We loved Miss Sandie's. My daughter was happy there, the teachers were so sweet and caring, and it…read morejust felt like a really warm, comfortable place for her to be every day. As a mom, that peace of mind means everything. They were also really accommodating and easy to work with, which made our transition so much easier. We're really grateful for the time she spent there and would absolutely recommend it to other local families.

My kids have been going here from the ages 2-5 and I could not recommend the preschool more…read more Friendly staff, great communication and most of all the hours are great!

After touring ABC I knew it was the place for my two girls. Just the feeling I got while in the…read moreschool made up my mind. My kids absolutely adore going to ABC. Every single child is happy and engaged in some kind of activity. The wonderful staff is always busy helping the children, teaching them, singing to them, reading to them, creating art projects, etc. You will never see the ABC staff sitting in a chair and playing on their cell phone. It just doesn't happen. The school is super clean and the toys are switched frequently. The academics are incredible. They teach the children about a different topic weekly, and also do age/ability "small groups" daily where the children learn to recognize shapes, colors, write their name, learn letters and numbers... My children both go fulltime, and at 2 and 3 years old, I have a lot of mommy-guilt about that. However, when I pick them up they are so happy sometimes they don't even want to go home. In fact, on the weekends they ask why they can't go to school. I love ABC so much and I hope you will schedule a tour and get that heart-warming feeling that I got. Simply put, the children are truly loved and it shows.

A FANTASTIC preschool! I can't imagine enrolling our son…read moreelsewhere. We enrolled our son at ABC at the beginning of this summer, and have been totally thrilled with the school. The staff at the school is super - a well-trained, very caring and very fun/energetic group of women! It made it so much easier to say goodbye to our little guy knowing that he'd be in the care of such a wonderful group. It's amazing how much ABC has helped our son in his overall development - speach, general socialization and independence.

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.

The Ross Preschool (TRP) is a place that any child and family is blessed to have in their memory…read morebook. I know I'm not alone when I say we were sold within the first seconds of entry when greeted by the incredibly dedicated and enthusiastic teachers and head of school, David Allen-Hughes. Not only is the school environment -both in and outside- truly magical and inviting, but it is also extremely clean and well cared for, updated with well-organized, child-accessible, and aesthetically pleasing everything (think beautiful natural wood and beyond!) David and staff are constantly mindful and proactive about improving their school, so it is ever-evolving with new and exciting teaching tools and beautifying additions (ie outdoor garden and climbing wall, sensory projects, water table exploration, interesting visitors and programs from the community, etc, etc). David and teachers communicate with parents thoughtfully, often, and well in advance, so you always feel in the know. My child feels loved and at home at TRP. His mind is inspired to think creatively and independently and he's given the tools and encouragement to thrive. He calls it his 'happy place.'

This preschool is truly one-of-a-kind. Our son attended for two years and had the most wonderful…read moreexperience in every way. The teaching staff is the best of the best, the play-based curriculum includes everything from art and music to math and science. The emphasis on social/emotional development is very strong and the sense of community among the families is wonderful!!

If I could give 6 stars, I would! Like so many Bay Area families we have no family support…read morestructure here, so choosing a preschool became as much an exercise in researching early childhood education philosophies and the quality of the staff and facilities, as finding an environment that aligned to the type of community that we wanted to foster for our family. Who would become our adopted FR-AMILY, if you will. ;) RVNS is unparalleled in this respect imo. There is a true sense of inclusiveness and belonging, of high-touch/low-pressure engagement between the teachers and staff, the children, and the amazing families who enroll. RVNS has that special something that is so hard to put words to so I encourage you to schedule a tour and experience it for yourself. Just be forewarned...if your child is anything like mine you'll have a hard time getting them to leave after that tour! :) Also worth noting that during the Covid-19 era RVNS has masterfully embraced the heightened safety guidelines without losing any of their special sauce. They've made adjustments to their programs to allow for small pods, maximum time outdoors, and implemented new mask and cleaning protocols without in any way alarming the children. The level of thought, care and communication with parents has been top-notch, and we feel safe and comforted in these uncertain times.

We LOVE this school! Our son has spent the last three years there and we feel so lucky to be part…read moreof such a wonderful community. Not only are the teachers exceptional, but so are all the other families that attend. Our son has flourished at RVNS with their play-based approach and we feel confident that RVNS has given him the foundation to thrive next year in Kindergarden.

Loving teachers and a wholesome environment. The kids are outside as much as possible. My daughter…read moreis in the preschool (sage) class. We transferred after having a not so great experience at a different school where the teachers were cold and burnt out... this is the complete opposite. The teachers are amazing. In particular, Ms.Carrie, is a gem... greets my daughter every time we do drop off, holding her hand and telling her how happy she is to see her! This is a nature based school and the have an amazing lunch program with organic healthy food. My daughter went from being a picky eater to now loving her veggies thanks to the lunch program. The director, Melinda, is fantastic, super smart and passionate about the school and loves every single kiddo. This is the best preschool in Novato!

We love Hummingbirds Nest. This is our first preschool experience where our dude loves being…read moredropped off, and tells us to pick him up from school as late as possible. The teachers are caring and supportive. He comes home singing songs about nature. They play outside a ton, even in the rain, which is perfect for us. He loves his friends there. His imaginative play is fully supported. He helps around our house more now because that is just normal, part of school too: chop veggies for soup (with safety knife), help sweep, etc. We've seen such a complete turn around in our son after a really tough school right before this (teachers there were cold, our dude said he didn't feel loved there, he revolted) and when another school closed suddenly. Melinda and team communicate openly with parents, which is so refreshing. (Note: ignore the for sale sign; that is for the property. The school stays). My mom taught kindergarten for years and knows a good school when she sees one; she also loves this place. Thank you to all the teachers and staff at Hummingbird Nest!

We are in the middle of our 3rd year at SAPS and we've had a wonderful experience. Our son is…read moreincredibly happy and has grown so much in his confidence and preparedness for Kindergarten. He'a had a breadth of learning experiences and projects over his time at SAPS. His curiosity has been constantly sparked by his teachers. They've been supportive and kind as he's grown up there. SAPS is a large preschool with many teachers. I've genuinely appreciated how many staff members know and care for my son. It's given my son a chance to get to know many children at different ages as well. We chose SAPS because of the relaxed atmosphere and great hours for working parents. They went above and beyond what I expected and I am continually grateful we chose to send our son there.

We probably should have gone elsewhere, but we were desperate…read more For reference, we came in to SAPS at the Pre-K (Mighty Oaks) program, so this review is based off of being a new student in their self-contained pre-K program. First off, we had decided to do a week of summer camp prior to starting the school year so my son could get used to the new environment. Our first day, we were not greeted at all or told where we should go. We were lost and the campus is quite large for being a preschool. They house several different ages and so we didn't know where to go. When I picked him up from camp, nobody said bye. We could have been strangers taking a kid and no one would have known. This should have been a red flag to immediately apply elsewhere. But really, there was no where else accepting at the time, so there we went. I never really felt that magical connection we had with his prior preschool (the Pre-K there had run out of spots). Really, I feel a lot of guilt for not doing more research. Some parents I've read had done a year of Kindergarten (which my son age wise qualified for (barely being 5), but emotionally, he was not ready) at a private school and then re-did kindergarten at the public school at age 6. This is a path I only found out about today. Such is life! My son is chugging along, however, I know it's not the magical place of his old preschool. We'll get through it for the next 8 months, and take it with a grain of salt. It'll build resilience. The other students are nice enough and his two teachers are nice enough, but I don't honestly feel like anyone there LOVES their job. At least they don't convey that. It's not as "bubbly" and warm as our other school. My other son will for sure stay where we are at the other preschool for pre-K. But if I had to do it again, we'd go elsewhere. I hope I can help other parents out there. This just wasn't a great fit. I think you need to spend a day and meet the teachers before you enroll. Meet ALL the teachers as they do cover for other classes sometimes. We have our favorites (science for sure). For the price, it's ok, but the nearby (and I mean it's on the same street) private Kindergarten was actually CHEAPER! So that's on me for not even looking or thinking to do a year there instead. All in all it's a learning lesson. It has taught me to do more diligent research on any program my children do. And sometimes you might be better off just waiting.

We enrolled our toddler in Miss Audrey's Montessori when she was 17 months, and we have had a…read morewonderful experience with the program! Miss Audrey is a gifted caregiver and educator; she has a beautiful understanding of toddlers, and how best to support them as their personalities and preferences start to emerge. She really celebrates and understands all children. We love that her program has different units of focus (sea life was a favorite!) and incorporates Montessori philosophies and "works" into its daily rhythm. It's a wonderful introduction to Montessori principles in practice. We are so grateful to Miss Audrey and she's unique in that she's able to balance effective communication with parents/caregivers while also providing exemplary care. We are so thankful that we found her!

We just wrapped up 2 amazing years with Miss Audrey. My daughter thrived at Miss Audrey's school…read more Audrey is so warm and loving with the children. Because of that, my daughter loved going to school and was happy to be there each day. On weekends, she would say she missed Audrey and her friends at school. It's the perfect place for little ones before they begin their journey into preschool.