Imagination Lab is a truly unique school that doesn't get enough recognition for its innovative…read moreapproach to learning. Unlike traditional schools that often rely on outdated teaching methods, ILS was designed from the ground up to help kids truly thrive both at school and in the modern world. The school focuses heavily on project-based and student-directed learning. This approach not only makes learning more engaging and fun but also cultivates creativity and independent problem-solving skills that are essential for success in today's world. Instead of adhering to a rigid, predetermined curriculum, ILS takes a refreshingly flexible approach. They try to meet kids where they are, both individually and as a group, ensuring that each student remains engaged and appropriately challenged. One of the most innovative aspects of ILS is their mixed-age classes. This setup offers greater flexibility and creates a unique learning environment where younger students can learn from older ones, and older students develop leadership skills by helping their younger peers. The school's philosophy emphasizes positive experiences and reinforcement, understanding that nothing hinders learning more than making kids hate school. There's also a strong focus on social and emotional development, ensuring students treat each other with kindness and respect. As a result, kids genuinely love attending ILS - even those who struggled in more traditional educational settings. The school organizes many fun social events (including some open to visitors), and every semester culminates in a learning exhibition where students showcase their project work and participate in performances. These events are wonderful celebrations of the children's brilliance and creativity, perfectly highlighting everything they've learned. With only about 40 students total, children get much more individual attention, and the staff truly listens to families and tries to accommodate our needs. If you partner with them, they will partner with you, including in challenging situations. While ILS's approach arguably benefits almost any child, it's particularly valuable for students who are somewhat "outside the norm," such as gifted children or those with other learning differences. Although not specifically specialized in giftedness or any type of neurodivergence, the school's philosophy, openness, and flexibility make it naturally more accommodating and suitable for these students compared to conventional schools. Last but not least, the parent community at ILS is incredibly welcoming and close-knit. We all know each other and have become friends, adding another layer of support to the school experience. The tuition isn't cheap, but it's comparable to other private schools in the area. Financial assistance is available for qualifying families, and the tuition includes aftercare until 6 PM - a fantastic feature that my son loves so much he never wants to leave! Bottom line: If you're looking for an educational environment that nurtures creativity, independent thinking, and a love of learning while providing individualized attention, Imagination Lab is a great choice. P.S.: There are some negative reviews that seem concerning. I don't know what may have happened in the past, but that has not been our experience, nor do we know of any families who had such a bad experience.

We are very happy with ILS and think it's an outstanding environment for our child. Socially, the…read moreschool offers a lot of opportunity for kids to interact, play and explore together. The mixed aged groups provide opportunities for the younger kids to learn from the older ones and for the older ones to coach and mentor the younger ones. We have regularly seen our kid go to the older children for support or comfort which warms my heart every single time. Academically the school is very flexible and adjusts content to our childs strengths and weaknesses. For example, our child is studying next grade math and spends more time practicing writing and drawing which are a bit of a challenge. The school also nurtured a great community for families and it's fun connecting with the other parents and siblings.

We have been a KLS family since 2016. I have 2 boys, both who started in Kindergarten. We have…read moreseen much change throughout the years but I am truly feeling the strongest I have ever about KLS this year. I truly believe we finally have the right team in place to lead us into the next phase. The team genuinely cares about the kids and what is best for them. Especially in light of the current crisis, we have seen the team unified, communicate often + clearly, ready/able to execute a move to distance learning that executed pretty flawlessly (considering everything), adapting to feedback from students/families, transparency in communication and most important leadership during difficult times. Thank you KLS! What a journey it has been. We are grateful for all that you do.

My daughter has attended KLS for a year and a half. The school's approach to learning fits very…read morewell with our philosophy of bringing up children. Grouping students of mixed ages into independence levels is something that I wish more schools adopted. Focus on mastery is another thing I like. We also liked the extensive use of placement tests to figure out the right level of classes for students. Small class sizes made it easier to learn new concepts in an effective way. If your child needs to learn at a different pace (faster or slower) than the regular progression of grades would allow in a school with big classrooms, you will love how the curriculum is tailored to each student. My favorite class was the studio which combined interdisciplinary knowledge into a a sequence of projects under a single theme in a school year. One things that some families may have a hard time adjusting to is the pace of changes. This is a "lab" school which means that new ideas are introduced to improve how the school works and if the ideas don't work well, they are replaced with new ideas. This also causes a higher then ideal turnover in staff but I think that this may be a good price to pay for access to innovative teaching.

Our family has had such a wonderful experience at LACS. From the very beginning, it was clear that…read morethe staff truly care about each student--not just academically, but spiritually and emotionally as well. The teachers are incredibly dedicated, creating a nurturing environment where children feel supported, encouraged, and inspired to grow. Our son has absolutely thrived here. He has gained confidence, developed strong character, and built meaningful friendships within a community that emphasizes kindness, respect, and faith. The integration of Christian values into everyday learning has made a lasting impact on him, helping shape not only his education but also who he is becoming as a person. What stands out most is the sense of community. Families, teachers, and staff work together in such a positive and uplifting way. There's a genuine feeling of belonging that makes this school truly special. We are so grateful for the love, guidance, and commitment the staff pour into their students every day. This school has been a blessing to our family, and we wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking a supportive, values-centered education.

This school genuinely made me have suicidal thoughts. And you know what their response was to that?…read moreVictimizing themselves because men have so fragile egos. I hate it here. All I do here is cry and no one even cares. DON'T GO HERE if your child is mentally unwell. The only therapy they offer is indoctrination.

My child and her friend attended the WriteNow! summer writing camp focused on "creative" writing…read more The teacher Chuck Bernstein, who is also president of the Early Learning Institute at the school, was harsh and punitive to both kids as well as to other students in the class if they didn't do exactly what they were told, down to including very specific story elements in their stories. Even if they did do the assigned writing, but finished early and then worked on something else, they got in trouble - Chuck crumpled one of their poems and nearly threw it away because he thought they were off-task, rather than asking. Every day he had students present at the end of class, always running overtime into pickup time, and then angrily shushed both students and parents who made ANY noise (even just entering at the door, whispers, or rustling papers). An easy fix would be to do these presentations earlier so they didn't run over-time, especially for parents picking up multiple kids at different camps or otherwise on a tight schedule - but he did not react well to this feedback. On the first day of the program, the person at the front also was angry that we were dropping off at the time we did, even though we had paid for the before-care. On the second day they had a sheet of who had before-care and after-care, but did not on the first day. But to get angry at us for dropping off, rather than asking about before-care, is also baffling. The program's flyer boasted that kids would love writing after this. My child went in loving writing and came out disliking it much more than previously, and her friend started out hating writing and ended the same. Since Chuck also teaches at the school, I can only imagine that this harsh approach is one he takes with full-time students during the year, too. We will certainly never return.

We enrolled our son in the WriteNow! Summer Writing Camp with high expectations because he enjoys…read morewriting and we hoped he would be challenged and receive meaningful guidance. Unfortunately, that was not our experience. I spoke with the teacher, Chuck (Charles) Bernstein, and was told that he cannot judge students' writing because they have to judge themselves. That approach is completely nonsensical to me, especially in a writing camp where students should be getting instruction and feedback from an experienced teacher. My son spent about six hours straight writing, yet he was not given any comments or constructive feedback on his work. As a parent, I believe feedback is one of the most important parts of a writing program because it helps students understand what they are doing well and where they need to improve. Without that guidance, it is hard to see how students can truly grow. Don't waste your money enrolling to this camp as you kids will be wasting time here.

My children have attended The Waldorf School of the Peninsula for the past four years. While many…read moreof the teachers are caring, dedicated, and deeply invested in their students' growth, the same cannot be said for the school's leadership and administration. Unfortunately, the administration is dysfunctional, lacks transparency, and demonstrates poor alignment in priorities and resource allocation. The school has a large population of neurodivergent students, yet the current educational support structure is alarmingly inadequate. This year, the entire "educational support team" for the Mountain View campus (grades 6-12) -- consisting of ONLY one learning specialist and one counselor -- has been stretched even further to cover the Los Altos campus (grades Kindergarten-5). The administration claims to have a "robust educational support team". However, a staff of 2 people is far from robust and is completely insufficient to serve the needs of the entire school (Kindergarten - 12th grade). Despite my repeated efforts to raise this concern with the administration, they failed to take any meaningful action. While the teaching staff genuinely care about their students, the lack of administrative competence and adequate support services significantly undermines the school's ability to meet the needs of all learners. There are many excellent public and private schools in the area that are far better equipped to support diverse students. Your child deserves that level of care and commitment.

I am a student who attended multiple private schools and public schools, usually,…read morepublic school: 6th grade: 6th grade math, pre algebra if you pass skip test 7th grade: pre algebra, algebra 1 if you pass skip test 8th grade: algebra 1, geometry if you're good enough private schools, like stratford and challenger: 6th grade: pre algebra 7th grade: algebra 1 8th grade: geometry waldorf: 7th grade: pre algebra 8th grade: algebra 1, pre algebra if you fail too many test or is struggling so Waldorf is clearly behind in math. They just give a book to read for English, and they don't give you a standardized curriculum for testing , and most topics like grammar(phrases, part of speech), reading comprehension and vocabulary is not included. They don't even have history class. Science class is just doing science experiments that don't follow a standardized course. Not only they don't have a standardized course but the experiments are usually something to learn a long time ago, eg refraction or reflection. On top of behind in most classes, they also spend too much time on arts, music, dance that are optional classes to take in high school. And they have a fundraising thing for 8th grade that took up all the time for learning and it is mandatory. So Waldorf, therefore is not a good place to spend your time and money on if you're serious about education, GPA, and getting into a good college

How can I even begin expressing my gratitude for this school? We were lucky enough to find it for…read moremy older son (pre-pandemic) and now my younger son is set to graduate from here too! It is a gem and has been in the community for generations. It's a play-based school centered around social and emotional development. Having been a part of this community for 5 years, I've seen such growth in all the kids that come through here and prepared for Kinder. I've noticed that the kids graduate here with their creativity in tact, with an insatiable appetite to learn new concepts and ideas. The teachers are nurturing and kind, but most importantly focus on conflict resolution rooted in communication and open dialogue. The kids go into the 3s and 4s every day with new projects and discover new ways to collaborate and creatively play. Lastly, it is a Co-Op which doesn't suit everyone, but I often found that as parents we set examples. And being in a Co-Op gives an opportunity to show service and volunteering to our children. I will be forever indebted.

Friends is simply the best. The teachers build wonderful relationships with the children. This…read moreallows each of them to feel safe and free to explore the world of building relationships with new friends. The culture is one of self expression, engagement in art, nature and friendship. We couldn't have been happier with our daughters experience here.

I cannot give PNS enough praise. I simply love this place, what it stands for, and the people that…read moreare a part of it. I'll start by saying that I didn't consider myself a co-op person before I started PNS. I was skeptical about the jobs and participation, but very quickly I realized that, like most things in life, the time and effort I put in I got back tenfold. I sent both of my daughters here, so I have experience with both teachers in both classes, and can honestly say that PNS gave them the permission to be curious, it taught them to be creative, and that it's okay to get messy. PNS helped my girls become emotionally equipped to handle the next phases of life, and most importantly, it taught them to be kind and to treat people (and their ideas!) with respect. Logistics: Every day there are 2 story times. At each storytime the teachers sing songs, ask questions, and read 1-2 books. Once a week instead of a story time there is a music class that the kids all thoroughly enjoy. Snack is made by one of the parent volunteers, is (usually) organic, healthy, and always has a fruit or vegetable component. There is 1 work day a week, although there is a new program being piloted that is geared more toward working parents who still want the co-op/PNS style of nursery school - look on their website! **The hybrid program has less parent involvement to help reach a wider community of kids and parents - so if you love the idea of this place but didn't feel like it was in the cards for you because of your work situation - think again! ** Philosophy: PNS is completely play based and gives kids a magical place where they can simply be children. They can play in the dirt and mud and sand. They can get messy. My kid once (ha - everyday) ran around in her underwear during a rainstorm with just boots on (the working parents happily changed her into her dry clothes when it was time), and she LOVED it. I once got a photo of her where she had painted her arms bright pink with the biggest smile on her face. I got another photo playing dress up with a play ice cream cone stacked 8 high (with another giant smile). Videos of them singing their hearts out on the tire swing with their friends, creating entire worlds and games, etc. The only real rules are "keep it safe and keep it friendly" and it allowed my babies to try so many fun things and to be so creative. At home this translates to playing together and being super imaginative and creative as well, which is fun to see. They are never bored for long, and their little brains are always creating and imagining the next thing. In Teacher Theresa's mixed age class my little one learned how to use scissors, practiced writing her name/using a pencil every day, and there were always stations that worked on drawing/cutting/stacking and counting/etc. In teacher Amy's class, we learned fun songs (favorites include Mr. Alligator, Twinkle Twinkle Little Spaghetti, and 3 Little Hotdogs Frying in a Pan), did fun art projects daily/weekly. The mixed age class is taught by both Theresa and Amy, so they got to experience both teachers as well as our amazing assistant teachers, all of whom my children are obsessed with. I could talk about this place for eight pages. It's so incredible. But mostly, I feel like my children were loved here. Not only did I gain an incredible community of moms in the same stage of life as me, but my kids got an awesome nursery school time and got to experience what it is like to be loved on by every single adult in the space. My kids have special bonds with not only their teachers, but with other parents who know and love them. It is the most incredible, joyful experience to see others love your children, and I cannot recommend PNS enough. You will never regret sending your kids here, and you will gain friendships that will last a lifetime - I know mine will!

We just finished my son's first year at Parents Nursery School, and we truly couldn't be happier…read morewith our experience. From the very beginning, we felt welcomed, supported, and genuinely cared for. The teachers are experienced, thoughtful, and deeply invested in the children. My son loves all of them, especially Teacher Chris! I especially appreciated their healthy and respectful approach to conflict resolution. The play-based philosophy was absolutely the right fit for our son and gave him space to grow, explore, and feel confident. As a family new to the area without relatives nearby, this community meant so much to us. One of the most special parts of PNS is how deeply people know and care about your child. It never felt like a school where people barely know each other's names. It truly is a connected, supportive village. And the play yard is incredible. It's such a magical space for kids to explore, imagine, and just be children. We are so grateful for our first year at PNS and highly recommend it to any family looking for a warm, connected, play-based preschool community.

We couldn't be more thrilled with our decision to move our daughter to this exceptional Montessori…read morepreschool. From the moment we stepped through the doors, we knew we had found something special. The school's approach to communication with children is truly remarkable. The teachers consistently demonstrate a level of respect and patience that is both refreshing and inspiring. It's clear that they view each child as deserving of kindness and understanding, and as unique individuals. One of the standout features of the school is its meticulously organized environment. The classrooms are thoughtfully arranged to promote independence, curiosity, and learning. It's a joy to see how this structured setting allows children to flourish and develop essential life skills. Also, the teachers here have been nothing short of amazing, and have been so kind to all of us. Perhaps the most telling sign of the school's success is the happiness of the children. The children are always smiling and engaged. Our daughter's enthusiasm for school has skyrocketed since joining a year and a half ago, and she quickly gained a confidence and independence that we did not see at the precious school. We were so impressed that we enrolled our younger child as well, and the results have been equally fantastic. Our little one now eagerly anticipates school each day.. seriously, she can't wait to go to school, no tears!

Both my daughters attended this preschool for 3 years. It is located in the beautiful Greenmeadow…read moreneighborhood in Palo Alto and is a great, nurturing environment with wonderful teachers. Both my girls absolutely thrived here and learned so much - they were both reading towards the end of their third year here, knew their numbers and counting and were even naming all the various countries in the map of South America! There is also a lot of focus on building social skills, grace and courtesy, and valuable life lessons like conflict resolution on the playground. Their 3 yrs here really prepared them for elementary school and helped them start kindergarten feeling very prepared and confident. The parent community has been wonderful as well with both our children and us having made many friends over the years. If you are looking for a Montessori preschool for your child I highly recommend this one.