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. =)

My children (ages 12 months and 3 years old) at the time attended Hope - Lake St. Louis from May 2023 to September 2023. Leaving to attend a different daycare/preschool was the best decision we could have made for my children and our family. Although we were one of the two black families enrolled, I was optimistic. However, we quickly learned that communication from leadership was lacking, as well as the general disregard for children safety and needs. I eventually filed a child care negligence report with the state but did not hear back after my child hit her head on the pavement twice. We really wanted this school to work for us, but ultimately decided that this was not the experience we wanted our children to have. I will say that Melanie S. and Kayla were always kind and empathic. My husband and I just expected more from the director and teachers when caring for our children, especially at the monthly rate paid while in attendance. I questioned to staff if our experience was normal or if it was due to the color of our skin.

Hope has been a wonderful childcare institution for our child for 3.5 years. The lack of screens, the focus on empowering children via independence and the open free play (work) with the kids we really appreciated. I agree with some other parents that the school could use a little more consistency with teachers but there is a national shortage of daycare teachers so I'm sure it's a tough position to be in. This place very much cares about your child. Some parents don't quite understand Montessori but the more you learn about it, especially for early child care, the more I'm convinced it's a better way of caring/teaching children, but this style and philosophy may be counter-intuitive to helicopter parents...

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 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!