We applied for preschool and were put on a wating list. Once we were told we were next in line and…read morethen miraculously dropped down to 8th place. Then upon another check by us they told us they could not find our application papers anymore and asked us to reaplly. Apparantly you pretty much have to become member of their church if you want to get in. We were waitlisted for over a year, and even partcipated in one of their donation drives hoping that it would help our chances. I cannot comment on the preschool itself but it ticks me off that they took our application money for THIS.

The teachers at Seedlings are wonderful nurturing educators but the directors and administrative…read morestaff are unfortunately very challenging to deal with. Our daughter had a great experience but the lack of communication, poor payment management and disrespectful directors means I can't recommend this preschool. One year after our daughter stopped being enrolled we are still waiting for them to reimburse us our prepaid tuition. The director continues to give us the runaround and does not return emails or phone calls. But when you drop by are told everything will be in the mail shortly.

Did not use the service, but communication was very poor in scheduling a consultation. They…read morecancelled on my daughter and I last minute with no advanced notice. With so many alternatives available I recommend avoiding

Look no further....East Bay Prep is the absolutely the BEST ACT Prep Class!…read more The test prep course worked along with my daughter's heavy Junior/Senior year academic load, on top of their weekly test prep lessons. The team was excellent at listening, communicating and following the needs of my daughter "individually" to help her succeed. The tutoring was flexible to her competitive sport schedule, as this was also key to the demands of succeeding in academics + sport. The consistency of the team to give effective feedback & guidance so that she could understand "how" to be a good test taker was priceless and best of all she is bringing these skills test-taking skills into her AP class test-taking. Honestly parents....my daughter went from feeling anxiety with taking the ACT to a confident and smart test taker, BEYOND the ACT!!! The team at East Bay Prep is one-of-kind. Best value...best outcomes...thank you East Bay Prep!

We've had the most wonderful experience at this preschool over the past two years. The teachers…read morehave been incredibly warm, attentive, and genuinely invested in our daughter's growth--both socially and emotionally. She has felt safe, loved, and excited to go every single day, which says everything. We've watched her confidence blossom, her friendships grow, and her curiosity thrive, all thanks to the thoughtful and nurturing environment they've created. As we prepare to move on to TK next school year, we're honestly so sad to be leaving. This school has been such a special part of our lives, and we're so grateful for the care and love they've given our daughter during these early years. We can't recommend this preschool enough--it truly feels like a second home. Insert tears!

CLC was an incredible school for our son. They well prepared him for entry into Quarry Lane…read morekindergarten (the test monitor said he exceeded their expectations for admission). This is due to the outstanding curriculum CLC offers. What really stands out is how Miss Linda taught our son to stand up for himself with classmates. I still vividly remember that day when Miss Linda celebrated that moment with me. We have never forgotten Miss Linda and the other teachers and head of CLC many years ago. Our son is graduating high school next month and I can't express enough what an important cog Miss Linda was in developing the foundation for my son's life. We are forever grateful for Miss Linda, teacher extraordinaire.

Unlike most summer camps that focus on indoors activities (outdoor time is just the playground),…read moreAvid4 is very different. The kids have focused activities every day that include biking, hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding as well as other activities like yoga. Older kids get to go climbing (how cool is that!). For most major activities the kids get safely transported in vans to nearby parks and reservoirs. I initially thought that my kid would get a limited experience (e.g. mountain biking in the parking lot, kayaking in a pool, etc). I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they actually provide even the littlest adventurers the full experience! This means that after the initial lessons in a flat area like a parking lot where beginners learn to bike and get comfortable, and more advanced kids to ride safely and learn new tricks, they actually get to go mountain biking on trails. Kayaking and paddle boarding is done at a local park or reservoirs. Hiking is done at a local park where others also go hiking. I'm not sure why I was expecting anything different (the experience but not the setting), but they actually go all in to truly give the kids the full outdoor adventure. If you're nervous for your little one or unsure whether she or he will like it, I suggest giving it a try for just a week and see how it goes. Every kid is different. I signed up my incoming 1st grader for just one week as I wasn't sure how he'd like it. At the end of it, he begged me to sign him up for more weeks, but unfortunately it was their last one. What makes this experience that much more special is that the counselors are young, energetic, encouraging and very motivating. They never push kids to do anything that they do not want to, but they try to motivate them to try at least once. They also work with different kids levels and skills to maintain a very safe environment. The equipment is top notch and in pretty much new condition (Specialized bikes, kayaks, paddle boards, floatation vests, etc.). The cherry on top is that on the last week they actually sell off most of the items they used at a great discount. My little guy attended the Campbell location last time as the Los Gatos location is new this season. He waited a whole year to be able to go again, and this time his brother will also join him. He was so excited after last year's experience that even his little brother is pumped up and looking forward to it. I highly recommend this camp.

Excellent summer camp. Can't recommend it enough. The staff are awesome. My son actually said at…read morethe end that he was sad it was over, that it was the best summer camp he has ever attended, and next year he wants to do their camp every single week. The kids are kept busy with a different activity each day: biking, hiking, paddle boarding, climbing and outdoor IQ. I think what makes the difference is the staff. They are constantly interacting with the kids, even during the game at the end when they are waiting to be picked up. They help the kids get to know each other, rather than leaving them to their own devices. My son didn't know anybody in the camp to begin with, but by the middle of the week he was exchanging contacts to play fortnite later in the day. Well worth every penny.

Initially I sent my son to a Montessori school nearby. They did not meet his social and emotional…read moreneeds. Everyday during drop off he would vocally tell me he didn't want to be there. So for a few reasons we decided to switch him to TOPS. His demeanor instantly changed. Although this school isn't "academically focused" he gained self confidence and doing much better in social settings. For him, that was exactly what he needed to continue to thrive and "learn" from all the interactive and magical activities that occur at TOPS. Our son is now more confident than ever in all social settings including with strangers and adults. The confidence set the foundation he needed to thrive in other areas of learning and development. Being first time parents, it was the best decision we ever made. (On a side note: The parent participation and abundance of optional school events have fostered a genuine community of parents at TOPS. I really appreciate the connections I have made here.)

TOPS is an amazing place. Last year, my wife and I moved to Orinda from San Francisco in July (a…read moremonth before school started) and we were welcomed with open arms. The school is play based. TOPS may not be for everyone. In fact, our oldest daughter would have been a deer in headlights in this unstructured environment. However, our son loved the cornucopia of all the wonderful activities inside and outside the classroom. He's so excited by all his options that he's eager to get going after getting dropped off. Which has been wonderful, because we were worried about teary eyed goodbyes every morning. The teachers and staff at TOPS are beyond excellent. Many had been there for years, even decades. They are very knowledgeable about child development, discipline, etc. I feel very comfortable leaving my son in their care. Last, but not least, is the superb TOPS community. Because parents have to be involved, there's a great sense of belonging and camaraderie that is fostered by TOPS. In summary, TOPS is a wonderful school and environment for kids.

My son recently attended Acteeva Camp. He had a blast! I would highly recommend this camp. He…read morereally enjoyed the activities, which were many and varied, including games, crafts, hikes and more. Although it was a small group of campers (about a dozen - probably since this is the first summer the camp has been offered), they provided the advertised structure and rotated through the activities, so that each day all campers did 5 different activities. It happened to be very hot the week my son attended, but they managed to keep the kids healthy with plenty of water games and frozen watermelon treats. There was good shade at the site. The site backs up against Briones and they took hikes there. Not a lot of shade, but they were very conscientious about proper hiking protocol and the kids learned some good skills. My son will never forget his trip to the "Magic Forest!" I didn't have a lot of contact with the counselors, but my son seemed to enjoy them very much. He never made a negative comment. From what I could tell, they were a creative and enthusiastic group. I did find the enrollment process a little overwhelming, due to all the activity choices, but that would be my only complaint. My son is still talking about the fun things he did. I know he has some great memories now. Go Acteeva!

Excellent day camp, the experienced staff really knows how to keep the children interested,…read morelearning, and having fun and the parents assured of the quality of their management of the program. It was the first year of the summer camp, so I was a little worried that there were only a dozen kids, and it was just starting up, but excellent handling of all the details by the staff and the fact that my son loved it from day 1, really made me feel relieved and confident that he was happy and well cared for. He always looked forward to going back the next day, sang the songs he learned there in the car on the way home, he LOVED the water games they played in the field and the three headed professor game, wall ball and basketball, etc, also he got to choose every day between several sports and activities and especially loved setting up a tent and the camping skills games they taught him. Very nice field location with lots of shade, located 1 block from the intersection of Hwy 24 near Hwy 680, so easy to get to. The counselors were very helpful and understanding about caring for him several days until 5:30 or 6pm when I couldn't pick him up before 3:30. We are from Washington D.C., currently living in Mexico City, and we were visiting with my sister who lives in Lafayette, and the camp staff was very helpful with everything we needed as out of towners. Also, every Friday they gave each camper an award for the different way each camper excelled or helped out during that week, and my son TREASURES his awards. Very motivational for him. I highly recommend this excellently conceived and operated day camp.

Both my kids went to St John Preschool and they thrived there! And my kids were well prepared for…read morekinder. The teachers are top notch and get the kids ready for K -- socially and adademically. I highly recommend St John Preschool! They are NAEYC accredited and from what I remember, they have the folders for you to review to see what goes into the accreditation process. (In case you didn't know, St John Preschool does not have any religious affiliations. The school rents space from the church.) St John has 2 teachers for each classroom and they are engaged with the children. They get to to know each and every child really well. Most teachers have been there a long, long time with very low turnover. We loved the teachers. Over the 5 years that we were there, there were some incidents that concerned me. I talked to the teachers and/or the director, Carol. It was handled well with follow up. If you hear of bad behavior from your kids, talk to the school. What I loved about the preschool: 1. TEACHERS! 2. open door policy - I can come unannounced and observe any time 3. they serve hot lunch made with love in their kitchen 4. well stocked classrooms and playground (constantly improving playground) 5. diapers included for the younger kids & daily notes! 6. mixed classrooms in the summer as the kids get older (a 3 year old would visit the 4s classroom) Many families lived nearby so many kids from my kids' classes are not in the same grade school so it is fun to see the familiar faces school in kinder (and now!). There were mornings when they wanted me to stay there longer at drop off. So we cuddled and read books (plenty of really great books to choose from), played with legos, drew in their notebooks (my daughter who's now in 1st grade still has her preschool notebooks and we look at all the drawings in there), read to the class during circle time at 9am, looked at all the kids art on the walls, etc. The program is so flexible. You can be as involved as you'd like. There were parents that we only saw at pick up and drop off and rarely at the school events. There were families that we saw all the time - at every school event, volunteer in the classroom, etc. It's up to you! They have a huge parking lot.

My son has attended St. John since just before he turned two, and now he's almost three. He loves…read moreSt. John and proudly proclaims whenever we pass by "That's my school!" My son loves his teachers, he loves seeing his friends every day, and he loves the meals he gets at school, if his choosy palate asking for seconds is any indication. My experience of the teachers is that they're highly nurturing and guide through positive reinforcement. It's important to remember that as toddlers our children are still learning how to be little people, and preschool is a laboratory for social interaction. My philosophy is to give him a space to explore and learn with enough structure that he can still learn to be independent. I feel confident that this is what he gets at St. John. Features which have made St. John super convenient for us: - Hours: 7am-5:30pm full time, though half day also offered - Meals: morning snack, warm lunch, afternoon snack. - Diapers: provided - Potty training: The teachers help with potty training. Bless their souls. - Lifecubby: personal online account for regular photos and updates of your child at school. So this review is based not just on my own experience, but more than anything, the wonderful way my son has developed since starting at St. John. My son was in home daycare prior to St. John and has tended to be a happy, independent child, and this environment has been so well suited to him. We have nothing but gratitude for the dedicated teachers who are teaming up with us to raise our son!

UMP is a fantastic school. Everything I had hoped my child's first schooling experience to be. The…read moreteachers and staff are exceptional, kind and all around great people! I was in awe what my son was learning in the 2's class and knew he would be staying for the 3's and Preschool programs. This school is truly a hidden gem. Thank you UMP for loving on these amazing children and pouring your heart into them. You've created a beautiful and warm environment that my child is beyond excited to learn in.

UMP is an AMAZING preschool! We can't say enough wonderful things about their school and staff. The…read moreclassroom sizes are small, they are play based, the children get so much one on one attention. I was so impressed with how they interact with every child and how they tailor themselves to be the teacher that their children need. They give so much love and one-on-one attention because of their small size. They offer so many interactive activities for the kids each and every day. I was so impressed when I went for the parent teacher meeting, the teachers had tracked everything our little one had done; they showed us the ways that he was excelling and the things that he was still learning. They are full of positive wonderful people who are there to care for and shape the minds of our little ones. My son was happy and excited to be there from day one. I am never nervous about leaving him there. I know that he is in warm, loving hands. I love all the things they offer for him. They have chapel on Wednesdays, as well as a music class. They engage with them and offer enrichment classes. Their playground is really played in and has so many fun things the kids love to do whether it's imaginative play, digging in the sand, or playing on the play equipment. Besides that, I also feel very safe there. I love that each and every day I get pictures posted to my brightwheel app of my child throughout the day. We were at another preschool and we would be lucky if we would get one picture at the end of the week. Here I get to see everything he's doing throughout the day. They also are very quick to answer messages and or phone calls. My only complaint is that they don't have an elementary school. I am so excited to send my second born here next year. I think what they do is incredible and they deserve so much praise! Thank you for loving my child and making school fun and positive!