We looked long and hard for the right preschool in this area and this was definitely the one. Even…read morewhen we got into other Preschools, I stayed on the waitlist for Discovery, and I'm so glad I did. One thing I've learned about sending a little one to school is: It works best if you have a place with enough teachers who truly care about your child, and who also understand that parents (as well as kids) need some flexibility and understanding at this age... And that's what they've been with us - understanding and flexible - through the crazy local weather spells, child sicknesses... all of it. They truly embrace the concept that no two kids are the same, so you really can't force kids into some cookie-cutter template (e.g. expecting all kids to develop at the same rate, forcing them all to nap every day, etc.). I have been especially impressed with the owner, Kirsten, and the Director, Courtney - Always nice, always friendly, obviously work very hard and care about each and every student they have, etc. And this care and consideration is not only shown to my kid, but also to me, which is a breath of fresh air at an age when things can be so stressful. Would also like to add that their prices are the most reasonable you'll find and the gifts they have kids make and bring home for their parents during the holidays are absolutely delightful... Again, another sign that they not only care about your child, they care about the whole picture. Props of course as well to all of their individual hardworking teachers!

Our son loves it here. All of the teachers are nice. Couldn't be happier with the experience.read more

4 months into my son's attendance here, the behavior of Conecta's owner, Abbie, and Codirector,…read moreSimone, towards us was abhorrent. I would give the actual teachers here (Alicia, Dora, & James) 5 stars... Sadly, I don't expect them to last very long due to the seriously flawed management issues & treatment of kids & their families. Below is as close to an objective description of what we experienced - & the many potentially lawsuit-related red flags raised - as I can provide: My child (two-year-old boy) started in Sept 2021 (3 days/week, from 9:30am-4:15pm). B/c we had to move twice in 2021, he had previously attended 2 other schools, and not only had 0 issues there, but his teachers were very upset when he left b/c they loved him. Also note that these schools had many more students - but the same # of teachers - as Conecta. 1st red flag, during enrollment: The several page long document of very, very specific items the school insists the kids attend with - Bento lunch boxes only - specific brands for raingear, like Tuffo, etc. Child has to provide ALL of their everyday supplies - pencils, coloring, Band-Aids, etc. - in addition to paying tuition. Strange. Still, I go along with all of it b/c we have very few schools in the area & you sit on a waitlist until you can get in. 2nd red flag, first few weeks - COVID policy: Owner of school announces that, if a child exhibits any symptoms, such as a runny nose, County is requiring negative PCR tests (only) and several weeks of quarantine before kids can return to school. I check with the county...this is untrue. So why lie? Just say that's the school's policy - you don't need it to come from the County. Owner either misunderstood the County or doesn't understand what's legally advisable in terms of policies & communication with families. Still, so that my son can continue to attend a school, I hope that it's the former & try not to raise a fuss. Sept - Jan: Reports that I receive from my son's teacher, Alicia, as well as the Codirector, Simone, indicate that he is doing really well re: developing social skills, talking, playing with other kids, singing, engaging in imaginary play, self-entertaining, etc. He & his teacher appear to really like each other. My son seems to love it there - runs in with excitement to play, etc. Mid-Jan: School owner Abbie informs me that a full-time spot has opened up & would my son like to take it & start attending full-time. Truth was evidently that she needed to switch everyone to a full-time-basis only, I assume for financial reasons (but, again, why lie?). While I would love for him to attend full-time, we cannot afford it. This is when our trouble (& the harassment) begins... Abbie and Simone begin to send send me constant messages on a daily basis indicating that they cannot have any of the children opting out of nap time (note: from what I can tell, every school has a number of kids giving up naps around his age & they just provide them with another "restful activity" during that time), so they force my son to nap. He is described as very upset by this - "inconsolable," in fact - and can I come pick him up? I get there... he's asleep. Suspicious. They talk about going so far as to consult a school psychologist about the situation (really?!). They demand sleep consultant intervention. They tell me that he is too attached to his teacher, so they need to work on that - they appear to institute a policy of separating he & his teacher when he seeks out her attention. He reportedly gets upset by this & that's a problem. They ask if, instead, he can start attending 5 days/week from morning until 1pm (vs part-time status, 3 full days/week), then, less than one month later, they inform me that that's no longer an option b/c they took in more students in the meantime & so his only option is to attend three days/week until 1pm...but I'll actually need to pay the full-time tuition rate. Hmm... Turns out all of this was because - although they did not directly inform me of it until much later - owner decided to switch school to a full-time-attendance-only policy (I assume for financial reasons). Evidence came in the form of an email from the owner one month after we withdrew from the school: "Conecta does not have half days anymore. Each spot is worth an amount. We offered a full-time spot and it was not taken by you, so it was filled... His spot, which was full day, had to be paid as full day." I also assume that, b/c I'm an attorney, they thought I might try to sue if they were honest about this, so, instead, they appeared to go for a 'means-to-an-end approach' & make things as difficult as possible for us until we had no choice but to withdraw. This is simply cruel towards kids and reflects very poor management policies. I have no idea if my child was actually ever truly problematic for them or if this was just an excuse to get us to withdraw so that they could fill his spot with someone who paid more $$$$ each month. Terrible.

My 3-4 year old started @ Conecta on 4/2020 and stayed until 8/2021. This was a pretty challenging…read moreand abnormal time during Covid. One teacher call out from Conecta was Teacher Joe, who stood by the school when it went through a major turmoil where 3 other teachers along with almost all students left around April time. He helped rebuild the program and the new team while the owner was dealing with her own issues. My daughter learned, matured over the course of the year there with teacher Joe. She learned to be independent, and picked herself up when she fell. She played hard and really thrived there under teacher Joe. Overall, I give all the credit to Mr. Joe for this, reason being there has been enough evidence that I think I should share with the public about the lack of support, leadership, presence of the actual owner of the school, which created a lot of negativity for parents, teachers (some left). I think the one negative aspect of the school was that during Covid, the owner put a lot of parents in a bind by forcing whole year contract agreements, and did it in a way that left a lot of parents with a sour taste. Unlike other schools, you would pay no matter what for the whole year. She didn't prorate her charges and didn't let people off their contracts when they needed it. I'm not sure if the school will continue to be a great place given the issues at the management / owner level, but I will say I was lucky to have met some nice teachers along the way that really tried.

We live on Banner Lava Cap and I drove by a beautiful Poppy Preschool sign every day while…read moresearching all over the area for a preschool for my 2 year old. Because they're relatively new, I wasn't finding a lot of information online about it. I called the phone number on the sign and got in touch with Teacher Deva who was delightful to talk to and let me come and tour the school on a Friday morning (a day they have off) with my little one. My daughter immediately clicked with the space. There's tons of forest, a garden, ducks, and even a cat that roams the property. We had seen a lot of really great schools in the area, but this one just felt special. After seeing the space, my daughter didn't want to leave. We knew we had found the one. Poppy Preschool is a Waldorf-inspired preschool where the kids enjoy singing, arts and crafts, gardening, cooking, and lots of play. They also learn a lot of collaborative skills like cleaning up. The teachers Deva and Sarah are calm, gentle, and patient. I've watched them first-hand moderate conflicts between kids where they help the kids verbalize their feelings and gently deflect any physical altercations. It's lovely to see. On the first day of school, I was worried my daughter would cling to me and not want to go, but she took one look at the ducks and the garden and immediately felt comfortable jumping in. Every day since her first day she's excited to go to school and she doesn't want to come home. She's also *delightfully* dirty at the end of the day, which I love. She's engaged and learning so much, she even teaches us all the songs they learn at school. I also love that they garden and cook their own food. Every day of the week has a different focus, so the kids feel grounded in a bit of routine, but there's still plenty of room for exploration and play. It's been a real joy having my daughter in Poppy Preschool. I highly recommend this incredible forest preschool to anyone in the area!

Tall Pines is a truly special preschool. Not only are the teachers/director passionate about what…read morethey do, but they really treat you and your child like part of the family here and the co-op part is such a lovely way to introduce children to school. If you're considering sending your child here you will not be disappointed.

I love Tall Pines! Sending your child to this school is a gift. Teacher Michelle LOVES her kids and…read moreis an amazing teacher. Teacher Kelsey is warm and kind. This school is clean, fun, and a great introduction to grade school. My child loves going to school. He feels safe and happy at school, and is always looking forward to going. It's hard for parents to make friends, but at Tall Pines you are sure to find your people. The school is an accepting and loving place and they truly want the best for every family. If you are able to participate in a co-op, this is your place!

Watching Celine interact with my son is truly a joy. She's a generous, fun, creative teacher (and…read moreparent). She has created a wonderful environment for preschoolers to learn and play!

Celine is a natural and authentically in love with preschool age children. She is incredibly…read moremotivated to provide the most nurturing experience for the mind, body and soul of our littles. There is no better way for an educational experience to begin than with Celine at Peartree.

Not sure if Stacey H and I were at the same place. The teachers were great and the director was…read moreorganized and the kids seemed to really respond to her. Kids usual have good instincts and they were all gathered around her for sharing time when I was there. I spent 2 days at the school as part of a craft project I was hired to teach the kids- and in that time I was impressed at how smooth everything went, how well behaved and calm all the kids were. The school is a well organized, well run safe place. The last day I was there all the teachers stayed late to rotate the toys- something they do regularly to keep the class room fun and interesting.

This is a wonderful choice for anyone who wants their child to experience preschool. Both of my…read morechildren went here and they both loved it! They still talk about TCNS having the best playground in town. I could tell you all the many things they learned before Kindergarten like sharing, respecting their friends, the days of the week, the alphabet, many new songs, and the list goes on, but what they remember most was the love and kindness from the teachers....and that playground! :)

We LOVE Creative World. I cannot recommend it highly enough. We are so sad to graduate and leave…read morethis amazing school behind. Our kids: - were excited to be there every day - were surrounded by wonderful, nurturing teachers who balanced play with development. Our kids were beyond prepared for kindergarten in every sense. - made tons of friends, including from younger and older classes because there's some cross-over play time. It's small enough that every teacher knew our kids well. - loved the facility - the rooms have a super happy energy and the backyard is shady and full of activities - had the option to participate in a wide range of extra activities that the school coordinates to take place onsite - Spanish, soccer, swimming, gymnastics, dance Both of my daughters attended from age 3 onward and I only wish we'd started there sooner because the difference in their happiness between their first preschool and Creative World was so stark. We're so grateful to everyone there who played such a pivotal role in our children's lives (and ours in taking such good care of them!). We've since recommended it to a number of friends, who've all had similarly fantastic experiences.

We could not be more pleased with the two years our son spent at Creative World! The whole team was…read morevery careful with his food allergies and always provided amazing alternatives. He also really struggled with socializing and every staff member was so warm, gentle, and patient with him. Additionally, Creative World provides enrichment opportunities you can choose to have your child participate in throughout the school day such as Spanish classes, gymnastics, Soccer Shots, and swim lessons through Little Ones Swim next door. This was so helpful as a parent because he could learn different skills and it was all taken care of during the school day. Every month they send out a schedule of snacks, events, and themes for the week. They are on top of curriculum and they stick to their plans. Miss Liz also makes sure things are running smoothly and has amazing communication with the families. I would highly recommend Creative World!

What a great place and staff. This is the third facility we have had our son at and it is by far…read morethe best in the basin. Thanks to the proactive owner and staff for continually improving my child's environment and development.

From the owner: Lake Tahoe Preschool is a private, Montessori Based school with small class sizes and an emphasis…read moreon the child.

My son has gone to A+ now for almost 3 years. At first I was nervous to put my son in daycare as he…read morehad been used to our live in nanny. It was a big change for all of us. Leana and the staff at A plus have always been so incredible to me and to my son. My son has gotten so much confidence and ability to be in a classroom setting and has learned so much as well as made great friends. It's a great community at A plus and I know a special place for my son

My daughter has been going to A+ preschool for just over 2 years. This is her last and final year…read morein the preschool but we will absolutely be attending the after school programs. They keep everything clean! Super clean! I get there towards the end of the day sometimes and see some of their cleaning regime and it's beyond thorough, and I don't even see what goes on beyond the scenes! They take the children on wonderful field trips! Just last week they baked cookies and brought them to the local fire department down the street. I have seen them leave for some of the field trips and the adult/teacher to child ratio is perfect. They seem to be right on par with every code I have researched and go above and beyond to make it a fun, safe, and clean learning environment for our kiddos! It is so nerve racking making the right choice of where to send our children for schools, and I believe wholeheartedly that A+ is the right decision for my family and many others! It is the most affordable daycare I have ever encountered and their hours are from 7:30-5:30. I am a single parent and feel so thankful to have such a wonderful school so accessible for my little one!! I looked into many daycares and am so happy with my choice at A+ preschool!!