Montessori on the Lake

This is the best school ever! I have never had a problem with any staff or teacher. The tuition is great and fairly priced. It’s way cheaper than our old Montessori in Irvine. My youngest daughter is thriving and loving this school. My older daughter went here for 2 years, and she absolutely loved it. I can’t say enough good things about this school. The front office is always willing to help, and are very patient.
The staff cares deeply about both parents and children. They learn so much and are so happy there.
I’ve read a couple reviews where people say the school cares more about tuition… this is not true at all. Any time I’ve had a concern it was addressed properly and to my satisfaction. The lines of communication are always open at this school.
We love it here! I’m very picky about where I put my kids. I have only used a babysitter once in my life and it was a teacher at this school. I have researched a number of schools and this one is the best.

If I could post zero stars, I would. Worst school in OC– I have toured and researched many schools too. The owner is not concerned with the quality of her school– the facilities are quite old too. It is located in a very old shopping center. For the money, you are much better off sending to another school. Academics were awful. The only thing the school cared about was collecting and retaining tuition. We were so dissatisfied with the school, that although we stood to lose thousand of dollars, we still pulled our child out of the school and lost the money. (we paid the year’s tuition upfront– our mistake– and after a few months decided this school was awful– the owner refused to reimburse our money to us– she cited a clause in the contract basically penalizing us for making an upfront payment) If she were so concerned w her school and children, she would have made efforts to correct the issues. Instead, she was happy to keep the unused tuition and looked upon it as a win for her– money for something she had not earned. AWFUL school and awful owner and director. Does not care about the students or parents. If you have a problem, they are more concerned with «handling» parents than helping. The thought of dropping my son off at their the school every morning gave me anxiety and made me feel sad that was child was not in a nurturing or loving environment. So we gave up the unused tuition, cut our loess and moved him to another school. Best choice– no regrets at all.

We’ve had our two children at MOTL for the past six years, and have been very happy with the entire experience. Our oldest just finished the eighth grade and our youngest, the fourth grade. They both love the school. The teachers are all very dedicated and fully engaged. The small class size allows a level of individual attention which is not possible in public schools. The depth and rigor of instruction in the middle school is on par with what I recall from the first and second years of my own high school level education. My older boy received after-​school tutoring from his primary instructor, Ms. Sandy, to prepare him for the entrance exam and math placement exams at the private high school he will attend (Sage Hill), and this made all the difference in building up his mastery of the material (covering Algebra and Geometry) and his confidence in taking the tests. Besides the excellent academics, there is a wonderful breadth of emphasis on «enrichment» activities: art, music, theater, etc. The art and music programs are terrific, and the annual theater productions (in which ALL students participate) are amazing. The kids also enjoy lots of fun and educational field trips, and love the school’s scenic setting on the lake. The administrative staff is very friendly, professional, and easy to deal with. All in all, our kids have had a great experience at MOTL, and we believe the school provides excellent value for the tuition charged.

Coming from the point of view of a student of MOTL, I think this school is great, absolutely AWSOME. From 1^st grade to 8^th grade it’s all very encouraging, and the teachers are really great. But the jump to 5^th grade-​6^th grade is BIG. There are tons of work, but it teaches you a bunch, and you learn certain skills a teacher can’t teach you. When you graduate from this school, you are definitely on a great path for the rest of your life. I don’t know what to say, I wouldn’t have wanted to go to any other school than this one: There is a great music program, art, cooking (but not in 6^th-​8^th grade). I’m so ecstatic about this school, i’m practically trembling in this chair as a right it. But if you happen to stumble upon this review, and you’re really looking into it, stop right there and go to this website.

It’s such a shame that this school doesn’t have a higher rating on Unilocal.My daughter is in Kinder at MOTL and I could not be happier with the amount of growth I have seen from her in such a short amount of time. She is ecstatic about school and learning in general. The kind and nurturing, yet firm teachers have molded her into a fine student. MOTL provides children an opportunity to learn in a self motivated, pressure free environment. The teachers foster a love of learning and provide the students with compassionate care and guidance. The school itself is unlike any other school I’ve visited. I love that my daughter’s classroom (and most of the class rooms for that matter) sits right on the lake with beautiful lake views. The outdoor play spaces are very unusual and tranquil. The kids swing while overlooking the lake or play in shaded breezy wooden clubhouses. It’s not state of the art or brand new but there is just something special about this location. My daughter is re-​enrolled already for next year and we couldn’t be happier about that decision.

My daughter started the infant program at 3 months and I couldn’t be more happy with the progress she has made in the last year. From day one, I knew she was in loving hands. Her teachers attend to her every need. She loves her teachers and her friends at school. The classrooms are clean and the teachers are very knowledgeable in child development. I attended appletree and MOTL as a child and I am so excited to share the same experiences with my daughter. I truly believe that MOTL provided me with the building blocks to be a life long learner. I am a teacher with a masters and have two teaching credentials. Thank you MOTL for the love, support, and dedication you provide to your students.

The most important thing for me when picking a school is peace of mind. Peace of mind that my child will be safe, nurtured and learning at a high academic level. For the past 7 years, I’ve had peace of mind. To me that is priceless. My daughter started off in preschool and currently in the middle school program. Now that we are nearing high school I am reminded of all the things this school doesn’t have: politics, budget cuts, disgruntled teachers, bullying. No school is perfect and if you want pick apart a school, EVERY school has it’s flaws, but this school sure comes close to perfect, for our family anyway. The administrative staff and teachers are very caring, competent individuals and my child has thrived at this school. Take a tour and find out for yourself, what do you have to lose?

Pulled my 2 children out of this school today. Can’t stand the school management anymore. Attended almost 4 years. Grade 1 to grade 4. Pros: Some very good teachers. Award 2 stars for the rating. Cons: Lower elementary Spanish is experiential only, boring and outdated teaching style. Had issues with granting bathroom breaks during Spanish class. Good for children with behavioral problems. (yes this is a con for us). Play yard is small and not very safe. Yard time = deal with meanies time. Children are left to fend for themselves against more aggressive school mates. The director insists we should allow the children to work things out on their own. (???) And watch out for the ball, or it’ll hit you hard. You get an ice pack after you get smacked. Inadequate supervision at the yard, but school is in denial. Even after the director admits the yard staff can’t keep her watch of all 17 kids. Best part: Director’s response to difficult issues «since you don’t like this school, you can bring your money and children to another school, and you don’t have to finish the school year with us.» No refunds for fees paid up front.

I really wanted to refrain from writing this review, because I feel like my experience with MOTL was mostly positive and it is so unfair to some of the teachers that work there.
I really miss the one of the teachers at MOTL because she really did practical life with them. She had my child drinking out of a cup before he could talk. He is so independent and I attribute it with to this teacher’s work and experience.
My child kept getting hurt and long story short, I feel like I was lied to and appeased.
This school prioritizes TUITION. As long as you help pay the bills, they will continue to babysit your child for you. In doing so, they will lie and con you into believing that they care.
Don’t make the same mistake I did and ignore these reviews. I used to chalk it up to it being crazy parents and isolated situations.

We currently have our child enrolled in the Chinese Immersion Program at MOTL, and it is such a thrill practicing a second language with her at home. She thrives at this school and looks forward to going every day. Sometimes it is hard to get her to leave! Having the school located in the same business center as a grocery store is something I felt initially to be odd, but it turned out to be tremendously convenient. My wife and I have found the staff at MOTL to be very responsive to any concerns we have had, and have been excellent at keeping us up to date on our child’s progress.

Motl is such a great environment for children. The director, owner and teachers all put the children first. I feel so blessed to have found this great school! Thank you motl, keep up the good work!

My son has been attending MOTL since he was 3 months old, and now is in the preschool classes. All of the teachers have been wonderful, and I know he will have an educational advantage over other kids when he finally starts kindergarten.
It’s a little more expensive (maybe ~$ 100 – 150) from some of the other quality schools in the area, but they have a beautiful lake in the back that the kids get to play near each day.

This place has gone downhill ever since the last Director left to open her own school! They have staff that can dress any way they want don’t care about the environment that they are supposed to teach our children to take care of. What kind of example are they to our young children? Teachers leave all the time and don’t care about the attachment our toddler or preschooler made. We have only heard what money they want when they don’t give the education or loving nurturing that was promised at our visit prior to joining. Be smart choose another school where at least 85% of the reviews are good ones!

This place is really expensive and so we figured we would get a top notch education for our first grader. The class was more like a preschool than a first grade class. My wife and I would frequently show up a few minutes early to pick up our son to see the teacher or teacher’s aid forcing the kids to play «sleepy bear» Sleepy bear consisted of the kids being forced to put their heads on their desks and make no noise at all. Sure seemed like a break for the teachers! We left him there the whole year and got all the report cards and progress reports to be told he was doing great. We could not afford their high rates the next year and put our son in public school. We learned that he was WAY below average in math, reading and language arts BY PUBLIC SCHOOL STANDARDS!!! Save your $ 1000 per month and send your kids to your local public school and your child will receive a better education…

Both of my kids go to this place for their preschool. They have programs from 2 to middle school as far as I know. And my experience with their preschool is very positive. The teachers are very friendly to the kids and they do spend some time with each individual kid so that they know the progress and interest of each kid. From time to time, they also have some fun activities kids can join.
On bad thing about this school is they have too much vacation time. I assumed this is private school but they still take 7 days off during the Xmas and also have a 5-​day spring break which make the money I paid less worthy.