Current Montclair Kindergarten experience?
Hello,
We have an incoming kindergartener and Montclair is our closest school. I'm not seeing very specific information anywhere and wondering if anyone is willing to share about recent/current experience? I finally found teacher names in the handbook but cant find anymore information! It seems like a lot of other OUSD schools have names/pictures and even some bios.
Anyway, info appreciated!
Jan 20, 2025
Parent Replies
No experience with Montclair but I just wanted to caution against evaluating a school by their OUSD websites - these are often out of date. The process of updating the site is onerous, and can only done by the school administrators, who usually have many other more pressing priorities.
Our experience has been positive. The principal is kind and approachable and we have a good teacher. I was also surprised that there weren't pictures and bios on the website. Believe that tours are taking place right now so I'd suggest going and checking out for yourself. Could ask about the different teachers and how long they've been there, etc.
I am a parent of a current kindergartener at Montclair Elementary:
The Positives:
Our 5-year-old absolutely loves going to school and adores his teacher. This has been a huge relief for us, as we faced some challenges with school reluctance during preschool—but that's no longer an issue. We've had wonderful interactions with other parents, and the principal has made a great impression by being present and welcoming. He was out on the play yard every day for the first two weeks, helping the new TK and K students transition smoothly, which really set a positive tone for the year.
The school offers a variety of enriching activities throughout the week—our son enjoys gardening on Mondays, PE on Tuesdays, music on Thursdays, and library time on Fridays. We’ve also been impressed with the retention of teachers, which contributes to a strong sense of community and shared commitment to making Montclair a great learning environment. There are four kindergarten classes. As others have mentioned, (if you have not already) I would encourage you to go on one of the school tours. The next one is on Friday, Jan 24th at 8:45 am.
The Challenges:
Like many families new to OUSD, we've faced some hurdles in getting up to speed with the various communication platforms. There are multiple apps/communication channels at play—district-wide, school-wide, class-specific, etc.—which can sometimes feel overwhelming. Important messages can get lost in the volume of information, making it a bit of an adjustment.
Aftercare is provided by BACR, which (I believe) is the same program offered at Thornhill but differs from what Joaquin Miller provides. We've found the aftercare program to be a bit less structured than we had hoped, which has been an adjustment for our family. Since BACR operates independently from the school, communication can sometimes feel disjointed, adding another layer to navigate.
Overall, we’re happy with our experience and feel grateful to be part of a supportive and engaged school community. If you have any questions or would like to chat in more detail, feel free to reach out—I'd be happy to share more insights!