LePort School Irvine Spectrum

My daughter and I attended the Parent and Me classes with Monica Alvidrez at the Orcard Hills location. She is a teacher in the toddler class at the Spectrum location. We had a blast with her. Monica is wonderful-​caring, patient, and extremely knowledgeable. All of us parents in the class were able to pick her brain on a multitude of topics and she always took her time explaining things to us & teaching us as well as our children. We have started the potty training process with confidence because of Miss Monica. She is a fantastic teacher.

My two boys attended Le Port at spectrum for several years. Only program I recommend is primary. Ms. Fergusson is excellent teacher. She is patient and has passion for education. My oldest attended 4ht, 5^th and 6^th grade. I took both of them out of the school.
They do not have eligible, qualified teachers there for elementary program. My son has horrible experience for 6^th grade. First of all, math and English teacher were incompetent, ignorant, and immature. Public school teachers are more passionate for children education. You do not need pay expensive tuition to give your children same level education or less than public school. Female teachers, especially, have preferential discrimination. Teachers are changing all the time. And head of school is being changed every year.
They went math competition for Orange county school. Le port did not received any award. All award went to public school. Their teaching level is lower than public school.
It say ’ Knowledge for life”. I think the owner only cares about money, not education.
I deeply regret that I sent two of my son to Le Port for several years wasting my money while they are not educated well from school. Especially for my oldest son, everything he learned for math, I had to teach him again at home. He says he did not learn much from school. He learned it from me. Science teacher, Ms. Gerdes were great. But she left school.
Le port is just a business. Be careful. Do not waste your hard earned money there.

My boys stayed at LePort Montessori for two years in primary and lower elementary classrooms with some improvement in their academic performance and minor improvement in their maturity and independency. Le Port staff are nice and courteous. The school head is always available to hear parents questions and concerns. Leport teachers and school admin have regular meetings to ensure calibration. The upper grades have specialty teachers for each subject. LePort teachers are generally young, but enthusiastic, fun, and energetic. Usually this is their first teaching position and they do a good job delivering what’s expected from them; however, LePort has a high staff turnover rate and the teachers tend to leave after gaining some teaching experience. This is not in line with Maria Montessori’s philosophy on the importance of a stable childhood environment. The teachers do have a role in making some decisions on how to teach their classroom, but the main lesson plan comes from the ‘corporate’ headquarter. LePort core curriculum provides a great exposure to math, sociology, and science, but little emphasis on the whole child development as well as arts, crafts, music, and Physical education, but these are offered as extracurricular activities. There is a disconnection between early childhood curriculum and upper grades. LePort is Montessori-​based until third grade and it’s traditional from fourth to eight grade. This defeats the purpose of learning through Montessori material in early childhood and switching to abstract learning in upper grades. LePort offers small class sizes which allows more individual attention, but takes away peer interaction of a larger class size. The primary (ages 3 – 6) and lower elementary (grades 1 – 3) classrooms are integrated based on a three-​year developmental stage blocks allowing different individuals with varying developmental stages to achieve the required growth by the end of the block. However, in my experience, it’s discouraged for an older child to select younger peers as friends. Leport has a strong marketing department and is very good in attracting prospective parents by this opening statement ‘do you want your child to be happy or successful in life? Do you want your child to be organized and independent in life? We offer it all to your children’. That will immediately get any prospective parent’s attention. Although LePort promises following the child and allowing each child to move at his own pace, not all teachers are truly adherent to this core aspect of Maria Montessori’s philosophy. Starting from early childhood, LePort has long ‘work’ hours and short recess time. The recess will be taken away when the child has not finished his ‘work’. If a child is behind Le Port’s rigorous academic curriculum, there is tutoring services offered, but they don’t have any resources other than that. They then recommend outside services. Parent/​teacher communication is limited and there is no feel of a community. Leport puts a lot of efforts in organizing social events for children and their families; although not always really educational, but the staff does a nice job planning these social events. Typical ‘sugar loaded’ party treats are served during these social events. The ‘no sugar policy’ mentioned in LePort website is mostly for early childhood, but even there, it’s not really enforced.
We recently decided to move our children from LePort schools primarily due to concerns of high teacher turnover rates. By the time the teacher gets acclimated to the system and the children get used to the teacher, she/​he leaves and a new teacher will have to take over. The number of students in upper grades is very low. Children learn best from each other and this low student number gives little peer stimulation. It also limits the child to very few friendship choices. Our other concern is that our children are not receiving a well-​rounded education. There is too much academic emphasis and very little attention on developing the ‘whole child’. Overall, no education system is suitable for all families.

This review is for the infant Parent and me Class taught by the wonderful Ms Stacey Dee which is way over due. Both my daughter and my son has gone through her classes and have loved Ms Dee. She is super energetic and fun with the kids. We learned so much each week from her and tried to use it in our weekly routine. One time, our daughter was having trouble going to bed, and she gave us some wonderful tips. In two nights, she was a complete different child. We are so grateful that Ms. Dee is always there to answer our questions, and always seems to be able to come with some really good tips and suggestions. She is just a wonderful and compassionate teacher! We are hoping that our son can get into her infant class this year.

We decided to enroll our 2 year old daughter in the Spanish immersion parent & me class, and it has been an enriching experience not only for her but for us as parents, too. Miss Monica prepares the classroom environment in a way that lends itself to sparking the children’s curiosity for learning. She provides just enough structure for our daughter, who has learned important life skills including table manners, eating in a family-​style setting, hygiene by way of hand washing before snacks, cleaning up after herself and putting away (work, dishes, etc.). Monica treats all the children with respect and fosters an independence that the kids thrive off of. Our daughter has transferred the life skills she’s acquired to our home environment, and it has been refreshing. If we come to Monica with a challenge, she offers advice on disciplining with respect and calm as well as ideas and alternatives to virtually any parenting situation. We look forward to attending the class every week, and, more importantly, so does our daughter! We will continue to take her to the parent & me class until she outgrows it. And since we are raising our daughter to speak Spanish, too, it is an added bonus that she be exposed to the language while she’s there.

We love LePort School Irvine Spectrum. This facility is nice, clean and safe for kids. The staff are very helpful and friendly. My daughter has attended this school for almost a year. She is in Ms. Monica’s toddler class. Ms. Monica is a wonderful teacher. She is very patient and truly cares about the kids. It is amazing that my daughter got potty trained well in a very short period. Ms. Monica helped improve my daughter’s language and independent skills. She learned how to paint, dance, sing songs and play ball at school. Every morning she is very excited to go to school. We are very pleased with the experience.
We highly recommend LePort School Irvine Spectrum to anyone who is looking for a great preschool for their children.

My oldest daughter (now six) started in the Toddler class at the Huntington Harbor campus at two years old. The year she moved up to Primary was the year they were introducing the first Spanish Immersion class at any LePort campus, after much thought and research we decided to try the Spanish Immersion option. BEST decision we ever made! We were blessed with having Miss Gabriela as our Primary teacher… could not have prayed for anyone better! By the end of the first year of Primary we knew we would keep our daughter at LePort in the Spanish Immersion through Kindergarten. At the end of our second year of Primary we found out that Miss Gabriela was going to be transferring to the new Spectrum South Campus to start the Spanish Immersion Program there. I was so distraught that we would not have our wonderful teacher for this very important and third Kindergarten year. In the end we decided that we wanted to complete the program with our same teacher so we decided to make the drive from Huntington Beach to Irvine five days a week. Crazy I know!
Having had the best preschool experience we ever thought possible at the Huntington Harbor Campus, Spectrum South had big shoes to fill! I could not be more pleased with our time at Spectrum South! Miss Ali, Miss Jenifer, and Miss Karyn (Head of School) in the office are all AMAZING, exceptional customer service is the norm for this campus. The price of the tuition is high, but I truly believe you get what you pay for and LePort is as good as it gets! When I enrolled in the Mommy and me class so many years ago to learn about Montessori, I never would have imagined that we would enroll and stay for over 4 ½ years! Montessori is something I fell in love with and could not walk away from… no matter how many times we had to cut our household budget to be able to afford the tuition. My daughter graduates from Primary/​Montessori in 12 days… while I have been counting down the days until my 2 hours of daily driving is over, part of me is very sad to me moving on from this amazing community that we have been a part of for so long. I could seriously go on and on about how wonderful, kind, and loving Miss Gabriela is, but once you meet her you will know what I mean.
Our first year at LePort we took the summer off, not 5 days into Summer my daughter was asking when she could go back to school and was bored out of her mind being out of the Montessori classroom. We learned that the 12 month option was best for us and gives extra benefits with the language immersion. My daughter is completely fluent in English and Spanish, reads in both languages, and has been working on fractions, multiplication and long division… in Kindergarten! For first grade she is going to a school with accelerated curriculum and has tested a year ahead across all subjects, I attribute this to all time and attention Miss Gabriela gave to know my daughters strengths and customizing the curriculum to her individual needs. Not to mention all the amazing Montessori materials that you will not find any where else (especially for math). There is so much to be said for having the same teacher for three years, the teachers get to know your child so well and the relationship that develops between student-​teacher and parents-​teacher is incomparable!
I am so happy with the level of Quality we have experienced with LePort and the Immersion Program! I would recommend this school and specifically Miss Gabriela or Miss Linda to anyone!!!

Where to begin? My wife and I have our son Myles enrolled in the infant (soon to be toddler) program — we started last fall. We are overjoyed at the care, guidance and professional of this school. From the lady in charge (Karyn) to our class lead (Bianca) and her assistants Alicia & Rose. Myles loves going to school in the A.M. and we can go off to work with the peace of mind that parents treasure. The teachers in the adjacent classroom are also terrific. All of the teachers take the time and effort to dial in to each child’s needs and the 3 – 1 ratio is a wonderful equation. The front desk staff (Allie, Jennifer 1 and Jennifer 2) are always on point — organized, tight and efficient, while always remaining warm. So — if it sounds like we are extremely happy, it’s because we are. Our son is reaching his greatest potential and there are very few things in life more desired… With deep and sincere gratitude, we are happy to write this review. Tim, Nicole & Myles Christopher

Our 2 kids are currently in Leport Spectrum campus, and we are very pleased with the school. Our son, 5.5 has been with Ms. Fergusson since he was 2.5 in Primary class. Ms. Fergusson has been so wonderful in the last 3 years, I can’t ask for a better teacher for my son. I think she has tremendous patience with the kids. She has a very calm way of approaching the kids to listen, and I like that for my son. We are not only happy with how my son is growing academically but also how he is growing to become a little independent thinker, with great concentration skill in problem solving. Our youngest daughter is in Toddler class with another great teacher, Ms. Ana and her assistant, Ms. Karen. My daughter loves both of her teachers. They gave that nurturing vibe which I think is good for my daughter since she had zero day-​care experience before Leport. She felt quite comfortable and bonded after the first week of school. My daughter has gained so much confidence since she started. I like that she is being challenged and engaged in Ms. Ana’s class. I also like the fact that Ms. Ana is informative of my daughter’s development and behaviors in class. From the beginning, Leport had both our kids adapted very well to the Montessori Method.
I have to add that after dealing with a number of admin since the school opened, Ms. Mette from the administrative now has also been a wonderful person to work with as well. She and Ms. Nelab are very approachable and very understanding. We are very sad that we will be leaving Spectrum Leport due to relocation in June. We will miss the kids teachers, and staff very much. I am very happy our kids had a great Montessori foundation with Leport while they were there. It will be very hard to replace the same experience when we leave Leport in June.

My youngest daughter is enrolled in the infant spanish bilingual program at LePort Spectrum south. She is only 6 months old, so it is too soon to tell what the impact of the spanish immersion will be. Nevertheless, regarding infant care — I am very pleased with the care of my daughter by the teachers in her classroom, led by Ms. Ivette. My daughter appears happy and and well-​looked after when I pick her up. She appears engaged in her surroundings and interested in the children in her room. I feel that her teachers genuinely care for her and I feel at peace when I drop her off in the morning.

My two year old daughter has been at Le Port Spectrum since 18 month on a half day program. With a third baby due any day, I felt the need to leave her for a full day, but I was hesitant because I was concerned about the big transition of her napping without me and weaning off the bottle as she has never done so previously. However, Ms. Monica and Ms. Gabby have made the transition so smoothly as they were helpful, patient, loving, and encouraging. Her lanugague abilities have dramatically improved (she speaks another language at home) and she has learned many new skills and songs. She is always so happy during pick-​up times and I’m so impressed how quickly the teachers were able to help her get potty trained.

Both of our kids attend LePort Spectrum and it has been such a positive experience. My youngest daughter started in Pre-​Primary this September in Ms. Monica’s class. She had just turned 20 months and I was a little nervous about sending her to school all day, including after care, as she was so young. Within the first few days in her class, all my worries evaporated, as I knew she was in more than great hands! My little one has since thrived! She has been enjoying flower arranging, taken an interest to cleaning dishes, encouraged to use the potty herself, and now loves to say, «I’ll do it all by myself.» Ms. Monica has taught her confidence and courage and I couldn’t be more thankful that she was placed in her class. She goes above and beyond the average requirements as a teacher and ensures the kids are engaged and interested, while teaching them the correct way to interact with people such as their peers and adults. My older daughter has also been in LePort for 3 years now and was once in Pre-​Primary with Ms. Monica, but shortly moved to another amazing, teacher, Ms. Ferguson’s class. Even when my kids are home, they speak so highly of their teachers and cannot wait to see them each day. I couldn’t be happier with the teachers as my kids seem content, happy, and learning– and at this age, that should be all that matters. I can rest at ease while at work, knowing that my kids are in wonderful hands and they are having fun.

Our two children have attended LePort Schools since October 2014. Our oldest is currently enrolled in their Spanish Immersion preschool program, and our youngest, in the Bilingual Infant program. Both have adapted extremely well to the Montessori Method after transferring from a more traditional daycare. From the very beginning, the administrative staff has been friendly and supportive and has been invaluable as we progressed through the application and financial aid processes.
It should be noted, before we start, that this school is rather expensive. However, they do offer a generous financial aid program and even discounts for those who work close by. With that being said, it becomes quickly apparent that what you are paying for is top notch care at an exceptional facility.
The Bilingual Infant program has been an amazing experience. Led by Ms. Yvette, the environment is always immaculate and organized, with activities strategically placed to allow the children the freedom to explore and develop. Her staff is attentive and nurturing and show genuine love and adoration for the children they care for. We were especially impressed that Ms. Yvette took the time to visit with our family in our home to get better acquainted and give our son the chance to acclimate. We definitely feel that this seemingly small gesture was key in building the trust that allowed our child to become so comfortable so quickly in a new environment.
The Spanish Immersion program has equally been a fantastic experience. Led by Ms. Linda, the classroom is well thought out and allows the children the space to grow and develop their own sense of independence, while still remaining secure in a controlled environment. At first, we were concerned that our child’s English speaking skills would suffer, since the entire class is taught in Spanish. However, to our wonderment, his vocabulary and social skills have flourished in both English and Spanish. He comes home and has full blown conversations with us in English and then turns around and sings songs to his brother in Spanish. Words cannot express the joy and pride these little moments bring us as parents.
Our children’s exploratory nature and thirst for knowledge has been due greatly in part to the academic structure found at LePort Schools. In fact, this structure was the primary reason that we transferred our children here. However, more than that, Ms. Yvette and Ms. Linda have truly treated our children with genuine care and affection that give us the confidence that they truly keep our children’s best intentions at heart. Their tireless efforts to inform us about their progress and development make us feel like we are right there with them in the classroom (they even email us pictures every now and then, which simply light up our days); and it is this trust between our family and the teachers and the staff that has surpassed all our expectations.

We have participated in three parent/​child programs at LePort and they have been excellent. It is an ideal way for both the parent and child to get a feel for the Montessori teaching styles and school.
We participated in the Spanish Immersion Program at this campus and it was outstanding! Neither my husband nor I are fluent Spanish speakers, but we felt this would be a unique and valuable experience for our child. It has been just that!
Mrs. Calvo is a wonderful teacher who speaks impeccable Spanish. She has been a Montessori teacher for over 20 years and has a wealth of knowledge about all aspects of the Montessori curriculum and philosophies. It’s evident in everything that she does that she loves teaching and children. My child and I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience with her. We have learned so much beyond the scope of the Spanish language!
* We wrote a review under the LePort Orchard Hills campus that has more details about the parent/​child programs offered by LePort

My son attends Leport in Miss Ivette’s infant room. We could not be happier with his care. The teachers in his room truly care about the children and keep each child on their an individual plan best suited to the child’s specific needs. The infant room is large, bright and clean. There is a large outdoor area that the children enjoy almost daily– my son LOVES to go outside. He also loves music and playing with the other children at LePort. I would highly recommend LePort and specifically Miss Ivette’s room.

My review is simple:
This is the only school, to send your kids to!!! The school, the staff, the teachers, the students– are the best in every way. The education they provide to your kids is priceless. In just 2 months I have a different child. He is challenged to go above and beyond and loves school. He is not bored any longer. He has become a different kid. There is no comparison to the public system.

I want to update my review since my 20 month old joined in September. I am amazed at the difference just 2 months have made in her knowledge and development. I couldn’t be happier. Miss Monica is so knowledgeable and is a true Montessorian :). The twins continue to thrive, thanks to their wonderful primary teachers Miss Fergusson, Miss Trinh, Miss Wright and the assistant teachers. I am planning to keep my kids enrolled at this school for yrs to come. Thanks to all the teachers for really loving what they do and truly caring for our children. Miss Trinh, Miss wright and Miss April from the Birch class are so wonderful and patient with my 5 yr old that’s in their class … She needs lots of attention and patience and they are incredible with her. Even tho it’s a big class with 3 teachers they manage to give the children the attention they need academically and personally. The class is always tuning smoothly even tho it’s a large one. When I’ve had the chance to watch my daughter work I am so moved by how much the kids love the teachers… They get hugs from the kids every 5 minutes… That says so much. My kids are progressing academically and socially. I just couldn’t be happier. Once again thank you so much!

My son started attending Le Port (Irvine Spectrum) campus in the infant program, when he was 7 months old. He now attends the Toddler program (18 months — 3 years), and I could not be happier with the education he is receiving.
First of all, I want to call out the fact that his teacher, Monica Alvidrez, is just wonderful! She truly loves teaching toddlers, and she communicates with them very effectively. The toddlers really respect Miss Monica and you can see the difference she makes at the school. I also admire his other teachers, Ms Ana and miss Megan! They are very attentive and whenever we interact, they try to share something that happened with my son that day.
I can tell my son is not only learning at a much faster speed than other toddlers I know, but, most importantly, he is happy at school! He loves his classmates and his teachers. When he comes home he tells me who he played with, what he did at school, and mentions about how the garden is doing (they have gardens next to the playground, and the kids love seeing how the vegetables grow). At the age of 2 years and 3 months, he is pretty much toilet trained, speaks fairly well with huge vocabulary for his age, and has great manners. He loves books, and has the ability to focus on each task. I know I can thank Le Port for providing my son with the right guidance and foundation.
The classrooms are very clean, materials and procedures are definitely aligned with Montessori education. They hosted a session where parents came to the classroom and watched the children «work» for a whole hour. I was very glad to see how my son behaved in the classroom and how he enjoyed using the materials. It also gave me ideas on how to make some small changes at home, with how toys and books are organized. They also host parent education nights to talk about various aspects of child development and once a year they host a session on how things will change on the next program, to prepare parents for the transition.
Le Port, in general, is a great school and I recommend it. We had some challenges with a teacher in the infant program, but I’m glad we kept my son in the school. You may come across professionals (a teacher, a doctor, a lawyer, etc). who are not delivering the best results. If that happens to you, don’t give up if you believe in the organization as a whole!

My daughter is in second grade and just started at LePort and we could not be happier. We came from another private school, but boy you don’t see the flaws so much until your child is at LePort and see what your he/​she was missing all along! My daughter no longer loved reading because of the nonsense that comes with rushing through AR tests. Now she participates in small literature circles where discussion is meaningful and comprehension can truly be assessed. The math program at her old school was cookie-​cutter and did not build good number sense or conceptual understanding of basic concepts. Now she has a more in-​depth understanding and actually enjoys math! She is excelling in every subject and is doing phenomenally better than at her old private school. Her teachers give up their lunch to sit with kids at lunch and talk with them about being a good person and important concepts that support character education. They don’t have a million parties that take up ½ the day, or a fundraiser every week… instead they focus on educating the child and teaching them independence using the Montessori method (which is new to us but I am VERY pleased with it and see the successful results!). They have wonderful educational events for parents and really share with parents what their students do all day. You won’t have any surprises and will feel very «in the know» about everything your child encounters during the school day. The class sizes are small and the focus is on each child as a separate individual. The curriculum is individualized. Many schools claim that by providing additional tutoring. THAT is not true individualized education like LePort offers. Trust me… we were at a highly-​rated private school in AH, Orange County, and after being there for 4 years, I can say that LePort tops them in every possible area. I am so thankful for LePort, the teachers, staff, and administration. I did extensive research in finding the best private school when we left our old school for safety reasons and problems with their administration. My research brought us to LePort, but LePort’s methods, administration, teachers, individualized education, and top-​notch education is what will keep us here. My daughter is flourishing like never before, has a voice in the classroom, and feels loved and important as she grows more and more confident every day because LePort has helped her see her true potential. We’ll be with LePort all the way through!

Our son started at the Le Port Spectrum Infant program at its inception, and has now moved on to the 18 month — 3 year old group. After reading some of the negative reviews from other parents, I started to wonder if we are attending the same school? We love all the teachers in the infant program, and consider them partners and collaborators in our son’s development. Through their tireless passion and commitment, our son has made amazing progress at Le Port. His language and gross/​fine motor skills far exceed standard, and our pediatrician always comments on how strong his focus and concentration level is for his age group. All of his teachers take the time to talk to us and address our questions and concerns. I definitely feel our son is getting the Montessori education we wanted him to have, and we feel confident entrusting our child in their care. All of the staff are friendly and helpful and greet our son with a warm and sincere smile everyday. A special thank you to Ms. Kirsten Carlin, Ms. Denise Rodriguez, Ms. Sharon Jeng, Ms. Bianca Solorzano, Ms. Natsuko Komori, Ms. Susan Carlson and Ms. Jaya Bhandaram.