Our son started at Harmon Oaks NoHo West, the second and newer campus, when he was just 19 months…read moreold. Now, four years later, he is graduating as a Blossom, their equivalent of Transitional Kindergarten. Among his graduating class, he is the longest attending student and the very first child to start as a Seedlet and complete all four years of the program from beginning to end. We proudly refer to him as a founding member and a LIFER! Watching our child grow alongside his cohort of classmates over these past four years has been such a special experience for our family, and for all of the families who have been part of this journey together.
Mariya, the administrator, not only has the professional background and expertise, but more importantly the personality, talent, passion, and true calling to make this establishment the magical place that it is. She has an incredible ability to build diverse, beautifully balanced classroom communities, and her continued investment in both talent and professional development for the staff truly sets Harmon Oaks apart in meaningful and developmentally impactful ways.
One of the things that immediately stood out to us, and completely put us at ease as first-time parents enrolling our child in a nursery program, was how thoughtful and intentional their onboarding process is. Instead of introducing many children at once, they bring them in one at a time so each child has the opportunity to build trust, bond with the teachers, and adjust to the environment in a calm and supported way before another child joins. That level of care made a tremendous difference in our son's transition into preschool. He bonded with his teachers very quickly, and we truly believe that strong foundation shaped how secure, confident, and excited he felt coming to school every single day.
Harmon Oaks has created something truly special with their Reggio-inspired, STEM-focused approach. The environment encourages curiosity, creativity, collaboration, problem solving, and independence in ways that feel natural and joyful for children. Over the years, we have watched our son grow academically, socially, and emotionally through hands-on learning experiences that genuinely sparked his love of learning.
Our son is graduating from preschool already equipped with foundational reading and writing skills, a deep sense of mathematical thinking, problem solving abilities, a love for experimenting and discovery, basic sign language, class etiquette, self regulation, and genuine respect for both friends and teachers. But most importantly, he is graduating with a true love for learning and a strong sense of belonging within a collaborative classroom community. That, to us, is the greatest gift a school can give a child.
The teachers and staff have been extraordinary throughout every stage, from Seedlets to Sprouts to Bloomers and now Blossoms. They are warm, attentive, patient, and deeply invested in each child's development. It always felt like our son was truly known, understood, and cared for as an individual.
As parents, there is nothing more meaningful than knowing your child feels safe, loved, challenged, and excited to learn. Harmon Oaks NoHo West gave our family that and so much more. We are endlessly grateful for the role they played in our son's early childhood, and we could not recommend them more highly.
PS: I just asked my son if he wanted me to include anything extra in my review and he said "You forgot to name all the teachers I love! Ms. Amy, Ms. Emily, Ms. Joy, Ms. Mariana, Ms. Reyna, Ms. Anahit, Coach Pancake, Ms. Mariya has also been my teacher in every class and she is so proud of me. I am going to go back to read books for them when I am in kindergarten!"
