Montessori Children's House of the West Coast

Teachers and staff are top notch and the parent community is amazing.

Both of our children went here and we have nothing but the most amazing things to say about MCH. Fantastic teachers, caring admin, and amazing community. We have developed lifelong friendships with parents from there and still miss it to this day!

This school is incredible and has only enriched our lives. Our youngest daughter is in her last year at MCH and we are going to miss the school and community so much! The teachers and faculty are amazing and you can tell they truly love what they do. They provide a world class Montessori education while building each child's independence, confidence, and social emotional skills. They provide a true Montessori curriculum, true to the Montessori method, and know your child inside and out. They integrate families at all times whether through circle time presentations linked to your family traditions, culture, or interests or through volunteering on site, you are a true part of a community. Our now 4th grader continues to use what she learned at MCH. Preschool builds a foundation to move you through your education years by creating a love of learning and a willingness to try and MCH does that 110%. I can't imagine how my daughters' foundation could be stronger. As a family, we have built genuine life long friendships. The parent/guardian community is strong and has been integral in our lives since day 1 at MCH. We can't say enough good things about this preschool!

Montessori Children's House is beyond impressive. The top 3 things that stand out are: the teachers, the community and the communication. The tenure of their head teachers is upward of 25 years. Their experience and commitment really shines through when dealing with tough toddler situations. They are absolute pros at what they do. With such patience and compassion too! The community is warm, inclusive, welcoming and FUN. Most bday parties include everyone. Lots of events of all kinds, including volunteer events. It's so great to meet parents who have similar interests and find ways that work for my schedule to participate - and genuinely enjoy doing so. The communication is something we were looking for specifically because it was lacking at the first preschool we attended. Between the app and the newsletters, I feel well informed but not inundated with info. The director is super professional and organized. The teachers are very open to 1:1 meetings outside of regular conferences. I feel super supported by the school as a parent and connected to what my child is doing on a daily basis.

My daughter is in her third year at MCH and we couldn't be happier with our experience. She entered as a toddler at not even 3 years of age, and is set to go to Kinder next year as a mature, confident, independent 5 year old. The teaching team at MCH is truly outstanding, with incredible tenure (3 of the teachers have been there for 25+ years!) and even better ability to draw children out and help them develop a love of learning. My daughter's social emotional skills are quite advanced, and I credit MCH for this as well. The school emphasizes respect for your environment and your peers, and gives children the tools to practice it on a daily basis. The administration and the parent community are wonderful. Brianne the director is so helpful with the kindergarten application process, and responsive all around. The other families are great - friendly, grounded, and diverse - and we've made friends that we'll have in our lives for a long time. MCH is truly a gem.

Tl;dr: Calm, nurturing, supportive school following authentic Montessori approach. The first thing one notices when walking into MCH is how calm and centered the kids are. MCH respects and trusts children and creates a space for them to learn on their own terms. When kids have agency in their learning, they thrive. Teachers Calm classrooms are led by long-tenured teachers with decades of traditional Montessori experience. Several teachers have been at MCH for 20+ years. The well of knowledge and experience is deep, and it shows through in their guidance. Teachers are very accessible and are available not just for parent-teacher conferences, but for office hours with parents, too. Each teacher knows every child in their classroom and is happy to share about how they're doing. Admin The admin team is exceptional at MCH. They get to know the children and give daily updates on what's happening at school. The admin is also well-versed in the Montessori philosophy and give tips on how to engage one's child outside of school. Community MCH families are warm and welcoming and come from a variety of backgrounds. There are morning coffee sessions at school for parents to meet as well as parent-only parties hosted by MCH families. It's rather remarkable that there are even alum families that are still involved with the board and community. MCH is such a special place.

MCH has changed my view of parenting, and that will last throughout my kids' lives. The San Francisco preschool "scene" can be so competitive, but MCH rises above all that, and encourages parents to allow their children to be the ones that shine. My kids are far more independent, outgoing, and confident because of this special school. I cannot recommend it enough.

Our 3 year old daughter attends Montessori Children’s House and we love it. From the minute we set foot in the classroom on the tour, we were very impressed. The classroom was so peaceful with all the children working independently or in groups. 3-5 year olds were gently taking work from the shelves, concentrating on projects, putting them away, observing others and cleaning up in such a gentle way. The teachers were engaged either demonstrating work, kindly guiding children or actively observing interactions between the children. MCH is an authentic Montessori school and a majority of the teachers have been there for over 18 years. The teachers are so passionate about what they do and are always beaming with warmth and joy when talking about their students. Within weeks of our daughter starting school, they knew her as well as we did. They were very kind in highlighting her strengths/uniqueness and things that she could work on, all while reassuring us that this is totally normal. When we asked, they gave us suggestions on how we could encourage her at home. One teacher has unlocked her inner artist and inspired her to make a 3D model from origami paper. Another teacher knows exactly how to motivate our daughter to try new things out of her comfort zone. Whenever our daughter overcomes a challenge or learns something new she always says she wants to proudly share it with the teacher. They have channelled her independence into helpful skills like pouring her own water, cleaning up before bedtime, putting on a coat when she’s cold, and designing her own activities. She also enjoys going to a different park each day on the yellow school bus. The faculty and staff are extremely communicative and compassionate. I was on bedrest for multiple months and our daughter went through some ups and downs. The director, teachers, parent community and staff made our family feel so loved and nurtured during that time. The community is truly diverse with families from all ethnic and social backgrounds. Parents are excited to be a part of school life and drop off / pick up is often the best part of my day. We love the 30 minutes every morning when parents can interact with their children in the classroom. My daughter loves sharing things she has been working on and exploring new things with us. It’s a great time to see the children and teachers in their element and a nice chance to catch up with other parents. They also have curbside drop-off (with the director of the school bringing children in from the cars) for days when you don’t have the time. Families come from all over the world (Finland, Russia, Spain, Korea, etc.) and my daughter often comes home talking about parent presentations on how to put on a kimono, opera, passover or the day of the dead. The children happily interact easily with adults and their peers and do so with grace, kindness, and curiosity about the world around them. We are lucky to be a part of this wonderful community.

We love MCH. All three of our children (2 boys and a girl) are very different but all three were excited to go to school every day. The head teachers are still enthusiastic after ~18 years each at MCH and very patient. Every month, they share their thoughtful curriculum based on the Montessori method and materials but also rich in culture, botany, zoology, geography, practical life, language, math, etc. The down to earth, diverse parent community share their traditions with the children to celebrate holidays (eg - Santa Lucia, Diwali, etc) or to tie-in with curriculum. This year, as the children learned about Asia, parents presented the traditional Korean dress or presented Holi, the Hindi spring celebration with music, dance, and colored string flying all over the classroom. Last week, my son proudly told me about the sushi he made and ate in school. Music is ever present at the school from weekly music classes, but also the constant singing about the continents, days of the week as well as fun and holiday songs. Our kids love getting on the big yellow school bus to park play. While there are many outings, our favorite school trip is the afternoon program to SF Symphony where all the instruments are presented in advance of the field trip. We have enjoyed the after school class offerings including gymnastics, soccer, playball, music, spanish. Overall, I was most impressed with the happiness and development of my children during those three years. They gained independence, close friendships and passion for learning. It was a kind, safe and nurturing environment for all of our children. When my children went through the kindergarten process and (and my oldest subsequently started k), they were well-prepared. We will miss the school and community tremendously as our younger ones graduate.