Berkeley Parents Network: Grand Lake Montessori

Berkeley Parents Network

Grand Lake Montessori

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Preschools > Grand Lake Montessori

This school was formerly known as Casa dei Bambini
Website for Grand Lake Montessori: www.grandlakemontessori.com

July 2007

I am moving to the East Bay and am thinking about sending my son to Grand Lake Montessori. Any recent opinions/experiences from parents that have a preschooler there would be appreciated.

This is my daughter's third year at Grand Lake in one of the primary classes (2.5-6 year old). Pro's: fabulous very thoughtful professional teachers, lots of experience, good diversity, good parent community, good play area. the biggest con I'd say is the cost. That said, the support staff is also wonderful and they really think well about the kids. We looked around a lot before choosing GLM and have been for the most part very very happy with it. GLM Parent

Feb 2006

Re: Thinking of switching our 7-year-old to a Montessori school
My son is now in preschool at Grand Lake Montessori, and we are extremely happy there. I know that the school intends to expand its elementary program over the next several years, so you may have some flexibility with application dates and deadlines. We are now considering the many possibilities for him, whether to keep him at GLM, transfer to another private school after the kindergarten year, or move to an area with good public schools. I would feel quite confident about keeping him at GLM for elementary, even though I had not seriously considered Montessori schools for elementary when he started.
Happy GLM parent

March 2005

My daughter is starting at Grand Lake Montessori in the fall. She'll be on the very young side of the pre-schoolers in Ms. Leck's class. I'm wondering if parents of other children who are either in that class now or will be in it in the fall would be interested in meeting so our children can get to know each other before school starts and feel more comfortable already knowing a few other kids in the class. rachel

My daughter attends Grand Lake Montessori (GLM) and she is in Ms. Leck's class. But I'm sorry to say that she's leaving in June to attend kindergarten elsewhere. When my daughter started two years ago, I wanted her to meet some of the students there as well as the teachers and become familiar with the environment. I sent her to one of the two week summer camp sessions that they have and it really helped her. When she started in September, she was already familiar with the place and it didn't seem foreign to her. (Just a suggestion in case you don't connect with any parents.) By the way, I love the school and Ms. Leck is a very nice person and a wonderful teacher. I hope you will be very happy at GLM. Anon

My son is now 4 and has been going to Grand Lake Montessori since he was 2 1/2. We are having a Wine & Cheese Tasting Event coming up May 14th at the Sequoyah Country Club. Because of the amount of time I have been sepnding working on this event, I have had the wonderful opportunity to be on the school grounds quite a bit lately and watch what goes on throughout the day at various times. The more time I spend there the more impressed I am. The school does a fantastic job of balancing letting children be children and teaching them social and academic skills that are essential in today's world. I just love seeing the children run barefoot in the grass, doing somersaults or playing in the water (in warm weather)or gather around a snail and watch it move. It is also incredible to watch the children sing songs in different languages, cut up snacks and serve one another and use their words to clearly express their feelings. My son at 4 has learned so much and is so proud of his abilities to do so much on his own. I myself have also picked up some very effective tips from watching how the teachers handle certain situations. It is a real treat to be in an environment that represents all sorts of family situations and diversity in both its student and staff body. For those looking for a preschool like I have described, I highly recommend registering for our up and coming Wine & Cheese Tasting event on Saturday May 14th from 12-4pm at the Sequoyah Country Club. It will give you an opportunity to talk with GLM parents and staff in a relaxed and enjoyable setting. You can register for the event by going to the schools site at www.grandlakemontessori.com and clicking on the Wine & Cheese poster. lynne

December 2003

Would like to get any feedback/firsthand experiences about Grand Lake Montessori (aka Casa dei Bambini). Most of the reviews are a couple of years old. We have only started looking at preschools and realize there is a range of styles with regard to the Montessori approach -- so we will definitely visit more. How would you describe GLM's approach and culture? Any issues with staff turnover? If you were interested in a specific teacher/classroom, did the school take your preferences into consideration?

My 8 year old is a graduate of GLM (Casa) and my 2 year old is a current student. I recommend the school and especially the teachers. The main reason we decided to put our second child there is that the wonderful toddler class teachers are still there. Nobody is better about helping children transition into the preschool environment than Ms. Allen and Ms. Aima. In fact, most of the primary teachers are still there, too. (Also great.)

As far as the school environment, I think they take the best of Montessori, without overdoing it. They don't freak out if you let your kid watch Blue's Clues at home, for example. Also, they really do let kids work at their own pace, gently encouraging them to take on new ''work''. I know that's the whole idea behind Montessori, but it is nice to see it in action.

Okay. I swear I don't work for them. But I also have to say that they are very diverse, both in the staff and the student body.

To me, the downside is their aftercare. I have found it to be mostly custodial. Much less nurturing and organized than the rest of the day. (School day ends at 2:45.) As a result, I have tried to get my kids at 2:45 or have a babysitter get them at that time.

One more nice thing if you live in Oakland is that you can stay for Kindergarten if you haven't negotiated a good setup for elementary yet. For that matter, you can stay for elementary, though the program seemed somewhat small and limited to me. Feel free to e-mail me with any more questions.

k_a

My son, who is now 3, began attending GLM when he turned 2, and he loves it. The school fosters independence and responsibility in the kids, encouraging them to do things by themselves and to advance their skills. The teachers' approach is very gentle and, when I was visiting preschools, seemed a bit less regimented about the Montessori principles than some. They use Montessori techniques to wonderful effect without going overboard. My son spent a year in a toddler class, and then transitioned to ''primary.'' The staff does not push this transition or other changes (like potty training) that can be difficult on some kids, but instead support the kids and encourage them to progress when they are ready.

In primary, you would be amazed to see a room full of 3 to 5 year olds quietly doing ''work'' which they select themselves from materials accessible throughout the classroom, and respecting each other's space. The teachers somehow create this scene with quiet prompting and gentle re-direction as needed. They are very skillful with the kids. Although there is, of course, some turn-over in the staff, the school is very careful to explain when a change (of any kind) to the kids' routine is coming so that they are not surprised/upset.

Susanna

Our son has been going to GLM/Casa for a year and a half (since he was 2) and we think its a fantastic school.

The teachers are nuturing and really get to know the kids well. There is great tenure there amongst them - they come to the school and they stay. They invest a lot of their time to make the school a fun place for the kids to be.

As for the classrooms, I know kids in all of them and can't say that one is better than others. I am impressed by the scope of activities available to the kids - and the level of schoolwork that is presented, in addition to more fun, free time (art, music, etc.)

We've been thrilled with our son's development at Casa - he started out going 3 mornings til noon and now goes five days until 3pm, because he loves it there. The attention he receives is truly individual and yet, he has made lots of friends within this warm environment.

Hope this is helpful! Jill

October 2003

I am looking for any recent advice or reviews from parents with children who are currently in the program or who have recently started. How old was your child when they started? What was there child care situation prior to entering pre-school? Thanks! Stephanie

Our daughter started C.d.B this September, so it's only been a few weeks, but we love it. She is almost three, in the Juniper room, and transitioned from a smaller, play-based preschool. But she has handled the transition to a larger classroom with more expectations quite well and is clearly stimulated and enjoying it. The class is very ethnically diverse, the teachers are fabulous, there is plenty of opportunity for parental involvement, but in a way that feels manageable and enriching. Weekly newsletters keep parents updated about what's going on, staff are helpful and accessible, teachers are accessible, as well. All the materials and toys are in great shape, the classrooms are in great shape, the outside area is lovely, lots of trees and flowers, as well as play structures. We just have no complaints yet! Melissa

My daughter is currently in Grand Lake Montessori (GLM), aka Casa dei Bambini. She was 3 when she started. Prior to my daughter entering GLM, she was at home with her father everyday so her interaction with other children was somewhat limited. I felt she needed to develop socially and be around other children on a consistent basis (the park can only do so much). Prior to her being accepted, she visited the school and the teacher determined if she was ready.

They do have before and after care. I'm a working parent so I drop my daughter off as early as 7am and pick her up around 6pm. From what I've noticed about my daughter, she is very happy and the teachers are very committed to the children. My daughter looks forward to going to school every day; she's made lots of new friends and is learning something new everyday. I looked at a lot of schools and was very impressed with this school and I visited the school twice. Sometimes other opinions help, but the bottom line is you should visit the school yourself to decide if this is the type of program you want for your child. Good Luck. Cheryl

August 2003

I have seen the previous comments on the school Grand Lake Montessori aka Casa Dei Bambini. Does anyone have any current opinions of the school, staff, parent participation etc.? I have a two year old son and am considering enrolling him.

As a GLM parent, I would like to say that we keep our child there despite the school. The teachers are wonderful and our child is thriving. Our child became noticeably more polite and well-behaved, better able to self-discipline within weeks after starting there. The activities are great, and the ''extras'' such as the weekly visit from a musician are just what we want for our child.

Our ambivalence stems from several factors. The school could do better at communicating basic information to parents. Stuff like telling you that if your child wants to have a drink at lunch, you need to provide a cup. Or that our child's spare set of clothes is ''missing.''

However, parents get constant reminders about fundraising and parent participation ''opportunities.'' Sometimes the focus of the school seems to be more about fundraising than the children.

On balance, we are satisfied and our child loves GLM.

June 2002

We are thinking of sending our 2-year-old daughter to Casa Dei Bambini/Grand Lake Montessori in the fall and have seen both highly enthusiastic and critical reviews on the website. Any recent experiences that folks would like to share? Thanks in advance for your insights.

We have been sending our recently turned three year old twin girls to Casa dei Bambini for the past 4 months and have been very happy. Our kids have really blossomed there, making new friends, doing lots of projects, and learning new songs. Their teacher is really nice, calm, affectionate, engaged, and really pays attention to the kids. I like all the staff I have met so far, and enjoy finding my girls busy and happy doing something every day when I pick them up. They really like going to school and it's so fun to hear all the new things they've learned (like new songs, longer sentences, etc). The only annoying thing to me is how many 'opportunities' you're given to help donate money, time, etc to the school. But I guess that's pretty much par for the course these days. I highly recommend the school! Mike

2001

My son has been attending Casa dei Bambini this past year, and we love it! My three-year old has Miss Leck, Miss Owens and Mr. Tien, all of whom are very talented, patient, loving and encouraging teachers and very special people. In particular, Miss Leck (the lead teacher in that class) provides a rich learning environment, while addressing the emotional needs of the kids and being very open to discuss issues with their parents. She teaches the kids to do things for themselves, which encourages self-esteem and exploration. She encourages parents to participate in the classroom, which occurs often (I have done cooking and art projects, and will read the story of Purim in a few days). I chose her specifically, after sitting in each classroom and watching the teachers. Now that I have been there for a while, I have also become very impressed with the other teachers, although it would be better to hear from someone whose kid is in their classes to know details. Suzanne

2000

We have enjoyed our experience with Casa (also called Grand Lake Montessori now) -- our son has attended since 4/98, starting in the Toddler program at 2 yrs 4 mo. He transitioned to the 3-5 yr old Primary class that Summer. We have seen tremendous growth in him -- verbally, socially, and intellectually. While our nanny of 3.5 yrs speaks English acceptably as a second language, our son's language / reasoning / questioning / logic, we've been told, are quite developed -- attributable in large part to Casa and the joy of learning & investigation they encourage. Starting him at Casa was a hard transition from 2 days a week in a co-op, (probably harder for me than him), but after a few weeks he was very comfortable with his 5 day 8:30 - 12:30 schedule there. Our daughter jumped right in this May 2000 in the Toddler class and we have experienced considerable growth in language and sharing even since then. We love the classrooms, the teachers (especially Miss Allen, Miss Church, & Miss Leck), and organization & apparent simplicity of the materials -- now understanding further how the learning grows with more advanced use of the same materials -- we find it a great complement to our less organized, less simple, less structured home environment. The diversity of staff & students is the best I've come across in the more than dozen pre-schools we looked at, and while not inexpensive, appears to be somewhat in line with many other schools. We've especially enjoyed the flexibility of schedule (childcare avail 7am - 6pm if needed), on the rare occasions needed, and have really appreciated meeting & getting to know the parents -- many of whom are good friends now. Good luck. Happy to chat off-line.

Starc

Our 3 1/2 yr old has attended Casa for a year now, starting with the summer program last year in the toddler "class". He transitioned to the Primary program during the school year after he turned three. Overall, we are happy with the program, the school and its administrators, and his teachers. Most important to us, our child likes his school, classmates and teachers and is happy to go to school -- as much as he likes his free time. He likes learning new things and seems to have developed a sense of accomplishment of learning each step of some activity or project. This is pretty good for a child who used to judge a school solely by its playground.

Probably the biggest challenge for us was the responsibility of understanding the Montessori approach to a child's learning. We had only a passing understanding of Montessori and chose the school because we were impressed by a number of impressions: observing the children in the classroom - totally engaged in their activities; the teachers moving around the classroom from child to child answering questions and giving direction; the responsiveness of the school administrators to questions and concerns; and the seemingly welcome involvement of parents. All the interactions we observed or participated in were carried out with respect for the other and open interest and involvement.

The school supplied us with good reading material and recommended literature on Montessori as well. We are invited regularly to participate in school activities, including educational, social and fundraising events. Hope this helps.
Mary

My 3 y/o son has been at Casa since he was 2.4 last September. He spent this past school year in their toddler class and has now transitioned to one of their 3 primary classrooms (3-6 year olds). My son loves it. The toddler class teachers are warm and nurturing, They have each been there for many years. They are very good on conflict resolution and socialization. They are respectful of the kids and their individual styles. The transition from toddler class to primary, for example, was done very gently and slowly, totally at my son's pace.

We like the Montessori focus on learning to do things on one's own (get dressed, wash your dish, wipe the table..) Also, the multi-age groupings and the great learning materials. I also REALLY appreciate the school's ethnic diversity (among kids AND teachers). The grounds of the school are pretty, with separate playground for the toddler class (which I wanted).

On the downside, it is not cheap (667/month for fulltime toddler), there is no 4 day option (either 3 or 5). I also wished for more clear communication from the school to parents about certain things. There is not a cozy and cohesive community of parents at the school, though I have found parents very accessible if I called or approached them with questions. We now exchange childcare and play dates with other families. I would not recommend the school to parents who are uncomfortable with Montessori philosophy ('cause it's definitely Montessori, which we love, but it's not for everybody)
Peggy

for parents unable to participate in a co-op, Casa dei Bambini Grand Lake Montessori 836 4313, is where we are delighted to have our 4.5 yr old (for 2 yrs now). The staff is wonderful, the environment fantastic, and the learning and progress truely amazing. While very organized, it does not strike us as "overly Montessori". The respect for the child is immense & admirable. Great flexibility is offered as well -- child care is provided from 7am to 6pm to complement the regular school hours of 8:30 - 12:30 (for toddlers 18 - 3ish), or 1pm (for 3ish to 5ish). You can choose 2 to 5 half or full days -- starting part-time was a great way for our son to ramp-up into school. Helena

Our son went to the Montessori Casa dei Bambini summer program last summer. He started the week he turned 3. We enrolled in the program because he had outgrown his family child care situation and the preschool we had selected did not have room until the fall.

Aaron actually did quite well there. It worked for us as in interim solution. But he is an extremely easy and adaptable child. But I never sensed the emergence of the absolute passion he has for his current center (Lakeshore Children's Center). The teachers and the program at Casa made it very clear that they liked Aaron and they thought he made a positive contribution. They wanted us to continue (I suspected that if they did not think Aaron was the "right" kind of kid, they would not have made a point of "inviting" us to continue. I felt like they were offering him admission to Harvard or something. Their attitude about it turned me off.)

But the center didn't do anything for me. I just had uncomfortable vibes about it the whole time. I didn't like that the kids addressed the teachers formally (Ms. X). While I found some parents I really enjoyed talking to, there did not seem to be much of a community around the center. They kept having to cancel field trips because they could not find parents to drive. The time I offered to drive I showed up on a day that I had not been planning to bring Aaron and found out the field trip was cancelled. No one had bothered to call and tell me this. It is VERY expensive and has very long before and aftercare hours. I got the feeling that the long hours were a plus for some parents (understandable, they were for me), but it may have translated into just not having a critical mass of parents able to take time off work to be involved. Also, I suspect the price dampened community spirit too - that people felt "I pay all this money, and then they want MORE time/money/energy..." And there was definitely not the feeling that it would be OK just to hang out there. It is also administered extremely bureaucratically. They seem to take what they are doing VERY seriously. Too seriously for my taste.

And some things I just found odd. For example, they do a dance class for the 3-6 set. But when I was there once and had the opportunity to observe, only about half the class was participating, mostly the girls. I just couldn't figure out why. Aaron wasn't participating. But he participates in his dance class at his new preschool.... Another thing that I now recognize is they didn't do a fraction of the amount of art projects Aaron does now.

But, they do have absolutely AWESOME materials. The stuff they have for the kids to mess with is just incredible. The facilities are very nice. And the environment is way more calm and orderly than where Aaron is now. I could see how it could be exactly the right place for a child who likes beauty and serenity, who is oriented to cognitive development, but not quite ready to get thoroughly in the mix in a situation with larger group size, high focus on getting in the mix socially of a more typical social/developmental preschool.

But, then, I remember observing an amazingly cruel thing on the playground there... So I take it back, I'm not sure it would be more socially safe for a more reserved, introverted child. Sometimes they have several classrooms of the 3-6 all out on the playground at once. I saw this boy grab the hat of this smaller boy, tease him about it, and pass it off to a friend. A very clear assertion of dominance. One always sees kids get into fights over toys, but this situation shocked me in that the boy was deliberately trying to make the other child feel bad. The teachers did not see it. But when the boy without his hat began to cry, the teacher did step in to help resolve the situation.
Elizabeth

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