Montessori on the Lake School

MO5TL rocks! My daughter started in the Toddler program at the age of 26 months. She was with me all along and had extreme separation anxiety issues. She settled down in the school within a week s time. She loves going to school now and waves good bye with a big smile. Hats off to the teachers for the love and attention they were able to provide to my daughter. Hopefully she ll continue to the preschool.
—Submitted by a parent

We have had our son in this school since he was 2 years old. Now he is in 5th grade. He loves it! The focus is on learning and individual responsibility. At a glance, the school seems to lack structure, but that "lack" is the method for students to get the most from the teachers and for the teachers to be flexible enough to meet the students' needs. We highly recommend this school for anyone seeking an academically strong and nurturing environment for their child!
—Submitted by a parent

I love the communication at this school and how the directors are very involved and follow up with me on any questions or concerns I have. They definitely respect my role as a parent and allow me to ultimately choose whats best for my children. I also love that they greet my kids and me by name every morning. My kids have shown tremendous growth since switching to MOTL. I love that the teacher knows my kids...she knows their progress and knows where theyre at in their learning and development. Only the careful observations and direction of a well educated and trained teacher can do that. At an average preschool, most teachers are not adqueately educated or trained to truly empower a child to reach his or her truest potential. I can tell that my children's teacher is highly trained from the progress and growth my children have shown academically and socially. I recommend this school...I would definitely go visit the school and go see for yourself! It's worth the invesment if you can afford it.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is definitely worth coming to observe. I'm especially excited about sending my child to their Kindergarten program...simply amazing! MOTL will help your child grow academically and socially and the progress is evident each week! I LOVE that they don't hold the kids back...they empower them to learn and understand what they're learning in a meaningful and purposeful way. It took me a few months to decide if their preschool tuition was worth paying...and it has definitely turned out to be worth it. In play based schools, all they mostly do is play! I can arrange that with play dates. At MOTL they play together during outside time, but they also do work that is purposeful. Most everything is designed to strengthen fine motor skills and the academic progress my child shows each week is awesome to watch. For us, it has been worth the investment to start our child's education with a strong foundation.
—Submitted by a parent

Amazing school! The Kinder program is especially worth coming to observe. Ms. Soon is simply amazing. She is a truly dedicated teacher who is passionate about her students! Your child will be empowered, challenged and nurtured to reach their fullest potential. What more can a parent ask for?
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has been at MOTL since preschool, she is now in 1st grade and we both LOVE this school! All the teachers I have meet are very kind, firm, creative & loving! They are patient, supportive & encouraging to the children and you can really tell that they love what they do. The student to teacher ratio is great! Your child will get individualized attention they need. There is a wonderful balance between learning traditional/core school lessons (reading, writing, math, Spanish...) and a variety of cultural subjects such as computers, cooking, geography, zoology, music, drama, art, PE, etc. The kids are also taught important life skills such as manners, respect, being on time, making friends, family values, kindness & compassion and it's all taught in a kind and loving way. The teachers, staff and management at MOTL understand the life of working parent & support them by helping with drop off for the shy kids, giving many options for after school care, occasional care, extra fun activities for the kids. You know your child will be happy, in a great learning enviroment and safe at school all day.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is a great school . The teachers are great. Highly educated and compassionate . The administrative staff is great as well. They really communicate well with the parents. Always open door policy. My daughter loves going to school. The kids are well mannered and tolerant of others. They are really taught how to be independent and are taught practical life skills. Academically I feel it's definitely up to high standards with hands on learning and not a bunch of worksheets. I would check this school out for yourself and not let a few bad reviews deter you. No school is perfect but this one sure comes close.
—Submitted by a parent

We placed our daughter in this school from the time she was an infant till 2 yrs old. Then, we placed her back again when she was 4 years old . We had no problems in the infant and in the 1 yr old class. However, when she was transferred to the 18 month to 2 yr old section, there was less supervision. She was getting bruises and I had to ask why. The staff was hesitant to report accidents. The pre-school was even more of a problem. After a year off , I placed her back . She was 4 yrs old and was having social issues. We later on found out she has mild autism - not aggressive, but introverted . She received little guidance from the teacher, because the teacher claimed there were other kids, although, she had an assistant. What infuriated me was when my daughter stood in front of the sink and did not wash her hands. Instead of talking to her, the teacher just stood back and did nothing. Worse, she asked her assistant not to do anything, and just to watch . My daughter just stood in the sink for about 15 minutes! In my opinion, this is a good school, but only if your kid has no issues.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has attended MOTL for 2 years in the preschool program. We love her teachers and the school. They offer many activites for the kids to participate in, ballet, gymnastics, art, cooking etc. I do have to pay for these extra classes but they do it after school hours. Her extra classes are from 3:30 to 4:30 which is perfect. She can do an extra activity and with my work schedule I pick he up at 4:30. It just works great for our daughter and for our working schedule. I don't feel as though I'm compromising on anything! It's a GREAT school:)
—Submitted by a parent

I have put both my kids through the program at Montessori on the Lake. My youngest (who has a learning disability) graduated this year from the program. She was accepted into Honors Biology and English at her new High School! The teachers are just amazing. Hooray for MOTL. Our family will miss you very much.
—Submitted by a parent

Our daughter has been in the preschool program here for 2 years. We love the teachers, the staff and the environment. After looking at MANY schools we chose MOTL based on talking to several parents/co-workers that had great experiences here and happy we did. Our daughter runs in and joins in the fun. There are no politics, no turnover that I've seen. There is great communication, an open feeling with the parents/teachers, ability for parents to interact and help where they can. Kids have respect for each other, treat others with kindness and learn in a casual and fun setting.
—Submitted by a parent

I am extemely happy with this school and feel confident leaving my child everyday knowing that she is in good hands.
—Submitted by a parent

this is the best school! i love it here. my name is Mei and i am in 7th Grade. this school offers one-on-one teaching. all of the teachers are highly educated. my Teacher has gotten some of my friends into Sage Hill high, and another opne of my friends got into Santa Margarita High with honors Algebra and Biology. i would definetly recommend this school
—Submitted by Meilani, a student