This is by far the best preschool in the Bay Area that we have found. The school offers an…read moreincredible variety of activities and art projects, and there are so many toys, learning materials, and thoughtfully designed spaces for children to explore and grow. What truly sets this school apart is the teachers. Every teacher is energetic, engaged, and genuinely passionate about working with children. They are proactive, attentive, and highly experienced--you can tell they truly know what they are doing. I highly recommend this school. Your child will love it here, and you won't be disappointed.

My oldest started at St. Paul's during Covid. That period was a tough time for children in general…read moreyet she thrived at St.Paul's so much and had a smooth transition to elementary school (which we were concerned about). I directly credit the wonderful teachers, caring and play-based approach, and magical place that is St. Paul's to her continued success in school. My youngest is now at St. Paul's and as we expected, is having the time of her life. We are still so thrilled with the teachers and school that we will be (again) staying for their Senior program next year, in lieu of our public school TK program.

Our child had a nosebleed at school, and the school director Colleen immediately called us to pick…read morehim up. Since we work 40 minutes away, I asked if this was part of the school's sick policy. It wasn't--the reason given was simply that a teacher couldn't manage 12 kids at once. On top of that, the preschool principal Laurie required us to provide a doctor's note confirming that nosebleeds were "okay" to let kid back to school. Even our pediatrician found this request ridiculous, but kindly wrote the note word-for-word as they asked. Despite the school's popularity due to its affiliation with a local private elementary, this has been our worst preschool experience compared to others. The teacher-student ratio is inadequate, tuition is extremely high, and communication with parents is minimal. Although it's promoted as a play-based program, most of the time children just play independently while teachers supervise rather than engage. Also they introduce screen time (TV, iPads) as early as age two. I initially chose Serendipity Preschool for my child because of its strong reputation. However, I eventually realized it operates more like a business and not care much about the kids as they claimed. After moving and enrolling my kids in other schools, the differences became very clear, in all aspects--and much greater than I could imaged. In response to Laurie's reply below: When a school director exaggerates facts by claiming "daily nosebleeds" and deliberately misleads the public while carefully managing reviews to maintain a 5-star image, it really makes me question their priorities. When I answered the call, I clearly heard the words: "One teacher cannot take care of 12 kids. Please pick him up as soon as possible." That completely shocked me.

We have one kid in his third year, a second kid starting out in the 2s ("Monkeys") class, and a…read morethird enrolled starting in 2025! If we had three more kids we would probably send them to Serendipity, too! Excellent preschool with teachers that clearly care about the kids and the school. Even coming out of the pandemic we have witnessed virtually no teacher turnover which has led to seamless continuity as the kids cycle through classes. Each class has a bit of its own feel to it depending on the focus of the teacher(s), however what is consistent is that there is a clear curriculum and excellent parent-teacher communication. As the older one has hit his stride, it is apparent that he feels a part of the community as we do as parents. It will be sad once graduation finally comes, but luckily we have two more kids to go!

We have had such an incredible experience sending our son to the Hillsborough North Preschool…read more Teachers Marcia, Claire, Caitlyn, and Lubna are exceptionally loving, compassionate, and dedicated. The daily programming is thoughtful and engaging. Our son loved sharing weekend photos in front of his peers, which built so much speaking confidence early on. From weekly soccer coaching to imaginative event days like their "Indy 500" box car races and field trips to the farm and theater, every week brought something exciting. Having access to the North Hillsborough School facilities including its library, playground, and soccer fields is also a fantastic bonus that really enriches the kids' day.

Our son just spent the last year at West preschool with Teacher Becca. It was a magical experience…read morefor him, and he looked forward to going to school each day. I had expected it to be fully play based but during parent teacher conferences was delighted to learn that my son was learning numbers, letters, shapes, early phonics skills! Teacher Becca runs an organized, tight ship while being warm, kind, and thoughtful. Also loved being a part of the parent community which was friendly and inclusive.

In 2022, my son was going to a traditional play-based preschool that wasn't quite the right fit for…read morehim. He is an intelligent, loving child who marches to the beat of his own drum. When his current preschool told us at the end of the school year that he wasn't ready to move up to the next room because there would be a lot of seated table work they felt he wasn't ready for, I put a ton of research into alternative teaching methods. Montessori sounded like the best fit because it encourages exploring a child's curiosity, empowers them to make choices for themselves, and builds their confidence to learn by doing. Many preschools tout themselves as Montessori-based or Montessori-inspired, but Glen Oaks Montessori was listed on the American Montessori Society website as a locally accredited Montessori program. I reached out to them in July of that year for enrollment in September, and we were so lucky that they had space for our son. From the moment I spoke with one of the co-directors, Ms. Phia, I had a good feeling. When we toured the school, I felt this was precisely the environment our son needed. And after he did a trial run one afternoon, we were sold. Two years later, we could not be more proud of our son's growth and progress, and we have SO much to thank Glen Oaks and its staff and teachers for. Their communication is top-notch. Their administration and educators are some of the most patient, kind, and loving people in childcare that I've interacted with. There are monthly newsletters that keep you informed of all the new curricula they offer and events with the school, parent-teacher conferences twice a year, and opportunities for parents to participate in the children's learning. Through what they've shared with us, we learned so much about how our son behaves and learns outside of our home. The staff has always gone above and beyond to meet our concerns and needs. Last year, we were worried about him not knowing the alphabet very well because he gravitated towards numbers, but through encouragement from Glen Oaks teachers and his own hard work, he's finishing the year already knowing how to read. This year, when we were making the decision on which school to start our son in Kindergarten, Ms. Megan spent the time to sit down with us and go into each option in depth. Her insight helped us feel confident that the next school we chose was an environment in which our son would do well. Tomorrow, our son will graduate from Glen Oaks. It will be a bittersweet occasion, for as excited we are for him to grow and move on to Kindergarten, we will also be saying goodbye to a school that embraced him exactly as he was and provided him with a loving, supportive environment that allowed him to flourish. If you are considering Glen Oaks, I cannot say enough about what a great decision it will be. Every penny of your tuition will be worth it, as your child(ren) will be in the best hands, in the best environment. We love Glen Oaks Montessori!

Our family's experience at Glen Oaks Preschool has been nothing short of wonderful. Our daughter…read morestarted at just two years and eight months old and recently graduated to begin kindergarten. When we were choosing a preschool, we had the unique advantage of living very close to the campus, which gave us a clear view of the daily activities at Glen Oaks, Nature and Nurture, and Millbrae Montessori. While all three are decent schools, Glen Oaks stood out immediately. As new parents, it gave us the greatest sense of assurance and comfort. From the very first day, we knew we had made the right choice. The teachers never talked down to the children, and we were touched to see how the older students naturally looked after our daughter. We learned this is a core part of the school's culture, and we often heard similar feedback from other parents about this nurturing environment. This experience was especially healing for me. I attended a boarding preschool in China as a child and still have nightmares about crying myself to death every week when my mother dropped me off. Seeing my daughter so well-cared for and respected by the teachers at Glen Oaks helped cure those old wounds. Our daughter loved every day there. She was always excited to go in the morning and often didn't want to leave at pickup time, frequently staying to play with her friends on the playground for an extra hour until we had to rush her home at dusk. Most importantly, Glen Oaks prepared her perfectly for kindergarten. She transitioned smoothly and confidently, even though she is the youngest in her class. She was emotionally stable and socially responsible, thanks to her foundation at preschool. We recently attended a birthday party with all her Glen Oaks friends, and it was clear every child is thriving. We cannot recommend Glen Oaks Montesorri highly enough.

Excellent program. My son attended the camp and preschool. He spent all day outside, played, got…read moredirty and learned a lot about - and to respect - nature. I love that they offer part-time slots so I was able to combine this program with a more traditional preschool program for the best of both worlds. Director Carlene was a joy to work with and the teachers were knowledgeable and built great relationships with the kids. We will miss this program when my son starts kinder in the fall. I'm just happy he can still attend the camp for summer and school holidays!!!

We love this forest school in Golden Gate Park! My daughter has been attending regularly since…read moreMay. We had a gap in care that we needed to fill until her preschool started in August. Honestly I find myself wishing I could make this program work year-round for us and just stay here. We are planning to come back on school breaks. As a Covid toddler, my daughter didn't have much experience with groups or playing with too many other kids. But she had definitely reached the age where she wanted to play with other kids and make friends. ALAG has been a great transition for us before preschool. My daughter has learned cooperation and sharing skills, how to do group activities, and has made some friends. She started out very afraid of bugs and no longer has those fears. She loves climbing trees, digging in dirt, doing art projects, and reading books with the group. The teachers schlep so much gear it is a sight to behold! They really care about the kiddos in the program and are so invested in their social and emotional development. Carlene was the teacher for a few days, but it seems most of the day-to-day teaching is done by Maddie, Susie, and sometimes Marnie. These women are delightful and absolutely beloved by the kids (and us parents!). This is a great program that I highly recommend. My daughter comes home very dirty and happy every day!

We have loved our years at Kinder Academy, where both my sons graduated (one in 2021, and one in…read more2025). They have learned so much about how to be friends, have joy in learning, and have had so many special performances, experiences, and memories while there -- all while developing a strong educational foundation that has served them well into elementary school. The teachers are so patient and kind, and the program is incredibly well organized and thoughtful. Teachers, teachers, thanks so much! We will miss you very much! xo

My child just graduated from Kinder Academy Montessori, and I couldn't be any happier with her…read moreprogress. We only attended for one year, but in that year I've witnessed tremendous growth in her academically and socially. She is happy, confident, reading at a 1st grade level at the age of 5, and has lots of friends. I was especially impressed to see how KAM transitioned in new teachers. Two long-time teachers were retiring, and they brought in new teachers for 6 months prior to the veteran teachers retiring, so they could learn the school's rhythms and also the children had plenty of time to get used to the new teachers. Between my kids, this is the 4th preschool they've attended and KAM handled this transition the best I've ever seen. I recognize that a transition like this is very costly from a financial perspective but it is honestly the best and most healthy option for the students. I feel so grateful for a supportive, nurturing, and loving community that puts the students first. I give KAM my highest recommendation.

My oldest child loved attending Stella PIccolo before her transition to grade school this year and…read morestill asks to return. Stella Piccolo provides the perfect mix of exploration of childrens' interests and structured skill-building. There is morning circle time where dates and birthdays are discussed, abundant options for free play, snack, outdoor play, then a sit-down group activity (I.E, making a craft), followed by story time before pickup. Our family loves the three teachers, they are kind, focused, and always pass along information on our child that is helpful. Each day the song, story, and snack is listed so parents can engage with their children on what they've been doing. The teachers listen to the children, and students' interests will guide future activities and stories, further encouraging their curiosity and learning. I am looking forward to sending my second child there this coming school year.

A lovely little treasure of a school. They have "morning meetings" with all the children where they…read moretalk about important things going on - birthdays, holidays, honoring special friends, etc. The play space is well maintained and toys are abundant. They have an area for snack time. The playground is amazing. There's a lot to do, and the kids have a lot of fun. They learn how to gain independence and have fun with friends. Check out their summer program. It's only for 8 weeks, late May 2022 through June 2022, but a great way to ease the little ones into school.

I've been so happy and pleased with the quality and level of care by the staff here through the…read moreyears. Couldn't be happier with all aspects of Millbrae Nursery School.

We love Millbrae Nursery School! My son has been a student there for over 2 years. The teachers…read morereally care about the students and treat them as individuals. The staff are patient, kind and attentive. My son looks forward to going everyday. The teachers always have time to talk with me with any concerns I might have. Their snacks are made fresh daily and the food is delicious and healthy. Highly recommend Millbrae Nursery School!