This is a review for Synapse's TK program. My son has been in Teacher Mickey & Teacher Natasha's…read moreclass for a year this year. My son's TK experience has been truly above and beyond what we wanted for early childhood education. All the great activities that foster joyful learning, all the field trips, events that bring the community together have been so beautifully thought out and planned, we had no idea this kind of education was even possible for little kids. We were grateful each day when we sent my son to school, because we trusted that he would be well taken care of and have a good time. It meant a lot to us as parents. The teachers cared so much about students' happiness, well-being, and materials they were learning. They truly, genuinely cared, and all the parents of TK students could feel it. Throughout the year, we were constantly impressed by the teachers' willingness to go above and beyond. These teachers are not ordinary teachers who rely on easier field trips or simpler projects. They take kids to the most interesting and enriching places on their field trips, places such as ice skating rinks, beaches, ponds where you can catch tadpoles, senior centers, pumpkin patches, cactus garden, etc. Their creativity and willingness to get messy were also truly inspiring. The TK class built an awe-inspiring life-size whale shark together and had so much fun celebrating Holi. The TK class cooked great lunches and sold them to parents as well. The teachers went an extra mile, even though it meant so much more work for themselves, because they have a genuine passion for sprinkling curiosity and exploration in their students. We also deeply appreciated how they created so many opportunities to recognize diverse cultures and bring families together for events like Diwali and Lunar New Year. They were extra careful to include all of the countries' traditions, which gave my son a sense of belonging and harbored a pride in his heritage. We are immensely grateful and feel incredibly honored that my son had such thoughtful, dedicated, and innovative teachers like them. Knowing he was in their care gave us immense peace of mind. And this review is not just about TK teachers at Synapse. Everyone we met at Synapse has been genuinely nice and down to earth. All the teachers, staff, students and parents formed such a warm, wonderful community.

The children are marvelously guided to follow their curiosity and do meaningful projects like study…read morechange makers in society. I have worked with many schools and never seen such attentive care for children and teens by teachers. It's a joy to see!

The Mandarin Immersion (MI) program at Orion Alternative Elementary is hands-down Redwood City's…read morebest-kept secret for an exceptional public school education. It is an extraordinary environment where students of all backgrounds can thrive. For non- Mandarin speaking families, the dedicated support, including a specialized TOSA (Teacher on Special Assignment) ensures kids catch up to grade level. My own daughter attended TK elsewhere and had no trouble catching up in Mandarin when she started Kindergarten here. What Makes Orion Special: Dedicated Staff & Leadership: The teachers are exceptionally kind, attentive, and engaged. Principal Winnie works tirelessly to address parent feedback through frequent, accessible touchpoints like Zoom check-ins and Principal Coffees. Vibrant After-School Support: A huge shoutout to PlayThrive, the on-site Mandarin after-school program, which provides fantastic enrichment and care. They help kids with homework and support the mandarin learning, but also offer extracurricular activities (for an added fee) of Math camp, Photography, Sports, etc. An Unmatched Parent Community: Parent involvement here is incredible and it really feels like a collaborative team effort to help our kids succeed. Beyond cultural celebrations like the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lunar New Year, and Dragonboat races, there are constant opportunities for parents to connect. Our family has gotten involved in "BroRion" (the dads' group), moms' pickleball and even parent dragon boat racing! Things to Keep in Mind: Like any growing public school, Orion faces a few operational hurdles: Facilities & Funding: Facility maintenance and air conditioning can be ongoing challenges, but the active parent community consistently steps up to help bridge the gaps. For instance, during the hottest day of the year, the air conditioning was not working well in some of the TK portables but parents dropped off air conditioning units. The school also relies on annual fundraising drives to fund classroom assistants and extra enrichment classes. Admissions: While TK often has a waitlist through the lottery, the program's expansion means there are usually plenty of openings for Kindergarten. Academic Outcomes: Don't be deterred if some students transition to North Star Academy after 3rd grade. CAASPP assessment data consistently shows that the MI students who remain in grades 3-5 score exceptionally high in Math and ELA, with the vast majority testing at the "Advanced" level. This is especially impressive since they learn Math in Mandarin, but test Math in English. Orion is a warm, high-achieving, and deeply supportive community. We are very fortunate to be part of this school!

We bought a house in Redwood City specifically so our child could attend this school. Since we…read moredon't speak Chinese at home and our daughter was diagnosed with a speech delay at age two, I wasn't sure how much Mandarin she would actually pick up from the Mandarin Immersion program at Orion, especially without extra support from us. But after completing kindergarten and halfway through first grade, she surprised us by initiating conversations in Chinese on her own. I'm pretty sure I cried the first time it happened. The teachers are incredibly thoughtful and professional, especially in guiding young kids through learning two languages. In the first few years, about 90% of the school day is conducted in Chinese, which provides an immersive experience during those crucial early years. I remember my daughter sometimes mixed up calling her teacher "mama" and calling me "Wu Laoshi" -- small but meaningful signs of the trust she was building in this environment. The quality of education is outstanding. It's project-based, with a rich blend of art, gardening, STEAM, and physical education throughout the week. During lunch, the kids have options for how they spend their free time. My daughter loves cooling off in the air-conditioned library on hot days, gardening with friends, or practicing her monkey bar skills on more moderate days (after all, Redwood City is known for its slogan, "Climate Best by Government Test"). What matters most to me is that my daughter wakes up excited for school. She genuinely looks forward to her day, eager to see her teacher, curious about the new things she'll learn, spend time with her friends, and engage in the many activities this wonderful space offers. It's a place where she's building her own community, being challenged academically, and hopefully forming friendships that will last at least until high school. At this age, while academics are important, a positive and supportive community matters even more to us. Finding both at the Mandarin Immersion program at Orion has been an absolute gift, and we feel incredibly fortunate to have this school in the Bay Area.

Amazing school so fun for the kids great electives. Great music classes. Love the teachers. Has…read moreoutdoor and indoor basketball count. Lots of activities for kids to do like art, clay, sports, and mote

We have been in Peninsula 3 years. We have one good year…read more Last year is a complete disaster (k). The school allowed a metal stick to be thrown at my son's head and refuse to take the stick away from the yard, saying it's a normal toy.( Let us pray all 5 year old know the correct use of stilt). The non- caring attitude afterward is beyond comprehension. In addition, the ineffective ways of dealing with bullying from the same person who throw the metal stick, both mentally and physically, has negatively impact our family life, and my son's health, resulting an early withdrawal from the school year and on going therapy session for my 6 years old for $350/50 mins. The school also denied our access to school counselor during these trouble time.

We feel so lucky that both of our children were able to attend Carey for elementary school over the…read morelast 9 years. The administration, teachers, staff, and community are top notch. The teachers really know and understand each child. What drives them, their strengths, their weaknesses, and how they learn the best. The parent community is fun, supportive, and close knit. We highly recommend Carey to our family and friends.

We were Carey Parents for 13 years across 3 kids. Our time at The Carey School was magical for our…read morekids and for our family. The faculty really knew our kids well and celebrated their unique gifts; they were positive, encouraging and smart. They taught the kids a growth mindset, cultivated kindness and prepared our kids well both social emotionally and academically for middle school. The parent community is engaged, friendly and the people we've met and come to know and love will long be our community after our kids are in middle school and beyond.

St. Gregory School is my children's home away from home. All of the teachers and staff believe in…read morenurturing the whole child: mind, body and spirit. There are so many ways for parents to become involved and for families to be included in the school community. Our oldest graduated in 2017 and we were pleased that she was very well prepared for high school. With a current 7th grader and 4th grader, my husband and I look forward to many more years of partnership in their faith, academic and athletic developments. St. Gregory Students are Christians who truly belive in FAITH: F forever faithful A academic achievement I integrity always T trustworthy H humble and honorable

If you're looking for a good academic curriculum, this isn't the school for your child. There is…read morelittle instruction by the teachers , zero homework and lots of "let's watch a movie or listen to an audiobook" time. Instead of instruction, they give the kids "time to do homework." Several "no school" days. It's not a good school. Public school system is much better. Also they have a verbally abusive math teacher who is not even a good teacher. The principal is meh. Doesn't care about anything besides money.

We love Open Gate! When we began touring preschools with our first child, I was very hesitant and…read moredidn't feel comfortable with the thought of leaving him somewhere with strangers. From the moment we toured Open Gate though, it felt like home. Teacher Kristi knows just how to meet the needs of each child (and parent) that walk through the door. The other parents quickly become friends and valued sources of support. We're now back at Open Gate with our second child and we are so happy to be back in the Open Gate community again. My oldest son wishes he could go back too and often talks about "the good old days when I got to play at Open Gate". We are so thankful that we found such a fun and supportive preschool for our kids!

Absolutely LOVE Open Gate! We have been attending since last school year and my son and I just love…read morethe time we spend here. We both have so many new friends and have truly created a community for ourselves. The Teachers are creative, kind and intentional with the way they are educating my son. I also really enjoy volunteering in his class, feeling included in his day and getting to know the other parents. If you have the chance to come and take a tour contact the School ASAP!

We cannot say enough good things about the community at Woodland School. From the moment we began…read morethe admissions process, we felt like more than just another application. The Admissions Director, Melanie, is truly exceptional. She went above and beyond to support our family, showing incredible flexibility and genuine care throughout the process. Beyond the administration, the school itself is impressive. We fell in love with the beautiful, sprawling outdoor campus--it's such a rare and refreshing environment for kids to learn in. One of the most striking things we noticed was how confident and articulate the students are; their comfort with public speaking is clearly a testament to the school's curriculum. We also spent a lot of time admiring the Maker Lab, which is easily one of the best we've seen. While our family's personal circumstances shifted and we couldn't enroll this year, Woodland remains at the top of our list for any family looking for a balanced, high-achieving, and supportive environment

Absolutely terrible terrible school. If I could give it 0 I would. The years I spent here were the…read moreworst in my entire life. None of the teachers want to be here they are all underpaid and regularly complain about their salary. While I was there I would consistently hear teachers say "I can't answer that that's above my pay grade" or joke about how they can't afford to pay for anything. Many of them were just bullies and put no effort into teaching us. The teachers also have no control over the students with classes being so hectic that lesson plans would get put on pause. If you are a smart student you won't be challenged here, if your a student with learning disabilities you will get NO support. The campus is laughably small and unclean. The buildings are in horrible condition with middle schoolers learning in portable classrooms. In my opinion it kind of feels like they just added the middle school on in the 80's to make more money. The food is horrible but the kids are even worse.

My son has been in the Challenge preschool side since 2 years old and continued on to this…read moreChallenge School since Kindergarten. The teachers are fluent in Mandarin and immerse the kids in Chinese speaking environment. The teachers are very encouraging and warm to all parents What I like is the consistency and stability of the class - my son has been with most of his classmates for over 6 years and really have gotten to known them. same with parents - many of us started with Challenge early on and have gotten to known each other over the years. There are monthly public speaking practices as part of routine class curriculum. There are many cultural celebrations as well for all to enjoy kids' performances.

Our kids have been attending Belmont Challenge after school program for years. Not only does the…read moreschool offer a trusting and organized learning environment for the kids, the teachers are patient and friendly towards the kids. Our goal was for our kids to maintain their bilingual skills and be in a fun learning environment, and Challenge offers what we wanted and more! Under the guidance of the teachers, our kids have improved greatly in their public speaking skills (in both English and Chinese) due to the school's thoughtful curriculum in helping to develop students' public speaking skills. Most importantly, our kids thoroughly enjoyed being at Challenge and often requested to be picked up later :) Overall, we are grateful that our kids can maintain and develop their Chinese skills in a safe and friendly environment at Belmont Challenge!