We have 2 children currently at Welcome Amigos. It is an amazing school & home away from home for children! Our daughter (4.5) is now fully ready for kindergarten next year and our 2.5 year old son loves it and can count in Spanish already after a month of attendance. We are so impressed with all the Maestras at Welcome Amigos- they are all wonderful with young children and I trust each and every one of them. Highly recommend this school! read more

Our daughter has been going to Welcome Amigos for over two years now. The school is a hidden gem in the peninsula. The maestras are really kind hearted and genuinely care about every child in the class. Our daughter ends her every school day with a big hug to the maestras. The school also pays close attention to each kid's behavior and provides in-time inputs so that parents and the school work together to guide young children's everyday development. Our daughter loves all the fun school activities throughout the year, Christmas potluck, Valentine's Day dance show, Mother's Day performance...we love hanging out with the other parents. What a great group. Will be sending our son here next year, too. Kids in the class speak English to each other and all maestras speak Spanish in the class environments. It's just incredible to provide a multi-language environment to these young children and they just thrive in it. read more

I wanted to update my review of Welcome Amigos. My original post from 7 years ago is below this one. Our daughter attended Welcome Amigos during her elementary school years between the ages of 5 and 9. The immersive environment was both fun and challenging for her, and she has fond memories of her time there. We appreciated the encouragement that our daughter received to participate in various activities, songs, and games. It allowed her to feel comfortable and grew her confidence in speaking and interacting in another language. After leaving Welcome Amigos, she continued to want to learn more Spanish and took three years of Spanish in middle school. She is now in high school and thriving - she tested into Spanish 3 as a Freshman. She credits her love of the language to her time at Welcome Amigos. She believes that the school not only taught her the very basics of the language, but the immersive nature piqued her interest in continuing to learn. It also allowed her to speak today with a very convincing accent. We highly recommend Welcome Amigos! My review from 2017: My daughter is six years old and has been attending the after school Spanish immersion program at Welcome Amigos for over a year and really loves it. The teachers are very warm and my daughter has learned a lot since she has been there. It's very much play and interactive focus but includes a little bit of homework. They make it fun to learn. I have appreciated the one-on-one attention that she receives and the strict Spanish curriculum has been great. I have noticed that my daughter can suddenly pick up on Spanish conversations going on around her. read more

My son loves this school so much! He has been to this school from Sept 2022 (2.5 years old). Teachers are all very sweet, very loving and patient. My son is happy from 3rd week. Now he is very happy and having fun in school everyday. He loves going to school. He will run to hug every teacher the first thing when he gets to school. We are Chinese and I don't know any Spanish, but teacher said my son picked up words pretty fast. This is a safe, happy and loving environment, I'm so happy that I found this place. Principle Elizabeth, teacher Vanessa, Rubi, Alejandra, Angie and Karla are so loving, teaching a lot of things to the kids. My son loves the songs they played and he dance. Welcome Amigos is the best preschool ever! (My son went to a Mandarin immersion day care before in Redwood Shore, he was not happy even after 4 months. He didn't learn anything and the teacher didn't teach much. ) read more

Our daughter has been at Welcome Amigo's for about a year now. She loves it. The teachers are all super caring and she loves her school mates. She's learning so much. It's so fun seeing her speak Spanish with her grandparents read more

Welcome Amigos is fantastic! We searched far and wide for the ideal preschool for our daughters. Somewhere that would have thoughtful curriculum, emotional intelligence as part of the development, and a supportive and caring community. Our daughter wakes up everyday excited to go to school and see her maestras and she's rapidly evolved in both quantifiable education (alphabet, reading, spelling) and her emotional development. I'd rate it a six if I could! read more

My daughters love Welcome Amigos! The teachers are kind and compassionate but know how to hold boundaries. They teach the kids how to be empathetic and independent. My older daughter loves going to the park with her classmates once per week. My younger daughter enjoys the dance parties. I have seen my girls become more interested in coloring and and engaging in self play since starting at Welcome Amigos. My biggest concern was making sure my girls were going to be in a safe environment where they can have fun. Welcome Amigos has been a great place for our family. read more

Our daughter has been at Welcome Amigos for about a year and a half now, and she loves it so much! The teachers are amazing, sweet, positive, engaging, to the point that our daughter misses them when she gets home! The facility is well maintained, clean, and secure. We are very happy with the education she is receiving and how much Spanish she has learned. We highly recommend Welcome Amigos! read more

We love WA. We've been sending our now 3.5 year old son for the past year. He is an energetic boy and loves the school and his teachers. The maestras and director, Eli, are so caring and loving, instilling a love of learning on my son. He has also learned a lot of Spanish, even correcting my pronunciation at times. WA also takes COVID seriously and has kept our little community safe. We highly recommend WA and will send our 1 year old there when he is able to go. read more

We love it there. All the teachers are great and caring, and my daughter loves it there - learning fast, making good friends, all in a supportive and loving environment. After 6 months, she was able to express herself in Spanish! They also follow COVID protocols very strictly and it helped us feel safe throughout the pandemic. Warmly recommend! read more

My son has been at Welcome Amigos in their full day program for nearly a year and we are so thrilled with the program, the maestras and the community of families, who are all extremely invested in ensuring our children get the best care and early learning education. My son has truly thrived at Welcome Amigos, rapidly picking up Spanish as a second language, developing amazing relationships with the maestras and students and simply having fun. We have also been extremely happy with the open line of communication with the school and the families. Sending your child to school during a pandemic made us a bit weary, but the school has always ensured guidelines were followed and the families have all remained dedicated to keeping themselves and their children safe. Highly recommend considering Welcome Amigos for a well rounded pre-school program. read more

Welcome Amigos has been a great environment for my daughter. My daughter loves school so much and has really developed over the past year. We could not be happier with the preschool and are so glad with the decision they made. Not only are the kids learning a ton, but they play, have fun and are learning another language. We are so lucky to have our daughter here and could not recommend it more. read more

We started our daughter at Welcome Amigos and can't recommend enough. Our daughter is in her 1st year and we've seen tremendous growth in her social, emotional and educational development. In addition to this development, the Spanish immersion has been an amazing experience for her and us as a family having that inclusion of a second language into her development. We love the teachers ( Maestras) and Director. They have been very helpful, thoughtful and communicative addressing any needs as parents for our child as well as navigating through post-pandemic transitions helping to make it a safe environment for all comfort levels for families and their children. And most of all, they've created a wonderful and loving learning environment for the kids. read more

They had me at Hola! Welcome is their motto. My granddaughter is safe, happy and learning. It's what you look for when you trust someone with your child. When I first walked into the school for a meeting about enrolling, I knew before anyone said a word, this was the place she was going. All I wanted to do was get to the end of the presentation so we could sign her up. She just complete one year and her language skills are exceptional. But this school is not just language, it is science, art, music, math, writing, etc. We get to see the children perform shows, and songs. They have parades and many opportunities to be in the spotlight and practice presentations. It is truly a full rounded program. Hugs are free and plenty. You have to give this place a try. You will love it very mucho! read more

We have loved all the teachers here and how our son is treated daily. He truly loves his teachers and friends and can't wait to get back to school to share his weekend with the teachers. The director is a fire-cracker. She's exactly the type of person you want fighting for you kids health, happiness and education. read more

Our 4.5 year old daughter attended summer school sessions at Welcome Amigos and loved it! It was her first experience in a preschool setting and we couldn't have asked for a more positive one! The teachers were wonderful and caring, the facility was clean and full of tons of things for the children to learn and experience. The director, Elizabeth, was amazing - you can tell how much she loves her work and the children and takes it very seriously: One of the teachers had to return home due to family issues, the director found a qualified replacement but she didn't have the same love and enthusiasm for kids that the previous teacher (and other teachers) did. The director had to let her go and find someone who cared for children the way that she does - and we adored the "new" new teacher! Other things that were great: * how organized the program was - having a theme each week and lots of little activities around it (including field trips) * the weekly reports and pictures * that I was encouraged to drop in anytime and be as involved as I wanted to be * they focus not just on academics, but teach children to be good citizens as well * my daughter was excited to go to school each day and was - even after just 4 weeks - starting to say phrases, name things, and count in Spanish! I highly recommend Welcome Amigos! I am hoping that we will start my daughter in the after school program when she starts Kindergarten! read more

When my daughter started at Welcome Amigos in January she lacked the patience and confidence with her lettering. She is now able to write her name and other 4 letter words after just 5 months at welcome amigos . My daughter is happy and making friends. They have a great curriculum that incorporates play and various subjects such as math, science and art. I feel confident that my daughter will be prepared for kindergarten thanks to the support of the maestras ( teachers) at welcome amigos . Gracias ! read more

Our child has been at Welcome Amigos for a few months now and it's been going really great. He had been in a familiar environment for his first 4 years; so making the transition to a Spanish school that had all brand new people felt like it could've been a frightening transition. But the staff at Welcome Amigos has been so welcoming and enthusiastic that our child has really grown in a short time. He's using Spanish regularly at home, seems like he's gaining more confidence every day and it feels like Welcome Amigos is getting him ready for Kindergarten in a fun way. read more

Just returned from a visit to my Grandson's (age 3) school. I had been impressed that he was so happy to attend. (In contrast to his previous Asian Immersion School on Peninsula Avenue.) The teachers are obviously so loving and engaged, taking every opportunity to highlight the unique qualities of each child. Plus I see our 3 yo getting lots of stimulation, not only for his Spanish skills, but reading and math preparation skills as well. The most important thing to me is that he feel secure, loved and appreciated and that he learn to be kind and respect others. They have this agenda down perfectly. Thank you so much too his eachers and directors. read more

Our 4.5 yr old daughter has just completed her first year at Welcome Amigos (Alameda site). At the beginning of the year, we moved her from another Spanish immersion preschool because of the commute distance and time. When we visited the school and met with the director, Elizabeth, and some of the Maestras, we knew immediately that they were caring people who really loved educating children. Our daughter was also very excited about going to her "new school Welcome Amigos" but, of course, there is always some anxiety about switching schools. Elizabeth and the Maestras had our daughter come in for a few hours a couple weeks before officially starting so she could meet all the teachers, the kids, start to get comfortable with the class routines, etc. That helped to minimize the first day jitters. As I said, Elizabeth and all of the Maestras are very caring and loving and provide a safe, educational space where all of the children can feel comfortable being themselves. The days and weeks are structured so that the children receive an excellent education not only learning Spanish, but also in writing, reading, and math. Weather permitting, they go to the playground and/or park each day to get exercise and free play. There are also many stations around the classroom (dress up, kitchen, blocks, art, etc.) so the kids can play whatever games they can imagine. The class also prepares for performances throughout the year for family and friends. (Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, graduation, Thanksgiving, and even a Christmas concert at the mall!) One year in, our daughter is excited to go to school every day and rarely wants to leave. She is extremely proud of her Spanish, even going so far as sounding out syllables for us so we can make sure we are saying things correctly. And she loves rehearsing for and performing in all of their shows. I highly recommend Welcome Amigos if you are looking for a well-rounded, Spanish immersion pre-school / pre-K education for your child(ren). read more

My son started at the Hamlet site when was just over 2 years old. He was quite reserved when he began but attending Welcome Amigos helped him to open up and start speaking more. The teachers have all been very caring. He seamlessly transitioned over to the Alameda site when he was 3.5 and loves it there as well. The school focuses on social and emotional learning but my son is also learning all the practical skills such as writing his name, math, and he is even beginning to write some other words. I have been impressed by his progress! He is currently almost 4.5 and he will be very prepared to enter Kindergarten when that time comes. The school does a great job organizing fun activities and field trips for the kids and my son brings home so many cute crafts. Maestras Evelyn (Hamlet site), Karina, Cari, and Dulce (all at the Alameda site) do a wonderful job in making the kids feel welcome and cared for. It's obvious how much Elizabeth, the director, cares about the kids as well. Some other notes: * More attention has been given to newsletters and emails which keep us well informed of upcoming events * Both locations are very clean * There is a big performance space with a stage that houses seasonal events * Parents are encouraged to volunteer * My son loves going there * I looked at 3 different schools before deciding my son's preschool and am happy I settled on Welcome Amigos. read more

My child was not a good fit for Welcome Amigos, which is fine and not their fault. We mutually agreed that it would be better to pull our child out, but Elizabeth kept our pre-payment for future months' tuition to the tune of over five thousand dollars. In my opinion this is very unethical. read more

My first-grade daughter takes after-school classes at Welcome Amigos twice a week and loves it... so what more could a parent ask for? She started in the fall with very (VERY) little prior knowledge, and while I was concerned about the fact that she'd be in class with kids who were already speaking Spanish, it was never an issue. She never felt out of place, nor bad about not being as advanced as the others. Learning goes hand in hand with having fun in class, which I prefer to a rigorous classroom atmosphere since it keeps my daughter happy and looking forward to her next visit to W. Amigos. Her Spanish is getting better and better, her confidence is improving, and when I informed her she'd be going to Spanish-speaking summer camp this year, she had no complaints... if that's not a seal of approval then I don't know what is. read more

I've been meaning to review this pre-school for quite some time. My son came here part time last year and full time this year. We highly recommend it. The teachers are loving and affectionate toward the children. They have the right balance of teaching and free play. My son spoke Italian/ English at home and had no Spanish when he started. Now he understands everything perfectly, sing songs and uses Spanish words at home. Our son will now attend a Spanish immersion kindergarten and I am confident he has the tools to succeed based on the foundation built at Welcome Amigos. read more

My son has been attending Welcome Amigos since the beginning of the school year and I want to compliment the teachers on what a great experience it has been for him. He goes to our neighborhood elementary school for Kindergarten in the mornings, and spends his afternoons at Welcome Amigos - and even just attending half-days he has picked up speaking spanish quite rapidly. I love that he comes home singing and speaking in spanish and he is so hungry for more knowledge that he asks us to look up words when he doesn't know them! Elizabeth, the owner of the school, is extremely dedicated to early childhood education and social emotional learning. And the teachers on staff are wonderful, they are so caring and kind and they come up with the most creative projects for the children. We are definitely considering to send our younger son here so that he can have the same great experience! read more

We have had such a wonderful experience during this past school year at Welcome Amigos. The teachers create a loving, accepting but firm environment for the kids develop socially and academically. Our daughter did not know any Spanish when she started 10 months ago, but now she understands almost everything the teachers say, and has gained confidence in speaking in Spanish as well. Elizabeth is easy to work with, chooses only the best teachers for her school. We are so happy to be part of Welcome Amigos. read more

My son attended Amigos for two grade levels. We did end up removing him in the spring of his second year. There were some beautiful, spirited teachers at the San Mateo location, and we missed Lupita and Ella dearly after leaving. However, the owner was repeatedly critical of my son because he could not sit quietly for 15-20 minutes at a time. She once called me out of work (I am a high school principal) to observe video she had taken (with my permission) of my son - he stood from the art table and held his work out to the teacher to see - but she didn't like that he'd stood, nor that he'd finished 10 minutes before the other kids. The more the owner supervised the San Mateo location, the more miserable my son became. We were one of five families (of boys), we learned later, that were having problems with the owner. We followed our gut, and moved to a fabulous alternative program. My son now LOVES art, is excelling at an Spanish-immersion kindergarten, and we are happy. As an educator myself for 15 years, I should have noticed earlier that strategies being used weren't appropriate to preschool (long amounts of sitting, direct instruction versus discovery, etc.). read more

We have been sending our son to Welcome Amigos for most school breaks since he was four (he is 5 now). He has loved it from the very first moment and always looks forward to the next time to come back. He especially loves their trips to the nearby park, playing outdoors, bringing books/toys for show & tell, singing songs and doing art projects. Teachers are loving, caring and keep the kids very entertained while having fun. The school focuses on the kids learning experience while fostering interactivity. On top of that Elizabeth is very responsive which makes the whole experience very easy. I would recommend Welcome Amigos to anyone, either for full time, afternoons or occasional break periods. read more

This will be my daughter's 2nd year at Welcome Amigos. We are in the after school program and my daughter loves to go to school. She enjoys being in a small class setting and I enjoy the fact that the staff and children of all grades know each other and play with each other. Even though the leaning progress takes longer time than I expect but we've received lots help from the owner and the teachers, Miss Africa & Miss Vanessa are very supportive too. The school provides a happy environment for my daughter, and it's a mazing to see her absorbing and leaning something new everyday. read more

My twins have been enrolled in the after school program for 7 months now. We are very impressed with the progress that they've made, both in terms of their Spanish vocabulary and their confidence in speaking Spanish. I also have to mention that their teacher, maestra Africa, taught them to read and write making Spanish the first language that they're able to read and write in. The best part of all is that they really enjoy this program and are always excited and happy to attend classes. I highly recommend their after school program. read more

We couldn't be happier with Welcome Amigos. Elizabeth and the teachers clearly love the kids and the kids love them back. Our son runs in every morning, so excited to be there. One day, he was out sick and Desi and the kids sent us a short video they made, telling him how much they missed him. He watched it over and over again. We're very impressed with how much Spanish he's learning and we'll really miss the school when we move on to Kindergarten. Thank you, Welcome Amigos! read more

My daughter has been with Welcome Amigos for 2 years and we have been more than happy with with this school. The teachers, Maestra Lilly, Edith and Elizabeth are natural caregivers and educators which is completely evident in the way they interact and care for all the kids. Our daughter has developed socially and has made so many friends during her time there. She always looked forward to going to school and sharing exciting parts of her weekend with her teachers. She began at WA not knowing any spanish and she now sings songs only in spanish and can converse in spanish. For this schoolyear, WA began teaching name-writing, letter writing and numbers so I was happy that my daugther now writes her name on all her artwork! Everyday she comes home, she shows off all the artwork and projects she has done at school and continues to do them at home! Most of all, I love the weekly highlights that Program Director Elizabeth emails to all the parents. It summarizes the theme for the week and specifically details what the children will learn that week so we can focus or talk to our daughter about them. Overall, I highly recommend Welcome Amigos. We have an infant son and we hope to send him to WA one day. read more

My daughters have attended Welcome Amigos for almost two years now. Sending them here was one of the best decisions we made. Both girls love going to school every day, love the teachers, and are now fluent in Spanish. I have never had the negative experience that another review gave and my children are by far two of the most energetic kids I know. What I particularly find nice is that they don't force kids to do things they don't want but do seem to gently encourage. My kids were previously at a home daycare and the transition to this environment was seamless. The maestras are very supportive and provide a caring environment. read more

Thanks to the wonderful teachers and class structure at Welcome Amigos, my third-grade son is learning Spanish the correct way. He is speaking, reading, and writing and advancing quickly. My parents are native Spanish speakers and I grew up in a Spanish-speaking household in the Midwest. But I have struggled to find the best way to ensure that my son also learns Spanish. We tried an after school class at his elementary school run by a large outfit where he learned almost nothing. At Welcome Amigos, he is learning how to conjugate verbs properly and rapidly gaining a strong vocabulary. He is also making new friends at Welcome Amigos while practicing his Spanish in a nurturing social setting. The teachers are enthusiastic and know how to build knowledge of a new language. At home he is now speaking in complete sentences in Spanish, and we are reading together. He looks forward to class twice a week! Individual lessons are also available. The teachers are all trained by the school director, who has a degree in child development and has taught at the Nueva School. She knows how to keep children engaged and instill a love of learning. read more

I love Welcome Amigos. My son has attended there just in the afternoon, but I am so happy to see how he is trying to speak Spanish now. The teachers and the director are so nice, friendly, helpful, and patient. They really encourage the kids to learn Spanish. My son loves all the cultural activities that they do with the kids. I totally recommended Welcome Amigos to other families. read more

My son (4 years) started Welcome Amigos this summer after we moved from the South Bay. He was not happy leaving his old school and friends and the 1st day heading to Welcome Amigos he cried and said he hated his new school. That lasted 2 mornings. I've never heard him grumble or complain about school since (it's been nearly 6 months) - he LOVES going to school. The maestras were wonderful with his transition and the activities (art, music, phonics, vocabulary, outdoor play) keep him plenty entertained. His desire to learn has dramatically increased (he used to have zero interest in coloring or writing letters). HIs confidence speaking spanish has also improved. The one concern I had initially was the limited outdoor space but the kids have a blast playing outside and they go to the park for soccer ... so if you have the same concern, don't worry... the kids aren't bothered by it! read more

My son is 4.5 years old and has had an amazing experience at Welcome Amigos! We had to switch pre-schools mid-year because our previous school closed and Elizabeth (Director) was so accommodating to our situation. My son is very shy and the transition was tough for him at first. Maestras Lilly, Edith and Elizabeth were wonderful at ensuring his transition was as smooth as possible and that the other children welcomed him with open arms. He very quickly became comfortable in his new environment, made great friends, and loves going to school every day. Our previous school was Spanish immersion too but my son wasn't speaking much Spanish. I've been completely amazed at how quickly his Spanish has improved at Welcome Amigos and he now teaches me new words every day! I also love how inclusive the school is of the parents and the weekly email communications to keep us in the loop of all the fun the kids are having and what they are learning. I'm very sad that my son has graduated but we plan to continue sending him to WA camps and their after school program in the Fall. We're also going to enroll our daughter when she is old enough. Welcome Amigos is a wonderful and loving program if you're looking for a well-rounded Spanish Immersion school. read more