This preschool is truly a magical place! It's a warm, peaceful, and loving environment where…read morechildren are not only cared for, but deeply seen, heard, and nurtured. The educators are incredibly kind-hearted and compassionate. They lead by example, and kindness is genuinely the cornerstone of everything they do. The director, Debra, is a force of nature in the best way. You can tell she has dedicated her life to early childhood education. She's shaping the next generation to be good humans -- empathetic, curious, confident, and capable. Her leadership sets the tone for the entire school. She is leaving the Moraga campus to head up the new Springhill campus and we are in turn getting Kavisha (from the Oakland campus). It's bittersweet saying goodbye, but we're excited to have Kavisha who already seems incredible, and we feel lucky for the new families who get to be part of GLMS. The Montessori-based curriculum here is the real deal, with the added gift of Spanish immersion. My children sing songs in Spanish (and correct my pronunciation at home of course :)). They learn real-world life skills, gain independence, and engage with thoughtful, rotating themes (some months it's the continents, the next it's the parts of an apple or the lifecycle of a butterfly). The curiosity this school inspires is beautiful. The school is also incredibly clean. Cleanliness is a huge priority for us. My kids both have sensitive skin and you can tell how well cared the environment is -- carpets are changed out regularly (when they sometimes still look new), toys are refreshed, sand is rotated out, and everything always feels fresh and well cared for. There are also many enrichment courses offered throughout the year: yoga, music, dance/movement, soccer -- all brought in through thoughtful partnerships with local programs. The energy of the school is calm, joyful, and intentional. It's the kind of place that where you feel instantly at ease when you walk through the doors as there is usually a gentle hum of children playing, laughing, or working. We are so incredibly grateful to be part of this community. There is truly no better school in the area!

10/10 love GLMS Moraga! My son attended for two years and my daughter started in June. Love the…read morecommunity created by GLMS. The director Debra and all the teachers are wonderful.

Diablo Valley Montessori School is an iconic and well known authentic Montessori School. It has a…read morelegacy of high fidelity Montessori education. It follows the scope and sequence of the Montessori curriculum. In a world of screens and instant gratification DVMS provides the hands on concrete experience vital for a child's cognitive development. Their staff is professional and knowledgeable regarding the Montessori curriculum and philosophy. I highly encourage families to experience the true meaning of a Montessori preschool education.

Best thing to ever happen to my boys. They are ecstatic to go to school each day and we love the…read moreteachers, staff, campus, and all of the wonderful engagement opportunities. APPLY EARLY - difficult to get in / deep waitlist. IF ACCEPTED - stay as long as you can... public school, or other options, will be waiting. However, the critical, formative years that our children have can and should be spent in an environment exactly like DVMS.

Our son has been with Creative since he was just 6 months old, and we couldn't be happier with our…read moreexperience. Silvia and the entire staff treat him like family, which gives us so much peace of mind while we're away. Their love and dedication truly shine through. Since joining Creative, our son has flourished in so many ways--physically, emotionally, and in his speech development. Now, at 20 months, he amazes us daily with new words and songs he's learned, as well as important life skills like picking up his toys and throwing things in the trash. The learning environment they provide is incredible! Beyond his development, we've also noticed how social and personable he has become, which we largely credit to the nurturing and interactive atmosphere at Creative. We are so grateful for Silvia and the entire team for fostering such a loving and enriching space for our son. Thank you, Silvia!

My son started at Creative Montessori at age 3.5 years old. Due to Covid he had been home the whole…read moretime and spoke no English prior to attending school. Ms Silvia and other teachers have been so patient and helpful. My son has grown so much in every aspect and loves going to school every day. Highly recommend.

Our family has been incredibly pleased with Growing Light Montessori in Lafayette, and would highly…read morerecommend it! The teachers are extremely skilled, patient, and nurturing. Since our child started we've seen a dramatic increase in her social development, creativity, and engagement in group activities. Class sizes are small with multiple teachers, and allow for a level of personalized attention that you can directly observe during drop-offs and pickups. Our child even talks about her teachers and asks after them on weekends. Communication with parents is also great. The school keeps us informed with regular updates, progress reports, and pictures of the kids engaged in class activities. The communication is two ways as well, they always respond quickly to feedback or questions, and they're very accommodating to any life circumstances that may come up. The campus and classrooms are well organized, spacious, and have multiple outdoor play areas. The school also organizes regular social events, educational workshops, and seasonal celebrations for families. We can't recommend Growing Light highly enough. It's absolutely worth it, and we feel lucky to have joined!

Both our son and daughter attended this preschool, and we couldn't be happier. The staff is…read moreattentive, warm, patient, and always accessible--you can tell they truly care. The environment is nurturing and thoughtfully balanced between learning and play. Our kids came home happy, confident, and excited every day. We really have nothing but positive things to say. It's been a fantastic start to their learning journey.

Started our son at one year old, and have been at both the Moraga and Rheem Campuses for 15 months…read more We really enjoy the team and the care our son receives. The teachers are all amazing, super friendly, and our son enjoys talking all about them when he gets home - Ms. Nancy, Ms. Dani, Ms. Liz (x2), Ms. Gabby, Ms. Becky, Ms. Lulay, they are all amazing, sorry to those i missed! Antonio is always helpful and responsive. The school uses the brightwheel app which is great for communicating with both staff and admin and getting regular updates and photos during the school day. We can really see the daily learning when our son comes home, and it's such a pleasure to know he's getting socialized and receiving great care durning the day. They let kids be kids! During most holidays you can signup for holiday care to avoid taking more days off. The cost has always seemed very reasonable especially for Lamorinda. The only comment I would mention, is the school runs like a well oiled machine, thus when you are new it's overwhelming to learn how the system works for drop off, pickup, and bringing food and clothes, etc. This was stressful when leaving your first little one for the first time, but this subsides after the first week or two after you learn the system. Advice, don't hesitate to ask the staff either in person or via brightwheel, they will always help. Packing lunches the first few months was stressful! Would recommend Lamorinda Montessori to any family.

Our family has a had a great experience at Lamorinda Montessori (Rheem Campus)! We started there…read morein June 2023 and at the time our daughter was 2.5 and son was 10 months. They have checked the boxes for us in terms of providing a reliable, loving, and kind care solution for our kids. The teachers seem very attentive to the kids and we are always met with smiles at pick up and drop off. The school continues to try and implement new programming to engage both kids and parents, like spirit week and off-site excursions but there is probably even more opportunity to do more of that. The school also offers "parents night out" care giving about once a month which provides for an easy solution to leave the kids for a few afternoon hours on a Saturday. Communication could be better just in terms of updates / photos throughout the day, but our kids are happy every day when they come home so honestly that's all we could ask for. The administrative and teaching team makes a real effort and genuinely cares for the families and children. Thank you to Antonio and the team!

Initially I sent my son to a Montessori school nearby. They did not meet his social and emotional…read moreneeds. Everyday during drop off he would vocally tell me he didn't want to be there. So for a few reasons we decided to switch him to TOPS. His demeanor instantly changed. Although this school isn't "academically focused" he gained self confidence and doing much better in social settings. For him, that was exactly what he needed to continue to thrive and "learn" from all the interactive and magical activities that occur at TOPS. Our son is now more confident than ever in all social settings including with strangers and adults. The confidence set the foundation he needed to thrive in other areas of learning and development. Being first time parents, it was the best decision we ever made. (On a side note: The parent participation and abundance of optional school events have fostered a genuine community of parents at TOPS. I really appreciate the connections I have made here.)

TOPS is an amazing place. Last year, my wife and I moved to Orinda from San Francisco in July (a…read moremonth before school started) and we were welcomed with open arms. The school is play based. TOPS may not be for everyone. In fact, our oldest daughter would have been a deer in headlights in this unstructured environment. However, our son loved the cornucopia of all the wonderful activities inside and outside the classroom. He's so excited by all his options that he's eager to get going after getting dropped off. Which has been wonderful, because we were worried about teary eyed goodbyes every morning. The teachers and staff at TOPS are beyond excellent. Many had been there for years, even decades. They are very knowledgeable about child development, discipline, etc. I feel very comfortable leaving my son in their care. Last, but not least, is the superb TOPS community. Because parents have to be involved, there's a great sense of belonging and camaraderie that is fostered by TOPS. In summary, TOPS is a wonderful school and environment for kids.

Old Firehouse School is Exceptional!…read more We sent both of our children to OFS after moving to Lafayette, and it was a wonderful experience for our family. The dedication of the staff is truly what sets this school apart. We especially valued the model where teachers, like Liz, Pam, and Zahara, continue to work with the students as they grow. This consistency and the deep care they show for the children is evident every day. Our kids absolutely loved their teachers. We are huge fans of their kid-led, project-based learning approach. It allows the students to drive their own education. Just as important is their focus on emotional education--teaching kids practical ways to understand and manage their feelings, which is a key skill for life. Alex and Michelle are fantastic leaders, and the entire team deserves praise. We have nothing but great things to say about OFS and highly recommend it.

I have had at least one child at OFS since 2021. It is an incredible community and the director…read moreAlex is a thoughtful, bright, measured, and caring leader. We have loved all the teachers we've worked with and were first drawn to OFS because of the Reggio Emilio method they practice. This approach centers around a single primary caregiver for the majority of a child's time at the school. Our oldest has come out of OFS with incredible social emotional skills as a result of this model. We still have our son there and will be sad the day we have to leave. This is not the closest school to our home, but we trust the staff and we can't imagine going anywhere else.

Honestly this is the best daycare/montessori in the TriVally area. We toured dozens of daycares and…read moreFountainhead was the cleanest and most organized. When we did the tour at Fountainhead, the kids were so calm and the environment was peaceful. My wife and I are so happy that our son loves this school. We are pretty protective parents...He was the youngest of his class (2.5yrs) and the older kids help him a lot. He started early this year and his language skills has improved so much. We enrolled him for 2027 and hope to enroll his little brother at 1.5 years. Highly recommend!

All of the teachers here are great! We chose this school specifically for their mandarin immersion…read moreprogram, but my child has thrived in all areas. The facilities are well maintained and conducive to their learning.