Big thanks to this wonderful group of teachers who are highly capable, responsible, and fun. They smoothly potty trained my son at school even though we have been so busy with work and are still letting my son to wear diapers at home. Then teacher Shanshan reached out to provide me with his surprising progress at school. They even refunded our potty training fee for the month that they thought he was ready although he was still having accidents. Without their honest feedback I wouldn't even know he "graduated" from the teachers' kind evaluation. I also love how talented the teachers are with photography and art. They document the kids' daily routines and learning projects beautifully. Getting those daily photos and artwork completely takes away my working-parent guilt. read more

My daughter attended Challenge School for one year from 2 to 3 yrs old (from Caterpillar to Ladybug class). From the very first day, the teachers and staff have shown incredible love, patience, and dedication to the kids. My daughter looked forward to going to school every day, and we can see how happy she is and how much she has developed both academically and socially. The curriculum with the mandarin immersion and a variety of cultural celebrations are another highlight. We are incredibly grateful to all the teachers for making her such a positive and meaningful pre-school experience. We highly recommend Challenge school San Mateo Campus to any parent looking for a place where their child will be loved, supported, and inspired to learn. We have to say goodbye due to the relocation, but will always remember the warmth and love at Challenge. Thank you for making the preschool feel like a second home. read more

We were looking for a mandarin immersion program and toured a few options in the Peninsula area. In the end, we chose Challenge School for their efforts in maintaining accreditation (NAEYC and WASC), their balanced curriculum, the friendly environment, and good experiences from other parents. From the tour, the facility felt clean, safe and I felt comfortable with the staff as they seemed attentive, experienced, and committed. At first I was nervous to transition my oldest (2 yrs old at the time, now 3.5 yrs) as we don't speak any mandarin at home. However we were so surprised at how much he has learned and developed as he transitioned from Caterpillar to Ladybug and now to Butterfly Class. He is always excited to head to preschool and happily talks about his day after pick-up. The projects and activities in each class are age appropriate and meaningful and I appreciate how we get frequent updates with clear communication from the teachers in each class. I also love that they prepare Chinese and American holiday events at this age. Now our youngest (1.5 yrs old) started in the Caterpillar class and she has adjusted so well! I am so glad we chose to have our kids attend Challenge School for the peace of mind knowing that they're in great care while we are at work. All of the Caterpillar, Ladybug, and Butterfly teachers are wonderful, dedicated, and sincere with their class and most importantly, we can tell our kids have fun and are happy there. I highly recommend this location for a mandarin immersion preschool! read more

We can't say enough good things about Challenge School's preschool program at San Mateo campus. It has been one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences our family has had. Our children have been part of the Challenge School community from toddlerhood through the end of the pre-K years--one starting at 18 months and staying until 3, another from age 2 all the way to just before kindergarten graduation. The only reason we're leaving is because we're relocating out of the area. If we could, we'd keep our kids at Challenge for years to come. The school strikes a rare and thoughtful balance between academic structure and play-based learning. Every day is engaging, and our kids genuinely look forward to going to school. They come home full of stories, creativity, and noticeably stronger Mandarin skills. The teachers are simply exceptional--deeply caring, passionate, and incredibly dedicated to each child's growth. A few we want to call out by name (though we've truly loved every teacher we've encountered): Teacher MeiMei, Nicole, Shanshan, Hazel, Francis, Hanan, Vivian (music), Leslie, Michelle, Emily, Cathy, Anna, Ting Ting... and so many more who have shaped our children's early years with warmth and heart. Challenge School also fosters a real sense of community among parents, teachers, and students. There's a strong culture of collaboration, kindness, and inclusion. Weekly show-and-tell sessions, festive cultural celebrations (such as mid-autumn festival, Chinese New Year as well as local traditions like Halloween and Christmas), and regular family events make the experience joyful and memorable--not just for the kids, but for the whole family. We feel incredibly grateful to have found Challenge School. It's truly a gem, and we recommend it wholeheartedly to any family looking for an exceptional pre-school experience for their kids. read more

My son attended Challenge School for a year between the age of 2.5 and 3.5 and we had the most wonderful experience. I highly recommend it without qualification to anyone looking for care for their child, and particularly if you're looking for a Mandarin-immersion environment. The school provides a balance of structure and play, while having care and warmth be at the center of everything they do. As a result, our son flourished in the time he had at Challenge. If it weren't for the lottery system for public schools in San Mateo, we would have had him stay another year. We are sad to be leaving in August but leave with gratitude to all of the teachers and staff. read more

My kids have been attending summer camp here for 3 years. Great curriculum. My Son asks to go back every Summer. He likes the teachers, the outdoor basketball court, the crafts, and the lunch. My Daughter joined for the first time this Summer and came back with all sorts of tidbits of mostly correct information about the solar system and molecules. We will back next year. read more

Sent my two kids in the last four years. The teachers are very friendly and helpful. Highly recommended!

My daughter joined the school when she was 3.5 years old. This school is amazing. The teachers are so thoughtful about the curriculum, and many activities are hands on and immersive. For example - the school has invited the police department to visit, and the kids get a chance to see a fire engine and police car on campus and learn about fire safety. During the "ocean" curriculum, they made ocean slime! They have annual field trip for the whole family at Lemo's farm (private event). The development of your child is mapped onto key milestones by state standards and we receive a report biannually. The teachers are nurturing, caring. I'm grateful that I have the peace of mind my child will be loved and cared for at drop off everyday! read more

My two older kids have attended Challenge School for the last two years (full day preschool, afterschool AND summer camp), and they absolutely love it! We will continue to send our kids there next year as well. The school provides a fun, nurturing and stimulating environment that encourages academic and personal growth. When my kids started, they spoke virtually ZERO Mandarin. I remember my oldest whining "Mama, why would you send me to a Chinese school, I don't speak any Chinese!" at the first day of school. And now, after two years, my oldest is winning the Chinese character writing competition! The teachers are incredibly dedicated and truly care about each student's well being. Special shoutout to Butterfly teachers Hanan, Frances, Michelle and Cao, Ladybug teacher Elsa, afterschool teachers Hou, Maria, Tao, Zoe and Yan, and administrators / support staff Nicole, Vivian and Lou. This caring group of teachers and staff offer personalized attention, making sure every child is engaged and supported at their own level. My kids always came home excited about what they learned, and they developed a genuine love for learning. Our kids are so excited to go to Challenge School every day and never want to leave when I pick them up at the end of the day. The school community is warm and welcoming. Parents, teachers, and students all collaborate to create a positive and supportive atmosphere. For preschool classes, there is show and tell on a weekly basis. For afterschool kids, they have monthly speeches. There are also a ton of engaging fun family events (Halloween, Chinese New Year, holiday performances, etc.) The event that takes the cake is the recent pre-school graduation party -- complete with cap and gown! It's clear that everyone at Challenge School is committed to fostering a love of learning and helping students reach their full potential. I highly recommend Challenge School to any parent looking for a school that will inspire their children. My kids had a fantastic experience, and we are grateful for the strong foundation they received here. Our family has moved a lot in the last few years, and my kids have attended 6 different schools / daycare programs and Challenge School is definitely their favorite. I'm a bit conflicted writing this review, though. If the school gets too popular, I worry my third child won't have a space to join later on! Just kidding--Challenge School deserves all the recognition it gets. Parents who are thinking of joining should do themselves a favor and put their kids on the waitlist, even if they're not sure about plans until later on. Added perks: cute pictures on a regular basis, great location right next to Target (I often try to get grocery shopping done before pick up!) and easy highway access read more

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Both of my children attended Challenge School for preschool--one for two years and the other for four years. They absolutely loved their time there! The teachers are incredibly kind, caring, and dedicated to the children's growth and happiness. Every day, my kids were excited to go to school, which speaks volumes about the wonderful environment at Challenge School. We would highly recommend it to everyone. read more

My daughter just graduated preschool at Challenge, and she already misses it so much! From the moment she stepped through the doors each day, her teachers Hanan and Frances greeted her with boundless enthusiasm and genuine kindness. Their dedication to their craft is truly remarkable. My daughter is also still enamored with her previous ladybug class teacher, Elsa. It's clear that the teachers at Challenge Preschool genuinely care about the kids, and my daughter feels the same way about them. As a result of attending here, my daughter is much more fluent in Mandarin, has lots of experiences with the various Chinese holidays, and is well equipped with the social and hard skills to enter kindergarten as a joyful student! read more

As a parent, I am happy to share my experience with Butterfly class. Teacher Frances and Hanan are dedicated and passionate teachers. They create a warm and nurturing atmosphere, which helps children feel comfortable and excited to learn. Challenge Preschool celebrates various Chinese festivals and traditions, exposing children to the rich heritage and vibrant customs of Chinese culture. This not only instills a sense of pride but also fosters multicultural awareness and understanding among the young learners. My child has major improvement in mandarin. He has also grow into a more confidence individual. read more

My second son has spent the past three years in this school from the caterpillar classroom to the ladybug and then the butterfly. The nurture and love he received were overwhelming. The teachers are genuinely kids loving and they provide such a positive environment for learning and growth. I am very impressed with my son's working ethics and independence. He couldn't be more prepared for kindergarten as he already knows all his numbers and alphabets and starts to read, in stark contrast to my older son who went to a different preschool. Grandma couldn't stop saying good things about this school. read more

My son attended Challenge for preschool in the Butterfly class (4-5 year olds) he started preschool with a little anxiety and little to no interest in writing or drawing. Teacher Francis and Teacher Hanan quickly became people he trusted and loved chatting with. He grew so much under their care, learning how to sit down and listen to teachers in a class setting, how to properly hold a pencil and write numbers and letters, mostly he found the tools to take care of himself and social behavioral skills amongst his peers. He is fully prepared for kindergarten and a large part is what he developed at challenge. Thank you to all the teachers and staff at Challenge! read more

I feel so blessed that I found the Challenge. The school years in Challenge make my 4th-year daughter much happier. The teachers are professional and sweet. I could feel they express their love from their own hearts. Every day I can see my daughters improve and the teachers would bring daily feedback to me. Challenge school is top choice for our family read more

I sent my daughter to challenge san mateo campus , she's having tons of fun in the caterpillar class, i can see her grow so much in the past year. What i like about challenge are : 1) great teacher: student ratio - 7 to 25 students; 2) all the teachers are so responsible and caring, constantly provide feedbacks, and my kid love all of them; 3) lots of traditional chinese holiday celebrations help the kids get to know the culture Highly recommend challenge to every kids read more

My child attended the Ladybug and Butterfly classes. Both have very caring and loving teachers. Special thanks to Teacher Hanan and Teacher Frances who were both very engaging and patient with the kids. They listened to my concerns at the parent-teacher meeting and readily made adjustments and provide feedback. At pick-up time, they occasionally share the child's cute moments or conversations, which is always a joy. Highly recommend this bilingual preschool. read more

I sent my daughter to Challenge san mateo campus and she enjoyed it. I appreciate all the teachers spent a lot of love on her and I can see her grow in the past year. She is a very sensitive kid and slow to adjust the environment. Challenge creates a warm and friendly environment which help her to feel comfortable and excited to play and learn. Challenges also have a lot of fun activities, such as activities to celebrate Chinese New Year and egg huntings. It invites all the parents to join together and celebrate with all kids. Thank you to all the teachers and staffs at Challenge! read more

My son has been at Challenge for 2 years and it's been a wonderful experience. The teachers make the school such a special place - my son had Teacher Hanan and Teacher Francis in the Butterfly class and they were so fun, caring and smart. They also meet each child where they are at, adjusting their styles to accommodate each child. We had graduation last week and there wasn't a dry eye in the room - all of us parents so proud of what Challenge has helped our children become. Could not recommend more! read more

My daughter just graduated preschool at Challenge, and it's been the most wonderful place for her and our family! We owe so much to Challenge's wonderful teachers: most recently her Butterly class teachers Hanan and Frances, and her Ladybug class teachers Elsa and Rommeh before that. Our daughter has always been a wild and wonderful kid, full of energy and personality. Her teachers always met her where she was and have helped her grow into such a mature young girl (who is still wild, wonderful and full of energy and personality). Our daughter loves those teachers like family. She was always so happy to run in the front door to school and never wanted to leave at pick-up. She misses Hanan and Frances, but is happy to know they're just downstairs from Challenge's big kid summer camp and afterschool program she's attending! read more

We had relocated from Singapore, and to find a school that excel in both providing bilingual education as well as providing sound values as they grow up, is extremely hard. It takes a lot from the teachers in Challenge to provide them to our son. We can focus on our work only when we know that our son is taken care by the very professional teacher. read more

I am so grateful my children had TK after-school at Challenge school. Their teachers have/had made sure that my children were able to not only come from a daycare and pass at kindergarten standards, but also learn Chinese culture, Mandarin, music, and math, far exceeding any school standards. All teachers show such passion: my 5 year olds recall things they have learned from their favorite teachers at Challenge School (when dealing with the distance learning inadequacies in public school Kindergarten). I'm so grateful for the individualized attention that they gave my children, as twin 5year olds, and, without any background in Mandarin (or kindergarten concepts). My children were offered the finest of an education in all respects, and for this, I'm forever thankful! . read more

My daughter started Challenge at her 2. We were looking for a place that teachers are good in communication and she is happy, thriving. Mandarin immersion is also a big bonus since we speak Mandarin at home. San Mateo Challenge is the place. I'm also impressed by the incredible teacher-to-students ratio. In 2-year-old class, they have 25 students with 3 lead and 4 support teachers. Every time I dropped or picked up, there were at least 5. Chatting with the parents sending kids to other schools, Challenge also does an outstanding job in sharing photos, activities with parents, which brings us a lot of memorable moments. The teachers are caring for each individual kid. The lead teacher communicates and collaborates our parents the best way she could. My daughter made huge progress in her development there. Challenge supports collaboration with our language therapist. My daughter had a late start to talk until she's 27 month old. Now she's caught up and discharged from therapy program. She was not quite following the instructions at the time she joined. But now she's good. After attending the school, her nap and overnight sleep are also more stable. Another bonus for me is the location of the school. It's close to Target, Costco and local grocery stores, which saves me much time. The only difficulty for me is the traffic from my home at Belmont to the school is terrible during the commuting hours. It would be a no-brainer choice for me if I live in Foster City. read more

My child went to Challenge School for two years and during a most unusual time due to covid but the school did an amazing job of keeping the kids safe. With strict protocols during covid I always felt safe bringing my child to school and when there was any issues I would be notified immediately. Nicole the director of San Mateo Challenge School did an amazing job communicating with all the staff , teachers, and parents. She really connected with all the children and her leadership made all the difference. I really appreciated how the school incorporated modern technology so that I could easily communicate with any of my child's teachers and see a daily update of how they were doing. It made me feel more connected even though I never stepped foot inside of the building up until recently when they relaxed some of the covid protocols. I came into Challenge School not knowing what to expect. After two years my son has grown so much and has learned so many things. They incorporate a curriculum that works really great for the children and have fully prepared my child for kindergarten. Hanan, Frances, and Louishi are an amazing team of teachers for my child's final year of preschool. They created so many fun activities and gave all the children so much love and attention. They really understood what it meant to be a compassionate teacher and deserve all the praise. I know my child will miss them so much. They have made such a difference in my child's life and I can't imagine what it would of been like if my child wasn't surrounded by such supportive teachers. read more

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This is an update/continuation of my review three years ago when my son just started to attend Challenge school (San Mateo) when he was 2. My 5-yr-old graduated from Challenge school in 2021 after doing remote learning for more than a year during the pandemic. Having been with Challenge school for a total of 3 years, I have to say I've been extremely impressed by the teachers and the management team at the school. I think this is the right time to give a comprehensive review of our experience there. 1. Teachers (not only the lead teachers, but all teachers) are truly professional, caring, responsive, and responsible for the young kids. They take good care of the kids with lots of attention and share their development strengths as well as areas to improve with parents proactively. They communicate with parents actively on a daily basis. In Particular, they are very good at listening to parents' feedback and taking actions accordingly. You never need to talk to the teachers about the same issue again. 2. We love all the activities and celebrations at the school. I know lots of preschools in this area do not have these. The teachers put great effort and always do their best in preparing and organizing these activities so that the kids can learn, grow, develop self-confidence. From the Moon Festival to Chinese New Year (and many other celebrations), kids and parents participate and enjoy class performances, art works, and parades. The vibes at the school are energetic, happy, friendly, loving, and supporting. As a parent, I can tell my kid developed deep bonding with all the teachers. Even during the pandemic that we stayed home for such a long time, he never felt disconnected to the school. The daily online classes with the teachers truly helped the little one grow significantly, both academically and socially. I didn't see any sign in my son that he fell behind due to remote learning. Of course parents need to be engaging at home, but the high quality of the online classes is the key to a successful year. 3. Academically Challenge school prepares the kids really well for Kindergarten. Focused on Phonics, kids improved significantly in English reading, writing, and speaking in Butterfly class (equivalent to Pre-K). For Chinese, speaking is more focused, and reading and writing are introduced at entry level. Math is also well taught here, embedded in both Chinese and English class, covering counting to 100, additions/subtractions within 10, geometry shapes (2D and 3D), odd/even number, telling time. etc. Lots of project-based learning, hands-on arts and crafts. If you are thinking about private elementary schools as the next step, the academic solidness provided by Challenge School is definitely more than enough for private school interviews and transition to Kindergarten, which has been proved by our own experience. We felt quite emotional when my boy graduated from preschool. Really didn't want to say bye to his fabulous teachers. Here I want to thank: *Teacher Shirley for managing the online classes so well in all aspects during the pandemic, and being the really talented lead teacher for my son in 2 years (she's a great dancer too, kids learning dancing from her in school are lucky!) *Teacher Yesenia,Teacher Kim,Teacher Losi, Teacher Shelly for teaching the online English class really well! *Teacher Wu and Teacher Elsa for teaching the online Chinese class unbelievably well. Really go above and beyond! *Teacher Nicole, Teacher Mo, Teacher Lo for taking care of my son really well in the Catepillar class and the Ladybug class. They are the rare teachers you cannot find elsewhere. *Last but not least, Teacher Sia, who was the director in the past few years, for her consistent support and guidance on all kinds of questions we had. We missed her a lot! Now my son is doing fantastic in a private elementary school. The foundation laid in Challenge School has paid off. If I am to have another child in future, I will send him/her to Challenge School for sure. read more

Highly recommend this school. They serve many ages from 2 on up. Professionally run and managed. Bilingual mandarin and English. Apply early because there is a waiting list. read more

Our child attended the Challenge School in Spring 2023 for a brief term and had a positive experience. We would recommend the school if you are interested in a bilingual experience for the child in the foster city area. We chose the School because of the Mandarin immersion program and our child seems to enjoy the class. The school provides engaging activities that encourage young kids to socialize. In addition, we are impressed with the school staff, in particular Teacher Shan Shan and Nicole who provided great care and support to our child as she transitioned to a new environment. The school management were also empathetic of a family emergency when we first started the school and supported the transition. It shows that the school genuinely care about the family and child and we're thankful of that. Throughout the term, We also appreciate the teachers responsiveness to our requests and concerns during the day and east communication through the brightwheel app. In sum, we would recommend Challenge school and look forward to continuing the language program for our child in the future. read more

My daughter attended Challenge School summer camp for two weeks. After the first day she started her Chinese camp, she was already speaking Chinese at home. Before she has never attended a Chinese school or camp and all she learned from was us at home speaking Chinese. She didn't speak Chinese back instead it would be English. But since she started going to Chinese camp, she was able to say things in Chinese to us and loves Chinese in which we are very pleased. read more

Nurturing and caring teachers. Big shoutout to teacher Hanan and Teacher Frances for their dedication and love shown to our kids

My oldest started Challenge when she was 2, and initially had a very hard time adapting. I remember literally sitting outside the classroom crying to myself as I heard her scream for mama, but the teachers and staff at Challenge were fantastic in getting her acclimated. Fast forward to today, my daughter is attending Challenge's summer camp and can't wait to go to school every morning. My second daughter started Challenge at 3. She was more confident and self assured from day one and ingratiated herself in preschool immediately. Both of my daughters speak fluent Mandarin and English at this point, and have loved every teacher they've had at this school. The tech-enabled check in process and strict covid protocols also provide assurance for my children's safety and security while I'm at work. Both of my girls have flourished at Challenge, and we will miss the incredible staff and support we've received over the years as my babies move on to 'big kids' school. Thank you Challenge, for a wonderful 3+ years! read more

I'm a happy mom with Challenge School. We sent our son to Challenge since the summer of 2019. He is always happy every day when we pick him up. He loves his teachers and I can tell all the teachers sincerely care for kids. Another plus I find super valuable is the teacher shares photos in the app every single day: yes you get pictures and videos of the little ones every day when they are at the school. Hot lunch is provided (extra charge) which is also a plus (paused now due to covid) I also find it amazing the school is always full of new toys :). My son has a great time playing at the school. Besides, the playground is quite spacious and carries various equipment. The school is currently open amidst covid19. After keeping my son at home for more than 3 months while both of us working full time, we really need a break and appreciate the care and protection the school provides during this unprecedented time. The school adheres strictly to the guideline of CDC, i.e. all staff wear masks, run at a much lower capacity, no ousiders including parents are allowed on site, throughout sanitizing. No doubt there's risk attending schools at this time, but we think the school and teachers have done their best. And I believe if all of us (kids and parents) adheres to the guidelines, we can minimize the risk. I also want to mention that, though operating at a much lower capacity, the activities are just as diversified as before the pandemic. My son recently has mocked camping at school (with fake river, bonfire etc LOL). That said, the school also provides online course instead for parents who choose to keep kids at home. The online tuition is less than half of on-site tuition, which is very reasonable compared to lots of schools that charge by semester and refuse to refund etc. Sincere thanks to the teachers and staff at Challenge School read more

My daughter started with the Caterpillar Class at Challenge school this Fall, and we are so excited to see her growth and achievements at the school even in just a month. Her teachers made the transition so easy and my daughter came back home happily on her first day! I could receive notification from school app for the status of my daughter everyday so that I know how she is doing throughout the day. I have to mention that the school indeed cares about each child, it offers 1 on 1 session from time to time to ensure parents have the opportunities for deep communication! I also love the rich school activities and holiday events here at Challenge school. It celebrates both American and Chinese major holidays. The kids could embrace Chinese culture and mandarin skills naturally through daily interactions. The school definitely keeps kids' safety and health as their top priority. All the kids wear masks in the school during the day and can only enter the school after temperature check. Kids need to have negative covid test if symptoms are developed. As the flu season is approaching, teachers also conduct deep cleaning of the entire school to ensure kids are in a safe environment. All the procedures the school implemented for covid made me feel safe and comfortable to send my daughter over there. Overall, I'm very happy with my choice and I highly recommend the Challenge school! read more

Our daughter just graduated from the Butterfly class of Challenge School. She attended from 4-5 years old. She had an amazing experience at Challenge, in particular thanks to her great teachers Teacher Hanan and Teacher Francis, and the rest of the staff who work with the kids. Before Challenge, our daughter was quiet, lacked confidence and social skills, and was uncomfortable with Chinese/Mandarin. After attending Butterfly class in Challenge, we have seen her confidence soar, she has grown holistically, and she looks forward to school every single day. Even on weekends, she wishes that she could go to school. THANK YOU Teacher Hanan and Teacher Francis for your love and care towards the students, they truly learnt so much from you. In fact, my daughter loves her teachers so much, she has decided she wants to be a teacher when she grows up! No one in our family has any teacher background, so this is testament to the positive experience she has had from Teachers Hanan and Francis this year. Last thing I'll mention is that Teacher Evaluation / Parent Conference sessions were thorough and demonstrated a lot of attentiveness the teachers had towards each student. They were able to identify specific traits and anecdotes for our daughter, which made us feel like they really understood her and paid attention to her. read more

Having been at Challenge for over 4 years now, I can unequivocally say that it really gave both my children a strong head start before they headed off to kindergarten. Both my boys went through Ladybug and Butterfly preschool classes downstairs before moving upstairs to their after school programs. Star teachers make or break impressions of a school, as all parents know. Teachers Kim, Yan, Lo, Kitty, and Yesenia all get special shout-outs for their sincere care for the students' well-being and development. There were other strong teachers too, but these demonstrated that they really cared for their kids. The enrichment programs they offered were also pretty useful, though a little on the pricey side. The abacus classes earn high marks from me, and it helped both my boys to be light years ahead of their school peers in mental math concepts. Expensive but overall still worth it. The upstairs after school program is decent and is headed by a new Head Coordinator, Teacher Sally, who is very organized and competent. Chinese classes are taught everyday, and my son is more literate/fluent than I expected an ABC kid could be. Challenge also offers a convenient after school pickup service at local Foster City elementary schools, though we did not take advantage of this. Overall, the learning atmosphere is nurturing but still quite productive. Their programs combine a good mix of the Eastern educational approach with homework/drills along with the Western philosophy of social interactions and play-based learning (downstairs in preschool). read more

I didn't want to write a review until my son graduated so I can give an honest assessment without fear of repercussions. After two years of preschool there, my husband and I both feel like we made the right decision. We had a nanny for my son from birth to 3+. When we moved from the South Bay to San Carlos, we thought it was time to transition him. The first 2+ weeks were tough. He cried everyday when I dropped him off, which, believe me, is totally normal. It would've been odd for him to leave you without being upset... Fortunately, we had a loving teacher who held him and assured him everything would be okay. After a couple of weeks, he was fine and felt confident that I would return to pick him up at the end of each day. Our first year was good but not perfect. The school was going through some transitions and there were quite a bit of teacher turnovers. Nonetheless, I felt my son was well taken care of by loving teachers. The second year was FANTASTIC. Teacher Kim and Teacher Amy lead a group of wonderful teachers who were patient and skillful at educating squirmy little preschoolers. And not a single turnover during the entire year - potential sign of a good school that treats its teachers well. My son started to learn the sounds each alphabet makes and I supplemented the learning process with Bob Books. The teachers definitely prepared him to read. The best though were the add-on enrichment classes: piano and abacus. My son has taken piano for about a year now, and is progressing wonderfully. Teacher Allison is fantastic and patient. Abacus classes were a little pricey but actually worth every penny. My son can now do basic math in his head and can do two digit additions with the help of an abacus. Best investments ever and highly recommend. Challenge School is a good mix of Chinese and American style of education. They are not entirely play-based but are definitely more structured than American preschools. (Each child is given their own Chinese workbooks that the school publishes. School publishes weekly lesson plans.) Having said that, the teachers are a bit more loving and relaxed than a Chinese school because, after all, these are little kids and feeling confident and loved should be just as important. We are now enrolled in the summer camp program before transitioning to kindergarten in August. I feel confident that my son is more than prepared to go into K with reading, writing, and math. He is also loving his summer camp (some of the programs sound so fun!). We will also be starting the after-school program in Belmont in August. I will write a review after a year or two there. read more

Both of my children attended Challenge for several years before they started K. The school offers reasonably good infrastructure (playground, large and bright rooms, in-class bathrooms, etc.) They also have annual performances and various activities involving the families. The downside is administrative disorganization and lack of communication at times. Teachers would come and go, and the parents wouldn't even be notified. But most of the teachers are indeed very caring and loving, and took good care of the kids. read more

My daughter had been in the butterfly class of Challenge School. She loved going to school starting Day 1! They have Chinese environment in the morning, and English in the afternoon. Regularly, they have kids do show and tell once a month in both languages. They have both Chinese culture and American culture related activities all year round. They take kids singing Christmas carols in the Hillsdale mall in both languages, which my daughter was really excited about. They have little performances almost for every Chinese and American holidays. All these are great trainings for kids' presentation and social skills. We are happy we sent our daughter to this pre-school. read more

My son has been attending this school for 2 years since he was 2.5. As a picking mother, after touring and visiting almost all the preschools in Belmont-San Carlos-Foster City areas, I chose Challenge school. I actually quit my son from another school in redwood shores just after he started the preschool for a week. Although I had to pay extra 30 days tuition for the old school, I couldn't wait to put my little one in a caring, clean, learning, full of happiness environment like Challenge school. The very first thing makes me think the school is outstanding is that teachers and staff are very nice, friendly and caring. They really love children and take care of them from their heart. When my son was little, I was worried a lot about his eating, peepee, warm or cold, napping at school, but I found the teachers could always pay attention to what I was concerned and took good cares of him in details. My son had to be fed before he attended the school. The teachers not only encouraged and taught him to eat his lunch by his own, but also helped and fed him too if he ate little, so I didn't have to worry about if my son was hungry in school. In the younger class, a teacher assistant always reminded the children and took them to go to peepee, it is very important for the children who are in potty training. Teacher Yesenia, Teacher Shirley, Teacher Shelly, Teacher Luk are both my son's and my favorite. They are easy to communicate. They talked to me a lot about how my son doing in school. They would tell me they were proud of my son for any progress he made everyday. They would also listen to me for any requests. In the two years, I had smooth communication with my son's teachers, so I knew how and what my son doing in school in details which beyond my expectations. Challenge school is a real bi-lingual preschool. I like the bi-lingual program which has native Chinese teachers only speak Chinese in the morning and different native- English-spoken teachers only speak English in the afternoon. Before my son attended the school, my son spoke very well in Chinese but knew nothing about English. But he caught up English with the afternoon teachers very quickly, although his English vocabulary needs to be improved, he has no problem to communicate himself in English. Challenge school helps my son becomes a native bi-lingual speaker naturally by introducing the two language systems in a real parallel way. Challenge school overall is a academic based preschool. In the morning class, my son learned reading and writing a lot Chinese characters, Chinese poems. Starting from the 3 year old class, children have a textbook to learn till their graduation. In the English class, in 3 year old class, they also start to learn phonics, spelling and slight words. I was so proud to notice that my son can read "Jan ran to the van to get a pan for Dan" when he came back from the school one day. In conclusion, I recommend Challege school as my son really benefits a lot from the school. read more

Challenge School is run by real professionals. Their administration process is very efficient and they are very nice and caring to the children. We also really love their campus -- sunny rooms, clean, with real grass out in the play area!! The executive director, Grace, really tries to work with parents to help get their kids situated and placed in the school. Class size is also intimate. If you have any doubts, you should definitely make an appointment to visit the school and check out their great, clean, sun-filled campus environment! read more

My older son has been attending this Challenge School for 6 years already, and his younger brother has also been going for 2 years now. Both of them are in their Chinese after school program. It has been a great experience for my boys as they are able to learn Chinese while having a great supportive environment at this school. I have to say that having our kids learning Chinese is not an easy task but the teachers are patient and have been providing the positive spirit that are important to keep our kids motivated to learn Chinese and other skills. We have been happy with school. In addition to teaching them Chinese, the school also put a lot of thoughts bringing in additional activities for the kids. Currently, they have started to teach and train the kids in Chinese public speaking as well, which I think will be a great benefit to the kids. We are also happy to the fact that every time when we have questions or suggestions, the directors and teachers take those very seriously. They have established open communication with the parents and have actually implemented some of my recommendations. They are great in listening to our concerns and taking immediate actions, whether just to get back to us to address our concerns or make swift adjustments to accommodate or improve in order to better meets the needs of the kids. The other thing I have to say is that they actually cares about the kids a lot. At different times, they will bring in additional teachers to teach the kids things that will be of interest to them. For example, at one point, the kids like beyblades so much but due to safety concerns, they are not able to let the kids play at school. However, they brought in someone to teach the kids how to make beyblades out of legos as well as to teach them about physics. There are numerous examples of these occasions that they provide additional activities without additional charges for parents. These are all due to the fact that they care about the kids. I think the kids that go to this school are able to enjoy going there since there is a much better balance of teaching and playing at this school. read more