We had a great experience with Challenge. Great teachers and community. Highly recommended!read more

An absolute gem of a preschool!…read more ​We cannot say enough wonderful things about this school. It is exceptionally well-organized, and they are always planning fantastic events that bring the class (including parents) together--our absolute favorite is the dance performance, which always completely blows us away! ​The teachers are incredible, and the convenient lunch options make our morning routine so much easier. Most importantly, our daughter comes home happy every single day. Seeing her love school this much gives us total peace of mind. Highly recommend!

Clarise is highly skilled and effective ! As others have said, she is a "child whisperer" able to…read moremotivate, be firm and help our children grow their capabilities. She's excellent at assessing strengths and areas of focus. Then she creates a clear set of goals, involves the parents and helps each family understand and improve. I have. Even so impressed by the growth in my son's skills and abilities. Thank you Clarise! You have done so much more than I could have expected. We've had years of various therapy with others. But you bring ALL of the pieces together.

I recommend Lyon Learning for anyone that is struggling with dyslexia. Our elementary school age…read morechild has dyslexia. He had been getting some services in school, but he was falling farther and farther behind. We went to Lyon Learning because they were recommended to us, and it turned out to be a marvelous experience for our child. Clarisse has the right mix of enthusiasm and firmness to get through the Wilson Reading System and the other methods that she uses. Wilson is rigorous and effective, but it is difficult for a young student. Clarisse has a unique talent to keep him on task and motivated as he worked through the system. He has come very far in a short time, which was wonderful. I should also say that, in addition to the in person sessions, she recommended several online exercises to do at home on days that he did not have a session, so our child worked on his reading everyday, which was quite helpful. Also, our experience during the Covid-19 shutdowns has been quite good. Both Clarisse and her assistant Jean have been as effective over zoom as they were in person, which is not easy. We are very happy with Lyon Learning.

My son has been in the Challenge preschool side since 2 years old and continued on to this…read moreChallenge School since Kindergarten. The teachers are fluent in Mandarin and immerse the kids in Chinese speaking environment. The teachers are very encouraging and warm to all parents What I like is the consistency and stability of the class - my son has been with most of his classmates for over 6 years and really have gotten to known them. same with parents - many of us started with Challenge early on and have gotten to known each other over the years. There are monthly public speaking practices as part of routine class curriculum. There are many cultural celebrations as well for all to enjoy kids' performances.

Our kids have been attending Belmont Challenge after school program for years. Not only does the…read moreschool offer a trusting and organized learning environment for the kids, the teachers are patient and friendly towards the kids. Our goal was for our kids to maintain their bilingual skills and be in a fun learning environment, and Challenge offers what we wanted and more! Under the guidance of the teachers, our kids have improved greatly in their public speaking skills (in both English and Chinese) due to the school's thoughtful curriculum in helping to develop students' public speaking skills. Most importantly, our kids thoroughly enjoyed being at Challenge and often requested to be picked up later :) Overall, we are grateful that our kids can maintain and develop their Chinese skills in a safe and friendly environment at Belmont Challenge!

Both of my children have been attending Gigamind for over 5 years, well before it was officially…read moreset up. (Teacher Luk ran classes at their preschool.) My children learned how to write 1,2,3 from her, went through all the abacus books, and are now learning math olympiad. I never have to worry about their math at school, as they have always been above their grade levels. Teacher Luk, Teacher Joanna and others are all caring and patient. They are well organized and make Gigamind a very effective math tutoring service.

My 3 year old daughter loves it here. The teachers are friendly, fun and highly qualified. She…read morestarted learning basic math concepts and words in Mandarin.

My son attended 3-5th grade and my daughter is finishing up kindergarten at Stepping Stone. We…read morehighly recommend the program and appreciate the additional enrichment activities offered (eg, art, chess, abacus) and responsiveness of the staff. They also coordinate with Heart Beat Dance Academy to get kids to dance classes.

My son just started Kindergarten this fall. We needed afterschool care arrangements and preferred…read moreMandarin enrichment as part of that equation. We feel very fortunate to find Stepping Stone as the solution. I attended mandarin weekend school as a child and they taught in the very traditional methods (rote memory, writing pages of characters, etc). I detested going to chinese school. Fortunately, this is not the case at all at SSEA. The teachers are kind, encouraging, motivating and age appropriate. They sing songs, play games, the teachers and children are happy, smiling. The students are well behaved and enjoying their days and LEARNING! SSEA provides pick up from various schools in Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood Shores. They also offer enrichment classes for abacus, art, chess, and piano (keyboard). This solves so many things for us so we don't have to fill up our weekends with these things. While I appreciate that the elementary schools offer Spanish as part of their standard curriculum, I felt it was important to provide the mandarin language learning to my ABC son. I'm sure at this rate his Mandarin will exceed my skills soon. I'm excited to have a "secret" language to share with him. My son LOVES going to chinese school, he's interested in learning more mandarin, and we're all grateful for a caring and effective chinese school in our area. Thank you Stepping Stone!

I strongly advise against this school based on our experience…read more The administration is more interested in controlling and punishing students rather than fostering an environment that encourages critical thinking, love of learning and a feeling of safety. The culture is antiquated as is the curriculum. Teachers are underwhelming. There is a stark lack of innovation and limited use of technology. A revolving door of teachers. With those who remained, issues loomed. The administration had no interest in hearing from parents. The science program is a disgrace. It lacks instruction and labs. I have attached a photo that is telling. The Spanish program is a joke. Social Studies was inconsistent. A new, inexperienced English teacher had no accountability. She humiliated more than one child by timing them when going to the restroom in front of the class. She demonstrated questionable rationality and a tenuous relationship with reality. At some point, we hired tutors to advance our child in certain areas which we likely would have done at any school, just as many students take math at RSM. We do that as well. The vice principal reprimanded my child when she heard this, claiming it was unfair. This was outrageous, but not out of character. Every opportunity they had to tear down a child, they took--and that treatment extended to parents. Additionally, the school actively discouraged transparency and honesty, instructing my child and myself to conceal a learning accommodation from other students and parents. We were told, "Do not tell anyone, and if it gets out, we will know it was you." This culture of fear, intimidation, and dishonesty are toxic. Stapled your paper incorrectly? That will be 10% off. Did not include your last name? Turn in the next day at penalty. Why not simply speak to the student and offer support if needed? Is this about learning or control? It is 100% about control and you control through fear. The anxiety our family experienced during our time at NDE was profound. If you're looking for a forward looking school that fosters critical thinking and helps develop confidence with supportive adults rooting for them, this is absolutely not the place. For some, this culture may be acceptable, but others, including myself, may consider it a form of emotional abuse on top of an antiquated mode of teaching and curriculum. This school has the potential to be a positive neighborhood institution, but it requires significant leadership change to transform.

It's very unfortunate for the community to have Dr. Jeremiassen as the principal of the school. Her…read moreonly conflict resolution methods are 1) sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened, and 2) get rid of the people involved, be it students, teachers, or volunteers. (Yes! MANY times!) There is a typical oppressed atmosphere at the school: People are unhappy, but dare not say anything. Students jeer at the "fake smile" of the principal behind her back. How ironical it is for a Catholic/Christian school, and how unfortunate for everybody who had to go through this "educational experience". To be fair, Dr. Jeremiassen may have done some good things like modernizing the school's IT system, so she might be an Ok administrator, but lacks empathy, the basic nuance to handle problems appropriately, and the drive to try to fix problems at their root. She should never be a leader in any position.

After more than 20 years of exploring nearly every growth modality I could find, I can say Yes You…read moreCan Speak stands out. Lynn Kirkham's program combines neurolinguistic repatterning with other approaches in a way that gets to the root of old patterns and trauma, not just the surface symptoms. The biggest shift for me was understanding, in my body and not just intellectually, that my thoughts are simply thoughts. They can be seen differently, and once that clicks, they lose their grip. Although I've gone through many techniques to experience this, I feel that this program was the most impactful for me in that area. This program creates a space that is both skillful and deeply supportive. I'd recommend this program to anyone serious about their own growth, whether you're just starting or have been on the path for decades.

I want to preface this review with the fact that Lynn honored her refund policy and provided the…read more50% refund I requested. Although the course was not effective for me, others may have a different experience. I have a few key concerns regarding the program: The 98% success rate seems inaccurate based on my cohort, where the course did not work for at least three out of five participants. The course frequently encouraged participants to share past trauma in a group setting. Without licensed mental health professionals facilitating, this approach is negligent and potentially harmful, even if it offers self-reflection for beginners. The exercises focused on answering basic conversational questions rather than formal speaking techniques. This may benefit those struggling with everyday social interactions, but it did not provide meaningful public speaking practice. Ultimately, the program was not a worthwhile investment of my time, but I appreciate that the refund request was handled promptly and in good faith.

I cannot say enough positive things about the Charles Armstrong School and the incredible impact it…read morehas had on my son's academic experience and truly, on the trajectory of his life. He is a dyslexic and dysgraphic learner who is now thriving thanks to the skills, tools, and confidence he's gained at Armstrong. It's so refreshing to be in a learning environment where every subject is taught through the lens of the dyslexic learner. My son was happy at his previous school, but his academic confidence was rapidly declining. Since joining Armstrong, he feels like a star and is finally able to live up to his full potential. He's no longer an outlier. Here, everyone learns the way he does. The teachers are incredibly dedicated and deeply knowledgeable about how to reach and teach these remarkable learners. The small-group instruction has been key, and we also love that Armstrong offers all the benefits of a larger school--sports teams, student government, performing arts, and a wide range of extracurriculars. If you have a child with a language-based learning difference, get them to Armstrong ASAP! We only wish we'd come sooner.

We are new to CAS but so far our experience has been exceptional. Our son participated in their…read moresummer program and after a month we observed a discernable improvement in his reading skills. The school seems intensely focused on working with the parents to set goals and objectives for students' development over the school year and the level of communication with us as new entrants has been high. They appear to be incredibly well organized. The kids wear uniforms--that gets a "like" from me. I will update this review over time.

Amazing Dual-Language Pre-school, we wish we had signed our son up earlier. Parts of the curriculum…read moreare in Japanese and other parts are in English. The staff is very high-caliber and do a great job with the children, everyone is very friendly, sweet, and are great at their job. We highly recommend this current location or the one in Campbell with a lot of the previous Palo Alto staff. We have been going to Sora since the Palo Alto location was open a couple years ago. Our son has blossomed immensely while attending Sora International Preschool. In the beginning, he had minimal knowledge of japanese language or culture and had a timid but friendly disposition. Within a few short months, he was able to recite hiragana, sing japanese songs, and put together short sentences. In the course of a year, it was a joy to watch our son grow more independent and outgoing in character and equally important, gain a greater understanding of japanese language and culture. The classrooms are also very,very clean and well organized with beautifully designed furniture and sophisticated colors that don't scream "baby/kids". They have very stringent Covid-related protocols so it is very safe for children and staff.

Sharon is a wonderful teacher. She is kind and tolerant. I love her sophisticated comments and…read morefeedback. And what makes her special is her flexible program. If you really want to improve your English skill, then you should not miss the chance to study with her! Additional updated review: Sharon's career course was so powerful and critical that I could complete my resume, CV, elevator pitch, and R-A answer for an interview. And because of them, I was able to get my new job! I couldn't made it without her. I appreciate her for everything. Thanks Sharon!

Sharon is an excellent ESL (English as a second language) teacher. I take online English lessons…read morefor 60 minutes once a week. I wanted to improve my English grammar, pronunciation, writing, and conversation skills. In a few lessons, not only did I notice big improvement, but my colleagues did too. Her approach is to work on quick fixes and to give immediate feedback so I can incorporate that learning immediately in my daily life. In addition to helping with daily conversation, she has expertise in resume/LinkedIn profile review and job interview preparation. With the help of her sessions, I landed a wonderful job opportunity.