Hope Montessori Academy - Lake St. Louis

"Our family has had (and is having) a wonderful experience here! What I love most about Hope is how individualized the attention is for each child. My daughter & son are very different and I appreciate that each one has been encouraged to develop, learn and excel at their own pace. Within my daughter's primary classroom, the teacher makes extraordinary efforts to engage children at their current level/interest and challenge them to explore new activities. The toddler room staff is incredibly patient when it comes to "toilet learning" (and we are personally testing that patience daily). I could list numerous things that set this place and our experience apart...The teachers, staff and director greet all children by name and ask questions about their families, pets, weekend activities. The summer camp program (ages 3-5) is amazing - great field trips and enrichment activities. Our kids started in the infant room, and as a first-time mom, I immediately felt comfortable with the care my babies received. I like the flexibility of their schedule/part-time attendance options. When I have had concerns or questions, I have found the staff to be open to feedback and very fair in their responses. The only negative about sending our kids here - it will be extremely hard to "graduate" from here when it's time to send our kiddos to public school. =)"

"Absolutely great experience with both kids. We loved the curriculum and staff. Couldn’t have found a better place in the area for the kids. The time and attention the faculty and staff spend on each kid is commendable. So glad that we got to be part of the Hope Family. The Director knows each family personally and shows interest in what is going on in the classroom and school all the time. When I walked out after dropping my kids, I knew my kids will be loved and taken care off."

"We have been part of the Hope LSL family for the past 4 1/2 years. Our oldest daughter attended through kindergarten and our 2 year old is currently in the toddler classroom. The director, teachers and staff go above and beyond for their families. They offer a loving and caring environment that sets the children up for success. I highly recommend Hope Academy, Lake St. Louis!"

"Hope Montessori has and always will have a special place in my heart and the hearts of my two sons. Hope gifted to my children in ways that I never could have imagined an early childhood setting could. They instilled in my children a genuine love for others, a curiosity for the world and their everyday surroundings, a respect for nature, a confidence in themselves, and a genuine love for learning and new ideas. The staff and educators at Hope live the lives they teach. My family is forever grateful."

"We have had a wonderful experience at this school. My oldest child started when he was 3.5yo. Three is the first year of Montessori "primary" (preschool). His teachers were kind and nurturing and fostered his love of math and science. He was doing so well there we decided to keep him there for kindergarten (the last year of Montessori primary). It was an amazing experience for him - a very small class, engaging work, enriching field trips, and so on. He finished kindergarten two grade levels above in reading and one grade level above in math. Yet he learned so much more than just the core academics. He learned fine art, music, animal life cycles, and more. My youngest child was the first child enrolled when Hope opened an infant program. His teachers were loving and wonderful. They exceeded my expectations about diapering, record-keeping, etc. You won't see exersaucers, bouncy seats, or anything like that (you shouldn't see anything like that at a true Montessori school). Babies should be on the floor exploring and he was. He was held in a rocker for bottle feedings. They introduced foods when I wanted them to and he was definitely ready when he transitioned to the toddler room. The toddler room was great too - they have the children outside often and indoor play includes a lot of practical life. He has a late summer birthday so I was worried about him moving into a primary room with having JUST turned 3, but everyone assured me he was ready, and sure enough, he was. He just finished his first year of primary. Both of my boys have attended year-round and the summer program is full of field trips (for the primary/preschoolers), water fun, and other activities. Additionally, both of my boys have severe food allergies and they have been AMAZING in handling them. The cook goes above and beyond in that regard. My family has been with this school now for more than three years and I have really come to trust and love it."