St. Mary's Montessori School | Rancho Cucamonga

I toured so many school I promised this is the best school I have seen now. I am a very picky parent (my husband too) but we don't find anything we are unsatisfied with at St Mary. - I love how staffs here are dedicated and patient to kids; - I also love how strict they are maintaining to ensure health and physical safety. I saw some schools allow parents joining all school events and anyone can enter school areas. As a parent, I feel so safe about everything what St Mary is doing. - I am very glad teachers are reaching out routinely to update my kid's performance; - The environment in school is super clean and super organized/bright. The kitchen is transparent too. - The most importantly, my kid made a lot progress since she started school this June. She loves school, her teacher and friends. She proactively told me everything she is happy with at school. She likes drawing, dancing, singing. She is in bilingual family but she can gradually understand both language better and better. Because all of these, I understand why the waiting list line is so long. St Mary Montessori is not only the best school in Rancho Cucamonga, but also the best in the whole greater LA area.

St Mary's Montessori (Fontana branch) is a great school, my son has been there for about 7 months. He loves it there, we all love it there. We recently moved from the east cost and had a hard time finding a good daycare for him. He attended another school where he had a horrible experience for 2 weeks and they were so understanding here in St Mary's and took great care of him. He is so happy here, he says the best things about his teachers (Ms. Cynthia especially) and everyone. Ms. Kiran is exceptionally kind and amazing.. she really amazes me. He advanced so much and learned so many things. The education level is amazing and they make the kids feel very proud. The whole school is really wonderful, they are very kind and attentive to each child. Ms. Hedi the director is wonderful, has so much care for each family and treats us all like family. Nel and Chris the owners are really great, I have so much respect for them. I am really thankful for the care they provide our son and definitely recommend this school.

My son has been attending this school since January 2014 and he will continue until Kindergarden, with respect to other people, in my opinion in regards my son attending to Montessori school, he has improved his learning skills fast compare to previous schools he attended. I noticed this is a great quality school to prepare your child. I will highly recommend this private school.

My 4 year old son previously attended a large name daycare where my husband and I saw serious concerns in his educational development. He was basically left to play with toys and there were no outward signs that the staff cared about his growth. At this other daycare, he was surrounded by children who were acting out and who were not learning how to deal with conflict and frustration often coming home with bruises, bites and unexplained injuries that the teachers hadn't witnessed. When we moved our son to St. Mary's Montessori, it was as if a prayer were answered for us. I immediately felt like my son was in the hands of true educators! I felt an immediate connection with the staff from my first interaction with Mrs. Nel and her husband Mr. Chris, I knew this was more than just a business venture for them, they truly had a passion for what they were doing and they were making decisions that were in the best interest of all of the children (this could be seen in the delivery of healthy meals/snacks; the new playground equipment that had been installed; as well as the educational focus of each activity I could see the children engaged in). Within the first two months I saw dramatic changes in my son. He was becoming much happier, it was obvious that he began interacting with other children and adults in a more polite and courteous manner. He loves the teachers at St. Mary's! Within months of transferring he was able to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, identify all of the continents, and was writing. In addition to teacher conferences where I receive an assessment of his educational development, I receive daily communication and pick up his work each Friday. This is truly a school, not a daycare. Our son is now asking to write numbers and letters independently and is showing more interest in attempting to read on his own. Studies prove that children develop lifelong study habits at this time in their life, and his enthusiasm for education makes me realize his placement at St. Mary's Montessori school was the perfect decision! My husband and I both agree that if you want your child to learn and take a positive step forward, then St. Mary's is the place for them. I also love that the school ensures there is a strong connection between the parents and their staff. I've thoroughly enjoyed attending the classroom parties for holidays. I saw that one of the other reviews said something about parents providing snacks and juices, etc. - and I wanted to comment that on the very rare occasion that I've noticed a sign up sheet for parents it was to provide additional food so that the parents could attend an event and eat with their child. I would love being involved more, I would absolutely love the chance to volunteer for any of the events. I, for one, certainly don't find the requests of the school to be any different than I encountered at the big name daycare - they too wanted a yearly registration fee. While the parent association has done some fundraising for additional money for special event venues and teacher appreciation, I've never felt it was inappropriate - as those funds shouldn't be expected to come from the money we spend for the normal schooling. I feel I get more than my money's worth.. St. Mary's is priceless in my opinion! We couldn't be happier!

Pros: If you compare this place to Kinder Care, the teachers at St Montessori do a better job of caring for the kids. However that care is withering away lately because of higher enrollment and increased teacher/kids ratio. Cons: The fees are high. The school charges $945 or more for full time attendance ($945 for 8:00 am to 6:30 pm and higher if kids attend from 6:30 am). However, they close 4 weeks each year. When school is closed, parents pay extra $150/week. This is in addition to the monthly fee. They also close one week without giving parents any options at all. For 2014, the school closed July 28 to August 1. This feels like daylight robbery as parents must find alternative care after paying the full monthly fee. Quality of learning is subjective depending on which parent you ask. Extras $150 or so per week for 3 weeks that school is closed in addition to full monthly fee. Closed for a full week after charging full monthly fee - Cost $250+. Out of school field trips - optional. Last time cost $28. In-house field trip - NOT OPTIONAL. Fail to pay and your kid is NOT allowed to attend school that day even though you paid your monthly fee in full. Last time cost $50. Early check in or late pick up - $1 per minute. Want to watch your kid's end of year performance - $5 per person, $7 at the gate.