Worst school ever! School owner feels so entitled and kept asking parents to park properly while show no intention to improve the parking situation such as buying more slots. You can circle forever and cannot find a parking and be late for 2 min and get fine of $50! The job for teachers cannot be easier - they don't tell story and let kids listen to radio - they don't do white boarding and let kids watch screens lol We stayed for one year and due to poor planning we let kid attend summer school - there is no schedule or whatsoever - kid complained so bored it was $2600 (2 years ago summer tuition) per month for absolutely nothing. We could not escape faster and this is worst school we ever attended in Bay Area across private and public schools! read more

We've been so happy with Merry Moppet/ Belmont Oaks Academy! Our kids have been attending since preschool, and we couldn't be happier with the experience. The teachers are exceptional--dedicated, nurturing, and truly passionate about education. They have low turnover in teachers. It's actually pretty impressive. The leadership, including the owners and principal, demonstrates a remarkable commitment to creating a supportive and enriching environment. You can feel the support and care that permeates the school. In elementary, the curriculum is academically rigorous and continues to progress. So that maybe an important consideration for your kid. We appreciate the close-knit community; it feels like family. Our kids genuinely love going to school every day, and that says it all. read more

We applied to this school twice. The first year, our son was accepted but they refused to enroll him on a technicality that his paperwork was late even though no timeline had been communicated. We submitted the day it was due, but had no idea it was due by a certain time that day as the time was never communicated. We applied again the following year and our son was not accepted. They said the school could not "meet his needs" without giving any further explanations. Our subsequent calls and emails to the school yielded no additional information. The admissions teams is unfair and the process is opaque. Our son is near the top of his class at a local public elementary in the first grade. It seems like this school is cherry picking who gets to attend and I'm not sure I want my children to attend such an elitist establishment. read more

I see many reviews have been scrubbed somehow. The school is several decades old yet has few yelp reviews. Hmmm. Take a tour, see the play space for the kids. They provide no extra curricular activities on their own. No soccer, no yoga, no Spanish, no dance. It's all extra. There's no social emotional program. They only want cookie cutter disciplined children. Other preschools have a set program for social emotional care and understand that kids are kids, not robots and each one is different, requiring different needs and care. You'd think with their high teacher-child ratio that they would be able to take care of that. We had our first child attend MMBOA but we had the second child attend a school in San Carlos and there was a huge difference. They had a different fun activity every day that was included with tuition. MMBOA has you pay for those activities in addition to the already obscene tuition. I gave it 3 stars because the teachers are good and committed, many have been there for decades however, the administration shackles them so they're not very empowered. The worst part is the administration that makes you feel like they're doing you a favor by taking your money and you're children. Do your research, look around at other schools. read more

Pretentious + screen time: We were surprised to find our daughter's class watching a Disney movie one adternoon when we had to pick her up earlier than usual. Our surprise turned to utter shock when we learned that screen time was a part of the scheduled curriculum, especially during after care. Wish they had been up front about this. Most teachers seem disconnected & unengaged during the school year - don't fall for the smiles during tours. Administration seems to resist feedback. We wasted a year of our child's year read more

My son went here for kindergarten. This is a very traditional structured school that focuses on discipline and obedience in the classroom but also offers a good range of extracurricular opportunities. The class size is large and your child will not get a differentiated education. While the academics are reasonably rigorous they did not challenge my child at all. BOA has been doing things the same way for 40 years and it does work for some but did not work for us. We left BOA for a more progressive school. The school does foster a sense of community and the all-school winter and spring performances are great. read more

Our son has only gone to Merry Moppet, but we definitely plan on sending him to Belmont Oaks Academy. I'm sorry to hear that others have not had a good experience with the school, but from our experience, the past 2 years, we have nothing but good things to say about the school. Our son has thrived academically, socially, and in many other ways since he began coming here. The teachers communicate very well with us as to what the kids are learning and how our son is adjusting to each lesson plan. We've attended 2 holiday shows and we didn't see any "favoritism" as mentioned in a previous review even though the owners grandchild is in our class. My son loves coming to school and has many friends. Not only that, but we've met many parents that we have become great friends with as well. These parents are also very happy with the school. I understand that it might not be for everyone, but it has worked out wonderfully for us. read more

I don't think the current stars is an accurate reflection of the quality of the school. Also there are some corrections I wanted to make about this school. 1) they opened a brand new building for k-2 with a beautiful playground this year. 2) the student teacher ratio is low. In both my sons' kindergarten and 4th grade there are 20 kids with a teacher and a teaching assistant. They are able to provide your child with 1:1 attention so if they are struggling with a concept they can get the help they need. 3) They learn a ton. We were in public a school until this year. My 4th grader had to catch up a significant amount. The teachers really helped. They are one grade ahead on math and they move through the concepts quickly. Kids who go through this school seem to be excellent readers. The homework load is minimal. 4) The head teachers we've encountered have been exceptional. Our boys love their specialized teachers- computers, Spanish, music, PE, and science lab. 5) The lunches (which are included in the tuition) are excellent. The kids rave about it. 6) Costwise it's really affordable for a private school. 7) I was a little wary because it's a traditional style of learning. No common core. Our boys have thrived. There is a lot of public speaking at this school. They hold their students to a higher academic standard. 8) the music concerts they hold twice a year are really special. 9) some of the reviews are very old. The current school administrators have been great. We haven't had any major issues though. 10) In terms of screen time- They show movies Friday afternoons in the after school program which Is common in after school programs. After school once a week movies is different than watching TV regularly during the school hours. (This happened at my son's public school TK class routinely). Private school is not a good fit for everyone. If your child is special needs they will be best served in a public school where they have therapists easily available. There are no trained counselors on site so if your child has behavioral issues it may also not be a good fit. We've been very happy with the school so far (ending our first year here.). Many parents view this school as building basic foundational skills for learning. We really liked our public school and there are some things that we miss about a public school education. Choosing a school is very personal and it really depends on your kid. This is a really good option for the mid peninsula. read more

One word, Pretentious. I'm not sure who the hell these people think they are...unbelievable. Our child is 4 1/2 years old and we decided to pay $100.00 (okay...we are the idiots here) to have them "assessed." Drop off any 4 1/2 year old child somewhere they have never been before and see how they react. Our child did not hit the panic button and freak out but I guess they was asking where their friends were and did not help with clean up time. Funny...they have no problem cleaning up at Pre-school or home. I was also told they had a hard time writing their name. Funny, they do it at home just fine. That's okay...because after speaking to Christine Shales...(THE QUEEN OF SNOBS) I was told that our child probably wasn't sure of the expectations and was a "no". Huh? I'm not sure what a "no" means but if I went with her suggestion I guess she would recommend they stay at their present Pre-school until they are able to be dropped off with a bunch of strangers and clean up/introduce them self to a bunch of kids they have never met before. But here is the best part of all. After the phone conversation was about to end with Christine Shales I was told that I had "a very cute child and good luck." Thanks Christine, I hope they grow up to be just like you. Wait a minute, I think that is a "no." Our child is going to Central. After meeting with Principal Cori McKenzie I am thrilled with the entire organization, teachers included. read more

Our whole family had a horrible experience with Merry Moppet. Our son learned to read very early and the teacher pointed him out like a circus act. No one attempted to engage him in anything that interested him. His teacher played favorites. Early on in the school year she indicated that our son and his little playmate should be tested for behavioral/sensory delays. We did not trust her judgement but the parents of the other boy paid $100 to learn their kid is perfectly normal and, in fact, above average intelligence. For a school that claims to have an "academic" program, they have no idea what to do with the kids that are beyond their curriculum. I do have to credit them for having nice facilities and grounds, which seems to keep many of the kids happy, but they close ranks if you bring criticism to one of the staff and make you feel like it's your fault, or your child's. Yuck! read more

My son attended Merry Moppet preschool for 3 years and we had a very positive experience. The Pre-Kindergarten program is particularly strong. The teachers do a wonderful job fostering a love learning, cooperative play, and creativity. The pre-K has a very strong academic program- by the end of the year, my child was comfortable writing his alphabet, numbers, and is starting to read phonics. There is plenty of time for free play, as well as arts and crafts projects. This year, the school introduced a wonderful fine arts program; the children learned about some artists and completed art projects based upon that artist's work. The class then hosted an art show for the parents- it was very cool hearing my son talk about Andy Warhol, Monet, and Jackson Pollock. Our pre-K teacher was one of the best teachers our family has had the fortune to work with- Mrs. Collins (as well as her assistants) was very accessible, easy to communicate with, and, I felt, really understood my child. This school more than prepared my child for kindergarten (academically and socially). Because of the positive experiences we had with our older son at Belmont Oaks Academy (review to come later) and despite the fact that we live steps away from a very good public elementary school in the Belmont-Redwood Shores school district, we will have our younger child attend kinder at BOA. read more

My son went here K-5th and he is now in high school. BOA gave him an excellent foundation and study habits, as well as a very respectful attitude toward school, teachers, and learning. BOA also values social growth in their students so I felt they offered an excellent balance of advanced academics and social development. My son still tries to go back to visit at Christmas so he can participate in their giving tree program that BOA does for foster children. That's another plus - BOA fosters the importance of giving back to the community in their students. read more

Wonderful school! We have been very happy with it! Our son has learned so much in the two years he has been there and the teachers are very loving. They even have a pool for swim lessons in the summer! read more

Belmont Oaks Academy - Merry Moppet classroom - Elementary Schools Near Me - Belmont, California

We love Merry Moppet Pre-school! My son started there last summer and is now graduating from Pre-k and ready to move on to kindergarten. The teachers are very kind, warm, loving, and caring. My son was at Bright Horizon in SSF for 3 years and always had a little bit of a hard time at drop off every morning and wasn't really all that happy in general. At MM, he LOVES going to school and comes home very happy every single day. The teachers all have been there for 10+years and the are experienced in caring (not just handing) for the children. You can tell that they really love what they do and they love the children. The school is academic enough but still allow the kids to play and have fun. I only have good things to say about this school as wished we had made the transition sooner. I would highly recommend this school. read more

Go to this school if you want your child to learn absolutely nothing useful about life. The food is very bad and does not taste good. The PE is not useful for middle school or for anything else it does not strengthen your physical abilities. The recess court is very small and does not have any place to play game. read more

This rating is for Merry Moppet Pre-School. Our daughter is 2.5 years old, so we don't have experience with Belmont Oaks. The campus itself is fantastic, with a good location and very clean grounds. The buildings are sectioned off by age group, with proper play areas. The teachers and staff are very polite and responsive. The children all seem very happy to be there. Our daughter loves going to school every morning, which really helps with drop off. Everyday is filled with numerous activities, and occasionally they hold larger events for the kids. The balance of instruction and play seems appropriate for the age groups, knowing that 2-3 year old kids have a limited attention span. They also serve the kids lunch every day which is really helpful for busy parents. Overall, we've been very happy with the preschool and would recommend it. read more

My daughter has been attending MM and BMOA since preschool and she will be going into 3rd grade next year. She loves it and is thriving. I believe that the role of a school it's teachers and administration is to instill the love of learning. BMOA does that very well. I believe that schools are often faced with parents who quite frankly can be a pain in the rear. I remember a child being pulled out of MM pre school because he wasn't learning how to read. I guess these parents never took a child development class. The role of parents is to raise independent, self sufficient decent human beings. If parents don't do this, then the school has to and is then faced with parents who don't like disciplinary style that is being used. Of course it is the right of any parent to want to send their kids to the best school possible. There is no perfect school and every child is different, but the biggest test of how good a school is, is how eager one's child is to go there. My daughter is almost out the car door before she's dropped off every morning. That speaks volumes. read more

PROS: Nice grounds, full day program available as well as meals provided in cost of tuition CONS: too rigid preschool approach, very little early reading help and minimally creative arts, not enough music. very structured around daily written workbook type exercises, teacher/school community not super welcoming or warm, especially for new parents. read more

WARNING: This will be LONG but if you are reviewing this school you should read. My daughter has been at this school for 2 years and is now in kindergarten. My son is in his first year. We are all very happy. As parents, we naturally scrutinize any institution that our children attend. I can assure you that my expectations of any school is just as high as any other parent. I wanted to share my view of this school since I currently have kids attending. Here's my review: On the first day I visited this school what I observed, were happy kids. To me, smiles are usually a good indicator of an engaging and enjoyable environment. During my campus walk through I notice things that I consider, "Attention to details." For example, I never saw a dirty or filthy mess in any play area. There are well equipped and sanitized bathrooms within close distance of all classrooms. The figurines of cartoon characters painted on the walls are always bright and fresh. The books and and toys are clean, abundant and organized. The walls and windows, had no dirty palm prints or marks, indicating that each children is always attended to and never left alone to draw on walls. The playground was well maintained and children are never left to play unattended. At recess there were teachers on staff covering every corner. I must also comment on the wonderful smell of lunch being made in the school kitchen. Since then, this school has been unwavering in their commitment to the children. They are always communicating with the parents about what is going on with the school and within the classrooms. Their quality of care and their standards of education is balanced with their compassion and understanding of children's need to play and enjoy childhood. As long as I have been here, the school curriculum is well organized with the day, week and even year planned out with plenty of art, music, trips, recess, academics, and social activities. It incorporates the seriousness of education along with the fun of being a kid. To me, the important thing is that a kindergartener is learning and is enjoying it! If you are considering this school, here are some things you should keep in mind. The Administration, the Principal and Vice Principal are classy individuals. They are not going to put on a "HAT" and do a "Song and Dance" for you about how wonderful this school is. You can tour the school and look for yourself and ask questions. They don't need to "SELL" you on this school. The school that they operate "Sells" itself. They are there to make sure that everything runs efficiently and that the quality of care and education is upheld to the highest standards. The teachers, they are ALL warm, patient, kind, smart and empathetic. ALL of them! Either they keep hiring from a secret planet that breeds the most "IDEAL" teachers or they just know how to hire and RETAIN the people that match the school's core values and duplicate the Best Intentions that parents have for their children. As for class sizes, the stats are 20-30 kids to each class. There is a head teacher, 1-2 Teacher assistants (depending on class size) and 1-2 Floaters that attend the classroom. IN SUMMARY, A school is as good as your child's progress, in my case, both my children have thrived at this school. read more

When I was looking for a school for my son when he started kindergarten, I searched and toured many schools. Then a friend mentioned that her son had attended MMBOA and I went to the open house. From the moment I walked in the campus, I knew that this is where my son should go to school. My daughter entered preschool and my son states kindergarten and we have enjoyed every minute! The staff is caring and teachers are great and the students love the environment!! I wish they had a middle school!!! We love it read more

Three words...warm and fuzzy! I don't usually write reveiws, but can't let the best preschool on the peninsula be bashed by a dork. Wonderful family environment! Every teacher knows every student by name. Children receive a great introduction to a educational environment. It's a structured program with a lot of importance on social development. The best of both worlds. I checked with the school, they did not test for admission. It's a first come, first serve thing. That the way it was when we applied. It was well worth the long wait in line. read more

My child goes to preschool at Merry Moppet, and we absolutely LOVE it here. I visited many preschools and elementary schools in the area, and this one was the best, hands down. We had to be on the waiting list to get into this school for about a year, and it was worth every minute. Everything from the administration team, teachers, curriculum, facilities, and overall tight parent and teacher community is superb. Don't believe negative reviews who call teachers or executive team snobbish. They are the most caring and warm people you ever meet. Most teachers have worked here for a long time. They are simply class act. I especially like that each classroom has a head teacher, an assistant and an art teacher and a floater. The kids receive a lot of individual attention. I see my child learning and blossoming at an amazing pace. It's also great to have a school who has such a tight parent community. Keep up the great work, MMBOA! read more