My son attended the Kids Connection Summer Camp Coyote Cubs with Mrs. Floro. We originally signed up for just one week, but he loved it so much that we enrolled for a second week. If we hadn't had a vacation planned, we would've absolutely continued! Each day after camp, he would run up to me excited to share all the fun he had, something I haven't seen at his current school, so it made me so happy to see him so engaged. I really appreciated the blend of academics and fun, he thrived in that environment. Every staff member we met was kind and welcoming. The front desk team and the morning check-in ladies were always friendly, which made the experience even better. Thank you for putting together such a thoughtful and enriching program! read more

I'm a parent who is considering the school for my daughter. However, another parent told me that they have horrible reviews on yelp so I came here to read them.. I read all the one star reviews and have came to the conclusion that their criticism was unreasonable. Whether it was about promises made or protocol issues never once was review about how horrible the teachers were or how horrible my child felt at school.. I just wanted the owners of this establishment to know that those one star reviews are unreasonable and I will be following up with possible enrollment.. thank you to kids connection and their wonderful staff. read more

This review is for PRESCHOOL. My kid has been attending KC preschool for 2 years now, and we have been very happy with the teachers, staff, and other KC families. At least for the classroom that my kid was (and now is) in, there is a chat group organized by parents. We exchange information and organize play dates after school and on weekends. Each week is filled with exciting activities and events at school, and families are very engaged as well (e.g., Halloween Trunk or Treat, Thanksgiving party, Christmas party, Valentine's activities, Mother's Day, Father's Day). The school helped my kid with potty training, and we observed a lot of growth and learning academically, socially, and emotionally. Most classes are at full capacity (or near full). Teachers post daily photos and updates via the app, and information is very transparent about what is being discussed in each class (e.g., art, math, science, Spanish). Snacks are provided twice daily. Highly recommend. read more

We have had a wonderful experience at Kids Connection preschool for our two year old son. He has been there almost a year. The teachers have been nurturing and kind, all staff knows kids and their families by name. The staff has been incredibly patient with potty training and my son has learned so much regarding numbers, letters and social skills. They offer extracurricular activities such as dance, sports and gymnastics which has been great! We are happy to be in this wonderful community. read more

My daughter went to Audubon, but we used Kids Connection Elementary School for after school care last year. Very disappointing experience: 1. Poor communication and exclusion: Audubon families were excluded from weekly newsletters and program updates. 2. Kids were not closely supervised: Daughter wet her pants (because she could not find any staff member around to show her where the bathroom was), no one noticed her pants were wet for the whole day. Her pants and underwear got pulled off by another kid more than once but no adult witnessed. Came home with an untreated open wound on her forehead, but no one notified us at pick up. 3. Pick up van was out of service multiple times throughout the year, and the kids had to walk over in the rain and wind. Their back up plan was "If you are not comfortable with us walking with your students you will need to pick-up/drop off or cancel aftercare for the next couple days." 4. Their website advertised STEAM activities, craft, group work and all that, but it was mostly just coloring/drawing and outdoor free play. The program is overpriced compared to other programs in the area that offer similar activities. read more

To summarize, a preschool cannot keep simple promise will not keep good teachers. A school manipulates parents will not keep good students.

Great school, wonderful teachers, lovely community! Our daughter started kindergarten at KC four years ago as a transfer student when we first moved into the area from across the country. I couldn't have asked for a better experience! As soon as she started attending KC, my worries about her transition were quickly dispelled by her bright smiles every day at pick up. You can imagine my huge relief when she told me a few weeks later that she liked KC better than her old school! With each passing year, she liked the school more, and loved all her teachers who are professional, skillful and caring - Mrs. Veas, Mrs. Barbi, Ms. House, Mrs. Harper, and most recently Ms. LaRochelle and Mrs. Ikeda who have made 4th grade a blast! Children are so transparent with their emotions/affections - she still goes to her old classrooms to give her previous teachers hugs:-) It just shows how much she appreciates them... Perhaps nothing is more telling than quoting my daughter's own words "I wish I could stay at KC until college.":-) And as a parent who loves the small, intimate and warm community here, I feel absolutely the same. Thank you KC! read more

My daughter is in kids connection preschool and is loving it, as am I. The classroom is a magical place in my daughters eyes. Teacher Sarah and Teacher Miri are both amazing and passionate about the kids and what they do. They're so full of patience, love and kindness. My daughter receives a good amount of individual attention from her teachers and socialization with other kids in her class. The classrooms are clean and fun. They provide us with a monthly curriculum calendar and daily reports which include naps, snacks/lunch and an overall comment of how my child's day went. My daughter loves Teacher Sarah and Teacher Miri and she wakes up excited for school in the mornings. Thanks KC! read more

This review is for the Pre-School. We attend this school, and despite the reviews, it has been a great place for my child. He still has some separation anxiety, but he just has such a great time when he is there. He adores his teachers (Miss Tina, Ms. Kavita, Miss Tiffany)! We get daily reports about his day, and have had several teacher-parent conferences to talk about his progress. This is his first time at a structured nursery school, having spent time at a small, in-home daycare. He had some trouble adjusting at first, but is very excited to go to pre-k and play with friends. This school is also a very culturally diverse school (both teachers and students), and I like that the teachers aren't afraid to share their cultures with the kids. They have done significant improvements on security (required to be buzzed in or you can purchase a key fob), and they seem to do more 'community' things, like organized lunch picnics, story time, weekend movie nights, a march for charity, and a holiday gift drive. They also contracted the Lionheart Fitness Kids to come into the school and teach the kids various sports in the afternoons once a week (optional participation for an additional fee). The school also has a new director, under which some of these changes (e.g. security improvements) have happened. She is more open with communication (also via email), and is very friendly. I know not every pre-school/teacher is the right fit for every child, and sometimes you just have to try it out. I personally have seen some children leave, then come back because the other school didn't work out. Whatever you decide is best for your child is up to you...Good luck with your search for the right pre-school for your child! PS - I would also click and read the 31 "filtered" reviews at the bottom of this page, even if Yelp filtered them out... read more

My daughter attended the preschool and LOVED it here. I felt her teachers really had a genuine interest in her well being and worked with her as an individual and all of her needs were met. I will say- since the change in the Director it has felt more cohesive and warm. Many good changes this past year. Just an example of dedication... My daughter loves Miss Caroline who went to teach at the elementary but was her teacher and favorite teacher. We left because we were moving out of the area and she came across from the other school on my kids last day to spend some time with her because of the connection they had. As a parent, I can't tell you how much that meant to me. I'm sure she had to get her class covered to so that. Super impressed with her AND all the staff at KC. read more

I am a parent who signed up my child for the Kids Connection Summer Camp program. I was especially excited for the 4th week of camp, which they themed "Kids in the Kitchen" with a focus on culinary skills and activities. I was especially intrigued by the field trip where they had planned to take a train to go to a cooking class! So I eagerly signed up my son for camp because I thought that was a unique activity that he would enjoy. BUT when the week came, I was suddenly informed by a woman in the front office that the field trip was canceled. I asked her why (because I was very upset and confused) and she said that apparently the managers decided the field trip was too expensive and she said that she herself just found out that the managers had canceled the trip that day. Just days before the trip! How in the world did they JUST realize that the field trip was too expensive?! Shouldn't they already know how much a trip costs BEFORE they schedule it into their summer program? They falsely advertised their camp to offer unique field trips and instead are taking the kids to Rocking Jump, the trampoline house. And the field trip for the first week of camp was to Sky High, another trampoline house, which is pretty much exactly the same as Rocking Jump. I am so disappointed that I signed up my child for a camp that completed failed to come through on their field trip plans. Obviously the person/people in charge of summer camp have no respect for a paying customer that expects my child to go on the field trips that I signed up for. Ridiculous, and my son will most definitely not be returning to Kids Connection. read more

Kids Connection is a very well run school with excellent teachers, staff, and fun counselors. My children have learned so much this year. My kindergartener comes home excited to tell me about polar bears & the Arctic, the apple they dissected in class, making butter in class, ... MLK day, ... My 5th grader now independently does all of his homework by himself and has learned to be organized and diligent. He is currently excited about working on his science project and is creating a Google Doodle for the school's Doodle contest. While the school has a reputation for being all about hard-core academics, I have found that yes, the academics are rigorous but the teachers also bring a lot of fun and hands-on learning into the classroom. The teachers also work with the children on social-emotional skills, and really know what is going on in their classrooms from both academic and social perspectives. read more

Amazing school with amazing teachers. My daughter finished Kindergarten here and her teachers Mrs. Robinette and Mrs. James were not only extremely qualified but very loving. The school takes care of everything and organizes many activities for the parents, children, etc. The school is of course, known for their advanced academics but well-rounded as well. read more

While my child was attending the school, I was somewhat satisfied with the school, even though I was seeing or overlooking periodic red flags. My comment is for the future parents who are considering this school. Don't waste your money on this private school without doing your due-diligence. The bottom line is this is not a good investment financially and for your children development. My assumption was that my child would have a substantial edge graduating from this private school. This was not materialized. Consider what you need to do after your child is done with this school, and if they need to be enrolled in a public school in Foster city or San Mateo. They would be sitting in a same class as other public-school students. This happened to me and my child. My observation was shocking when I reviewed the course work of my child and numerous numbers of his friends (graduated from Kids Connection) with other students. They did not have any academic substantial edge over the public-school students. In fact, they lack the athletic and art acumen that most children gain during pre-school and elementary school in the public school and a better rated private school. I understand if you register your child in a private school to prepare your child for a better future, as I did. But do more research and find better private school alternatives. read more

My little boy recently started the preschool and is having a WONDERFUL time! I was nervous about starting him at school, but the teachers and staff were so loving and attentive with him. He runs right into class and is happy to settle in and start playing. He is in the two-year old class and is just flourishing. Each week has a theme and they actually do special artwork and projects related to the theme. His recognition of shapes has surprised me (oval!), and he is now talking about colors and numbers. There is both free time to play both inside and out as well as structured circle time, crafts, and stories. We've attended two other preschools in the area with my older children and have been very happy with the quality of this program, but more importantly the kindness and love the teachers show our precious boy. read more

I am very surprised by some of the negative reviews. We moved our child to Kids Connection from a high performing magnet school in San Mateo at the beginning of the 2020 school year and have been so grateful for the change. KC was one of the first schools in San Mateo county to receive the in person instructional waiver, and our child was able to safely attend school all last year during a pandemic. She dreaded school before and now she loves going. She is appropriately challenged at school, does not get busy work homework (yes, she gets some but it is effective and appropriate), and she also gets to do art, music, Spanish, and computer class on a weekly basis. The teachers are motivated and class sizes are small, less than 20 children per class. They really get to know your child and the support is far beyond what we ever received in public school. KC tuition is a fantastic value compared to other private schools in the area. You will easily pay double at any other private school. Highly recommend! read more

My daughter attended Kids Connection for 8-9 months last year. Overall, it may seem like a good option in the Foster City area. However, it is quite expensive ($1400 for full-time care) compared to other equally good or better options in the area. The teachers are enthusiastic, but changed twice in the period she was there. The director, Sona, was extremely unpleasant to deal with. She was rude to parents, and unfriendly with kids. For us, everything was OK till my daughter attended full-time school. Later, after a job loss, I changed my daughter's schedule to half-time, and she started attending classes till noon. On several occasions, when I would go to pick her up, all the full-time kids would sit down for lunch, and the teachers would make my daughter sit on the side. When it happened the first time, I gave a snack to my daughter the next day, and asked her teachers to let her sit with her classmates, and that I'll take her away as soon as I come in. That day, I found my daughter sitting next to Sona, who specifically told me that part-time kids won't stay there for lunch. The focus was completely on what $$$ parents pay for, and a total disregard for child psychology. A 3-year-old does not understand why she is secluded from the rest of her class. That really ticked me off, and I decided to change the school. Now my daughter goes to a nearby not-for-profit school, and we couldn't be happier with our decision. read more

I will reach out to you to straighten out what you think is inconsistent. I can tell you, it's not.

My both kids loved it and learnt a lot! Friendly, loving happy staff and caring management.

My review is for the pre school and my daughter currently attends KC. We highly recommend Kids Connection to other families due to following reasons 1. Our 4+ years princess went to Summer camp in room#1 with teacher Quinn and Venessa and absolutely loved every single day of the camp. 2.Based on #1 experience we enrolled her in to Pre-K program and we're really happy with our class teachers Mrs. Stegmann and Ms. Bianchi. 3 My child is very happy to go to school every morning. She learnt so many things and enjoys her stay at school. 4 In the evening my kid doesn't want to leave the school and often we're the last one to leave, This tell us that she wanted to spend her time either playing or listening to stories, drawing, having fun with other kids or reading at KC ;-) 5.Recently my 4 years old princess comes with set of 3 books (English) every week to take home for reading. We find these books very helpful in keeping the child interested in reading regularly. 6.Supporting staff and admin staff is really friendly and very helpful. Pre-school Principal Cindy is awesome and very helpful... 7.We liked class field trip to Half Moon Bay pumpkin patch, Movie Night with Kids/Family, Date Night, Magic Show, Father's day BBQ party ,Book Fair and other social events at school. Overall big kudos to the entire Kids Connection Team and keep up the good work... read more

I have had nothing but good experiences with KC pre-school and Sona, the director. She is professional and has gone out of her way to help with anything I have asked of the school. The teachers are very good, and most importantly, the kids are ready for kindergarten when they leave their pre-k program. I have put both my kids though KC preschool and when my oldest was going into kindergarten, she able to focus on the social aspects of kindergarten because academically, she was ready. With every scenario in life, not everyone will be happy with everything all the time. Please take it upon yourself to check out KC if you're interested -- I have had a great experience the and my kids have truly benefited from attending this school. read more

Great School! My son loves it here and is learning so much! Kids Connection is a very positive environment and the teachers are very involved and open! I highly recommend this school. read more

The education here is okay, but the teachers are very rude and do not give the children the nurturing they need to thrive. My son comes home from school every day and he is very distraught and sad, for the teachers are not supporting him the way they should be. I would not recommend this environment for children to feel comfortable and free to express themselves. read more

We moved our child to Kids connection in 2011. We like this place better because of several reasons: 1. If the weather is too hot/cold/rainy, children are kept in a spacious indoor play area (not the class room). Hence, children dont fall sick very often. 2. The teachers (Mrs.Kavita & Ms. Vanessa) are very understanding, friendly and always open to suggestions,provide regular feedback etc. They have worked well with my child, especially on communication (we come from a non-english speaking background). 3. Almost all teachers are familiar with all kids and hence the transitions are easier. 4. Recently they have come up with a 'Raising a reader' program where we get a set of 3 books (English+Spanish) every week to take home for reading to the kids. I find these books very helpful in keeping the child interested in reading regularly. 5. My child is very happy to go to school every morning which is what I want the most! Couple of things I dont like about this place: 1. If a kid falls sick, he/she is isolated and is left alone (I mean ALONE) in the walkway in their bed. Someone will always walk around, but I would prefer the child be kept in his/her class room with his/her teachers until the parent comes and picks up the child. 2. Though the front desk/management staff is always available (over phone as well) and provide clear and quick responses, I have to agree with other parents on their not-so-friendly behavior. I would definitely recommend this place to other parents. read more

Kids Connection preschool has exceeded my expectations. We are very happy with the director of the school, Mrs Dakessian. I have approached her on several occasions to discuss about different issues with my daughter and every time she offered me excellent advice. It is not just her, the other staff are just as nice. However more important to me is how my daughter is treated there and what she feels about the school. She is in her second year at Kids Connection and every single day she looks forward to come to school. We highly recommend this school to other parents. read more

My son started attending Kids Connection last September and I was truly impressed by the facility and its staff, but ended up having to withdraw him because of financial reasons and convenience in December. After sending him to another preschool for a month where he was extremely unhappy, I ended up just recently renrolling him into the Kids Connection program. It was a spare of the moment decision, and Sona, the Director, welcomed us back without question. She was extremely efficient in answering my questions and any problems that I might have had in transitioning my son back into the program. My son was so excited to see all of his friends again and his teachers, and they all welcomed him back with smiles and hugs. He runs into Kids Connection every morning and for that I must say that to me its worth the money and my time to take him there. read more

I want to enroll my son to their preschool program and so we toured the facility. Unfortunately the front desk lady (tall and blond) gave us a pretty cold treatment and precisely speaking, she appeared to be NOT friendly at all. SO....Guess What.... we are looking elsewhere! You are not the only school in Foster City!!! read more

The school focuses too much on test scores and not much else. The children are stressed most of the time as teachers assign work but don't teach the subjects. I had to spend hours doing lesson work every day just so my child could do the homework assignments. Many of the teachers lack experience - some never having taught before they come to this school to teach. Classes are often out of control - again, due to lack of experience. Bullying is tolerated. The after school program is not much better. My child suffered multiple injuries in their after school program because their counsellors are merely children themselves and don't know how to supervise. The school also has a serious lice problem that they don't seem to get a handle of year after year. Their principle is not a leader and sets no example for the children, who simply fear her. Make this your school of last resort. read more

There are definitely better schools than Kids Connection if you are willing to drive outside of Foster City. If you are fine with a workbook-driven and drill 'n kill mentality, then look into it. If you want a more well-rounded education that not ony emphasizes academics but values nurturing and caring teachers and a fair and wise principal, then search elsewhere. For such a small school there is too much favoritism and political nonsense. Small asphalt-only playground with no grass and trees, too much DVD watching on rainy/field trip days, and no open communication between parents and administration (you would need to constantly grill your child for anything that happened at school, otherwise the principal/teacher will not take the initiative to reach out to you if your child got in trouble, etc.). read more

Kids Connection does not foster confidence in its students. The academics are rigorous, but the students are expected to teach themselves the material. During his time there, my son had about 2 hours of homework per night, and he is only six years old! As a result, my child was constantly stressed out, which should not be the case for a six year old. We had to pull him out of various activities so that he could keep up with the workload. The teachers favor some kids over others, and the environment is toxic for a young mind. For anyone considering this school, take into consideration that acedemics aren't everything, children need confidence and emotional intelligence to thrive. Sadly, this school does not offer this. read more

I totally disagree with the negative review of the school. My daughter started here when she was three. Since she had been home full time up till then, she cried every morning for two months. The teachers, staff and the director were all very supportive. Now, six months later, she tells me school is fun!!! And she constantly tells me she loves her teachers. I believe this is a true indication that the school is doing a great job providing a fun environment, especially when she is there full time. She loves the daily school projects and the activities. I would definitely recommend this school to any parents read more

Kids Connection is the best school in Foster City. I loved being there. The community is very small, which allows everybody to know each other. Of course, it is just the best school in Foster City, not the whole world, so I could not rate it so high after experiencing other schools from a different district. But overall, if you are lazy to move and enjoy Foster City, this school is your place. read more

My son had his first week at the preschool and so far he and I love it there! I was between two preschools in Foster City before I decided on Kids Connection and I am so glad I did! I looked at past yelp reviews for both schools and noticed they both had good and bad reviews but I noticed for Kids Connection most of the bad reviews were for an old employee that no longer works there. I took two tours of Kids Connection and both times everyone was friendly and they were always available if I had any questions or concerns. My son is in Ms. Tina's & Ms. Rose's class and they are so nice and always give me updates on how my son is doing. I will be starting the potty training program next week and the teachers and staff have given me great tips on how to start during the weekend to prep him. They also have a reading program which I think is great for the kids. Each week they get three books to take home and then you bring the bag with books back and get a new set of books to take home. They are in the process of building a new and improved playground so I'm looking forward to seeing that! As my son continues at the school I plan on updating my review but I thought it was worth while to give a review now since my son and I love this school so much! read more

My son has been in this school for 3 years from K. So far so good. The teachers are very professional and caring. My son likes this school also. read more

We sent both our daughters to Kids Connection Elementary and one of them to their Pre-School as well. We can't say enough good things about this school. The faculty are exceptional, they were great teachers and also good role models for the kids. They were good at getting the kids to become very organized and self-driven and encouraged them to really understand the material they were taught. After-school counselors were also a lot of fun and still remembered by the kids. If you are looking for a great, diverse school, focused on preparing your child well for Middle School - there are few better alternatives on the Peninsula. All-in-all, an awesome elementary and pre-school- sending our kids there was one of the best decisions we made! read more

The Preschool is great! The place is under new ownership so a lot of the reviews are of the old Director who is no longer there. I have nothing bad to say about this place. My son loves it there, teachers are great and the staff always happy. Definitely a great choice in the Foster City area. I highly recommend it. read more

Both of my kids attended KC Preschool for one year (plus summer school) before we moved. Out of the dozen preschools we have visited / attended on the peninsula, this was our best experience for both kids. KC offers an unparalleled combination of nurturing care and classroom learning. My kids felt loved, had a sense of belonging, and were inspired to learn. From their acquired love-of-"reading" to daily hugs-with-friends, I could see their genuine enjoyment and attachment. Everyday, dropping the kids off felt like leaving them in the care of a good friend. I have also gotten to know the teachers through various fun events. What an incredible group of women who share a strong passion and expertise! Under Mary DeLong's leadership, the school is always striving for greatness. KC Preschool raises the bar on early childhood education. We feel fortunate to have attended this school. read more

One of the best schools in Bay Area. They now how to nurture your child in a very positive way. They prepare them for today's world with honesty and integrity. I totally recommend this school. They have a very good curriculum and the way they teach is something which appeals kids. In all they are doing a great job read more

I can't say enough positive things about Kids connection Elementary School. This is our first year at the school and we couldn't be happier about the staff (including a wonderful class teacher Mrs Basu), the curriculum, the values taught and the wonderful community of families we have met. Our child has developed a love of learning thanks to the inspiring teachers. We feel fortunate that physical education, computers, music and art are integrated into the curriculum at every grade level. We are thrilled that our child is receiving such a well-rounded education. It is a wonderful school that develops the student as a whole person--with its excellent academic program, as well as social awareness and sports initiatives The one thing that also stands out is the parent involvement. I couldn't be happier that I made the decision to put my child at Kids connection. My son continues to excel in all areas and has recently grown to love reading and writing using new vocabulary words in conversation at home and in class. and we will give all credit to his teacher Mrs Basu and great school program. We highly value KC's excellent curriculum, easy access to teachers and principals, the opportunities for parental involvement and most of all, their ability to instill the love of learning. read more

We have had an absolutely wonderful experience with Kids Connection Preschool&Daycare. Director Mrs Sona Dakessian is very professional, highly competent and very friendly so is the administrative staff. My daughter's teachers are phenomenal: attentive, caring, supportive, and encouraging. Programs promote learning and social interaction and keep the kids engaged & interested. My daughter has truly developed both socially and academically since attending the school. I would highly recommend Kids Connection Preschool&Daycare. Excellent job!!! read more