Our family does not speak Spanish, so we felt very fortunate to have the opportunity in Dixon to…read moreenroll our daughter in the dual immersion program. The teachers are amazing! This was a big deal being my daughter was learning a new language as well as all the other things you learn in Kinder. Our daughter has not fallen behind at all. If your child does struggle they have tutoring after school. I definitely did not regret the decision! Also, the school is fully gated and they do a great job keeping it safe and not allowing anyone onto campus that should not be. Absolutely love it!!!! I would stop by the office if you are interested.

Both of my children have been at the Davis Waldorf School since kindergarten. Initially we were not…read morequite sure what we were signing up for, but we knew that older children that had attended the school could speak to adults in a coherent and mature manner, making eye contact and speaking with clarity and confidence. Each time we met a Waldorf teen, we were impressed with their intellect and demeanor. So, we thought we'd give it a try. Now that our children are in the upper grades, and I can look back on this journey, I can't say enough about this school. We heard grandparents worry that the children wouldn't learn to read or spell. Yet, as it turned out, both boys are avid readers and devour books because they learned to read in a supporting and nurturing fashion, the way Waldorf teachers bring all their lessons. And of course, because they read so much, their spelling is incredible and effortless. Math, science, Spanish, music, cultural studies, art, etc are all presented in a way to ensure each child can learn the material and excel. The children have the opportunity to learn with hands on projects, field trips and by engaging together and collaborating. At Waldorf, learning goes well beyond worksheets and rote memorization. The teachers have all been so amazing, not just for the children, but also in the they way they engage the parents. I am writing this now because last night I had one of those wonderful parenting moments where I got to see my 7th grader glow with pride as he figured out what he needed to do for his Rube Goldberg physics project. As I see both children grow, I am endless grateful for our wonderful school.

Was charged assessment fee and then told there was no room in the class. Was told there was room in…read moreanother class I was interested in. Was told admissions/administration would call me back within day or two to answer my questions. Several days later and still haven't heard back from school. It's deceptive to charge assessment fee when admissions knows there isn't room available. Bad business practice not to return calls as promised.

When we first moved to Davis, we assumed our kids would go to one of the great public schools here…read more-- that was part of why we chose this area. After the first few months, with 27-30 kids in our son's class, we observed that it was hard for him to get individual attention, and during our first parent-teacher conference, it felt like his teacher didn't really know him. A friend mentioned Peregrine, and at first we weren't sure -- especially because of the tuition. But when we visited, the campus immediately stood out. There were tree forts, gardens planted by students, zip lines, hay bales, and ample space to run. It just felt alive. Our son absolutely loves it there. Every morning he sprints onto the playground before we can even say goodbye. The teachers know him -- really know him. Within the first two weeks, they even noticed he was having trouble pronouncing certain words and suggested we check with our pediatrician about a speech evaluation. That early attention made such a difference. We've also been amazed by how intentional the academics are. He has one-on-one reading time twice a week, small group literacy sessions, and a class library full of graphic novels like Dog Man and Zita the Space Girl that keep him excited about reading. His progress has been incredible. He learns outside -- rain or shine -- with teachers who guide gardening, cooking, ceramics, and project-based lessons. The school celebrates different cultures through music, food, and dance, and the meals are cooked right on site and actually healthy. What stands out most is how much the teachers care. They communicate proactively, notice social dynamics, and address things right away. It's clear that he's seen, supported, and surrounded by people who genuinely care about his growth. After his first week there we received a detailed assessment of his reading and math levels with handwritten notes explaining areas of improvement and where we can help him further. This sort of detailed individual feedback really showed how they truly took the time to get to know our son. We also really appreciate the weekly class emails we get from his teachers. They summarize what the kids learned that week in reading, math, and other subjects -- along with photos and little anecdotes. It's such a thoughtful touch, and it makes us feel connected to what's happening in the classroom day to day. In addition the teachers are always accessible before and after class for us to discuss concerns and questions that arise. As the more financially cautious one in our family, I wasn't sure how we'd feel about private school -- but seeing how happy and curious he is now, it truly feels worth it. Watching him grow, ask questions, and grow his love of learning has been such a gift. One thing we've learned is there's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to school. Davis has so many great options -- I'm just glad we found one that fits our son so well. We ended up enrolling our daughter there at the preschool as well!

This is our forth year at the Peregrine school: my daughter started at 3 years old in their…read morepreschool and now she is in their elementary school. I wanted to share our experience from this most recent school year. The school's full-day kindergarten program has small student-to-teacher ratios, a nurturing environment, a terrific teaching team, and an immersive project-based curriculum. My daughter was in a classroom of 12 children and three teachers. Two of the teachers swapped places depending on the subjects that were taught that day, so there were always two teachers with the kids. The school created a trilingual program where the kindergarteners were learning a bit of Spanish and Mandarin in addition to having the core curriculum in English. What I particularly appreciate about the language component is how the teachers wove in cultural literacy into their lessons along with language instruction. There are many things that set apart this kindergarten program from others. Six hours of daily programming allows teachers to create a rich experience filled with language arts, math, science, gardening, cooking, music, and movement. The program allows you to drop off your kid at 8:30 am and pick them up by 3:15 pm with before and after school care available to those who need it; instruction takes place between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. Children are served healthy, nutritious, and well-balanced meals that are prepared on site and given at snack time and lunch. The food is so good that my child begged me to get a recipe from the school chef for a "lentil dish that is better than candy." The school's acre of gardens and play space allows the children to learn and play while being surrounded by beautiful nature. Kindergarteners spend at least an hour outside each day. Additionally, the school has three teacher specialists who work with the students weekly in the areas of gardening/cooking, music, and movement. The incredible food program coupled with the gardening lessons exposed my child to lots of new food that she was resistant to try before. My daughter particularly enjoys the kale and peas she gets to eat straight from the school garden. This past year the class got to go on five field trips to visit the Davis food co-op, a farm in West Sac, and attend three events at the Mondavi center. (This does not include many smaller trips to the playgrounds and parks near the school.) The Peregrine school also arranges for performances around Chinese New Year and other holidays on the school site. Towards the end of the school year, as part of their science unit, the class got to watch caterpillars hatch out of eggs and transform into butterflies. Children also witnessed the entire lifecycle of silkworms ending with moths laying eggs. I feel lucky to have this kindergarten program available in our town and I wanted to share our experience in case this may be a good fit for other families in this group. The Peregrine school offers instruction at all elementary grade levels through sixth grade in case you have an older child and you are interested in their program.