I cannot express enough how happy I am about this preschool! After tons of research and referrals, the second we walked in to this school, we knew this was the one. It's exactly everything a preschool should be: cozy, inviting, space, educational toys, animals, and most importantly, the sweetest teacher who genuinely loves and lives for her students and her job. I also absolutely love co-op preschool; allowing parents to participate in the class. The friends and community built not only create an even better environment for the children but it's not something you get from these mainstream "daycares". This wonderful preschool is absolutely PRICELESS. read more

My two daughters loved So Big and grew into confident children prepared for kindergarten. I was also on the board for many years and made lifelong friends. I'm writing this review many years after my participation due to the negative reviews left here. So Big Preschool is a parent participation preschool! You know this going in! It's only a few days a month and is a wonderful experience! How you can leave a 1 star review complaining of what's expected is asinine. Second, it is a Montessori style of preschool. Children learn through play! Believe me- your kids are definitely prepared for kindergarten! I'm very happy to see after decades this school is still flourishing and deservedly so. read more

I'm so happy! I found the perfect preschool for my son!! This school is seriously a hidden gem! I love being a part of the school and seeing my son build friendships with other kids his age. I cannot say enough about how amazing the teacher, Miss Mary is! My son loves going to see her and tells me she is his favorite part of school. If you are looking for a preschool that teaches and allows your child playtime this is the one. They have loads of fun toys including a spacious backyard. We do a craft project everyday AND have an educational circle time! Snack time is also provided by a parent and is rotated throughout the month. Not to mention monthly field trips and holiday events! What more could you ask for. Last but not least, So Big is highly diverse, which happens to be my favorite part! There is a spot for everyone at So Big! My son is learning a very important life lesson at age 2!! Everyone is different but we all work together to make So Big a great place for us and our kids!! read more

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I sympathize with all those who have written and expressed their concerns with this preschool. It was by far, the worst decision we could have made for our daughter at the time. In some ways, it was a needed experience so we could later know the quality of good schools by contrast. The most upsetting thing was this seemed like a great choice. You walk up through the fair grounds to a charming little classroom with a picket fence and gate, a playground in the back, everything in its place. Then you meet some nice people and watch the kids play and you think to yourself, "Wow, a co-op preschool. What a cool concept. I feel like such an urbanite, a resourceful and community oriented person!" All these things would continue to ring true until dealing with the things that matter: education, social development, teachers, etc. Be warned. This is NOT a preschool that will prepare your child for kindergarten. More than anything, it's a glorified daycare. There is a significant lack of discipline, if any at all, which makes the social environment incredibly hard on the children, both for those who need to be disciplined and those who get bullied. My daughter was subjected to repeated bullying, even at the young age of four, and bullies saw no consequences. I understand this is a co-op, but the parents who assisted in the classroom were incompetent and displayed no enthusiasm whatsoever to be there. The administration of the school is equally inept. Unprofessionalism runs rampant through the board and decisions are based on emotions, rather than critical, rational, thought. When we finally decided to pull our daughter out of the school at the beginning of the month, we requested our last month's check be returned, which was not, and the remainder of the current month's, which they ultimately did return. However, after raising the concerns we had with the administrators and board members, we were marginalized and ignored. The pride in some of these people running the school is so obstructive, you simply cannot reason or deliberate with them. Please, I urge you to weigh the cost/benefit of finding a proper preschool for which you may need to pay a little more. There are wonderful preschools out there, but this is not a legitimate option. read more

I love this school and wish I would have found out about it when my daughter was younger. Some of these negative reviews on here, I can plainly see now that they didn't read the handbook or bylaws. This is a parent run school. Parents make the kids school year a success. We are a family and help each other out when needed. Don't be discouraged by the bad reviews here. I was questionable about them but chose the school after speaking with the president. Open book policy for discussions made me pick this school. My daughter loves this school and I'm so glad we picked it for her preschool experience! read more

The concept is great but there are also many negatives points that we experienced and that were not addressed when we brought it up. We spent a whole scchool year enrolled. - Bullying was ignored. The bully was the kid of a board member so it was told us that he soon would be leaving the school for kindergarden rather than put a stop to the issue. -snack time was full of unhealthy snacks. -circle time is terribly long. Mary would often loose patient with the kids. -parents are required to do everything (mrs mary just delegates) -no parent community, you are lucky to get a good morning from anyone. -my son started hitting and spitting on me after attending and the behavior went away after a week off the school. We believe that was a result of the bullying. - too many field trips. At least 2 a month if your kid is enrolled full time. The parent is obligated to go if the kid is going. That means that there are at least two days a month that you pay for childcare and that you do not get the time off to work. The good -love the community idea -love being able to attend for the day (I'm not a drop and go type of parent) -great toys (kids don't care about dirt or dust) -free play -organization is good read more

Being a stay at home mom I needed an affordable preschool option for my pre-kindergartener. So-Big has been such a good fit for us. Ms. Mary is amazing!!!My son is so excited to go to school and he learns so much. We love So-Big! read more

My daughter loves going to pre-school! No tears, no drama, she just asks when she can go back to see her friends and Miss Mary. I love that the parents are involved and we are an interactive community that can come together to enhance our children's learning experience. I am so grateful to my friend for introducing me to the school and feel lucky that my daughter can be a part of such an institution. I would recommend this to all families!! read more

My child loves this school! When my daughter was ready to start preschool this was the only school on my mind. Other friends that went here all had great things to say and it is so AFFORDABLE! My daughter adores Ms. Mary and loves coming to school. The co-op schedule is very flexible and the other families are great at helping each other out when needed. I joined the Parent Board and it is such a great experience in learning how to keep the school organized and running efficiently. I'm feeling confident about my child entering Kindergarten after attending this school and plan on putting my younger ones in when they're ready. If you want to join a preschool and community where you can feel involved this is the place for you. read more

This is a great school. My son loves it. Being part of a co-op is a commitment, but worth the time and effort. It takes the parenting community to make this school work. read more

Not only I but mt children love So Big. I have an alumni and current student at So Big. My daughter was overly prepared for Kindergarten. It's why I came back. read more

This school has been nothing short of life changing for our family. Ms. Mary is a God send and goes above and beyond to make you feel comfortable, reassured, and right at home. Prior to So Big my son had never been in the care of anyone but myself. Trust was huge for me. I knew the moment I shook Ms. Mary's hand this was the right place for my child. My son has grown tremendously in the short time he has been here. From anxiety about me being away from him, to begging to go to school every morning. A child who was once unable to sit for more than one minute is now sitting for entire circle times and LEARNING a ton! From counting to social skills, and everything in between. We happily make the drive from Brentwood to So Big Pre School every morning because it's WORTH IT! If you're looking for a fun, safe, loving environment where parents work together for the common goal of helping our kids, don't hesitate to consider this place. Do yourself a favor and take a tour, your child will thank you! read more

So Big Co-Op Preschool - Playdoh fun! - Preschools Near Me - Antioch, California

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In the world of preschools, this is truly a hidden gem. When I was looking for a school for my son, I was completely lost because I was fairly new to the area. I called around and scheduled tours at a handful of schools in the area and nothing really made me feel good... until I got to So Big. First off this place is hard to find but park at the fairgrounds and walk in through the gates. There is a charter school and right by it is So Big. I met with Stephanie and she showed me around the school. I could tell how much she loved this place which made me feel good. I met Mrs Mary which is the head teacher and like they say in Toy Story..she's a hugger! Lol I felt so comfortable in this place and what's even better is my son went right in and played. This was the best feeling ever. He felt so comfortable there and showed himself around. They have tons of stuff for the kids including a chicken coup in the play yard! I told them I would get back to them after my husband and I made a decision but my heart was already set on this place. To my surprise, there was no waitlist. We signed him up and started him in the beginning of the school year (August i think?) this had given me a few months to get myself and son ready and during that time, I got emails from the school about different meetups during the summer! This was nice and really started us off running as my kid got to know his future classmates and I the other parents. Tuition was a big factor for me as our family is on a single income. My son goes 3 days a week and we pay $225/month. This school is a co-op which I had no idea about before I got into it. If you want to be a part of your child's educational journey, this is the place for you. I work at the school about 3x/month. Work is just brining lunch, art parent and outdoor parent. I really love this because I can see first hand how my kid is doing and I've seen how much he's grown. Working with the other parents really makes this place a community and a place to meet new like minded parents. Over the past few months I've really been able to see my son grow socially and educationally. If your curious about this place, just come by during a school day and see for yourself how stuff works. read more

I don't know what I'd do if it wasn't for So-Big! This school is a must for any child. Ms. Mary is awe-inspiring and my son just LOVES her. My son has progressed so rapidly while at school and has learned so many new things. It's amazing what this preschool can do for your child. I loved working at the school with the children - it's almost like a parenting class and a preschool in one because you really learn how to do things "better" by bouncing ideas off of other parents, Ms. Mary and her new aide, Ms. Raquel. They learn about science, space, math, reading, art, play, social-life, etc. There are many toys that are very engaging. They exercise here a lot, too - and have bunnies and chickens they care for! There's a garden you can tend to as well. If you ever want to do a special presentation, Ms Mary is always welcoming, so you too can teach the kids things you or your family are passionate about. ALSO, this school recognizes our American Flag and teaches the kids our pleadge of allegience, as well as teaches them to respect the military, be ware of strangers, and practices emergency drills. They definitely cover ALL bases, and what's best is that you will cultivate lasting relationships with other parents that have the same high goals for their own children. read more

I'm glad my husband found this school.. My daughter loves going everyday! She enjoys playing with her friends and seeing her teacher(s). It's our first time with a co-op and we love that we are able to be apart of her learning and apart of the school. I love that I can be so involved with her and the other parents. read more

I couldn't say enough wonderful things about this amazing preschool! My daughter absolutely loves learning and exploring all the wonderful things that So Big offers ! Not to mention that Miss Mary is a phenomenal teacher that cares for her students! It's affordable and allows you to connect with an amazing community! If your looking for a wonderful space for your child to learn and play , check out So Big !! read more

When I started working for ACAII I was attracted to the cute little preschool next to us. I went over for a visit to see if was a good fit for my granddaughter. I fell in love! Our family loves animals, and I was happy to see that this school not only had animals for the children to interact with, but they also learn how to love and care for them. This is a co-op preschool, low fees in return for parents taking turns working in different areas of the classroom. I love that the students have circle time, many different areas of play, they learn to be responsible and prepare for kindergarten! I was amazed by how much my granddaughter had learned in a short period of time. After a mere 2 months my granddaughter was singing songs, learning letters, telling me how to clap for syllables, and counting. I am impressed at all she has learned, and how friendly the parents are. I love that Maddie has such a love for Ms. Mary. Ms. Mary was absolutely my deciding factor as to where Maddie should go to school. This woman has a great passion for her job. She loves the kids and has a huge heart. Always there to help with whatever you need. She has been a godsend to our family. Maddie always gives Ms. Mary hugs and talks about her constantly at home. We found the perfect fit four our girl! read more

Amazing school! Amazing teacher, Ms. Mary loves the kids so much it shows in how she treats the kids. My daughter loves school.

We LOVE this school. I have two kids that having been attending the school since they were 2, we are now in our 3rd year. Mrs. Mary is the best!! She is caring, kind and patient. There are many things that make this school unique from other preschools. We have class animals: bunnies, chickens, a duck, a bird, a hamster, and a fish tank! We go on field trips that allow the children to learn outside of the classroom, most recently we went to Smith Family Farm. We do fun parties for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's, and Easter. We are a co-op school that requires parent participation. Once you settle into the school you will see that it feels like a family and that everyone truly cares about the children. If you want the best learning environment for your child, this is it. If you like being involved in your child's education, this is the school for you. read more

So Big Co-Op Preschool - Smith Family Farm field trip - Preschools Near Me - Antioch, California

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I have 2 granddaughtes who have attended the past two years.. MS MARY is simply the BEST. The children are engaged in learning activities all. There are even a few small animals they learn to care for also. Parent involvement assures the children get just want you for your child and have fun sharing thier learning experiences with them. I couldn't be more pleased with the progress they've made !! read more

Awful experience. Signed up our 3 year and withdrew her after the first day. Witnessed parent volunteers yelling at kids and staff not doing anything about it. The volunteer commitment is extreme when you have other kids in school. Tried to cancel and they aren't giving us our first and last month tuition even though we attended ONE day. Please be careful prior to signing anything. Ask for a few days to tryout and make sure you spend the day there so you know what happens. Overall concept is nice, but managed very poorly. read more

This school charges too much for the amount of volunteer work and fundraising they expect you to do. They emphasize that they have a learning through play system, but I wasn't feeling it. There wasn't any structure in the class, no projects of any sort were brought home and the area is cluttered with too many toys and live animals. It is very rundown and just dirty. The head teacher is nice to you when you first meet her, but once you start attending, she's rude and grumpy during drop off and pickup. They expect you to pay two months tuition upfront but don't disclose any other fees upfront. they also don't give you copies of the paperwork you sign or this handbook that has all these rules. This place is disgusting! The board members are rude and don't return emails. Especially the treasurer. If you have any questions about your tuition you are stuck dealing with her. She does not want to help you. She just wants to take your money. Please do not, do not send your children here. This place is a colt that won't teach your child anything! I think that it's pretty interesting that after two years they have suddenly had and increase in reviews, both bad and good, which shows that the place is having severe issues and they are asking people to write positive ones for them! We were only here a short time, earlier in the year and should have gotten our lasts month payment back, but of course, like some have said, they wouldn't work with us. And it seems our family is not the only one who has had to deal with this. After leaving the school, I was still on the email chain for whatever days we were going and I saw two alarming emails, one during the rainstorms a couple of months ago, telling the parents to still bring their kids to the school even though there had been water flooding into the building over the weeked. They wanted the kids to still come as the fire department would be there inspecting the place! The other from a parent who had to leave the school as well because they could no longer afford the tuition, begging for a parent to please cover her volunteer hours they had assigned her, so she wouldn't be charged a fee! Absolutely disgusting! Do not send your children here!! This school should be shut down! read more

BEWARE BEWARE!!! This school demands a lot from a parent. Yes tuition is reasonable but you pay more in time and effort and more money because you will have to feed maybe 8-15 kids for snacks. They make you clean and take care of the kids when you are there (mandatory 2-3 times a month) for a 2 day a week program. They have a mandatory maintenance too that you have to fulfill, and you will be charged if you don't fulfill. There are mandatory meetings and if you don't make the meetings, you will be CHARGED too!! If you're a single parent no other help, tough luck. Penalty is what they call it, roughly $30 or $35!! Penalties for being late, I think $2 a minute or you get calls before you even get there to ask why you are late, ha! These mandatory meetings are either every month or every other month. There is a mandatory donation and fund raising I believe its $100. They won't tell you all verbally when you sign up about their penalty fees and all the mandatory work aside from when you need to be there unless you read the handbook. There are other fees too that I didn't include here. But what really disgusted me about this school, was the way I was treated with disrespect by Ms. Mary who took a gossip and ran with it. Accused and harassed me in front of other parent, she didn't even give me a chance to say my part of the story. I asked for me, her and the lady where this gossip came from to meet and she refused, I wanted to clarify what really took place and said, so that we can clear things up. She made some excuse that this lady should not be bothered. Very unprofessional, she basically does not know how to run a "real" school. This is just a job to her, she does not treat the kids any special way like most parents say here. I say this because I observed her behavior. The only one positive thing I can say is that they let me stay there the whole time for my girl to get courage to be away from me, which took a good two months twice a week, hence I was there all the time and saw a lot. She does NOT give the kids a hug. In the beginning she did to get you in! She would hug your crying baby or toddler but once you're in, it's gone. She does not initiate it for sure. I tell my little girl to give her a hug when we leave, maybe she will learn from her to be kind and loving, maybe once she reads this she will start doing it. lol. I also observed her a couple of times yelling at the kids and said something that's inappropriate, not a cuss but something I will not say to a kid. There was also an incident where she was sick and they didn't call until the morning of, I was on my way out and had plans for the day and said that the school is closed that day. They don't dare mention a make up day and you would think that they would have a back up right? After I asked them about it, then they say oh yeah we have a backup but because of so and so, didn't make it. This is only after I asked. I think it's why she hates me, because I ask questions. What I gather is she's very insecure of her job, that's why she acted the way she did. Ms. Mary is VERY UNPROFESSIONAL and the board the goes along with it have no common sense. They have no sympathy for struggling parents, it's all about them, they will make you think so, that they care, but actions speaks louder than words. All they care about is how they would raise their funds to keep the school going. You are required to give the last month's tuition of the year (month of May) and I asked them in the beginning if it didn't work out if I can get that back or credited to last month and yes that was fine. So this incident with Ms. Mary came about. I felt very hurt and disrespected and would be impossible to bring my kid there, hence I pulled her out. I didn't go for a full month that I already paid and the last month deposit so I should have been reimbursed $300. I got back a wapping $27!!! You can tell that this school is just all about MONEY!!! They don't value good reputation. They treat you inhumanely then they have the nerve to take your money that they didn't earn. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE!! They left out the most important message of this school, they have lost the philosophy of the people that originally put this school together some time ago. Btw, she teaches the kids ONE LETTER A DAY, so as far as academic is concerned, my girl of just turned 3 who went here for 3-4 months, learned nothing new, unless your kid is super behind, then they will learn something. LOL ..Also read Melissa K's review, it's all true. I'm actually surprised that she mentioned GOSSIPING! That validates everything of what I was accused of from a gossip!! I guess they LIVE AND BREATHE gossip in this school. read more

My daughter loves this school I can't wait for my son to start. It's getting her ready for kindergarten it's a very Hands-On School. They take the time to get to know your kid and you as a parent. It's like one so big Co-op family. read more

This is not your average pre-school, as at So Big, you become part of a family! When shopping for a preschool for my 4 year old daughter, we checked out several schools in Antioch. At each tour, I just didn't feel comfortable as the teachers never engaged with my daughter (I was told to be mindful of that, as one of the former preschool teachers told me, that, if the teacher doesn't engage with my kids during a tour, chances are that they won't when I'm not around.) The minute we entered So Big, we were greeted with a huge smile from Ms.Mary. Right away, she introduced herself to my kids and was genuinely interested in getting to know them. Within 2 minutes, I knew this was the place for us! Most preschools will charge over $500 for a 3 days a week class. At So big, tuition was only $225! For less than $500 a month, we could enroll our 2 year old son as well. They are so happy and look forward to attending school. My daughter is about to graduate and cries everytime I tell her she will be going to a different school. She says she wants to stay here forever! Since parents are the staff, we really get to know each other and all the kids. This school is all about building a community! We all look out for one another. Ms.Mary really emphasizes kindness and I truly believe that the kids will blossom into kind adults. If you like the idea of being involved in your child's education, and connecting with other families, So Big is definitely the place for you! I can really go on and on!! Come take a tour, and I'm sure you'll fall in love! read more

My children went to this preschool. My oldest is 11 now and she did 2 years at So big and then my son who is now 8 did 1 year. He would have done longer but we moved out of the area. Miss Mary always greeted each child with a hug at the door. The kids would write their names on the board and wash their hands when they came in. It was play-based with just enough structure to give the kids the comfort of routine. There were so many educational toys. Most parents do a good job engaging the children but there is an occasional parent who would rather not be there (Its not for everyone). Yes, there is some work in involved. The kids LOVE it though. And it is fun to participate and be in those memories with your preschooler. The cost is dramatically lower then a non co-op preschool. When we started with my daughter their was 2 short circle times beginning and end of class. I cant remember why but at the time it made sense to switch to one circle time. I do like 2 circle times better for some of the more active kids (1 of mine was very active). read more

I have had My oldest son (now 19) my niece (now 14) and my littlest son (now 5 and just graduated from So-Big) attend So-Big Co-op preschool and I have nothing but great things to say about So-Big! My littlest was against going to school he was convinced everything he needed to learn was all in his IPad....Lol! Now not a day goes by that he doesn't tell me how much he loves So-Big and more then that how much he loves Ms. Mary. She has touched his life and heart in such a big way. I kick myself for not putting him in So-Big earlier! He has learned so much and has the most confidence I have ever seen in such a little guy! I am so glad I went back to So-Big and met Ms. Mary not only does my son have a huge soft spot in his heart for her but my whole family does! She is definitely amazing! If you are looking for a preschool you must check out So-Big. You will feel at home right away! Your children will love Ms. Mary just as much as my son does! read more

I love this school! My kids are older now, but had such an amazing experience at So Big. I knew I wanted the co-op experience for myself and my kids. Great foundation for my children's education that I could be involved. Such good memories of working in the classroom with all the kids. Love the relationships I still have with parents and kids. read more