My third child just graduated from Waha.. it was so bittersweet for me. Some of the teachers my oldest had are still there.. which goes to show what a great community it is! All 3 of my kids were well prepared for enter kindergarten, and were well-adjusted and supported emotionally. They come back every day with interesting observations and learnings to share with me every day. Can't say enough about how happy we were to have found Waha!!! read more

All three of my kids have been in WAHA since they were very young until K.All teachers are nice and caring.Recommend waha！

We couldn't be happier with our experience at Waha! From day one, the teachers have been incredibly nurturing and attentive to our daughter. When we toured the school, we were impressed by the cleanliness of the facility and the vibrant, welcoming atmosphere. My initial apprehension about a rough transition period was completely unwarranted; thanks to the patience and loving care the teachers have shown our daughter. During the first few days of the transition, the teachers kept us updated with photos and messages. Seeing her engaged in fun activities, making new friends, and genuinely enjoying herself was such a relief--it's incredibly reassuring to see our child happily going to school each day, thriving, and playing in such a loving and positive environment. We feel our daughter has truly benefited from Waha's hands-on, self-directed learning philosophy. She has become more polite, independent, and confident. Academically, we found that Waha offers a more rigorous curriculum than most preschools in the area. Over the past two years at Waha, our daughter learned everything she needed to successfully pass the evaluation test for a private elementary school. We're so grateful to have found Waha--our child's journey here has been nothing short of wonderful. read more

We had both of our daughters attend Waha for preschool from when they were around 3.5 years old to right before kindergarten. Waha has very loving teachers. My kids especially loved Ms. Phyllis. Her students who linger in front of Waha to play after school would always surround her and chase after her as she tries to go home. Waha provides lunch every day, and my kids really like the Chinese food they have Monday through Thursdays. (Friday is pizza.) When my older one went to kindergarten, she would say that she missed Waha food. Whenever the kids go out to play, the teachers make sure everyone is wearing their hats and puts on sunscreen. When my kid bumped her face on the playground or whenever they seemed unwell, Ms. Lynn or Ms. Lili would call me and text me a photo. Waha has the kids put on performances for end of school year and holidays. With the pandemic largely behind us, the kids were even able to go perform Chinese singing and dancing at a country club for Chinese New Year. They all had so much fun, and it was very memorable. Waha provides a wonderfully handmade year book at the end of each semester customized for each child full of pictures of that child doing various activities and playing with friends. It's just absolutely priceless. We are saddened that our little one will be leaving Waha for kindergarten in a week and closing this wonderful chapter, but we'll still be able to go back and visit the teachers they love. read more

Waha School claims to be a bilingual school, but in reality, it is not. My daughter has been studying at Waha for nearly two years, but she cannot write or read any Chinese, including her own name. Moreover, the English teaching is a disaster because the teachers lack patience and are unable to guide students on how to learn the language. Additionally, the principal is the worst I have ever encountered. Lili boasts about the excellent teaching at the school without any data to back it up. The admission rate for kindergarten is not as good as she claims. If you want your children to attend an excellent kindergarten in the future, do not send them to Waha. They will not learn anything, whether it is English or Chinese. However, if you do not care about your children's education, then it doesn't matter. Furthermore, the principal does not care about the students' behavior, such as elder kids bullying younger kids. She is also racist and looks down on Chinese parents while boasting about minorities, like black parents with good jobs. If minor kids make mistakes, she ignores them. However, if ABC kids make mistakes, they are publicly reprimanded. read more

We sent our old daughter to Waha for 1 year and we transferred because the commute is too long for us. Overall this is a very great experience, all the teachers in Waha are very kind and care the kids. And it's a small community and almost all teachers know our kid. My daughter was very shy before went to Waha but she learned to communicate, engage with other kids, sing songs, play in a crowded playground without fear, we really appreciate all the caring and teaching and want to recommend Waha to other parents. read more

Our toddler son went this school for over a year and he had an amazing experience! I would highly recommend this school - teachers and staff take extra care in ensuring kids feel welcomed, cared and loved. At the same time, they have strong learning activities for the kids (for example, there were guest visitors from Police, NASA to teach the kids). read more

Love Love Love WAHA! This is our favorite school and will be forever! I can't thank the school enough for how great they have taken care of my son Steven. If only we can live in South Bay forever, if only they have all the grades all the way up to high school, we would stay at WAHA forever! For me, top top priority when looking at a school is the teachers, and WAHA has the most caring and professional teaching staff I have ever seen. Lili, Lynn, Connie, Linda, Nicole, Rosy, Teacher Peng and Tracy, all the teachers who have taken care of Steven, I would like to say thank you again for all the love, kindness and education you have given to him. Now he has grown into such a happy, healthy and disciplined kid. I am so happy and proud of him! For all those who want to find a school for your beloved kid, no matter you just move to this area or want to find a new school, look no further, WAHA is the ONE! Actually I also found WAHA after a bad experience in another school. Education is always the top priority in our family, so once I know Steven was not happy in the other school, I was determined to find the best one for him and luckily we found WAHA. Ever since then, there is not one day that goes by when he is not happy, and everyday he amazes me by how much he has learned at school. I often think about the smiley faces I have met with at WAHA, no matter from the teachers or the kids there, they make me feel so grateful and gratified. Thanks WAHA for creating so many moments in my fondest memories and doing such a great job on early childhood education! read more

My son started his school in Waha when he was 18 months old, and he just graduated last month. Overall, we appreciate all the guidance, caring and patience from Waha, and we think we picked the right school for my son. In the past four years, my son looked forward to school every morning and always came back with happy and excited face when we picked him up. During pandemic period, Waha also offered high quality live classes daily via zoom with craft, math, English, Chinese covered. All the staff in Waha are responsible, nice and patient to kids. We will miss Waha. read more

My last child "graduated" from Waha four years ago, so take that with a grain of salt. But the purpose of preschool is to prepare children for elementary school, so I'm writing this review to let you know how my kids are doing now. My daughter, now in 5th grade, went to school fully able to read and do basic math functions. She went into Kindergarten with a positive attitude towards school and the discipline to succeed. She is now doing middle-school level math and is reading books that I read in high school. I really believe that her Waha education gave her a good foundation for elementary school. My son is in third grade. He learned to read at Waha when he was 3 or 4 years old. In Kindergarten, he read Charlie and Chocolate Factory. We couldn't believe that he really read it, so we quizzed him on the content and he indeed had read the book. He read all the Harry Potter books before he finished second grade. His math skills were so advanced when he started school that his teachers have pushed him along, and now he's doing 5th grade math. Yes, this all sounds like I'm boasting about my kids - and I guess I am. But I do so only to give credit to their teachers at Waha for helping get them to place where they are today. read more

Waha is a wonderful place full of love, laughter and happiness! My 3 year old started at Waha at the end of May, he absolutely loves it and has so much fun every day! Waha has a large outdoor playground with BEAUTIFUL view of mountains and meadows. It has fruit trees, vegetables, plants etc for kids to learn and explore. The classrooms are clean and spacious. The lunch provided by Waha is nutritious and delicious (my son is a picky eater yet he loves the food at school). But most importantly, it has the nicest teachers who genuinely love the kids from the bottom of their hearts! Director Lily is very friendly, passionate, knowledgeable and intelligent. She truly loves the kids and knows their personalities. She always keeps the kids' interests in her mind when she makes decisions. She is very approachable with any questions we have. I appreciate all the parenting tips and advice she gave to me. My son's teacher Ms Wang is the nicest and best teacher we could ever ask for! She has so much love, patience, knowledge and experience. All the kids in her class love her a lot, it's heart melting to see how happy they are together. My son loves her and he often tells me Ms Wang is "MOMMY at Waha". And Last week Ms Wang told me that my son actually often calls her "mama" at school! I felt so touched. For a three year old, what could be better than having a teacher who loves him just as much as his mommy? My son stayed at home for over a year due to pandemics. When he just started at Waha, he was very shy and quiet. Ms Lily and Ms Wang have been giving him lots and lots of care, encouragement and exposure. Now he is a lot more open, confident, talkative and eager to make friends. We are very impressed by how quickly he has changed since he started at Waha. Everyday I send my son to Waha with a peace of mind knowing he will be very happy there and he will get the best care possible. We feel very blessed to have such a wonderful home for him. I highly recommend Waha to any parents looking for a bilingual preschool! read more

This is a great school and our kid really enjoy here for 3 years. Yes the facility is old but so does all other schools in the Bay Area. The teachers pay great attention to each and every kid. They have really stringent COVID policy and as a result everyone are safe. Our kid will miss this place a lot. read more

Waha Montessori has three locations, this review is for their main school on Blake Ave in Santa Clara. My son started going to Waha when he was 2.5 years old, and he graduated this June, a couple of months before turning 5. Overall, we're really pleased with this bilingual school. Here are the key things we liked: 1. Teachers - the quality of teachers at this school is top notch. All of them are Montessori-trained (though the school only follows Montessori teaching in principle), and they're great with children. The teachers in toddler classrooms are wonderful caregivers - their main focus is to make sure the kids are safe, healthy, and happy. They introduce reading, music, crafts, games, circle time, etc to stimulate learning and discipline. In the preschool classrooms, teachers are more focused on learning (e.g. reading, writing, math, arts, crafts, dance, etc), and good behavior (circle time, quiet time, be respectful, sharing, etc). My son is not an easy kid, and he tantrums easily, but I see huge improvement since attending Waha. He also adopted good habits like washing his hands before eating, cleaning up toys, say thank you and please. 2. Safety - all kids are under supervision at all times. I don't ever recall a time when a kid is left alone or hear complaints of such from any parent. 3. Bilingual - Each classroom has two teachers, one native Chinese-speaking teacher and one native English-speaking teach. For us, learning the proper pronunciation and language usage is important. English and Chinese is taught 50-50, so kids get equal exposure. 4. Program - Rich curriculum covering a variety of subjects in both English and Chinese. One reviewer below said it well, so I won't spend too much time on this topic. 5. Environment - this Waha location shares a complex with 3 or 4 other preschools. They have open fields and dedicated playgrounds in the back for outdoor plays, a courtyard for festivities and parades, (also hanging out after pickup), and a spacious atrium where they hold numerous school performances and for indoor play when the weather is bad. The kids have lots of room to move around and play, and get fresh air, which I think is an important part of development. 6. Lunch - the school provides catered hot lunch every day for $3/meal or $60/mo. I'm a working mom who can't cook, so this is a plus for me. I check the lunch menu frequently, and the food they get are very healthy. 7. Community - Waha organizes many performances and events throughout the year so there are lots of opportunities to social with parents and teachers. It really feels like a big family and I felt all the teachers have great relationships with the parents. Now, a couple of things the school could improve. 1. Administration - The basic administrative management feels disorganized. It lacks proper communications for school plans, holidays, news, updates, etc. Handling of tuition payment is a bit messy in terms of tracking, and I could never get a receipt unless I ask five times for it. 2. Too many no-school days - this is probably the case with most schools, public or private, but for working parents, having so many no-school or half-school days in addition to every major and minor holiday is just a hassle and inconvenience. Would be nice if the school provided daycare program for some of those days. Regardless, I highly recommend Waha to parents looking for a Chinese/English preschool. read more

My kids have been going to this school for several years now. My oldest just graduated. He has learned so much and I believe it will help him so much in kindergarten. His last couple of years were with Ms. Tania and Ms. Chen. They went above and beyond to really help my son grow as an individual as well as academically. Yes, it is only preschool but a good start doesn't hurt. There are so many good teachers at Waha (Ms. Gloria, Ms. Rosy, Ms. Linda, Ms. Kong.. list goes on but I can't list them all here!) but my son's favorite was Ms. Tania. She really shows her passion for teaching through her constant effort in helping all her kids show their true potential. She has such a compassionate heart and truly cares for her kids. Her teaching methods have really helped keep my son interested and eager to learn. Her material the first year really helped him be prepared for his final year as a pre-k student. They are really good about a balanced day of learning and play. Children become motivated, responsible and creative individuals. I'm not quite sure why that reviewer on the bottom is bashing this school and it's teachers. Her interpretation of the school makes no sense. She is either talking about a completely different school or angry for personal reasons. Sounds like a bitter person to me. Trust me, you will not regret sending your kids here. My third child will be attending this school as soon as he's old enough! read more

7 years ago my son went to Waha montessori on Moorpark Ave. Till date he hasn't forgotten how they treated him. My son was the only non Asian kid in the class and I thought I was doing him a favor where he would pick up Chinese. Instead, he was singled out by the teachers everyday during nap time disallowing him the chance to sleep. He still talks about it. I wish I knew about it then but I do now. Please train your staff to be diversity inclusive. read more

This review is long overdue. My son has been going to Waha, and now Tican, for three years. What prompted the review, finally, was a Chinese parent's compliment at his public school about how much my son knows about Chinese culture. For any school there is a hierarchy of capability, and this review follows what my expectations are. For those who read it; it should give you a sense of my priorities, and so you can decide how well aligned they are with yours. With that said, here is a quick summary: My son received an excellent education in preschool from Waha. Entering kindergarten, he was able to read English sentences, do basic addition, and sit quietly in circle time. He was able to read several Chinese characters and recite Chinese poems. Native Chinese speakers comment positively on his pronunciation. MOST IMPORTANT, HE SIMPLY LOVES SCHOOL!!! I credit Waha, especially the teachers, the administration, and the parent community for this. A HUGE THANKS TO ALL OF THEM!!!! Every school must be safe and employ teachers who are caring and good with children. The children were always supervised, NEVER left unattended. I never witnessed nor heard of a story of a teacher getting upset with the kids. Indeed, I wish as a parent that I could show as much comfort to my son as he received at Waha. Basic school skills are probably more important than learning the ABCs. Every child at Waha learns to sit at circle time, keep their hands to themselves, talk in-turn, and clean up after themselves. I didn't realize how well behaved the kids were until I started looking at private kindergartens. A four year still has 20 years of school ahead of them. Instilling a joy of learning and school are essential, and Waha has seemingly done a great job. I remember many disappointed Saturday mornings when my son realized that there would be no school that day. Reading, writing, and arithmetic: As important as it was for our son to be exposed to a foreign language, he also needs to know the basics. I believe that every student in his pre-K class graduated already reading above a 1st grade level, being able to write the alphabet, and being able to do simple addition. Oh, and they could all count to 100 in Mandarin, by 10s. Write several Chinese characters, and recite several Chinese poems. Finally there is a real sense of community at Waha. With all of the Chinese and American holidays, there are many parties, and Waha begins to feel like a family. Cons: Waha does employ some of the Montessori techniques, specifically the idea of jobs, but I don't think that it not rigorous in its following of Madame Montessori's philosophy. This may or may not be a con for you. Most kids are sent to Waha from Chinese speaking homes. This is more of a chance for them to learn English. We should have asked earlier that our son only be spoken to in Mandarin by his "Chinese" teacher. My son wishes that they got to go and play on the grass. Not really a big con for me, but it was for him. Feel free to leave me a message, if you would like to discuss live. read more

My daughter only went there for 6 months before we moved up to Millbrae and had to change preschool. We really wish we can find another Waha up here, but nothing compares. All the teachers at Waha are super friendly and accommodating. Once my wife and I had a misunderstanding and both thought the other would pick up our daughter after school. They called 35 minutes after school ended and I didn't get there til about 45 minutes after. They didn't complain and didn't even fine us. Just laughed it off and waved goodbye. The environment and facilities are top notch. They are located on an ex-elementary school campus along with a few other preschools. The rooms are big and clean, the playground is large, and there is a big main indoor area where the kids can still stretch their legs when the weather is too poor to go outside. I love the way the classes are set up too. Each room has 2 teachers, one native Mandarin speaker and one native English speaker. This way the kids pick up proper pronounciation for both. The kids also don't mix the 2 languages as the teachers don't mix the languages. Would totally recommend this preschool to anyone who want their kid to learn Mandarin Chinese. read more

I attended Waha when I was around 2-3 years old. I'm now 15. Although I don't remember too much from my time at Waha, I treasure the memories I do have. The teachers there made a very positive impact on me and I had the opportunity to grow and become myself in an engaging learning environment. I also attended an after school program that Waha offered up until the 5th grade (while attending Sierra, the school next door). There I was able to interact with several of the teachers I'd known since before I could even remember. Lili, the principal, was always excited to see me (she even let my family take care of the school's pet birds over break once). All in all, Waha has always been a happy and supportive environment for me and I'm so grateful I was had the opportunity to attend such an amazing school. read more

We have the highest opinion of Waha. Our Son started at 19 months in Room 18 with Teachers Quan and Gloria. In the last 6 months, our Son has really improved his motor and social skills at the school. He has also become a real talker, in both Mandarin and English. We are so sad to be leaving the area. Great preschool with excellent staff! read more

I'm just updating this review as my daughter is leaving Waha. Sadly I had to move her to another daycare after I changed jobs and the distance driving was too far. I can't recommend this place enough as the teachers, administration, and play area are amazing. I'm going to miss the performances that are held at Christmas and Chinese New Year. My fondest memory is my 18 month daughter holding Ms. Kong hand at the play area because she wasn't feeling all that well. My daughter did this through the entire play time and the teacher didn't mind. Ms. Kong even had another student come up to her holding her other hand. It was quite adorable. read more

This preschool is so amazing that my wife and I drive an extra hour in traffic each way so they can attend this amazing preschool (we live in Los Altos, work in Mountain View). I am a Physician (a medical doctor and PhD), so I have very high standards for my children's education. I have been amazed by the positive influence of the Waha Montessori education on my son and daughter's learning and social skills. I believe the reason they are so advanced for their age is the school curriculum and social environment that Ms. Lili and Ms. Wendy create. My son has been attending Waha for over a year and my daughter has been attending Waha for 8 month (since she became old enough to enroll). If were to give the experience a grade, I would give it a A+ (this is based on our experiences with preschools on the East Coast and another daycare in the Cupertino area.) My kids are biracial and we have felt welcomed liked part of the family at Waha. Ms. Lili: We found Waha after suffering through a terrible experience at another daycare in Cupertino. We found Waha online and drove there immediately to check it out. We expressed to Ms. Lili our concerns about the previous daycare and asked whether she could guarantee we would have a different experience at Waha. She promised that Waha would be a great experience for our children and she was correct! Ms. Wendy The day my daughter was old enough, we enrolled her in Waha. Our daughter was the smallest in the class, and Ms. Wendy installed grass to cover the cement in case she fell. Ms. Wendy treats our kids like her grandchildren, giving them snacks after school for our long car ride home at the end of the day. She treats me like her nephew, and will help walk my 2 and 3 year old children to my car while I carry their school crafts. Son & Daughter: Their language skills are vey advanced for their ages. At 2 years old, my son was already speaking complete 5-7 word sentences. After 6 months at Waha, my daughter's fine motor skills are already advanced for her age. Considering we do not speak Mandarin at home, we have been particularly impressed that both our 2 and 3 year olds can have age appropriate conversation in Mandarin and English. Their vocabulary in Mandarin and English has increased significantly, my daughter can count from 1-10 in both languages (2 yrs old), and my son can count 1-20 in both languages (3 yrs old). The holiday concerts are so fun, and so memorable and the school sends home regular pictures and activity books of the children's activities. To summarize, our experience has been so good here that we are even considering moving from Los Altos to be closer to the school. read more

RUN FAR AWAY FROM THIS PLACE I have no idea how this place even gets good reviews. Either the reviewers are friends of the owner or are paid. But my and my friends' experience has been completely different. I had my child with this school last year and it was a nightmare. If your child is going to be 4 years old and you are thinking about enrolling your child in this "Montessori" school, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. And if your child is already in this joke of an institution and is going to be 4, CHANGE SCHOOLS! All the frustration and sense of failing my child was due to her teacher, Ms. Tania and the overall administration. First of all, this Tania person should not be teaching - at all. Here is a list of what I saw wrong with her: -Using her phone during class time and neglecting the children (even though cellphone use is supposedly against school policy, she obviously didn't care) -"Teaching" the children basically the same thing they all learned the year before. My child learned NOTHING new. I am not sure what Ms. Tania does all day but it has very little to do with the children. -Un-teaching the children how to be more independent and responsible. Ms. Tania had her aide do everything for the kids like putting away their nap time mats, clean their tables after lunch, straighten up the room after playtime, etc. These are all things the students learned the prior year and it showed at home. Last year, my child was developing a sense of responsibility, of knowing what was supposed to be done without asking. Now my child is unmotivated, expects me to pick up their mess, and generally has a lot of bad habits. I think it was all due to Ms. Tania telling her aide to do everything. Of course, she couldn't be bothered to do it - probably due to her lack of mobility. In a more general sense, from my observation, the following is true for the entire school. -The facility is large but not very clean, the bathrooms and the inside play room often will have insect problems. -Very high teacher turnover rate. For example, last year, in the span of a few months room 17 had 4 different teachers. There was a lack of continuity and stability that kids that age need to see and feel. -Most teachers are not qualified and are more like glorified babysitters. -Some teachers are cold, impatient, and incapable of handling a classroom often resorting to yelling and harsh discipline. -Kids that struggle will be put aside and not be able to participate in the classroom, thus not learning anything. -Draconian punishment methods involving isolation and solitary confinement. For example, if a child commits a minor infraction like talking out of turn or being a little restless, they'll completely isolate the child - having him or her eat all alone, not giving him the project materials like all the other kids and  even having him spend nap time isolated in another room. This is not good for building a child's self esteem and could cause them to lash out more Finally, even on the first day, the director seemed extremely unorganized and unprofessional. She is not confident in showing us around or answering questions, for example, during a tour early on she was very dodgy when asked questions about teacher qualifications and now I know why... In short, stay away from this school. Terrible ethics, flimsy qualifications, terrible teachers like Ms. Tania and it all begins at the top. read more

DON'T TRUST REVIEWS!! Waha deletes their bad reviews I only sent my kid here for a little while, but it was enough to traumatize him. In the beginning I really liked this place...all appeared well and good from the tour and my son seemed to be learning a lot. But as things went on I started to notice things that really disturbed me. One thing I witnessed while waiting to pick up my child was a teacher yelling at a boy, now I understand yelling is sometimes necessary, but this particular teacher was really yelling...So much so, her face was getting red from the effort. Than she harshly yanked the boy back inside. after seeing this I was relieved my child didn't have that teacher. However, as the days went on I noticed my son did not want to go to school anymore, I didn't understand the change in him but continued sending him nevertheless. Now my son is not a terribly wild kid, he has always been the more calmer one compared to his siblings...but As I would find out, my son was not only being yelled at constantly every day constantly. He was also not learning anything. The teachers had isolated him and some other boy from the rest of the classmates, so that while everyone else is learning, he was all by himself on another table just forced to sit and do nothing . They also isolated him from lunch, group activities such as arts&crafts, and songs. This understandably caused him to be very sad. My happy cheerful little boy, was now sullen, quiet, and lonely. I wanted to know why he was being isolated like this and yelled at so much. But the only answer I got was that I'm being over protective, that my son will resent me later on, and that he needs more discipline!?!? Like what the hell?? Thankfully I finally saw the light and took my son out. He is now in a new school and doing very well. I'm glad to have my happy little boy back. read more

This school has since been renamed Waha Montessori. It is a private preschool offering a bilingual program (Mandarin Chinese and English). They take kids as young as 18 months up to 6 years of age. My son has been going there for almost 2 years now and in the time, has managed to pick up Mandarin. He understands completely when Mandarin is spoken to him (still refuses to speak back) and is able to recite poetry and sing songs from memory. The curriculum is quite extensive for such little tots. They learn things like the rainforest, the environment, writing, reading, mathematics. They do teach the kids a lot but the turnover of teachers is quite high here so internally, things aren't run too smoothly (hence minus 1-star). If they can get their act together it COULD become one of the better private preschools in the South Bay. However, without proper management, things are just going downhill at superspeed. Another thing is, although it is called a Montessori, it doesn't follow the Montessori philosophy completely. read more

My son attended Waha when he was almost 2 years old. We started with Room 18 (youngest toddler option). The teachers in this class are not qualified teacher I would say. They were more like a nanny that can take care of your kids instead of teaching them anything useful. My general experience while in Room 18 was so so... He was then put in Room 20. We have better experience here with both the teachers, Ms Mock and Ms Rosie. My son learnt a lot socially and emotionally when he was in this class. read more

I visited all the bilingual Mandarin preschools in the area and settled on Waha for the below reasons: PROS: -warm, nurturing environment. All the teachers know all the kids by name even if they are not in their class. -minimum of 2 teacher per classroom (ratio dependent); one strictly speaks Mandarin, one strictly speaks English throughout the school day -good amount of outdoor time/unstructured play time -well rounded learning program: kids learn to sing/read and write in english/chinese and have performances throughout the year, arts and crafts, cooking, enrichment classes available at extra cost. -kids are all taught to be respectful to each other. Teachers emphasize that. -good balance between academic and play -multi-cultural students enrolled -low turnover of teachers CONS: -no field trips -administration not always organized i.e.change/add events with minimal notice (not a deal breaker but can sometimes be frustrating as a working parent) I highly recommend the school for parents who want a strong academic foundation that is balanced with play time so kids can be kids. Teachers go above and beyond especially in Room 15, Ms. Debra and Ms. Cathy. True assessment would be 5+stars for the teachers I have personally encountered (Ms. Debra, Ms. Cathy, Ms. Mock, Ms. Rosie). Administratively, it would be 4 stars. read more

I signed up on Yelp today just for writing this review. The trigger is simple: due to moving, recently I was looking for a new preschool for my 3.5 years old. I realize how much the online reviews have helped me. Moving into a new area, I need to do my research from square one, the online reviews helped me get access to people's personal experiences and feedback, I got to know a lot more than when I started after reading a lot of them. So I feel that I should give my contribution to other parents if they are in the same boat. WAHA is a chinese-english bilingual montessori school. I've sent both of my kids to this school. My older one started WAHA at 2 years old and stayed for 3 years in the preschool, and continued at WAHA's after school program (Tican). My younger one started WHAH at 2.5 years old. They both enjoy going to school every single day. 1. Great facility: the school is located beside a big meadow area, with very nice out-door play area, and a spacious indoor play area. The classrooms are very clean and sanitized everyday. Every evening after pickup time, many kids like to run around with their friends before they leave school, and there is a relatively closed up area in front of the school where it is very safe for this. 2. Great director and teachers: Director Lily is a wonderful educator. She is very reasonable and friendly, always approachable with any questions we have. Most importantly, I can trust her making decisions purely based on children's interests. Along the years with WAHA, we had many teachers for our kids. They are all very loving and caring, great teachers. Among them, we had Ms. Apple for the longest time. She is the best teacher I've ever met. She is experienced, creative, communicative, and clearly loves her students a lot. All the kids love her too. Many times I've seen when the kids were playing outside of the school and saw Ms. Apple walking by, all the kids running to her and giving her big hugs. That tells how much she is loved. 3. Great community: many parents we met at WAHA became our friends. There is a very strong community feeling at waha. I think this is largely due to the fact that WAHA is always having a lot of activities through the year, celebrating all occasions across all cultures, e.g. Chinese New Year, Christmas, Graduation, Mother's day etc. 4. WAHA provides well-balanced curriculum between learning and playing. Kids also benefit from the warm, nurturing style, for example, teachers always make sure children drink enough water during the day and have sun cream applied before they go outside to play etc. I highly recommend this school. read more

Our daughter had been at 2 preschools (Primary Plus & Kids'Korner) starting at 18 months and we had a good idea of what we wanted in a school (and what we didn't want). When we visited Waha Montessori for an orientation, we observed a class for 2-3 hours. We were absolutely amazed at how well the children behaved and at the same time given room for their creativity. Children sat criss-crossed and quiet during circle time, played wildly (yet supervised) at break, and went to work focused on their Montessori jobs. We promptly enrolled her at 20 months (no waitlist at the time) and will be heading to a Chinese immersion school (Cupertino Language Immersion Program) for Kindergarten. The School: This is not a true Montessori system, yet it exhibits the same material. Age groups 1.5-5 are not combined as in a true Montessori. Instead they have 1.5-3, 3-4, 4-5. They have also started a Kindergarten class for the fall. Chinese/English: At the time, we didn't plan to enroll our daughter into a Chinese preschool since we speak Chinese at home and were more interested in the Montessori system. However, we are glad that she had the exposure. Waha is not really a bilingual school as no translation seems to be taking place. It is more of an immersion program. Teachers for the most part are native speakers and there are 2 English circle times and 2 Chinese. There is a tract for kids with Chinese knowledge and a tract for kids with very limited Chinese language skills. There are also extra-curricular classes available at around $12/session including Chess, Dance, Music, Drawing, and Spanish. Teachers: The teachers are very motivated and eager to teach. They also go out of their way many times, which is evident at all of the many performances and activities at Waha. Teacher turnover had been high the first 2 years as many have gone to open their own schools like Trust Montessori. In the past 2 years we haven't seen much turnover which is unique since the turnover rate at preschools is normally high. Academics: Academically, they are very strong in math and English reading, but not very strong in Chinese. As our daughter enters K, her reading will be first grade level and math will be almost 2nd grade level (CA standards). She knows many Chinese songs and poems and speaks fluently, but her Chinese reading is limited. Waha has come out with a Chinese textbook for each level, but I feel there needs to be more Chinese character recognition. Alternatives: There are many Montessori programs out there, and a some Chinese preschools. However, there are only 3 Chinese Montessori programs. We researched Appleseed but costs, distance, and "getting lost in the crowd," took us to Waha. Since then, Trust Montessori started from very good ex-Waha teachers. To sum up, as our daughter reaches a new chapter at elementary school, we are very happy and satisfied with how Waha Montessori has left its mark on her. Our son is 3 months old, and we've already planned to enroll him at his sister's almamater. read more

The receptionist and chinese teachers are rude and just like china all about self and possibly lacking self confidence that translates to making people not comfortable. I wonder how my son is treated in my absence. Pondering of moving him to a more main stream pre-school. Waha Montessori Santa Clara. read more

I have been meaning to write a review about Waha Montessori for a few months. What prompted me to do it today is my son's school progress report. We got it yesterday. He is now in Kindergarten at a Chinese bilingual school (CLIP - Cupertino Language Immersion Program). His report says that he meets the grade standards in both Chinese and English, and that he has a strong foundation in Chinese. The teacher also told me that she was "impressed with our son's level in Chinese". To my husband and I, the credit goes to Waha. I should have started this review by saying that we are not a Chinese-speaking family. We are actually a French-speaking family. Both my husband and I were born and raised in France, and we are very strict with our 2 kids about speaking French at home. Seeing how easy it was for kids to learn a language, we decided to have both our kids start learning Chinese in 2011. So our son started at Waha Montessori in Pre-K in August 2011, he was then 4 and a half years old. Our daughter started at Tican Academy (it's the after-school program that's associated to Waha Montessori, Miss Lili is the director of both Waha and Tican) in Back-to-School 2011, she was then 6 years old and in first grade in another school. If I had to summarize this review in one sentence, it would be: "WE LOVE WAHA". And we love Waha for many reasons: 1) The teachers are extremely friendly and nurturing. Really. You can see that they care about the kids, and the kids can feel that. They love their teachers and they love going to school. Our teachers were Miss Apple and Miss Cathy. They are incredible and dedicated teachers, and had a great and positive impact on our son's life. 2) If you want your toddlers to learn Chinese, send them to Waha. Our son did not speak a single word when he started at Waha. By the end of the year, he could understand very well and express himself (with no accent according to his teachers and to some of our Chinese friends). Miss Apple and Miss Cathy always made sure that our son was integrated into all activities and that he understood what was going on. This was an incredible achievement, and the entire process seemed to be smooth for our son. 3) The class rooms are large, clean and well-organized. The outdoor playgrounds are nice too. And there is a large common area in the middle of the school where kids can play when the weather does not allow them to go outside. 4) The curriculum is great, and not just academic. We were actually surprised and amazed to see everything that our son was learning and doing (Rain Forest, Insects, Animals, jobs, the Cycle of Life, Chinese characters, reading and writing, art, cooking, crafting, preparing a play for the end of the year show, singing, playing...and so much more). But what's amazing is that the kids are learning... while having fun. Even though they learn a lot, it never seems like a burden, it's actually quite the opposite, which leads to the next reason we love Waha... 5) ... and it might be the most important one: it is absolutely essential to instill a love of learning and discovery in children, as they will keep learning all their life, not just until they are twenty something. And Waha does that very well. Our son loved going to school (he still does), he learned tons of things, and enjoyed every minute of it. I guess you got it: we absolutely recommend Waha. Our son now goes to Tican with his sister after school, and we plan to keep them there for a little while... read more

I have been meaning to write a review about Waha Montessori and Tican Academy for a few months. What prompted me to do it today is my son's school progress report. We got it yesterday. He is now in Kindergarten at a Chinese bilingual school (CLIP - Cupertino Language Immersion Program). His report says that he meets the grade standards in both Chinese and English, and that he has a strong foundation in Chinese. The teacher also told me that she was "impressed with our son's level in Chinese". To my husband and I, the credit goes to Waha and Tican. I should have started this review by saying that we are not a Chinese-speaking family. We are actually a French-speaking family. Both my husband and I were born and raised in France, and we are very strict with our 2 kids about speaking French at home. Seeing how easy it was for kids to learn a language, we decided to have both our kids start learning Chinese in 2011. So our son started at Waha Montessori in Pre-K in August 2011, he was then 4 and a half years old. And our daughter started at Tican Academy (it's the after-school program that's associated to Waha Montessori, Miss Lili is the director of both Waha and Tican) in Back-to-School 2011, she was then 6 years old and in first grade in another school. If I had to summarize this review in one sentence, it would be: "WE LOVE WAHA AND TICAN". Let me start with Waha. We love Waha for many reasons: 1) The teachers are extremely friendly and nurturing, they are incredible and dedicated teachers, and had a great and positive impact on our son's life. 2) If you want your toddlers to learn Chinese, send them to Waha. Our son did not speak a single word when he started at Waha. By the end of the year, he could understand very well and express himself (with no accent according to his teachers and to some of our Chinese friends). Waha teachers always made sure that our son was integrated into all activities and that he understood what was going on. This was an incredible achievement, and the entire process seemed to be smooth for our son. 3) The class rooms are large, clean and well-organized. The outdoor playgrounds are nice too. And there is a large common area in the middle of the school where kids can play when the weather does not allow them to go outside. 4) The curriculum is great, and not just academic. We were actually surprised and amazed to see everything that our son was learning and doing. But what's amazing is that the kids are learning... while having fun. Even though they learn a lot, it never seems like a burden, it's actually quite the opposite, which leads to the next reason we love Waha... I guess you got it: we absolutely recommend Waha. Our son now goes to Tican Academy with his sister after school, and we plan to keep them there for a little while, as there are many reasons why we love Tican too. 1) The number one reason that we send our kids to Tican after School is for them to learn Chinese, especially our daughter, who does not go to a bilingual school. And we think that Tican does that very well. The students are split into groups based on their level. Our daughter for example goes to the group of kids who do not speak Chinese at home and don't go to a bilingual school. They have 1 hour lesson every day. 1 hour seems to be the right amount of time, as the kids already have spent one day at school and have homework to do. I asked my kids to tell me what they thought of Tican. Their answers were as follows: Our daughter: "I like Tican because I am learning things and miss Yuki (her teacher) is very nice. I really like the games in Chinese because this is fun and I am learning Chinese at the same time. I also like to play on the playground". Our son: "I really like the art projects, playing on the playground, snacks, and learning Chinese". 2) We love the teachers at Tican. They are super nice and affectionate, while being very good and serious (just like at Waha). Miss Yuki is our daughter's teacher and miss Abbi is our son's teacher. They are both great. The fact that our kids (and the kids in general) really like them says a lot about them and the environment here. The teachers also help with the school homework, which is nice. 3) We also love the fact that Tican gives the kids some time to relax throughout the afternoon. They really need it, as school and homework take a lot of their time already. The kids have time to play on the playground and indoors, which allows them to pay more attention and be more focused at learning time. So we absolutely recommend Waha and Tican as you can see. This is a long review, but I hope you found it helpful. read more

My child went to Waha from 2 years of age till he was 4. I have to say that this Montessori School does a great job, and you only realize how good the school is after you leave and go to other schools. The teachers are dedicated, and very kind, but most of all they gave my child a fantastic start. read more

I'm not going to get into the legal stuff with this school since they ended up refunding my unused tuition and so I didn't report them, but I'll tell you the other reasons why I hated this school. I thought about putting my son into this school for a long, long time. I asked a few friends who had children who went there about what they thought about this school - a friend said one of her friend's kids loved the school, and one of my mom's neighbors really liked the school (hardcore Chinese), but four of my friends (people I actually know well) were extremely hesitant to recommend this school. Firstly, it's weird that they don't want you to go into the classroom during drop-off and pick-up. I'm so not used to that-none of the schools I've toured or have enrolled my child in have ever had this strange policy. I enjoy my brief chats with my son's teachers so that I feel comfortable with the people who watch my son for a large chunk of the day. This school wants you to make an appointment if you want to speak to the teachers. Secondly, they wouldn't provide me a lunch menu. I asked twice. I brought it up a third time during parent's night and one lady in front of me remarked that her kid had been going there for a year and she hasn't known what her kid ate for that whole year. I don't know how any of the parents there are okay with that. I'd like to point out that at my son's previous schools and his school now that they post the lunch menu and I never look at it (maybe I glance at it once in a while at most?), but their lack of transparency and unwillingness to provide me one made me wonder if they're feeding my child horse meat. My friends have told me that the food there isn't good. But what REALLY made me angry and I find completely unforgivable about this school was this. I've always told my son that if he really needed me that he could tell a trusted adult (a teacher, doctor, etc.) to call me and I will -always- come and get him. He's never asked anyone to call me, but the first day at Waha, he asked his teacher to call me not ONCE but THREE times and they LIED to him and told him that they called me and they did not call me once. In fact, when I went to pick him up, the teacher somewhat even gleefully told me that he asked me for three times and she told him that she called me but then told him that I wasn't coming to get him. What the eff?!?! They damaged the trust my son has in me, and for the remainder of the night, and even now, he'll sadly mention the time he called me and I didn't come for him. This is COMPLETELY unacceptable. What kind of uncaring, screwed up people do this? It showed me that they're comfortable lying to children. They didn't have a sign in/out sheet for my son the whole week. I also didn't like how the teacher pulled on my son. My son isn't a clinger and he's not a crier .. he's actually never cried at any school, not even on the first day. But he does like to stand at the door and wave at me goodbye, which is somehow not acceptable here. I saw the teacher numerous times pull on his arms and body (to which he resisted, which I would too if I was just standing there and someone was forcibly tugging on me). Someone brought up the fact that there was some cockroach issue in the bathroom and the parents wanted to know how it was being addressed. It was never really answered. Many parents complained they never receive newsletters even after requesting to be added a few times. So I went to tell the director that I was pulling my son from the school and to thank her for her time with him. I told her that it wasn't the school, but it just wasn't a good fit for what I wanted for my son and for our family. Let me tell you what happened next. She took one look at me and said, I know exactly what kind of mother you are. I've been an educator since 1982 and I've seen all sorts of parents and I'll tell you now that you are overbearing, over controlling, and over protective, and in 15-20 years, your son won't want to see you or talk to you and will resent you, so you remember today and this conversations we're having now because I want you to remember that I told you it first. Totally inappropriate. Totally. Inappropriate. She seems insecure. I wanted to reach over and punch her in her face. If I wasn't sure I was making the right choice already, her condescending tone and superior attitude definitely didn't sit right with me. I sat there, almost stunned, but I'm not confrontational so I sat there and she lectured me for probably 30-45 minutes while thinking she was doing me a favor, telling me how she fixed her friend's relationship with her son because she was nagging him all the time, etc. I was filing my paperwork with small claims court when I got my refund. They didn't refund my lunch money or materials fee, either, so those four days cost me about $800. Run, don't walk away from this "school". I don't have enough words to describe how awful it is. read more

The toddler room (1.5 ~2.5 years old) was pretty good during summer time in 2015, however, they start taking more and more children without adding new teacher on time, the ratio is not as good as before, over 24 children with 3 teacher, but they claimed ratio is 1:6 and Lily refused to tell how many children exactly in the room but insisting on they have a very good ratio. We have to learn the ratio from other teacher. read more

Both of my kids attended Waha for several years so I am very familiar with the school and the staff. My oldest just graduated and my youngest has a couple more years to go. They both loved their teachers: Ms. Tannia, Ms. Chen, Ms. Gloria, & Ms. Peng, and I'm truly grateful that they were able to have such nurturing and loving teachers. Obviously I was drawn to the bilingual aspect of the school, but I feel that Ms. Tannia & Ms. Chen did a wonderful job of preparing my oldest for Kindergarten. I feel fortunate that my younger one will also have the benefit of having Ms. Tannia & Ms. Chen as well. As an elementary teacher myself, I genuinely felt that the teachers had my children's best interests at heart, and that my kids always felt loved and cared for when they went to school. Ms. Tannia especially went out of her way to look after my boys and treat them like family. This school is certainly a gem and I'm so glad I decided to send my kids here. read more

I sent my two daughters to Waha, and that tells how much I trust this school. The site is always clean, teachers are warm and responsive, and the school has a lot of fun activities throughout the year. The most thing I love about Waha is it has been true to the Montessori philosophy. They have a rich curriculum but they never burden kids with academic pressure. Each kid is enjoying his/her time and making progress with age/ability appropriate content at a comfort pace. I also like it that I can discuss my thoughts and concerns about the kids with teachers everyday when I send kids to school or pick them up after. They are always listening, and ready to provide help or suggestions, even if it's something happened at home. read more

Waha Montessori is by far the best bilingual Montessori school in the Santa Clara, Sunnyvale area. The school is well organized and professionally operated. My son attended Waha for PreK and K. He not only blossomed socially, artistically but also became very academically advanced for his age. This is the only school out of 10+ private schools I've visited that provides authentic Chinese and English learning environments as well as the creativity Montessori systems. The school principal and the curriculum director combine traditional Montessori and mainstream school systems together, which allows children to easily adapt to mainstream systems once they graduate from Montessori programs. We're very thankful to the entire school staff. read more

my daughter attended the toddler class Room 20 (2-3 year old) for almost a year now. I think her teacher Ms. Mock is one of the best teachers I could ever find. My daughter is happy there, has several best friends. She is thinking of Waha Montessori as her school. I think we made the right decision last year. read more

Waha has a good academic program and the teachers we had are very kind. I think that kids who are more "wiggly" might struggle with the structure here but our teachers were pretty good with our kids moving around more. Overall, I was happy with this school especially because they helped potty train my son who, at the age of 4, was still struggling. I just wish some things like dance and music were included in tuition. Also, I wish they provided care during winter and spring break without charging extra. read more

There are several similar schools out there, and we picked Waha for our second daughter not because it is the one that our first daughter went, but because it is becoming a really good school over the years. I can see the difference between now and several years ago. The school is getting more and more organized, and the curriculum is improved. The director - Lily is still the same. She is still very approachable and communicative. She is making the school a family orientated environment where you feel comfortable to chat with the teachers and parents any time without having to worry about different rules in place. She knows every single kid's personality in her school and she loves them all. Lily has this positive personality herself - helped my first daughter (still in Waha's afterschool) dealing with the problems she had with other kids in afterschool. Our second daughter's class teachers (both English teacher Ms. Aubrie and Chinese teacher Ms. Xie) are doing a great job in getting the kids interested in what they are learning. They are super nice as well. The kids love them and our second daughter talks about her teachers all the time. I like the class curriculum which is not too much but definitely not too little, and most importantly, the kids actually really understand what they are learning. I don't expect three digit additions for a 4 year old, but I don't want to see the kids only learning letters and counting numbers either. Looking at the paperwork every week, my daughter is always very proud to show me what she learned. Ms. Xie is very calm and never raises her voice at the kids. Ms. Aubrie has a fun-loving personality that all kids love. Needless to say, the emotional and social aspects of the learning are taught quite successfully as well. I hope the best for the school, and keep up with the good work. read more