MFT has been an outstanding experience for our son throughout his time there. Terese, Lori, and the…read morerest of the staff are deeply attuned to the needs of young children and have created an extraordinary early education and social experience. We couldn't have asked for a better learning environment for our son to grow up in. Highly recommended!!

Both my kids went to Terese Montessori and they both are thriving at their schools. The…read morefundamentals they learn are the best in Novato. They approach each kid different and it is an individualized approach. It is a strict program but my kids have learned to be confident and independent. My son has a lot of energy but has learned to focus in the classroom where now at his elementary school he is one of the best behaved kids in the classroom and releases his energy outside. Highly recommend this school and by far one of the best in Novato. My only thing it is small so great for ages 2-3.5 or a kids that needs that small class.

We decided to move our son from Kent in order to find a school that valued psychological…read moredevelopment as much as academic. The education at Good Shepherd is very hands-on as the classes are smaller and more personal. Laura the principal, heads a group of committed educators who genuinely care about their students. They strive to educate without creating a stressful environment. The language arts is fantastic. It fosters the type of analytical thinking that creates critical and creative thinking. This is a wonderful school providing a nurturing academic experience. We are very glad we chose to send our son to Good Shepherd Middle School.

Great school...great education...great teachers who genuinely care about our children. We feel so…read morelucky to be party of this amazing community.

We are forever grateful that both of our kids had their first school experiences at HMS. Both kids…read morestarted elementary school with a strong foundation both academically and socially thanks to their preschool teachers, especially Ms. Catherine.

This school is a joke! I would not recommend it at all. It has a high teacher turnover rate, and…read morewhat is on the website for the staff is a lie. All the teachers have left except one, but they only removed one teacher-- what a joke. Cindy "the director" is awful to engage with; she needs to retire and let someone else take over because she is very condescending and narcissistic. I am not sure why the preschool teacher is still there; she needs to leave ASAP. One of the former parents mentioned that she is being forced to stay, but I am a lawyer, and I will help her if that is the case. No one should be forced to stay in a work environment that is unethical and unpleasant. I would not recommend Hamilton based on my experience. While the school may have positive intentions, there were consistent issues with communication, organization, and overall support for both staff and families. Expectations were often unclear, and there was a noticeable lack of consistency in leadership and decision-making. A strong educational environment relies on transparency, collaboration, and trust, and unfortunately, those elements did not feel fully present. This made it challenging to maintain a stable and positive experience. To top it off, the "director" cannot be left alone with the children because she has no units-- that is something that is unheard of. The school needs to have a director that is ready to step in when needed. For families or educators seeking a well-structured, supportive, and communicative environment, I would encourage exploring other options.

We absolutely love Noah's Ark! From day one, it felt like such a warm and caring place for our…read morechild. Heather, the preschool director, is incredible. sShe truly cares about each child and it shows. She's so kind, attentive, and creates such a loving environment where kids feel safe and happy. Our little one comes home every day excited to share what they learned and the fun they had. The teachers are wonderful too -- patient, creative, and always smiling. We're so grateful for this preschool and the amazing team that makes it feel like family!

Update: Noah's Ark has been cited and fined by the State Department. This organization created…read morefalse documentation in our family law custody dispute. Marin Christian has been fined and admonished by the State Department for failing to support parental rights and for false reporting. Marin Christian/Noahs Ark administration got inappropriately involved in our custody case by being a trial witness for dad and made meritless claims. Their school administrator complained to the family law judge that I was a demanding parent by making a ONETIME request for my daughter's student file. All parents under the State Department have a right to request for their child's students file without being penalized. The administration also created false statements and willful misleading reports for our custody case filled with meritless speculations. I'm glad to say, my daughter no longer attends this poorly managed school since I am now the primary caregiver to our child resulting from the school's biased witness statements in our custody trial. Despite providing the administration a copy of our custody order, Marin Christian failed to provide me any information for my daughter for over a year. I had reached out to management and the board for early resolution but was blatantly ignored because the dad was on their PTA and had personal relations with Marin Christian organization. My recommendation is for Marin Christian senior leadership and board members review its policies and procedures to ensure their organization and the school administrators are adhering to State Department policies and guidelines to ensure the school is abiding by the law, not making baseless accusations, not getting inappropriately involved in custody matters and not having parental bias. Very disappointing actions from a Christian-based institution.

My daughter started at MIM once she turned 2 and she's loving it. So much so, she never wants to…read morecome back home when it's time for pick up. All the teachers are warm and attentive to the children. The space is cozy and inviting. And the playground is a small paradise for the little ones. She is learning a lot, from new words and sentences to putting on her socks and jacket by herself. We've seen a lot of progress in a few months! All good things. The older kids keep an eye on the younger ones and they are very sweet to each other. All in all, I highly recommend the school.

Montessori in Motion is truly a gem. From the moment we walked in, I could feel the calm, nurturing…read moreenergy of the school, and it has been nothing short of magical for my daughter. The teachers -- Crystal, Josh, Tracy, Alyiah, and Ashley -- are amazing. My daughter transitioned mid-year, and the way they welcomed her made her feel comfortable and excited to be there. The classrooms are filled with a diverse set of activities and materials to explore, and they have the best play yard I have ever seen. As a mom, the biggest gift was peace of mind. I could leave each morning knowing my daughter was not only cared for, but genuinely thriving. She has grown in confidence and independence, and came home excited to share her day and look forward to the next morning. The contrast from other schools we've experienced was night and day. At MIM, I felt supported as a parent, informed, and confident knowing my daughter's overall well-being was prioritized. It is a wonderful community. Montessori in Motion isn't just a preschool -- it's a magical place where children flourish.

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!

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!

I love Little Stars! My daughter started going at 3 months old until just before turning 3 years…read moreold and she had the best time. I never had second guesses dropping her off. I knew she was going to be in a loving, supportive and safe environment. She learned so much and it was the best to pick her up everyday and see all the new skills she had learned. Would recommend to any family looking for in home daycare.

I heard about Little Stars after another neighborhood mom recommended it. Our daughter started…read moreLittle Stars when she was about 15 months old. Little Stars was the first experience we had with outside childcare as my husband and I had exclusively watched our daughter up until that point. Starting daycare was a big change for our her, but Sadaf made sure the transition was as easy as possible for everyone. She kept me updated with how she was progressing at daycare by sending adorable photos and texts. Sadaf was also extremely understanding about our personal situation as we had been dealing with an ongoing family emergency when we enrolled our daughter and Sadaf was open and flexible to caring for her when we needed extra help. Little Stars was a wonderful experience for our daughter. She looked forward to daycare and would even ask about going on weekends. She blossomed under their care and developed into an outgoing and confident toddler through the connections she formed at daycare. One of the best perks of Little Stars is the daily meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) that they prepare. It was a huge convenience for us and our daughter adored their food. It helped expand her palate and as a result, she enjoys hearty soups, vegetables, and rice dishes. My husband and I hope that our next child will attend Little Stars too as we know how beneficial it will be for them.

I learned about NPNS through my sister and sister in law, they both sent their kids here and had…read morereally positive experiences. I am so happy we started our daughter this year. It is a coop so there is some family involvement like working one day a week in the preschool which is one of the main reasons I joined. I love being able to get a first hand look of my daughter learning through play and how she is interacting with her peers. I also love that it is mainly outdoors, play based, child centered, and Reggio Emilia inspired. The teachers are so supportive, nurturing, and have so much knowledge on child development. If a coop preschool can work for your schedule I highly recommend enrolling your child. I am so happy to have found this special school/community.

We love NPNS! It feels wonderful to have found a primarily outdoor program focused on play. The…read moreenvironment is set up nicely so there is something for everyone. I love that the activities never feel forced and kids can explore as they choose while being surrounded by caring and supportive teachers and parent volunteers. It feels like a very developmentally healthy program for children where they can just be themselves. I feel supported as a parent that there are other caring adults helping to keep an eye on my kids and I enjoy working with and getting to know other families/children. Teacher Laurynn does a wonderful music class and plays the guitar. My kids are constantly singing the songs at home!

Sunnyside Preschool is truly the best. My son started about six months ago, and from day one, Miss…read moreSylvie--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.

Sylvie's is the best! Miss Sylvie and her assistant are trustworthy, kind, experienced,…read morecommunicative, 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!!