San Francisco, CA
Belvedere Montessori

Discipline

OVERALL RATING (3.9)

Parents at this school, on average, believe that conflicts between children:
...are handled extraordinarily well in a way that not only gives me confidence in the safety of my child but also reassures me that my child (and his/her peers) are learning the early skills needed to socialize effectively with one another

source:

Parents' Notes on Discipline, Health and Safety

Parent #1
Belvedere Montessori doesn't have much of a backyard. There is a small garden and a play structure, 3 picnic tables for the kids to have snacks. BUT, the kids get out everyday to a new playground, or to a new park. They see more of the city than I ever will, and they know every playground within a 6-mile radius. The backyard is good for basic play, but for real activity, the kids are off and running most days!

Parent #2
The school space itself is not large, but the kids go out to the park or playground each day. The indoor space has spots for cooking, art, free play, piano, reading, etc. The outdoor space is a converted backyard where the kids do on-going composting and gardening projects. Art and reading are strengths of the school. Kids art projects are prominently displayed.

Parent #3
Everyday the students venture to a different site in the city. They visit our neighborhood playgrounds every week, but also go to city museums and special events.

Parent #4
Barbara Alexander has a brilliant rapport with children, especially the older ones. But this is not a school that provides a lot of guidance or hand-holding for parents or children. Children are left to resolve conflilcts among themselves, too.

Parent #5
It is almost a miracle that no one has gotten hurt or lost on the daily field trips. The director knows what she is doing, but I fear it is only a matter of time before they do have an emergency situation and it will not be helped by the director's refusal to carry a cellphone. That having been said, we are big fans of the director. The kids love her. If you have money, though, be warned. She often goes off on diatribes about how much she hates the rich, even if she loves their children. (And yes, she says this in front of the kids!)

Parent #6
discipline is handled really well with emphasis on kindness and respect. Time outs are used accordingly.

Parent #7
Regarding conflicts, our son has had to become familiar with one of the unfortunate items associated with growing up and going to school, bulllying. Unfortunately, we're dealing with it now in preschool. At first, our approach was obvious...complain. But the director tries to give all children, easy and difficult, a chance. So we've tried to help the situation by being befriending the child/bully by attending everyday school daytrips on occasion. We think it's working and our son apparently is getting along much better with the child. This is of course an individual example and if the director admitted a child who turned out to be not only a bad influence on the school environment but is also a "bad" child, I'm sure a situation such as bullying with this type of child would have been handled differently.

Regarding sickness. Be aware that while extremely ill children should stay at home, runny noses and coughs are frequent at Belvedere, but in our opinion, regular, aspects of preschool in general. But be aware, I've witnessed on mutliple occasions and feel confident in stating that the teachers wipe down and clean the entire school every day. If you want someone to chase your child around with hand sanitizer all day, this school isn't for you. But when the director deems a health issue of your child needs addressing, she'll let you know; I've experienced this firsthand so I know.

Parent #8
Kids here learn to take responsibility for their actions. They are empathetic to one another.

Health

OVERALL RATING (4.6)
Temperature and overall air circulation is comfortable
Healthy and nutritious snacks are provided
Toys and furniture are cleaned regularly

source:

Safety

OVERALL RATING (4.8)
Screen and identify all visitors
Parents may not bring sick children to school where they may infect others

source:

Montessori? Waldorf? Play-based?

What school type is right for your child? Is one model better than another? What does the research say?

View an example from the Savvy Source guide to learn more.

Trace around your child's foot, with shoe on, on a piece of white construction paper or card stock. Have child cut out the shoe print and add a spooky face. Glue it to a popsicle stick and you have a ghost stick puppet!

Comment (3)

Share From Send A Link To Your Comments:

Take Our Expert Quiz

how is your toddler or preschooler progressing developmentally?