Initially, my husband and I were very excited to send our 3yr old son to the East Meadow…read moreMontessori. We had heard good things about the Montessori style of teaching. The school director was initially very nice and understanding of our military style of life (moving in the middle of the school year), however her professionalism did not last. After about 2 weeks of being in the school, my husband - who drops off our son and picks him up - stated that he had a gut feeling our son was being mistreated. We spoke with our son but he said he liked it so we didn't pull him out. I regret that decision so much, we should have listened to his gut feeling. My son was being accused of hitting other kids and being too rowdy. My son has been in the childcare system since he was 6weeks old and has never hit another child or been accused of anything of the sort. My son had a rough day at school and my husband was asked to pick him up early. After I came home from work, I sat my 3yr old son down and asked him (in small, understandable words) what happened to him at school. He informed me that he was telling his teachers "No" when they asked him to sit down and that he hit his friend because of what he did to my son. I asked him why he got mad at his teachers and told them "no". I asked were they yelling at you, or did they do something to make you mad? He said to me "Ms. Cochrin hit me." I initially got very mad but I didn't want him to see that so I asked him in a soft calm voice, "What do you mean she hit you?". He said like this, as he opened his hand and slapped himself in the face. I walked away to ask my husband if he heard about this and he said no. I went back to my son to verify his story wouldn't change and I asked him, What is Ms. Denise that hit you, and he said "No". I asked if it was the other teacher and he said "No". I said "Did Ms. Cochrin hit you?" and he said "yes". I asked him again how she hit him and his story was exactly the same. The next morning I called the school to speak with the Director, Diane. She was not in the office but her assistant assured me that she would be calling me back. About an hour later I received a phone call from the teacher that hit my son denying it, which I expected she would do. However, I did not want to speak with her, I wanted to speak with the Director to set up a time to talk. The Director called me about an hour after that. As I answered the phone she did not even let me talk. She became very defensive saying that she knows for a fact that the teacher would never hit my son and that my son was always bad and hitting other kids and that she has even seen him throw a chair across the room (which I told her is unbelievable because he is only three, and she said well he did and that he is strong for his age). She never let me explain my side of the story, she didn't ask if there was a mark on my son, nor did she ask how my son explained the hit. Her priority should be the protection of the students. Not the fear of a lawsuit. She was so defensive that she never even let me speak. She blamed my son and informed me that she would have to let him go and remove him from the school. The director was completely unprofessional and rude. You should definitely think twice about sending your children to a school ran by a director that does not put the kids first. I would not recommend this place to anyone.

I have only great things to say about this school. I am a mother of three and all of my children…read moreattended this school for Nursery, Pre-K, and Kindergarten and my Husband and I could not have been more happy with it. First of all, this Montessori school uses the true Montessori Method of teaching and the classroom is set up to represent that. Each child is taught at their own pace so your children will excel in the areas they are best at and be given extra time in the areas they need more help with. In addition, the classrooms are exceptionally clean and neat. They also display your childs school work in the classroom so you can see your childs work. It is a great atmostphere. Each day my kids had music, and then Italian and Yoga was taught once a week. The kids also go on educational field trips which is great considering most Kindergarten schools do not take filed trips. Although this Montessori school focuses heavily on education, they also understand that the kids are young and allow for recess and arts and crafts so you know your child is getting a balance of learning and fun. I have seen what my kids learn at Montessori compared to what kids learn at other Kindergarten schools and Montessori is hands down a better learning environment. My kids learned things in Kindergarten that public school doesn't teach until 1st or second grade! As for the teachers and assistants, they could not be better. They are nurturing and it is obvious they love their job. My kids are always so excited to attend school everyday, and as a Mother this is very comforting to see. They also offer an after school program so if my Husband or I had to work late this was useful. The building is extremely secure and there is a buzzer and intercom system to get into the school. The doors are permanently locked until buzzed open by the teacher. The Director is always approachable and even if she is not in the office, she will always call back promptly and is happy to answer any questions you have regarding the school. Both the Director and her assistant are willing to assist you with anything you need. It is obvious that the Director treats her employees well and is concerned about her business and the benefits the children can gain from her school. I am friendly with a lot of the other parents and they all think this school is as great as I do. I would recommend it to anyone!

This school is a gem for Montessori kids! Affordable price over the years with low teacher-student…read moreratio. Mixed age groups, fun activities and crafts, not to mention those academic works everyday filled on the shelves. Students get the freedom to choose the work they like to do and always get one on one instruction!

I went here when I was 3, I'm now almost 25 and remember clearly and vividly the emotional and…read moreverbal abuse Cacchioli would put me and other kids through. She would call me stupid and ugly all time time. There was a LOT of public shaming and yelling this woman is pure evil. I wasn't 100% perfect potty trained at that age and had an accident in the bathroom, and she got so angry I was scared to admit it was me. She forced another child, whose name I remember very clearly because she would abuse him and cause him to cry ALL the time, to clean it up. Sad to hear she's still kicking and In business and abusing children still. An investigation needs to be done on her. Unless you want your kid to be traumatized for the rest of their life and responsible for years worth of therapy do not send them here. Also the classroom has not changed at all in 23 years. The cubbies in the back would fall right on top of the kids they are not secured. They do not care about anything, minimal effort on all fronts when providing for children

So pleased to have found South Shore Montessori in my neighborhood. Everyone at South Shore makes…read moreus feel like we are part of a friendly and loving family. Keep doing what you do. We love you guys.

From the owner: This is a Montessori School. The school only employs AMI trained teachers. It services children…read moreages 3, 4 and 5 years old. It is a unique Montessori School that offers a performing arts curriculum.

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.

Sadly, I agree with the previous post…read more The Director Diane Beatty could not care less about the kids. She's strictly a business women. You'll see her when you want to enroll but good luck trying to discuss a problem with her after your kid is enrolled (school offers no refunds under any circumstances). She won't even meet with you after school starts, unless you have a check to give her for the next month's tuition. The school incorrectly placed my child in the wrong class. When he couldn't keep up, his teacher failed to tell me anything for 2 months. When my child came home crying 7 weeks in a row (I chalked it up to new school plus my kiddo can be a little whiny) I became concerned that maybe something is up because it was the same complaints he had all 7 weeks. When I inquired with his teacher, she finally told me she's had concerns from day 1. Apparently her defense as to why she didn't notify me earlier of her concerns was that she was conducting her own review of my child...for 7 weeks??! There's nothing Montessori about this school other than its name but the crazy thing is that it is not even accredited by the National Montessori academy. It is a daycare the owner pretends is running Montessori style and then she names it Montessori children's school. Its definitely cheaper than other daycare establishments...so I guess if you have kid(s) and want o stash them somewhere this place could work. No exposure to mathematics nor science. Teachers lie and say its child directed but my child came home all year saying teachers did not allow math or science play when they wanted to play with that area. One of the assistants in my child's class can barely walk. I've never seen her crack a smile and me or my child the ENTIRE year. Does she really belong in an environment where energetic 3-5 year old kids are learning and playing?? If I wanted a geriatric grandmother with severe arthritis who never smiled taking care of my child, I would used her grandma and saved myself tuition costs. If you want to give your child a strong foundation for which to start building learning concepts then it starts young and this Montessori school in Massapequa is NOT the place for it. Just because the owner named it Montessori and has the classroom shaped like a Montessori room does not equate actual Montessori disciplines are carried out by staff.

Me and my kid had the worst experince in this school…read more Dealing with the director and the secretary was like going through the war.My kid called them witches after a couple of months and hated to go to this school every morning. Their attitude is really nasty and they don't feel shame about it. and no dignity in front of money. Just avoid this school unless you want to see your kid suffer!

My child has been attending this school from August 2020. I knew about the quality of Montessori…read morefrom my home country as my aunt ran the first Montessori school in India. So, I wasn't surprised when I found the quality of teaching, the support, the care, the individual attention and the general quality of the school outstanding. But my good impression about the school increased manifold when I saw the love that they give to all the children who attend the school. My daughter is very fortunate to begin her educational life with such an extraordinary school, having especially the Director Manjula W. and the excellent team of teachers to guide her on her path to success and excellence. Thank you Manjula W. and your team.

Worst place ever. Never trust your child here. Where should I start? It's dirty. Beyond…read moredirty. When dropping off my daughter, there were two "teachers" watching 40 kids who were not paying attention at all. I witnessed two boys get on a tricycle, pile 2 more boys on the back and slam into another tricycle filled with boys. Boys all fell off, thought it was hilarious and kept going. Not one "teacher" said anything. It was appalling. Funnily enough, another parent walked in to drop her daughter off and was asking about a bruise her daughter came home with. The"teacher" of course denied anything. The main Montessori teacher does not teach the Montessori method! I couldnt leave my daughter there since I couldnt trust hem so I watched quite a bit and he teaching is terrible. They fed my vegetarian daughter turkey at their thanksgiving feast and then had the audacity to tell me that I should've been there to watch her if it was so important. If I could be there, I wouldn't need child care for her. I can go on and on and have warned countless people about this place, filed a report with NYS. Just stay away.

I've been taking Spanish classes with Karen for about 5 months now and she is an absolute pleasure…read moreto work with. She tailors classes to fit and focus on my level and she makes the whole experience useful by encouraging us me to learn by speaking and correcting errors along the way. She's very kind and an excellent instructor! 10/10 Highly recommend!

In search of a customized approach to learning Italian I discovered The Language School in…read moreRidgefield CT. My experience has been beyond perfect ! The Director listened to my needs and matched me up perfectly with a native speaking Italian teacher . She was able to determine the perfect pace to help me get off to a great start learning Italian. Who would have thought I would have found this quality of instruction right here in town . If you want to get a great start to learning a new language or improving on a language you are already somewhat acquainted with The Language School is most likely the place to come !