Oakridge Montessori School

As a previous student of the school I have a different perspective to offer. I went to this school for all of my schooling through 8th grade. I am so grateful that my parents believed in Montessori and in the school to let me keep learning and growing at the school until I graduated in 8th grade. I loved going to school at Oakridge, and I know when I have kids they will go to the same school if I am living in Yakima. This school gave me the best start to life. The school fostered a love of learning and respect along with many other things. People can say what they want, but I know from being a student, and from helping out on my days off from school that this school is the only school in the valley I would send my child to. I also know others who have their children in the school currently, and they and their children love it. As a student you will learn more, remember more, have a better attitude about school and learning, learn life long skills, and go to a school that has more to offer than public school and you will gain more in return as I did.

My child went to Oakridge some years back, and I am still appalled at the unprofessional (disorganized, impulsive and even hostile) communication by Administration. People either love this school or hate it. It seems to depend upon whether the Director personally likes you and your child.
—Submitted by a parent

We have loved our experience with Oakridge thus far. I was originally planning to home school, but my son had other plans. When he asked if he could go to school with the other kids we looked around for a good public school and enrolled him in K. He loved it, for 2 months. When I went to find out what was going on I discovered it was a really poor situation and would not be helped by moving to another public school, so we needed another solution ASAP. I thought I'd have to return to my original plan of homeschooling, but we decided to tour Oakridge just to find out more. I am so glad we did. When my husband and I saw what the program was and met the teachers at Oakridge we knew that we had found the right school. Our son tried it out and it fit so well he started the next day. 3 months later he still loves going, and he is being challenged every day. He also has made some wonderful friends. One day I went to pick him up and realized that all of the teachers knew him. It has been a really amazing experience and we are looking forward to the Ranch next year.
—Submitted by a parent

My children, ages 2 and 4, have been attending Oakridge for nearly a year. The growth and development I have seen in them, both socially and academically, is astounding. Their teachers are excellent and truely care about my children, their well-being and their development. The summer program has been a blessing with the opportunity for daily swimming lessons. What an opportunity! My son's social skills have greatly improved, as has his independence and want to do things on his own. Academically he is able to explore things that would not be offered in typical preschool classes, which is great since it only expands his thirst for knowledge! I give 4 stars only because no place is perfect. It would be nice to see more organization from the administration, clearer communication related to what is expected of parents, and some of the teachers could use more training / skills.
—Submitted by a parent

My children are currently enrolled in Oakridge. The education they are receiving is amazing. I am so pleased with the teachers and the learning enviroment. They are all excited to go to school. I think that speaks volume for thier education!
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers seemed very nice and the environment was friendly but there were several negative factors. 1) for the summer there was no education at all, it was just daycare, despite reassurances from the administrator and the teachers that they would work with the kids. 2) The administrator is VERY nice but she is also one of the most disorganized people I have ever met. Don't expect to ever have her full attention. 3) The pool at the ranch was green and unusable for about a month out of the summer. This should have been fixed much faster since they don't even have air conditioning! I give three stars because they are the only school I know of that will take kids for the summer, the staff was friendly, and my kids were taken care of. Just don't expect any education during the summer. I will use them again.
—Submitted by a parent

I am amazed at the way my daughter has grown - I attribute so much of her positive behavior to Oakridge. She is enthralled with learning, working, growing... A wonderful place....
—Submitted by a parent

The staff and students are very friendly, creative and care. The atmosphere is more like a home environment, more relaxed and comfortable. There is very little of shuffling worksheets but more cooperative working together on projects. My kids love it.
—Submitted by a parent

My children and myself have been very happy with their education thanks to the teachers that work there.
—Submitted by a parent

I have worked for oakridge Montessori for nine years now and I enjoy my job now as much as I did when I first started. I love working with children and watching them grow. In my class every child is just as important as the next. At oakridge we work hard with every child, sure there are some difficult children but we try everything we can before we have let them go, if it comes to that point. we look out for all the children in the school so that means that if we get a child that continues to hurt other children then we have no choice but to ask them to leave we have a responsibility to all of the children. I do recommend Oakridge Montessori school for any child and I will love to work with them.
—Submitted by a teacher

To clarify for others interested in Oakridge please read. I write this because one of our children attended Oakridge for preschool and LOVED it. She would come home and tell us what she'd learned. Watching her grow was great! Two of our kids will be moving out of their school. Because of the excellent experience we are enrolling two after the move. Here is a quick example. When walking through the school I asked a first grader if she liked school. Her response was, 'Yes...I do, but sometimes the division is a little hard'. DIVISION in first grade. Another; a K-student is reading CHAPTER BOOKS. The child in K was in my daughters preschool class last year. Our daughter is reading above 'grade level', but what if she'd stayed at Oakridge? Obviously we know each child is different, but we'll never know? Fortunately, the kids are going back to Oakridge:)YEAH!
—Submitted by a parent

I have worked at Oakridge for several years. My daughter attended the school from pre-school through junior high. Now in public school, she is doing very well. Knowing the ins and outs of the school, it gives a different perspective. I would not have kept my child in a school where she did not receive the attention she deserved. Montessori is for every child, but not every child is for Montessori.
—Submitted by a teacher

I actually worked at Oakridge Montessori and was appalled at how little they cared for the children in comparison to how much they cared about getting their monthly tuition.
—Submitted by a staff

I would not recommend this school to anyone. They favor the gifted and bright child and forget about the rest.
—Submitted by a parent

I would not recommend this school to anyone that has children with any type of special needs. Unfortunately you cannot pay Oakridge enough to have one on one individualized education for your child. They may have smaller class sizes but they are not any more willing to give your child specialized attention than the overcrowded public schools.
—Submitted by a parent

I would not recommend this school to anyone with young children.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has been a wonderful experience not only for my 4 year old son but for the hole family. They have hands on learning and are involved in every students needs. The teachers are not only there to teach but to make them eager to learn. My son has learned so much from reading, geography to fun and educational songs. In the summer they offer swimming lessons. It's wonderful. Thank you for everything!
—Submitted by a parent

My children's first year of public school is this year and I have had more compliments and positive feedback about them than I've ever had. Most of the feedback is about their studying habits and abilities. I attribute this mostly to Oakridge Montessori and the teachers and administration. My kindergardner is the only one in her class reading (and reading at 2nd grade level). My preschooler's teacher was most impressed at his ability to take care of himself. My second grader is at the top of her class. I loved Oakridge and my children did too. They had a great foundation at this school. The music teacher is a gem!
—Submitted by Y Hunter, a parent