I can't say enough amazing things about Prospect Sierra. Our family feels incredibly grateful to…read morehave found this school and be a part of this wonderful community. Prospect Sierra is a truly exceptional elementary school (K-4 at lower and 5-8 at upper) that fosters a welcoming and vibrant community where diversity is celebrated both among students and faculty. There is a strong emphasis on emotional intelligence woven throughout their curriculum which feels balanced with their focus on academics. The school provides a warm and nurturing environment for holistic development and has the support of learning specialists, a wonderful school psychologist, etc. The faculty is beyond exceptional and in my opinion what sets Prospect Sierra apart. The teachers and administration are all dedicated educators that embody PS's commitment to leading with respect and joy and creating an environment that fosters a love for learning. My daughter is genuinely excited and happy to go to school every day! Prospect Sierra has a very well-rounded enrichment curriculum that creates a rich and engaging learning experience. Specialty classes include drama, music, art, Co-Lab, and Spanish to name a few. With two teachers in each classroom we certainly feel the personalized attention and extra support. The afterschool program is also wonderful and my daughter has enjoyed participating in the afterschool program classes such as cooking, legos, chess, judo, etc.! The campus and the physical spaces including the classrooms and enrichment rooms are beautiful. The school does an exceptional job with communicating with the parents (via emails, a fabulous newsletter, etc) and there are plenty of opportunities for families to get involved (as much or as little as they want to!) including volunteering in the specialty classes, driving for field trips or leading a school committee. The school is also extremely committed to diversity which is woven throughout the curriculum. As part of the professional development, they recently sent a large number of the faculty to a POCC conference, there are family cohorts and racial cohorts for students including a Black, AAPI, LatinX, Pride and Swana cohort and lots of cultural celebrations throughout the year. Beyond 5 stars! We have had the best experience and pinch ourselves everyday that PS is a part of our family and our child's development.

My children love this school, and at the end of each day, they do not want to leave!…read more This is a well-resourced, beautiful school perched at the top of the El Cerrito Hills. The school culture, which has become our home culture, is one of overt and active kindness. My children learn in an environment of safety and celebration of difference, and from my perspective, the school's administrators actively seek to build community wherever possible, and the faculty actively work to remove all barriers to learning.

As someone who moved to the Bay Area about a decade ago, I've often missed the sense of Persian…read morecommunity I grew up with, attending "mehmoonis" (parties), hearing Iranian music fill our home, and being surrounded by our rich, beautiful culture. When it came time to find a preschool for my son, I dreamed of a place that could offer him that same warmth and connection, and Golestan has given us exactly that and more. The first time I stepped into Golestan's "hayaat" (yard), I was instantly transported to my grandpa's garden in Iran. The laughter, the trees, the care woven into every detail. It's such a lively, loving, and vibrant space where my son learns, plays, makes friends, and creates lasting memories. The teachers are absolute angels, deeply nurturing, creative, and so attuned to each child. From the thoughtfully designed classrooms to the fresh, nourishing food (with ingredients straight from their learning garden!), every aspect of Golestan reflects an intentional, heartful approach to education and community. I feel truly honored for my son to spend his days in such a magical and enriching environment, surrounded by love, culture, and curiosity, and I'm already dreaming of the day my daughter can join. Regardless of your background or heritage, Golestan is a place worth experiencing. I'm sure they'll woo you at "Salaam" :)

It is an AMAZING school. They have created magic at the school and it has become an extension of…read moreour home. The teachers love being there and always have a smile. The happy environment is very accepting of kids and loving towards them. The environment is very conducive to learning and building self confidence for the kids. The Director is probably the most passionate person I have met about education and every detail in the school show it.

Horrible school. If you have a special needs child, they will neglect them and treat them…read moredifferently. They will fail to provide ANY support whatsoever. My nephew (who is on the spectrum and has ADHD) attended for less than a year and had a horrible experience in this short time. He faced discrimination and negligence by his teachers, aid, and the school directors. Please be advised that this is not the great school it claims to be.

Absolutely wonderful Elementary School with an incredible staff and fabulous PTA that works to…read moresupport the needs of parents and the teachers. It's been a wonderful place for many years now.

I'm not going to get into my general experience, which was overall quite good but challenging-…read moreInstead I want to say something very specific. I received the letter I wrote to myself in my eight grade advisory (10 years ago) and I was moved to tears instantly. Thank you for blessing me with that gift

This is the middle/upper school campus, with a slightly smaller playground, but more centrally…read morelocated than the kiddie campus. Tennis courts are right across the street, and the community center (hooray for the pool and martial arts classes!) are about 2 blocks away.

I just have to do this school justice because the previous reviews really slander the image of the…read moreschool. Harding since four years ago has been a diverse, supportive, caring environment! With many dedicated teachers and staff. They will say hi to your kids even at the grocery store! I have nothing but positive feedbacks for this school and it takes the community/village to raise young people. This is a dedicated community of parents who are constantly volunteering and giving back to the school. This community keeps the students safe by prioritizing safety, and investing in teachers ongoing development!

First of all, my child said that a special Ed student tried to light a kids computer on fire. They…read moreshould have better watch on the special ed students and actually try to teach them. Second off they have also let me in on that their friend has been mentally abused and scarred by their third grade teacher. For privacy reasons, is called Ms B. In other events, I was also alerted that a suicide note was inside of the boy's lavatory and was most likely from this school and school caused it. The new change in authority was nice though because the old principal was pretty rude. As previously told, there is a janitor currently in charge in the cafeteria. What baffles me is that this janitor isn't even letting the new lunch monitor do her job because the janitor thinks she has more power than she already has. Don't really recommend, 1.5 stars.

And you'll be wanting to know what happened to my review of El Cerrito High School. Yep, the…read morecleansing sweep of Yelp TOS'd this review too. But, I live within a block of the school and follow its progress every day. So...I think I'm in a position to tell you about the place. Here's the review: Yes, I went to ECHS a thousand years ago, and no, it wasn't my finest educational hour! But... It wasn't the school's fault. I was a teenager. Get it? So, lets start with a few corrections: Bronwen, I've been watching over the school now for sixty years.Literally. I don't think that at any time "the board got pushed by a couple of homeowners." There were a number of community-based meeting when the new campus was about to be built. Homeowners went to these meetings and were asked what they would like to see in a new school The result was a very nice school building, awesome auditorium, and appropriate "setbacks" so that the hillside wouldn't slide into the new school. We do live at the edge of the Blakemont slide... Wouldn't want our neighborhood kids to be buried in mud, you know. Speaking of which...DO NOT refer to the kids as "pretty ghetto." These are kids in school. Not out on the streets. Where the kids are from is irrelevant. Where they are going is to the university. Good jobs. Good places. They have hope in their hearts, these kids in school...and the future really does belong with them. Easy on the mudslinging.....it smacks of inappropriate racism. Lots of nifty programs at the school these days. FIne (local) principal. All very well managed by teachers, staff and students. Campus police available for those intruding moments, which are rare. Do stay hopeful. I think these kids are going to be able to support you in your old age. When Social Security comes knocking at your door. And it will. Trust me. Trust the future.....

I am an El Cerrito High graduate and my younger sister is a current student there…read more I was fortunate enough to spend a year in the old building, but spend the remainder of my years in portables. Despite the portables, ECHS was enjoyable. The block system has changed a bit since I attended but it still maintains the general 3 classes for half a year, and then another 3 classes. In my opinion this system is nice in the fact that we're not simply in a class for 50 minutes and then off to the next one. But on the other hand it's easier to not remember information learned in one class and having to carry it over to the next school year. The new school looks great. I've heard there are multiple gyms, a dance studio, and tons of brand new buildings. The teaching staff was nice and helped me get into the college I had wanted. Since then I'm sure some of the teachers have moved on, but I did see a few memorable faces when I go to pick up my sister. All together ECHS is like any high school. It has its ups and downs, depending on who you hang out with. But in terms of teaching and facilities, it's one of the better schools in the area.

We have two kids: one is a Piccoli alum and now a 3rd grader, the other is currently a Piccolino…read more Both of them thrived in the loving, stimulating, engaging, and safe environment that Piccoli provides. The teachers are all among the most dedicated, experienced, caring, wonderful educators you will find. The art and science projects are very engaging and hands-on, and you can tell that the teachers encourage kids to be creative and to learn while having fun. One of the observations that sold us on Piccoli when we were visiting preschools was the palpable atmosphere of the kids being at ease, having fun, learning, and thoroughly enjoying themselves and each other's company. No shell-shocked, blank stares or neglected kids standing in the corner here! :) The director has run the school for over 25 years and her staff also have many years of experience. The teachers are all so loving and talented that the kids get to thrive in a wonderful atmosphere. Science projects include learning about the developmental stages of lady bugs and butterflies and then releasing them in the garden, dinosaur week, penguin week, volcano projects, etc. Our children always looked forward to going to Piccoli, and got a kick out of Friday music days, when a local singer (Ginger) would come to school to teach the kids songs and have them accompany her on percussion instruments. Cooking projects on Thursdays bring out the budding chefs in the students. Meanwhile, over at our 3rd grader's elementary school, we've heard several teachers singing Piccoli's praises, saying that its alums are among the most well-adjusted and well-prepared kindergarteners at the school. Another positive sign is that we've noticed that many students are siblings of older kids who went to Piccoli. My husband and I found the tuition to be very competitive for the El Cerrito area, probably among the most reasonable rates you'll find. We would also recommend the school to any family looking for excellent day care (for 2 to 6 year-olds) as the school stays open until 5:00pm. The preschool program runs from 9am to 1pm every weekday.

Let me start by stating that we enrolled our 2 yr old in Piccoli based on a recommendation by a day…read morecare provider; we didn't shop around. When we initially started, everything was fine. He was thriving and picking up new skills from his older peers and Laurie sang his praises. In less than a year, we began to notice some digression. We would ask Laurie how our son was every day to which she replied dismissively "fine", "good", or "great". We tried to tease out more, but were given the cold shoulder. Perhaps she didn't have the time to speak to parents at drop off and pick up times since she was the only teacher working these hours (the other two teachers work shorter hours). She doesn't have a cell phone, she "doesn't do email", and she wouldn't schedule a parent conference outside of preschool hours. We also noticed that Laurie plays favorites. She exhibits varied greetings in the morning based on her favorite kids at that particular time. When our son was no longer the favorite, he was often not greeted at all. Further, Laurie has openly vented about another boy and how "terrible" he was and how she wishes she could just "get rid of him". She made these negative statements in front of said child and his peers - said child was often ostracized and referred by his peers as a "trouble maker". She states in her paperwork that she doesn't "discipline". You may want to enquire about her etiquette and discussing your child's behavior/performance with other parents. When our child turned 3, he began to challenge us - typical three year old. We approached Laurie for advice, and she replied w/, "read this book" and handed us a book titled "Your Three Year Old - Friend or Enemy", published in 1980. We approached her again a few months later about our son resisting drop off and she replied by saying "he has an irregular schedule and he needs consistency" and then walked away. By the way, we've kept the same schedule for the past five months. Later that week, we asked our son why he was unhappy going to preschool to which he replied, "I have an irregular schedule". What three year old says this unless he overhead a discussion (unlikely as it look place in another room) or was coached by his teacher? Another concern is that Laurie is very cavalier about kids' safety. My wife noticed a creepy man lurking outside of preschool. At pick up we informed Laurie to which she replied, "don't worry, nothing has ever happened here." Laurie also tried to teach me a "technique" of getting a kid's attention by grabbing them firmly by the back of the arm. She did this as an example to one of the kids running - the child looked terrified and Laurie equated it to grabbing a dog by the scruff of the neck. I have also witnessed Laurie shoving kids hands away from touch/feel book as she read them to a group of kids (kids naturally wanted touch the pages and she'd get frustrated). I have also seen kids put into isolation/time out without an explanation of why they are being reprimanded. In order for our son to learn from his mistakes, he needs to have them explained - from what I've witnessed, Laurie simply "redirected", isolated or reprimanded unwanted behavior without explanation to the kids on why they were in "trouble". I've tried to be objective in my review. If you ask any parent who enrolled their child in 2012 - 2013, they'd confirm my story about Laurie publically ousting one of her students has a "terrible child" doomed for failure. She is in a position to make a positive impact in this child's life, but in turn, she damaged him further and made it acceptable for other kids to humiliate him. When I called Piccoli to inform them about my son's departure and how we found another place, Laurie simply stated, "I accept that" and hung up the phone. She did not give me a chance to ask if my son can return to say goodbye to his friends and to collect his belongings. There are countless negative/child damaging examples that I can provide. To keep it short - Laurie is a very deeply negative person. She is very old fashioned in all of her approaches (see reference to a book she gave us published in 1980). She has terrible bedside manners, unprofessional and can be abusive. She is dismissive and plays favorites. She does not offer feedback even when you ask daily; unless your child is a favorite at the time. In this day and age where consumers have options, why settle for Laurie? It's worth it to us to spend a few dollars more for our son to be in a program that fosters love, growth, creativity and exploration; is it worth it to you?

My daughter attended Montessori Family School for 3 years. While there were many things we loved…read moreabout the school, we, like many other families, were essentially forced out by the current Head of School, Alissa S. Enrolling your child at Montessori Family School (MFS) is a bit like gambling. If your child has any trouble listening, staying on task, following directions, or you as a parent are outspoken, like to stand up for yourself, or don't deal well with those who are patronizing and lack empathy, it is more like playing Russian roulette. What we loved about MFS were the families. The community was fantastic, and one of the things I miss most. I don't think I met any parents or children that I didn't appreciate and enjoy. I think this is rare; I can't say the same about her new school. On the other end of the spectrum, the school administration - specifically the Head of School, Alissa S., and the "learning specialist" Regina H. - were a nightmare. We, like most parents, were blindsided by them and how they presented our daughter as struggling, having problems, and needing help. Worried about our kids, we didn't realize until later that what they had done and said was inappropriate and unprofessional, and that they were the problem, not our kids. The sad part is that the voices of these families were rarely heard when they needed to be, and still aren't heard now. The number of positive Yelp reviews, many from hand-picked parents that were asked to serve on the school's Board of Directors, tell only the positive stories. While I do believe these accounts are sincere, they are only part of the full picture. The stories of those that were forced to leave the school, lost thousands of dollars in tuition, and were so upset with the situation that they were considering legal action, are mostly absent, and should not be forgotten. My daughter did well enough at MFS, but about half-way through our time at the school, we were told that she needed "outside support", which seems to be private school code for, "Your child is a burden to us. Go pay for an aide, tutoring, or something else." My daughter, who was later diagnosed with ADHD, and is also strong-willed, was more than the school could or wanted to support. While I understand and can accept that, the way this was handled was unprofessional and traumatizing. There was a complete lack of empathy from the individuals mentioned above. I found them to be very narrow-minded, opinionated and authoritarian, and it became clear that we would need to listen to them and do what they said, or we would be kicked out. I luckily realized this, and tread carefully for the rest of our time there - not directly or openly opposing or contradicting them. Other parents were not so fortunate. I personally know at least four families that had to switch schools in the middle of the year. One family had pre-paid their tuition for the year to obtain a discount, and it was not refunded. Two were speaking with lawyers. One was apparently threatened by lawyers from the school. For us, we were suddenly placed on "Academic Hold" in the middle of our third year, which basically meant they would not let us re-enroll. This was upsetting, and a complete shock, and came with no warning, nor had we even heard about such a thing before. We were left suddenly trying to figure out where we would attend school the next year, with only a few weeks left to tour and apply to private schools. We have since moved to public school. Despite the challenges inherent in the public school system, it has been a relief to leave behind the dysfunctional administration at MFS. Still, while her new teacher & the school staff are fantastic, I am far less impressed with the parents and other children in her class, compared to those who were at MFS. MFS has struggled with these issues for years now, and there seems to be little to no improvement. When I was first looking at MFS, I had heard some stories and I knew people that had withdrawn their kids, but I was more focused on what I saw on the surface and liked, and didn't pay as much attention to the warning signs myself. When you see something you like, you tend to ignore or minimize the negative. I don't regret our decision to attend MFS, but it would have been nice to have known a bit more and been a bit less naive. If you are considering MFS for your child, then it might be the perfect school for your family. But I write this because I could no longer stand by while a small number of families were treated so horribly. It is my belief that this situation only persists because those affected are few, they are afraid to speak up, or rather, don't feel like it will do any good. And so far, they have been right. Should the good experiences of a majority of families outweigh the mistreatment and hurt caused to a smaller number of families, which end up at other schools anyway? That is for you to decide.

Any school can call themselves Montessori, but MFS is the real thing. Accredited by the American…read moreMontessori Society, it stays true to the Montessori philosophy of multi-age classrooms based on Montessorian development stages. The student-teacher ratio is low, and the teachers and staff are dedicated, hard-working, and nurturing. My kids are challenged, stimulated, and are learning at their own pace. An added bonus-- the music program is amazing! I visited several Montessori schools, but chose MFS (we started at the preschool campus) because it just like the Children's House I attended in early childhood. If you are interested in enrolling in a Montessori but are new to the pedagogy, you may want to visit the AMS website or pick-up a Parent's Guide to the Montessori Classroom or a similar book so you know what to expect.