Both my niece and nephew are enrolled at Stuyvesant Heights Montessori and I've heard nothing but great things from the children and their parents! The kids always talk positively about their friends at school and their teachers (specifically Ms. Alana and Ms. Hawa). One of the major reasons my niece and nephew attend SHM is because of their French immersion program. When a French teacher speaks with the children it's only been in French and every time my niece and nephew have responded in French! I've definitely witnessed them speaking more French at home and feel like our family is getting our money's worth. The days when I do drop off the kids the Head of School, Ms. Tracey, has been nothing but sweet and respectful to adults and children. Ms. Tracey takes the time to have a conversation and check in with each adult dropping off a student. This staff at SHM have truly made my family feel like we're a part of their wonderful community. I cannot endorse this preschool highly enough! read more

It took me a long time to write this review because a part of me wanted to just let it go. However, recently I was contacted by a parent I personally know who explained that they had pulled their child out of this school, and that pushed me to finally speak up. I became a teacher's assistant here in September 2022, straight out of college. Tracy Mina was actively recruiting new college graduates for positions at the school, and I applied and was accepted. When I first started, there were three classrooms. As time went on, I noticed a pattern: almost no teachers stayed longer than a year. Many would simply quit rather than deal with the environment. The longest-standing teacher there is Mrs. Tiffany. The only two teachers I personally saw who had actual teaching degrees and who were truly exceptional educators were Mrs. Stephanie and Mrs. Alana. Both of them eventually left as well. During my time there, I realized I was one of the only staff members who pushed back on some of the things Tracy allowed to happen in the school. Many teachers chose to leave instead of confronting her. One of the most disturbing issues was the way she spoke about race and ethnicity. It was blatant and uncomfortable. I had a student who was very fair-skinned but whose mother was from Mexico. Tracy would compare him to other students and say things like, "He's always going to get further because he's white." I also had a very intelligent young boy of African descent. Tracy once said, "He's just going to be another statistic because of how he acts." In reality, he was simply acting like a normal child--playful, loud, joyful, and full of life. At one point I had even considered sending my niece to this school because I trusted that she would be in good hands with Mrs. Alana. However, the blatant racism I witnessed completely changed my mind, especially since my nieces are mixed.Another major concern was the pressure put on teachers to lie to parents. I had a student who clearly needed behavioral support because she had never been in a structured school environment before. I told Tracy about my concerns, and she instructed me to lie to the parents and tell them their child was doing perfectly because she was afraid they might pull the child out and stop paying tuition.This situation happened more than once. When I refused to lie because of my integrity, Tracy told both me and the lead teacher that we were no longer allowed to speak to any parents unless she was present.There were also financial issues that directly affected staff. On after-school days, if parents picked their children up late after 6 PM, they were supposed to pay $2 per minute. Several times my co-teacher and I stayed until 6:45 PM waiting with children. One day a parent apologized and told us he had already given Tracy the late payment. We never received that money.When the head teacher later mentioned the situation to a parent, Tracy came into our classroom while students were present and began yelling at us, saying we were not allowed to speak to parents without her present.Another alarming situation happened one winter when the building had no heat for almost an entire week. Another teacher and I had to walk down the street to a store and purchase electric heaters ourselves so that our students would not sit in freezing classrooms.At the same time, Tracy would often cry to staff about not having enough money to pay us and would try to make us feel guilty for asking for raises. Meanwhile, she owns two brownstone homes in Brooklyn and a house in Martha's Vineyard. To be fair, after a year of me working there she did follow through on a promise to give me a $10,000 raise, bringing my salary from $35,000 to $45,000.Since leaving, I have remained in contact with several parents from the school (despite being told we were not allowed to have relationships with them). Many have since pulled their children out after seeing the constant teacher turnover, classrooms with one teacher responsible for 15+ children, and hearing from other parents about what was happening behind the scenes.For these reasons, I cannot recommend that anyone send their child to this school while Tracy Mina remains in charge. The last time I was there, the school had hired a new creative director who was wonderful and clearly cared deeply about children. Unfortunately I do not remember her name, but she was a French woman. If she eventually takes over leadership, perhaps the school could improve. Otherwise, I do not see this school lasting long.I originally got into teaching because I truly wanted to be someone who cares for children and helps them grow. After my experience here, I changed career paths entirely and moved into law enforcement. That is how negative my experience at this school was. She also turned off reviews on Google, because many people spoke out and gave a negative review. read more

Love Ms Tracey and the teachers there, my child has flourished and been very well loved. It's a great curriculum all around with music, art, science, cooking and lots of physical play. read more

DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD HERE. My son was registered for the 2021-2022 school year. There are many things that are very off with this school. 1. This is a Montessori' 'inspired' school. Meaning that non of the teachers are Montessori licensed. Only the principal. It's essentially a daycare run by ESL teachers with non U.S. educator degrees aside from one. 2. There was a turnover rate of 2 teachers within 4 months of the semester. Both teachers reached out to share that there is violence within the classroom (teachers disciplining students by 'tapping' their hand'), racist remarks and no overall curriculum for students to follow. Teachers were told to Google lessons the day-of. I requested a syllabus, guide or newsletter to help track my sons learning plenty of times and nothing was ever communicated 3. My son has severe seed allergies and requires an epiPen when around seeds and most nuts. Once I withdrew my son from this 'school' and collected his things his epiPen wasn't included. They shared that they 'have no idea where it went' which could've cost my child his life had he needed it. New teachers were never informed of my sons allergies. 4. The school stated that there would be 2 teachers per classroom of 7-10 students. Because of the high turnover rate Classrooms were merged (without the parents knowledge) at the height of Omicron. My son was also left to be taught by one teacher who solely speaks Spanish from mid-January until I unenrolled him in February 5. 0 direct communication with teachers. All communication is through the principal only. Teachers are told they aren't allowed to ask for parents emails or phone number and parents were only allowed inside the school for the intro tour and a 15min parent teacher meeting. We were told that we could communicate through an app called Tadpoles where photos are shared but the app doesn't have the capability to have a dialogue with teachers. 6. Dirty. When I met with Tracey, about a rude statement she made calling my son 'slow' I was able to fully see how unclean, dusty and unkempt this place is. A breeding nest for bacteria in the height of Covid. I can go on and on. They have a great scam going as most of their student population are unable to speak and advocate for themselves. I wouldn't recommend this school to my enemy. I'm happy to answer any questions anyone has until this becomes an official legal matter. read more

Stuyvesant Heights Montessori (SHM) has been a blessing for my family. We are a current family whose second child is enrolled there, having returned after our daughter transitioned from SHM to kindergarten last year. Having started at SHM's sister school at the time, in 2018, our daughter seemed to blossom in that first school year. Then, at the height of the pandemic, my daughter participated in daily virtual activities and then when schools reopened in the 2020-21 school year, we realized how fortunate we were, to have consistent schooling for our 4yo at that time (that school year, our classroom was never shut down, due to COVID). While other children missed so much school and it was the bane of many family's existences, SHM teachers worked tirelessly to catch our babies up, and went above and beyond to create an enriching, loving, safe, and academically strong environment. Stuyvesant Heights Montessori teachers consistently led the classes in a manner that demonstrated their love and passion for educating our next generation of learners and leaders. They actively engaged the students, differentiated the learning to meet the needs of each child, and both the administration and the classroom teachers served as active supports and partners to parents who were navigating "the new normal." Indeed, SHM leaders maintained constant communication, shared regular updates, offered supplemental resources and took a holistic approach to the development of each child. Adding a rooftop playground only created more opportunities for the kids to finally be outdoors, after COVID had us locked indoors for months (and in the warmer months, water play on the roof is now the biggest hit!) In fall 2020, as we prepared to apply for independent private schools, the Head of School also became such an amazing resource in helping us to navigate the admissions process-- our daughter was admitted to multiple schools and today she is thriving in her new school. So it was a no-brainer that we enrolled our son there, even as he experiences developmental delays-- unsure of how prepared our "COVID" baby would be for an educational environment, the teachers have been so helpful, attentive, and supportive in creating an environment that is fostering his own growth and development. As expected, the teachers share regular updates about his progress and collaborate well with the Early Intervention (EI) providers that come to SHM to support him. With teachers that are continuing their own studies in early childhood education, a Head of School with a background in bilingual speech therapy, and a community of parents that are committed to supporting our children, I can only highly recommend SHM as a preschool for parents seeking an amazing experience for their treasured children. There are few places where you will find teachers that truly love the students in their classrooms, where the families build lifelong friendships, and where you can be confident that your child's success is at the forefront of how they work to support your child and your family (even if that means recommending other school environments for your child, to better meet their needs). read more

Tracey and her team of teachers at the school are amazing and were a great community for our 4 year old daughter. They flexible with our hectic schedule and also encouraged our daughter's learning wherever she went and made us feel positive about every nervous choice we made. Not only did our daughter learn a tremendous amount, she had fun making new friends that she still talks to even after she graduated. Tracey also guided us and helped our daughter get into her next school which we are so appreciative of. The additional classes for ballet and tap-dance were great as well as it showed our daughter new forms of creativity which helped build our daughter's confidence in herself and ability. I would definitely recommend any parent speaking with them to learn more and see if it's a fit for you as it was for my family. read more

We have been extremely happy with our experience at Stuyvesant Heights Montessori. My daughter just completed her first year, and had the best possible transition from home to a preschool environment. The school is safe, classrooms are large and bright, the children are happy and engaged. My experience has been that the administration works very hard to maintain thorough communication both by being physically present and available via email or phone consistently. We received daily photos of our daughter playing with a wide variety of educational and sensory materials, as well as daily walks and indoor fun with play items in the large gym downstairs, which by the way, is where the adult restrooms are located. The administration constantly works to foster a close knit, thriving community and I feel that they have succeeded beyond measure. The welcome back fall picnic the park was a blast! And a great opportunity to meet other families, and get to know teachers and administrators outside of the school grounds. Throughout the year, there are opportunities to celebrate together, chiefly the art show, which is a professional level exhibit of art made by the children, and also Spring Spruce Day where families come together and plant flowers, give the play yard some TLC, listen to music, have healthy snacks and make fun crafts. Our older son went to a renowned preschool outside of the neighborhood at a significantly higher cost (before I learned of SHM), and they didn't do half of the things SHM does each year. This is a special place, and if you are in need of preschool, I believe SHM is the best choice. read more

Both of my sons attended SHM for their first school experience and we could not have been happier with this local (and somewhat hidden) gem in our neighborhood. Each went for the equivalent for a 2s program year before enrolling at another independent school that is N-12. Our older son was enrolled from 2016-2017 and our younger son from 2021-2022. Each started by attending MWF for a few months before we switched to daily attendance (which was mainly influenced by the fact we still employed a full-time nanny at the same time). We considered several schools before deciding on SHM for our older son, but knew it was the only option for our second! We found the teachers to be warm, kind and loving and our children talked about them constantly at home. The curriculum was unique, fun, expansive and exciting and adapted to the children's interests at times. They learned about things as diverse as Romare Bearden and the life cycles of chickens and butterflies, as well as animals found in the Galapagos Islands and early geometry (hexagons, anyone?!). There are two teachers per classroom, one of whom speaks and teaches in Spanish, so our children learned how to count and speak and sing some introductory phrases. There were imaginative art projects and the introduction of a new dance and music program in 2021 taught by local vendors. Science and math and measurement were utilized through weekly cooking projects and activities. The school also hosted a book fair in February and donated books to a local community-based organization as well. This wonderful school is owned by a woman of color and the teachers are also diverse, reflecting the community of scholars our children interacted with. They had outdoor time, which was augmented by the new rooftop playground. Teachers shared pictures and brief updates via the Tadpoles app, which was a great way for me to be able to ask specific questions of my two-year-olds to get them to share more about what had transpired during the day and to see how they engaged with the variety of sensory materials available. We had significantly more in-person interaction with my older son (pre-pandemic) and were able to attend back to school night, birthday celebrations and other in-person activities which allowed us to build community with the other families and students. This past year was obviously and necessarily different, and we were only able to see the classroom during parent-teacher conferences and the fantastic and creative end of year celebration. However, the school was open every day during the 2021-22 school year and my child's classroom was never quarantined due to a COVID outbreak. The school even facilitated weekly testing for a period of time during the year. The school provides a safe environment, the classroom are big and welcoming, and there is a large gym downstairs for indoor play when they are unable to go outside due to inclement weather. The head of school and teachers were responsive to any questions we had about their development at school. Tracey was very supportive and knowledgeable of our journey through the independent schools admissions process. Our older son was accepted at 5 of our choices and more than prepared academically for his Nursery school year (our younger son will join him in the fall). read more

Stuyvesant Heights Montessori provided an amazing Preschool experience for my daughter. My daughter attended SHM for 3 years (since the age of 2) and if you asked her what her favorite part of school was she'd say "All of it!" because SHM structured their curriculum in such a way that she was always excited to go to school and often spoke about her great experiences with her teachers and peers at home. SHM created memorable learning experiences through things like the art gallery project where they would create their own professional art exhibits, the rent-a-coop program where they would see chicks hatch, take care of the baby chicks & watch hens lay eggs, they learned measurements through cooking demos in class, practiced teamwork through their soccer class, learned about the community & nature within our surrounding environment through the community walks that they would take and so much more. The teachers and administrators were always very professional, compassionate and communicative. I really appreciated the fact that the staff and administration often had staff development workshops and that they were able to keep the curriculum current, engaging and effective for all of the students. The administration was also very helpful when it came time make the transition from preschool to kindergarten- they helped to guide us in the right direction and took away a lot of the stress of the kindergarten application process. I also loved the fact that we received daily pictures and notes- so I always felt abreast of my daughter's daily activities at school. I am grateful that there were opportunities for parents to get involved through things like the holiday crafts activities where we would come and make crafts with the children, the bake sale, Spruce Day, the Donation Drives, the welcome picnic and a host of other fun collaborative activities. SHM exceeded my expectations of what a preschool should be like and I have really seen my daughter blossom under the tutelage of such amazing nurturing teachers and a wonderful professional supportive administrative staff. I am so glad that my daughter was able to fall in love with learning at Stuyvesant Heights Montessori!!! read more

SHM is owned and operated by a woman of color, who is supportive of her scholars and their families.The teachers are pleasant, supportive of each other, have good relationships with each other and attend trainings throughout the school year.The owner is very knowledgeable of the independent school system, has a background in speech pathology, and is a zealous advocate for children of color.Teachers are kind, welcoming, professional, reliable and artistic (the end of the year costumes are pretty amazing).Teachers are the life-line of the school, as they provide for the betterment of the scholars during times when SHM is deficient (ie soap and bathroom tissue). Curriculum is diverse, fun and expansive, which includes a student art exhibit.Building is vast, classrooms are bright and welcoming, and the decor includes student projects.SHM has less school breaks than public school, but the breaks may be longer.Our scholar was kept safe and SHM reported most incidents to us(ie a parent complained that her scholar came home with a horrific injury and no one contacted her about the incident and messages inquiring weren't returned).SHM does not provide meals or snacks. Scholars don't go on trips, with the exeception of a trip at the end of the year.There is not alot of outside time.Spanish Immersion program was phased out without any notification to parents and especially without notifying before signing contracts for the upcoming school year.  Teachers don't seem happy.Sometimes you heard snippets of their conversations, which included that SHM doesn't offer benefits, they are not paid appropriately, there is a consistent breakdown of communication, and they are seeking opportunities elsewhere.There used to be a parent association that hosted events-GONE without an announcement.There was a push to buy an Imagination Playground.The Playground isn't appropriate for young children.During recess, there are a few play items in the basement (ie tricycle), but scholars run around without guided activities, as the teachers sit in chairs and just watch them.No materials in the classroom or basement that demonstrate that SHM facilitates social emotional learning or follows a SEL curriculum, since there are no play kitchens or houses to foster SEL learning.A scholar hugged a complete stranger, as the scholar hadn't learned about stranger-danger at home or SHM.My scholar was placed in a classroom with younger scholars without our permission for a couple months.I also heard that there is favortism to certain families;one scholar was able to start before her 2nd birthday, while another scholar was not.A parent complained that scholar came home requesting items that fellow scholars brought to school.Thereafter,scholars were not allowed to bring items from home; that situation should have sparked a conversation with parent to child only and not sparked a bright-line rule for all the scholars, who may need home-items to assist with their transition.If your child has any special needs, then this school is not for you, as none of the teachers had any specialized training except the owner.Before, after-school consisted of independent play with scholars from all classes/ages. Recently, after-school consisted of YouTube yoga, videos of narrated books and cartoons (ie Cailou).Director is emotionless, unreadable, and sneaky. A relative who is fluent in Spanish picked up a scholar and overheard a teacher tell another parent not to trust or believe a word that comes out of the Director's mouth. However, our family's involvement with the Director has been professional, and yet terse.Ran into a teacher that was dismissed and the teacher mentioned that the owner isn't concerned about SHM's quality - only oncerned about money.SHM should provide cap and gowns for the scholars or hand out certificates.Graduation speeches should be moderated by the teachers and not Owner, as Owner spoke generically and unfairly about scholars that she couldn't know that well as her time was mostly spent in an office.There were staffing issues where an office administrator became a teacher, another teacher was relocated, and there is a high turnover of full-timers and after-school teachers.The bathrooms need updating, the scholars should have a separate bathroom than the teachers, and there should be a working door for privacy for the stall used by the teachers (GROSS). read more

Stuyvesant Heights Montessori has provided an incredibly nurturing, well-rounded, rigorous, and safe learning environment for our daughter, who has blossomed under the care and guidance of her teachers, SHM staff, and Ms. Tracey, the head of school. During the height of the pandemic and in the face of uncertainty, Ms. Tracey and her team rose to the challenge and did everything they could (always above and beyond) to ensure that students at the school were able to continue to thrive and grow. I admire Ms. Tracey's intentionality and willingness to continue to build upon an already strong and impressive program. Just last year, she instituted an arts and music program, through which my daughter and her classmates took bi-weekly lessons in dance (ballet and tap) and violin, which culminated in a beautiful end of year showing and celebration. Mr. Tracey knows each and every student and has the uncanny ability to pick up on each student's strengths and interests (and goes out of her way to actively encourage those interests). The teachers are first rate - my daughter had Ms. Stephanie and Ms. Tiffany, both of whom are incredibly nurturing and dedicated educators. They created engaging curricula spanning subjects including reading, math, science and astronomy, and geography. Our daughter is always excited to tell us what she has learned at school and draw connections between what she has learned in the classroom and experiences she has outside of it. It has gotten to the point where my daughter is disappointed if I pick her up early - she enjoys her time at SHM that much. My family feels incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to educate our daughter at SHM. We are eager to see her put all the many skills she cultivated at SHM to use as she embarks on the next stage of her education. read more