Every parent dreads when a child gets sick; even worse if said sick kiddo has to stay home on a weekday when work needs to get done! Both of my kids took turns staying home sick recently, and the difference between my non-Montessori older one and my Shadowridge Montessori School (SMS) little one was like day and night. My older one kept herself busy for the first hour or so (reading, drawing, playing with Lego)… and then the disruptions in 30 min intervals began as my work day unraveled; between snacks, getting things unstuck, finding a toy item, being bored, needing more ideas on what to do next, etc. All things considered, still within the realm of normal for her age (7). As my older one returned to school, my SMS little one was stuck at home. I expected more disruptions/needs from my little one because she is little; however, the opposite happened! My little one shifted from one activity to the next on her own (puzzles, books, coloring, Lego, dolls, blocks, etc.). She got her own snacks from the same snack cabinet shelf she shares with my older one, tucked her leftover breakfast yogurt bowl into the fridge and pulled it out for a snack. At one point between conference calls, I hollered down the hall to hear what she was up to due to the prolonged silence, and she yelled back that she was tracing her hand on paper in the studio and then heading to the potty. She insisted on making her own sandwich for lunch (I helped pull the ingredients from the fridge per her request for each item), and I watched her very skillfully make a turkey cheese sandwich with mayo, and cut cucumber chips. Who is this little master of the home!? She asked to “observe” me during a call, and even sat through an entire (45 min) call, listening quietly and seemingly fascinated/engaged; and then asked to learn to type so we opened up a blank Word doc to tinker. We ended up having quite a peaceful 2-days together, and I had the opportunity to really see (and greatly appreciate) just how much my little one has learned and grown during her time at SMS! My little one has a fierce streak of independence that is channeled in positive ways in the work she does at SMS, and she is given the time and patience to learn, try, and master many life skills with the encouragement provided by her guides, Ms. Monica and Ms. Giselle. (She even washes her dishes at home after dinner without being prompted, which gives just the right amount of oomph to get our older one to partake as well! lol) We absolutely love the SMS learning environment and community; we only wish we were stationed in the area when my older one was of preschool age! SMS truly is a Montessori learning community from drop off to pick up, and the Montessori intent comes so naturally from the guides and school staff!

Our daughter started here this year and it has been such a wonderful experience! She absolutely loves going to school every morning and she is learning so much. All of the staff is wonderful. The children and families are all so friendly. It feels so comforting knowing my daughter’s first school experience is at a place that feels like a fun little community where everyone is so supportive. Mr. Diaz and Ms. Alejandra are so wonderful! Their dedication and communication shows that they truly love what they do. Thank you!

We currently have both of our girls enrolled at ages 4.5 and 2.5 and the school facility and staff is great. They are attentive, thorough and the kids have engaging days. We’re already seeing a significant step forward in their independence and some reading, art and math skills for our 4yr old. Ms. Alejandra’s Hummingbirds classroom is well run with many helpful teachers and assistants and is always clean and tidy. Mr. Diaz’s Owl class is the same and it seems they are always changing up the work the kids do which is great. Kudos to Sandrine and her staff, we highly endorse the school.

We stayed in San Diego for around five months, and our daughter attended Shadowridge Montessori School. She had a very good time there. Everyone was very patient and loving with the children and made them feel truly welcome. She learned a lot, and I really like the Montessori way of teaching. The school implemented it very well. The teachers always had time whenever I had questions, and there were also many events our daughter could join—especially Halloween, which was so much fun. Thank you all so much for taking such great care of our daughter.

We moved here about 6 months ago and the transition was not easy for my 3 year old. But everyone at Shadowridge Montessori helped us. They welcomed her, made her feel at ease, loved, helped us navigate feelings and little habits that through Montessori teachings really make a difference in a family life. We can’t imagine our life without Ms. Rosella, Yadira, Sandrine, Erica and all the other teachers that embrace my daughter’s lively character and guide her every day in discovering this world. Would recommend to anyone who is looking for a warm environment for their little one.

Our daughter attended for 1.5 years… we decided to move closer to family and thus we had to leave. We stuck with another Montessori school because we had such a fantastic experience and our daughter really thrived in such a setting where she truly learned how to gain independence. The teachers were loving, kind, confident, knowledgeable, creative, and good at giving feedback. The director and assistant director run the place like a tight ship (in the best way)… it’s super organised, communication is thorough, parents encouraged to be involved, and front of house vibe is friendly. We miss them dearly!!!

My son started attending Shadowridge Montessori School when it first opened. We love this school so much! The staff is very attentive and involved in fostering independence and curiosity with life skills and learning. Both my kids know all the teachers and staff and look forward to going to school. My son just transitioned to kindergarten and despite being a more sensitive child, his confidence and adaptability have blown me away and that’s a testament to the preparation Mr. Diaz and Ms. Laleh have provided over the years. Keep doing what you’re doing!! Exceptional.

Shadowridge Montessori has been an amazing school for our daughter! I cannot say enough good things about the learning environment at this school. My daughter came from a play-based daycare to SMS in January of this year and my only regret is that we didn’t switch her sooner. Her teachers, Rosella and Yadira, are amazing with my strong-willed 3 year old. I have seen so much growth over the last 8 months and am sad we will be leaving this fall for TK. Thank you for everything SMS!!!

So many good things to share about this school! Our son started at Shadowridge Montessori a few months before turning 2. As a mom, I was so hesitant to put him anywhere, however, this school made me feel comfortable and was so welcoming. The teachers, director, and stuff were so kind. They truly cared about my son and our family. Our son made so many amazing friends as well during his time here. He also learned so much and the development for him was truly great. Facility was very clean and organized. They follow amazing student to teacher ratios. Also – a very family orientated place as well. I’m thankful for the time we had here, we only left because we were moving out of San Diego. If it weren’t for that we would’ve stayed here for a long time!

My son has been attending Shadowridge Montessori School since the summer of 2023 when we enrolled him at 2 years old. There are many things my wife and I like about the program. First, we have an active toddler and believe the Montessori approach helps teach him valuable skills such as focus, self-motivation, and independence. Next, his curiosity is nourished via practical hands-on activities and lessons. Last, my son’s classroom guides have been very supportive of his development and give us continuous feedback regarding his growth. He was first enrolled under the guidance of Ms. Arta and Ms. Monica before transitioning to Ms. Rosella and Ms. Ariana’s class. My son enjoys going to school and he even implements some of his learnings at home, such as sweeping and helping us prepare meals. Thank you for your support Sandrine and Shadowridge Montessori!

We enrolled our toddler in September 2023. With the variety of early childhood education programs and schools available, we felt that the Montessori approach was best for his personal and practical development. His Montessori guides (teachers) are extremely patient, caring, and loving- especially Miss Monica. They constantly update us throughout the day via the Procare App and provide a safe and welcoming learning environment for our son. At school, he is exposed to a wide variety of educational activities and interactions to build his motor, cognitive, emotional, and intellectual skills. His language skills have also exploded and he comes home with new words we’ve never taught him. All the kids, including our son, are happy and when they’re at school. While the first few days of drop-off were tough, he is excited and happy to go to school every day. If you’re looking for a true Montessori education with experienced guides (teachers) for your child, I would definitely recommend touring the school with Ms Sandrine and learning more about the school. We are excited to see what the next few years bring as he advances through the classes!

Our daughter has been attending Shadowridge Montessori beginning August 2023. She is currently in the Toddler program under the guidance of Ms. Monica and the wonderful staff. Our daughter LOVES going to school and is elated to go every morning. She waves goodbye to us every drop off, and is genuinely excited to spend her day with her friends and fellow students. There are times when my husband and I will peek after we drop her off and she is off playing and running around. It tells us how comfortable she feels and trusts the people that care for her at the school. The Montessori provides so many opportunities for her to learn in a supported environment and we see those skills being generalized into her home and other settings. Within three months of her attending the Montessori, we have observed an increase in her independent play, sustained play, and problem solving skills. She will demonstrate various ways to play with items we have in the home and she also has an increase interested in cooking and meal preparation. Her speech and language is just starting to flourish and her approximations are becoming more clear for others to understand. On a typical day, we will drop her off around 8:30am, she greets and gathers with her friends, they’ll play and have a snack (prepared by students with the help of the staff), sit and enjoy their meal together, “work” which really looks like play through learning, get ready for lunch (we bring a bento box of foods and she will plate her meal and use her utensils to eat). After lunch, she’ll nap for 1.5-2hours, will clean up her nap area and resume playing until we pick her up. Throughout the day, we receive updates through the ProCare App. We will receive updates whenever she has a diaper change, whenever we need to replenish her belongings, pictures of her throughout the day, and any notices about upcoming events. Lastly, one important area to highlight about this school is consistency. While this school has been and is currently still undergoing a few aesthetic changes and expanding their classes to ensure optimal student to staff ratio (prior to June 2023, the school was “All Saints preschool”) the staff have been extremely consistent in demonstrating their passion for implementing the Montessori model as well as showing up every day to take care of our loved ones. Ms. Sandrine (Director of Shadowridge Montessori) is present every morning to greet all of the families, to ensure the school is running smoothly, and to oversee the safety and well-being of all children and staff in the facility. The guides and assistants show up every morning with smiles on their faces, greets our daughter with so much love, and genuinely seem so passionate to teach our little ones. Needless to say, we highly recommend Shadowridge Montessori. We’re incredibly thankful for the opportunities our child has to grow in this setting and see her thrive.
Thank you and your wonderful team! 💕

My wife and I were a bit concerned about the transition from All Saints to Montessori, but we decided to keep our daughter with Montessori. We are so incredibly happy we kept her here. Montessori has been a huge change for the better (cleaner, happier staff, more structure and transparency through pictures and communication). My daughter’s teacher, Ms Claire is so passionate about her job and we all feel lucky to have her. Would highly recommend this for any child in early stages of life.

We could not be happier with Shadowridge Montessori school. The teachers are exceptional— so caring, thoughtful, and attentive to the children. This is especially true with our son as he wears glasses and requires additional attention because of them. All the teachers have been so lovely and kind about making sure that he’s comfortable and that his glasses are always clean and taken care of. We’ve noticed such a change in our toddler in the few short months that he’s been there in terms of his cognitive skills and his happiness level at school. He can’t wait to get there and play with his little friends outside. We look forward to the years ahead for him at this wonderful school!