Monarch Academy for Young Children

I cannot say enough good things about this school! All three of my children have or are attending Monarch, and the warm nurturing environment is exactly the sort of place that a parent would want for their child in preparation for grammar school. My oldest, who is a 3rd grader at SCVi, entered kindergarten FAR ahead of the rest of her peers in both academics and social-emotional readiness. While I attribute this preparation to the fact that I myself am an educator, I also feel that it is due in large part to the education she received in her years at Monarch. Furthermore, my two youngest (who are much more reserved than their older sibling) have blossomed there. The teachers are kind, the curriculum engaging and appropriate, and the directors are professional and supportive. I cannot say enough good things about this preschool and cannot recommend it highly enough to others who are searching for a preschool for their son or daughter. My husband and I have two more years at Monarch before our son will be in kinder himself, and I am already sad at the thought of not having a child there anymore!!!

THANK YOU, Monarch, for everything you have done for my children!!!

My eldest grandson attended Monarch Academy from the age of 3 1/2 until he graduated Pre-K, and now his younger brother has just completed his first year at Monarch, too. What a fantastic environment this school provides! In addition to the creative teaching methods, the inspirational and enthusiastic teachers, and the indoor play structure (which is brilliant given our hot summers here), the entire staff of Monarch Academy is warm, loving, and tremendously nurturing. There is such a strong "family vibe" at the school...it just feels so good to walk in and see how the kids are flourishing there. As a grandma, I am completely thrilled with the emotional and educational growth that I've seen in my grandsons, since attending this school. I highly, highly, highly recommend Monarch Academy, with absolutely no reservations whatsoever.

I will put it VERY simply. Monarch Academy has changed my daughter's life - for better and forever. As a father - nothing is more important than my children. Their "foundation" of life will strongly determine their outlook and success in life as a whole. I cannot stress the amount of compassion, thought, intelligence and care everyone at Monarch has given to both of my children. From their smaller class size, to their attention to detail - their all inclusive nature to their safety and secure facilities. No stone has been left unturned and no avenue left unexplored. If I could chisel my positive experience with them in stone I would. Yes - this is an unyielding and enthusiastic endorsement. My children are my soul - and Monarch Academy has helped them soar - hence the passionate review. I am honored to have Monarch Academy as the foundation of my children's future. You will be too.

I can honestly say that Monarch has done absolute wonders for my son! My son started at this school when he was three years old, and has remained until his 5th year, just completing Pre-K.

This school has such a unique, nurturing, creative, and inquisitive atmosphere that it creates the ideal climate for learning.

My son entered the school as an extremely shy and nervous little boy, and through the years they gently coaxed him out of his shell. The AMAZING teachers took the time to actually learn his interests and used them to engage him regularly.

In addition to the imaginative learning experiences at Monarch, the personal touches and extreme effort by the entire staff has consistently impressed me. From holiday celebrations to personalized graduation portfolios, Monarch always goes above and beyond.

With Monarch's creative curriculum and inspired method of teaching, it has truly been the perfect blend of a loving, warm environment and a wonderful learning experience. I can't wait for my younger son to start attending Monarch! I truly cannot sing their praises highly enough.

After graduating from Monarch Academy, our son went on to Oak Hills Elementary and won the first ever Good Scholar award for Transitional Kindergarten! Monarch Academy was highly instrumental in equipping him with not only the basic skills, but also the confidence necessary to achieve that.

This preschool is the best, I'm so happy my son was able to get in for 2 years! They were amazing helping him with both his potty training ( he was almost there but needed to be reminded constantly or he would get distracted and forget ) and helped with his anxiety about being away from me and my husband. In fact some days he still wants to play and stay at pick up time. My son now knows all his letters and their sounds, to count to 40 ( well to 100 with help ), he is starting to become interested in reading himself and is always engaged in whatever subject his class is studying for the month.

The facility is lovely, and the open but indoor playground is great because they can play in all weather. They have before care and aftercare which has saved me a few times when traffic was ugly.

I love this school, and more importantly, my kids love this school. Thank you for everything, Monarch.

U 7

My family had a terrible experience with this childcare facility earlier this year. However, I have waited a long time before posting a review to ensure that we had the right perspective. I waited until our child was in a NEW preschool to compare. I waited until I spoke with the school district & experts in the childcare field to make sure that it wasn't just me that was floored by this school's practices & procedures (or lack thereof!). So know in advance that this is a carefully and thoughtfully constructed review.

With that said......

Do NOT send your child to this poor excuse for a preschool. I hear they used to be great (which is why I sent my child there) but in the last year or two something must have gone terribly awry. The complete lack of professionalism demonstrated by the upper management of this facility is absolutely staggering. There is a teacher in one of the 3-year-old classes that is SO cold and shrill that it is truly a wonder that she works with children....truthfully we couldn't tell if she even LIKED children. For example - one day, I sat in on circle time and she kept rolling her eyes and sighing heavily while singing the daily songs. Truly "going through the motions"...right in front of a PARENT. There is ZERO follow-up from parent-teacher conferences. There's zero communication from teachers to parents on a daily, or even WEEKLY basis on how your child is progressing (or not). They boast a small teacher-to-student ratio but can never seem to handle the number of children they have. The extra-curricular activities are lacking....and the tuition is on the higher end in comparison to others in the SCV!

I will not go into detail about what happened with my child, but I WILL say that I learned that at least 2 other families had the same experience with Monarch in the span of two to three weeks that we did! My family.....but most importantly, my child, is scarred from this experience.... For a LONG time, if we even said the word "school" around him...or if he saw a school, he'd shut down. After months of heavy research and soul-searching, we've slowly put our child in another preschool and the difference is just NIGHT and DAY. He's excited to go. He is surrounded by warmth, encouragement and love....and THAT, has made all the difference in the world.

In our situation, the problem was with the preschool.....not with the child. I strongly advise you to keep looking if you are looking for a preschool for your child.