Want Opinion on Daycare/Montessori Schools in Irvine

F

frank69m_IHB

New member
Anyone have any opinions on any of these Daycare and/or Montessori Schools:



Good experiences? Bad? How would you rank them?



I have a 24 month old.







Kindercare Westpark

Kindercare Walnut (kinda odd location)

Kindercare Bearpaw



Childtime Irvine Center



Tutor Time Royal Oak

Tutor Time Central Park

Tutor Time San Marino



Irvine Montessori School (New one)

Newport Montessori School

Village Montessor School of Irvine

University Montessori School

Westpark Montessori School
 
My wife didn't like tutor time at central park so we ended up sending our daughter to edgewood pre-primary in Tustin. It is pricey but my daughter loves it
 
My kids have attended Newport Montessori for over 3.5 years. My daughter even stayed there for 1st grade (ends at 1st grade). My kids love it there- and we have met many wonderful parents that have become good friends.



The Newport location is located in a residential neighborhood- it's quiet, away from busy streets. Very nice playground as well. They have opened up an Irvine location near Von Karman and Main- so I don't know what to think of the location being in a more Industrial area. We live in Irvine, but I will keep my son who will attend Kindergarten in the NB location because I am so familiar and comfortable with the teachers.



I love the teachers- they really do an excellent job. My kids have really thrived there.



The owner is from NY- some reviews always nag about the owner- but she is not a teacher- she is up front running the business. I guess her NY attitude snubs some the wrong way. I am from Chicago- and I happen to really like her and understand that she is running a tight ship.
 
[quote author="JoonB" date=1247631108]My kids have attended Newport Montessori for over 3.5 years. My daughter even stayed there for 1st grade (ends at 1st grade). My kids love it there- and we have met many wonderful parents that have become good friends.



The Newport location is located in a residential neighborhood- it's quiet, away from busy streets. Very nice playground as well. They have opened up an Irvine location near Von Karman and Main- so I don't know what to think of the location being in a more Industrial area. We live in Irvine, but I will keep my son who will attend Kindergarten in the NB location because I am so familiar and comfortable with the teachers.



I love the teachers- they really do an excellent job. My kids have really thrived there.



The owner is from NY- some reviews always nag about the owner- but she is not a teacher- she is up front running the business. I guess her NY attitude snubs some the wrong way. I am from Chicago- and I happen to really like her and understand that she is running a tight ship.</blockquote>


Great. Thanks for your opinon. I'm wondering how the new one near main is?. Perhaps, I'll check it out.
 
Frank69m-

I have heard mixed reviews on the location. Again, industrial, and then the building itself isn't "school-like". The NB location feels like a school, very large classrooms and very bright with lots of windows. I have heard the newer Irvine location doesn't have these characteristics. But- check it out and let me know! :)
 
[quote author="JoonB" date=1247631108]My kids have attended Newport Montessori for over 3.5 years. ... I love the teachers- they really do an excellent job. My kids have really thrived there. </blockquote>


I don't think Frank69m will be able to tolerate the smell from the stables next to Newport Montessori.
 
My kids don't seem to be bothered- and quite frankly, I haven't had a problem either.



Another IHB member has 2 of her kids at the school. I am sure if she read this, she would echo my comments.



I have made calls to the other Irvine-based Montessori's. Don't know if you are on a waiting list- but that might be an issue.



When I was moving from Chicago, I called the various Montessori's in Irvine (the one with the 4 locations) and they never answered the phone- the phone would ring and ring and then someone would answer and tell me to hold. That really set up a red flag for me. If my child were there and I needed to contact the school, I want someone to answer the phone on a timely basis. I called those schools and LePort as well and got the same phone issues. Never had that problem at Newport Montessori.
 
[quote author="JoonB" date=1247631108]My kids have attended Newport Montessori for over 3.5 years. My daughter even stayed there for 1st grade (ends at 1st grade). My kids love it there- and we have met many wonderful parents that have become good friends.



The Newport location is located in a residential neighborhood- it's quiet, away from busy streets. Very nice playground as well. They have opened up an Irvine location near Von Karman and Main- so I don't know what to think of the location being in a more Industrial area. We live in Irvine, but I will keep my son who will attend Kindergarten in the NB location because I am so familiar and comfortable with the teachers.



I love the teachers- they really do an excellent job. My kids have really thrived there.



The owner is from NY- some reviews always nag about the owner- but she is not a teacher- she is up front running the business. I guess her NY attitude snubs some the wrong way. I am from Chicago- and I happen to really like her and understand that she is running a tight ship.</blockquote>


Glad to hear that. We have also registered our twin girls for the toddler class over there and they will be starting in a few weeks. I have also seen the negative reviews about the owner, but she seems to be a nice lady - perhaps we are biased, since we used to live in NY too!
 
Mazy-

The owner is really cool- and Miss Sara Shirazi is the head adminstrator. She teachers the Kindgergarten class. She is amazing! Will your girls be in Miss Vanessa or Miss Beatrice's class?
 
We had a short stay at KinderCare WP while on the waiting list for Montessori and it was fine. What I did like was that breakfast was included which gave us that extra time in the morning. In addition they have a keypad entry door which made it feel more secure and private.



As for the 4 Montessoris owned by the same people... they are great. I don't know about the not answering phone thing because I haven't had a problem with it, whenever I call I get someone and whenever I'm there and the phone rings, someone picks it up (it rings in multiple locations in case the person in front is busy). The newer facilities (WP, Northwood) have observations rooms which is helpful in that it lets you watch your kids in their environment.



I think the best thing is for you to go to each facility yourself and check it out. Any of these places in Irvine are great so it may be more of location, personal choice, religious preference and education system. The only issue is that some have longer waiting lists than other (like the Montessoris).



Good luck.
 
My son goes to WP Montessori and I absolutely love it. They do have a very long waiting list (3+ years) so you need to get on the list as soon as you find out you are pregnant (earliest they will put you on the list). Don't give up and call them once every 3-4 months for status.

While waiting to get my son in, he went to various schools such as WP Tutor Time (now LePort), Oak Creek Kindercare and the KinderCare on Bear Paw. If outside of the Montessori schools, I liked the Bear paw Kindercare. It is a smaller (family like) facility which is older but clean. The head administrator is great.

Back to WP Montessori. All the teachers/instructors/admin there are wonderful. They are very involved with the kids and my son LOVES it there. From an education standpoint, I have to say my son showed a sudden and rapid knowledge growth when he started there and it has never stopped. He talks to me about a very wide range of topics including parts of the body (including details such as parts of the skull bones), insect anatomy, astromony, conservation, nutrition, and some off the wall stuff I never thought to teach him. His math and reading is very advanced. When he was four years old, he was reading books meant for kids 6-7 years old. He can do math with double digit numbers easily. We took a look at the Irvine School District curriculum for what is expected from the kids at grades 1 and 2 and he can do everything in grade 1 and pretty much do all of grade 2 already so he is way ahead of his peers. WP Montessori's learning requirements seem to outclass even Irvine Unified.

They also have a lot of optional activities and field trips for the kids to keep things interesting.

The other parents there are very nice and you can tell are very education focused (Doctors, engineers, IT professionals, etc.)

The only negative thing I have to say about the place is that sometimes my son will get a bump or bruise and there will be no accident report. I just ask my son and it just a boy doing boy things like falling, etc.

All my children will go to this school. That is how much I love it.
 
[quote author="davenlei" date=1248408483]My son goes to WP Montessori and I absolutely love it. They do have a very long waiting list (3+ years) so you need to get on the list as soon as you find out you are pregnant (earliest they will put you on the list). Don't give up and call them once every 3-4 months for status.

While waiting to get my son in, he went to various schools such as WP Tutor Time (now LePort), Oak Creek Kindercare and the KinderCare on Bear Paw. If outside of the Montessori schools, I liked the Bear paw Kindercare. It is a smaller (family like) facility which is older but clean. The head administrator is great.

Back to WP Montessori. All the teachers/instructors/admin there are wonderful. They are very involved with the kids and my son LOVES it there. From an education standpoint, I have to say my son showed a sudden and rapid knowledge growth when he started there and it has never stopped. He talks to me about a very wide range of topics including parts of the body (including details such as parts of the skull bones), insect anatomy, astromony, conservation, nutrition, and some off the wall stuff I never thought to teach him. His math and reading is very advanced. When he was four years old, he was reading books meant for kids 6-7 years old. He can do math with double digit numbers easily. We took a look at the Irvine School District curriculum for what is expected from the kids at grades 1 and 2 and he can do everything in grade 1 and pretty much do all of grade 2 already so he is way ahead of his peers. WP Montessori's learning requirements seem to outclass even Irvine Unified.

They also have a lot of optional activities and field trips for the kids to keep things interesting.

The other parents there are very nice and you can tell are very education focused (Doctors, engineers, IT professionals, etc.)

The only negative thing I have to say about the place is that sometimes my son will get a bump or bruise and there will be no accident report. I just ask my son and it just a boy doing boy things like falling, etc.

All my children will go to this school. That is how much I love it.</blockquote>


I am a teacher, our union President's son goes to this school. She is a 100% advocate for public schools but couldn't bring herself to separate her son from this school. She absolutely loves it. Montessori's have the ability to teach kids at the level there are at, something the public school system is unable to do for a variety of reasons.
 
One of the good things about the 4 Irvine Montessori schools is they have extracurricular programs at the school. You can pay for ballet, gymnastics, language and various instrument classes and your kid will be taught there. Not only is it convenient (you don't have to drive your child to another place) but your son/daughter is taking classes with their already established friends.



One thing of note... the demographic is very FCB. I don't know if that has to do with the general Irvine demographic (there are quite a few kids there who do not reside in Irvine) or a statement on what segment of the population pays for private school in Irvine.
 
[quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1248483013]



One thing of note... the demographic is very FCB. I don't know if that has to do with the general Irvine demographic (there are quite a few kids there who do not reside in Irvine) or a statement on what segment of the population pays for private school in Irvine.</blockquote>
What is FCB?? You keep using that term....
 
[quote author="irvine123" date=1248495292][quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1248483013]



One thing of note... the demographic is very FCB. I don't know if that has to do with the general Irvine demographic (there are quite a few kids there who do not reside in Irvine) or a statement on what segment of the population pays for private school in Irvine.</blockquote>
What is FCB?? You keep using that term....</blockquote>
Sorry... we should make an IHB FAQ.



It's a joke... FCB stands for Foreign Cash Buyers. The theory is because FCBs like to live in Irvine, they'll slow the price drops compared to other OC cities (at least that's the latest iteration of it).



Basically... Irvine has a lot of Asian and Middle East ethnic groups.
 
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