We are so thankful for this program. Our daughter just completed her first year there and the…read moregrowth and development we see in her is incredible. Monica is not only an amazing teacher, but an incredible support for helping us raise our children in the best possible way. Our daughter is so confident, has learned how to play independently and be at ease in a way we never saw before. Her imagination and love for art have grown so much, as well as her physical strength. She can climb trees, and play with just about any rock or stick anywhere we go. The love and dedication Monica put into this program and all the children is very clear, and the amazing bonus has been the great community of caring parents we have met through the school. We will always be grateful to have found Maestra Monica, our daughter looks forward to school everyday and we look forward to the years ahead being a part of this community.

Banyan Forest Kindergarten is a magical place! The kindergarten combines two of the most important…read morethings we were looking for that we couldn't find in any other school in the Austin area - a true forest school where the children are outside all day and a Waldorf teaching philosophy. Monica Martinez is an exceptional teacher - she is experienced, thoughtful, and intentional with her guidance to the children and to us as parents. Banyan effortlessly combines a true Waldorf curriculum (woodwork, knitting, watercolor) with a true forest school (almost the entire day in nature, kids climbing trees, playing in mud, running in the forest, jumping in puddles) -- it is a dream of a school & we are so grateful to have found this community!

education: 10/10. they spend so much time with you, its directly 1 on 1 and anything you need help…read morewith they will assist you with. the education is so flexible with different teaching methods, whatever helps you learn is how you'll learn it. theres never a boring day and and its never stressful to ask questions or be confused. community: everyone is so kind and nice, its a true community and everyone helps everyone. there is no bullying and absolutely no tolerance for it. unfortunately some kids take advantage of the no bullying and can be annoying, but its overall a really safe community. teachers: each one cares about you, and you can create your own bond with each teacher. they WANT to help you learn and you can feel that. theyre so fun to talk to as a person and teacher, and i love all the teachers there. such kind souls. this school is perfect for neurodivergent kids, or if youre seeking to get away from the stressed out school days and bullys at public school. nobody will judge you and you will find so many friends.

This is the place. If you're reading this, you're wondering what are the right steps when it comes…read moreto helping my child with finding their way in the world. If you're here, you've obviously grown tired of the rote, inflexible education of the masses based on measurements, guidelines, or even politics. If you're considering a different direction and want to know where to find forward-thinking people (educators, parents, and the kids themselves), then you have to give Appamada a good look. It's been said that we live in interesting times and, thanks to a global pandemic, that couldn't be any more true. For our family, as we tried to navigate the challenges that came along with it, we needed to find a school that would work closely our two children, separated by just under two years, and help them learn (of course), grow (definitely), and become the person they were meant to be versus an "institutional follower." Our children are nearly as different as night and day. But, at Appamada, they found individual paths to advancing their education and developing their personalities that we couldn't find elsewhere. This 'home away from home' has been their place of learning for over five years and I can see that the path they are both on, to college and beyond, has been paved nicely, with enlightened thinking, challenges big and small to overcome and learn from, and focused matriculation to help them become the best they can be, but even more importantly, the best they want to be. The staff at Appamada, across all disciplines and includes the program director, the owner, and all associated with the school are truly top-notch individuals whose sole purpose is to help the students flourish. They have repeatedly shown how much they consider and care for the individual student and have demonstrated this through their communications, program adaptation, and customized course scheduling to meet the kids where they are help them recognize where they want to go.

Inside Outside School has been such a blessing for our family. Our kindergartener describes it…read morebest: "My favorite thing is that the weather is perfect there and we get to play outside all of the time. I also like that our classes have rainbow centers." This school has truly transformed the way our tender-hearted, introverted daughter feels about education. She used to dread school every single day, but now she cries when it's time to leave. The nurturing environment, emphasis on outdoor play, and creative learning spaces like the "rainbow centers" have made her feel so safe, happy, and excited to learn. We couldn't be more grateful to the teachers and staff for creating such a magical, supportive experience for her. Inside Outside School is a place where children truly thrive.

The Inside Outside School is a dream come true. Really. I've had a child at IOS for 4 years now and…read morewe couldn't be happier with our choice. We did a lot of research when selecting a school. A lot. We did all of the tours, but didn't find anything that felt like a true fit with any of the alternative schools that strictly follow one ideology. Waldorf felt too heavy, Sudbury felt too unorganized... We wanted something in between - a small school with aspects of democracy, a solid curriculum, mixed age classrooms, ample time in nature and a strong support system for the social/emotional development of each child. What we've gotten at IOS has been so much more than that. The small class sizes make it easier for the teachers to customize their lessons to each child. There's no "teaching to the middle" here. Communicating with the teachers is easy and enjoyable. The campus is straight-up magical - you have to see it to believe it. There's a creek on the property and acres of woods for the kids to explore. There are chickens, goats, guinea hens, even a donkey, that live on site. Sadly, IOS doesn't accept 35 year old 3rd graders, or I'd be all over it. It's not all about the curriculum or the democratic meetings or the farm animals the kids help care for. It's not all about the gardens they grow, the amazing community of parents and teachers or the social/emotional support given to (and subsequently created by) the kids. It's about all of it. It's about being in the conversation of cultivating human greatness with a group of families and teachers that think outside the box and truly care for every aspect of each child. There's so many reasons that I send my child to IOS, but the main reason is that I know she is Loved, Supported and Celebrated as a human when she's at school. She wakes up happy every morning, ready to get on the bus with her friends and get to school. What a gift!

Choking back tears we said goodbye -not to our kids- they're in the backseat arguing about…read morecrackers. We were going to miss the warmest daycare with heart that exists. They got us through Covid with an infant, prepared her to thrive in kindergarten. They seamlessly worked with us to help our son with special needs. Their staff was a natural extension of our kids community. The infant room teacher attended her PreK graduation. This daycare is one of the few that is actually worth the cost.

My second child will be graduating from SMS next week and I can't believe our time here is coming…read moreto an end! The SMS staff and families have been such a huge and wonderful part of our lives for 8 years. It was hard dropping my older son off for the first time (at 3 months), but when it came time to drop my younger son off for the first time (also at 3 months), I knew he was going to be in such great hands, it really was like leaving him with family! I also believe that my older son's smooth transition into kinder was thanks to the 'academic' and social learning he experienced at SMS.

Our experience with Good Earth Farm School has been outstanding. The staff genuinely care about the…read morekids, and it shows in how attentive, organized, and consistent they are every single day. The attention to detail--from communication with parents to the learning environment--is far better than what we've seen elsewhere. On top of that, their rates are competitive without cutting corners on quality. It's rare to find a preschool that balances great people, strong structure, and fair pricing this well.

Five stars!!! The best school I have ever encountered. I…read morecan't wait to watch my daughter learn here..

Starbright is the VERY BEST preschool that a parent who wants the best for their child(ren) can…read morechoose! There are a LOT of options available in ATX, and preschool paves the way to the future: This is a HUGE decision for parents of young children to make! If you want your child to embrace their childhood exposed to and graced with age-appropriate experiences and learning opportunities, to learn about who they are and how to interact with & respect others, and to know what it's like to be loved and appreciated for who they are as an individual, then you found the best that Austin offers! I call Starbright the "Waldorf Prep School," as this is the underlying premise/"curriculum." My children now attend AISD vs. Waldorf, because we don't necessarily ascribe to Waldorf concepts when it comes to grade-school education/philosophy vs. the overall public school experience. For a preschool-age child, the freedom to be a kid --having fun, learning life-skills and experiencing Life, having bountiful learning opportunities, and feeling secure and cared for-- matters! Obviously for a Waldorf-minded parent, this is your preschool! For a parent wanting a preschool to solely/directly to "mold"/"prep" their child for their grueling academic future (which I personally believe subtracts from ultimate well-roundedness and childhood development), then Starbright is NOT for you. For a parent wanting your child to learn, grow, have fun, and be ready for public/private school, keep reading! The Director and the teachers at Starbright: The Director is AMAZING! Her experiential learning and degreed background (well over 30 yrs) as a teacher and guidance counselor are a big part of WHY Starbright is so awesome. She highly scrutinizes and hand-picks each staff teacher, identifying matching qualities included in their background/educational degree, and for a "whole person" concept and presence that exudes love, caring, and respect for others on all levels. Believe me, if a staff member doesn't "measure up," they won't last long at Starbright. But more importantly for a parent "shopping" for a preschool, rest assured that turnover rates are really low because the selection of staff members is so stringent. The teachers/staff at Starbright are there for 1 united purpose: To provide the very best growing/learning experience for the children at Starbright, period. Parental-involvement greatly enhances your child's experience at Starbright, just as it "should be" in the development of your own child. The more you can contribute in any capacity, the more the class (& your child) excels as a whole. I don't want to say it's a "make or break" (for those who have full-time working parents), but some of the extraordinary events that happen at Starbright REQUIRE parental involvement for the greatest experience overall. We attended for years (from 22 months to 6 yrs old x 2 kids approx. 2 yrs apart - both at Starbright) that included a plethora of involved parents: Our experience was far & beyond anything we could have imagined possible in a preschool! Bottom-line: YOUR involvement is what helps Starbright to fulfill its mission & vision FULLY! Starbright Preschool is an extremely valuable, enriching, and loving experience that I wish I had as part of my own childhood. It's not the cheapest, and it's not a specifically academically-focussed preschool. But what it IS at its core -what it provides to each child, your child - is a safe, fun, kid-based/age-appropriate learning environment that develops your child as a WHOLE person, adequately preparing your child for all-around success in grade school, Life, and the future. This review was written as my kids are currently in 3rd & 5th grade. I felt the need to post this after seeing fellow parents of Starbright "graduates" at a middle school (MS) for the writing test portion of application to the MS Academy. We parents couldn't stop talking about how much we loved and appreciated Starbright Preschool!!!

I waited a few years to write this review to have clarity on the situation and not just write with…read moreemotion. Four years later, I still have an extremely negative impression of this school. The blame, I believe, lies entirely with the director at the time, Jean. Perhaps she's still there. I get the feeling my son was accepted for an afternoon slot so Jean and Starbright could get extra money. There was no other explanation for why a new toddler would be accepted if there was no support available for him. My wife took him to the preschool for only 1.5 hours of the 3 hours we paid the first week so everyone could get used to the new situation. She would stay after to talk with teachers and let our son play on the playground. The second week, our son was there for 2 hours. At each pick up, we checked in with the teachers who assured us that our son was progressing as expected. This was his first experience with out-of-home child care. We knew he cried when we left, and we left quickly to make the transition easier for all. We also let everyone at the school know our son cries loudly and they should not be alarmed. On the Friday of the second week, we were pulled into Jean's office and told "this is not working out." She said that one teacher was out pushing him on the swings for the two hours he was in the school's care. The other teacher was with the rest of the kids. I don't blame the teachers, who seemed to lack experience, but the director for putting us and the teachers in such a situation, then not keeping us in the loop and "firing" us with no notice. And when she asked us not to return, she didn't even know our son's name! Our son went on to a fabulous preschool after this horrid place for 2 wonderful years and is now a successful elementary student. I strongly urge you to reconsider when thinking of this school.

St. Mark's provides an environment for children to thrive. Combining experiential learning and…read moreWaldorf style methods, the teachers ensure that the students get a holistic, well-rounded education while having fun. My daughter is in her second year with St. Mark's and she loves school! She teaches me new things all the time. And she's started writing words, knows some Spanish, counts to 20, and has even started adding and subtracting. On top of that she gets a good amount of outdoor time, movement, and adventurous play. We love the teachers. They feel like family.

I feel so lucky to have found St. Mark's. It is such a wonderful, positive learning environment…read more The class size is small and the teachers are AMAZING! My daughter has learned so much in the last 2 years academically, socially and spiritually. The tuition is very reasonable as well. If you are looking at preschools, you owe it to your child to look at St. Mark's.