Loving teachers and a wholesome environment. The kids are outside as much as possible. My daughter…read moreis in the preschool (sage) class. We transferred after having a not so great experience at a different school where the teachers were cold and burnt out... this is the complete opposite. The teachers are amazing. In particular, Ms.Carrie, is a gem... greets my daughter every time we do drop off, holding her hand and telling her how happy she is to see her! This is a nature based school and the have an amazing lunch program with organic healthy food. My daughter went from being a picky eater to now loving her veggies thanks to the lunch program. The director, Melinda, is fantastic, super smart and passionate about the school and loves every single kiddo. This is the best preschool in Novato!

We love Hummingbirds Nest. This is our first preschool experience where our dude loves being…read moredropped off, and tells us to pick him up from school as late as possible. The teachers are caring and supportive. He comes home singing songs about nature. They play outside a ton, even in the rain, which is perfect for us. He loves his friends there. His imaginative play is fully supported. He helps around our house more now because that is just normal, part of school too: chop veggies for soup (with safety knife), help sweep, etc. We've seen such a complete turn around in our son after a really tough school right before this (teachers there were cold, our dude said he didn't feel loved there, he revolted) and when another school closed suddenly. Melinda and team communicate openly with parents, which is so refreshing. (Note: ignore the for sale sign; that is for the property. The school stays). My mom taught kindergarten for years and knows a good school when she sees one; she also loves this place. Thank you to all the teachers and staff at Hummingbird Nest!

My daughter was under Magali's care for 2 years, and I can't believe the way she has blossomed!…read moreIt's been beautiful to watch. She has gained an understanding of what it means to be a good friend. I see her acting with patience and kindness. She can work independently with focus and care, and I see the pride she takes in her work. And for me, San Marin Montessori was the perfect situation. The hours are convenient, drop-off and pick-up were super easy, and I loved the way Magali would personally greet each student as they came in the door with conversation and attention. When I had parenting difficulties that I wanted help with (Ex. my daughter not wanting to get dressed in the morning), Magali was always available to talk about the specifics of the situation and she gave me great advice. Magali and her assistant Jesse won my complete trust. I studied Maria Montessori's work when I was pregnant, and I can see that Magali is truly using the philosophy and the tools. Most schools only use the name. I feel very lucky that I found this small school. My daughter benefited from so much love and personal attention!

My husband and I couldn't be happier with our choice of having our son in the care of Magali and…read moreJesse. We looked into many schools in the area and fell head over heels in love with the atmosphere provided. A very clean, organized, happy place my son looks forward to going everyday. They have routines that make the children feel comfortable and classroom changes monthly to keep the children from getting bored. Our son comes home daily with art projects and a smile. All of the children respect each other and love one another. The teachings of Magali are one in a million. I never thought we would start our school experiences with such an exquisite person, we are lucky and grateful. It will be hard to move on next year. Luckily our daughter will get a chance to spend her preschool days at San Marin Montessori.

My daughters love coming here! The teachers are great and my girls come home and are excited to go…read moreback to school the next! Can't thank Marcie, Katie, Jennifer, and Rosa enough for caring for my 2 girls!! I'm so glad I found this place!

My kid went here for a year and a half the staff there are great! They are caring and have patience…read morewith the kids. She learned so much while in their care and made so many great friends! I would definitely recommend them to any family in search of child care!

Teachers were always good. Just a really liberal school. Lots of the kids end up going to…read morealternative schools afterwards. Or those outdoor learning schools.

Toured many preschools and found St. Francis to be the right fit for our child. While the school is…read morenot faith based we liked that the campus was at a church and tucked away. Immediately upon touring St. Francis we felt it was something special. It felt cozy and whimsical yet they offered structure and an established reputation. The staff are competent, caring, and enthusiastic about their work. We love our teachers so far and our kiddo is constantly doing things at school like art, cooking, and general play that support her current social and emotional skillsets. Definitely a great place to start your kiddos educational journey. We feel very lucky to be a part of the St. Francis community.

I learned about NPNS through my sister and sister in law, they both sent their kids here and had…read morereally positive experiences. I am so happy we started our daughter this year. It is a coop so there is some family involvement like working one day a week in the preschool which is one of the main reasons I joined. I love being able to get a first hand look of my daughter learning through play and how she is interacting with her peers. I also love that it is mainly outdoors, play based, child centered, and Reggio Emilia inspired. The teachers are so supportive, nurturing, and have so much knowledge on child development. If a coop preschool can work for your schedule I highly recommend enrolling your child. I am so happy to have found this special school/community.

We love NPNS! It feels wonderful to have found a primarily outdoor program focused on play. The…read moreenvironment is set up nicely so there is something for everyone. I love that the activities never feel forced and kids can explore as they choose while being surrounded by caring and supportive teachers and parent volunteers. It feels like a very developmentally healthy program for children where they can just be themselves. I feel supported as a parent that there are other caring adults helping to keep an eye on my kids and I enjoy working with and getting to know other families/children. Teacher Laurynn does a wonderful music class and plays the guitar. My kids are constantly singing the songs at home!

My kids have been going here from the ages 2-5 and I could not recommend the preschool more…read more Friendly staff, great communication and most of all the hours are great!

My friend's child attended this school briefly. In the beginning it was great, until he became " a…read morebehavior problem". The teachers do not teach, they direct and expect results. Any teacher worth their weight in salt knows that not all methods work for all children, and that instruction should be differentiated. Not here. He was monitored and mainly reprimanded, but not taught . The school was adamant that this child had a developmental delay, when in actuality his behavior was due to being overwhelmed in a class of 25, give or take.. He was evaluated, and the only remarkable results were that he is very intelligent. Happily, he is thriving at another school where he is shown praise , warmth, & attention

We absolutely love this school! After raising two children and starting over again with our…read moreyoungest, finding the right school was very important to us. This is our favorite private school in Marin County. We are so thankful to have found a wonderful Lutheran school that offers a caring environment and an excellent education. We couldn't be happier with our choice, and we're so grateful to be part of this wonderful school community.

We decided to move our son from Kent in order to find a school that valued psychological…read moredevelopment as much as academic. The education at Good Shepherd is very hands-on as the classes are smaller and more personal. Laura the principal, heads a group of committed educators who genuinely care about their students. They strive to educate without creating a stressful environment. The language arts is fantastic. It fosters the type of analytical thinking that creates critical and creative thinking. This is a wonderful school providing a nurturing academic experience. We are very glad we chose to send our son to Good Shepherd Middle School.

This is a beautiful preschool with wonderful instruction, potty-training bathrooms and large…read moreoutdoor space with a playground for growing littles. Cherie the own is a wonderful person as are the teachers. However, this is not a Montessori preschool. My daughter loved Willow Tree when it was a Montessori preschool, but when my son attended years later, it was not the same and that's when I learned it was no longer Montessori. The website is from 2008 and the sign is from the previous ownership when it was a Montessori school. So while I am sure this is still a good preschool for many reasons, it is very misleading to continue using the word "Montessori" in the marketing materials.

I can begin to express my love for this school. Cherie has made such an program for the children…read morehere and my son is thriving. He comes home at three years old knowing how to spell his name knows almost basic math (almost) and plays so well with other children, parents at the park comment on it. I was lucky enough to have a good egg anyway but my god he loves going here and I love every teacher they have because of the love they have for these kids. Hands down the best little secret in town as far as daycares go.