Pretty good place, location kinda sucks if you do not live in Palo Alto. I live in redwood city,…read moreonly reason I stopped coming was because it takes 30 minutes to and from, that's 2 hours a day. Enrollment and all was easy, via brightwheel. There's an outdoor play area for the children, few classrooms. Teachers are more or less all nice, I can see the Mandarin develop quickly and it would've been so much easier if it was closer. Unfortunately, that's the only reason we left. They have great hours, especially if you need early/late care and a single parent. It didn't break the bank.

The teachers and the owners truly care about the children here. The bilingual education is great…read more My child is learning Mandarin and English so well. She loves her teachers and can't wait to go back whenever on vacation. Many fun extra activities in summer too. It gives the children extra fun! Highly recommend

Our child has been attending this preschool, and we've had a really positive experience--especially…read morebecause of the teachers. They are truly the heart of the program. Every teacher we've interacted with has been warm, patient, and genuinely caring toward the kids. It's clear they know each child individually and put a lot of thought into supporting their development and emotional well-being. What stands out most is how attentive and nurturing the teachers are. They create a classroom environment where children feel safe, encouraged, and excited to learn. We often see them getting down to the kids' level to talk with them, guide them through challenges, and celebrate their small victories. That kind of care makes a big difference. Communication has also been great. The teachers are approachable and willing to share updates or discuss anything related to our child's day, which we really appreciate as parents. Overall, we feel grateful that our child is surrounded by such dedicated educators. Their kindness, patience, and commitment to the children really show, and it makes this preschool a wonderful place for little ones to grow and learn.

The staff is very enthusiastic and helpful. We are new to the school but so far so good…read more Schedules and communications are not well organized but with a lot of questions you can get your answers. They have a pick up service that is very convenient at an extra fee. The classes are held in the Community center class rooms which are a little beat up but work.

My kid have been with Mustard Seed for 4 years. His Chinese improved a lot. The principle and the…read moreteachers are truly caring about kids. They would like to do everything to help the kids. I will send my younger son to Mustard Seed when he is in elementary school.

We have two kids attending MSLC currently. First and foremost, this family run school has…read morededicated, supportive and loving staff. You can tell they really care about all the kids SEL (social emotional learning) and academic well-being. In addition, as parents we find their paid add-ons to be of great value: after school transportation, pre-school lunches, and opt-in activity days when PAUSD is out of session are all life savers when parents have busy schedules as we do. Of the different Mandarin after-school programs, we found MSLC to be the best fit for our kids who's Chinese is already much better than mine.

My child attended the full day preschool program taught by Ms Susan and Ms Isabelle. She loved it…read moreand I thought it was very well run and educational. The environment is safe and kind. We were sad to move too far to keep attending but would recommend it without reservation.

I love their after school program. The environment is safe. The staffs are very child focus and…read morenice. The director of the learning center truly cares about the Children in all areas (emotional, academic, social). She worked on the students to solve conflicts, showed them how to love and care. I am very happy my child is in this school.

Both our kids went to LACS, and I highly recommend it to anyone else looking for a Mandarin…read moreimmersion program. Zhuang Laoshi has been there for years, and she is an incredibly thoughtful educator who is wonderful with kids. To this day, my older daughter still tells me she misses Zhuag Laoshi. Our younger daughter had Zhang Laoshi, who was the most kind, warm, and nurturing teacher who really helped her feel comfortable during the preschool transition. LACS plans thoughtful and creative projects, and they really help children grow independently. They foster an environment where young children can build their social skills, which was a priority for us. Another bonus is the extra-curricular activities that happen at the school, so you don't have to drive them somewhere on other days (ballet, drumming, music, etc). They also love English lessons with Miss Eleanor. The rest of the leadership are responsive and caring, and I appreciate the daily updates on how they ate/slept. It's a smaller community, so the teachers and staff really get to know the families well. It's also convenient because they run the afterschool Chinese program at the LASD schools, as well as the vacation/summer camps, so when students graduate from the preschool, they still have opportunities to interact with their old teachers. We are so happy to have LACS in our community.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Zhang Laoshi and Zhuang Laoshi. From the very beginning,…read moreit has been clear how much care, patience, and dedication they bring to the classroom every day. They create such a warm and nurturing environment where children feel safe, happy, and excited to learn. What really stands out is how thoughtfully Zhang Laoshi and Zhuang Laoshi support each child's development. They balance learning with play beautifully, encouraging curiosity, creativity, and confidence. My child often comes home talking about the fun activities, songs, and stories from class, and it's clear that Zhang Laoshi makes learning joyful and engaging for the children. Zhuang Laoshi and Zhang Laoshi also communicate very well with parents, sharing helpful updates and insights about how the children are growing socially, emotionally, and academically. It's reassuring to know that our child is in the hands of teachers who truly care about their well-being and development. We feel incredibly fortunate that our child is in a classroom led by Zhang Laoshi and Zhuang Laoshi. Great preschool teachers make a lifelong difference, and they are truly special educators who help children build confidence and a love of learning from the very start.

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.

It is a horrible preschool. We visit there(STCDC-PS) for one morning at the end of July. My…read moredaughter and some of other kids sit in the table outside drawing something, then one boy kicked the ball directly to the table toward the window, every kids was shocked and scared, but no teacher come out to stop this boy. And the boy kicked again, finally, one girl that is little bit older stand out to stop the boy. However, during the whole process, no teacher said anything. After this visit, I really do not want to send my daughter to this school, so I want my deposit back, but the school said no, because they hold the spot for me. However, they only hold this spot for about one week. I canceled the check, then they emailed and mailed me to pay them the deposit. And they also threatened me that if I DO NOT pay it, they will go to collections. What a horrible school.

I cannot say enough good things about DCC. I feel so fortunate that my child spent some formative…read moreyears there and incredibly grateful to the teachers for having such a positive impact on him. My son started attending when he was about 3 yrs old after a less than positive experience at another preschool. I was apprehensive about him entering a new environment and if it'd jive well w/ him. Since then, he has grown and thrived so much - the teachers are incredibly caring, warm, and really focused helping the children develop and improve their skills. But more than that, they embrace what's unique about each kid and try to bring out the best in them. Their mentality is much more one of playing to a kid's strengths vs. focusing on their weaknesses. They're incredibly open-minded and receptive to kids' needs, and never try to force them into one mold. Also, they're very friendly to working parents. As much as they do activities like family potlucks and walks to the park w/ the families, there's never any sense of judgment if you can't participate. There is a daily schedule that's probably pretty similar to other preschools/daycares, but I liked DCC's because it's more play-based compared to other programs. The atmosphere feels relaxed and more importantly - warm and accepting. I also love that DCC has an incredibly diverse makeup of kids, parents, and staff - it does wonders for kids when they have the opportunity to learn in a diverse, non-homogenous environment and learn to embrace diversity and inclusion from an early age. It's bittersweet that my son will be graduating and leaving DCC, but I look forward to my younger child joining DCC soon and getting to have an amazing experience too.

Our daughter has been at Cornerstone for almost 2 years and we absolutely love it. Her Chinese is…read morefluent now, and this is one of the only schools that we toured for the children actually speak to each other in Chinese on the playground, instead of reverting to English. The project based and play based curriculum for three and four-year-olds is truly unique and engaging. The teacher to student ratio is low and the teachers genuinely understand and are invested in each child's development. Unlike many traditional Chinese schools, they also focus on children's social emotional development, and my daughter has matured substantially in this area. Helen and Teresa are wonderful and made time to meet with me anytime I had concerns. Truly, an exceptional environment for Chinese immersion, and in my opinion (after touring nearly every Chinese school) the best on the Peninsula.

Summary: A great immersion school with caring staff. My chicks have been attending here for many…read moreyears. 99.8% of their Chinese ability is from CLF. ( yeah, I will take the .2 %). Their Chinese is not native level but enough to help new student from China in school. ;) We know plenty of kids go to other Chinese schools that have shuttle services, homework hours, extra enrichment options etc. let's be clear. CLF doesn't offer any of that. When you sign up CLF, you are there to learn Chinese. Guess what? Unlike the norm that kids dislike Chinese school and eventually drop out, Most CLF kids stay and continue for many years. My chicks have close friends from CLF kinder days. The same class pretty much grow up together. My chicks love their Chinese school and excited to go. Students learn Chinese though regular activities like singing, performing, cooking, science projects. Last key point: CLF fosters a healthy culture of handwork and effort. Not purely on how fluent/good you are with Chinese. Students who don't have the opportunity to practice at home can equally feel empowered and recognized. On rainy days, you can see teachers escorting the kids with their umbrellas up and down the stairs. Now that is caring!