Well, my four years are done. The kids have moved on to higher learning. Elementary school that is. If it wasn't for the teachers at Grace who knows where we would be? Maybe barely prepared for Kindergarten? Nope, not my kids. Both of my children fully excelled while attending Grace. We couldn't have chosen a better preschool for our children. It is a coop-preschool but you do have the option to not coop. You will have to pay a little extra but any time your child spend here is worth it. The teachers are communicative at every turn. I appreciated their honesty and their understanding. Don't expect sugar coating. I expect a fair and balanced assessment of my child's education and most importantly their behavior. If anyone is looking for a wonderful preschool to start their educational career please come to Grace. Come meet the teachers, come tour the school. Its a fantastic place for your kids. read more

A friend of mine brought to my attention that Grace only had a few reviews and they were poor. I felt that I must set the record straight! We will be starting our 4th year at Grace in September and absolutely love the school. Our older daughter attended the T-Th and MWF class. She entered public school this last year with the confidence she built at Grace. My younger daughter will begin her 3rd year at Grace in the kinderprep program. She can't wait for school again. This confidence and love of school is due to the wonderful teachers (Marlene, Meg, Joy, and Trish) and community environment that Grace provides. Co-ops do require more parent involvement, but the reward of being able to make lifelong friends while watching your child grow, is well worth your time! read more

At Grace Cooperative School, teachers and parents work together throughout the year to create wonderful experiences. Daily activities for the children include both a lot of free time to play and a variety of guided activities (one-on-one and in groups). The outside area is the greatest! I was surprised that the curriculum includes singing, rhythm band, and Spanish. Our child learned so much and made many wonderful friends. She happily bounced into school-greeting her classmates and teachers with excitement! I was glad to have been able to participate in my child's preschool experience. I personally knew her teachers, her classmates, and their parents. read more

If you are looking for a wonderful foundation to start your little ones on the road to "I love school!" you have found the preschool in Grace. Two of my grandchildren have attended Grace and I am so impressed by their philosophy of learning through play. I have always believed that children are natural learners if given the correct environment, one that is "little hands on". The director is a true educator that understands and loves children and all the staff share her enthusiasm and drive. My oldest grandson is now going into first grade and he absolutely loves school. My second grandson is going onto his second year at Grace and is so looking forward to the beginning of school this year. My granddaughter will start next year (only two now) and already wants to go to school! I am very impressed by Grace Coop Preschool it's teachers and parents that really care. read more

My family and I moved to Walnut Creek last summer. I have three children and at that time my oldest was ready for his first year of preschool. I was looking for a co-op and was over the moon when I found Grace! Not only are they an exceptional preschool, but they offer a parent-run, on-campus Nursery Program for younger siblings to attend while you are co-oping. Being new to the area, I did not have child care for my younger two and having the option of a Nursery Program made a co-op possible for my family. There are no other co-ops in this area that offer a program like this. My son has thrived at Grace. This was his first experience in school and I could not be more pleased with the outcome. He loves Marlene, his teachers, his friends and the other parents there. He has grown so much over the last year and I have really enjoyed watching him and the other children grow, play, and explore together. My daughter who will be 3 in November has been very attached to me and has never separated easily. Having her in the Nursery while I co-oped for big brother has helped her (and me) tremendously! She loves preschool and can't wait to go in the fall. And thanks to Grace I now have a daughter who is comfortable and eager to socialize with other children and families, without tears :). My youngest daughter is 18 months old and she too will be apart of Grace! I have enjoyed being apart of this school for the past year, and look forward to the next 5 years of preschool we will be spending here. Grace has an amazing community environment and not only have my children made friends easily here, but so have I! We am so grateful to have found such a special school! read more

Still love this place. I asked my son what he likes about Grace. He says, "I like the play yard and superheroes!" Works for me!

This is by far the best preschool around! I think its the great communication between the teachers and parents and everyone coming together to make a difference during the most important time in my childs life. My daughter started Grace last year in the 3's class, she was super excited to and returned again this year in the 4s class. Her favorite thing to do at grace is "Playing in the outside playyard on the tire swing" My son also started this year in the 2's class. His favorite thing at Grace is music class. read more

Grace Cooperative Preschool is not just a preschool, but a community where your child is free to grow and explore. We just returned to the Bay Area a year ago and I was searching for a place where we would feel welcome and my child would be happy. Grace does both. My daughter previously attended a Montessori school and while I was very happy with it, I didn't have the sense of community I have with Grace. Many of our activities revolve around the school now (by choice) and I love that other parents look after my child even on days when I'm not working. The teachers are wonderful. My daughter seems to think that Ms. Marlene is her best friend and she is kind enough not to tell her otherwise. I have worked as an early childhood teacher myself and play-based learning is the absolute best way to lay a foundation for future learning. My daughter loves her school and we have found a second family here. Grace is exactly what I was hoping for in a cooperative preschool and more. read more

My son has been going to Grace for about 2 years now. He is really enjoying it. He goes to the MWF class and he always asked why he was not going to school on the other days and he really misses his friends there. Initially I wasn't so sure about co-oping, but it turned out to be a great experience for myself too. I was able to spend 2 or 3 days with my son every month. It gave me an opportunity to observe how he played with others and how much he enjoyed himself at school. For a busy working mom, it works out great for me to stay in touch with his development. My older child went to a different school. Grace is very affordable in comparison. I am glad I tried it. The teachers are very experienced and passionate about teaching. I highly recommend Grace to parents who are looking for affordable, good quality part time daycare schools. read more

Our family has had a wonderful experience at Grace. I think one of the things we like most is the Co-op part. We get to participate and "work" at our son's school and watch him learn and interact with his friends and teachers. Because you have to work 2-3 days a month it is a VERY affordable school. I highly recommend this school to others. Especially if you have younger siblings that need care for while co-oping. They have a nursery room for the younger siblings to get there first experience at "school". We are moving back to San Diego and are so sad to leave Grace. I have yet to find anything as excellent or affordable down there. read more

my easy going, good natured daughter didn't start crying and experiencing anxiety until going to this school. this is a great school if you are of the philosophy that children should be seen and not heard. disorder is not tolerated. not by the kids, not by the parents. a few examples: one day after school my daughter saw one of the teachers walking ahead of her. my daugher kept calling her name out of excitement. there was no way this woman did not hear my kid. the teacher finally turned around and said, "i will not talk to you when you have a pacifier in your mouth!" and continued to storm off. my daughter was so crestfallen. one day i caught the "teachers" rolling their eyes at me. another day while co-oping i was in charge of the outside painting and had to clothespin the papers to the fence. one teacher said i had to use 3 clips in a very specific position. another then approached me and told me to use only 2. i was told EXACTLY where to place the papers on the fence. you get treated like an idiot. it was like this every damn day. they didn't acknowledge my daughter's birthday despite me letting them know a few days before and the morning of. other kids got a birthday celebration. my older son went to a party the school threw for all the kids and their siblings. my son told me the teachers were mean. he was 6 and had the words to explain how he felt whereas my 2 1/2 year old daughter did not. i spoke with one of the other mothers about how the director/teacher would scold the parents and she said she was used to it since she used to be in an abusive relationship! pretty soon, some of the other co-oping parents and i would look at eachother and say, "oh no, we are in trouble again" when taken aside by the director/teacher for a lecture. the only good thing i got about it was getting to know the other parents. for the most part they were cool and easy to get along with. i have 3 years of experience at another play-based co-op with my older child so i know how a co-op preschool should be. now that my daughter is at another school, i knew that i was right in taking her out of grace. 3 other families left around the same time i did. there is something wrong when 4 families leave after 2 and 3 months. the teachers are cold and weird. where my daughter goes now, she looks forward to going to school. she has never cried and asks every day if she gets to go. that's the way it should be. read more

My family spent four years at this wonderful school (2007-2011) and my two boys thrived here. The teachers here do a wonderful job preparing children for the academic and emotional rigors of elementary school. And the level of parental involvement required at a cooperative preschool ensures that you will not only have an integral understanding of your child's school experience, but also make friends for life. We are still close to many of our Grace friends and will treasure these friendships always. When we decided to send our children to private school, the director took the time to write wonderful letters of recommendation for both of my children. We especially loved the music program with Miss Lavenia. This is a wonderful first school experience if you have the time and the inclination to be closely involved with your child's preschool years. read more

Both of my children were/are very happy at Grace. My older child especially had so much growth and was super prepared for Kindergarten. We loved the community, the experienced teachers, and lots of parents caring about our kiddos! read more

My son and I are so sad to be leaving Grace after 2 wonderful years. Today being our last day, we are both a little bit of a mess. Our experience with Grace is it is not just a preschool, it is a community. The teachers and the parents become friends, the kind of friends you can count on. Before coming to Grace we had no regular support with our son, and never had a babysitter. Now, if my husband goes out of town on business I get texts from several families, reminding me to call anytime if I need anything. If I have a dental appointment I have a group of parents that I completely trust, that my son knows and trusts, that I can call to watch him. It is nice when I can reciprocate and meet their child at school if they are running late. I was looking for a play based preschool, and found something so much more. My son is shy and can be very sensitive. He used to be intimidated when he saw rough play and yelling kids at playgrounds. Frankly, I was worried about how he would adjust and fit in with other kids. Grace gave him a great opportunity to play with a range of kids and become accustomed to the kind of yelling play that many kids enjoy. Sometimes now he will even join in, though he still tends to not. But having the experience of being around kids who do enjoy a different kind of play than him, my son learned how to be comfortable with that. Now when he sees it in the world, he can say, "that kid likes to play like my friend Bobby". It doesn't scare him, and now he has the confidence to do his own thing and not worry about what all the yelling is about. Call it diversity, but he has grown a lot and has learned a lot from other kids, how they are the same, how they are different, and how fun it is to get to know kids who are not exactly like him. What a great lesson! The families are all unique but with the common perspective of wanting a co-op for their kids. As parents my husband and I learned from the other families; how they handle situations that arise with kids, what their attitudes are about everything from media to bedtime to discipline. We learned from families who also have older children about what we can maybe expect at different ages to experiences with all range of elementary schools. We are all muddling through this phase of parenting young children; the more information the better. I hope other families have found something valuable in what our family has shared. The teachers are also a great source of information about child development, and hold regular opportunities for conference (a few times per year officially, but they are always available even by phone in their "off time"). Every season brings reasons to celebrate and I appreciate that Grace celebrates every holiday big and small. Sometimes that means a special optional family event outside of school time (pumpkin carving!), sometimes that means a celebration in the class (making paper dragons and stomping on bubble wrap for Chinese New Year). As our precious time with Grace comes to a close we are grateful to have found this amazing place. There were tears the first day I left my boy there (from me and my son), and today there are tears from both of us as we move on to new adventures. read more

The negative reviews, I suspect, are by 1 or 2 parents who did not like hearing their darling is not ready for this program. I put 2 kids through this program and it is like none other. The program is ideal for families who want to be involved in their child's pre kinder experience: It is social in nature, exploring art, hands-on activities, and lots of outdoor play. Parents are on the same page most of the time, when we are not; we work it out. My kids got music exploration, cooking, drama; all included by great volunteers. We do not have grandparents in area, so this program also filled that gap. The teachers and director all have years of experience. They are not all soft and fuzzy, but some of our 3-4 years old need feedback, it is a growing time. I HIGHLY reccommend this program. Even when we left, we have not made an educational move for our kids without taking it over with program director, she has great insight. It is a long term commitment you can make beyond the early years. BEST CO-OP around.... read more

This is truly an incredible school. My oldest son attended two years at Grace, and my middle son is completing his second year. My youngest son will start in the fall. Our family loves this school. The teachers are friendly and knowledgeable (many with advanced degrees in education), and they really take the time to get to know each child. The school is also great about building a true community with frequent events throughout the year (a back to school picnic, Pumpkin Day, family feast day, the annual pancake breakfast) that allow parents a chance to get to know one another outside the school day. It is a cooperative preschool, which means parent participation is required -- depending upon the class, parents work at the school about 2-4 days per month. (There is an on-site, parent-run nursery if you have younger siblings that need childcare while parents are co-oping.) I realize this model may not work for everyone, but if it works for your family I encourage you to check it out. All of our family members have made lasting friendships there. This really is one of the best-kept secrets in Walnut Creek -- I don't understand why more people don't know about Grace! read more