MCD has been such a wonderful place for my two children. We left our old center because of staff…read moreturnover, but MCD has many staff that have worked there for 10+ years. My children have grown so much with the helpful care of the staff at MCD

Montessori Country Day is a wonderful place for kids to grow and learn. My child just aged out of…read morecare here after attending since he was 2 years old (plus a long break for COVID). He grew from a shy, reserved child to an outgoing goofball with countless friends. He learned to read at 4 and I fully credit MCD with that. The care that every teacher and teaching assistant here gives is evident, and the environment is rich and colorful. I'm sad to be leaving but so glad that MCD was part of our young childhood experience.

Our daughter had a great experience here. caring, devoted staff that loved her and she loved them!…read more They updated us on how her day went daily and regularly post photos. They also do a monthly parents night out that is very affordable. They feed the kids dinner and have a big party. My daughter loved it and felt like she was having a big hangout party with her best friends. Staff was attentive and communicative. Good outdoor play space, too. Positive parent community!

My kids have thrived under the wonderful care and instruction of the teachers at MCD2. My son…read moreattended from age 2 to 4.5 and was almost always happy to go to school. He made good friends there, liked his teachers, and loved playing in their outdoor space. I loved seeing pictures of the kids learning and making things in the classroom and coming in for activities where parents are welcome, like the annual Easter egg hunt, trunk or treat, and mothers and Father's Day celebrations. My daughter is now in the baby room and seems to love it as well. We definitely recommend this school to other families who are proactive and engaged in their kids school experiences.

The Painting Libraian provided our non-profit with a great opportunity to fundraise. She tailored…read moreour painting to fit our non-profit theme, came fully prepared and ontime, and made the event fun for everyone! Each person attending felt supported in the painting/learning process, had a great time and asked when we could do it again! We would definitely recommend her for any non-profit, school, agency who is looking for a fun family friendly event!

I Have a been a fan of paint nite, now yay maker, for many years now, And I've been to many…read morepainting events , plant events etc. I recently had an issue redeeming my free offer, however Jen in customer support resolved the problem And gave me free tickets to make up for the inconvenience and trouble which is great customer service. If you haven't tried their events I highly recommend them... they always have $10 off coupons ...great for friends and dates and gifts...

Indoor events are back! I've done a bunch of the paint nites and had booked a class for a plant…read morenight with a gnome right before the pandemic that was cancelled, I waited almost two years but was able to use my voucher that didn't quite cover the full cost, but better than nothing. It was a nice event, lots of options for containers and the instructor had a good energy. I was happy with my succulent arrangement (sad there wasn't a gnome, but I liked the duck, ladybug and chameleon I added). I like Yaymaker because of the convenience, all the supplies are there for you, no setting up or cleaning, and you come home with a cute piece of art after a few hours. Very minimal commitment. :)

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.

Ever wonder how all those shops on Etsy specializing in personalized items stay in business? Get a…read morefull tutorial - and personalized item - through a 3+ hour class at AR. What a great concept. Ahead of time, you pick a project you want to do, and when you arrive, your set up and personalized stencil are ready for you. Nariné and Michelle did a pretty good job handling the group of 15. Unlike other craft nights, their help is critical through many steps of the project, so there are occasional lags in time. However, this gives you a chance to chit chat and take your time. That being said, many projects took longer than the 3 hours. We didn't feel rushed, but I do wish it had stayed closer to 3 hours. I'd recommend thinking a bit ahead of time what colors you want to use and type of paint technique you might want to use. These decisions can take a lot of time at the beginning of class. Definitely a fun bonding activity!

I highly recommend checking this place out! The owner & staff are AMAZING! Friendly, patient & fun!…read more We walked in to find our stations already set-up with our respective project (pre-registration). The owner took her time to explain the process before setting us loose. The staff walked around and assisted at each step. They do special events and even have a deal where you attend 5 sessions your 6th one is free.

Amazing place for kids! I've sent two of my children here so far and have been very pleased. Both…read morekids loved/love it! The entire staff is pleasant. We've never had any issues at all. I'll happily be sending our third child here when he is ready. They learn, play, make friends in a safe fun enviroment and even have delicious meals daily.

Most of these reviews are pretty outdated so I thought I would add mine. My 5 year old attended St…read more Luke's for nearly 3 years and my 1 year old has been there for over 6 months. Just like any care facility St. Luke's has its pros and cons and those will depend a lot on your personal preferences for you kids. The bottom line though is that in my experience most of the teachers have been very caring and my kids are happy and safe. My 5 year old was more than ready for kindergarten and has transitioned seamlessly. In addition to knowing all the routine things (shapes, colors, letters, numbers) he also knows how to play well with others, pick up after himself and how to be patient with kids younger (or less mature) than himself. The baby loves going to St. Luke's, he doesn't cry when I drop him off. He has also done baby-led weaning onto finger foods because of St. Lukes lunches and snack (way easier than my first who was only given purees at his previous daycare). Possible cons- Any kids attending childcare in a larger group are going to catch a lot of colds (it is actually good to get it out of the way in preschool though before it affects their K-12 attendance). There will also be bumps and bruises. There is food and sand and dirt and your kids may come home covered in it! It can look like a mad-house at pick-up and drop-off (so if you are going to come for a visit you may want to try 10am to get a fair view of things). Sometimes teachers that your kid loves will leave. We had a bad experience at a previous center that forced kids to take 2 hour naps and wanted 3 years olds to stand patiently in a single file line. It worked for some kids but not for mine. He was labeled "naughty" and was "in trouble" daily; it led to a very stressed-out, unhappy kid. St Luke's changed all that for us with their freer style of teaching and my kid is able to "stand in line" just fine now that he is more mature. I will always be grateful to St. Luke's for helping me get back my happy-go-lucky kid!

Our son attended Bert & Ernie's Preschool in Dixon from the time he was 4 months old until age 3,…read moreso our family was part of this school community for nearly 3 yrs. During that time, he successfully transitioned through every classroom. When he moved to blue room, which has a much more structured environment, he struggled with the adjustment. Like many toddlers learning new classroom expectations, he had difficulty following directions at times. During one incident, a teacher physically picked up my son while redirecting him and he reacted by hitting the teacher. We were shown a video of this interaction during a meeting with the owner and staff. At that same meeting, the owner informed us that our son could no longer continue in the program, stating he was not developmentally ready for classroom structure despite being in their care since he was 4 months old. This was extremely disappointing after trusting this school with our child since infancy. We expected the school to work with us on a behavior plan or transition support rather than abruptly ending his enrollment. We later requested written documentation of the termination and received a letter from the director stating that we voluntarily withdrew our son, which is not accurate. The decision for him to leave the program was made by the owner. Since leaving, our son has transitioned to another daycare and is doing very well, which suggests that the issue may have been more about the environment than his ability to participate in a structured class. Parents should be aware of how behavioral challenges during classroom transitions may be handled. I hope the school reviews how situations like this are handled in the future so that families whose children are adjusting to new classroom expectations receive support rather than immediate removal from the program.

They tell you that they can't tell you who hurt your child because its another child and they dont…read morewant the parents to get upset. Yet a mother of a little posted about a boy biting her online and berated that little boy talking bad about a 2yr old. How ridiculous is this "daycare" if you can call it that. They let the kids hit each other they dont care. One kid hit my nephew on the head so hard he had a knot and a bruise. But we let it go, hoping it was an accident. Guess its not and the rules are only for a few of the parents and not the ones getting help by the state.