Maple Village Waldorf Pre-K & K-8th

What can I say about this little school that has changed our lives for the better...The emphasis on kindness, inclusion, empathy is palpable upon entering the gates. The teachers and staff truly love the children. We began our journey in the parent toddler class four years ago and plan on staying all the way till eight grade. We initially shuttled our two girls in an hour commute because the environment is so worth it. They look forward to school daily. I only wish it was year-round. I changed work locations and we finally moved to Long Beach just to be closer to the school and community. We love Maple Village.
May 25th, 2020

During our initial entrance interview, the teacher proposed that we take our child to school on a trial basis for assessment. On first day of school, the teacher and some parents were talking about being tired due to daylight saving. Out of no where, the teacher asked me,"Do they have daylight saving in China?" I replied," I don't know." Teacher asked," Aren't you from China?"I was shocked by her ignorance but since she's a teacher, I gave her benefit of the doubt and that she did not intent to belittle and/or make us feel othered on first day of school. On our last day there, my child had a hard time saying bye to me at drop-off in the morning and refused to let go of my hand. The teacher told me she would give us 5 min and if he doesn't go in, I should take him home.  I understand her concerns and agreed. It's best that I take my child home if he is scared of her or not comfortable there. The 5 min count down made me anxious but it was what she said next that pushed us away. She mentioned my 5 year old son doesn't speak english and that he may not understand instructions. I reminded her that he does because my husband and I both speak english at home but we made the decision to only speak mandarin to him as we don't think 5 year olds would have any problem learning English. After that, she suggested that I take him to "Chinese groups" to socialize. Her remarks about us joining some "Chinese group" and assumptions about me is something I never expected from a kindergarten teacher. After spending a few days trying to process our experience, I made the decision to speak up and share our story with the community& school. Even though I felt validated and heard after talking to the Dean, the teacher's excuse is that she was trying to be helpful, meant no harm...which are all predictable answers. Sometimes your mean no harm comments will hurt people the most, especially for culturally marginalized groups. Edit: We started at a new school the following week. When I spoke to the new teacher on day 2 about my son not being able to speak english, she told me twice that my son "speaks well". On 3rd day of school, my son waved goodbye, walked into class by himself and did not look back. Turns out there's nothing wrong with our child. We just needed a teacher who would accept him for who he is. As for the teacher at maple village, she still works there as a kindergarten teacher after I reported the incident to the school.
Mar 24th, 2022

It's hard to put into words just how magical this sweet school is. My nearly 4 year old has been attending early childhood classes (Me and My Baby, Parent Toddler, and now preschool) here since she was 7 months old. The campus is so cozy and homey feeling, but that's nothing compared to the people who work here. Educating children is truly their passion and they love the children and families involved with the school. It feels like one big family. My daughter talks about preschool every day, even though it's been out for the summer for two weeks. In preschool they knead bread with their own hands on Thursdays and then eat that bread for their snack, they grow strawberries from seeds, they have the sweetest little nature walks...and that is just a snippet. I've noticed changes with my daughter at home too. She is singing all of the time (this is what they do often at school, especially during transition periods), her pretend play has really blossomed, and she is so proud of the things she accomplished in preschool and can now do at home (like sewing a bean bag with " a real needle"). The moms that were in the Me and My Baby class with me 3 years ago are some of my best friends. If you are a mom with a new baby looking for your people, I highly suggest this class! The parent toddler class is completely magical. Stories, group snack, open ended play with the sweetest toys, crafts, and adult conversation while the children play...it was always the highlight of our week. Children learn by doing here. As a parent, you have to trust the process, and the result is a deep thinking and kind child who wants to understand everything rather than just memorize it.
Jun 27th, 2021

What a crazy year due to COVID.  Wow, Maple Village staff, faculty, and parents were simply amazing this year. The Maple Village community really pulled together and made the most out of a challenging time.  This included getting a waiver out of the box, allowing the school to operate outdoors for a good portion of the year.  Online education is challenging so getting back into the classroom as soon as possible was obviously a high priority.  Operating outdoors took tremendous effort and commitment, I can't stress enough how impressive this effort was by the Maple Village staff.  The school made every effort to get the students inside as soon as possible as well.  So much is dependent upon parent volunteers, which is a sign of a strong community.  We had book clubs and lots of support through the r to help us stay engaged.  The parents we encountered are always so cool, you will never experience any "keeping up with the Jones" kind of Thing.  While Waldorf is a different approach, I saw the benefits this year as my son has genuine intellectual interests and loves learning.  Your child won't play with iPads or do worksheets, they will learn through narrative, play, and creative activities snd you will notice a big difference.
Jun 16th, 2021

My experience with Waldorf has been positive.  The teachers really care about their students and provide a positive learning environment.
Sep 8th, 2019