Academy On the Hills

I can’t say enough positive things about this center. Let me start off by saying I’ve been coming here since my now 6 ½ year old was only 3 months of age. She gracefully graduated from each classroom when the teachers saw fit for her to move on to the next. The infant room, the twos, toddler, preschool and even kinder, my daughter was always happy, belly full, and educated.
When we did start her in regular school this year, she was beyond prepared and above average for her age in reading, writing, and everything else.
I must say, as a parent (a full time working parent), you already feel guilty that you’re not with your child throughout the day. This is the place that put my mind at ease and I knew my little one was well taken care of.
For the comments such as «my child always got sick» or «cried when I left» or was sitting alone when you got there to pick them up, these all have a valid answer, I’m sure. My daughter was sick alot the first year, but Hello? Their immune systems are so new and of course if anyone breathes on them wrong, they’ll get sick. Rest assured that iv seen the school sanitizing everything thoughraly, and that this too shall pass. My daughter has now gained such a strong immune system from going to daycare early on in life and being «exposed» to other kids. I have also, in my day, received phone calls that I had to go pick up my child because she was sick (to not get other kids sick), so I know they follow strict routines and procedures. As for your kid crying when you leave, yes, I hope they cry and miss you. Iv seen plenty of times when I do leave with a screaming fit from my little one, and say I return because I forgot to give them diapers from my car, she’s always on to the next activity, happy as can be.
When you come to pick your child up, if he or she is crying or not in the best of moods, just remember that theyr kids. I give props to these teachers for dealing with a whole bunch of crying kids all day long. This is hard work and I praise them for it.
Monica is amazing, she’s at the front and goes around making sure everything is going right in each class. She’s been at the center since I got there with my daughter and iv always felt very comfortable approaching her. Of course there’s been situations, or schedule questions, or other things that had come up in 6 years (naturally), but iv never felt like my questions were made to be unimportant or pushed off to the side.
I noticed a comment about the lunch lady also caring for kids… I can not say enough good things about Ms. P! My daughter (being the picky eater that she is), loved her food and always asked for it even when we were home on the weekends! Ms. P, when not in the kitchen, is more than qualified to watch the kids as well, and I must say, they flock to her!
There are so many other teachers here that I can go on and on about, each with their own style (some more strict than others), but all very qualified. I actually liked the diversity of character as my daughter was taught she must adjust to each style of person.
She has since graduated from AOTH, and is the most smart, caring, big hearted, accepting, well mannered, little girl thanks to everyone at AOTH for Co parenting with me. Yes, I said it. After all, they did spend a majority of her days with her.
Now, having my second baby, I didn’t even think twice as to where she would go when I had to return to work. She is now 2, and had gone from the infant room, into the twos room.
Though Aliso Viejo is no longer the closest location for us, persay, I still trust no other center as Iv grown to trust this one with raising my kids with the upmost respect!
Thank you AOTH. I know I’m always in and out like lightening in the mornings and evenings due to my hectic schedule, but I want you guys to know, we appreciate you guys so much!
–Olesya, Maddie and Cici

I’ve been taking my child for a week now and it has been great. The staff members are friendly and caring. I would recommend this place to friends and family.

My son has been attending AOTH since September and I have been so impressed with all of the staff here. They are always so friendly and welcoming. They greet him warmly each day and make both of us feel comfortable. It took my son a long time to adjust to being in daycare part time and they were patient and understanding each day. He now loves to go to daycare and see all of his teachers and friends.

I have picked my grandson up there often. I am impressed with the attention the children get and give back in return… such great organization and cooperation to keep the environment there safe and happy.

Great teachers, wonderful curriculum. My son graduated a year ago to go to Kindergarten and he’s very advanced. He learned to read and write. They have nutritious food made everyday by the wonderful cook. Love the security system that you have to put in a code to get in. They have cameras set up all around the school. Very nice playground. We miss Aoth.

My son has been going to Academy on the Hills for a year now since he was 2 years old.
I like the cleanliness of the facility and nutritious snacks and meals they provide to all the kids.
He loves playing with his friends, teachers and outdoor play area.
They are also very accommodating and do not hesitate to let us know if they notice anything about the kid in terms of health and behavior. I will continue sending my child to this school and I am proud of my child who is thriving within the school curriculum.

Must be closed with those had a hearted cold in treating with kids. My kids spent a lot days at hospital the first time for them enter hospital. Doctors told me they had an infection with virus caused pneumoni. And after center doesn’t matter just told me give me money although they spent a little days at this bad center but I can’t pay whole month and kids doesn’t go they told me I will call collection company. And I have to collect money and pay. Looking for money .
Don’t treat with kids friendly to love place
Share in kids tools
Make your kids sick
Really must be closed and belong to church

Our daughter Gaby has been attending AOTH since August. What attracted us to AOTH was how clean, updated, and organized the classrooms/​outdoor areas were. Gaby is in the 2 year old class with Miss Courtney, Shea and Corinna. ALL her teachers are wonderful, attentive, and really care about Gaby and her well being. We see such positive changes in our daughter — she says please and thank you, she asks for help when she needs it, she puts away her toys, her vocabulary has increased tremendously — all things she has learned from AOTH in the past 3 months. We are very happy with our decision to send our daughter here.

My husband and I moved our son to Academy on the Hills just after his second birthday, after a horrible experience at another daycare. He spent a little over a year in the 2 year old room with Ms. Courtney, Ms. Shae & Ms. Karina. The transition was tough, with crying every morning for at least the first week, but every day after that it got easier. I found the teachers in his room to be VERY compassionate and more than willing to give us updates on how he was doing. I could even count on them to contact me during the day if he did something especially cute or funny, which shows me exactly how much LOVE they have for the kids in their room. Every day I dropped off or picked up our son he got hugs from his teachers and he was genuinely excited to be seeing them. To this day he will call me Ms. Shae and Ms. Courtney before he realizes what he’s saying and then calls me Mommy! :)) Recently, our son was moved to the 3 year old room and both he and his previous teachers, Ms. Shae, Ms. Courtney and Ms. Karina, have expressed to me how much they miss each other, even though they’re just in the next room over! It has been another transition, with his schedule changing and a slightly different classroom setting and teachers who are newer to him, but ALL of the staff at AOTH has been very supportive in helping with the transition to the new room. Please don’t judge this WONDERFUL school on one person’s 3 day experience. Our son loves this school and the teachers love him too!

My Son has been at AOTH since he was 6 weeks old he is turning 3 is november. As a single mother I could not be happier with my choice in schools. All of the teachers are so loving and patient with the kids. The teachers In the 2 year old room are the BEST Courtney, Karina and Shae. Monica the director is a life saver!!!

At first I looked around for a suitable preschool for my son and once we looked around we really liked academy on the hills. My son has gone to an actual toddler school before and we were so happy with it! We saw how compassionate the teachers can be…
Now comparing how academy on the hill treated my son and the other crying children in the classroom is beyond me. I know kids cry and want their parents and that is fine because the eventually get over it. But when I put my son in a place where I expect someone to look after him and not ignore him as he cries or asks for something. I should have pulled him out sooner, and I actually am considering on reporting the teacher I didn’t feel comfortable with. At drop off there was always a teacher named Courtney, who is super cold, not interested in the kids… a father dropped off his daughter in front of me and she held her in front of him and as soon as he left she put her down and walked away. She honestly should not be teaching these tiny little kids who need some what of compassion or affection.
Day 1: he was in one of the teachers lap (I forgot her name)
Day 2: I walk in and my son is laying his head on the table half asleep half crying holding on to his backpack and water. And completely being ignored.
Day 3: they were having lunch in the classroom and my son obviously was distraught being there with out me refused lunch. He was holding on to his back pack waiting for me… he was walking up to his teacher crying and as she was standing up eating she completely ignored me. I was sick to my stomach!!!
I never returned, I don’t recommended this place at all.
I called front desk and let them know what happened. And they refunded me the week worth that I paid for.
Keep your kids away from these cold hearted people.

I interviewed several places before choosing this center. Some places just didn’t seem all that updated or clean. I like the open atmosphere there and feel like they do a good job with my grandson who has some challenges.

Prior to AOTH, my son went to another daycare preschool where it seemed to be a glorified babysitting site. There was no structure and the teachers didn’t really know how to handle themselves. We move him to AOTH and he absolutely thrives. He started in the 2 year old class and is now in with the 3 year olds, about to move on to the 4s. The teacher turnover is very low and he has really bonded with them. Miss Sandy is always telling me how amazed she is at how much he’s grown and come out of his shell. He is so much happier now. We recently had a new baby and our 5 month old is in the infant room and has a smile on her face from the moment I drop her off. She seems to love her class and her teachers very much. There are no separation tears which makes my life easier. I recommend AOTH to people in the area all the time. They have always been so understanding, so communicative, and caring. They are like a family away from family for our two little ones.

We love Academy on the Hills! We left Kindercare and enrolled our two kids here and are so far very happy with our decision. Our son is in the infant room and the teacher in there Ms Elizabeth is amazing! She truly cares for those babies and loves them as if they were her own. The Jr Pre-​K teachers are great and my daughter loves going to school everyday. She has learned so much academically since we started her at this school. It’s so much more than a daycare. They truly focus on learning. The reasons they didn’t get a 5? I think they could do better at communicating teacher changes to the parents. A letter about the changes help keep us informed would be great. Also, for the babies, they should send you home with a sheet outlining their day. Currently you get all the details as they track their feedings and changes, but you have to read it and try and remember. It would be nice if you could bring a copy home to review later.

I have my kids in this school and I love it. When I went to take the tour, I fall in love with the school. They have a playground for each classroom and their school was neat and clean. My preschooler has learn a lot and I’m glad that they are able to help me potty train my 2 year old. I would recommend this school at any time in a heart bit. I go to work with a peace of mind every day. And their front office staff are the best. I can always count on Monica when ever I have a question.

We needed a part-​time preschool nearby for my daughter when she turned 2 so she could start interacting with other kids her age and getting out of the house a bit. Upon taking the tour my husband immediately liked the people and class settings. We also really liked that they assisted with potty training and their prices were very reasonable. We decided to try it out for all these reasons. We signed my daughter up for 2 mornings a week — the minimum you can do. We also really liked their flexibility in allowing us to choose which days each week we could bring our daughter as apposed to a fixed schedule.
Of course the first few weeks were a little tough on her since she hadn’t been to a daycare or preschool setting before so we had some crying in the morning but her teacher was so kind and loving she was great in the transition process. Everyday when I go to pick her up she gives me a little overview of the day, what my daughter ate, what she did, how she interacted, how her potty training went etc. This means a lot!
Her teacher at the time — Mrs. Elizabeth — was fantastic. I loved her and miss her to this day. My daughter got really close to her when suddenly I noticed her absence. One week went by and still didn’t see her. In that week there was a different teacher there every day and my daughter started getting clingy, not wanting to go to class each day. By Friday afternoon I ask one substitute where Mrs. Elizabeth was and she said that she was moved to another class. Me and another mom standing next to me were shocked. I spent that weekend really contemplating taking her out of a school that really didn’t care about its children or parents. As the weeks went by my experience got increasingly worse and my gut was telling me to pull my daughter from this school and go to a more reputable Montessori in the area. But as all parents know, it’s very hard to move your children to new schools. Throughout the weeks that followed the school had no director for easily a few months. Anyone was substituting there and children had different teachers each day. Even the lunch room lady was watching the kids. There was no structure or curriculum and I had no insight into what my daughter was doing anymore. Her behavior Started changing and I really didn’t like the teaching styles of all the random teachers I saw there.
Also the few times I had a question the reception said they would ask the owners and never got back to me. When I asked again they said the owners didn’t answer them back. The owners clearly didn’t care and with there being no director the school was falling apart.
I researched Montessori’s in the area and came across Village Montessori in Mission Viejo (Los Alisos & Trabuco). I took a tour with my daughter and to my utter shock she held the teachers hand there and said bye to me. I realized she made her decision. To my astonishment, this highly rated Montessori cost EXACTLY the same amount as I was paying for Academy on the Hills. So we made the switch and there is no comparison between the teachers, curriculum, and abundance of school activities offered.
The saddest part is we really miss Mrs. Elizabeth. She was the gem at that school and I will never forget her.

Our daughter has been attending day care/​school at this location for over 2 years now, during which time it changed over to new management.
Since the change, the school has become an absolutely wonderful environment to send our daughter to every day. The teachers are attentive and kind and actually care a lot about the kids, the food is homemade, obviously with a lot of attention and love, and the new ownership is 100% invested in the center and the kids.
Having tried a number of in-​home day cares in and around Aliso Viejo before finding Academy on the Hills, I have to say, please consider Academy on the Hills if you haven’t yet– you’ll be glad you did.

I have had my two boys enrolled at Academy on the Hills for the past year and a half and I have been so happy with the level of care they have received there. You can really tell a lot of thought has gone into the activities the children do, I am always pleasantly surprised by the things they are learning. This center is located in a nice area off of main streets and is exceptionally clean, which I have found is not always the case. I like the layout of the school where each age group has its own playground perfectly suitable for their age group. In my experience I have found the staff to be exceptionally caring and warm to my boys as well as helpful and knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend this center to a parent who was looking for high quality care for their child.