The Montessori School of New York International

Reviews

• KK

  Kristina K

  Jun 12, 2025
  5.0
  ⸻ A Truly Exceptional School Experience! The Montessori School of New York International is nothing short of extraordinary. From the moment you step in, you can feel the warmth, care, and dedication that defines this school. The teachers are absolutely wonderful—nurturing, highly skilled, and deeply committed to each child’s growth. The academic experience is impressive. Children are not only well cared for, but they also receive a rich, engaging education every single day. Their intellectual growth is remarkable, and it’s clear that the curriculum is both challenging and inspiring. The school emphasizes global awareness, with students learning about different countries and cultures in meaningful ways. Educational field trips are another standout feature. These carefully planned outings bring learning to life and give students a well-rounded understanding of the world around them. The summer camp is also a highlight. It’s a perfect blend of fun, learning, and physical activity. The children stay active, explore the city, and most importantly, continue their academic development throughout the summer. Thanks to this, there’s no need to spend the first part of the next school year re-learning what was forgotten—because nothing is! Most importantly, the children are happy, curious, and thriving. As a parent, that’s the greatest gift of all. We couldn’t be more grateful for this incredible school.
• SP

  Swetha Pakala

  Apr 18, 2025
  1.0
  I enrolled my daughter at this school when she turned 2.5, because my older daughter had gone to a Montessori school and we really loved the philosophy behind their approach. In hindsight, I wish I had known more about the structure and operations of this school. For the younger kids, there are 2 teachers for 10 children. Parents are not allowed inside the school--the head teacher comes outside during drop-off and pick-up to take the kids in. She is emotionless, expressionless, and never says more than 2 words unless specifically prompted. There is no communication about the frequent rotation of teachers in and out, nor any information the teachers and their credentials/experience. My daughter kept telling me one of her teachers was “sick” but I learned later that she had left. There are a tremendous number of projects and presentations that the children have to do-- including an annual science fair, that even the 2-year-olds are expected to participate in, and requires a trifold poster board as well as an oral presentation to be prepared at home. They also have many activities that require sending items in, dressing up, and preparing presentations. While I support engaging children early with projects and concepts, I don’t feel many of the projects are age-appropriate and require a large amount of parent prep at home. And if you don’t participate, the school is not happy. I don’t think my daughter got anything out of these events, and it was just more stress for me to do them myself. The main parent liaison is a woman named Donna, however this is even more mysterious than the teachers. Donna seems to know everything about the kids and the school but is not even on-site. You can only really communicate with Donna via phone or email. I came to learn that she watches the kids on a camera from somewhere off-site. The facility is also old and not well-kept. The school is not flexible with parents schedules or values. When I told them I didn’t have time to do the science project for my 3 year old, they were judgmental and Donna told me “all the parents are shocked that you wouldn’t do a project for your daughter.” When I asked for a 10 minute earlier pickup, they told me that was too disruptive and they could not accommodate by bringing my daughter out 10 min before schedule, so I had to keep my daughter in half-day just for these 10 minutes. When I had to change my summer camp dates a few times last year, as I was coordinating two kids’ and my work schedule, Donna was notably irritated despite my numerous apologies. The final straw for us came for me during a conversation with Donna, in which she quoted several things I had asked on the parent text thread. She had been getting all the conversations and showing the teachers. My questions were benign—like “when does swimming start?” or “where does Donna work from?”. She told me that I should not be asking those things. She completely crossed boundaries. Donna also blamed my daughter for causing a cut lip on another child, stating she pushed this child. However, when I pursued this further with parents and the teachers, I found out that none of the teachers even saw this incident themselves. She also reported that my daughter was "disruptive" and her examples were things like pulling tape off the floor, breaking a music shaker, or running in the classroom then bumping into another child. When we pursued this further with the school director, Ms Sinha, she told us that my daughter was completely age-appropriate. I ended up taking my daughter out of that school due to several glaring contradictions in their teaching methods, lack of transparency, poor communication, poor supervision of the children, and lack of any age-appropriate academics. My daughter and I met several great friends at the school that we will keep forever, but we are so happy to be done with that school. Please think carefully and ask questions that I did not ask before enrolling. I blindly trusted the positive reviews and thought I could trust the Montessori brand. I was wrong.
• JY

  Jackie Almonte (Y)

  Jun 7, 2024
  1.0
  We had an awful experience in this place. We signed up for summer camp last year thinking that it would be a great experience and it was the opposite. To start they were very mysterious about the financial process they were never able to provide us with details about our account, second they did not provide the services that they promised. The staff where not friendly at all and the kids couldn’t even socialize. My son was very unhappy and disappointed. Would not recommend this place.
• MH

  Maria Habib

  May 14, 2024
  5.0
  Montessori International School of NYC is one of a kind! This school has been the biggest blessing!! I cannot speak highly enough of this school. My son started to go to this school at the age of 2.5 years. When we were researching schools, it was important for me that he is in a safe environment where he can learn and grow. Early childhood learning is undoubtedly an important foundation that Montessori International NYC excels at; they truly have exceeded my expectations. Academics The school invests their time and energy into the kid's learning which is exactly what you want in a school. The school started giving my son workbooks/homework in reading and math. He has excelled so much in the past few years and is now at a 1st/2nd grade level in reading/writing/math and he is just a few weeks shy of being 5 years old. His writing, reading, and math skills have grown so much! I now have a second child who goes to the school. She is 2.5 years old now. I have already seen a difference. She is singing songs and her ABC's, speaking full sentences, very social, and knows how to play by herself and with others. The Montessori method allows students to learn and advance at their own pace. They truly have made a huge difference and I am so happy for all that they invested in their learning. Activities The kids get to do so many activities. They go on field trips to the Central Park Zoo, Botanic Gardens, and Museums. They have activities and events throughout the year. They celebrate diversity throughout the year, the kids are learning about various countries and even get a taste of various cuisines. They have "Asia" day where they pick a country in Asia and present a poster about the culture and dress, etc. They have "India" day and were even given Indian food to taste for lunch. They also learn about other countries including countries in Africa and Europe. They are well rounded and have made a strong effort to introduce the kids to a wide variety of cultures which holds true to their name as Montessori School International. They are very active in the school with art projects and coloring. They have science fairs (and yes even for the little ones) which I think is amazing since it teaches them how to stand up in front of the classroom and present. They have spelling bees and an annual "Montessorics" where they have friendly competitions in physical sports i.e. running etc. They go on walks when the weather permits and learn about their surroundings. I also like that they have a dress code so the kids are well dressed and dressed for success. They have white and blue Montessori International shirts that they wear on outings or gym day (once every week). They have their own Montessori jackets and sweaters. They offer additional extracurricular classes both during the school year and summer school, when age appropriate and child-ready, which can vary but include swimming, tennis, martial arts, gymnastics, and chess. The field trips and classes may begin at various ages but the school works on getting the kids prepared to begin going on field trips when they are ready (level of independence, comfort with going on and off the bus, ability to listen to instruction, etc). They also have summer camp which is incredible! Teachers/administration The teachers are one of a kind! They really give them their all, working long hours, working hard, and dedicating their time and resources for the children. As a note, this is not a daycare in which teachers are snapping photos all day and updating you on what they ate as some schools may do. Instead, they use the school time actually devoting their attention to the class. They do offer progress reports twice a year, and occasional photos from presentations and events. More importantly, I can call in or email them and always get a prompt response. They answer all my questions and are absolutely helpful. They are truly a gem in the city. Summary The school has been absolutely wonderful!! I am forever appreciative and grateful for them!! I highly recommend!!