Children’s World Bilingual Montessori School, Santa Clara | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

CWBM was probably the best place to have had our son for 4 years, and if I had to do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat. I really can’t recommend CWBM highly enough.

It’s hard to overstate what a huge influence CWBM was on his development. Across 4 years (age 2 to 6) he was potty trained, learned to tie his shoes, read, and perform four-digit addition. He learned great habits like hand washing for a full 20 seconds, putting things away after use, and helping around the house. He became an increasingly thoughtful, kind, and confident individual. The learning environment is very immersive yet broad and really suited his personality. The Montessori way of learning through exploration allowed him to progress at his own place. He made so many good friends there; ones he keeps in touch with even though they’ve all moved on to different elementary schools.

In fact, we liked the school so much, we kept him there an extra year for their Kindergarten program at a time when most kids might move on to elementary school. At CWBM, it’s a very focused program that is typically limited to only 4 or 5 students. Teachers spend extra time with them helping their development, with a focus on leadership. I feel like his learning definitely got supercharged that last year.

The ultimate test is how much your child wants to go to school. In our case, our son was always sad when he had to be kept home due to a fever.

Positives:

+ Accredited Montessori. The Montessori method of teaching is quite different from a traditional classroom environment. Children learn through play. Our son would describe the “jobs” to us that he did every day.

+ Caring teachers. The teachers are really off the charts here. Many of them send their own kids to the school and treat each child like their own.

+ Teach excellent habits. All the kids are so good with washing their hands, wearing masks, putting their “jobs” away for the next person, etc. Our son always puts the toilet seat down without fail.

+ Exceptionally clean. It’s the cleanest school we had ever seen. Even before COVID, they would have the school deep cleaned every weekend and you can tell the moment you walk in.

+ Outstanding COVID protocols.
o Full credit to Ms. Michelle, the Center Director, for leading CWBM through the crisis. She was able to pivot the school to offering online classes for the students while reopening again for a small cohort in June 2020. My son was in that first cohort that returned to school so didn’t spend the pandemic stuck at home. Combined with their Kindergarten program, he was well prepared for 1st grade because his learning continued unabated through the pandemic.
o All kids wore masks, and they moved to QR codes for pickup and drop-off to minimize shared surfaces. The kids wash their hands often and have hand sanitizer readily available. There’s also a HEPA filter in the main classroom.
o My understanding is they now have a bi-weekly COVID testing protocol in place for the kids, too. Until pediatric vaccines are available for kids as young as two, this provides additional peace of mind for parents.

+ Excellent value. Compared to other true Montessori programs in the area, I consider CWBM a great value. There are no mandatory donations, long-term contracts, parent volunteering expectations, etc. There is a single fee for 8a-6p care, which is often less than other facilities’ half-day fees.

+ Good security. Front door and outdoor gates are locked during school hours, so entry and exit is limited. No need to worry that anyone can just walk into the school.

Negatives:

– Very small parking lot. It fills up easily at pickup & drop off and can get congested, but parents are allowed to park at Chase bank next door.

My wife found CWBM and said it was her first choice for bilingual daycare in the area. I often joked with her that the day she heard our son was admitted to CWBM, she was as excited as if he got into Harvard. In retrospect, I understand her enthusiasm now.

I only have positive words to say about CWBM. Prior to starting CWBM, The Director, Miss Michelle taught my eldest at another Montessori school. When she left, we kept in touch, and when I was ready to put my second little one in pre-school, I, without a doubt, sought out Miss Michelle. There’s no question that I’ll be enrolling my third one there as well. Miss Michelle is the best pre-school teacher my children could ask for. Her staff is excellent at doing what they do. As a full-time working mother, it’s reassuring and gives me peace of mind knowing that my children are well-cared for and are adequately prepared for kindergarten. I love the fact that she has a web-cam so I can take a quick peek throughout the day to see what my son was doing in school. As a result, my two older children entered kindergarten with a strong background in reading and math – putting them at the top of their classes. The momentum has carried forward as they move up each grade level. Another plus is the clean and safe environment. I highly recommend this pre-school!