Logistics: - They're open till 6pm!…read more- Little Sunshine is split into 3 classes based on age/readiness: Class A (3.5-5yo), Class B (3-4yo), and Class C (2-3yo). Classrooms have the appropriate mandated headcount (usually at least 2 teachers, plus admin staff who drop in as needed). - There's an optional lunch program. - Tuition is reasonable - parents can pay monthly or by number of expected days for upcoming month, and there are discounts for siblings. - They use the Brightwheel app to provide real-time updates, photos, and to communicate with parents throughout the day - Their Mandarin program is awesome (and no additional $$$). As a plus, there is also some Spanish taught in Class B and C (depending on teacher availability). - No nuts policy (helpful, because my son is allergic to peanuts). - Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your beliefs), the school is "Christian," which means the kids learn Bible songs (we're not Christian) and say a short grace at lunchtime. I for some reason wasn't aware of this until my son came home saying that his favorite song was "Jesus Loves Me." Outside of this, religion does not feature too heavily in the curriculum. Background: My son, who is about to turn 4yo, started here in May'24 in Class C at 2.5yo, moved to Class B at 3yo years, and then just "graduated" to Class A. Each of the three classes have wonderful teachers who are committed to teaching the kids and helping them grow at their own pace. In terms of curriculum, there's arts and crafts, physical play (playground outside), outside exploration (gardening, etc.), and classroom learning (counting, reading, singing, etc.). School supplies are included in tuition, and the teachers and administrators host fun events (i.e. a Mother's Day tea/breakfast, Easter egg hunts, Halloween Trick-or-Treat, Christmas celebration, or annual graduation) where the kids have activities or perform for the parents. The teachers seem to really drive the classroom curriculum, and they are all so skilled at thinking of creative activities for the kids. The only negatives are related to the administrators and management - they exhibit occasional off-putting behavior, and my impression is that they're somewhat disorganized in their communication with parents and cohesiveness with the teachers. A couple of examples: 1. The day that my son was to start daycare here, Director Sandy was wholly unprepared. We had been in communication the week prior and even had messaged the Friday prior to confirm that we were going to do drop-off for the first day of school and pay tuition via check. At drop-off, my son was screaming/bawling (because of course, it's his first day, and he was only 2.5yo). Sandy asked us if we can start the following week instead, because they apparently had another new student starting that day and "it would be hard." When I told her that was not possible, because we had work and other commitments, Sandy's reply to me was "I'm just thinking what's best for the kids." I was quite unhappy with this statement. Luckily, Denise was there and said that they would honor our agreement. But to even have this conversation was just ridiculously frustrating and tainted my initial impression of Little Sunshine and the Director. 2. When Bennett turned 3, he was held back for a month and a half in Class C. We wanted to move him to Class B alongside his friend whose birthday was the following month, but we were told that our son wasn't "ready". This was surprising to us, because he seemed ready academically and emotionally. Our understanding was that a transition would be easier if he didn't have to do it alone. After much back-and-forth with the teachers and admins, he moved to Class B a month after his friend moved. I suspect that the actual reason was that they didn't have space for an additional student in Class B (his friends' parents had asked about graduating to Class B two months earlier), and they had to wait until there was a space before they could move him. 3. Little Sunshine was closing for their annual teacher development day, which is awesome. What was not awesome was telling parents 7 business days before it was scheduled to occur, which is insufficient notice for parents to find other care arrangements for when school was closed. Enough parents were upset about this short notice and contacted Little Sunshine about it, so they moved it to the following week so that we could have a two week notice. My comment was that if this were an annual event, they would be more organized and have it scheduled/communicated earlier. Overall: The Little Sunshine community is strong - we all want the best for our kids, and I really believe that it is the best in the area. It's not merely a daycare - it's a preschool where the kids learn so much and make friends. My son loves going to school so much now and gets so excited at drop-off that he occasionally forgets to give me a goodbye hug and kiss!

The review is based off the tour I had. I was initially drawn to this preschool because of their…read morebilingual program, which led me to schedule a tour. The manager was very nice and friendly, providing detailed information before we toured the classrooms. However, during our conversation outside the classrooms, the director unexpectedly came out from one of the rooms and poured water from her thermos onto the floor--without introducing herself. I found this quite awkward. Even if someone is used to doing this elsewhere, it's not appropriate to do it in front of prospective parents. There were three classrooms, but they were not the cleanest and seemed generally disorganized. I also noticed that the teachers allowed the children to watch TV before naptime, which I am honestly not a fan of. At the end of the tour, the director finally came out to introduce herself, and something awkward happened. I was holding two pamphlets--one originally given to me and one to my husband. The director took one pamphlet from me and began giving me more information, then spoke to the manager in Mandarin about why I was given two pamphlets instead of one. (I understood perfectly well, though she probably thought I wouldn't.) She then took one pamphlet away from me. One pamphlet is just a piece of paper--so taking one away felt unnecessary. I found this both weird and funny. It's odd to behave this way in front of parents. How much does a pamphlet really cost? To me, this behavior seemed rude and frugal. No matter how great the teachers are (which the director kept emphasizing), at such a young age, I want my child to learn respect and politeness first--academic skills come after. Little things matter. If the director herself struggles to exhibit proper manners, it's a definite no for me.

My son has grown so much socially and academically since starting at Little Otters Academy. We've…read moreseen huge strides in his confidence and social skills. We are especially impressed by the extracurricular activities they offer; having Spanish and Chinese classes integrated into the day is such a unique and valuable benefit. They also recently added a Soccer Shots class, which has been a huge hit--my son absolutely loves getting out there and playing soccer with his peers. I also love that they have cooking activities, which is such a fun way for the kids to learn and explore. Beyond the academics, they put on the cutest little performances for parents to watch, like the Christmas show, which we absolutely loved. We couldn't ask for a more stimulating learning environment with amazing and attentive teachers for our little one!

We absolutely love Little Otters Academy! My daughter started here when she was 3 in their…read morepreschool program and stayed on for TK because we loved their curriculum so much. The teachers are amazing-so warm, communicative, and you can tell they truly care about the kids and their success. The school itself is great. The playground is huge, the campus is very clean, and safety is clearly a priority with security cameras around the school. Compared to other local preschools we toured, the classrooms and playground here are by far the most spacious, which we really appreciated. We also like that the school focuses on both academics and play. Even starting in preschool, they introduce light homework, which helps build good learning habits early while still keeping things fun. Another thing we love is their focus on community engagement. They bring in local police officers, firefighters, and librarians to talk to the kids about safety and the community. Fridays are especially fun with activities like pizza making, dress-up days, and arts and crafts. They also do a great job celebrating different cultural holidays so every family feels included. Mandarin and Spanish classes are available too (for an additional cost), which is a nice bonus. Overall, we've had a great experience and would definitely recommend Little Otters Academy to other families looking for a caring and well-rounded preschool/TK program.

I wanted to take a moment to say what an incredible experience we've had with the staff and faulty…read moreat Oneonta Montessori. We put our kiddos there in April 2021 during the pandemic which was a tough decision given the times. However, the staff and Ms. Fiona made us feel at ease and assured us of their safety. They attended Oneonta for three years ending their time their more than ready for first grade. As a result, our kids are more than prepared for first grade. Anytime we had a concern all of the faculty addressed them with care, empathy and concern. I truly felt we had a partnership with everyone there at our school. While every child is different, I know that our kiddos thrived there and are looking forward to coming back for summer camp in 2025! Thank you to everyone for giving our children a strong foundation to start on their academic journey!

We moved from the valley to Alhambra, and this school was the first school I inquired about when…read moreenrolling my kids starting preschool and kindergarten. My kids came from a Montessori school and I wanted to continue the same curriculum. My kids had such an incredible experience at Oneonta and are still there! As a mother of 3 kiddos, I loved that all the teachers knew the kiddos names right away and would communicate frequently via the dojo app, whether they were photos of their activities, classes, and even events when my husband and I couldn't make it to an event at school. From Ms. Theresa to Ms. Vangie, Ms. Carol, and Ms. Maryann, plus Ms. Fiona and Ms. Christina, it's been easy to communicate with them throughout my kids' education. They offer the STEM program and knowing that my kids are being taught these subjects will help them prepare for middle school and up. Coming from a catholic school and public school background, I was impressed by what the school had to offer with the activities/field trips/science fairs/math and spelling bees, plus a fun summer program! It's sad to know that my daughter will be leaving as soon as she finishes 5th grade, but I'm glad my kids have that foundation from Oneonta. :)

Little Acorn is a lovely place! The teachers and staff are kind, responsive and welcoming, and…read morethey take excellent care of the students. The outdoor space is beautiful, spacious and shaded, with a fun trike track and plenty of nice playground equipment. Parking, pickup and dropoff are a breeze, and the grounds are well-secured. My daughter enjoys her time there, and I really appreciate Little Acorn for providing this safe and friendly environment.

Our daughter spent a year and a half at Little Acorn, starting from when she was 18 months old…read more It's a great daycare program filled with thoughtful and caring teachers, enriching activities, and overall, is a structured environment that supports the children well. In particular, I cannot say enough good things about Ms. Amanda's Toddler classroom. Our daughter came home weekly with beautifully crafted art projects and we received regular photo updates from the Procare app, which gave us peace of mind when she was so little. She also began potty training around 25 months old when Ms. Amanda noticed that she showed interest, and I attribute her potty training success to the consistent effort and support reinforced by her and the rest of the teachers. Another positive is that our very picky eater has been a big fan of the hot lunch program, which is cooked on-site (thanks Ms. Gene!) I would remove a star as there was quite a bit of staff turnover right as our daughter switched into the Pre-Primary classroom. This was unfortunate as the ever-changing staff made the transition more challenging for our child, and she had a bit of a regression. However, once Ms. Nona was instated as the main teacher, she was patient and worked with our daughter, meeting her at her level until she got over the hump. Though we're sad to leave Little Acorn, we're grateful that this program set our daughter up with such a great foundation. We will miss all the teachers at Little Acorn!

We are so grateful for this preschool! Although my child only attended for a few months, he made…read moreamazing progress. When he first started, he didn't even know how to hold a pencil properly. In a short time, he caught up with children his age. The teachers are kind, patient, and caring. Because of a difficult experience at his previous school, he was afraid of going to school. The teachers helped him feel safe again and encouraged other children to include him in their play. Thank you to all the wonderful teachers for giving my child happy memories and helping him love school again. We truly appreciate everything you have done.

The school is amazing! Since the new management took over in 2023, it has elevated the schooling…read moreexperiences. My first kid went here a few years ago. Currently my younger one is attending. This is truly a gem in SVG. Good teachers, good balance of academics and enrichment, freshly cooked lunch daily, Chinese class included, very clean facility, Brightwheel app for updates and pictures, most importantly the tuition rate is very reasonable! It's a small preschool which I prefer for small group learnings and less sick time. My kid loves going to school every day and he loves all the teachers there.

Its hard to know whether kids actually like the school but we can tell that our son did. He asked…read moreto go to pre school all the time when he attended and we can tell that he learned a lot. We had Ms Pam and Ms May as his teachers and loved both of them. Top notch experience!

I really wish they had PK-8th grade. The teachers and staff are great. They have such attention to…read moredetails. Mr. Shannon will give kids compliments on their hair, backpack, shoes. Wow....they notice and really boost the kids self esteem. And they remember the cars of each parents. They really care about the kids. My daughter broke out of her shell and have such a positive experience here. She learned so much and is ahead of her class by leaps and bounds. Lilly also make sure the kids are respectful and proper etiquette for different things. Thank you for taking such wonderful care to my daughter. She learned so much. We already miss you!

After two years and two kids, I wanted to provide an update as our time at Alpha Shen is sadly…read morecoming to an end with our youngest moving on to public school. If you read my previous review, we enrolled my oldest at Alpha Shen, and he is now entering 1st grade. The foundation he got here is undeniable--he recently tested at school at a 3rd-grade level as a kindergartener. I attribute this entirely to the early learning habits built at Alpha Shen. Just to give you an idea, as a kindergartener in AUSD, he was working on material he had already learned at Alpha Shen as a preschooler. Because of his growth, it was a no-brainer for my wife and me to enroll our youngest when she turned 3. Unlike our son, who is very chill, our daughter is a bit more spirited and stubborn. We were expecting a tough transition, but Ms. Linda somehow worked her magic and had her adjusting on day one with ZERO tears. On top of that, my daughter is a notoriously picky eater who basically lives on rice and furikake, but Ms. Elaine's kitchen wizardry somehow got her to expand her palate and eat broccoli and protein. Just like my son, she experienced a great balance of academics and fun. She had light daily homework and could write basic words and do simple math by age 4. At the same time, they do plenty of arts and crafts, and Ms. Linda even partnered with an outside dance company so kids could take dance classes on site. We drop off our daughter every day with complete peace of mind knowing she is in such a nurturing environment. Over the years, we've gotten to know all the teachers (Ms. Garcia, Ms. Hilda, Ms. Wendy) and support staff (Ms. Linda, Ms. Elaine, Ms. Esther), and we are genuinely sad to leave. They truly treat the children as their own. One of my favorite details is seeing her hair styled differently at pick-up than when we dropped her off--she tells me the staff take turns doing her hair when she wakes up from her nap! My daughter likes telling everyone about her toys and when Ms. Linda noticed my daughter was missing one specific Disney Princess doll from her home collection, she bought it for her for Christmas. It's those personal touches that make Alpha Shen so special. Check my review history--I don't post often, but I felt compelled to share our experience. Picking a preschool can feel daunting, but I want other parents to know your child will thrive here. So many families at Alpha Shen are returners with younger siblings or cousins previously attending the school--and honestly, there's no better endorsement than that.

Updating my review as my daughter's first year is nearly complete before she continues onto the…read morenext class at Alpha Shen. My princess has really grown so much and learned how to write her name. She takes pride in showing me all of her fun projects and work that she's completed in Ms. Hilda's class. There are so many fun activities they do at the school and the children all enjoy being friends with one another. There was so much open communication between Ms. Linda and the teachers so it makes it easy for us to know what's going on. I can't say enough good things about this school and know that we will be taking our youngest child here pretty soon.

I couldn't have asked for a better daycare experience for my son! GPUMNSK took him in at 3 years…read moreold, helped potty-train him, and helped him thrive socially, academically & in every single way. He graduated after 2 years and it was so sad to say goodbye. I'm forever grateful for this school and all of the amazing & kind people in its community.

Great school and the teachers are all so sweet. They know exactly what to do when new kids start…read moreand make them feel comfortable right away. My son started recently and drop off is still a bit tough on some days, we're only doing Tues Thurs so we knew it was going to take much longer to get used to than a M-F schedule. But we knew he's happy here because he comes home happy always, wants to go back, he tells us the friends he's made (he knows their names and ages, supposedly lol), and tells me about his teachers and what they did for the day. Today he told me "mom don't come pick me up, I want to stay at school". To me that's the biggest compliment a school can have. Even if we have a rough drop off day, the teachers' calm demeanor always reassure me that my son will be well taken care of, and I've yet to receive a phone call to take him home because he's too "difficult" *fingers crossed lol* Some more info as of 2024-2025 for the prospective parents out there: - Tuition is very reasonable; I won't list the fees as they're prone to change of course, but they're still some of the lowest in the area. - They have a variety of schedule so you can pretty much customize your schedule. There's TTh, MWF, and M-F. Then on each schedule you can decide on how long they attend for - 3 hrs "strictly preschool", 7 hrs "preschool and some aftercare" (they'll nap there), and full days (you can drop off as early as 7am and pick up as late as 6pm). - They have two play yards, plenty of shades, wood chips. That was one of the factors I considered when picking a preschool - I want plenty of space to play outside and the play yards here are a lot bigger than some other preschools in the area. - You have to pack the kids' breakfasts/lunches. I feed my kid breakfast at home to reduce packing needs. They have fridges and will microwave if needed. They help the kids open the containers of course. My kid has always come home with forks neatly put away in the lunch bag. - Must be potty trained. I think that's why they have kids mostly 3 and up (as of 2024 officially they take kids as young as 2 yrs 6 mo but there aren't too many potty trained 2 yr olds). On the same token the teachers that I've observed do take kids to the potty and help undress/wipe if needed - they won't leave them to their own devices (unless they're older and/or show that they can do everything on their own). - Ministry: we are not religious and don't necessarily want our son to be taught any religion at this age. I was informed they do do some songs and brief prayer (?) sessions but my son has yet tried to convert us at home (or mentions anything religious for that matter) so I'm cool with it. I was also told I could opt out and my son could just stay in the office, but since they seem pretty laid back I didn't choose to opt out. Edit #1: a month in now, all good now, he's very happy to go to school, minimal fussing at home/at drop offs, and knows all his friends' names!