Guidepost
Montessori

at Plum Canyon
.

Tours & Events
Plum Canyon.
Monday-Friday | 7:00 am – 6:00 pm

Nido (6 weeks to 18 months)
Toddler (18 months to 3 years)
Children's House (3 to 6 years)
Spanish Immersion (2 to 6 years)

19141 Skyline Ranch Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91350 US
Thalia Valdovinos
Guidepost Montessori in Plum Canyon is one of the most trusted Montessori schools in North Los Angeles, California. Indoors, rooms are spacious, bright, and light-filled, creating a warm and calm space for children to work. Our school is conveniently located just off Plum Canyon Road and Skyline Ranch Road.
Thalia Valdovinos . Head of School
Tours & Events
Child crawling with toy

Learn more about Guidepost from the comfort of your own home!

Just starting your childcare search? Not ready to tour in person?

You’re invited to Making the Most of Childhood: A Virtual Tour of Guidepost!

Get your questions answered and learn more about our:

  • curriculum and approach
  • schedule and a typical day
  • communication & collaboration

explore our programs.

Our approach is designed to empower each child to achieve independence by combining our hands-on curriculum with personalized learning to create an environment where curiosity flourishes, independence grows, and academic excellence is a natural outcome.

We want your child to see and believe: “I am capable!”

Nido.
A nurturing space for babies to walk, talk, and explore
Toddler.
For children ages 18 months to 3 years old
Children's House.
A preschool for hands-on reading, writing, math and more
Spanish Immersion.
For children ages 18 months to 6 years old
Guidepost at Home.
For children ages 0 to 12 years old

what makes us stand out.

How is the Guidepost Montessori approach different from conventional education?

At Guidepost, we join with parents on their mission to help their child grow and live well. Together, we design an education to empower each child to build the knowledge, skills, and confidence she needs to craft an independent, flourishing life.

Though there are many differences between the conventional approach and Guidepost, here are some of the most important:

Conventional Education vs Guidepost Montessori
What is the Guidepost Mission?

At Guidepost, our mission is to support each child in achieving her own independence. To do this, we help her gain the knowledge, build the skills, and craft the personal character she needs to flourish. Above all, our goal is to cultivate joy—in the pursuit of knowledge, in effort applied to work worth doing, in the achievements of herself and others, and in taking the steps to author her own life.

Read more about the Guidepost Mission.

Learn about the key milestones we support—from infancy through high school.

Read more about why we educate for independence, and how we support independence for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary-age children.

What are the outcomes of your programs?

Montessori education is known world-wide for having positive impacts on both academics and social and emotional skills.

At Guidepost Montessori, when we design an environment to meet the developmental needs and interests of children alongside personalized care and support, the child can learn advanced skills at an accelerated pace.

Our students, for example, regularly learn to read by the time they’re 4-years-old and can perform all four math operations with 4-digit numbers by the end of their Kindergarten year.

The language and math skills of our kindergartners are on a par with what children in conventional programs learn in 3rd grade or beyond! What’s more, our students learn advanced academics joyfully—while simultaneously developing deep focus, self-discipline, and positive social skills.

Read more about the Guidepost Montessori advanced Language Curriculum in Children’s House.

Read more about the Guidepost Montessori advanced Math Curriculum in Children’s House.


Do your programs include Kindergarten?

Yes! The third year of our Children’s House program, designed for 3- to 6-year-olds, is the capstone kindergarten year. In this year, the child has been well-prepared to experience an explosion of literacy, learn advanced math concepts, and use her hard-won ability to focus, problem-solve, and persist through challenges to then make advanced gains across the curriculum. Children who continue with Guidepost through Kindergarten are often well-ahead of their peers when they enter 1st grade.

Learn more about the capstone Kindergarten year at Guidepost.

Learn more about the next exciting stage: the Guidepost elementary program.

Following elementary, students continue on to our Montessori middle and high school, the Academy of Thought & Industry: a school that combines a classical liberal arts emphasis on history and great books, and a Montessori emphasis on independence and agency.

How does Guidepost partner with parents?

At Guidepost, we want to make the best education the best for children and parents. This is why we provide year-round, extended-day programming at no extra cost, enabling consistent and uninterrupted access to the care and developmental support parents expect. We invite you into your child’s world—with daily photo and video updates, regular milestone meetings, and parent-child events that showcase your child’s progress. We work to understand your unique context and needs, so that we can provide support for milestones at home as well as at school.

In everything we do, we strive to cultivate joy as you watch your child grow!

Read about Transparent Classroom, the app that provides a window into your child’s day.

Read about recent family events such as Grandparent’s Day, a cultural celebration, and a spring celebration.

discover the benefits of our spanish immersion programs.

Children under the age of six absorb language effortlessly, which is why we are pleased to offer bilingual environments. In our Spanish Immersion program, children learn both Spanish and English literacy skills, however, the prevailing language spoken throughout the day is Spanish. The overall emphasis on Spanish rapidly increases fluency, as children feel naturally compelled to communicate with their Spanish-speaking guides. Learn more about our Spanish Immersion program here

The gift of language: Spanish Immersion at Guidepost Montessori
Explore our school's upcoming events

explore our school's upcoming events.


take a peek at our school.

what parents are saying.

All
12
Google
4
Yelp
8
Komal T
Aug 1 on yelp
I highly recommend Guidepost Montessori at Plum Canyon. Mrs. Thalia and Mrs. Rosie always make things happen. Whenever I needed comfort as a parent they both would provide the support I needed. My daughter has truly blossomed here and it is because of the dedication to the teachers as well. A special shout out to Mrs. Myrna and Mrs. Tereza. Everyone at the school is amazing.
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Lally Katz
Feb 27 on google
We have absolutely loved this school, the teachers and the staff who run the school. Our son does the Spanish immersion class with Ms Gaby, Ms Myrna and Ms Sol. They are three excellent teachers with wonderful communication, they are fun, approachable, friendly and warm. The classroom is run beautifully and we always feel welcomed. Since going to Guidepost our son (an only child) has learnt to do SO much for himself. He puts on his shoes, gets dressed, clears his plate. It has made him value his independence and given him new levels of confidence as an individual. He has made some very good friends with the other students and I believe the school does a really good job of fostering friendships. We have loved the out of hours activities and the birthday parties. And seeing my son's understanding of Spanish grow has been very exciting. We've also met a lot of the other parents who are very friendly and this has been really great. It's a great school and lovely community. It's been perfect for our family.
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Stephanie Sosa
Feb 25 on google
My child has grown so much in this program. She has blossomed to an independent and confident child. I greatly appreciate Miss Camila's smiles and upbeat attitude in the morning. She is kind and genuine. I feel at ease leaving my child in their care. She is happy to go to school and see her friends/guides. Leadership is strong and they are good at communicating. They are friendly and accommodating.
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Alina Z.
Feb 22 on yelp
Since my daughter Mila entered this school at the end of 2021, it has truly been our best and happiest choice! The teaching environment is very clean and tidy, with bright classrooms and good outdoor activities for the children. The most appreciated thing is we wanna thanks for her early education teacher, Mrs.Lena. She is a particularly caring teacher with rich teaching experience. My daughter has learned a lot from her and her team! From independent reading, mathematics, natural sciences, art, life skills, etc., you can see her progress every day. Not only has she learned knowledge here, she has also made many good friends! She loves her friend Teacher Ms.Lena so much, and every day is so happy to go to school too!
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Ryan A.
Feb 21 on yelp
Words cannot express my thank you to this school and community. From my sons first day until now they have shown SO much effort in the value of my son and his skills/education. They welcomed my many requests with open arms and my son's growth is in part thanks to them. From enrollment, administration questions and help Rosie is always there with a smile. Thalia has my continued gratitude as the head of school who goes ABOVE and BEYOND. She has always had my son's best interests at heart and I value how she treats her students and families. Last but not least, Ms Lena... THANK YOU. For the decency, respect, kindness, independence, and education you provide my son. It is your daily teachings and guidance that expand to his personal life story and we will always treasure all you've given him! Thank you guidepost staff unmentioned, as each of you surrounding these children are absolutely amazing!!
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Constance K.
Feb 21 on yelp
We have absolutely loved this school, the teachers and the staff who run the school. Our son does the Spanish immersion class with Ms Gaby, Ms Myrna and Ms Sol. They are three excellent teachers with wonderful communication, they are fun, approachable, friendly and warm. The classroom is run beautifully and we always feel welcomed. Since going to Guidepost our son (an only child) has learnt to do SO much for himself. He puts on his shoes, gets dressed, clears his plate. It has made him value his independence and given him new levels of confidence as an individual. He has made some very good friends with the other students and I believe the school does a really good job of fostering friendships. We have loved the out of hours activities and the birthday parties. And seeing my son's understanding of Spanish grow has been very exciting. We've also met a lot of the other parents who are very friendly and this has been really great. It's a great school and lovely community. It's been perfect for our family.
Read more
Dana Yavne
Jan 29 on google
Great school, great teachers - highly recommend!
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Heather Herford
Jul 28, 2023 on google
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Greg P.
Aug 2, 2022 on yelp
Very good school to send your toddler! My 4 year old James loved it and learned math and to write his name. Everyday they sent pictures of my kid to my email. There were detailed progress reports every couple months. Safety was there biggest concern; parents got informed about every bump, scrape or illness with detailed reports. There was teacher turnover but the main teacher was always there and very good! Planning on sending my youngest kid there next year.
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Crystal J.
Mar 27, 2021 on yelp
We are so happy to have found Guidepost Montessori at Plum Canyon for our son! He started at 4 months old in the Nido classroom- starting at a daycare during a pandemic as first time parents was a bit stressful. But the staff and teachers eased our fears, and he came home a happy boy starting on day 1. Following the current guidelines, implementing social distancing with drop off and pickup as well as the guides being diligent about cleaning and wearing masks means that our son could get some socialization as safely as possible in a daycare setting. On top of wonderful guides and staff, we receive pictures throughout the week, biweekly reports on his development, a weekly newsletter and parent teacher conferences throughout the year with opportunities to talk to his guide during office hours if there are any questions. There are even virtual events - from zoom classes for parents to holiday parties to costume parades on Facebook live creating a sense of community when we otherwise can't be together. The Montessori approach to development is also a great strength. With toys that further his development, we see him concentrating for longer periods of time and playing independently as well as an interest in practical life skills. As he's grown, the guides have adapted to his needs- his ever changing nap schedule and feeding schedule. The opportunity to apply for financial aid through a third party is also a benefit. We are so happy we found Guidepost Montessori at Plum Canyon and have a community to help our child grow and learn.
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Elizabeth N.
Mar 30, 2022 on yelp
My 2-year-old has been attending Guidepost for about a year, and my 6-month-old started when he was just 11 weeks old. We could not have chosen a more perfect place for our children! It's hard to even begin describing why we love Guidepost so much. The guides are so wonderful. I could tell story after story of how they take care of my babies like their own. They are so happy to see my kids in the morning, and my kids love them! The guides really know their hearts and personalities, and help them develop skills and independence with gentleness, kindness, and lots of fun. Both of my kids have been in Ms. Lidia's Nido classroom. When I was pregnant with my son, I asked so many times for him to be assigned to her classroom because she and all the guides were SO great with my daughter, and I'm so thankful he's in there now. When I arrive at pickup, I find Ms. Teresa gently rocking and feeding my son, or Ms. Mandy talking and playing with him, or Ms. Barbara holding and soothing him. No matter who is taking care of him, he's so comfortable and at ease! They are all so excited to interact with the babies during happy moments, and so patient and gentle when the babies cry. And then there is the amazing Ms. Shanni, and the incredible guides in my daughter's toddler room! She knows my daughter's strengths so well, and areas where she needs a little extra support. I really appreciate an honest assessment of ways we can support our daughter, and we really trust Ms. Shanni, Ms. Carrie, and Ms. Veronica to share all of the positives in addition to any areas of concern that we can keep our eye on. When I come pick her up, Ms. Carrie always has a cute or funny story about something she said or did that day, and I can tell that she and all the toddler guides really pay attention to her and support her throughout the day. They remember what she ate, how she slept, and what she talked about (which is amazing, because they're looking after a lot of other kids!). And of course, my daughter loves Ms. Rosie, who she bonded with on day 1 in her Nido room, and continues to see in the front office. Ms. Rosie held and played with her during her first weeks ever being away from us and was a constant comfort for her during the transition. We get pictures sent to us throughout the week, so that we can see what our kids are up to. I love getting these pictures - highlight of my day! As a working parent, there is nothing more valuable than knowing that the people tasked with taking care of your children, who you love with your whole heart and soul, are so invested in their growth and development. I have so much peace knowing that my kids are there, happy, safe, learning, growing, and having fun.
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Marichelle M.
Feb 22, 2021 on yelp
You know that you have found a wonderful learning environment when your child is excited to go to school and spends the whole ride home talking about everything she did. Guidepost Plum Canyon has provided this nurturing experience for her. They are a true Montessori school which provides interest based learning and hands-on lessons which are developmentally appropriate. My child has learned so much through the magic of discovery! I appreciate their consistent and open communication. We get updates from my daughter's teachers on what she is learning, and the school sends weekly e-mails. Nothing is last minute which is so helpful for working parents. They also have been very transparent about the health status of staff and children regarding COVID and have been vigilant about keeping everyone healthy. We love the staff, the facility and everything Guidepost offers. My family is so grateful that we found Guidepost!
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start your journey with us.

Our team of admissions specialists are ready to meet you and get you started on your journey within the Guidepost community. We're here to provide your family with the information and confidence you need to enroll in one of our programs.

Learn more about Montessori.

Read our enrollment guide.

Book a school tour.

Submit your application.

Start your journey with us