Montessori/Preschool Schools Near Nocatee (Atlantic Beach, St. Augustine: credit, daycare, garden)

[gea1927]

I am relocating from Bethesda MD and am considering Nocatee. We have a one year old and 3.5 year old and are considering moving to Nocatee but would really like to keep our 3.5 year old enrolled in Montessori school close. Are there any Montessori schools located near Nocatee or highly recommended daycare/preschools? Thanks!

[hlauburn]

There are not any "true" Montessori schools near Nocatee - the closest would be in Jax Beach or Mandarin, I think. There are, however, many great preschools very close by. The most Montessori-esque would probably be Accotink Academy. Most of the others are associated with churches (Crosswater, Palmer Preschool, Ponte Vedra Presbyterian Church).

[ilfaith]

Palencia Montessori Academy is a preschool located a few miles down US-1. My four-year-old went there last year and we were very happy with the program.

Last year the program was for children from 2 1/2 through kindergarten, but I think they may be expanding this year to include a class for younger children.

Palencia Montessori Academy & Palencia Extended Day

[hlauburn]

Ahhh, I forgot about Palencia! That would be the closest one then. Thanks for the correction!

[jgolden804]

bartram academy is pretty close by. it's not montessori but is reggio emilia based. we checked it out and would have loved to enroll our child, but they did not have space available at the time.

[RSWATTY]

There's a great montessori school down in St. Augustine. It's called Moultrie Montessori School and its on State Road 16. But unless you are working down in that area, it'd probably be out of your way. We moved here 2 years ago and our 4 year old at the time had been in montessori her whole life. We enrolled her there and were very satisfied.

For your future consideration, there's also a free montessori charter school in St. Augsutine, called St. Augustine Public Montessori. It's only starting it's second year. It's 1st through 3rd grade, or maybe 4th. In keeping with the montessori age groupings, it does not have a kindergarten, as it groups the 6 to 9 years old in 1st to 3rd. I think it plans to add a grade the next 2 years as the older kids move up so they'll also be a full 9-12 year old grouping in a few years. Early feedback I've heard is mixed, but it may just be growing pains of a new school.

[JessicaJax]

Discovery Montessori in Jax Beach gets great reviews.

J. Allen Axson is a public Montessori magnet, but it's in Duval county. I've heard mixed reviews from parents, and it's not accredited by the major Montessori organizations.

There's also Seaside Play Garden at the beaches. It's Reggio I believe, and quite small.

I have to disagree with a previous poster -- Accotink is not at all Montessori-based. Accotink is very teacher led with very little child directed or play based learning. Many people love the school -- but it's not Montessori.

I have a daughter in preschool, and I toured many, many preschools in the area when we were deciding where to send her.

We have our daughter at Christ Episcopal Preachool in Ponte Vedra Beach. It's an excellent program -- everyone I know who sends their kids there is very happy. It's a warm, loving environment, and they have a child-centered and play based approach to learning. All the teachers there have bachelors degrees -- something I was surprised to find was not the case at many preschools.

I also really liked the preschool at Community Presbyterian church in Atlantic Beach.