We Feel So Lucky to Have Found Happy Days! I'm truly moved by the love and attention my almost 4-year-old son has received at Happy Days. If we have more children in the future, they will definitely be going here as well -- without question. There are a few things that make this preschool really special: 1. Welcoming to All Stages Happy Days is one of the few preschools in the area that accepts toddlers who are not yet potty trained. Our son started attending when he was about 20 months old, and he was nowhere near potty trained at the time. The school welcomed him with open arms and supported him through this phase with great patience. 2. Truly Above and Beyond Care The standard pick-up time is already quite generous at 6:00 pm, but when Head Teacher Mindy learned about our demanding work schedules, she graciously offered to take our son home in the evenings so we could pick him up at 8:00 pm. Over the past two years, Mindy and her husband have become like grandparents to our son -- a bond we will forever treasure. We honestly don't think we could find this level of love and care anywhere else. 3. Wonderful Development Our son has grown into a smart, happy, and outgoing little boy. He was well-prepared for kindergarten -- he performed very well in school interviews and was accepted to every private school we applied to. Most importantly, he loves learning: he enjoys school, homework, his teachers, and his classmates. 4. Incredible Value For all of this, the tuition is very reasonable. In fact, many of my friends are paying more at other schools -- and in my view, they're receiving less in terms of personal attention and genuine care. read more

The teachers here are very attentive to the children's need. They helped me with my daughters potty training and putting on a face mask as she wouldn't listen to us, parents. My daughter's cognitive and comprehension skills increased tremendously after starting daycare here. read more

If only I could give Happy Days preschool a ten out of ten. Happy days has been our family's saving grace. My son started here just shy of 3.5 year old in November. He had just come from a "structured" style preschool and was only there for about 2 months before we found HAPPY DAYS PRESCHOOL. He was being bullied at that other school, he had also picked up some bad coping habits, likely because he wasn't being heard and respected. When we reached out to Mindy, she reassured us that my son would be taken care of and laid out a plan to help him get potty training and find other ways to cope with his anxiety. Teacher Mindy and the whole team has over 20+ years of experience. Its been only 4 months and I have never seen my son so excited to go to school. His development has vastly improved and I can't thank Teacher Mindy and especially Teacher May for all the support, encouragement, and love they have provided for my son and his growth potential. Any time my family goes to pick him up, the kids are orderly and welcoming. Ascetically, I love that three are 3 areas for the toddlers to learn, grow and play. They also have a SHADED outdoor space. Most importantly of all, they provide food, assist with potty training, bilingual in Cantonese, and is great with being transparent about your child's progress and goals. They offer a lot of advice and training tips to help your child get ready for elementary. read more

My son attended Happy Day Preschool for about 2 years during the pandemic. My son is very active and full of energy. There's a lot of indoor space as well as outdoor space at the facility. There are lots of activities at the school to help kids learn, keep them challenged. My son likes the director's cooking and enjoys their daily meals. He also likes circle time and building relationships with his peers. The kids also practice Cantonese throughout the day and the teachers also attempt to teach them how to write in Chinese. Overall I feel the school to be safe and secure. I don't remember my son coming home hurt or injured. My daughter attended a bigger preschool and I really feel this smaller school is a better fit for my sometimes shy son. read more

We love this preschool! We knew this was the right fit for our family as soon as we toured the school. Teacher Mindy was honest, kind, knowledgeable, sincere--just a genuinely good person and we felt comfortable with her right away. All the teachers are so nice and really care for the kids. My daughter has been attending for 14 months now and has grown so much through being at Happy Day. Within a few months, her Chinese speaking and listening really blossomed and she became less shy with both the adults and the other kids. I was worried about how much she would eat and sleep there, but she's done great! It's so nice to not have to pack food for her and just trust that she'll be fed and taken care of. The school day is the right blend of structure and playtime. There are so many toys and different areas for them to play (including outside). My daughter brings home papers she's completed every day, so I know they're learning valuable school skills like tracing and writing letters and characters, coloring, counting, and sorting. I feel like Teacher Mindy has set up a program that prepares children for kindergarten but still allows them to learn social skills, play, be creative, and have fun. I highly recommend this school, especially to anyone looking for Cantonese immersion. read more

Happy day has really allowed my daughter to thrive as a preschooler. She comes home talking about her day, singing new songs, using manners, and even counting in Chinese. Having a structured framework is important for my daughter because she likes to bend and push boundaries. She has freedom to still be creative and is beginning to understand focus. I would recommend Ms. Mindy and her staff any day and they love all the kids they teach. read more

Teacher Mindy and her staff at Happy Day Preschool are absolutely incredible. I've noticed significant improvement in my little one's comprehensive skills. Their passion, care, understanding, and flexibility, along with their abundance of patience, are truly commendable. read more

My two kids are both attending Happy Day Preschool. My son has been there for three years and my daughter has been there for 1.5 years. The teachers are so kind, caring and accommodating. My kids have learned so much at school from Teacher Mindy and the other teachers. My son is ready for kindergarten this fall thanks to them! read more

Happy Days Preschool definitely deserves 5 stars. My younger sister has attended this preschool since she was 2 years old, over 2 years ago. This preschool helped my sister grow academically and mentally in addition to develop great behavior. Mindy, the owner, is extremely caring. She greets the parents and kids every morning and says goodbye to all the children at the end of the day. It takes a lot of patience to be a preschool director and teacher. Every teacher (Teacher Sunny, Julie, Peggy, May, Jessica) is extremely caring for my sister. My sister returns home every day to remind my family and I how much fun and how much she learned from her wonderful teachers and classmates. My sister always comes home with something new she learned: new words, shapes, colors, exercises, etc. I highly recommend Happy Days Preschool for all parents! My parents could not have chose a better preschool for my sister. read more

When you raise children, it truly takes a village. In modern society, often both parents are working and we must rely on family, caregivers and schools to help us with this most important process. Even the Internet has replaced the village to some degree for advice when our child is sick, or we are looking for references. We visited several preschools for our daughter, and were set on going to one of the bigger names. At some point, we ran into some friends that had their kids at Happy Day, and they recommended it. We later found out that we knew some other parents that also had their kids there. We stopped by to check the place out. With some of the bigger names, we were concerned that our daughter would get lost in the shuffle. That it would be hard to find out how she was doing on a day-to-day basis. The teachers here do a good job of keeping an open line of communication, and voicing concerns if any. We feel that this school has been a good fit for our daughter. They do a good job of keeping her safe, while encouraging her to try new things, socialize and grow! Our daughter has bonded with each of the teachers there - Mindy, Peggy, May, Julie and Sunny - and this has definitely helped her development. read more

Can't say enough good things about teacher Mindy. She's caring, listens and loves all the kids. My son is ready for kindergarten because of her and the staff. My daughter has lived it and had improved her skills since being there read more

I have to be honest, Happy Day Preschool (from now on HDP) was not my first choice. As a first time mom, I had no idea how competitive getting into the "right" preschool was. Being pregnant with my second one, I started looking at preschools 3 months before the baby was due. None of them seem to be calling out "pick me, pick me" and I suppose it didn't matter since most of them had a waiting list. I recalled having seen a bright yellow sign on a building down the street from where I lived. So I drove down, got the number and called them. I made an appointment for the next morning. I arrived there with my little one clutching my hand. I actually think I was the one clutching HIS hand. Betty, director at the time (more on that later) gave me a tour and invited my son to join the other kids in circle time. I really did not know what to look for, I was just going with my gut. The way the teachers were interacting my the kids caught my attention and I liked what I saw. Betty gave me information regarding tuition and the schedule for the day was like. I really liked the "homey" vibe so I signed him up right away. Betty said that in order to transition my son, he should come in a couple hours for a few days and then start him full time. I'm not gonna lie, I cried like a baby when I closed the door behind me on the first day. My son shed a few tears too. A few weeks after that, Betty announced that Mindy would be taking over. I was a little hesitant but, my son was happy so I just went with it, The teachers were great with the kids and I liked the fact that they were being taught Cantonese. My son was excited to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" in Cantonese and I was very impressed. The fact that breakfast, lunch and a snack was a plus for me. They cook most of the food there so at least I know it's somewhat healthy. I also liked the fact that HDP doesn't charge extra if your kid is not fully potty trained. The kids put on a Christmas show, dress-up for the holidays through out the year and have pictures taken! Their work is all over the walls. By the end of the school year, the kids know how to write their name, write the alphabet and numbers. The teachers all do a great job preparing them for Kindergarten. I cannot praise them enough. By the time my second son was ready for preschool he already knew his way around. He was comfortable with the teachers and thrived in that environment. I have recommended other parents to HDP and will continue to do so. I am so happy to have discovered this little gem in my neighborhood. read more

My son went to Happy Days preschool from 1/1/2015. As a first time parents, we wanted our son to study in a quality preschool. After visiting different preschools, one of my friends highly recommended us to visit Happy Days Preschool. During the first day of visit, we found out that this preschool were clean, teachers were friendly and the kids there were very happy. After 8 months of studying in Happy Days preschool, we truly love here because all the teachers are very nice, experience, patients, and caring. I must say thanks for my friend's recommendation so that my son is very happy to go to school everyday and make a lot of new friends there. Also, my son was able to be potty trained after only 2 months in school!!! For those parents who looking for a quality school with very experience teachers to looking after your kids, Happy Days Preschool is a very good choice for you. From a very satisfied parents ^o^ Wing read more

Happy Day preschool has a very caring staff led by teacher Mindy. I already had one daughter graduate from Happy Day preschool & is doing great! Currently my 2nd daughter attends Happy Day preschool & is loving it. One reason is because the staff understands the needs of each child & they do everything to help them prepare for the future. The staff of teacher Mindy, May, Peggy, & Jessica are incredible. Especially teacher May, with her patience, care, and detail for every student, has changed my daughter's life. Within a few months, teacher May has transformed my shy, naughty, unresponsive daughter into a more confident, talkative, & very responsive child now. We love her patience as my daughter is a naughty one. Overall, Happy Day preschool gets 5 stars from me & my family, thank you teacher Mindy & staff members! read more

There are lots of school for us to choose but I chose Happy Day because the teacher here was great. They listen to parent and the most of all they love their students. Teacher May and others teacher put their heart into it. My son is in this school and he is an active boy, I mean active. He can't sit too long. Sometime I know discipline is hard for kids especially my son. I was there few times and I notice Teacher May speaking in a loud tone but I feel is not she is mean; she needs the kids to listen before anyone get hurt. She repeated 5x and the kids was not listening to her and still running and doing their own thing. I know Teacher May was worry someone will be running to close to each other and fall. So, at the end she speaks in a very loud tone and step into the middle and said STOP. I feel Teacher May is not a mean teacher, she is trying her best to protect and teach her students. She gave me some advice on my kid and I know she is trying her best to work with parent and the kids. I want to say Thank you all the hard work for all the teacher in Happy Day! read more

It tells you something about a place when you sign up to yelp only to write one review. My son is two, active, loving, caring, happy, and fun. Mindy, the owner, admits she only want's well behaved children that don't play outside the lines. Extremely surprised that she admitted that the school wasn't meant to work with children who may be active, but strictly as a money making business. Over-the-top surprised when she said that their style of handling the children is "tiger-mom" style. If the children aren't cookie cutter obedient and quiet then they are asked to leave the school. Furiously surprised when I picked up my potty trained son and the owner, Mindy, handed me a plastic bag with my son's business in it and said, "I wanted to save everything for you to show you that he didn't make it to the toilet." That's right... underwear, poop, and all. I don't know where this lady was raised, but she shouldn't be in charge of children. I wondered why my son would cry when I dropped him off crying, "I don't like teacher May." My son, by the way, tossed a little toy at teacher May which I was told hit her in the face. Teacher May had to take the rest of the day off as well as the next day because she was emotionally distraught, according to the owner. Because of this incident I was told by the owner, Mindy, that she could not have children there that caused her teachers to take days off. Lord have mercy. Enough said I think. read more

I always subscribed to the philosophy that quality preschools could be found in the city without crazy waiting lists. Happy Day Preschool came through for us with flying colors. The teachers were very caring, and my daughter was very fond of them, especially Teacher Peggy. Considering Happy Day is a year-round school, Teacher Mindy was always accommodating with our summer travel schedule. My daughter recently started kindergarten, and I have been pleased with her readiness; I feel like the teachers at Happy Day did an excellent job preparing her for school. read more

My son started with Happy Day Preschool two years ago and we are happy with the experience. The tuition is lower than many of the San Francisco preschool and it includes breakfast and lunch. The school hours fit well with our busy working family schedule. I especially impressed with how much my son has learned in school. He is ready for kindergarten both academically and socially. Head teacher Mindy is very knowledgeable and experienced with early child development. read more

This review is a bit bitter sweet, as my youngest has graduated from Happy Days Preschool. Both my children went to HDP and we could not be happier with our choice. With my eldest, we did what parents do and toured multiple preschools and Happy Days was the one for us. Their teacher-student ratio was more suitable for us and they taught both English and Chinese curriculum at no additional cost. That was a no brainer for us. So, we didn't even have to think twice to where to send our second child. It's really a great way for your child to learn another culture/language or help advance their dialogue. HDP is also a good foundation for your children to learn social skills and prepare for kindergarten. My kids still talk about what they've learned at HDP, the friends they made and the teachers they miss. I would recommend HPD to all my friends and family. read more

My eleven year old daughter attended Happy Days and now my four years old is also attending Happy Days. It is a small and intimate preschool where your child will get a lot of attentions. They teach Cantonese to the kids for half an hour everyday. My four years old now can count in Cantonese. I just think that any languages introduced to these youngster will expand their minds. The kids not only play and socialize but they will learn to write their numbers , ABC's, cut and colors! My older daughter was completely ready for kindergarten. read more

In 2009 my wife and I were looking for a Preschool to assist in potty training my daughter, Melanie. We felt that we needed a small one for her. We ended up following a friend of mine who followed another friend who put his daughter in Happy Day Preschool for the same reason. Well, as a few years when by, my friend and the other person took their daughter out to a school for reasons that met their child's need. We decided to keep her there and we never regretted it. Besides being potty trained, she was able to learn Cantonese and become more outspoken (showing leadership traits). In August 2012, she graduated from there and went to St Thomas the Apostle. I will always tell people that if they needed a small Preschool for their child and wanted their kid to learn Cantonese and be potty trained, Happy Day Preschool would be my choice for them. read more

If you are looking for a preschool, Happy Day Preschool is the one. This school is small and your kid will get a lot of attention from the teachers. I've checked several schools( Parkside Preschool, Corner Stone, and Little Star ) before I went to check HDP and I wasn't thrilled because of the schools have high ratios among students vs teachers, costs, location and only accept children 100% potty train. Now, when I first step into HDP, I was impressed how clean the school, 100% potty train with no extra charge and costs of tuition is cheaper than any preschool you'll find in San Francisco and lunch is also provided. I find the teachers at HDP have done an excellent job. I would not take my time to write if I'm not happy with the school. read more

My daughter had a great time in Happy Days where she learned many things and social skills. The teachers are always very attentive and we are not hesitant to send my son there too. read more

Just wanted to let people know that my previous review was a review for a long time ago. I don't know how it is nowadays. I don't know if they changed owner(s) and staff since the year 2000. If they did, I hope that everyone working at Happy Day Preschool are CARING, LOVING, NICE, PLEASANT, PATIENT and UNDERSTANDING for all the kids who goes to school there. read more

I too believe anthony c must have meant a different preschool, as the previous poster said there is not an office at this preschool, it is all open to view and he lives accross the bay. My daughter attended Happy day preschool last year for 6 months when she was 2 1/2 and it was a wonderful experience for her. They are very professional, organized, with fun activities everyday. My daughter was partially potty trained when she started and in a week or so the job was complete. My daughter hugged her teacher every day before she left. Another plus was that they speak in cantonese to the children in the afternoon. Also they have 2 white zone parking places in front of the school so it was rare not to just pull up and pick up my daughter. Included in a tuition that is lower than most preschools they provide breakfast and lunch (I really miss not having to pack a lunch). I definitely recommend this preschool. We were sad to leave Happy Day and would still be there if it had been a little closer to our home (my daughter now goes to preschool around the corner from our home). read more

The teachers at Happy Day Preschool are very caring to my kids. Both of my kids - one gradated and one still attends there love their experience! Kudos to the director, Mindy Louie, who is the most flexible teacher and manager on earth! The school has a limited number of students, which I love the smaller environment especially for preschool age kids. We had a wonderful experience and highly recommend her school to all my friends and family! read more

This review is long overdue. My son is always eager and very excited to go to school. At first he cried, but then his cries got shorter and shorter and stopped and since loves going to school. Teacher Peggy is great with the kids who cry! She gives them lots of love and attention! It's amazing to see them adjust so quickly! All of the teachers there are very loving, caring and good with children. They treat them as if they are their own. He loves all of his teachers! My son has learned a lot-numbers, ABC,s, colors, shapes, Cantonese, painting, etc... He comes home singing a ton of new songs daily and also learned how to be more independent and he learned good social skills too! He has made a lot of friends there. This school's area is also big and very clean and it also has an outside area for play. There is also two dedicated parking stalls for the school. I would encourage you to contact teacher Mindy who is the director and who has lots of experience with children. read more

My son has been attending Happy Day Preschool since October 2008. My wife and I are very grateful that we have found this school! Prior to enrolling my son at Happy Day, we had an opportunity to visit the site and observe how daily instruction was delivered. Also, the principal invited us to come on two separate occasions and encouraged my son to play with the other kids and get to know them. This gave us a chance to assess whether our son liked the school and how the school staff would respond to him. Initially, my son was shy and hesitant. However, the teachers made an effort to identify his interests and engaged him to play in a game of his choice with the other kids. He chose a computer painting game, then Lego, and finally dramatic play. What impressed us the most was not only the range of activities available, but also the way the teachers interacted with the kids and attended to their needs. The kids were happy, welcoming, self-disciplined and engaged in the curriculum. Before my son started at Happy Day, he resisted potty training. But only after a few days, my son came home and bragged about his success of being able to use the restroom on his own. My wife and I later found out that the teachers used a creative method of positive reinforcement to help my son make the transition. Over the past few months, there is one thing my wife and I have noticed- my son enjoys going back to Happy Day Preschool. He comes home with lots of his artwork and loves singing to us. He likes talking about his teachers and buddies and the activities he gets to do. Overall, he is learning a great deal and having a great experience. We are so glad that we made the right choice for him. read more

I was so lucky that my son could go this school. His father is cantonese speaker, but my son doesn't know any word of cantonese (he speaks only Japanese, not even English), so decided to bring him to this school. It was my big challenging, but I wished him to be used to hear English and Cantonese as early as possible. As I expected, he cries everyday at beginning since he does't understand anybody and nobody understand him. I believe director Mindy had a hard time to calm him everyday. He now told me the story when he was too sad and wanna look for mommy, director Mindy even took him out and walk around with him, and please him by watching train (which is his favorite) together. He is graduating this school this Aug, and going to Chinese Immersion Kindergarten, but I have less worries since he knows how to be part of class in ENglish and Cantonese environment. I am so satisfied about this school, and my son loves all of teachers here! read more

Update: daughter there now, Happy Day is still great. The boy loves to go back and see his old teachers. I mean, the teachers aren't old, they're just his ... well, you know what i mean. :-) read more

my daughter went to this preschool for 2 days me and my wife were very upset with this preschool because we find out that our daughter was left in the office by herself just because she was crying. my god what are this people thinking of first day of preschool of cause she will cry how can they leave her in the office by herself they didn't even ask if she need to use the rest room. to be honest i am piss my wife told me that my daughter pee on herself and she was already party train for a long time but she couldn't tell anyone because there was no one around. she even try to clean it up by herself. my wife and i would like to share this with anyone who is thinking to send there kids to this preschool. Hey Catherine and josh I got the right preschool i call it a office but meant the room this preschool suck and i do live in San Francisco i just use my parents address that why is in the East bay. read more

I am a happy Happy Day Preschool mom. I have a 5 yr old and a 3rd old attending Happy Day. My 5 yr old has been attending this preschool since she was 3. Both my children adjusted to Happy Day from their babysitter/nanny without any problems. They took to their teachers right away. My children come home every day singing Chinese and English songs. They always have schoolwork and/or art projects to take home with them. As you walk through the classrooms, you can see a lot of pictures of the kids playing games and dressed up in costumes during the different holidays. The teachers are nurturing and attentive, the environment is clean and spacious, the children are happy and well cared for. The tuition is affordable. Daily breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack is provided. Parking is usually available. The rare occasions that I can't find any parking, I just double-park my car, call the school and a teacher will walk my children out to the car. I have yet to meet a dissatisified Happy Day Preschool parent. read more