I told my 6-year-old I was going to write a review about her school. She said, "mom, I love everything about Tru." We transferred in for 1st & 3rd. Within days of joining both kids felt safe, comfortable, and included. All of the kids are friends, it is a small school in the best way, like a big uninhibited family. The teachers help to support and ensure this by designing community rituals that often involve singing and mindfulness and by masterfully coaching them through conflicts and differences. The teachers are exceptional, they meet the kids at eye level in such a calm, clear, and respectful way. The K/1 teacher is rarely standing, she's sitting with them, next to them, leaning in and listening. They feel it. It is a teacher-owned and teacher-led school. The philosophy is so aligned. All of the teachers believe in integrated learning, seeing educational opportunities in the interests of the kids by encouraging and observing their everyday play. My daughter's interest in gardening manifested in the creation of a new work job for which her teacher procured new equipment and thoughtfully developed tasks. The collective class interest in grass turned into a scientific exploration of grass structures with microscopes, diagrams, and artistic renderings. The curriculum is ever-changing and thus incredibly adaptive and relevant. The teachers re-write the whole thing every year. Twice a year they produce new plays with original lines, songs, choreography, costumes, and hand-made props. They introduce new themes, new projects, and new units. They make almost everything by hand with the kids. The kids cook feasts, weave tapestries, cobble together inventions, set up experiments, and test out their ideas. No iPad apps. They learn to type so that they can write and create. The vibe of the school is inspired and focused. The class sizes are small and distractions are brilliantly managed. The kids work incredibly hard. They have long blocks of time to get into deep work during the day. No homework. And yet, they're academically thriving. read more

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My son attended the school from last year as a kindergartner. He loves the school, had lots of fun, made many friends, and made lots of improvements in many areas. Now it is the summer holiday, and he can't wait to go back to school. The school is very small and teacher/student ratio is good, so the students can get enough attention and personalized education plan. Everyone knows and plays each other, just like a big family. The teachers are very decent, patient and really caring about the kids. They have lots of field trips that the whole school will attend together, there is a small garden in the campus, so the kids are pretty close to the nature. There are two big drama plays every year and everyone will participate. They do mindfulness meditation every morning. They make some stories together (such as everyone plays a role in a tribe). They practice public speech even from kindergarten. There is a lot of fun and plays there, and kids can learn and grow from those activities. Tru is not like a traditional school. It provides a versatile experience for students, and integrates the learning from projects and plays. It is great for child's development. read more

My daughter joined Tru midyear in Jan 2017 and has been going for the last 6 months before they closed for summer. She has blossomed here and she can't wait to go back in two more weeks. She was 4.5 years when she joined their Younger class and this review focuses primarily on her six months here. Curriculum: This is a school that focuses a lot on reflection. They constantly experiment and question why things work the way they do. They do a tremendous amount of writing that requires, introspection, lots of thinking and answering questions rather than writing just for practice. How you learn is more emphasized on what you learn. The way they teach Math is very innovative with a Magic Box, the Money Game and lots of visualization and manipulatives. Their attitude towards teaching Math is very encouraging, using "Let's look at it another way" and supports the child's self-esteem because it implies that not getting something is okay, failure is okay and we just have to try another way. They do a lot of regular projects: cooking, sewing, coding, gardening, music and art etc. and also focus on mindfulness, yoga and well-being. They did a wonderful 1.5 hours play on the history of Palo Alto where even the younger children learned their lines and spoke them out on cue. They also reinforced this play with book reports, overnight field trips to museums for the older kids. There are frequent field trips to the local Post Office, Fire Station, Planetarium, Art Studio, Whole Foods, Farmers' Market. And yes, all of this happened in the last 6 months. Socialization: I have volunteered with this school and so have spent decent time observing and interacting with other students as well. There are kids from all races and the diversity is very interesting. This group of students is very much like a family- they are close, interact with respect and kindness, squabble of course but also look out for each other. Each of them is bright, assertive, and confident- there are no wall flowers in this group. Teachers: The teachers are always available to talk and share concerns. There are regular parent conferences and they know each child's strength and weaknesses. They know your child almost as well as you do and know when to push and when to back off. My daughter adores all her teachers at Tru and it is heartening to see the joy and love on her face when she looks for them. As with all schools, Tru may or may not what you are looking for your child but it has definitely worked wonders with mine. I can definitely recommend Tru as its small size, personal attention and flexible program that encourages free thinking appeals to me. read more

We just joined Tru this year after being referred by another highly respected private school in the area - and I have to say it was a true GIFT that the other school was full in 1st grade!! What stood out most for me about Tru was how thoughtful Theodore was in learning about our family and our values and explaining the Tru program, its foundational principles and its complete inclusivity - basically uniqueness adds value to the school and student journey. He cared so deeply, working through holidays and weekends to accomodate our crazy schedule during our move to Bay Area. He spoke to one of our son's previous teachers in NY and she was so impressed, she called and told me, "I wish my kids could go to Tru." Before we even joined the school, I could feel he understood us and what we wanted for our son. Most importantly, he spoke to our 6 year son with such respect and kindness. We have had some extremely unfortunate school experiences, so finding this safe and loving place for our son to be accepted and validated is way more than we could of dreamed of. My son has exceptionally high standards for himself and others and there is no greater joy than picking him up from a full day at school everyday to hear him say, "can I stay a little longer?" In the short time we have been a part of the school, we feel like family...like the entire school cares about the well being and success of my child in all aspects. Our son has made major strides that we see at home in his confidence, social skills, control, and following directions/routine, and good habits. Another important difference at Tru is the positive attitude and language towards the children and belief that they are all intrinsically good and doing their best...and careful, gentle guidance and discussions when it is needed. As a parent returning to work after being home with my son and homeschooling him, I can say from my heart that I trust Tru and what it stands for! I know I can talk openly with teachers and Theodore about anything. Honestly, this is the first solutions-based school we have been a part of. They do not meet you with a problem...they share important learnings, when they arise, as experts in education and offer avenues to solutions. They treat parents and kids the way every school should. We are blessed to have found them and my son is doing much better in many aspects because of his time here! read more

We are a current family and absolutely love the school! I The school is run by dedicated, caring and loving teachers. The close attention they pay to each child is commendable. The school focuses on social emotional learning with academics. The whole child philosophy is emphasized at school with mindfulness embedded into everything they do. The staff works really hard and understands your child's needs. It is not a conventional school and we picked the school because of it's uniqueness. Here are a few things we love about the school: 1. Mindfulness and Yoga 2. Mixed age classrooms (which is proven to help in child development and learning) 3. In depth learning- Learning is deep and fun for children. It is catered to the inquisitive and curious minds that children have.They teach the children to think hard and dig deep then just take facts presented to them.  4. Field trips- The school takes about 10 field trips a year 5. Theatre play (Every child goes on the stage and it helps enhance public speaking skills) 6. Gardening and cooking with children in the kitchen (The church facility is great and has a kitchen that the school uses) 7. School facility- It is beautiful a facility close to parks, library and junior museum .The school takes the children to the park everyday and to the library once a week. 8. Size of the school- Since the school size is small the focus and attention given to each child is high 9. Academics- The curriculum is rigorous but academics is not the focus. The school believes in education in true sense NOT just memorizing. Our child is enjoying the hands on learning of Math and we believe he will have much more concrete understanding of concepts than the traditional way we learned.10. Music- Music is part of everyday life at school. Children sing and enjoy. Although I have laid out what we love about school it still does not fully encompass everything they do. We are thrilled to have found this hidden gem of a school. read more

Having relocated to the USA from Australia, we are incredibly happy to have found Tru School for our daughter. If you are a parent looking for the type of education that focusses on the whole child, emotional and social  learning as well as being taught the curriculum in an innovative way then this is a great school for you. If you prefer more traditional education environments (There is nothing wrong with this) then you should investigate Tru but be aware that they do not teach using traditional methods.  I love that at such a young age my daughter is being taught mindfulness through yoga and meditation. Mindful practice will be such a key skill as the future of work continues to develop. I also love that instead of being taught via traditional rote/memorizing methods, students are encouraged to ask questions, explore and figure out for themselves and as small teams solutions to problems they are given. Again, this inquisitiveness and collaboration (The classes are mixed age, which again is huge positive for both younger and older learners in the class) will be a key skill in the future of work, so I am very pleased that at such a young age my daughter is being given this opportunity.  The teaching staff are incredibly caring and thoughtful. My daughter has had a bad habit of sucking her hair, but her teacher has been working thoughtfully with her to stop this habit. Not by telling her off, but by keeping her mind occupied on her work and refocussing her away from her habit. The teachers also go above and beyond in getting to know parents and the values that we hold, so that they can help reinforce these with the kids.  I would not hesitate in recommending to any family who values the style of education and mindfulness that Tru School offers. read more

The teachers are caring and professional. My child had great progress in social and cognitive areas. My kid has a strong community sense and we all get involved in the activities. We love this school. read more

We started Tru at K. Coming from a spectacular PK, our expectations were high. Tru has not only met, but exceeded our expectations. It's a small (two classes of 10 students each) progressive school, where students' interests are carefully followed and weaved into the curriculum. The teachers are very engaged, and passionate about teaching. Theodore, the principal, has a clear vision for the school, is very knowledgeable, and responsive to parents' requests. The school is conveniently located near a park with a nice playground, library, Palo Alto zoo and junior center, and the school is utilizing those resources well. All together, we are very happy with the school and have enjoyed being a part of the Tru community. read more

My daughter has been attending Tru since she started elementary school and we have seen a lot of positive changes in her both behavioral and academic. She is much more aware of her own feelings and also cares about people around her. Academically, she was always good with reading and writing but the school has helped her to flourish even more. She was quite averse to math but the teachers have customized the learning to each child's individual capability and have managed to boost my daughter's self-confidence to an extent where she does not shy away from math problems but rather tries different ways that she has learnt at school in order to solve the problem. The children also get to perform on stage twice every year which being fun for the kids also helps them with their public speaking and stage performance skills. We have parents from other schools who attend these performances and they have spoken very highly about what the kids have achieved on stage. Last but not the least, I would like to highlight that the staff is very proactive in reaching out to parents if there is something that they want the parents to be aware of regarding their children and to come up with a plan to help the child overcome any issues that they are facing. Attending the Open House events at the school is a couple of hours well spent in understanding how the teachers in this school are truly invested in providing the children the tools for excelling in their lives and careers. read more

My daughter was at Tru for 3 months this winter while we visited Palo Alto; she was in the older classroom. We cannot say enough good things about our experience here. Our daughter really blossomed, both socially and academically. Julia and Theodore were amazing at helping her work through her initial anxiety, and at helping her thrive. She has come out of those three months a much more mature and thoughtful kid. We will really miss Tru on our return home! read more

Tru is a lovely school and our eldest daughter is at the beginning of her second year there (first grade). My daughter loves it, and loves the teachers. We made a conscious choice to look for a school that wouldn't fall prey to the academic pressure Silicon Valley schools are known for. Tru has a lovely culture - for example, students call teachers by their first names, there are no bells, a lot of time is spent outdoors, there's no homework, the class sizes are small, they practice mindfulness, and do yoga. There is a focus on social-emotional learning, tailored to children as individuals. They really do develop a love of learning at Tru. read more

Our child is currently enrolled at Tru and it is such a wonderful, calm, nurturing environment that makes learning a complete pleasure and wonderful experience (I wish I had attended a school like this when I was a child!). Teachers all have an obvious joy in teaching children and pay close attention to each and every child, respecting their interests and needs. Teachers genuinely engage with & care about each child as a unique individual. I cannot fault the school at all! Mindfulness, social awareness, yoga innovative (but tried & tested) teaching techniques are all used and taught. The mixed age classrooms are fantastic and there is a huge diversity of races/ages/cultures which makes it such a wonderful & interesting environment. It is a small school, set in beautiful grounds and they utilise so much of what is on offer in the community around them. If you want your child to attend a school where they feel connected to nature, understand the society they are part of, have respect for their peers/parents/friends and you want them to learn in an environment that provides them with a safe, secure, warm and loving space to learn, then Tru is that! read more

This is my child's 3rd year at Tru, and we could not be happier. The education style - "meaningful learning" - keeps the children invested and interested in what they are learning every day, and they are able to apply the knowledge in every day life - meaningfully. The other important aspect for me is the social-emotional aspect of learning that is emphasized here at Tru. Children are able to develop self-awareness, self-control and interpersonal skills that enable them to effectively problem-solve in life, and become confident, well-rounded individuals, who know their direction in life. And there is a special mention of the incredible dedication, care, love and hard work the teachers and all staff put in day after day - that is priceless and provides incredible piece of mind and confidence that my child is in a good place, surrounded by awesome guides to his learning.  I am nothing by happy with our choice. read more

This school is a very small but very caring community. When she was ready for kindergarten, we chose to send our daughter here because we liked the teachers and their philosophy. This is a school that sets out to be "holistic" and not over-index on academic performance. Naturally there is reading, writing, "number mysteries," but also there are fun school plays, they do fun science experiments and take "observations," they build block cities together and take on pretend jobs, they have flower ceremonies and read poems and sing songs in the language of first peoples. Things are fun. They help children to learn to use their mind, but also their spirit and feelings. As a parent, you need to want to be involved. You will be invited to attend community days, to the school plays, to have your child present an exhibition of their work, to volunteer your time by making props, etc, etc .... we like this kind of school :-) read more

PLEASE NOTE - The school changed its name from The Children's School of Art and Science to Tru School in 2016-17 however nothing about the school was changed. If you cross reference the original name, you will see negative reviews listed on GreatSchools. Reviews on Yelp were removed when the school changed its name. We loved the philosophy of the school and if the school actually operated accordingly we would have been thrilled. The philosophy of the school does not match what happens in practice at the school.The quality of instruction in math and language arts is very poor. It is so sad as the class sizes are tiny (they are a maximum of 12 children, but the school is only half enrolled), so the teacher could personalize the instruction for the six students, but does not. The Kindergarten is combined with 1st grade and the teacher is scattered, even with such a small group. The school has a high attrition rate. Communicating with the principal is very challenging and he has personally offended many parents. read more