Berkeley Parents Network: Keystone Montessori

Berkeley Parents Network

Keystone Montessori

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Preschools > Keystone Montessori

Dec 2007

We are considering Keystone Montessori for our 2 year old son for next fall (he will be almost 3 at that time). I can't seem to get over the fact that everytime I call the school to ask questions, the front desk woman does not seem very friendly. I don't want to make a decision because of this initial impression and am hoping current parents whose children attend/or have attended Key Montessori can provide some recent feedback on the school - good or bad. EC Mom

Hi there,

My child attends Keystone Montessori. He was in Joe's class last year and now he is in Nori/Carmelitta's class. I really love this school.

Whenever I have had an issue - I have taken it straight to Linda and she has addressed it immediately... whether it is about my bill or a behaviorial concern. I like that whenver my child gets hurt (which is often) that I get an accident report in my mailbox telling me what happened, who, if anyone was involved and what they did to soothe him.

I think that the teachers and Linda have great insight... once I called because my son was falling down alot and we were beginning to get frustrated. Linda asked Joe about him. He said that my child didn't fall any more than anyother child and that when he does that they tell him to take a breather. So, I started doing this at home. One day I found him sitting on the stairs - I asked what he was doing -- he said he was taking a breather. I loved that he was self-monitoring his own behavior. About a month into school - he started getting anxiety - they suggested that he bring something to share with the class - he brought bubble wrap 3 different days - and was so busy cutting it up and handing it out that he forgot to cry when I left. It was brillant.

When we were touring preschools - I found Keystone to be the calmest of all of the schools that I visited. And, this is what I wanted for my child. And, we could tell that he felt immediately comfortable there. In fact, the first time we walked into Joe's class he sat down in the circle with the rest of the kids. It was amazing for us to watch - especially in comparison to our experiences at the other schools we visited. Also, when I was still visiting other schools - Linda asked us if we wanted to come for a few morning visits. We did. And, when we finally chose Keystone - she invited us back several more times over the summer - at no charge to us. It was a great way to introduce our child to school.

I also like that you can be as involved as you want. There is a sign up sheet - so it's at the parent's convenience. And, many parents participate in the classroom to teach about their cultures/holidays. Also, each year I have had a parent/teacher conference where they have told me the areas he is doing well and the areas he needs to focus on.

I read on BPN about a parent at Keystone concerned about two teachers bringing their babies to school. I personally love this and I love when I have come to pick him up - and have found him holding a baby in his arms. so precious. And, isn't this what ''practical life'' is all about? Also, a new study came out about the benefit to your child's IQ if they are communicating with both adults and their younger sibling.

To address your concern about the person that answers the phone. My opinion - she is just shy... and I wouldn't let her influence your decision in any way.

Anyway, I have been very happy with the school and the teachers and it was a great fit for our child. Good luck with your search. Elizabeth

Oct 2005

I am looking for feedback on Keystone Montessori Preschool in El Cerrito. I have read the comments on the website, but they are 2-5 years old and I would like to know if anyone has anything new (either positive or negative) to add. Thanks. Anne

Our son, who is now 4.5, has been at Keystone for over 2 years and our youngest, who is now 2.5 just started this month. Keystone has helped to develop in my son what I believe is a great gift: a love of learning. The varied and stimulating ''work'' in the classrooms teaches the children important life skills and builds their curiosity and their confidence. The work has also given my son strong motor and analytical skills. The staff is very attentive and nurturing and my son feels safe and comfortable with each of them. My son has really blossomed in the Keystone environment. There is also a wonderful music specialist who comes in once a week. The school is very professionally and thoughtfully run by Linda Shehabi who, always to my amazement, knows exactly what is going with every chil! d at all times. Linda has never failed to promptly, effectively and kindly address any questions that I may have. I highly recommend the school. Please feel free to contact me with any further questions you may have. Carla

My 3.5 year old daughter started attending Keystone in July and we've had a terrific experience. I was concerned with the separation process because we had a very bad experience the previous year at another school, but this could not have gone any better. Linda, the director, had great insight about putting my daughter in the youngest class because they are the least structured and then move her to the older class as she got comfortable with her surroundings and following directions/rules. The teacher in that class, Dawn, is amazing. You can tell sh! e has lots of experience with the separation process and gave me some great suggestions. Things went so well, my daughter was going to the older class after about 2 weeks!

Though we are still new to Keystone, it feels like a really well- run school and that they are not lacking funds. Most of the teachers have been there for a long, long time and to me, that is always a good sign. My daughter's current teacher, Joe, must have taught there for at least 14+ years because he taught my nephew who is now 16!

Recently they restructured the 2 older classrooms so it's structured more like a traditional Montessori classroom. That is, instead of having one class for ages 2.5 to 4 and the other for ages 4 to 6, they have the whole range of ages in each classroom so all the kids can learn from each other. Happy Momma

December 2003

Interested in hearing opinions on this school in El Cerrito. Mayra

Hi. My son is 3 1/2 years old and has been attending Keystone since this past March. My husband and I are very happy with it. The school's director, Linda, built the school with her husband, a contractor, about 15 years ago, according to plans that they helped create. The school has three classrooms, and three play areas. The classes are grouped according to the following approximate ages: 18 months to 30 months (2 1/2), 2 1/2 to about 4, and 4 to 6. Children can do kindergarten at the school. The classes are a good size, and there is a nice outside play area for each, with the ages mingling some times at play. In our experience, the teachers seem quite warm, attentive, and experienced. There are lots of productive activities (art, music, early exposure to letters and numbers and shapes), and the children seem very happy - certainly our son is. It took him a couple of months to adjust, but now he often insists that my husband stay a bit and play when he comes to pick our son up. I had heard some concern among other parents who looked at the school, or had children attending for a while, that the class for 2 1/2 to 4 year olds perhaps overemphasized rules and structure. But, our child is in that class now and very happy. In our experience, the balance seems to be good - and the children do not seem upset by the structure. And the teacher has been very attentive to our son and always has stories to tell us about his day when we pick him up. Overall, the school - Linda and all of the teachers - have shown a lot of caring, interest, and concern in our child's progress and comfort, and we are very happy to have him there. Debora

Jan 2002

I am wondering if anyone has any experiences they can share about Keystone Montessori Preschool in El Cerrito. I have visited it and yet have never heard anything about it from other parents. Much appreciate any positive or less than positive reviews on their program, teachers, reputation, etc. Thanks. Joanna

I sent my daughter there for over one year (until she started Kindergarten). I was very happy with the program, facilities, teachers, supplementary programs, and the director. She is very organized and has a good sense of all the children as individuals. I will send my next daughter there when she's old enough. We moved from SF, where my daughter was in a Montessori school, so I checked out every Montessori school in Berkeley, Kensington, and El Cerrito--there are a lot of them. I felt best about Keystone for my child. (I always thought it was strange I never saw anything on UCB Parents about this preschool, too.) Kellie

- My daughter went to Keystone for 2.5 years from age 2 1/2 to 5 years. The staff and director there are excellent and the program is rich and well-rounded. I credit the Primary teacher Nori Grimes at Keystone for my daughter's success. She blossomed under Nori, eagerly expressing an interest in reading, writing and math which continues to this day. A little science, history as well as important interpersonal relationship skills are built into the program the program and the day always seemed fun. I was amazed to see how much my daughter and her classmates grew and learned under Nori's care. Nori is a truly dedicated Montessori teacher and I would send my daughter back to her in a heartbeat if I could. Keystone's director Linda Shehabi is also easy to talk to and very responsive as are the rest of the staff. The school is clean and very safety and security conscious. If you have any specific questions I would be happy to speak to you directly. Monica

We have been very happy with Keystone Montessori School in El Cerrito. Both our boys (ages 5 and 3) started attending at 18 months. They both still love the teachers and we feel very strongly that they are getting quality care and a good beginning education to boot. There are three rooms of care, generally separated by age. All the teachers (and assistants) are warm and involved. They also have a male teacher (which appealed to us) in the older class, but he also supervises the outdoor play. The learning/educational materials they have are interesting and engaging and my sons have thrived there. I'd be happy to discuss the school more if someone is interested. kym

My son went to Keystone from 21 months to 3 years. He was very happy there--really blossomed. He loved circle time and having control over his work. He was a total hog for the teacher's lap at the end-of-day storytime.

However, we really wanted him to retain his Spanish-English bilingualism and had been on the Cento VIDA waiting list for about 18 months when...we moved him. It was agonizing to take our son out of Keystone. We had alot of confidence in the teachers and director (more about that in a minute).

Now, after 18 months at Centro VIDA, we have just moved our son back to Keystone. Although Centro VIDA is a wonderful preschool with loving teachers and fabulous meals --it wasn't a good fit for our son. The funny thing about picking school/childcare is that seems to be all about "fit"--for your child.

I'm being hustled off to dinner so I can only say a couple of things:
1. The director. Linda is my idea of an "educator". She really knows ALL of the kids. I was not surprised that Linda knows every child by name but I was surprised on more than one occasion at her insights regarding my son's developmental stage. She also seemed to know him as an individual. She is not only the director but (with her husband) the owner thus a very stable staff person.
2. The head teacher for the introductory class. Shawn is one of the best teachers I have ever seen. She not only loves kids, she likes them. My son blossomed intellectually as well as socially in her class. Her ability to help kid's "use their words" and empathize with each other is awe-inspiring. My son adored her and hogged her lap at the end-of-day storytime. It gladdened my heart to come for him at the end of a long day and have him pat the spot next to him to signal me to wait while he enjoyed Shawn's lap and the rest of the story.
3. They are well organized and do not ask parents to volunteer hours.
4. It is expensive. There is a $400 annual fee in addition to the monthly tuition.
5. There isn't much of a parent-community but we do have some particular friends among the parents.
6. It is a VERY diverse community but it is quietly diverse. There are more languages spoken by kids at Keystone than among any student population at any preschool we looked at.

Good Luck. Sojeila

April 2000

In terms of hybrid daycare/preschools that cater to working parents, I would highly recommend Keystone Montessori School in Richmond Hilltop (El Sobrante border). This school has a 2-4 year old class and a 4-6 year old class serving mostly families of working parents. I believe they offer an 8 am to 4 pm program with before and after school care available. The full time program is much less expensive per hour than part-time program. The facility is modern, clean and well lit with a big open, fully equipped backyard area. Although I have only done a couple of observations there, my good friend's son has gone there a couple of years (she found out about the school through me). We are both impressed with how content and well-adjusted most of the kids in the program appear. The kids are open and encourage new kids to play with them. This school is one of only a couple of places I would seriously consider leaving my child if I return to work on a full time basis. In my view, the school provides the right blend of nurturing, sense of security, opportunity for learning and safety that are critical considerations for placement in a preschool (and especially a daycare facility where a kid will be spending almost every full day in the environment). The teachers convey a calm and professional demeanor with a show of genuine concern for the children's well being. The teachers help kids resolve conflict by encouraging kids to talk about their feelings and they work on developing conflict resolution skills. The children also benefit from a Montessori curriculum which provides the kids with plenty of stimulating learning opportunities. The school-like environment may be viewed as a downside to some. This is not intimate homelike setting some parents (and kids) might prefer. Although my friend's son adjusted quite nicely having previously been in a home daycare setting. Jennifer

1999

In response to the request for information on Keystone Montessori, my daughter attended there for a little over a year when she was 4 years old, before she entered kindergarten (she's now in 1st grade at Windrush). There were many things I liked about the program and she learned a tremendous amount (including learning to read). The teachers were stable, thoughtful and attentive. The only drawbacks I felt were that they were a little strict about things I don't find that important, and they aren't as warm and affectionate as I would have liked. But my daughter was happy most of the time, made some good friends, had enough play time, loved the music program, the gymnastics, Spanish, the reading, and didn't resist the structure much. Windrush is less structured in the way they teach, and I think her creativity and spirit have flourished much more in that environment. Helen

Summer Session

1997

From: Helen

To Christine looking for summer day care for a 3 year old - if you are interested in El Cerrito (near Del Norte Bart Station), there is a good Montessori pre-school which has a summer program, full time. My daughter goes there, and will be there through August, after that its Kindergarden. The name of the school is Keystone Montessori, they have a new facility with 3 classrooms, and take kids from 18 mo - 6 years, have a large outdoor play area, and generally kind good teachers. I am impressed with the quality of the educational aspects of the school. Their phone number is 236-7479. Good luck!

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