My daughter has been coming here now for 3 years. She loves to come to school.Thank you to Ms. Net my daughter learned so much;...  Read More

My daughter has been coming here now for 3 years. She loves to come to school.Thank you to Ms. Net my daughter learned so much; addition, subtraction, multiplication, writing, reading and so much. My daughter's English and Math has improved a lot. I'm so grateful to have such a great teacher like her. The classroom and all the materials are always clean and very organized. Also all the teachers are very nice and polite.Thank you so much Montessori staff!  Read Less

I am REALLY glad to be the first reviewer of  2015. I chose this school for my child based off his dad's recommendation and fro...  Read More

I am REALLY glad to be the first reviewer of  2015. I chose this school for my child based off his dad's recommendation and from the reviews I saw on Yelp. I was misled. I don't want you to be. The only teacher's that are still working at that school that are mentioned in previous reviewer's reviews are Ms. Net, Ms. Alma. and Ms. Brenda. They've recently come under the authority of Pablo, the director who is a very VERY soft spoken man. Frustratingly soft, really. You want a director that has a backbone and can speak up for himself and his teachers. Pablo seems to be a newbie at early childhood direction so he's a little shaky with his footing and therefor his authority. This trickles down to his teachers. The teacher's in this program, while experienced, are overwhelmed by the 10:1 ratio of 3-4 year olds and you can read it in their faces. I've had the opportunity to drop in during the day to see how my child was being cared for and as the level of the noise in the classroom rose, the frustration on the teacher's faces showed. I believe they have experience like i said, but I don't think they have the support of the principal/director behind them (due to his inexperience) and the kids' behaviors reflects it. My child began this school July 2014. We finally had enough by March 2015. Not even six months. Take heed. My son is 4 years old, African American and tall for his height (he's the height of a child 5-6 years old but "young" for his age--can you see the problem? We didn't at first, but later, Montessori SHOWED us how he was the "problem" and "made learning difficult for all the other children in the classroom". He's adventurous, spunky and energetic--just like any other 4 year old. He was in room 2. They began putting my child on "behavior" sheets telling me my son has been kicking teachers, hitting, spitting, the whole nine. Using words I've NEVER used in my home and being generally disrespectful. I hear them out. I go to observe my child. I wanna see what's going on. What I saw was unexpected. I saw a completely chaotic environment--and I stayed for two hours. What I saw was three teachers who did not know hot to control a classroom. I saw one teacher trying to lead the group (of thirty, mind you) without getting the full attention of everyone. Since she chose to do it that way, the other two teachers were constantly putting out fires of fidgety little kids. It made me tired and I was sitting down! So, this told me that my child was getting lost in the crowd and chose (on his own) to act a certain way to get the attention of the teachers. In their eyes, and mine, this was seen as "negative" behavior and I would talk to my child about it. Constantly. But after that visit, I learned that I can't expect my child to control himself if the teacher isn't even able to control the class. I understood him acting out to be able to get his needs met in a sea of rowdy peers. In addition to that, the classroom was a naturally "loud" classroom seeing as how the main entrance to the school was also the door to the classroom, so anytime it opened, the class is disturbed. Its automatic and its the way the school is set up. There are only three rooms. They are well equipped but for as much as tuition cost, they could get a building that could accommodate the size of the school. 30 3-4 year olds in one classroom is a LOT of kids. You want to believe that your child receives the attention they need, but really with a class size like that, its easy to get lost in the crowd. If you choose to send your child here, know they can get lost in the shuffle. The expectation is high and anyone who doesn't fit the mold is exited. We're glad to be done with them and I wish we would've never sent our child to this school in the first place. If I were you, I would REALLY interview Pablo before enrolling your child and see what kind of feeling you get. If you get a funky "gut" feeling, go with it. I wish I would've looking back. I would never, EVER knowingly put my child through the emotional craze that we went through attending this school.  Read Less

Ok, so my son has moved on to Class 2, it's time for an updated review.  I continue to be elated with the school.  Just last Fr...  Read More

Ok, so my son has moved on to Class 2, it's time for an updated review.  I continue to be elated with the school.  Just last Friday I had the semi annual Parent Teacher conference and it only confirmed what I had thought of the school in the past.  The teachers and assistants (Ms. Net, Ms. Jocelyn and Ms. Brenda) are incredibly dedicated, sweet (and firm when they have to) and really know what they're doing.  My son ADORES all of them.  Ms. Net made a picture album with Tyler's pictures in class and gave it to us during the conference.  How super thoughtful and sweet was that.  He'll love having this when he grows up.  He's now 3 and he comes home talking about the seasons, days of the weeks, months of the year and the continents.  It's just too fun.  The teachers encourage him in many ways and he's a very secure and confident kid.  They offer gymnastics class for kids on Fridays for a small fee, and my son attends.  He jumps from 3 foot high places with the balance of a real gymnist!  Love it, love it.  They have tons of extra activities like something called Scientist Kids (or similar) where a person comes to teach them science projects,etc.  This Friday there's a mother and child tea time set up.  My husband recently attended a Dad and Child Pizza night, etc.  Really cute.  Also, I LOVE that they don't make me go out and do fundraisers.  What you pay is it..  And the tuition is super reasonable and you can take your child M-F from 7 am to 6 pm.  I love too that it's near 880 freeway, my husband drops my son off and zips right on to the freeway.  I will be moving out of San Leandro soon, but will continue coming all the way to this Montessori.  It's worth it in all aspects.  Thank you Ms. Net, Ms. Jocelyn and Ms. Brenda. Thanks to you caring for my child I have peace of mind at work.  Read Less

Montessori School at Washington Avenue is an excellent school. I am amazed by how much my daughter has learned since starting. ...  Read More

Montessori School at Washington Avenue is an excellent school. I am amazed by how much my daughter has learned since starting. She loves it there and is always eager to go to school. Her teachers Ms. Nenita, Ms. Ali, and Mr. Edgar are talented, warm, and attentive and have really fostered her love for learning for which I am so grateful. In addition, Ms. Nenita who is the primary teacher not only applies the right amount of structure and discipline, but consistently demonstrates an enthusiasm and passion for teaching.  Mr. Pablo is the new principal and has done an excellent job.Overall I am very happy to have chosen this school for my daughter and recommend it to everyone. I look forward to having my daughter attend kindergarten in the fall.  Read Less