• Owner: Gena K. Lawrence
• Phone: (510) 652-5979
• Email:
• Neighborhood: Rockridge
• Zip: 94618
• License #: 010212497
• Capacity: 28
• Website:
• Bilingual:
• Ages:

The most recent reviews for My Own Montessori preschool in Rockridge are from 2005. Can anyone provide any more recent feedback on the school? It seems like a great place with a nice balance of structure and freedom, but parent involvement seems more limited than at other schools. How do you know that it's the right fit for your child? Do you wait and see how your kid responds? To current parents of the school: do your kids come home happy and tired? Looking into Preschools

The teachers are also excellent. I love how the teachers treat the children respectfully and really encourage them to work things our for themselves. I will say this took a little getting used to. The teachers are very warm and loving, but they really see the kids as capable of great self discipline and direction and they don't coddle them. This doesn't mean there aren't plenty of hugs (if needed), encouragement, and attention, but I do that think if you have a child that needs a lot of hand holding there may be a better fit out there for you, but again, there is plenty of warmth and affection. My daughter had a rough transition and I felt she was well taken care of.

As for parent involvement, I'd say there's not as much social involvement as some other schools (I know schools that do camping trips, etc, etc and there's none of that), but there are workdays and back to school/end of school parties, and everyone is very friendly. Also, the parents do seem VERY involved in the school itself. Last year, there was a global peoples theme and many, many parents came in to talk about a country they are from or have visited, and various parents are always there reading stories, helping with field trips, etc, etc. But there isn't a strong family social element.

The other thing I've loved about the school is I really feel my daughter can get 3 years out of it. They allow children so many opportunities to work at different levels, and every year is a different theme.

My daughter is really looking forward to starting again this year. All in all, we've been very happy there, and I would highly recommend the school. Pleased Parent

I would like to hear parents' recent experiences with My Own Montessori School in Rockridge. I'm looking for feedback on the school in general, teaching philosophy, extra-curricular programs including music, languages, fieldtrips. thanks! Amy

You asked about music, languages, field-trips -- The kids sing songs at Circle Time every morning when they arrive and again at the post-lunch pre-pickup Circle Time. There is also a Montessori-trained music teacher who comes on Wednesdays and brings rhythm instruments. One of the teachers does a little Spanish once a week, and there is a smattering of lots of languages because this year's theme is ''geography and peoples of the world.'' I had wondered how you could possibly do a theme like that with 2- to 5-year-olds, but my kid brings home roller-print pictures of islands, straits and peninsulas (he can pronounce isthmus a lot better than I can!), and he tells us about Chinese writing, Persian New Year, Spanish dancing...

There's a field trip to a pumpkin patch every autumn, and that was fun, but field trips are challenging when everyone is carseat age. Other field trips are on foot around the neighborhood -- to the Rockridge Library, and a tour of a student's house across the street that was under construction.

When I visited the school this morning, I was amazed to see how many art projects were available all at the same time: poster painting on an easel, making an Easter basket scene with a roller and sponge paints, glitter play dough, 3-D collages with a variety of objects, watercolor paints, simple paper puppets, and decorating a paper oval Easter egg by rolling a marble wet with paint around the inside of a tub. Some kids did one or two projects and then went out to the playground, while others wanted to do art all morning, which you're welcome to do there. And it never got chaotic because the kids (with occasional gentle prompting from the teachers) know how to take turns and clean up after themselves with sponges and towels. In the end, your child's preschool experience depends upon the teachers, and the teachers at M.O.M. are incredibly patient, warm-hearted, smart, well-educated, dedicated and enthusiastic. Jennifer

Hi, I'd love to know what people think of My Own Montessori in Rockridge. I'd especially appreciate hearing about your experiences there. Is it ''too'' Montessori? Are the kids given warmth, love and freedom as well as order and education? Thanks!