Montessori On the Boulevard

We spent several weeks researching and visiting Montessori schools in the area. My husband and I feel it’s very important to find the best school for our son. Upon entering Montessori On the Blvd, we immediately knew that we had found the right place.
Special thanks to Luana, who did a wonderful introduction and showed us around the facility. Everything is child-​sized, including the wash basins, toilets, water fountains — anything the children need throughout the day. Everything is well organized and the children are taught to clean after themselves and to help the younger children in the class, if they need help.
Even though, there are a lot of preschools out there that call themselves Montessori, we felt this is one that adheres to the pedagogy and provides the children with all the tools and materials necessary for them to learn through exploration. The entire staff demonstrates levels of passion and professionalism that are rarely seen in the education world. They are all very kind, courteous, graceful, respectful, and very well-​educated themselves. They work tirelessly to set ideal examples for the children of how people should behave and cooperate together.
The communication from the administration to the parents is outstanding. The facility is beautiful. For us, Montessori On the Blvd is a total solution!

My son spent nearly three years at Montessori on the Blvd. He started in the infant room and moved into the pre-​preschool room. From the very beginning, the teachers were so kind and gentle with my son. They took care to get to know him, his favorite activities, favorite songs and how to console him if he was having a tough day. A true testament to any school is the mood/​behavior of your child when you pick them up, and mine was always laughing, happy and ready to be with his teachers. He truly loved them and they loved him back! The teachers really took the time to get to know our family. In return, our family felt a sense of security, knowing our child was in a safe environment. Additionally, he flourished under the Montessori method, learning to count, his colors, manners, potty training and so much more. Due to moving too far away, we are sad to leave the school. I would like to thank all the teachers, including Ms. Lilya, Ms. Feriden, Ms. Sam, Ms. Linda, Ms. Yasmin and Ms. Luana. We will miss you!

I have to say I was highly impressed by the professionalism, cleanliness and attentiveness at this Montessori school.
My son has been in Montessori since he was 1 years old. He’s four now and I was in Woodland hills for six months for business.
After visiting a couple of schools in the area I was won over by Montessori on the boulevard.
Luana met me and my son for our tour of the facility. She was very kind and open from the start. Answering my questions and showing me the school. I have to say it was such a clean facility.
I was allowed to sit in on the pre school class and observe Ms Yasmine interact with her kids. She was very caring and nurturing of their learning.
I enrolled my son for the six months while I was there for work.

This is my experience with this school… I don’t know why the previous reviews say they have loving teachers, maybe for a different age group. My daughter, 4 yrs old, did the one week trial, The teacher in her classroom, Ms Sam, seemed like she didn’t want to be there at all, completely disconnected with the students. One the last day, I entered the classroom and she was sitting on the desk looking at some papers, she didn’t even acknowledged me, no «hello» «good morning», nothing. I took my daughter where the other kids were sitting and started talking to them, they were excited to tell me what they were building and doing. Felt like they wanted to be engaged with an adult. I also didn’t like the way she talked to the kids, I thought it was mean and not loving at all. The school is pretty and very clean but it seems like a façade. The director sells the school and program well, when I told her my problems with the teacher, she said that’s the Montessori method, to observe… yeah whatever. My daughter tried to connect with the teacher on the first day, she was very excited to start school, the teacher dismissed her completely. I saw it but wanted to give it a chance, after 6 days going there, on the last day my daughter didn’t even want to get out of the car. On the last note, they now owe me $ 150 bucks. The director said she was going to hold my registration check until after the trial and she deposited before the trial was over! Parents be aware and really take a look at who is teaching your kids, it’s not just about a pretty school.

My daughter has been going to this school now for a year and she seem to really like it. I like the staff and how they pay close attention to the kids. She has progressed so much since attending Montessori on the blvd. highly recommend this school. New teacher mrs Yasmin is amazing. My daughter really seems to actually enjoy school now so much more.

My 1 yr old has been attending this school for a month. We are very happy with her primary, Ms. Nellie. She is sweet & attentive & always has a very detailed report on my daughter’s day. All the teachers in the infant room are lovely. They seem to know each child well, and are very communicative.
There is a new director, who started a few weeks before we enrolled. She has been communicative, and kind. Often, I see her in classrooms engaged with the children. I’ve seen children run up & hug her, and stop by her office on their way out to hug her goodbye for the day.
We have an older child & have been through the daycare process numerous times. We know what we are looking for & can tell pretty quickly when something isn’t working out. My daughter is happy to be there; reaches out for Ms. Nellie for cuddles, and gets excited & smiley when we turn the corner to get to her classroom.
The only improvement I would suggest is warming the facility up a bit. It is a new facility, and especially with a new director, these things take time. Everything is clean, orderly, and wonderfully set up for the kids. It just needs a little warming touch, some character.
The older classrooms /​children seem happy, calm & engaged.

I had hoped to like this school. The employees seem like nice people, especially the caregiver feeding the infants in the baby room (sorry to be specific, but she was asian, perhaps? — she seemed attentive to the infants in her care as I chatted with her). I am a firm believer in the montessori method. However:
I did not enroll in this school, but recently toured it. I was concerned with what I observed and experienced, so I wanted to share with others. If the owners read this, perhaps they can be sure to address it as well — perhaps even respond here with a plan for addressing it.
1. I had a tour time that was not honored. Ms Jackie was running behind. This is normal and just happens sometimes, but to not notify me, or to fail to arrange for someone to meet me at our assigned meeting time & place, felt disrespectful of my time (I had my toddler with me, and a baby at home with a sitter). I had rearranged my schedule for this tour. (I ended up being invited to either wait (no) or join in the tour already happening (less convenient, as that tour was infant-​focused, but the option I went with).
2. THIS ALARMS ME THE MOST — I entered the facility without any staff seeing me or knowing. A well-​meaning nanny held the door for me to let me in to the front lobby. I buzzed the door, but no staff member was sitting in the front office. I entered, knowing I might otherwise be waiting a while outside. A firm policy should be in place to prevent this happening.
I even waited in the front lobby for 5 minutes waiting for my pre-​arranged tour (again, I was on a schedule and with a toddler, with a young baby at home)
3. We spent time in the playground area, observing and talking. Here’s what I observed: a toddler (cute, asian boy, 2 – 3 yrs old in case his mother is reading) just crying, standing there, looking abandoned. No caregiver was coming to him. In fact, the 3 caregivers (younger, latino women — detail provided for benefit of the managers) were busy talking to each other. I noticed this 3 different times during the tour — the playground caregivers deeply engaged in chit chat amongst themselves — ignoring the children.
The overall feel was loud, a bit out of control energy-​wise (other moms looking for preschools will get what I mean), and the feeling that there were some children who ruled the roost (read: bullies). Children are not at fault here; caregivers are clearly tuned out.
My bottom line assessment is that this is a business, and run as a business. The owners apparently run about 12 montessori schools: set up in Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, etc. Clearly, their model is to open up a preschool, add «montessori» to the name to charge more for tuition, and place it in a wealthy neighborhood to ensure non-​informed or desperate parents have a convenient place to go.
I’d look at Montessori House of Children or Encino Presbyterian (non-​religious) as alternatives (for less tuition, also). The tuition here is laughably outrageous.
I hope some changes are made by the leadership to improve the business and the care for the children.

I love this place! My Child loves this place! After having a bad experience at another day care, Montessori Boulevard’s director and teachers have proven be the best! The facility is clean, the teachers (ie Ms. Farradeh, Ms. Lisa, Ms. Sam) are amazing and loving and what my child learns is so great! It’s nice that the Montessori engages the children and exposes them to world cultures and experiences that they will remember. I feel so relieved that she can stay here for the next few years.
One thing great is that the staff is open and transparent and is always welcoming of parents suggestions and recommedations for any improvement to our school.
Would highly recommend coming here! (Especially for 1^st time parents)

i had my child there for about 6 months. The facility is clean and well run, some of the teachers are outstanding, some are not. I felt safe dropping my child off there each day. I did have a weird run in with a teacher who scolded my older child to stay off the swings that no one else was swinging on because he didn’t attend the school, that was the last straw. In the end I moved my child to another school mostly because of the high tuition. They charge you for everything, including their key entrance buzzer ($ 10). I found a much cheaper school that has much more to offer nearby. I just don’t understand why they charge so much, I also think that the facility felt sterile and hospital like, it could use a little warming up.

I have both of my boys here and they love it. The staff is loving and competent – especially Luana and Ashlee. I cannot say enough about how incredibly patient and kind they are to my 3 year old. I also love how safe it is. The doors are always locked (you have to be buzzed in if you are a visitor and they give the parents fabs) and school yard is safely enclosed. It is behind a church but it has no religious affiliation. They also offer hot healthy lunches every day, which is nice. Anyway, two thumbs up.

This daycare is just open for 1 year. All facilities are new and inviting. Staff look nice. I called to check the license, no complaint so far. So I sent my baby here. (10 months old) She is still crying everyday when I drop her and everyday when I pick her up. I assume she need more time to adjust. I just want to create the day care here so hopefully more people will leave comments.