I am an alum of NLS from a single parent home in East Oakland. From there I went to Marin Academy…read morefor high school, received a bachelor's degree in economics from UC Berkeley, last year I received my MBA from Stanford University, and I currently work at Google. I would not have achieved any of those things without NLS. I split my elementary school years between public school and private school, so I'll speak to what makes NLS special. From my perspective, many schools (public and private) can provide a strong academic foundation. NLS was just as good as my strong public school in that regard. What I gained from NLS is belief in myself that anything is possible. It came from the dreams fulfilled that line the walls, the stories told at morning circle, and from teachers and administrators truly caring about what I wanted to be when I grew up. And in a practical sense, the school provided access, access to the most elite prep high schools in the U.S. Before NLS, I had not even heard of the majority of them. NLS represents a turning point in my life in terms of building confidence, ambition, and knowledge of opportunities that were previously unknown to me.

It's so sad that I have to give this school such a low rating, but it is very well deserved when it…read morecomes to how they nurture 5 year old children. I am writing this review not to bash this school, but to make prospective parents and current parents aware of the principle and the kindergarten teacher Ms. Jennifer and Mr. Peter; the director of student affairs. These three people at this school support yelling and snatching from children. Now this school promotes anti -bullying and respect, however do not display this toward the children. I will give a brief on my particular experience. Ms. Jennifer is one of the kindergarten teachers at this school. She is an emotional wreck and has expressed that she gets very frustrated with the children when they aren't orderly and she admitted to snatching from my child and others. Her reasoning for this was because and I quote "It's the end of the day and I'm dealing with 15 5 year old's and your child has told me multiple times that snatching isn't nice". On this particular day, my child walked out of the classroom at the end of the day crying hysterically. Ms. Jennifer didn't tell me the whole story when I asked why my child was crying, she just told me that she told my child "no" and that made her cry. But the real story of why my child was crying at the end of the day, was because this lady yelled at her and snatched something out of her hand in front of the entire class. When I asked Ms. Jennifer about the incident again she said, " No I didn't yell at her, I just spoke to her in a really mean way and in a really loud voice, honestly I just got really frustrated and yes I did snatch from her". Now when is it ever appropriate as a kindergarten teacher to behave this way? That was rhetorical..... Not ever. I appreciate the honesty, but it's never OK to yell and scream at a 5 year old or snatch. I tried to have an additional meeting with this lady, to try and see if we could move past the situation. She walked out of the meeting like a 5 year old and her supervisor Peter is an enabler because he coddled her like a 5 year old. I guess she can dish it to a 5 year old, but can't take it from an adult. I reached out to the principle about the incident, she sent me some 5 paragraph reply which 3 of the paragraphs was a copy and paste. Non the less, she said she didn't think that the teacher acted inappropriate. She's a joke! Collecting money from the state, acting like she cares about our black babies, but really what their doing behind closed doors, is not what they're advertising. Just be aware!!! Their fraudulent and after 25 years, you would think this Michelle lady would be way more professional and know the difference between appropriate behavior and egregious behavior from her faculty. I definitely reached out to the organization that they are members of and filed a complaint and took my child out of this school. You get what you pay for. I'll take my $1,000.00 somewhere else. My child is so amazing and a blessing to me and so may other people that meet her. I will not let anybody dim her light or steal her sunshine.

Soooo I was a student for them a in school program were it's a bunch of young people who are…read moreinterns and we called them counselor an it was like 4 in our classrooms and when I tell you they made my life for 4 years straight a living hell I'm not even being dramatic about it they always say they support when in fact they just nosy and wont do anything and I had a therapist who I told was homeless and she didn't do nothing about it she didnt even help me get into a shelter and they gave her information that the office gave her didn't even mind telling me the counselors just judge you and hate everything you do when you just sit down and do your work and they also get there pay check by writing about you and send it to medical also my therapist would gossip about my issues to the teachers and counselors and try to gang up on me with the 21 on year old counselor who wreak of weed and only pick favorites

These services are a scam. Since Seneca has been in my home things are worse than before. The…read moreamount of time these people take vacations blows my mind. I believe part of the reason these services are the way they are is because the connects are in between lapse and "time off".. having parent support services didn't happen for me. Never a stable person. My husband and I got no help. If you want an effective team to help meet the family and child I would look elsewhere.

I cannot say enough great things about Lollipop Lane! My son has been attending the preschool (Ms…read more Judy's classroom) since 2.5 years old, and it has been incredible to watch him grow with the help of all his teachers and staff. Everyone at Lollipop Lane has been so warm, patient, and caring. They really take the time to understand my son's personality and interests, which is so special to us as parents. You can tell they all love what they do, and my son adores his teachers. He really looks forward to school, especially the art projects! It's been amazing to see how much his social skills and fine motor skills have grown since starting here. He's more confident, more independent, and always excited to show us what he made. The classroom is clean, organized, and full of so many engaging toys, books, and art projects. I always enjoy seeing the children's art projects hanging in the cabin, and we have built up quite a collection of letters, worksheets, and drawings. I feel that the curriculum is perfect for their age and skill level. Our favorite memories are watching the Halloween parade, holiday program, and graduation. Lollipop Lane really makes these days so special! If you're looking for a preschool where your child will be truly seen, supported, and encouraged to grow, this is it. Their prices are also unbeatable. We are so grateful to have found this school and community.

We love the staff and environment provided at Lollipop Lane. Everyone that works here is kind and…read morepatient. They're easy to communicate with and provide feedback regarding how our kids are doing. They always come home with cute projects they are so proud of. We sent our daughter here when she was younger and we're excited to enroll our twin boys last year.

This school is incredible. Every single person I have encountered is kind, hard working and…read moregenuinely invested in helping our children succeed. I feel so lucky to be a part of this supportive and caring community.

My rating has nothing to do with the amazing staff and therapist because I was OVERLY Pleased with…read morethem. My rating is strictly based on the schools multiple closure days and random closing and class cancellations (even morning of) I don't have the luxury of having a flexible work schedule so abruptly closures and many other days that there is no school did not work for us

I came here with my son for a special event. The place is spacious and there were a lot very unique…read morelarge scale toys for children to play with along with many helpful staff members. There are many developmental toys and activities which the children had a blast exploring. The space was very clean and well organized! I saw the staff actively tidying the space, assisting with the different payment features, and engaging the children. They offer memberships, as well host private events and various therapies that are held on site. It's a one stop shop. Their memberships can be covered by the Regional Center or funded through Self Determination program, but of course, you can pay of pocket. The owner Lindsay is extremely knowledgeable and helpful! This San Ramon location is their first location, but have since expanded to two more sites in Berkeley and Belmont. They also have tables for parents to have a break or work at which is very thoughtful. When I went also had a smaller tot area as well as an inclusive, larger space for all. Overall, this is a wonderful facility that fosters inclusion and a welcome addition to the area.

Passionate, involved staff who are invested in child development education and practice respectful…read moreparenting practices. The environment is safe, not overstimulating and well planned out and organized based on the type of play. It offers quiet/calm corners and ample seating for adults. Snack areas are well maintained and complementary water and sink access for dishes. The staff do their best to get to know you and your children and their fees are very reasonably priced. They also offer members only events and classes which is great. We appreciate how flexible their membership structure is for daily sign ups on sessions. It's especially inclusive for us neurodivergent folk while providing a fun, safe space for all. We've been coming here since my 4 year old was 7 months old, SPL is our second home!