My son started PreK part-time and enjoyed it so much that he asked to be in the full day program…read more Thank you to Ms Tiedemann for taking such great care of him and for making learning fun. He's grown so much and has made great friendships with the students and the entire staff. On the outside, the school and parking lot looks small, but the morning drop-off service is very convenient. Happy faces like Ms Diogo and Ms Dietz to receive my child and safely walk him into the school so I don't have to park and unload my daughters. Inside the school, it doesn't feel as small- the space is all used efficiently and classrooms are well organized. Children are taught to use materials properly, respect others, and to always be polite. Never feels chaotic or crowded. Playground is well suited for the kids. Adequate staff to watch them. Shoutout to Mrs Mendez who welcomed my son to the school when he first started. Held him on the playground and comforted him when we first acclimated to "going to school" for the first time. Warm and nurturing. Mrs Morales was one of the first assistants I met. So so sweet and my son tells me how much she helps him around the classroom. My son also asked me to sign up for fastrack kids which is a program during recess where they learn about special topics like economics, geology, arts and crafts. Costs extra, but he seems to enjoy it. Admin Ms Dadaian and Mrs Devine are also good with answering my questions, returning phone calls or emails. The school is expensive (tuition and fees add up), but it is absolutely wonderful. No complaints about the school itself.

It's hard to put into words what the school means to me but it would be a disservice to not share…read moremy experience. My son did not have the greatest first year of preschool at a different school so I was a bit nervous before starting his new school year at Apple Montessori in Morris Plains. However, my worries went away immediately once we started the school year. I have always heard great things about this school and it makes sense why. From the start, we were given a very warm and welcoming introduction from the director. Ms. Rathjens, and assistant director Ms. Yun. Both are very involved with interacting with the kids and greeting them throughout the day. They are attentive and responsive, and my kids feel comfortable around them. My son's preschool teacher, Ms. Kellish, and the teacher assistants, Mrs. Morales and Mrs. Ikram, are caring, supportive, and organized. My son loves going to school and always shares how nice his teachers are to him. He has learned so much and has become more independent in class. They encourage him and it shows. My daughter's toddler room teacher, Mrs. Castano, and the teacher assistants, Ms. Ucles, Mrs. Millar, and Mrs. Charles, are all so patient, nurturing, and gentle. They have helped my daughter transition well to school and never hesitate to reach out in case of anything. I also love how they have food tasting every week. My daughter is constantly singing and dancing at home, and I know it's a result from her thriving at school. It feels relieving to know that my kids are in the best care and I don't have to watch the camera like a hawk to see how they are doing. Any time I check in, I see my kids are learning and playing, and are building their independence. The parent teacher communication and level of care are unmatched. The teachers really put forth effort into all that they do and I really appreciate it all. My only regret is not enrolling my son sooner for his first year of school. Do not hesitate to go for a tour and enroll

tl;dr: Montessori Matters was recently investigated for child abuse, refused to fire the teacher…read morewho hurt a child, and put on a corrective action plan by the state. We sent our daughter here as a temporary solution for the few months between when her old preschool closed and when kindergarten began. We liked the curriculum and the structure but the quality of the teachers wasn't quite up to our standards. They had immediate availability, seemed safe, were close to home, and we were assured that the teachers were well trained and had decades of experience with all sorts of kids, so we decided to enroll her. While she was there, her behavior started to change at home. She was moodier and didn't want to go to school. She said the teachers were mean. While we tried to figure out what was going on with this new school, our daughter came home and told us that a teacher hurt her. When we requested a conference with the director, Cindy, she didn't deny the accusation that Sally, one of her employees "may have been too rough" with our daughter but claimed that our daughter probably needed the behavior correction, and that the teacher wasn't really strong enough to hurt her too badly. She also claimed that our daughter was a violent child, even though she had never had a single report of hurting another person. We pulled the video surveillance that showed our daughter sitting quietly in the "watching chair" (their form of time out) when a teacher named Sally approaches her from behind, rips a fidget spinner from her hands and throws it across the room. She then wrenches our daughter up and out of the chair by her wrists and drags her out of the room by her arm into the hallway where there are no cameras. The next video clip shows 10-20 minutes later, our daughter curled up in the fetal position crying in Cindy's office. There were also two other teachers who witnessed Sally grab and hurt our daughter and lied to protect her. We asked Cindy what she intended to do to keep our daughter safe. She offered no solution and showed no concern for the well-being of our child. She even called me after the meeting and BEGGED US NOT TO REPORT THE INCIDENT TO THE STATE. As a mandatory reporter, she should know that her and I both had a legal requirement to report what happened to DCFS. In the end, the investigators agreed that Sally physically hurt our child but that it didn't meet the definition of abuse. The school was put on a corrective action plan, and to my knowledge, is still being monitored. Cindy was resistant to put Sally on leave or fire her when the investigation began. Her concern lies squarely with her business. She seems very nice but I do not trust her. Montessori Matters has had a lasting impact on our daughter an not in a good way. We've worked with other daycares and now kindergarten and have seen what it looks like when our child is loved and cared for by teachers. This isn't it.

We attended here as long as possible, had a great Montessori experience. Ms Cindy works so hard to…read moreaccommodate every little need (I had many detailed requests), and all the teachers are nurturing, understanding and supportive. Very good price too. I knew my baby would have a hard time adjusting and they eventually got her to LOVE school. They started potty training her before me, which was so helpful. Can't give enough thanks to all the care and hard work they do here. No complaints about this business at all.

I can not sing the praises of Ms. Kristin and her teachers highly enough. We sent our son here for…read morehis first starting School as well as for Summer Camp. The most Important thing I can relate is that, towards the end of his 1st year Ms. Kristin told us of concerns she had with my son's development and alerted us to the possibility of him being neurodivergent and helped us engage with a formal evaluation process. This demonstrated to me that she is not there to take your money - Ms. Kristin truly cares for the wellbeing and development of each child. Additionally, I want to point out that this isn't some "Day Care" attached to somebody's house just using their backyard, nor is it just someplace to park your kid. This is an actual Pre-*School* teaching social skills as well as independence and self-care. They are very devoted to a traditional Montessori education approach which is a long established practice. Based on our experience, I can whole heartedly recommend sending your children to this school.

Our son attends Children's House as part of the first class and it's been an incredible experience…read more Kristin, the head of the school, is really committed to the well-being of every child. Everything is very student-centered and the materials are regularly rotated and curated to expose students to new subjects and ideas. The teachers put a lot of thought into the activities for students, even the youngest ones, so it's a really enriching environment. He loved some of the units they worked on: raising butterflies, learning about the life-cycle of a hen, and learning about planets and the solar system. The teachers are also super committed, caring, and communicative. They really know the students and their interests and foster a respectful and fun learning environment. We are first-time parents and felt really supported. I cannot recommend this school highly enough.

If you are looking for a quality accredited Montessori program Christopher Academy is the school…read morefor your child. I had two children through the school, starting at 2 1/2 years old and my oldest leaving after 1st grade, and I'm so impressed. Both my children have progressed to other outstanding schools in the area and they were very well prepared academically and socially. Christopher Academy staff and teachers proved themselves knowledgeable and very supportive throughout my children's time at the school and they made life-long friendships as did my husband and I.

My sister and I went here pre-K 3 through 4th grade (they used to only go up that high). This was…read moreback in the early 2000s, but my parents still say it was the best choice they ever made to this day. We, along with many other alumni, went to a Suffolk private school that was a common filter school for Christopher Academy kids to go to after the 4th grade cut off -- The fact that every single one of us among my sister and I's age groups (We are 5 years apart in age, so about 20+ kids) graduated with straight A's in the top of our classes is not a coincidence. Even now, I still see that many of the recent valedictorians of our Suffolk private high school are Christopher Academy alumni (our high school sends us the graduation mailer every year). Long story short- the curriculum, class size, and amazing teachers here laid a foundation for us all that put us ahead of our peers at our Suffolk private school, college & beyond. My parents STILL donate to this school 18 years later & do not donate a nickel to the previously mentioned school that we went to for middle/high school. We are in the process of helping multiple friends make the change to send their young children here based on our experiences. Thank you CA for shaping so many of us into successful students and leaders.

It's a great environment and an amazing experience. My daughter loves it. She loves going to…read moreschool and has made a fond attachment to the teachers and assistants. Everyone is super friendly. Ms. Amorosi, Ms. Ortega, Ms. Fiorillo, Ms. Eato, and the staff take great pride and joy in their work. They all are incredible teachers who ensure that our daughter is getting the best nurturing, training, and education a growing child needs. -

This school is great. My daughter is well cared for but learns to take care of herself. She always…read morecomes home singing a new song or telling me a new fact.

We have had a wonderful experience with Apple Montessori. The teachers are caring, patient, and…read moretruly invested in each child's growth. We've seen our son become more independent, confident, and excited to learn every day. The classrooms are clean, well organized, and filled with engaging activities. Communication with parents is excellent, and it's clear that the staff genuinely cares about the children. We are very happy to be part of the Apple Montessori family and highly recommend it to other parents.

My son has attended school at Apple Montessori for the last 3 years, and 2 of those years he also…read morejoined for camp. We have nothing but amazing memories from this school, and I will truly miss it now that he has aged out. All staff is hands on and they really get to know your child. When I say all staff, I mean even teachers and co-teachers from other classrooms knew my son by name and recognized his father and I as well. I could go up to any teacher or office personnel and ask them about my son and they would have a lot to say; the school feels like it's own nurturing community, with the children's wellbeing always at the forefront. I never had any doubts as to my son's safety at this school, and to go the extra mile where safety is concerned, they offer camera access to your child's classroom and the doors can only be opened by approved personnel and parents. The learning environment is both nurturing and effective. My son was able to begin reading and writing by the end of pre-k! The classroom is set up so that the children can go their own pace and the teachers monitor them and gently push them when necessary. They have what is called the "family style" classroom which allows the younger children to look up to and learn from older children, and allows the older children to feel a sense of accomplishment and responsibility as well as leadership. My son is an only child so having older children guide him when he was little and then being able to be the leader when he was in Kindergarten was so rewarding in ways that went beyond the classroom. I adore all of the staff and teachers there. For his pre-k years he was with Ms. Kenny who is no longer there but really did a great job with setting his foundation for learning. For kinder year he went to Mrs. Mohan's class, and she and her co-teachers really made sure to make the transition as smooth as possible for him. They also made sure to keep him on target for his kindergarten goals, as did Mrs. Shetty, his reading group teacher. Mrs. Castillo and Mrs. Caraballo (from the office) are always there with a friendly smile and happy to help with any questions or concerns. There are also surveys that are sent out a few times a year so that they can receive feedback to continue improving. I do surveys for businesses often and usually it takes years to see changes, if you see them at all, but each year Apple expanded their offerings and really seemed to take in the feedback with grace, acceptance, and action. Recently they added after school offerings like Karate and Zumba. As a working parent it was nice to know my child had something to look forward to in after care some days. There is also an all new outdoor classroom/playground set up. Apple was a little more costly than some of the other pre-k schools we looked at, but I feel we really got what we paid for, our son has shown so much growth and development and we know he was well taken care of there. We loved it so much, we decided to stay for Kindergarten year which was not in our original plans but we found it was worth every penny!

I highly recommend Montessori Children's School. Ms. Deborah and her staff are wonderful and so…read morecaring. When my daughter first started when she was 3 years old, she hardly spoke any English (we speak another language at home). Within a few months, not only was she speaking English, she was reading! She is also learning addition and subtraction. Thanks to Ms. Deborah I know my daughter will be excelling and well prepared for kindergarten. Most importantly, my daughter loves going to school and has grown so much over the past year. I am very impressed and will plan to send my younger child to this school when she turns 2 and a half. We are so fortunate to have found Montessori Children's School - cannot recommend them enough!

Can't say enough about this school! Deborah is not just an excellent teacher, but is also a…read moreremarkable person, mother and friend. She has taught all of our boys (she has taught 3 of them) so much. If anyone is in the market for a preschool/montessori program, I highly recommend the Montessori Children's School in Wayne!

This preschool is a absolute gem; we feel so lucky to have found it! My son is currently in the…read more4's class (his 2nd year here) and his older sister attended as well 3 years ago. The school (which has been open in Millburn for over ONE HUNDRED years) is still set in the original Victorian house on Taylor Street. There are only 2 classes--3's and 4's--so it is super small and intimate, and because of this, a very close-knit and friendly parent community. They have an amazing playground which backs up to the Millburn community garden. The school owns 3 large plots in the garden and they include it in the curriculum. So the kids get to plant seeds (which they also use for counting & math), watch & learn about the different stages of growth throughout the seasons (science/STEM), and best of all, harvest & eat the fruits & veggies they grow! The school is very tied in with the town, including field trips to the local fire station, the local farmers market (goes with the garden curriculum), and Paper Mill Playhouse. The head teachers and assistant teachers have all been there for 15-25 years I believe, which speaks volumes about the school. They are nurturing, kind, fun, and truly great at what they do. They also make good company at the school happy hours :) The other major selling point of the school for us was the flexible hours. Kids can attend half day, half day + lunch, or full day, anywhere from once a week to 5 days- you customize the schedule. I have never seen another school offer this. This year for the first time they also offered aftercare as yet another option. And of course they have summer camp too. Between my 2 kids we have attended 4 different schools/daycares in the area, including a similar Montessori school down the street, but Neighborhood House is our absolute favorite, hands down.

I can't say enough good things about Neighborhood House Nursery School! From my son's very first…read moreday of preschool, we knew it was a good fit. The nurturing environment, caring staff, and connection to the community (including field trips and a plot in the community garden) create a preschool experience that is so enriching for students. The schedule flexibility is fantastic, and speaks to the personal nature of the school. Each family has a personal relationship with the director and teaching staff, all of whom couldn't be more welcoming. My sons have thrived at NHNS and we will be so sad to see them graduate!