Sunrise Preschool is the best. All the teachers are kind, caring and look after the kids so…read moregracefully. The director Mrs. Barbara is also very approachable, organized and always available for parents. My son learned some French with Ms. Gina which was a cool plus. The school itself is very clean, safe location and they have great learning and play based activities. 10/10 and highly encourage!

Our 2 year old son was kicked out of school with only one week left because the staff suspected…read morethat he was autistic and that he had anger management issues. The requirements given by the school in order for him to return was to have a full assessment done and have a confirmation that he is not autistic or have a shadow provided by the state attend with him. My sons teacher barely spoke English so she literally couldn't tell us what was going on in class. When she did have something to say it was about how bad he was. She would do this in front of him, his classmates and in front of other parents. My son told us that the teachers assistant pinched him on one occasion and when we tried to talk to the teacher about it she didn't understand what it was that we were saying due to a language barrier. The Director of the school (Monica Duran) cannot complete a grammatically correct email on her own and was not at all the leader that a school needs. It is embarrassing that we were paying so much money for school only for it to be run by a group of people that cannot communicate in person or through email. Director of Operations (Barbara Fields) is very aggressive in how she speaks to parents. It's her way or the highway and anyone else's opinion is wrong. She told me on more than one occasion that my son was having a hard time, I had never seen her in my sons class and I had never seen her interact with my son and she was never in the room for parent/teacher meetings. To my knowledge this woman scheduled tours and collected tuition. When I tried to defend my child and his behavior (that had been backed by our pediatrician as normal and age appropriate) she told me that I was being combative. On my sons last day at this school he was sent to the office because he had accidentally hurt another student with a toy that the school provided. This toy clearly wasn't appropriate for them to have and should have only been used under direct supervision by a teacher or aid. He wasn't sent to Monica Durans office even though she was in her office, he was sent to Barbara's office. No one called me to come get him sooner or to tell me that he had been moved to another area of the school. When I went to the office to find my child Barbara let my son color all over his clothes and all over his body with a red marker that he still had in hand when I walked into the office. She also made my son wear the toy that he had hurt another student with as some cruel form of punishment. She told me that we weren't welcomed back to finish out the last week of school unless he was accompanied by a shadow (she then reminded me that it would cost me money to find a shadow and it would not be provided by the school) and we weren't welcomed back for the summer program until my son had a full assessment. This requirement was given on a Friday afternoon, so there was no way that this request could have been completed in time for my son to finish out his last week. He wasn't able to say goodbye to his friends or to his teachers. He missed out on end of the year celebrations and was completely cast out because of the opinions of these unqualified office employees. I immediately called Regional Center and they informed me that there was an 18 month waiting period and a waiting list of over 80 children. I did follow through with getting my son on the waiting list and we did follow through with the assessment. I contacted schools from all around PUSD to inquire about getting my son started on an IEP. When I told them about my experience with Sunrise they informed me that what they were doing was borderline illegal and was definitely a form of discrimination. They informed me that no child can be assessed by anyone that's not qualified to do so and also to be kicking a child out of their school under the suspicion that he or she has a disability goes against everything that a preschool should be offering (not to mention a Christian school!). This past Fall we were able to get a full assessment done for our son. The clinical psychiatrist told us immediately after the tests were complete that our son doesn't have autism or anger management issues and that he's a very bright and happy boy. I reached out to all the women in a Pasadena Mommies Facebook page and asked if anyone had any bad experiences with Sunrise. A former employee told me that she would never send her own children there. When I asked for more information as to why, she said because "the staff there says horrible things to the children" The screen shots are from an email sent by the Director of the school. This email was sent without any privacy clauses so I'm sharing it with you here to illustrate how incapable and incompetent the staff is at this school.

I am writing a review for the Firehouse School on Casa Grande/Altadena Drive. We had our daughter,…read moreage 14 months when she started there for 5 days a week and can confidently say this is the best daycare school in town!! We toured a lot of them and felt at home with Miss Gayane and the teachers. Very easy process to do drop off and pick up. Clean facilities, first class communication, and even fun parent/kid parties. I cannot say enough nice things about the school and program!! We felt the learning programs and play time was a perfect balance and mix. Our daughter really enjoyed being there and would always smile being dropped off.

This is a wonderful learning environment. The teachers and staff really are committed to their…read morecraft and the students. They are all kind and smart. The highest caliber we've encountered in the preschool circuit. They also tailor their approach towards the student. My child has been challenged and is doing advanced work for his age because the teachers do not believe in limiting the kids. The facility is cute and well maintained. Also they have a wonderful community of parents who get along and support the school with their presence and supplemental activities. I plan to send my youngest there as well when the time comes which is the best endorsement. If you want a safe, supportive, structured, and familial envío, the firehouse is for you!

This preschool is a beautiful hidden gem. If we could I'd give 10 stars! We enrolled our little…read moreApril 2021 and have watched her blossom. The teachers and their aids are all very kind and playful. We receive daily reports accompanied by pictures. It really helps us feel connected. I cannot say enough great things about the staff! They do an amazing job providing the kiddos with a nurturing environment that allows them an opportunity to develop their academic and social skills.

This school has the potential to be a wonderful part of the community. Unfortunately, our family's…read moreexperience was severely overshadowed by the current Director's leadership. Communication was a major issue. Policies restricted teachers from having direct, meaningful conversations with parents, making it nearly impossible to discuss routine concerns or conflicts involving our child. We also experienced beloved teachers leaving without any communication to families, leaving children confused and parents without answers. What made our time here especially difficult was the inconsistent treatment of families. For instance, some parents were allowed to use aftercare on an as-needed basis, while others were required to commit and pay regardless of usage. Policies also felt arbitrarily enforced; being publicly reprimanded for arriving two minutes late to pickup while other parents arriving even later faced no response created significant anxiety around daily drop-offs. We also noted clear double standards in school structure and operations. For example, while the website advertises every classroom as having a lead and assistant teacher, one classroom uniquely listed a 'co-teacher' a position held by the Director's sister. Most concerningly, private matters regarding our family were shared with other school parents without our consent, which completely destroyed our trust in the administration. The hardest part was the impact on our child, who developed a genuine anxiety around going to school. We ultimately moved to another local school, and the transition has been life-changing. We finally have the warm, transparent partnership with teachers and administrators that every family deserves. I do not write negative reviews lightly, but I hope sharing our lived experience helps other prospective parents make an informed decision. While the physical campus is beautiful, we learned the hard way that the leadership and culture behind the scenes matter far more.

We feel so fortunate to have stumbled upon this school in our search for a preschool for our 2 year…read moreold daughter. Our daughter is a very sensitive child who has had difficulty separating from parents since infancy. To see her go skipping into preschool without so much as a look back at drop off warms our hearts and speaks to the nurturing, caring environment that the teachers and director of this school have fostered. Things we love about this school: the small size of the school (only 3 classrooms, each with no more than 15 kids), the longevity/retention of the teaching staff, the child-centered curriculum which combines a great deal of outdoor time, open-ended play, and developmentally appropriate opportunities for the honing of pre-academic skills. Things to note: there is no use of an app (we love that the teachers' full attention is on the kids, but we miss getting photos/updates throughout the day), there are a few weeks off throughout the year (planned well in advance- and likely helps with the teacher retention I mentioned above, as these teachers surely benefit from these well-deserved breaks). In short, we couldn't have dreamed of a more perfect first school experience for our daughter. As a parent, all you can hope for is to find a place where your child can be accepted and celebrated for who they are. Thank you San Marino Congregational Preschool for being that place.

We LOVE this preschool! My 3 kids (oldest is 19, youngest currently there). It's a small family…read moreoriented preschool with all the good stuff! Just enough academics and lots if fun! The teachers are very smart and nurturing! AM care at 8:30 and extended day from 12-3 PM with the legendary Miss Avelinda!

I went to this school and, this school is very fun. For 5th grade we had many exciting activities…read more We went to Knotts Berry Farm and it was amazing! All the staff is so comforting ! The teachers are amazing and kind. The school is very diverse and lots of people fit right in. The first time I went there was fun and amazing. I fitted right in with all the students and made many friends. I hope for the best for all the students! If I was you I would definitely enroll my child!

We enrolled our child at AAM excited about the schools' arts focus and community. Unfortunately,…read moreour experience was deeply disappointing. During the school year, multiple children in the TK class were involved in incidents that were not handled appropriately by the classroom or administration. The situation ultimately resulted in a teacher facing criminal charges for "willful cruelty to child", along with documented concerns involving multiple children. As parents, it was incredibly difficult to continue sending our daughter into an environment we no longer felt confident in her safety of the school or PUSD leadership's judgment. Our concerns extend beyond one classroom or one teacher. In our experience, Principal Dr. Hill did not provide the level of leadership, transparency, or accountability we expected when seriously concerns were brought forward. We repeatedly left conversations feeling that our concerns were minimized rather than addressed directly, an dour confidence in the administration quickly eroded. Parents, teachers, and aides had all brought up concerns to the principal before the teacher's actions escalated to a criminal level. She did nothing to prevent harm coming to students. To be fair, there were a few positives. Our child loved making friends and there are caring staff members who genuinely want the best for students. However, trust is foundational and once that trust is broken, we could not justify keeping our child there. We ultimately withdrew from the district entirely. Every family's experience will be different, but I believe prospective parents deserve to know that serious concerns arose during our time there and to ask detailed questions about school culture, supervision, and how concerns are handled before enrolling.

I never went to this pre-school, but my sister and brother did in the late 80s/early 90s. This was…read morea great little preschool. They both enjoyed their time and learned a lot. They have so many great memories about preschool. The teachers were nice and caring. Not sure if the preschool has any correlation to my brother and sister getting into law school, but I'm pretty sure it has had some help. St. Edumnd's the stepping stone to a future in law.

We love St. Edmund's Nursery School! Our family has been a part of this wonderful nursery school…read morecommunity for years! The teachers and staff are amazing-so warm and kind! Can't imagine sending our little ones any place else!

We have loved their Little Explorers program and the entire community is so welcoming. Thank you…read morefor being part of my girl's development and mine, too!

We absolutely love Oneonta Co-op Nursery School! Our daughter is in her second year here and still…read morewakes up excited to go every single morning. The teachers are patient, creative, and genuinely care about every child--they strike that perfect balance of nurturing and encouraging independence. What really makes Oneonta special, though, is the community. The co-op model brings parents together in such a meaningful way; you don't just drop your kid off--you become part of a caring, supportive village. We've made real friendships here, and watching our daughter grow socially and emotionally has been incredible. If you're looking for a preschool that's joyful, intentional, and community-driven, this is it. Couldn't recommend it more highly!

Like so many parents in the Pasadena area researching private schools, we did alllll the tours. We…read morehadn't heard much about Saint Mark's and always assumed from the name that it would lean heavily religious, which wasn't something we were looking for. We also didn't like that it ended at 6th grade (something we later decided was actually a plus). Toward the end of the touring season we decided to stop in simply because it was close to our work. I am not exaggerating when I say we walked out of that little school under the shady pine trees like "this is The One". Coming from a strictly play-based non-academic preschool, we really wanted to continue letting our kids be kids, learning through play and curiosity. But we also knew we wanted them to be challenged academically. And not to sound boastful but we have nice kids; we wanted them surrounded by other nice kids. I didn't want my kids to lose their sense of just being nice, kind humans. What we found at Saint Mark's was a balance that really worked for us. Academics are strong, learning is hands-on and meaningful, and the kids are still excited. Their teachers clearly care about them. The kids are happy. And nice. Polite and well spoken. During the tour, they looked like they were having a good time being at school, laughing, joking with friends at lunch, singing on the way back from recess. Overall we've been really happy since enrolling. We are now in our third year here. Watching what they do, even in Kinder, has been impressive. They have Writer's Workshop and write diary entries about their Halloween class pumpkin decomposing in a tub for months. In another unit, they raised tomato hornworms we brought in from our garden and watched them transform into hawk moths, documenting the whole process. For Valentine's, I offered to drop off homemade pink play-dough to our worldly first graders (an homage to my pre-k co-op years), assuming they'd say the kids were too old. Instead, they embraced it with rolling pins and cookie cutters. The teachers are so special and genuinely know each kid as an individual, even across grade levels. Small groups in the classroom let kids learn together at the same level, wherever that may be. When my DK-er had a rough start to the school year, his teacher rearranged the daily schedule to help him feel comfortable/safe and wrote me daily emails of his progress. And speaking of progress, I never expected that it would be normal for a progress report from his teacher to include a personalized letter detailing his personality, strengths, leadership, character... It was just so unexpected and thoughtful. I'll admit that when we enrolled, I was focused entirely on academics, student/teacher ratio, kind teachers, diversity, outdoor space, and letting kids be kids. While Saint Mark's checked all those boxes, I didn't realize how special the community would be. They interviewed us as parents and not just our kids, which felt like they care about building a community of families with the same values. (I joke that I would vacation with almost any of these families, and we could definitely get through a zombie apocalypse together) Socially, there are grade-level parent parties in the Fall so you can get to know the other families, sans kids. There are events like the Fall Fest with petting zoos and bounce houses and bake sales and confetti eggs, there are potlucks and picnics, book fair, hikes. There is an annual gala fundraiser where parents can let loose for the night, as well as smaller socials that make it easy to build friendships. There are ways to be ON campus: classroom jobs and PA positions and many ways to give time/talent/donations. You can sign up to stuff red envelopes for Lunar New Year or hand out hot lunch on campus and spy on your kids while they eat. After the fires we did consider relocating. And while it may seem unusual to be temporarily housed on another campus, our kids do get to use the beautiful outdoor spaces, fields, gym and basketball court at EF. What I was initially worried about has become somewhere the kids love to be. We did still have moments of doubt about relocating or not. Ultimately Saint Marks was a big factor in our decision to stay. I know it's wild to think elementary school is what kept us from jumping ship, but we stayed in the Pasadena/Altadena area because of this school. Our kids love it and we love it for our kids. We plan to remain living locally through sixth grade because of the school, and probably longer after hearing where the 6th graders matriculate to. We're really looking forward to the rebuild. We feel incredibly lucky that we found this small, somewhat under-the-radar school almost by accident. It's hard to explain how great the culture is here until you walk through the classrooms and campus and talk to some of the students, parents, and faculty. Like any school it won't be the perfect fit for everyone but for our family our experience has been very very positive.

Dear school seekers, Ultimately we chose Saint Mark's for…read moreour children because it displays balance- we see both modern ideas surrounding whole-child social emotional culture with a more traditional classroom/academic load and structure. Saint Mark's has true authenticity when it comes to role-modeling what community means for our children. The Episcopal elements of school feel universally welcoming to all. As a multi-racial family, we feel very at home with Saint Mark's where DEI is not a department, an option, or a fad but a natural part of the school's identity. When we chose the school we were intentionally seeking academic rigor for our kids; and because the school embraces differentiated learning groups, we know our kids will get what they need in all subjects. The children have lots of movement throughout their day with a wide variety of subjects to explore. The school maintains boundaries with being responsible, respectful, and safe which allows all the students to take risks and lean-in knowing they have a foundation of structure and support behind them. I have noticed our children's imaginations have been flourishing due to their time at school. The teachers are joyful and friendly which invites a warmth. The parent-community is strong (and fun) which is deeper than a good time when we realize we are showing our student-body what it looks like to work-together and create something bigger that everyone can enjoy. The leadership prioritizes modern changes to education while keeping the jump-ropes and math text books in close reach. To open a new campus about six weeks after the Eaton Fire is a true symbol of how strong the community is. Come and tour! All the best, Melissa