Excellent preschool in the heart of Belmont. We love it here and feel like our child is getting the…read morebest preschool experience we could ever hope for. We feel so lucky to have found such a gem of a program. The teachers are SO caring and great with communication (they send daily pictures and videos and are responsive to messages), the curriculum is thoughtful, they have the best teacher to kid ratio of the preschools we looked at in the San Mateo/Belmont/San Carlos area, and we love how they do so many fun activities with the kids! Besides learning their colors & letters and going on fun field trips in the area, they focus on different subjects each week (insects, planets, emotions, vehicles, etc.). For example, during their insect section, they grew caterpillars into butterflies and got to release them in the school's garden (they have an onsite garden!) and during vehicle week, a backhoe came onsite and did a demonstration for the kids! Special guest instructors come to the class to expose the children to sports-related activities, juggling, cooking, and there is also a music teacher who does music class with the kids a couple times a month. The school throws fun events for families to enjoy with the kids, like Spring Fling (the kids were ecstatic about SF Bubble Man!). The classrooms are very clean and are attached to a play area dedicated to the preschool classrooms. The preschool rooms have dedicated restrooms within them. There is also access to a larger playground and field which is fun for kids and parents to spend time at after pickup. There is a dance school that operates in the same building complex and the preschool teachers help get students ready for dance (if they're enrolled with the dance school) and will walk the kids to the dance classes & bring them back to the preschool rooms afterwards. Morning and afternoon snacks are provided, and the school offers extended hours (730am-6pm), if needed, which is a huge plus for our family's schedule. Our child has been thriving in this preschool program and has blossomed so much since starting at BCLC.

I have to send a shout out to BCLC. I am enrolling my third child here, and they have always done…read moreand continue to do a stellar job. My kids have always loved it here. The teachers are patient, kind, and very experienced in dealing with the children. They have had the same staff for years. The director is very responsive. Their new protocols in light of Covid-19 are quite adequate and make me feel comfortable with having my child attend. They do crafts and projects, and have lots of enrichment activities for the kids. Unfortunately for safety, some of these are on hold for the moment due to Covid-19 but I'm sure they will be back when the time is appropriate. If you're looking for serious academics, perhaps this is not the place. They do story time, and they do projects with letters but they are not going to drill your child. It's preschool, I want my kids to enjoy themselves and interact with other children. They do talk about numbers, letters and phonics but they keep it fun and light, in an age appropriate manner.

My daughter spent 3 years at Stanbridge Academy, the education is definitely a little behind, but…read moremy biggest concern with this school is safety. My daughter was assaulted by male student on campus repeatedly and my daughter informed the principal and several staff members and zero of them reported this to us as her parents or police. In fact when I brought it up to the school they blamed my daughter for the assault, this floored me given this is no where near the truth. If you have a daughter especially please be very careful, no child should have to experience what mine went through and is still going to therapy for 9 months later. The head of the school Julie is the one who blamed my daughter for being assaulted and claimed her word was less credible due to her being autistic, these people are supposed to be keeping our children safe and us as parents informed. Please be careful sending your children here

This school was very helpful for my disabilities. As I first came here in 2012, it was a difficult…read moretime getting to know everyone there at first, but as the years passed by, it got better.

My toddler attends this center and the teacher there Ms.Ana is sweet, caring and nice. She's also…read morebilingual that's a plus for us because my daughter speaks both and communicates in both languages. They are very compassionate and Ms.Ana gives me updates on how my tod is doing. I've noticed my tod use more words, sings songs and is just more interested in things then before. So far I am pleased by the staff and my child loves waking up for school.

My son has been attending Kidango since August. During the enrollment I was asked to present my…read morechilds IEP which was for speech. I was asked to set up a time to meet with the sites director to make sure the site could accommodate my child's needs. Although I was reluctant, I did so because I thought it was in the best interest of my child. Oh boy was I wrong. I did not ever imagine that my child would be labeled even before the director met my child! I asked if my child could attend 2 days instead of the 5 part time days required my Kidango and enrollment said it had to be ok'd by the director. The site director agreed to 2 days in which my husband and I thought was a nice gesture of her since my son had never been in a class setting. She knew out goal was always 5 days and when we would ask for more days she would tell us that she wanted to wait for his school psychologist report. We agreed only because its very hard to get out of work 5 days a week since we work. My son accourding to the teachers has not been a behavioral problem. We have not been told of any issues aside from the normal things any child new to a classroom would do and his speech. Once my sons psychologist report came back the site director stated she had to meet with me and her director to see if they could meet our goals for our son to attend the 5 days. Oh was that the worst meeting ever! The site diector and her director were very clear that they could not give my son the attention he required because they are not trained!!!!!!!!! But their excuse was that they are at at full enrollment!! If that is true why lead us on and not inform us that we had the chance of losing our spot! We feel tricked!!! We feel our son was labeled! We feel our son has been discriminated! Dont believe that Kidango is their to support every childs needs because according to them they are not trained!!!!!!

Love this place! I used to take my son for drop-in play before he started daycare. Jane, the…read moreteacher, is the nicest and best teacher I have ever met. She would spend time listen to the concern about your child, share her experience and give practical solutions to solve the problems. My son felt comfortable playing there with other kids and always had a great time!

I would like to recommend Stephanie Agnew as a fantastic resource to all parents who are…read moreresearching preschools and have questions/concerns about the right fit for your child, have concerns about behavioral issues and, especially, for parents who are trying to determine whether their preschoolers who are on the young side (summer birthdays) and/or have struggled with speech/OT challenges are going to be ready for Kindergarten in the fall. I grappled with much of this, personally, and wish that I had met Stephanie sooner. She is incredibly knowledgeable through her experience as a consultant and former preschool teacher. If you would like more information, please contact her: Stephanie Agnew Parent Education Coordinator Parents Place, San Mateo StephanieA@jfcs.org 650-931-1841

Our child had a nosebleed at school, and the school director Colleen immediately called us to pick…read morehim up. Since we work 40 minutes away, I asked if this was part of the school's sick policy. It wasn't--the reason given was simply that a teacher couldn't manage 12 kids at once. On top of that, the preschool principal Laurie required us to provide a doctor's note confirming that nosebleeds were "okay" to let kid back to school. Even our pediatrician found this request ridiculous, but kindly wrote the note word-for-word as they asked. Despite the school's popularity due to its affiliation with a local private elementary, this has been our worst preschool experience compared to others. The teacher-student ratio is inadequate, tuition is extremely high, and communication with parents is minimal. Although it's promoted as a play-based program, most of the time children just play independently while teachers supervise rather than engage. Also they introduce screen time (TV, iPads) as early as age two. I initially chose Serendipity Preschool for my child because of its strong reputation. However, I eventually realized it operates more like a business and not care much about the kids as they claimed. After moving and enrolling my kids in other schools, the differences became very clear, in all aspects--and much greater than I could imaged. In response to Laurie's reply below: When a school director exaggerates facts by claiming "daily nosebleeds" and deliberately misleads the public while carefully managing reviews to maintain a 5-star image, it really makes me question their priorities. When I answered the call, I clearly heard the words: "One teacher cannot take care of 12 kids. Please pick him up as soon as possible." That completely shocked me.

We have one kid in his third year, a second kid starting out in the 2s ("Monkeys") class, and a…read morethird enrolled starting in 2025! If we had three more kids we would probably send them to Serendipity, too! Excellent preschool with teachers that clearly care about the kids and the school. Even coming out of the pandemic we have witnessed virtually no teacher turnover which has led to seamless continuity as the kids cycle through classes. Each class has a bit of its own feel to it depending on the focus of the teacher(s), however what is consistent is that there is a clear curriculum and excellent parent-teacher communication. As the older one has hit his stride, it is apparent that he feels a part of the community as we do as parents. It will be sad once graduation finally comes, but luckily we have two more kids to go!

Imagination Lab is a truly unique school that doesn't get enough recognition for its innovative…read moreapproach to learning. Unlike traditional schools that often rely on outdated teaching methods, ILS was designed from the ground up to help kids truly thrive both at school and in the modern world. The school focuses heavily on project-based and student-directed learning. This approach not only makes learning more engaging and fun but also cultivates creativity and independent problem-solving skills that are essential for success in today's world. Instead of adhering to a rigid, predetermined curriculum, ILS takes a refreshingly flexible approach. They try to meet kids where they are, both individually and as a group, ensuring that each student remains engaged and appropriately challenged. One of the most innovative aspects of ILS is their mixed-age classes. This setup offers greater flexibility and creates a unique learning environment where younger students can learn from older ones, and older students develop leadership skills by helping their younger peers. The school's philosophy emphasizes positive experiences and reinforcement, understanding that nothing hinders learning more than making kids hate school. There's also a strong focus on social and emotional development, ensuring students treat each other with kindness and respect. As a result, kids genuinely love attending ILS - even those who struggled in more traditional educational settings. The school organizes many fun social events (including some open to visitors), and every semester culminates in a learning exhibition where students showcase their project work and participate in performances. These events are wonderful celebrations of the children's brilliance and creativity, perfectly highlighting everything they've learned. With only about 40 students total, children get much more individual attention, and the staff truly listens to families and tries to accommodate our needs. If you partner with them, they will partner with you, including in challenging situations. While ILS's approach arguably benefits almost any child, it's particularly valuable for students who are somewhat "outside the norm," such as gifted children or those with other learning differences. Although not specifically specialized in giftedness or any type of neurodivergence, the school's philosophy, openness, and flexibility make it naturally more accommodating and suitable for these students compared to conventional schools. Last but not least, the parent community at ILS is incredibly welcoming and close-knit. We all know each other and have become friends, adding another layer of support to the school experience. The tuition isn't cheap, but it's comparable to other private schools in the area. Financial assistance is available for qualifying families, and the tuition includes aftercare until 6 PM - a fantastic feature that my son loves so much he never wants to leave! Bottom line: If you're looking for an educational environment that nurtures creativity, independent thinking, and a love of learning while providing individualized attention, Imagination Lab is a great choice. P.S.: There are some negative reviews that seem concerning. I don't know what may have happened in the past, but that has not been our experience, nor do we know of any families who had such a bad experience.

We are very happy with ILS and think it's an outstanding environment for our child. Socially, the…read moreschool offers a lot of opportunity for kids to interact, play and explore together. The mixed aged groups provide opportunities for the younger kids to learn from the older ones and for the older ones to coach and mentor the younger ones. We have regularly seen our kid go to the older children for support or comfort which warms my heart every single time. Academically the school is very flexible and adjusts content to our childs strengths and weaknesses. For example, our child is studying next grade math and spends more time practicing writing and drawing which are a bit of a challenge. The school also nurtured a great community for families and it's fun connecting with the other parents and siblings.

My son attended the Kids Connection Summer Camp Coyote Cubs with Mrs. Floro. We originally signed…read moreup for just one week, but he loved it so much that we enrolled for a second week. If we hadn't had a vacation planned, we would've absolutely continued! Each day after camp, he would run up to me excited to share all the fun he had, something I haven't seen at his current school, so it made me so happy to see him so engaged. I really appreciated the blend of academics and fun, he thrived in that environment. Every staff member we met was kind and welcoming. The front desk team and the morning check-in ladies were always friendly, which made the experience even better. Thank you for putting together such a thoughtful and enriching program!

I'm a parent who is considering the school for my daughter. However, another parent told me that…read morethey have horrible reviews on yelp so I came here to read them.. I read all the one star reviews and have came to the conclusion that their criticism was unreasonable. Whether it was about promises made or protocol issues never once was review about how horrible the teachers were or how horrible my child felt at school.. I just wanted the owners of this establishment to know that those one star reviews are unreasonable and I will be following up with possible enrollment.. thank you to kids connection and their wonderful staff.

My son Talin attended Lakeview. The staff is amazing and the care is wonderful…read more He enjoyed the on site programs they offered, soccer, music, it was a great program. Sheila and her team are amazing.

We highly recommend Lakeview Montessori. Our daughter joined when she was a little over 1.5 years…read moreold and stayed for about a year and a half. The reason we had to leave was because we were moving cross country. She quickly loved the school and her teachers - Miss Shweta, Miss Akanksha, as well as all the other teachers in the school. The owner, Miss Sheila, was very supportive and helpful through our time there. She enjoyed going each day, learning, and playing with her friends. They send out a curriculum and a menu each month, so we were aware of what the kids were learning and eating. Overall, it's been a super positive experience for our daughter, and we highly recommend it to other parents looking for a preschool for their children!