San Marino Montessori School

Great School!!! If you're looking for the best program for your child, THIS IS IT! It is wise and to your benefit, to disregard negative ratings, it's obvious they were written by unhappy personnel, or anyone looking to get out of the contract, which is REALLY a reasonable one, compared to any other private and/or MONTESSORI schools, given their EXCELLENT program and personnel... All teachers in the school are state-of-the-art qualified and beyond, and the Management/Administration runs with such ease and control. The communication is always clear and Parents as well as Students are ALWAYS taken care of... Teachers too! The maintenance and cleanliness are impeccable I would have LOVED to be in their schools when I was a child :) Simply the best!!!
—Submitted by a parent

THIS SCHOOL IS AWESOME, this is the ideal school in Pasadena to have my child. I know that throughout though knowledge of the teachers and staff my child will have education, development and growth at this school. Their extracurricular activities and extended day care programs are remarkable. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this school to all that are interested in giving their child the best education ever.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children at this school and couldn't be happier with the level of education and care my children are getting. I have one in Preschool and another in 1st grade. My oldest started out there at 3 years old and we decided to try a PUSD school for Kindergarten. That was a learning experience. We brought her back to this school for summer and 1st grade and her demeanor changed back to the bright, sweet girl she had always been. All the teachers know both my children by name and are genuinely invested and concerned with them and their education. Frankly, for the attention they are receiving and the level of learning, the price can't be beat. Those other reviews that talk about it being a business and nickel and diming us, I just don't agree. My only complaint is that unfortunately enrollment is down and I'm now trying to find another school beyond 1st grade. If there were enough students enrolled there through 8th grade I would keep my kids there all the way through. For parents who work full time, this school is fantastic. When she was at public school, I could not keep up with the demands for volunteering in the classroom, lunch room, playground, etc. SMM is great.
—Submitted by a parent

This school functions as a business rather than as a school. The priority of the owners of this school is to make as much money as possible without getting closed down by licensing. They have numerous citations from state licensing and there are valid reasons for those complaints. I have personally spent time in all of the classrooms at this site and only, maybe, 20% of the teachers are competent and do their job appropriately. The reviews of this school from parents who are happy with the program are highly likely to be because the parents don't know any better; don't know about the field of child development and what a good school SHOULD be. Many of the teachers employed at this site, and at the other Victory Montessori Schools are NOT Montessori Certified. The absolute worst classroom at this school currently is the two year old classroom. The teachers in that class are VERY lazy, rude to the other staff, administration, and the children, and the diapering practices in that class are ATROCIOUS! I've been on the inside and seen the real happenings of this school and I would NEVER enroll my own children at this school, even if they were offered a full scholarship. It's awful!

I have all three of my boys in this school and do not have one complaint. The teachers and administration is great! They are always doing little extra around the school, which sets them apart from other schools. Last week they did an Easter egg hunt, and a few weeks before that they hosted a trike-a-thon event. In my opinion this is a best school and I plan on having my boys stay here through 8th grade.
—Submitted by a parent

Horrible, They will nickel and dime you for everything. Please review you statements they make mistakes often. My daughter went here for one year of their pre school program. They automatically enrolled her for the following year without my consent, even though I was open and honest with them that we might not return, since we were moving. When I tried to dis-enroll her they tried to have me pay first and last months tuition plus material fees for the entire year even though my daughter wasn't going to attend which I told them before the school year started. Material fees alone were around $700. I asked the principal what exactly that covered her response was paper, pencils, and markers. What preschooler uses $700 worth or paper and pencils!?! Thats $700 per student...Dont bother there are several other montesorri school that are better!
—Submitted by a parent

I am so happy I found this school! I just enrolled my son in their twos class, and my older daughter who is in third grade. Their Upper elementary is not Montessori, but its still a wonderfully flexible school with a great curriculum. What sold me on this school was all of the extras they offer during the day, like computer and music, it just does not compare to other schools. The staff is caring, and the office is very helpful. So far, so good.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is good only for preschool and kindergarten. Teachers are good but administrative is really bad. All they care about is money not your child's education. Again, teachers are good. The admins will do anything to cut corner and make money.
—Submitted by a parent

I am glad I decided to write a review for the school considering the last one is not a good reflection of their elementary program. My son has gone to this school since he was 3 years old, he started off in their Montessori program, but since he is now in their elementary school, it is not Montessori. I have been very pleased with the class, the teachers and the curriculum, and my son is very happy here. it is true they do have different grades in one classroom, but it seems to work. They have two teachers that are very attentive to my son and his needs. The teachers do not seemed to be bothered with the mixed ages and grades in the classes. I have only had positive experiences with the administration, I find them to be very helpful and kind, and they seem to be very present with what is happening at the school. I am not sure about the parent volunteer since I have never asked to volunteer, but I would not see them having a problem with it, if i wanted to volunteer.
—Submitted by a parent

I sent 2 children to this school. Pre-school through 1st grade is competitive and a good value, but after 1st grade the program just isn't up to par. Classes are combined due to dwindling enrollment (our last year there, they were 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th graders in the same classroom). Tough on teachers, and a disservice to the children. The program's lack of attention and focus on building reading and writing skills put all students at a real disadvantage. Administration is not present, does not invest in school, does not welcome parent involvement. Would not recommend,
—Submitted by a parent

am very dissappointed with this school and how they handle their Pasadena Location. I was a parent who had 2 children attend at different times and this last time was thankful my child was ready to move on to elementary school. The teachers were very nice and really cared for the children, however the administration was horrible. The good teachers were pulled from the Pasadena school constantly and the substitute or new in training teachers were placed at that location. In addition social services visited the school a number of times. Now when parents went to talk to the administration about their concerns over the teachers being switched out almost every two months they were blown off. Lastly, the school held a contest to get teachers to come and make a positive comment about the school for their names to be placed into a contest for a paid early day off. There is not adequate security at that location and subpar to their main location in San Marino. I had the opportunity to get to know numerous parents and a large number changed schools or planned on changing. I loved the teachers, just felt they neglect this location, and the parents with it.
—Submitted by a parent

This is such a great school, my 5 year old son goes to their kindergarten and my two year old daughter is in preschool. I find that the teachers know both of my kids in side and out, they know their development, both academically and socially and base their lessons off of that My son is doing so well, he knows how to do multiplication and division and my daughter has learned all of her letters and numbers. This is a wonderful school with caring staff.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter had been in SMM for 2.5 years before she went to 1st grade. We love the school. We were always surprised how much she learned at school. The teachers are very caring and patient. Although the student/teacher ratio is high, kids are always kept busy by learning. Compared to some expensive daycare, this school is definitely a better choice.
—Submitted by a parent

This is an excellent school. The campus is very warm and inviting. The staff and teachers are very caring and act in a very professional manner. I especially like the Montessori model teaching approach with all of the individualized attention. The afterschool program is also an invaluable option for even more learning and growth opportunities. It is a great option. The fees are very reasonable for all that is provided.

My son has attended SMM for a year now and every day w/in this past year, I never fail to be pleasantly surprised by what he's learned. His particular room teachers had an effective approach to teaching where they were firm, yet caring. This completely reinforced my teachings at home. I am more than confident that he will be prepared for kinder & will excel.
—Submitted by a parent

Too bad a preschool! My daughter stayed there for 4 weeks and cried all the time after she came back home. The teachers are not kind at all. Always left my daughter there alone, even for the first several days! I wanted to withdraw my daughter from the school, I had to pay 1 month full tuition plus 30% of all the remaining academic year!!! Watch out the contract!
—Submitted by a parent

I can t believe how great of a dancer my little ballerina has become since we started letting her do ballet conservatory here at the Montessori. As soon as she shows other interest, we ll put her in the yoga program as well. She has such a passion for dancing and we are very thankful you offer it!
—Submitted by a parent

We ve heard all the latest raves about Montessori schools and decided to give it a go with San Marino Montessori School for their kindergarten program. So far we re very happy with the choice everythings been really good.
—Submitted by a parent

This is one of the best schools around. I give the Montessori School 5 stars for their curriculum, different approach to teaching, and the amazing staff! Both of my children have excelled here and couldn t imagine going to a public school. We ve been telling all of our friends what an awesome place this is and hopefully word spreads like wild fire!
—Submitted by a parent

They re able to communicate with parents and let them know when they see a problem. We have a nontraditional family and work a lot, so we need all of the help we can get and this school actually gives it to us without making us feel as if it is our fault.
—Submitted by a parent