Chairez Montessori Preschool
Berkeley, CA
Maria Chairez is the director/teacher. She has 21 years of experience on early childhood education. She is Montessori certified by the American Montessori Society. She is a traditional preschool teacher as well.
We offer a Montessori, bilingual (English/Spanish) program. We also provide breakfast, lunch, and p.m. snack. Our meals are homemade and 85% organic.
Our philosophy is based on respect for all people, especially the children. We strive to create an environment where we recognize the uniqueness of each individual and value each person’s gift to life.
Excellent references upon request.
Please call to get a tour and to learn more about our program.
Parent Q&A
Parent Reviews
Parents, please Sign in to post a review on this page.Hi Ariela,
I am not fluent but have solely spoken 95% spanish to my 2.5 year old at home. He is outgrowing my husband's phrases and high school spanish. But we try as hard as we can, as non native speakers to speak as much Spanish as possible at home. So we are not in the same situation as you by any means. But I wanted to share and connect as I do hope to connect our kid with spanish speaking amigos along the way before kindergarten as we are also hoping to be a part of the two way immersion program.
We currently are in a home based daycare right next to Centro Vida called Chairez Montessori. This is not an immersion or spanish speaking school. It is small, 12 kids, 0-5 years old and Lupe the lead teacher is mexican and speaks primarily to the kids in spanish. Or will translate both english and spanish. I am not sure this is what you are looking for but it is sweet and our 2.5 year old's spanish and english are developing. The play language is definitely english but I am ok with that especially as a non native speaker. I have also been following some bilingual mamas on instagram who have a lot to say on that and it seems pretty normal for the kids to play in a majority language. I am not sure this is the answer you are looking for but we also hope to access the two way immersion when it's time for Kindergarten. Centro vida also seems very sweet and I didn't know much about it until after we started at Chairez.
If you would like to connect and see if our kids would play in Spanish or would like to chat more, I'd be happy to hear what you find as well!
My daughter has attended Chairez Montessori School since shortly after she turned 2, and she's thrived there. Learned so much, gotten more independent, and had fun! She comes home speaking Spanish phrases and singing cute songs they learned, I really feel she's getting socialized to a "school" environment even though at her age there's still plenty of play. They are attentive to healthy food, naps, and cleanliness so she has maintained pretty good health despite the normal toddler cesspool. I appreciate the mix of different ages and the fact that the teachers dispense love and discipline when needed. No complaints, it's been a wonderful experience and we feel lucky to have found Ms. Lupe and her team. Highly recommended.
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Sept 2014
I highly recommend Maestra Lupe's Chairez Montessori School. As a Spanish Immersion teacher myself I couldn't have found a better preschool for both my children. Lupe and her staff are reliable, respectful, committed and knowledgeable. Both my children loved the school and grew socially, emotionally and academically while they were there. Una escuela bilingue que realmente es un lindo espacio para los ninos, con maestras dedicadas y atentas. Andrea
May 2014
My son attended the Chairez Montessori from ages 2-5. He thrived in the small, highly attentive environment. He forged a strong bond with both his primary teachers. The teachers speak spanish a high percentage of the time, which we appreciated. My son was very well prepared for his transition to kindergarten. We also liked the physical environment of the school, with a wonderful backyard and plenty of indoor space for the kids. Homemade, delicious food is provided for breakfast and lunch. We highly recommend the Chairez Montessori School! Lynn
April 2014
The great thing about this school is that it's a daycare and a preschool combined, so your kids can start going there as babies and keep on going there all the way until kindergarten. It's so nice to not have to switch and deal with looking around again! Also, the kids form very strong bonds with the staff and other kids there over the years.
About the staff: Rosa takes care of the babies and is sweet and kind. She only speaks Spanish, and I love that my kids learn both languages. Gaby (Rosa's daughter) is the preschool assistant and Maria (who goes by Lupe, and is also the owner) teaches preschool. So the kids are together but separated into groups based on age. The school only has about 13 kids with 3 staff (sometimes a 4th staff member part-time) so the kid/staff ratio is wonderful.
The school is in a home owned by Lupe, but she doesn't live there, so it's very clean and tidy and feels like it is 100% a school. There is a great garden and they do lots of outdoor projects. I am constantly impressed by how much my kids know about plants, animals, geography, science, etc. Lupe is very organized with her lessons and makes sure the kids are (more than) ready for kindergarten. I feel like my preschooler will be ahead of other kids going into kindergarten. Happy Parent
March 2014
Both my kids went to this fabulous preschool. Homemade meals provided with many ingredients coming straight from the garden. Also, Maria prepared the kids for kindergarten, socially and cognitively. Highly recommend this great preschool.
April 2013
Re: A home based Montessori preschool in Berkeley
Our daughter goes to Chairez Montessori Preschool, which is home based and bilingual (Spanish/English). We just love it. It is operated by Maria Chairez -- (510) 524-5012 or jardincito [at] aol.com. The location is in Berkeley at 10th and Camilia, near REI. Sarah
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