We couldn't be happier with our experience at Ice Cream & Shoe Preschool. It's such a warm,…read morethoughtful, and nurturing environment, and you can truly feel how much the teachers care about the kids as individuals. The TK classroom atmosphere is calm and welcoming, and the play-based approach strikes a great balance between social-emotional development and early learning. Our child feels safe, supported, and excited to go to school each day, which says everything. The teachers are attentive, patient, and incredibly skilled at guiding children through friendships, problem-solving, and independence. We also really appreciate the strong sense of community among families and staff. Communication is clear, and it's obvious this school has been thoughtfully run for many years!

Our son attended preschool at Ice Cream and Shoe and we truly loved the experience - the teachers…read moreare so nurturing, the methodology was loved by parents and kids, and the experience prepared him for kindergarten in a noticeable way! I highly recommend this preschool program!

My two boys have gone through Brookside and absolutely thrived. The teachers are ALL amazing,…read morededicated, nurturing, loving, smart, wonderful people who have allowed my children their own voice with just the right amount of guidance. My boys have gone from shy to confident well-prepared for the next step kids. The admin and staff are so strong and supportive of both kids and parents. Brookside has the academics partnered Social Emotional Learning, buddy programs, Special Education (with amazing support for children and families), Stem programs, service learning (Children 4 Change), Outdoor Education, Integrated Reading & Writing Curriculum, Award-winning Music programs, Visual & Theater Arts programs, and more all of this at our beautiful elementary schools. The support for special education is absolutely solid. RVSD schools are top notch in all ways. Thank you for making my children's experience so very special!

I've had kids at two different RVSD schools. Both of them have been excellent. Our experience at…read moreBrookside for the district-wide T-K program was wonderful. The teacher was loving, fun, and incredibly patient with a diverse group of lively 4-5 year olds. The other school we've been at is Hidden Valley and the staff and community there are lovely. The teachers know all the kids, and the Principal not only knows all the kids names, but she knows a good number of the parent's names too. I remember volunteering in the garden after school and she came out to help. Then she thanked me for all my volunteering even though I work full time. She remembered that from a prior conversation, I didn't even recall. The school has a buddy program so kids are partnered-a younger student with an older one. My kids love it.

We are so grateful we found Oakview. After moving to Marin during COVID, it was difficult to find a…read moresense of community, but Oakview gave our family that and so much more. Our daughter started at Oakview at age two, and from the moment we toured the school, we knew it was special. The warm and welcoming environment stood out to us. Every classroom felt joyful, engaging, colorful, and thoughtfully designed. After touring a handful of places we knew Oakview was the one. Over the years, it has been a joy to watch our daughters grow and thrive. Our oldest recently graduated and is heading to kindergarten with confidence, independence, and a genuine love of learning. I have especially loved seeing how much she admires and adores her teachers. The teachers really go above and beyond with unique and creative, hands-on projects and building relationships with each child and their families. Lastly, as newcomers to Marin, we met so many wonderful families through the school who have become some of our closest friends. Oakview has been an incredibly special part of our lives, and we are deeply grateful for the love, care, education, creativity, and community it has provided. We couldn't recommend it more highly.

We've had such a wonderful experience at Oakview Preschool. Each classroom tailors its program to…read morethe children's age and developmental stage, which makes a noticeable difference. The teachers lead with so much kindness and care and you can genuinely feel how much they value each child. It feels great knowing my two boys are safe, well cared for, having fun, and learning every day, not just academically, but also how to be kind little humans. They enjoy being there and are happy when I pick them up, and that says everything to me. The amazing parent community is an added bonus. I feel lucky to have found Oakview and would absolutely recommend Oakview as the best place for children to get their start with school.

ACA is dreadful…read more.. Just before my son got into ACA, his camp behavioral therapist said to me she believed he was being coached by the other parent to alienate him from me. And she was willing to work with me to ensure my relationship with my son remained healthy. Later, she started working at ACA and said her director Shana had told her she could no longer communicate with me. Dismayed, I reached out to Shana to resolve the issue, but she wouldn't respond. I then contacted the teacher again who emailed me stating my son hates me and the sooner I'm out of his life the better ... unreal. She did a complete 180 on me. Her response was probably due to her worrying about her job more than anything, which shows the power toxic people have over others. Regardless, teachers should never speak to any parent like that. After that, I show up to pick up my son and see Shana approaching my car with a stern look on her face. She then leans into my car window and demands I pay her. I told her to step away from my car, she then threatened to call the police and record me (she did neither -- essentially manipulating the situation), and all this happened in front of my son and his classmates. To say this behavior was out of line and unprofessional is an understatement. After the altercation Shana emails me (and for some reason, my ex-wife) threatening that I can't go on her property again ... the result? I must pick up my son from the adjacent church. On top of all that, the school accused me of stealing the papers my son brings home, which is asinine -- don't you keep copies?! Even worse, when speaking with the San Rafael school district they communicated to me the information received from ACA is unreliable, in other words my son isn't getting the education he deserves. And here's the real kicker, if you have any issues with this school you'll have to go to court. Why? Because it's a non-accredited school that answers to no one. Children should be in environments where there's structure and kindness, not toxicity. If you're thinking of having your child in this school, I highly recommend you do your homework to help with your decision making. I'm not the only parent who has had trouble with Shana.

Stop right here if you are searching for a school that is accepting, nurturing and goes above and…read morebeyond to work with kids that may struggle socially, behaviorally or academically in a larger school setting. Prior to ACA, my now 7 year old with ADHD, was in TK distress at a Novato public school. We made the move for Kindergarten and now 1st grade. Best decision ever!! The Director, Shana, has a gift of understanding what children with special needs (ADHD, ASD, Social Pragmatics, etc) need and how to help any parent through the challenges it may present. At ACA, my son has been given the chance to thrive academically with all the extra social and emotional supports that are often unavailable in public school. ACA is truly a diamond in the rough and deserves a major shout out!!!

As an alumnus (1959 - 1967), I'm disappointed that the school has chosen trendiness over substance…read more I will not give my opinion on teaching "the gender non-binary" to second graders. But I will note that parents seem to be afraid of giving their opinions, which was certainly not the case when I attended the school. In second grade, my teacher Miss Williams read "The Princess and the Goblin" to us. There was no question that the school was patriotic and valued a classical education. Today the decision makers claim that the school is just following the vision of its founders, who emphasized educating "the whole student." But I doubt that the founders would approve of what the school is doing today. The insincere virtue signaling that pretends to be social justice is not a grass-roots phenomenon but rather a fashionable elite pose that allows the unjust to pretend they care when they really do not. Imposing this on children can only be described as a travesty. The parents are trapped because it's the powers above them who have imposed this on the rest of us, and careers and reputations are at stake. Instead of socially engineering students, my alma mater needs to get back to teaching the basics and treating students as the unique individuals they are rather than as representatives of groups. The motto of the school when I went there was "A spirit always surging." Today, I would say "cringing" is a more accurate description.

Our child just completed first year here. This school has surpassed our expectations and we are…read morealready looking forward to the next school year. The environment is friendly, fun, supportive, and progressive. The facilities are fantastic, and there is ongoing construction and improvements happening. There is an emphasis on the overall child, not just academics. If your child is lucky enough to have Doug Zesiger as their teacher, I have nothing to say but the best things about him. It is sad to see Dierdre leave, though - as she has been fantastic :( Step-up day was a moving experience, and it was so cool to see the 8th graders 'stepping down', and stomping their feet when the kindergarteners 'stepped up.' It was a very memorable day! I know it sounds like I am going on about this school, but I really can not imagine a better environment for my children. There really was nothing negative I can say at all about this year. I know a few parents had gripes about the bus and after school offerings, but that is maybe all I can even think of (very minor in my opinion). We applied to a number of independent schools in San Francisco and Southern Marin and were accepted to all, but MCDS was our top and standout choice. We couldn't be happier after our first year and without hesitation highly recommend this school. I have no doubt this school is one of the best in not only the Bay Area, but in the country.

Both of my children attended TLC for three years leading up to kindergarten - and I can only say…read moregood things about this place. Three things to remember: small classes (max 6 kids in a class), in-home environment (no transition issues), director/teacher with an MSE and 30 years of experience - actually taking care of the kids. Couldn't ask for anything more. Just today Bonnie called me to tell me something new that that my daughter had learned. She loves the kids and she loves teaching. My son is in now second grade and doing exceptionally well socially, emotionally and academically. I attribute this to tailored attention he received at TLC. Seema teaches the younger kids. She is creative, fun and loving. In the early days I remember peeking in and seeing my daughter asleep in her arms. It reminded me that I had made the right decision.

Both our boys went here. Bonnie and the other teachers are absolutely wonderful; a very caring and…read morenourishing environment where the kids both learn and play.

I attended Marin Horizon in the early-mid 2000s, from 3rd through 8th grade. Those years were…read moreextremely formative for me, but unfortunately were not positive - in fact I remember them today as being the worst years of my life. The academics at MHS may have been good, but were rendered irrelevant by the brutal, ceaseless bullying I experienced, the scars of which haunt me to this day. I have memories of horrible things my classmates did to me while the faculty and administration stood by and did nothing. It pains me to think that my parents spent so much money for me to be treated so poorly, and even today I wonder how I made it through those years of misery and came out the other side. Today I'm 32 and have a wonderful and fulfilling life that I am extremely proud of - everything I have is not because of, but rather in spite of, my time at MHS.

My daughter had the privilege to attend Marin Horizon School for 8th grade and her experience…read moreexceeded our expectations on every level. My only regret is not moving to MHS earlier. What most impressed me was how close the teachers, staff and administrators got to know her, and the dedicated coaching she received in every single class. This struck me reading the narrative from each teacher in the first report cards. It was clear they knew my daughter deeply and had worked closely with her to develop her strengths and push her in the areas she needed to grow. The school community was incredibly warm and welcoming, she had many new friends within days of joining the school and felt as if she had been there for years. This was clearly intentional, MHS focuses on fostering a sense of belonging, bonding with teachers, character building and strong academics. I highly recommend MHS and can see why they have been voted 'Best Private School in Marin' for many years. It is indeed the best!

This is a great place! The teachers are like family to us. All my 3 kids are here. One just…read moregraduated from here and i feel she really blossomed when she went to Alpha Kids. They emphasized how to play with other kids. I love how supportive the teachers are. They're overall great people.

This is a wonderful place! We placed our 2 year old here in Feb 2018, having transferred from a…read moredifferent school. He transitioned very quickly and was always positive about going to school. At his time at Alpha Kids his language skills exploded and his social interactions became much more courteous and empathetic. The teacher to child ratio is awesome - giving all these young kids the time and attention they need to get the most out of an early education. The teachers and administrators are all very caring, attentive and organized--they've put an engaging, well run program together. Alpha Kids is new to Novato so they're still relatively unknown - so we feel lucky to have found it!