Hammer Montessori at Galarza Elementary School

My child has attended this school since kindergarten and is now in 4th grade. Up until this year we have loved the school and the teachers up until this year were fantastic. The teacher we have for fourth grade is not Montessori trained and is very lazy and basically just gives assignments and then spends his days on his iPad on Facebook. He is also "sarcastic" which borders on disrespect and mean. Many parents have complained about him to the principal but he has now here three years and only getting worse. My son and his friends are very excited to have this year almost over so they can be (hopefully) in the other 4/5 grade class next year. My concern is that so many people have requested NOT to be in his class that there won't be space in the other class and my son will have to suffer for another year. We are seriously considering another school. Frustrating that my son wants to stay with his friends but does not want to be with his current 4/5 teacher next year. I am not willing to take the chance.
—Submitted by a parent

Hammer Montessori School is the best-kept secret in the South Bay public school system. I've worked in public education for 25 years and, as a parent, was looking for a public school that provided an engaging, thoughtful approach to learning, caring and creative teachers, strong leadership, and a great family community. We have found that in Hammer Montessori. We actually started out at our neighborhood school (also a highly rated school), but within weeks saw our son's love of learning plummet due to the worksheet culture of the school. He went from a very active hands-on preschool to a Kinder classroom in which he was seated at his desk with worksheets for most of each day. After 12 weeks, we decided we needed to do something, and switched to Hammer Montessori. It turned out to be a great decision he looks forward to school every day, and our younger son will join the Hammer Montessori family in a few years. If you seek a school that cares about your child as an individual, provides stimulating self-directed learning that meets California state standards, and involves your family in meaningful ways, please visit Hammer Montessori. Every family deserves to love their school!
—Submitted by a parent

You cannot go wrong considering Hammer Montessori for your elementary school age child. I have 3 children that attend Hammer Montessori. All 3 have different learning styles, and 1 is a special needs child. The teachers are highly trained in Montessori and in spite of NCLB and CSTs, they don't teach to the test. The teachers are committed to the process of a Montessori education. This fierce devotion is protected by Ms. Belmonte the principal. She was the resource teacher and is also Montessori trained. She has a growth mindset and appreciates her parents and students diversity. Hammer Montessori made a 40 point API growth last year and made the SCC top 10 elementary school list. You can call for a school tour at 408-535-6671.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has great teachers. It is our second year here and I am very happy with the education my daughter is receiving. There are a few downfalls: Late start time (9:05) doesn't really work well for working parents-I wish this would change. 30 kids per class-this is just too many in these tiny rooms, but what else do you expect from the public school system. Shared campus with Galarza/shared PTA funds. The upside outweighs the cons for the most part. However, there are more pros: Freedom in learning-with the Montessori methods Lot's of extra activities thanks to the HMF Teachers that I feel truly care about my child and the school Many involved dedicated parents
—Submitted by a parent

This is our second year at Hammer, my son is in 2nd grade and daughter just started in kinder. We are really happy to have found Hammer and the Montessori method of teaching. Both of my kids are really happy and having fun at school. We look forward to many great years here.
—Submitted by a parent

Perhaps nothing is more daunting than being faced with the choice of where to send your children to school. OK... that may sound a bit strong but it was not an easy decision for our family. When the time came to make our family's choice, we knew that we wanted to send our kids to a school that would inspire them to become life long learners. We wanted to find a group of teachers, faculty and staff that would encourage our kids to experiment, research, read, question, explore and, yes, even fail. In short we were looking for a school that would help us teach our kids to be leaders. The answer for our family is / was Hammer Montessori Elementary Magnet. We currently have a Kindergartener and a First Grader attending Hammer Montessori Elementary. We feel so lucky to have our children attend Hammer Montessori. Both kindergarten teachers are amazing... With our two kids, we have had the opportunity to experience both. They are carrying, warm and our boys love them. My son's first grade teacher is also a rock star. She has inspired my son to love reading and is encouraging him to do extra work on his own to explore science. We highly recommend Hammer Montessori!
—Submitted by a parent

My young daughter has been going to these school about 3 years. Is a great school; My son is been attending to school too, and my preschool too. They have great teachers; great friends & a good principal. I like how people & teacher treat me. and special teacher they help me with any problems i have with my kids @ home.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has been at Hammer for two years and we have been very happy. We had Mrs. H for kindergarten. As mention by another parent, we did find her to be strict, but at the same time we found her to be very caring about the students and their progress. My daughter progress greatly and I believe Mrs. H strong control of the classroom kept the students focus academically. I felt that my daughter needed someone that cared about her, but was also willing to provide her with discipline. Warm and fuzzy was not a priority for us. Her first grade teacher was also wonderful and kept us updated as a classroom online. There are many parents who are very involved and I found this to be a positive indication of the school. I think that we are very lucky to have a public Montessori program. I feel that when parents are choosing this school that they need to keep in mind that this is still a public school and the resources are limited. I feel that many parents expect a private Montessori experience with a public school budget. The HMF program has been wonderful in raising money by donation to provide our children with art, music, and other outside enrichment.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter started here in the 2nd grade. We were really excited to get in but was not impressed with her 2 grade teacher at all. I heard great things about other teachers from other parents so we are trying it another year. So far this year is already been a big improvement. The teacher seems way more on it. My kid likes her and the work. I think they need to work with some of these teachers that may need some more help. I felt out of the loop and lost all last year and actually had many issues with the teacher. BUT So far this year I am impressed.
—Submitted by a parent

The idea of this magnet program is great, but in practice it hasn't lived up to our expectations. Not child centered or directed at all, which Montessori should really be. All of the kindergarten teachers were overwhelmed this year (with class size increase to 30 and switch to full-day) and unfortunately for our son, our teacher s response to the stress was an increased rigidity and an overall coldness. Strict is fine, but I expect some nurturing and warmth along with the high expectations. The new assistant principal lacks the support she needs to be effective and although I found her to be understanding, she didn't seem able to resolve the numerous and repeated concerns from parents in our class. Two positive things the parent community is awesome and the building is newer and well maintained. Overall though, we are disappointed and looking for other options.
—Submitted by a parent

My grandson just finished kindergarden. I am a local grandmother and I babysit for him at least 2-3 times per week. I was worried about the choice his mother made of program at Hammer Montessori. After the experience we had with him this year, I was proved wrong! Mrs H. is a wonderful teacher. My grandson learned to read the site words , he sound out words and write a couple of sentences at the time. He learned to count by 5 and by 10, addition and subtraction, the continents and the countries, he could talk about current events. The most important development though, is the fact that he asks when he does not understand a word. When I traveled, he would ask which continent is the visited country in, and the language they speak and so on... He learned to assume responsibility for his own homework and ask for help if he needed. He would also be upset if he was sick and had to miss school and he verbalized that he loved school! Mrs H gave him the gift of curiosity and excitement for the learning process. What a great gift to have a school and a teacher that gives a child this kind of base to start from! I could only rate this school a 10!

We had a bad experience with kindergarten at this school. We found the teacher to be cold and not welcoming to parent participation- and the principal to be unresponsive to parent concerns. We felt that the teacher- who had a very good reputation did not do well with the larger class, and the longer day that she now has to deal with. She was rigid, judgemental, difficult to connect to and lacked the warmth that you hope for in a kindergarten teacher. She told most of the parents at the beginning of the year that their child may not go on to first grade. The parents responded by pressuring the kids to work harder, and longer. The kids of course did very well- and she prides herself on kids being above average when they leave her class. We would have rather had a warm teacher who was encouraging rather than what we experienced with her. In the community once we mentioned where our child was attending kindergarten and a parent said "that school is as warm as a cinderblock". I have to agree.
—Submitted by a parent

it is a very good school it should be 10 out of 10 the teachers are great and the subjects are great too

We just started kindergarten this year and my son loves it. I volunteer in the classroom and appreciate the parent involvement. How it works: Children receive lessons at the various stations and they have to prove to be proficient in that lesson before moving on to a harder one at that same station. They also have a music teacher along with time in the library and computer lab. Montessori has the belief that you don't learn just from instruction but by doing it yourself. So for example they have the kids count with physical units and then match the corresponding number to the units they have been working with. They start by learning in cursive because kids are more prone to write in circular motion rather than start/stop. When they do the alphabet they learn it phonetically which has helped my son start reading. In just the past three months he has learned to sound out words and has started reading easy books, he knows all of the continents (North America, South America, Asia, etc..) he has learned to count into the thousands and simple addition, and because of the personal responsibility that they encourage in this program he has taken better ownership of his things
—Submitted by a parent

Hammer Montessori is a wonderful school. My son has gone there since the middle of second grade. He is in fourth now and he loves it. What I love are the teachers they are a very dedicated group of individuals who work hard to ensure a quality education and great Montessori classroom experience. The only weak link at all is the principal. I would recommend this school to any parent who cares about how their children learn.
—Submitted by a parent

Public Montessori education is an incredible find in San Jose. This school has top of the line, experienced teachers and staff who care for the children very much. Over the two years we have been there we have seen the API score go up and up again. This school is a gem. If you can get in, you and your children will not be let down.
—Submitted by a parent

i went to this school threw 2-2-3-4-5th grade so 5 years. it was amazing i love this school and i still remain contact with my teachers :) great staff and great hard work!

My grandson has been attending Hammer since kindergarten and is now a 4th grader. He loves the system and is thriving. We consider ourselves very lucky to be able to send him to Hammer. His mother also attended a Montessori school but we had to pay for her private elementary school education.

This school is a well kept secret. Public montessori education!! Well educated teachers who manage 30 individual learners in their classroom! I have two children at this school. My daughter is GATE and just finishing 5th grade. She is never bored. She loves her teachers and takes ownership of her homework and research projects. I feel like she is well prepared for middle school. My son is in kindergarten and excited and engaged in his learning process. He takes pride in what he has mastered already this year and is looking forward to his next steps. Hammer is strong because of its committed teachers and engaged parent community. It is frustrating that all of the budget cuts are increasing class size and reducing opportunities. But despite this, I feel like my children are getting an excellent education.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has been at Hammer for two years now and I am very happy with the teachers and the education she is recieving at Hammer. Though the school infrastructure and after schools programs need some improvement. Her primary education is well taken care of and the teachers are excellent and the montessori approach suits my daughter's temperment and learning style.
—Submitted by a parent