Montessori of Malibu Canyon

My son went to this amazing school for 2 years. Sweetest kindest teachers, assistants
And owner Ms Negin! He was nurtured and loved, learned about different countries, cultures, animals, people, machines. and so much more. The Montessori method really helped him be more capable and confident and he learned many new skills. I’m half Iranian and he was able to take a Farsi class and learn quite a but of Farsi language and Iranian culture in one year!
Ms Negin and all the teachers there care so much about every kid. And they also want to make sure we as parents are happy and our needs are met in terms of what we want for our kids.
There were so many special days/​occasions & celebrations. Mothers/​fathers Day, Easter, other cultural holidays that we learned about other people from. Those days were done with so much care& attention, great food and treats and special time spent with our toddlers. So special and fleeting those early years (ages 2,3,4). They really went all Out at each of those events. Hiring performers or having the kids sing or perform.
I highly recommend this school for your pre-​k/​preschool child!

We moved our daughter to MOMC when she was 2 years old and we have been in love ever since! I cannot say enough wonderful things about Karen,…she is amazing at organizing all the schools events and has been so supportive of my whole family. All of the teachers are incredible and we have seen our daughter grow so much in the last year.
The school offers a lot of additional programs like soccer, dance, music, language… all of which we take advantage of. They embrace children’s interests, support their strengths and encourage them to grow in every way.
I cannot say enough about this school, its staff and the whole experience. It is truly a nurturing and happy environment. I would recommend it highly to anyone!

I have only had great experiences at this school. The staff is friendly and warm, and the administration is constantly planning fun and educational events for the children. The teachers are wonderful as they are truly invested in the well being and development of the children. The director is very involved with the school and is always willing to go above and beyond for the MoMC families. I really love the school and would definitely recommend it to anyone.

The education is good – it’s pre-​school. The director speaks of others in an inappropriate and unprofessional manner. She recommended behavioral therapy for my son, so being an always concerned mom I took him to a pediatrician, Dr. Gingold (who I highly recommend). Dr. Gingold also specializes in behavioral issues, said that my son was not getting enough exercise and to try a different school. He hasn’t had any «behavioral» problems in over 2 years since Montessori Malibu. I highly recommend looking at all of your options before putting your child in this school. I’m sure for some families it could be a good fit.

This school could be a great school. What I like about this school is that they are academically focused. However, improvement is needed to make a better environment for everyone: 1) Include all children in cultural celebration. 2) Provide enough snacks and «healthy» snacks. 3) keep all private info private, unless necessary. 4) keep graduation ceremony fun not a fundraising event.

This school is as good as it gets… my daughter has been here for three years and as a parent it is the best feeling when you drop off you child and not have to worry AT ALL about them. The director Miss Karen is doing an amazing job and the teachers are best of the best. Don’t even bother looking at other schools, this school by far is the best in the area.

Our daughter started here when she was 2-​years-​old. We’d toured pretty much every school in the area and MOMC blew them all away with their fantastic curriculum, teachers, and activities — daily morning yoga, organic gardening, spanish, music, computer lab, wonderful playground… But what struck us the most was the Montessori program itself, which seizes every opportunity to further the learning process through Montessori learning tools and materials without the kids even knowing they’re learning. Truly amazing. Our daughter is now 4 ½, enrolled full-​time, and absolutely loves it. She also loves her teachers, who never cease to amaze us — they are so dedicated, creative, focused, caring, and innovative. Overall, we are very happy and, most importantly, so is our daughter. She will be more than prepared for kindergarten next year, thanks to MOMC.

My son has been attending this school for almost a year now and we love the school. The teachers are wonderful and the director is very respectful and involved with the school.
The kids do yoga every morning and they have language and computer classes couple of days a week. We truly love this school and would recommend it to everyone.

I had a different review up but I would like to remove it and write it a little differently.
Both of our kids attended and we felt comfortable with the teachers and director. It did feel slightly understaffed at the time and we definitely were a bit concerned that the teachers weren’t taking them outside enough. I’m sure that’s all changed by now.
Good people running a good school and I hope it continues to improve.

Our children were at this school for quite some time and although the teachers are great, there was a lot of gossip and private information about parents and children etc always being discussed from the director/​owner. Until it happened to me I just ignored the issue but I should have recognized it as a definite problem. Gossip and revealing personal info to others about someone is never okay and should not be tolerated. My husband and I decided to remove our three children from this school and we have placed them in a new montessori where the environment is positive for BOTH parents and children and where education comes first. This is preschool and our main goal as parents is to keep our kids safe and happy.

I am sad to say that there are much better schools around. We came to this school with high hopes after hearing about how and why the school was founded and the director’s credentials. I have been in education for some time now, and know that there is indeed a lot missing. I later visited other schools in the area and talked with other parents, and there are better schools around.
I found this school did not take adequate steps to get to know my child, build relationships with her or me, nor understood child development.
To begin, my daughter did not speak English. I was told this would not be a problem. I was told it is ok, they all learn. I explained her potty situation as well. Teachers and assistants were repeatedly informed about her and they did not remember. On our third visit, the teacher was saying her name wrong and did not know about her language, nor the assistant. In the end they wanted me to go home and teach her English. I am also an English language learner, and taught Spanish speaking children. This was absolutely absurd. Not only could they not remember details about her, they did wanted me to change our culture for them. There are other families who told me they had the same experience here, and now their children have lost their home languages. So sad.
They give a very poor snack and do not allow you to bring your own. Snack was 3 – 4 animal crackers and 7 – 9 raisins. They cannot have more. This is beyond ridiculous. How a 2.5 year old is to manage themselves is beyond me. No one checks in on the kids to make sure they are not hungry.
When I tried to speak with the teacher several times about why my daughter cried, she told me over and over– don’t worry, she will be fine. I was very upset that she could not tell me what happened or did not say let’s talk at this time.
The classroom management was also poor (and I do teacher training.)
When I spoke with the director as I withdrew my child, she said I should have come to them and set up a time and had an open dialogue. I agree. However, none of the above issues were addressed as she spoke with me.
I could go on for a while, but overall, I would look more before coming here. There are two other Montessori schools who are sister schools on Old Topanga Road. There is also many pre schools if you look up Las Virgenes School District.

My son began attending Montessori of Malibu Canyon in April 2012. We had been to two different schools prior to finding MOMC and it wasn’t until we found this wonderful and welcoming school that my son truly began to blossom both socially and academically. The initial transition to a new school was challenging for my boy but the Director is a lovely woman who truly cares for the well being of the children and she helped guide my husband and I in finding ways for him to become more comfortable and begin to engage. Miss Barbara and Miss Paula are true gems and the love and encouragement they have shown my son have allowed him to gain confidence that will be invaluable as he moves on to kindergarten. I will be back to MOMC next winter when my daughter is ready to begin preschool and I look forward to continuing our relationship with MOMC for many more years.

My son’s experience at Montessori of Malibu Canyon has been nothing but positive and enriching! We are very pleased with the gains he’s made academically and socially. The teachers and administration are caring and dedicated to their craft.