We joined this school's waitlist in March 2025, enrolled in July 2025 and left in Nov 2025. At…read moreenrollment, we understood that the typical age range is 3-5 years old, but Natalie approved our child, who was 2 years and 4 months at the time, as long as she was fully potty trained--which she was. She ended up being the youngest in her class, with most children over age 3. We chose this school mainly for a parent's recommendation, location and advertised 1:4 teacher-to-student ratio. Initially after enrollment we realized the school operates with a very strict curriculum and is not a care-center-style environment that can adapt to individual needs. We stayed because the parent community and curriculum is good, our child liked her teachers and showed enthusiasm about being there. However, the past month has been extremely difficult and ultimately led to school's decision to unenroll our child. We found Natalie inflexible regarding our child's needs, and we now feel abruptly left to find a new school mid-school year. I would not recommend this school for children younger than 3.5 years old. It is a challenging environment--especially for a child's first preschool. Expectations are high, and we frequently received long text messages documenting even minor concerns. On multiple occasions, after speaking with Natalie about an issue, we would receive follow-up texts restating and documenting the same concern, and note that if it keeps repeating, it would be hard to have our kid enrolled. Even on days our child's behavior was good, the message would reiterate the prior issue and note it wasn't repeated. At times it felt like our text interactions were focused on record keeping, rather than an educator trying to collaborate on solutions. In one particular week alone, we were called three times to pick up our child mid-day for behaviors such as talking loudly, kicking a barricade, or running. While we agree that disruptions to other sleeping kids is totally unacceptable, no attempts were made to separate our child from the napping area. Natalie explained that during nap time she only has two teachers for twelve children--far from the 1:4 ratio we were originally promised in writing. When we pushed back requesting our child be allowed to work or play in a separate indoor or outdoor area if she wasn't napping so there is no disruption to other children, we were recommended to hire a nanny who can pick up our child at nap time and drop her back after nap time. This issue eventually led to school decision to unenroll our kid. There are additional concerns worth noting: * Drop-off policy: Natalie enforces a strict no drop-off window between 9:00 a.m. and 9:30/9:45 a.m. (depending on the day), regardless of the circumstance. With school hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., we feel drop-off times should accommodate parent's schedule, not the other way around. * Photo-sharing and privacy: All parents are given access to a shared Google Photos album where every parent can see photos of every child. While we value the sense of community, this practice does not feel privacy-conscious. Most schools use apps or systems that show only photos of your own child. Here, the options are either to allow photos and see every child's images or opt out entirely, meaning your child isn't photographed at all. Overall, our experience - especially in the last month has been utterly disappointing and stressful, with a long road to readjust our child in a new school environment ahead of us. Worst of all is that our kid liked the school and all her friends, and we now have to explain to her why she can't go to the school she liked. I would not recommend this school.

My daughter had the pleasure of having Ms Natalie as her Pre-K teacher for 2 years at San Francisco…read morePublic Montessori. We could not have been luckier to have started Pre-K and also have Ms Natalie start at the same time. Her teaching style, patience and philosophy worked so well for my daughter, that Annika has exceled! She achieved more than I could ever have hoped for due to Ms Natalie being so engaged with my daughter. She observed and taught to her level which really gave my daughter the best start she could have hoped for in her education journey. I wish my daughter could have continued with Ms Natalie - but it's time for other children to experience the magic of Ms Natalie!

It takes a village to raise a child. Well, it simply is not…read morepossible in today's society where both parents work, sometimes acting like two ships passing in the night, and relatives and trustworthy friends are worlds away. Bluntly put, parenting is so difficult. You are alone in all this. I myself have found myself lying awake in bed, terrorized by the thought that I am a bad tempered, screaming, evil banshee and that through the trauma of being under my care, my toddler will grow up to be a ruthless career criminal. The next day I would overcompensate by indulging my child with pricey toys and taking him on amusement park and museum trips. By enrolling my son at Silverspot Co-Operative Nursery School, I unknowingly committed myself to become a better parent. Unlike regular preschools where kids are left by their parents from 8AM until 6PM, one of the major conditions of the co-op is that the parents are fully involved in the day to day running of the school, in addition to other fundraising and volunteer activities spread over the school year. I had hoped that my son would become better socialized through active play. What we received in return was tenfold. First of all, the teachers are passionate about their work. The dutiful teachers remind me of mothers who have extra set of eyes behind their heads. They see everything. When you count in the three parent teachers who work with the teachers in each session, the teacher-student ratio is always or better than 1:5. The teachers are experts in their field, and masters at helping each child to become self sufficient and well adjusted intellectually, emotionally, physically and socially. As far as I have witnessed, even the parents who work their shifts are gentle, upbeat and quite knowledgeable about childrens' behavior and psychology. In addition to the school director and the two permanently assigned teachers for the AM and PM sessions, Silverspot has pre-k readiness classes with another teacher, a music and drum teacher, and dance teacher who come on a regular schedule. No activity is forced on an uninterested/unwilling child, but rather, each child is enticed to become interested in learning new things and engage as a part of a group. Secondly, all the requirements that you are supposed to commit to seem so complicated at the time of enrollment. The monthly Silverspot member meetings, which is one of the requirements, gives you a chance to meet all the other people walking the same perilous path of parenting and are in charge of taking care of your child the same time every week. These meetings have lecturers who provide encouraging and insightful tips on child development and communication. The lectures inspire you to educate yourself to become a better parent. The other members provide a support system in case you are bewildered or puzzled or simply, need more help. Thirdly, the facility has an adjoining public gated and fenced city playground. It is well kept, and the school facilities are well maintained on a beautiful garden setting. The kids enjoy an endless repertoire of different games, chasing, throwing frisbees, racing tricycles in the playground, observing insects and experimenting with sand (and water, if weather permits,) while the garden in the front enables the children to maintain a close connection with nature with its different flowers, plant life and fruit trees. Silverspot also possesses an abundance of supplies, constructive play sets, creativity stations, pretend-play costumes and storybooks, science curiosity equipment, and tactile exploration stations, all neatly labeled and organized after each play session. A major plus. After six months of my toddler joining this "village," I am convinced that I have also changed in my role as a mother. Thanks to the wonderful people at Silverspot, I no longer need to scream at my "willful" child to get him to do things. My child generally no longer needs to misbehave to get my full attention. As a result, I am more confident as a parent and no longer afraid to ask for help or to offer help. I also have developed deep attachments to each beautiful child attending this preschool. Truly, it takes a village to raise a healthy, bright child, and I am so glad to have fumbled upon Silverspot Co-Op.

I'm an extrovert by nature. People who knows I'm friendly and can be social in situations I feel…read morecomfortable. So when I found this school, my initial fear was the social interactions. Will we as a family feel comfortable to opening ourselves to them? Let me tell you, we did. The director, teachers, kids, and parents are all so welcoming. My daughter immediately expanded her vocabulary after her first month. She has made friends with almost EVERYONE: teachers, parents, and classmates. The irony is that they aren't "teaching" in the way you would in a typical school setting. They teach by playing was their philosophy. There's a set schedule for indoor play, breaks, and outdoor play. Not only do they aid in her transition into elementary school but they've also given us tools to be better parents. There were monthly meetings, work sessions, and events where we all learn from each other. She is now an alumi but we miss the school so much. There are times there was actual work to do but you'll fall in love with this school and their education model you'll want to do what you can to make them survive. Thank you Silverspot for being the jumpstart to our little one's education. Best of luck to you all!

My son has been with The Early Years since he was 2 years old. I am glad we decided to enroll him…read morehere. Compared to other schools they have different rooms and the kids are not stuck in their classroom all day. I have seen other schools and kids have all their materials and toys just in one room. Sometimes eat lunch in their classroom. No separate lunch room. There set up is similar to kindergarten. My son doesn't even want to graduate and leave. The teachers are great and have been in the school for a long time.

My oldest child started here when he was 2 and now he's 5. He loves this school and learned so much…read moreand I know he's fully ready for kindergarten (abcs, numbers, counting, planets, significance of national holidays (mlk, presidents day,etc). They do so many activities that he's never bored (I want to say they switch to a new activity every 20 minutes, which I think is great for younger children). Tuition includes snack and lunch at a very affordable price. The teachers are soo extremely nice and have been with the school for a long time. Can't say enough great things. Now my younger child is going and she loved going to school and I can see how being so much more social and talkative.

Excellent environment, clean and nice! Kids have been learning a lot on daily basis in Bilingual,…read moreEnglish & Mandarin. Highly recommended!

Both of my kids attended Parkside Day School, one being there for 1 year and the other being there…read morefor 2.5 years. We recently decided to make a switch in schools as this place was no longer the right fit for our needs, but overall, had a generally positive experience with the school during our tenure here. Positives: * Ms. Tina from the toddler class is amazing. There is no better Head Teacher to work with kids that are entering preschool for the first time, dealing with separation anxiety and lots of big emotions, and also having to learn how to potty train at the same time. Both of my kids loved her and you can tell that she genuinely cares about the children. * The classrooms here are big and well maintained. * The playground is big with lots of equipment for the kids to interact with. * There are plenty of organized parent volunteer events or offsite field trips. * All meals/snacks are included as part of tuition. * You get tons of pictures throughout the day of your little ones. Cons: * The teachers speak little to no English. If you don't speak Mandarin or Cantonese, you have to rely solely on the Assistant Director to translate for you. And things get lost in translation when you are not communicating directly with the teachers that are the ones watching your kids ever day. * As the staff are all Chinese, the cultural philosophies of how kids are cared for lean very much toward an Eastern approach. Many of the kids that attend the school are also from a Chinese background so in general, this can be a good match, but if you identify more with a Western philosophy, as we do, then the values and philosophies don't always align. * There were many teacher changes during our time there, especially in the Rainbow Class, with new teachers and new faces showing up with no communication from the school in who these people were. * Price - you are paying an arm and a leg to send your kid(s) here, especially when you consider the amount of holidays/school closure days there are and having to drop off later than 8:30 and pick up before 4 (unless you pay extra for extended care hours). * Class size - they advertise the class ratios as 1:8, which is reasonable and normal. However, there are actually 4 teachers assigned to each class, meaning you can have up to 32 kids in a class. Having 32 3-5 year olds together at once can be very overwhelming. The reason we pulled our kids out is a mixture of the cons above, but primarily, there was a severe drop in the ball from the staff in communicating some important information about our son to us in a timely manner. This was already unacceptable on its own, but in addition, by the time we were notified of what had been going on, changes in our son's school plan were already being actioned without our input or consent. This led to us losing faith that this school was the best fit for our child's needs. While this was our unfortunate experience, others may very well have a positive experience here, so take my review with a grain of salt. But I do think that the ability to speak the language and/or have an alignment with the Eastern philosophy of how to raise kids will be a major determining factor in the type of experience you have here. We were fortunate to find another academic institution that is much better aligned with our values and philosophies and have a more nurturing environment that meets both of our kids' needs. Our kids are currently thriving in their new school and while I wish our experience at Parkside could have ended differently, I'm grateful for the time that we spent there and for the good times that we did have.

I would give Genius Learning 6 stars if I could. Both of my children, now 4 and 2 years old,…read morestarted at Genius Learning when they were 2. Genius Learning feels incredibly underrated. They provide full-day coverage (until 5:55 PM), have a very reasonable holiday schedule (which, as a working parent, I deeply appreciate), and serve hot lunches every day. I'm so sad to be parting ways with Genius Learning. We're moving to the lower peninsula, and my older child is entering TK. Those are the only reasons we're leaving. We've toured many private immersion schools in the city, and the funny thing is that the more expensive they are, the more days they're closed. What are parents supposed to do? The hot lunches alone remove a huge logistical burden for families. They don't use Brightwheel or seem to invest heavily in marketing, which I suspect helps keep costs down for parents. They still share photos through LINE, so you stay connected and see what your children are doing throughout the day. My children have never resisted going to "school." At their age, there's only honesty, so I think that says a lot about how they feel about the environment. They leave happily in the morning and come home happily at pickup. Academically, I've been extremely impressed. My 4-year-old is now writing Chinese, and I want to emphasize 'writing' Chinese. He comes home talking about 偏旁部首 (Chinese radicals). We recently traveled to Yunnan, and my son saw some farmers and commented, "他们在粒粒皆辛苦". I immediately texted the principal because I was so thankful and amazed. It wasn't just that he was speaking Mandarin. It was the vocabulary, the sentence structure, and his ability to express empathy and observation in another language. The children also practice numbers, the alphabet, and both uppercase and lowercase letters. I feel that he's well prepared for TK. At home, he speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and English, and the school environment has tremendously reinforced his language development. While it's a Mandarin immersion program, some of the children speak English as well, and I don't mind that at all. Heidi, the principal, is incredibly responsive whenever parents have questions or concerns. The teachers are wonderful and provide exactly what we were looking for during these important early childhood years. The school feels like an extension of home. I trust that the teachers truly have my children's best interests at heart. Some of the teaching assistants are Cantonese-speaking, so there's occasionally a language barrier for me, and I'm sure it's even more challenging for some other parents. That said, you simply can't replace the love and care they show the children every day. And then there's Teacher Anna. Every child seems to adore her. I honestly don't know how she does it. My son tells her, "I love you," and he barely says that to his mama! I've heard the same thing from other children. When she leaves for the day and walks to her car, the kids rush to the window, excitedly waving and shouting goodbye. That kind of love and connection can't be taught. It's a testament to the warmth, dedication, and care she brings every single day. We'll miss Genius Learning dearly, and we're incredibly grateful for the role it has played in our children's early years.

We had both of our children attend Genius Learning, and we couldn't be happier with our experience!…read moreThe Mandarin immersion program is outstanding--despite not speaking Mandarin at home, both of our kids learned to speak it confidently. They were also very well prepared for kindergarten, with a strong foundation in their ABCs, 123s, and early learning skills. The teachers are caring, creative, and always come up with fun activities and projects for every holiday and season, making school exciting for the kids. If we had a third child, we wouldn't hesitate for a second to send them to Genius Learning.

The staff are extremely caring and my niece had so much fun in school every day. She learned to…read morecount and sing some songs. I would highly recommend Intelligent learning preschool because we want my niece to learn some basic Chinese. I know it's hard to teach little kids to recognize Chinese characters, but all the staffs are patiently teaching my niece. She's so happy to learn new words and will show me when she get home. All the while building her confidence and socializing with kids her age. She's become a talkative, assertive little kid and I thank Intelligent learning preschool for providing the secure, loving environment for her development.

Very good bilingual school! The activities prepared by the teachers are amazing. My daughter has…read morebeen in panda class for three months. She recites the Three Character Classic and many ancient Chinese poems every day. Barrier-free communication with Chinese grandparents! We are so happy!

Our family has had a wonderful experience with our choice of Mills Montessori for our two-year-old…read more He started very shy and had only been cared for at home, so starting school was a big transition for him. His first two months were with Ms. Cali, who was absolutely amazing--so kind, patient, and nurturing. She took the time to make him feel comfortable, supported him through the transition, and helped him come out of his shell.He is now with Ms. Bella who has been just as excellent of a teacher and caregiver. We are so grateful for the care and attention he received during those first few months. It was clear from the beginning that both teachers truly cared about him and wanted him to feel safe, confident, and happy at school. Watching his growth and seeing how much he now enjoys going to school has been so special for our family. We are very happy with Mills Montessori and feel fortunate to have found such a caring environment for our son.

We have had a wonderful experience at Mills Montessori School. The teachers are caring, dedicated,…read moreand highly professional. The quality of education is excellent, and the staff provides wonderful attention and support to the children. My child has grown so much academically and personally during our time here. We have been at this school for 4 years, and we are very happy with our experience. I highly recommend Mills Montessori School to other families!

I cannot recommend Little Hugs Preschool enough! Our family has been sending our little ones to LHP…read morefor more than 20 years, and we have always felt so grateful to be part of such a loving and nurturing school community. We have seen firsthand the incredible love, care, and dedication each teacher pours into the school and into teaching our little ones. It has been especially wonderful to watch our son grow and progress, learning new skills and gaining confidence along the way. We are so thankful for all that Little Hugs has given our family and would wholeheartedly recommend LHP to anyone looking for a wonderful preschool for their little one!

Little Hugs has been a loving second home to our two sons. Aside from the caring and nurturing…read moreenvironment, we also really value the small classrooms, which enable the staff to give individualized attention to students. Every morning our sons run into school, genuinely so excited to see their teachers and friends. They love it here so much we have a hard time getting them to leave every evening! They also provide very effective potty-training support, resulting in both of my boys being successfully trained shortly after they turned 2 years old. We look forward to the events throughout the year (Halloween parade, Holiday show, Lunar New Year celebration, to name a few). We highly recommend Little Hugs to families who are looking for a trusted preschool for their little ones.

My daughter attended You & Me for two years, from just before she turned 3 until she graduated to…read moreTK, and we couldn't be happier with our experience! The teachers here are incredibly dedicated. They truly love and care for the children, and put time and effort into developing the daily lessons. As a Mandarin immersion program, my daughter learned songs, counting, and language in both English and Mandarin. We don't speak Mandarin at home, so it's been amazing to watch her pick it up. She's entering TK able to count to 100 in Mandarin! Beyond language learning, the school does a wonderful job balancing academics with cooking classes, sensory play, and weekly show and tell. Show and tell was our favorite as it really helped build her confidence speaking in front of a group, and gave her a fun way to practice her Mandarin. They also put on performances throughout the year (Christmas, graduation, etc) for the families to celebrate and see what the kids have learned. Communication was another huge plus. They use the Brightwheel app to keep parents updated throughout the day, and the teachers send multiple pictures and even videos daily. It was nice to see snippets of her day and know she was happy and engaged. They also have a chef who prepares home-cooked meals, and all meals are included in tuition, so we never had to worry about packing lunch. Thanks to all the amazing teachers at You & Me. You are truly angels. My daughter is heading into TK light years ahead, and we owe so much of that to this incredible team. TLDR: Amazing Mandarin immersion preschool with dedicated, loving teachers. My daughter learned to count to 100 in Mandarin, even though we don't speak it at home. Great mix of academics, cooking classes, sensory play, and confidence-building show and tell. Brightwheel app keeps parents updated with daily photos/videos, and all meals (home-cooked by their chef) are included in tuition. Highly recommend. My daughter is heading into TK way ahead!

Our family loves You and Me Children Center. My daughter's been here since 15 month old and she's…read morebeen loving coming here everyday. They send us many photos and updates per day via their Brightwheel app and in every photo, she and all the other kids are always smiling and having fun. She eats so well here with breakfast warm lunches and snacks. The teachers are so attentive and caring and notify us of any minor things like start of a diaper rash or even a minor scratch. I love how there's a weekly curriculum so I know what my daughter has been learning and every week is a new theme. The kids learn to do some cooking classes, science experiments, books and music. My daughter came home learning to count 1-10 in mandarin! We are so happy to see the kids thriving here and would highly recommend.

My wife and I originally planned to start at another daycare last year for our 8 month old…read more However, we learned last minute that daycare was not going to have a spot for us for three more months than planned. This led to us searching for a bridge care solution until our spot in line was called. Insert Buiding Kidz. With only a few weeks until my paternity leave was ending, I reached out to Jackie to see if they would have an opening for him in January. Over those few weeks, we were able to tour the facility and enroll, with Building Kidz fully aware that he would only be there for three months. During those three months, I couldn't have asked for an easier transition to daycare as a new parent. Ms. Rosanna, her team in the Infant room, and any staff we interacted with showed so much love, care, and attention to our son. We loved that we would receive updates on their app, including feedings and how much he ate, diaper changes, and photos and videos of him playing and learning. There is also a messaging system to chat with the teachers during the day. We have even received some art that he created, creating precious memories for our family. Even when he bumped his head one time, we were immediately notified, sent a picture of the injury, and was updated through the day. The pick-up deadline is later than our new daycare, which is nice, although the parking situation outside can become difficult during peak times. This great experience made leaving after the scheduled three months that much harder. We had intended reasons to switch daycares, and it had nothing to do with how Building Kidz cared for our son. If, for whatever reason, things didn't work out at his new daycare, we planned to bring him back.

I sent my child here through care.com's backup care program…read more The day of the first drop off, they took my paperwork and child and basically had no interaction with me other than where to write my son's name on the log. They didn't ask about my child's specific needs or any tips for his care. I doubt his teacher read his large stack of paperwork before they started his care. My son usually is quick to tell us about all of his meals and when we asked him what he ate at school he said "nothing" and was ravenous when he came home. We were concerned and when we picked him up the next day and asked how he was and how he ate, the lady at the door shrugged and said he was not in her class. We tried calling the office to see how he was and never got past a voicemail. My son seemed to be fine and doesn't appear injured in any way, but I would never know if there was an incident because THERE IS NO COMMUNICATION other than hello and goodbye at the door.