and had all paperwork readily available. It is definately annoying to wait for school staff to rummage through their cluttered mess to find papers that should be routine. With that said, thank you Ms. Sherri and office staff, you continue to provide excellent, organized, courteous, and well spoken/trained service! My son, who is now 3 going on 4, has been with St. Philomena's for almost 2 years and will be attending his 3rd year of preschool this July. He loves school and tells me and my husband so daily. He has flourished in confidence, integrity, and knowledge. I am so proud of the little man he is growing up to be. I know, without a doubt, that the teachers and staff love my son as much as I do and firmly believe he is in the best hands other than family. My only regret is that I did not choose this same school for my older son. read more

My child has thrived at St. Philomena's. The teachers are always responsive when I have any concerns (parent-teacher meetings, notes, phone calls, emails - everyday at times), and they all provide feedback when they notice the slightest bit of concern about my child. I believe that parents need to work together with the teachers, and I have been proactively contacting the teachers in how I can help my child progress. Thanks to the teachers, my child is ready to start first grade at another school. I just wish they could offer elementary school programs - I would sign my kid up in a heart beat!! I had no knowledge of Montessori before, but I'm a huge believer now. We had a terrible experience at another private school downtown, and I am grateful that we were finally able to find a school that I can trust my child to. It helps, too, that their tuition was much less than the other schools in town! The previous school we were with would constantly give us a list of things they'd like donated, a list of items that the teachers like, in addition to the $1300+ tuition we were paying. Their staff lacked attentiveness (I'll skip the gory details) but it all resulted in regression (speech delay, back to diapers). After we saw the signs, we took our child out of this school and decided to try a Montessori approach. On the first day at St. Philomena, when we went to pick our child up, we could see the difference. The teacher would contact me everyday in the beginning and tell me the progress as well as any problems they encountered in detail (she wrote 1-2, sometimes 3 pages in a journal that was sent home daily). This made it easier for me to go back to work. We've had several teachers since then, and we loved each one of them. I'm sure every child is different, but I will forever be grateful for the teachers at St. Philomena. I hope many other children could experience the wonderful learning environment that the school provides. read more

St. Philomena is perfect for preschoolers but it is not good for kindergarten. The program director and the teacher said the program prepares the children for 1st grade and parents will be informed about their progress. At St Philomena, parents pay extra for the kindergarten program. However, many times it doesn't take place.There is poor teacher- parent communication regarding the children's progress. The evaluation was the only feedback received from the teacher. At the beginning of the school year I have been told kindergarteners will have homework. They had about five homeworks and when questioned the teacher said no homework is given if they they finish it in class. Just before the end of the school year, the teacher told me that my daughter is not ready for 1st grade. The teacher doesn't know if she is academically ready. I just don't understand how a teacher can't tell for sure if a child is or not ready! I have been told my daughter works too slow and spends time helping the others instead of doing her work. I asked why the work has not been sent at home and the teacher said the school doesn't have enough materials! Please note, I have been informed about it only because I asked. Apparently the teacher has too many children in the kindergarten program ( about 12) to provide a feedback to parents. As you can imagine, I expressed my disappointment and made an official complain to the school director. The lack of communication is not acceptable for a private school ! There is no excuse not to inform parents if a child falls behind and needs help. read more