Sunnyside Preschool is truly the best. My son started about six months ago, and from day one, Miss Sylvie--along with the students and families--made us feel so welcome. The transition couldn't have been smoother, and now he walks (and often runs!) into school every morning excited and happy. The Sunnyside team is incredibly communicative and has done such a wonderful job nurturing his curiosity, skills, and creativity. I'm constantly amazed hearing about what he learned or experienced each day. He's now counting to 10 and has really developed a love for books and coloring, which has been so fun to watch. We also love the balance of outdoor play, classroom time, and shared meals with his classmates--it's been terrific for his development. We're already looking forward to having his younger sister join Sunnyside in the future. Sylvie does a great job keeping parents in the loop on what the kids are learning, singing, and working on as the seasons change. Our little guy absolutely loves Sunnyside--and so do we. read more

Sylvie's is the best! Miss Sylvie and her assistant are trustworthy, kind, experienced, communicative, and I trust them implicitly with my child's care. My son (first child) started her program at 1.5 years old and she made the transition smooth for him as it was his first time leaving home. He walks in every day by himself, happy and ready to start his morning! Her Montessori-based program is thoughtfully designed to foster focus, exploration, and curiosity during the most crucial toddler years. Her classroom is inviting and intentional, with developmentally-appropriate shelf works for various ages. The backyard is very spacious with an impressive array of climbing equipment, big sandbox, swings, cars and scooters, toys, slides, and an huge lush green lawn. The best part of the yard is the garden beds where the children help plant seeds and grow food which they later enjoy for lunch together. (I love that snack and lunch are included in tuition!) In a nutshell, Miss Sylvie's is a toddler's paradise, inside and out. It is where kind and gentle socialization happens, and where I trust my child's every need is being met. We love the other children and families we have met as well. Five stars all the way! Thank you for everything you do, Sylvie!! read more

My daughter has been going to Sylvie's for over a year now and we have watched her literally blossom. She absolutely loves school and wants to go every day. She likes to talk about her friends and eats cherry tomatoes like they are candy (Sylvie has an organic vegetable garden that the kids help with). She's learned great motor and social skills, she's not shy anymore and loves to play with new people. She sings songs for us that she learns at school and has learned how to use her words when her brother is too close to her (I NEED SPACE). I would wholeheartedly recommend this preschool to any parent. I'm so glad we found Sylvie. read more

Our son has been at Sunnyside since he was 2, and it has been a transformative experience in so many ways. His language skills, confidence, and social skills have all blossomed, and we owe so much to Sylvie and her teaching! As a child born in the pandemic, we were nervous about how he would transition into a school environment, but Sylvie's patient and nurturing style has allowed him to flourish alongside his classmates. This is a gem of a school and we're so grateful we found it! read more

Our little one has been at Sylvie's Sunnyside Montessori since he turned 2 years old (we would have sent him earlier but there wasn't room). Sylvie is incredible. She is kind, patient, loving, and nurturing. She has been instrumental in my son's development; everything from sensory and motor skills to managing big feelings, and also potty training. My husband and I have also learned a great deal from Sylvie and are forever grateful for the impact she has had on our family. I cannot recommend her program enough. read more

Sunnyside was our first preschool experience, and we couldn't be happier. My son absolutely loves it, and we're excited to send our second child there this fall. The owner, Sylvie, is fantastic, and the teaching assistant, Taryn, is just as wonderful. The kids enjoy a great mix of activities every day, including outdoor play, gardening, engaging Montessori activities, circle time, and art. They're treated to home-cooked meals daily, and each toddler takes a turn helping to prepare the table for lunch. Miss Sylvie excels at fostering a sense of community among the families, and we've made friends with many other parents. I have nothing but praise for Sunnyside. My favorite aspect is the independence it has nurtured in my son; he feels "capable." He'll come home and tackle tasks like sweeping up spills, clearly reflecting the skills and values he's learning at school. I highly recommend Sunnyside to any parent looking for a caring and enriching preschool experience! read more

My son attended Sunnyside Preschool from 18 months to 3 1/2. When he first started he had horrible eczema, food allergies and was allergic to detergent. Sylvie was very understanding, patient, kind, and worked with us in so many ways to make him feel comfortable. This included changing the soap products she was using and adjusting the foods that she provided. She makes delicious home cooked meals and makes an effort to buy organic whenever possible. She also has an extensive garden and grows vegetables to supplement the meals. My son loves eating all kinds of salads/vegetables and I think that Sylvie helped foster this love. Sylvie also has a very balanced approach teaching the children. In a loving way she sets clear expectations and boundaries. My son now goes to Montessori De Terra Linda and the transition to the much larger school went very smoothly. He is confident, well-prepared and has had no problems making new friends. I'm also happy to say that my son no longer has eczema and can eat nearly all foods! read more

After interviewing several daycare/preschools, and not finding one where the teachers were attentive enough, I was very happy with my decision to enroll my son at Sunnyside. Sylvie is a very caring and aware teacher with a friendly and calm personality. Both my son and I felt very comfortable with her and the Sunnyside environment. My son didn't call it school, he called it, "Sylvie's house" because that's what it really is! I liked how younger children were exposed to the actions of slightly older kids, eagerly drinking in what the older ones were doing. I know that much of the day was spent learning new things because my son would surprise me with new tidbits of information and words each day. The lunch program Sylvie followed encouraged all the children to eat the same healthy food, and she instilled proper manners and cleanup from all the kids at the communal dining table. Sylvie noticed that my son seemed ready to be potty trained and suggested that if "I" was ready, I start taking him off diapers at home and she would do the same at school. He was there from 18 mths to age 2.5 years. Sadly, we had to move from the Bay Area, but when he started his new school, not only was he the only child in his class completely potty trained, but he was able to fit right into the preschool environment without any issues! read more

After looking at nearly every daycare in San Rafael, I found Sylvie. First and foremost, her school is clean. She cooks healthy food for the kids everyday (both breakfast and lunch) and offers a variety of educational activities. The kids are taught to respect their classmates, toys, and to clean up after themselves. She runs a tight ship with regard to schedule (naps, story time, meals, play, circle time - reading and singing) but encourages the kids to be independent and creative. She offers fantastic educational activities. Some of my favorites are: Growing tomatoes in the garden. She encourages the kids to help with watering and then they can "reap" the harvest right off the vine as the tomatoes ripen. Metamorphosis of a butterfly. She sent away for live caterpillars so that the kids could watch the caterpillar turn into a butterfly. Learning bird calls. She played the sounds of local birds and helped the children identify them on walks to the park. Now my son can look at a robin and say, "Robin - tweet tweet tweet." It's pretty cute. The school has a wonderful outside play area with a swing set, jungle gym, sand box, and a patio for riding around scooters on. Inside there is a library and a giant assortment of activities placed on trays that are located on the many shelves. The idea is that the kids can pull out one activity at a time (only one tray) and then put it back before they take out another one. Sylvie has taught me some great parenting tips. For instance, rather than saying "no," gently correct your child by saying, "Uh oh, you must have forgot. We do this instead of that." Just a great example of how she gets the best out of the kids. I can sum it up by saying what I told my husband after I first met Sylvie - at most daycares, you can definitely see that the kids are being cared for - but with Sylvie, you know that your child is cared about. A HUGE difference in my book. read more

Sending our 2.5 yr old daughter to Sunnyside was the best decision we could have made! Sylvie & Tina are amazing teachers and have really developed our daughter so much over the past 6 months. They are very patient and kind, the school is very clean, and my daughter is really thriving since she began attending Sunnyside. I love their emphasis on art & outdoor play, as well as healthy eating habits. The hours work great with our work schedules. The communication to parents is wonderful. Sylvie has even been such a help to us a 1st time parents with great advice. I really can't say enough positive things about this school! Our daughter will be very well prepared for her next school adventure. read more

Our son has been attending Sunnyside for the past year. What an amazing year it has been! Finding Sylvie was a true blessing for our family. She is loving, patient and caring. She has created a very nurturing environment where the kids are allowed to grow and express themselves in numerous ways, but they are always encouraged to be respectful and kind towards others. My son has blossomed with Sylvie and is just the happiest child! The classroom and backyard are amazing. She provides an environment where the kids are consistently stimulated and one where they can run around like crazy if they chose to. She is also very in tuned with every child's needs. We are very lucky to have Sylvie in our lives and she truly is my son's third parent! read more

My daughter is thriving at Sunnyside school. We are very happy with our decision to enroll her in Sylvie's program. We interviewed several places and found Sunnyside to strike the right balance between a warm home environment and a more structured school environment. It's a perfect first school experience. Sylvie is very caring, calm and knowledgeable. She has a wonderful way with the children- a loving yet firm approach which the children respond very well to. She has also been very helpful with giving advice on different parenting issues that have come up. She even let me know when our daughter was ready to start potty training and helped us accomplish that. I can't say enough good things about the school. Our daughter even comes home singing songs in french!! We love Sunnyside and will send our son there as soon as he's old enough! read more

I do not often submit reviews, although I should, as I certainly rely on them from others. I did want to take a moment to write a review for Sylvie's Sunnyside Preschool. My daughter is 2.5 and has been attending since last September. She will continue another year until she is absolutely too old for the school. Prior to this school she was attending another pre-school that was good, but Sylvie's is outstanding and truly on a whole other level. I had no idea what we were missing. Sylvie is a special person and probably one my daughter will remember for life. She is that one special teacher we all hope to have or hopefully had. Sylvie's Montessori program has done wonders for my daughter in terms of blossoming and continued confidence. She has really grown in the best way. I highly recommend! read more

I don't think there are enough stars to give Sylvie at Sunnyside. I would give her a million. Both my daughter (now 2.5 years but started at 18 months) and my son (now 4.5 and started at 2) attend Sunnyside and they LOVE Sylvie so much and love going to school everyday. From the moment they both joined, I noticed an immediate difference. From the seemingly smallest ability to putting on their own shoes and placing them neatly in their rooms, to speech, behavior, the list goes on and on. I love how she balances learning with tons of outdoor play. My son just explained metamorphosis to me yesterday! The kids help with the vegetable garden and learn all about food and how it grows, and then they get to eat the delicious organic food from that garden for lunch. My husband and I both think Sylvie has magical powers because there is no other way to explain the wonderful way she has with little kids. She is so understanding, gentle, calm, kind, strong when she needs to be, and caring with each kid. We absolutely consider her part of our family and we feel so fortunate to entrust Sylvie with our most precious loved ones everyday. I highly recommend Sylvie to anyone looking for a preschool for their little ones. read more

Sylvie Clerc is just wonderful. After my nanny left, my poor son went to 2 different day cares in the space of a couple of months. He absolutely hated them - food substandard, care substandard. He went from happy and secure to ultra clingy and unhappy. I am so glad my friend referred me to Sunnyside. Within 1 week, my son was cautiously but happily walking in, and by the end of 2 weeks, he was happy and secure. This is not an ordinary day-care. Sylvie was formerly a Montessori teacher and it shows. My son was learning all sorts of things - socially and academically. Sylvie provided healthy lunches. I highly recommend Sunnyside! read more

We are so blessed to have found Sunnyside. Sylvie has made my son's first school experience positive, fun and like an extension of home with us. She offers great advice on positive parenting approaches too, so we have managed typical developmental things with more grace because of her compassionate insights. She serves healthy meals, maintains age-appropriate structure and routine, but offers enough novelty that our son skips into school every day with pride to be there. We love Sunnyside so much, we are sending our baby daughter there next, the second she turns 15 months old! Thank you, Sylvie, for helping to build such a solid foundation for such precious lives. read more

We feel so blessed to have found this gem of a school. Sylvie and Tina are fantastic at what they do. My first impression upon visiting the school two years ago was that all the kids were playing happily outside without any chaos. How does she get 12 2 year olds to play without chaos?! I can't even do it with 1! Our son has flourished in this program. The focus on developing their independence, empathy, and exploration has been so much fun to watch. We will be sending our second son there this fall after our oldest graduates this summer. Anyone is lucky to be able to attend this school. read more

I liked the daycare and wanted to send my child here but Sylvie did not respond to my emails for weeks. And she never answers her phone. She did not even bother to let me know after she received my application fee. I would feel very uncomfortable putting my child in the care of someone who is not reachable! I haven't had this experience anywhere else and I would expect this bare minimum courtesy from anyone. I was disappointed. read more

Our son is just about to graduate to "big boy" school after 2 years at Sylvie's and our daughter has been at Sylvie's for 5 months. If I could give more than five stars I would. I am in total agreement with all the previous reviews and think they give a good overview of the learning environment at Sylvie's. Additional thoughts I have... * Sylvie is such a warm and caring person. Her love of the children is very evident. She is a commited care giver and educator. Just a few minutes with her and you can tell that she truly loves what she does. I feel so blessed that my children have a loving, home environment to go to socialize, learn and play. * Sylvie practices positive discipline with the children. The children are treated with respect and therefore learn respect of others. They learn social skills in a safe environment where they can explore social boundaries without fear. Her discipline method promotes self-confidence, empathy, and forgiveness. In addition, her experience has proved very valuable on more than one occasion as she has coached me on how to better handle discipline issues in my home. * Class size and age ranges are very appropriate. There are enough children ranging in age from 15 months to 3.5 years such that the younger toddlers have the benefits of learning from older children and older children reinforce learnings with younger toddlers. I've learned the importance of this as I've watched my own son accept new challenges after watching others (like using the potty) as well as explore leadership skills as he became the "big boy" in the group. * Sylvie's program has some Montessori influence which I like. The class is not overly structured. Yet the children learn how to care for themselves and their environment. Such as wiping their nose and throwing the tissue in the trash can, using a napkin to wipe their hands and face after eating, dressing themselves, taking their plate to the kitchen, cleaning up a spill, etc. * Finally, and most important to me, my children not only love going to Sunnyside, they love Sylvie. They look forward to going to school. They enjoy the time they spend at Sylvie's. They have developed friendships with children they truly care about. They are constantly learning new things, developing their social skills, and playing. I couldn't ask for more. read more

We put our daughter on Sylvie's waitlist based on the previous Yelp reviews. We emailed Sylvie 6 months later and she just happened to have a spot opening due to a move. My daughter had never spent time away from me (not even a family member babysitter) so naturally our family was nervous for the transition. Every positive review rings true at Sylvie's. She is warm, observant, and knows how to bring the best out of each child. When my daughter started she couldn't walk yet and was extremely shy. Sylvie had her walking within a month, taught her how to take off her shoes, drink from an open cup, ask for help, eat with a fork, and blow her nose. It's clear Sylvie is seasoned and has a very good system. The kids are all so well adjusted and happy. My advice is to get on the waitlist ASAP, I've recommended Sunnyside to many friends who have toured and are crushed to find there are no openings. The small environment is key to Sylvie and her staff embracing your child's personality. I'm so happy my daughter is having a great first school experience. read more

We feel so fortunate to have found this wonderful environment for our son. Every school day, he has so much to report about all that he has learned and experienced - from the yummy lunch to the song and story time - and especially about the garden that they are planting! Sylvie provides a warm, safe and nurturing place for all the children at her school and I can recommend her with confidence. read more

When our daughter was about 1.5 yrs we realized that she was in need of social interaction in a learning environment and set out to find a good preschool for her. She had always been taken care of by a parent and was not good at being away from Mom or Dad so we were really looking for a good fit for her. After meeting Sylvie for 15 minutes we knew our daughter would not only be safe and well cared for but also would be excited to go to Sunnyside. Our daughter now asks to go to school, runs up to Sylvie for a hug when we arrive, and has benefited more than we could have imagined from everything she has learned at Sunnyside. There is a big focus on helping the children become independent and able to accomplish anything on their own from using an open cup to putting on their shoes. Our daughter has changed for the better from being at Sunnyside and it is entirely because of Sylvie. She is warm, caring, very attentive, calm, and really a skilled teacher and caretaker. She seems to genuinely believe in every child who is there and want the best for them, to the point where she regularly sends parents information on positive discipline and other tips on how to nurture our little ones. It really is a wonderful place. read more