My Own Montessori

My Own Montessori has been an incredible experience for our family. Our son started attending M.O.M. in 2022, and from the very beginning, we felt embraced by a caring and nurturing community. The staff at M.O.M. are not just educators; they are compassionate, dedicated individuals who genuinely care about each child's development. They have created a warm, welcoming environment that fosters independence and curiosity.

The school adheres faithfully to the Montessori method, and this approach has been transformative for our son. We've seen him develop curiosity about the world, and he is always excited to share the new knowledge he’s gained. Each year has a theme that inevitably makes its way into our home life. During the geography year, our son insisted we print out flags from different countries and hang them around the house. During the botany year, he started to germinate seeds and care for the plants at home. Once, he took some butternut squash seeds from the kitchen and successfully grew an entire plant. (To my suprise!) The 2024 summer school theme was the human body, and he came home talking about how the kidneys work. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed, offering a mix of structured activities and free play that keeps children engaged and eager to learn.

The indoor-outdoor space at M.O.M. is beautifully maintained, providing an environment where children can explore and play freely. The school also offers organic and vegetarian snack options, which is a wonderful bonus for health-conscious families. Additionally, the community of parents is vibrant and supportive, with plenty of opportunities to connect through school events and volunteer activities.

In summary, My Own Montessori is a gem of a preschool, where children are not only educated but also cherished and supported in their growth. We highly recommend M.O.M. to any family looking for a nurturing and enriching early education experience.

We absolutely love MOM! Our 3 yr old started school at MOM in 2023 and we feel so lucky to have found this wonderful community. The teaching staff is so caring, kind, thoughtful, and attentive to all the children. They have developed an excellent curriculum filled with creative works and activities for children at this early age to learn and grow. Our daughter is thriving in the Montessori method, building her confidence, independence, and all new skills which we have seen translate at home. The school space itself is well equipped, clean, and set up in a great way to give all the students flexibility throughout their day. 

Could not recommend MOM enough to families considering this preschool! 

My Own Montessori is a wonderful pre-school and we are so happy to be sending our 4 year old there. Here are the three pillars that I think make the school truly special:

Teachers - all of the teachers are stellar, kind, brilliant people who have a clearly genuine interest in helping children learn and develop. Most of them have studied early childhood education/Montessori and their commitment shows in many ways big and small — the thoughtfulness of their curriculum, the lovely traditions around holidays, birthdays, seasons, etc.  My child is really interested in visual art / painting and I especially love how the art curriculum covers some pretty sophisticated topics in art history in an engaging, accessible and age appropriate way. I think it speaks to the respect they have for children - that they are capable of learning and absorbing more than we might assume. 

Environment - one of the coziest, tidiest and most inviting indoor/outdoor spaces I saw in all my pre-school tours. They take Montessori pretty seriously and teach the children responsibility and discipline about keeping their spaces tidy for others to enjoy. I love how my daughter comes home and wants to treat our home the same way. It’s very thoughtful and sweet. 

Parent Community - this was one of the most important things for me because I think relationships with other parents going through the same life stages is really valuable, and having access to an vibrant parent community was very important for me. M.O.M. does a great job of fostering connections by providing lots of opportunities (with the help of an amazing trio of volunteer parent coordinators) to get folks together for coffee, book club, holiday parties, and more. 

In short we are so happy with this school and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a very thoughtful and enriching preschool experience for their little one. 

My son joined MOM for the 2022-23 school year. Prior to joining we were at a part time play based preschool which was wonderful but I wanted a more structured experience to help prepare him for Kindergarten. MOM has truly been a blessing, they have experienced, caring teachers who provide both group and individualized learning in a fun and engaging environment. My son has grown leaps and bounds in his critical thinking, writing and socialization skills. I am confident that when he starts kindergarten in the fall he will be well prepared.

We were introduced to My Own Montessori by a friend who sent their two children there. We looked at many schools before MOM and after our visit, we knew we found the right school for our son.

One of my first impressions during the tour was the classroom and play spaces are organized, clean and filled with a lot of Montessori materials. The teachers are well versed about early child development. They are caring, warm and friendly. The way they carry themselves and instill the Montessori approach are definitely reflected in the children. We saw children independently doing their work, asking questions and choosing their own activities without much direction. 

Our first impression of the school remain true in our family’s experience. My son enjoyed the independence and being able to choose his learning space. As a curious, expressive, and independent child, the tactile Montessori teaching materials supported his learning style. He was encouraged to figure things out independently with the right amount of teachers' support. This approach helped him stay motivated and build up his confidence. Because of the small class size, the teachers were able to make note of what activities each child gravitates towards and redirect them so they get a good balance of math, language arts, science, art and outdoor play. The school provided a trusting place that is socially, physically and emotionally safe. As a parent, it's always a relief to know your child is in good hands. We see the teachers during drop off and pick up and they alway make themselves available to connect with parents and caregivers. 

I really enjoyed the parent volunteer opportunities at MOM. Before COVID, parents were invited to help the kids cook Stone Soup together, walk older children to the Rockridge Library for Storytime, and share presentations about their own culture and other fun topics. Being able to participate in these activities gave me a glimpse of my son's day at school and helped me understand the social dynamic in his class. I also enjoyed learning about other parents' cultural presentations through the teachers' Friday letters to parents and through my son. In our family, we believe that it is important for our son to be surrounded and exposed to the rich diverse culture of the Bay Area. My son continues to thrive socially and academically at his current school as a first grader. In short, we are truly grateful for the MOM experience that helped foster his desire to learn, be an independent thinker and stay inquisitive.

We absolutely LOVE this preschool. Our older daughter attended M.O.M. for 2 years before going to kindergarten, and we are thrilled to have our younger daughter here now. We toured several preschools, and have friends with kids who've attended many different preschools in the area, and we truly feel like we hit the jackpot with M.O.M.
The teachers here are some of the most caring, warm, supportive, and invested educators you will ever meet. They truly get to know each and every child in the school, which is possible given its small size. They understand how to help each child thrive and develop a curiosity about the world around them that translates to a love of learning. As an educator myself, I can say that the amount of time and energy that these teachers put into each day is unmatched by any other preschool that I've been a part of.
M.O.M. teaches the children to be independent, while feeling supported.  They teach the children to share and cooperate, but also how to kindly let another child know if they'd prefer to do an activity by themself. The life skills that my children have learned at M.O.M. will serve them for years to come.  Not to mention that my daughter was more than prepared for kindergarten, both socially and academically, when the time came for that big transition.
In short, I would recommend this preschool to anyone and truly believe that this preschool would be a good fit for any child. The children at this school are celebrated and loved every day - and what a gift it is to have such a wonderful place to leave your young child.

This is our 8th and final year at MOM (all my kids have gone here) and having been through all the ups and downs of the past 2 years of COVID and also experienced many non COVID years, I cannot say enough good things about this school! The teachers are the most loving, kind, thoughtful individuals you could ever want caring for your kids. Their curriculum is engaging and fun, the kids do music (with an accompanying ukulele), gardening, cooking, so much art, and everything is hands on learning. Each kid is met where they are socially, emotionally, and academically. The communication is fantastic and the kids just learn so much about themselves and the world! It is a Montessori school so there are traditional "works," and kids are also encouraged to use their imaginations with dress up clothes, oral and written storytelling, poetry and an outdoor mud kitchen. I am delighted at the art and projects my kid have brought home and my the weekly notes sent home by the teachers with details about what they learned. I wouldn't change a thing about this school. Thank you MOM for caring for all my kids all these years! 

My daughter has been at My Own Montessori for the past year and we love it. After searching through all the local school options, and being interested in a Montessori environment (although it wasn't our top priority), we are thrilled to have landed at this wonderful school.

Our first priorities were finding a place for our kiddo that provided a supportive environment, fostered her independence and curiosity, and provided her with a kind community of peers to grow alongside. M.O.M. has been all of those things and more. It's been really fun to see my daughter flourish in the Montessori setting. She has so much pride in the things she can do, in telling us about the reptiles and birds she's been learning about, and showing us the artwork she comes home with regularly. 

Beyond the social and educational benefits to our child, I have to note how grateful I've been for the school's leadership through this especially tough year of navigating covid regulations and safety. They've been communicative, thoughtful, and adaptive to the various situations. I have no doubt that my kid is in the best hands, and Csilla and Caroline have been responsive to any questions that I've had.

When we did our in-person tour of M.O.M. while applying, it immediately felt like the right fit. The classroom is bright and well organized, comfortable and accessible. I love the fact that my kid can go outside throughout the day and that she comes home every week singing a new song. I'm so happy to have found a school that provides a place for play, exploration, and a great education.