East Village

Ever heard the phrase "you don't know a good thing until it's gone"? Well, I knew Montessori on Elm was a good thing when I had it and I missed it even more when I moved out of the state and it was gone . . .My son attended school here from 6 months to 21 months and not only did he have a great time in the program, I had a great time watching him grow through the program! The teachers and directors were like an extension of our little family - they knew he and I by name, greeted us warmly every morning and hugged him goodbye every afternoon. I never felt uncomfortable with leaving him as I knew that each person in the school genuinely cared about him. Not all Montessori schools are created equal and this school is definitely one of the few that actually focuses on Montessori practices and the Montessori style of learning/developing. I saw this right away when he was in the toddler program - his practical life skills were evident daily within our home; while the focus on his social, emotional, and physical development was also very clear. Additionally, I loved the flexibility of the infant program - they allow the babies to be on a schedule that works best for them, rather than having set feeding times and sleeping times. Each time I see him throw something away in the trash or push in his chair or use sign langue when saying a color name, I know that Montessori on Elm helped in the development of these skills. And even today (over a month since we have left) he will still ask for some of his little friends by name. All of these let me know that his time there had a lasting impression on him (even at his young age) in more ways than he will ever know.

I hadn't noticed St. Anthony's previously to be honest, even though it's a large beautiful historic church right across from MOLAA. We attend another church and had never considered sending our child to Catholic school before. However, when we didn't get any school of choice options in Long Beach, our God-send of a neighbor found St. Anthony's. I asked for a tour, and the principal herself, Ms. Kargas, responded to my email quickly and welcomed the chance to give us a tour of the school. She is very kind and on the ball. I immediately loved the smaller class sizes. I then met the seasoned kindergarten teacher and was sold! Her class is well organized and each child receives their own iPad for in-class use. The kids have music, Spanish and P.E. classes throughout the week, in addition to one short mass each week. Hot lunch is also available. Also, the whole schoo--including Kindergarten--is a full-day program, which is very attractive for working families. And the cost of tuition is what we were paying for half-day preschool! I'm so thankful we found this school family. I know our daughter is safe and well cared for, while receiving a quality education.