Our Three Years at YYY -- A Full Journey Review…read more This review reflects our complete experience watching our son grow from a shy two-year-old into a confident, bilingual kindergartener, all within the walls of YYY. Choosing the School When we began touring preschools in Alameda, YYY stood out immediately. We loved the structure -- the cleanliness, the balance of learning and play, and the Montessori-based approach. The fact that they conduct live scan background checks on all hires gave us added peace of mind. Our only hesitation was the bilingual curriculum. Neither my husband nor I speak Mandarin -- we're an English-only household -- and at two years old, our son wasn't talking much yet. We worried that introducing a second language might confuse him. Still, something about YYY felt right, and we decided to take the leap. Year One -- Group 1: Finding His Footing When our son started at YYY, he had just turned two. He was still in diapers, not very vocal, and still getting steady on his feet. The first three months were the hardest. Every morning brought tears -- he didn't want to be dropped off, and it was the first time he'd ever been away from home in a care setting. By month three, however, something shifted. The crying stopped, and in its place, we began to see a little boy growing more independent and comfortable each day. The first year, we measured success differently. It wasn't about academics -- it was about care. Were the kids safe? Were they being guided toward potty training? Were they learning to feed themselves, follow simple directions, and transition between routines? On every count, YYY delivered. Our son became especially fond of his teacher, Ms. Emily, and that bond told us everything we needed to know about the warmth in that classroom. Year Two -- Group 2: The Emotional Roller Coaster Around the time our son turned three, Ms. Emily pulled us aside with exciting news: he was ready to be potty-trained. We were thrilled. We reinforced the process at home, and within a short time, he was fully trained. Shortly after, he moved up to Group 2, where Mandarin learning began in earnest with Ms. Du and Ms. Chen. At three-and-a-half, a new challenge emerged. Our son was struggling to manage his emotions -- when he didn't get what he wanted, he had a hard time expressing himself, likely because he was still working on his verbal communication. We found ourselves questioning again: was the bilingual environment too much for him? Were we doing the right thing? But the teachers met him exactly where he was. They worked with him patiently -- teaching him to speak up, take a breath, drink some water, and step away to calm down. We mirrored these strategies at home, and gradually, the tantrums gave way to something better: self-regulation. The turning point came in October. The kids were asked to talk about their Halloween costumes in both Mandarin and English, and when we watched the video of our son confidently describing his costume in both languages, we were genuinely amazed. We checked in with Ms. Du, who reassured us: he understood Mandarin well -- he might not always speak it aloud, but he could follow along and even sing songs. That was enough for us to commit. We stayed, and we're so glad we did. By age four, our son was singing songs in Mandarin, making friends, managing his feelings, and coming home to tell us about his day. Year Three -- Group 3: Exponential Growth The final year at YYY brought it all together. The focus shifted toward English readiness for kindergarten, and the growth we witnessed was nothing short of remarkable. One of our most memorable moments came when the kids performed on stage at a church. Our son -- the same boy who once cried every morning at drop-off -- stood up there without a trace of stage fright, belting out a Mandarin song at the top of his lungs, complete with all the dance moves he'd learned from Ms. Pearlie, Ms. Du, and Ms. Chen. My husband and I looked at each other in disbelief, the proudest we'd ever been. The rest of the year unfolded in the same beautiful way: daily journal writing, reading his first books, learning to count, drawing, coloring, and deepening his bonds with every teacher and assistant in the school. The graduation performance was the crown jewel -- every child had memorized speeches in both English and Mandarin and performed choreographed dances with joy and confidence. Talking with the other parents that day, it was clear we all felt the same thing: these teachers had given our children something extraordinary. Not just academic skills, but a foundation -- emotionally, socially, and linguistically -- that will carry them far. We couldn't be more grateful for everything YYY gave our son, and our family.

Our son has been going to the after school program since TK and he loves the STEAM program (STEM +…read moreART)! He enjoys the van ride from Bay Farm to the big island with the other kids and now that he's in K, he spends about 2-3 hours after school there - playing with new and old friends, learning more coding, math, reading, and science and experimenting with art methods. It definitely fills in the gaps of public school with the stronger focus on academics. We are very happy with his progress. And of course, he loves his STEAM teachers, Ms. Yuan and Ms. Jamila, as well as the coding, art and math teachers (Mr. Francisco, Mr. Patrick, Ms. Emily, etc.). That being said, this school isn't for everyone and parents have to be open to finding the right school for their child (which can change over time). For our family, I appreciate that this school respects the learning environment best for kids who are ready and motivated to learn on their own. This means that the kids are ready to learn and appreciate the lessons prepared (not yelling, standing on tables, napping, or other disruptive behavior), responsible/sensible to sit in a van full of kids and listen to the teacher, get along and be respectful to others, etc. To keep the kids on schedule with the van and different subjects requires tremendous patience, planning and care from the teachers, staff (Mr. Long) and Director Sunny - we appreciate you! If your kids can focus and manage at YY, they can sit through movies, dinners, airplane rides, etc. - self-managed discipline is what I appreciate the most. The staff communicates well in advance and also is very responsive and accommodating (e.g. if I have to pick up early, miss school, have another parent pickup, etc.). They also have parent-teacher conferences twice a year with a newsletter about your child's class with photos. Also, when we first signed up for TK when my child was 4, I was worried about the transportation, but that's one of the best part that our kid looks forward to when he goes to YY with his friends - it's safe and the van is there early for pickups (and the fee is very economical for us working parents!). We also have friends in the Mandarin program whose parents are very impressed with their children's language and writing skills and enjoy their class performances! We also have a friend who moved their child here due to allergies. Our kid also has a mild allergy and Yuying is very good about keeping everyone safe with allergies (making sure there's no nuts in anyone's lunchbox, no sharing, educating kids about allergies and keeping everyone safe, etc.) and also keeping up with the parents for updated EpiPens and meds.