Both my kids have been to Good Sam (one is still there; one has graduated). I looked at various…read moreschools prior to deciding on Good Sam, and I'm confident I made the right choice! The teachers are amazing, and you truly feel they care about your child. It's also small enough that your kid (and you) know all the teachers quickly, no matter what class they normally teach. The class sizes are also smaller than a lot of other locations, and every class has its own individual classroom and outdoor space, which is really nice. For those younger than 2 years old, you get a detailed daily report (milk, meals, diaper changes). For those 2 and above, separate gym and music classes are done weekly with a dedicated PE and music teacher. At 3 and above, an optional Mandarin class is also offered, and my older child actually learned a lot from it! They also start doing rotations such as Spanish, social studies, etc, so they start learning about a variety of topics. For all ages, you get frequent photos and videos sent on the Brightwheel app to keep you updated. In the summer, they have a daily schedule with fun activities that include things like various dress up themes, water play, bike day, and different activities on campus (foam party, magic show, petting zoo, etc). It's a blast for the kids! When my older child started elementary school, I actually again visited some other schools that would have been more convenient for now a daily two location drop off and pick up, but in the end, we still elected to keep our younger one at Good Sam. There's a sense of warmth and community here that I couldn't find anywhere else!

There aren't enough words to express how grateful I am that Good Samaritan Preschool exists! Since…read moreI enrolled my eldest child back in 2022, I've watched her learn, grow, and thrive under the nurturing care of so many amazing teachers and staff. The school offers regular gym activities, Chinese lessons, music and dance classes, and even extra special programming during the summer months (foam parties! bounce houses! bike days! it's fun galore!). When it came time to find childcare for my second child, there was no question that I'd be enrolling him in GSP. Within the first two weeks of starting, he developed so many skills, just from being immersed in such a stimulating, interactive, and supportive environment! The front desk staff are professional and friendly, the teachers go above and beyond to educate the children in creative and fun ways, and the broader network of parents is close-knit and mutually supportive. In fact, we have made many friends with other GSP families and often arrange playdates even outside of childcare hours, just because my children miss their classmates so much! I trust this community whole-heartedly to be my children's home away from home. Every staff member here is committed to caring for the whole child, and the GSP community really feels like a family. This place is a real gem, and I cannot recommend it enough to anyone who is looking for a loving, nourishing place for their child to grow in the crucial years of early childhood!

They have a new owner now, the facility is clean, the ratio of student teachers is just right. My…read morechild switched from a different school to this one as she would cry everyday refusing to go, wet her pants and refuse to eat her lunch. They told me to give it more time but after stopping by a few times unannounced I could tell some of the issues. The student size is so big, the teachers don't have time to tend to each kid, Lauren mentioned barely anyone spoke to her there. This new school, she does not cry when being dropped off and enjoys school, finishes her lunch and does not wet her pants. That's because the teacher cares about the student here and dedicates time and care. I am seeing how she will academically advance her as i have confidence in the teacher/staff.

It's been 3 years since my son finished Hobbledehoy. He's now 9 and just finished 3rd grade. He is…read moredoing very well and either meets or exceeds the required standards for his grade. I'm sure many factors contribute to this but I firmly believe that Hobbledehoy played a very large part. I still highly recommend Hobbledehoy and I am grateful that my son had the opportunity to go there.

Both of our kids attended JB's Pre-School and we couldn't have asked for a better experience…read more Teacher Susan is truly passionate about teaching and her attention to each kid's needs, abilities and personalities is really amazing. We felt incredibly lucky to have found JB's after our son was having a terrible time and crying everyday at a large (more commercial) local pre-school. Both of our kids thrived here and really loved going. When our son graduated and moved to a private school in Palo Alto, he would still ask to join his little sister any time he could. Highly recommend!

Both my son and now my daughter have gone to JB Preschool. The school is located in a small cottage…read morein a nice quiet neighborhood of Los Altos. The teacher, Susan, has been doing this since she was in school herself so she has a ton of experience. It amazes me how patient she is with the kids. With covid going around it's also great now because it is a small sized school and not large groups of kids together. She really loves what she does for a living and thats exactly the kind of teacher you want to trust your little ones with. Trust me, if you are looking for a great preschool where your child will be happy and have fun this is the place to be.

My family had the best experience at LAPMS for my son. We moved back in the area and wanted to…read morecontinue his Montessori school learning so we enrolled him for the school year before he goes to TK. This was a fairly new school and it was the most affordable Montessori school in the area. The tour went well and Ms Lana helped us feel at ease that he would be getting great care and education with them. The classrooms were clean and the learning materials seemed very contemporary. Our son adjusted well after a couple weeks and we started to see a great improvement socially and academically and his feelings about school completely changed as well. He was half day initially, but we decided to extend after he was potty trained. He grew to love going to school and eventually during pick up, he'd hide behind his fingers which he explained "I was hiding because I want to stay at school". He loved his teachers and I can tell he got the individualized care he needed. I know my son's time here has made a lasting impression on his educational journey and we would recommend this school to any parent looking for a quality, affordable Montessori school in the area :)

Learn and Play Montessori School is a very spacious, and clean school. It actively promotes a…read morepositive and healthy atmosphere for any child. School play area is very big, clean and kids friendly. This is my son's first preschool experience and he is loving his school and teachers so much and wants to go to school everyday. We were concerned about our son's first experience at the school but everything was good. He has made a good progress not only academically but also emotionally and socially with the support of teachers and caring school staff. His teachers Ms. Erica & Ms. Alice both are very caring and loving teachers. Both teachers are extremely knowledgeable in child psychology and early childhood development. Each teacher has their own unique qualities.I always saw them following hygiene level among kids and keeping everything super clean. School staff is also very kind, supportive and welcoming. A big thanks to Ms. Lana who kept updating by calling each day regarding our son. Teachers and staff both are very caring and always keep you posted for the betterment of your child. School just celebrated Easter and kids had lots of fun during egg hunting. My son was super happy and excited. Thank you so much for making such lovely memories for my son. I am really thankful and grateful for both teachers Ms. Erica and Ms. Alice and the school staff for their kindness, support and love to my son. Highly recommended this school for your child!

I fell in love with this place the first time I saw it at their open house. Before the applications…read morewere due I visited 4 more parent participation schools but this was easily my favorite. First, this place simply looks great. There's an outside play area with a big variety of activities and ride-on toys. Inside there's a theme for each day ("fish!" "camping!" "trains!") and the toys and activities reflect that. Some toys are always accessible (kitchen, blocks, dolls, ride-on toys), but unlike another school my kids attended, they really take care to have different toys each time, to always have a sensory table, to always have an art project (or 3!), play doh, and when it's warm, a water table. Also, everything is in excellent condition. Beyond that, it's really well organized and run well. For instance, we had a parent meeting before the kids started school. At a certain other preschool it was just a feel good session ("your kids will be so different by summer"), at Mtn View Parent Ob there was an agenda and it even included a well-articulated emergency plan. This is something the other preschool didn't even address even though it was on the same campus as an adult education center and a high school - places that have the potential to go on lock down in an emergency. Most importantly, the level of care from the teacher is through the roof. At Mtn View Parent Ob there is a mommy meeting where the kids stay at the school while the parents walk to a nearby room and talk about parenting issues. Typically meetings begin after a month, but Teacher Mindy gauged our kids' separation readiness through questionnaires and as a result delayed beginning the meetings an extra week. Each class there was maybe one child who was upset while their parent was gone (and they were of course comforted by an aide or another parent). At our other preschool (Bright Beginnings - there I said it, and now that I said it, DON'T go there), the meetings started on the second day of class and it showed, because we always had at least 4 criers each class (not just fussing or looking sad, I mean full on screaming). (There is a long digression ahead but there's a reason.) At Bright Beginnings, which we attended at the same time as Mtn View Parent Ob, my twins were doing really well at separation, and then one day my daughter got upset when I was gone. They are supposed to get you if they're crying for 5 minutes. They didn't get me at all and I was gone for 20 minutes. Several moms took turns holding her, which was nice but um, THE AIDE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN ME. There were several kids crying that day (per usual) and because my daughter's a sobber not a screamer and was inside instead of by the gate where the parents leave, I think the aide didn't notice her once the screaming ended (and the other parents were retrieved). I mention all this in order to highlight how differently Mtn View Parent Ob and Bright Beginnings handled what happened next. I had a totally different child afterwards. My daughter didn't want me to leave her side FOR ONE SECOND for months when in public, not even at snack time at school when the kids sit together. At Bright Beginnings the teacher and aide seemed sad that the incident happened but that was about it. Meanwhile when I explained the situation to Teacher Mindy, she immediately said, "Here's what we're going to do," offered a plan to get my daughter more and more accustomed to separation again, and worked with us for several months to achieve results. The mommy meeting at Bright Beginnings had a remedial parenting tone to it with topics like "playing is good for kids." No, really? Meanwhile the meetings at Mtn View Parent Ob were very informative and great gab sessions with the other moms. I keep in touch with many of them still and have had many playdates with their kids. There was a sense of genuine sadness when the year ended. The only downside to this school that I can think of is that it only meets once a week. That's telling that the only bad thing is that my kids can't go more often! Here's my list of parent participation preschools ranked based on my first visit (Bright Beginnings would now be at the bottom of the list. And yes, there was a place that looked worse!) 1) MOUNTAIN VIEW PARENT OBSERVATION, MOUNTAIN VIEW 2) Preschool Family, Palo Alto 3) Los Altos Parent Preschool, Los Altos 4) Bright Beginnings, Sunnyvale 5) Sunnyvale Parent Preschool, Sunnyvale (Also , I later visited Mtn View Parent Nursery School which seems like an excellent parent participation school for older kids ready to be away from their parents for the morning. I have also visited 7 drop-off schools and Mtn View Parent Ob would be at the top of a combined list along with the drop-off school I chose, Milestones in Palo Alto. Hence, Mtn View Parent Ob is the best of the 13 schools I've visited.)

We are so fortunate to have found MVPNS, not only as my daughter's school but as community for our…read morefamily. We have been attending MVPNS for three years (shoutout Teacher Diane and Teacher Claire!) and find it to be so inclusive of cultures and traditions. It's been such a joy to learn from other parents. We absolutely love the outdoor component and appreciate all of the precautions taken during the pandemic!

Recently joined the daycare, teachers are very responsible and caring. Good and fun activities…read moreevery week with different themes. We are happy with the experience.

Teachers are so kind,fun ,loving and caring towards each child and they take time to update about…read moretheir progress almost evey day

Update: Senior leadership acted promptly to address the issue, and with the support of all teachers…read moreand the center director, the bullying behaviors have since been effectively managed. Lack of Care for Student Safety and Bullying Incidents Our son had been a happy child at this center until recently, when a new child joined and began repeatedly bullying him. Two weeks ago, I noticed deep marks around my son's eye area. To my shock, none of the teachers had noticed or reported this injury. Fortunately, my son is old enough (4.5 years old) to clearly explain what happened and identify who did it. After I reported the incident to one of the teachers, she took it seriously, showed genuine empathy, and escalated the issue to the director, Jessica. The teacher assured us the matter would be addressed immediately, and her response was caring and professional. Unfortunately, the same child has continued to harass my son and other children. On multiple occasions during pickup, I heard other children independently say things like, "He hit my head again," referring to the same child. This suggests an ongoing pattern, not an isolated incident. What has been most concerning and disappointing is the response from the center director, Jessica, after I submitted a formal complaint. Although she called me promptly, her reaction was defensive, dismissive, and notably lacking in empathy and accountability. Rather than explaining what steps would be taken to prevent further incidents, she immediately questioned the credibility of my son's account, suggesting he might be "imaginative." She refused to take his statement seriously or implement any proactive measures, claiming she could not identify the bully because no teacher had witnessed any of the incidents. This response raises serious concerns about supervision, incident reporting, and the center's commitment to student safety. Dismissing a child's injuries and repeated reports--especially when supported by visible marks in sensitive areas and consistent accounts from multiple children--is unacceptable. Parents trust childcare centers to protect their children and address safety concerns promptly and responsibly, and unfortunately, that trust has been undermined in this case. Therefore, I would not recommend this childcare center.Update: Senior leadership acted promptly to address the issue, and with the support of all teachers and the center director, the bullying behaviors have since been effectively managed.

The staff is very warm and caring, especially from the infant room to the next level. That said,…read moreafter a few months in, the staff seemed kind of disengaged. Frankly, the toddler room felt like a zoo, which is about right since they run it like a business and run the ratios VERY VERY tightly. Kids are a zoo, but it felt like a lot of kids shared the same space...in every room. It's kind of chaotic to have 2-3 groups of kids...in one space. We opted for another preschool nearby and it was night and day (granted, they do not try to fill their classrooms to the brim). But it was one classroom per set of kids (e.g. a teacher and a helper). Not multiple classes rolled up into one. We were sad to leave the warm staff, but very happy to be in a calmer environment. Separately, it was interesting to me how worn down the staff was at the end of the day versus our new school. I don't want to speculate why, but I could sense they were beat.

We joined Windsor - Mary when our son was 18 months old, and now, in our fourth year here, we…read morecouldn't be happier. Directors Shanam and Sahil have built something special. One of the things that stands out most is the long-tenured staff with strong educational backgrounds. Teachers not only host regular parent-teacher conferences to review each child's progress, but they also write thoughtful, personalized notes every single day. It's clear that they genuinely care for each child as an individual. Windsor places a strong emphasis on project-based learning. Through monthly themes and hands-on experiences, our son has developed a love for science, math, and even space concepts. From the very beginning, the teachers have nurtured his love of reading, and today he can recognize many books and audiobooks at the library thanks to his early exposure at Windsor. Field trips are another highlight of the Windsor experience. Visits to fire stations, beekeepers, and art museums have given our son some of his most cherished memories. Above all, the Mary Campus is a vibrant and supportive community. where children thrive and parents form lifelong friendships

We love Windsor. Words cannot express our gratitude to all the admirable staff and teachers at…read moreWindsor for the wonderful work they are doing with our little ones. We nervously followed our inner guidance when we took the tough decision of moving our 4.5 year old in the middle of the school year to Windsor. We hadn't expected at all that the change would make such a marked difference in his overall growth and that too in such a short period of time. In a matter of weeks, he has become highly purposeful as a person and our experience with him during the time he spends with us (both after school and on weekends) is pure delight. He is busy reading books or creating interesting structures with blocks and magnets or playing with friends in an imaginary world. For us as parents, it is a huge change from the earlier experience of dealing with demands for watching television and continually seeking attention. We don't know what to call it, so we will just name it "The Windsor Magic". Our son loves the school, talks of his teachers with great respect and trust, sings songs all the time (in many languages including Hindi), has added extensively to his vocabulary and most importantly, made friends with whom he jokes, shares secrets, and wants to meet on the weekends. Also, when your child joins Windsor, you become part of a larger community of Windsor families, in a way that we hadn't experienced before. The school makes it possible for you to connect easily and also promotes connection through events and meet-ups. Windsor people - please know that you are truly making a difference not just in the life of a child but also of the entire family.