Fernanda is a very intuitive, empathetic and energetic teacher, and each time I have a class with…read moreher, it is over before I know it. Her classes are a mix of conversation, grammar, translation and even some written expression and she teaches in a very lively manner using materials such as a workbook, magazines, film reviews and homework assignments in her lessons. She knows how to coax conversations out of me, elementary as I am in Spanish. Every time I finish a class, I am newly excited about improving my Spanish. I highly recommend her classes!

I've been taking Zoom classes with Fernanda for a couple weeks now. It's been going great - she…read morealways comes prepared for our lessons, and I have already improved so much. We have a great blend of conversations and grammar, which has been great for my beginner level.

Kinderhaus has been such a fantastic experience for our family. Our son quickly grew into a…read moreconfident German speaker after just a few weeks, thanks to the supportive teachers and small class sizes. We love the emphasis on outdoor play, along with all the hands-on activities like baking, arts and crafts, and the celebrations of both German and international holidays. The community of families here is warm and welcoming, and we're excited for our daughter to join soon as well. We couldn't recommend Kinderhaus more!

Our child is in her third year here and we have loved seeing her grow each year. The staff is…read moreamazing and well-educated; it truly is german immersion and the teachers work with each family to meet them where they're at. The location is conveniently located on a playground, with access to other sports fields for soccer, among other outdoor activities. The community aspect is my favorite part, as a family who doesn't really have immediate relatives in the area. Highly recommend!

Our son goes to preschool at GISSV in San Francisco. We love the Castro location! It's great to be…read moreable to do a bit of shopping after pickup, or to have a quick coffee with another parent close by. We're really happy with the school, the teachers are incredibly committed, they use a great curriculum, and we love seeing him continuing to grow his German skills. The way they teach makes for a very harmonic environment, the kids love to hang out with each other, and the parents formed a nice community that likes to hang out or help each other. We hope to stay with the school until he graduates, so that he is eligible to attend (free!) German universities.

We have 2 sons at GISSV San Francisco - currently in kindergarten and Grade 2. We chose the German…read moreschool because we are a GermanAmerican family. We live in the US and don't plan to move back to Germany but it is important to us that our children are able to express themselves, both verbally and in written form, in both languages. We expected our boys to benefit from the strengths of the German school curriculum (project based Kindergarten and continuity of teacher from Grades 1-4 to name two), to build a community with other German families and to celebrate German culture and tradition. We are getting that. But we are getting much more. One highlight of GISSV SF is the teaching staff. They are top notch. They are utterly dedicated to their craft, have an unbelievable talent for identifying a child's strengths/weaknesses and then teaching to those unique traits. Our son's teacher is able to custom design the weekly lesson plans to the strengths and needs of each student. This is of course due to class size but it also speaks to the training German teacher's receive and the strength of the German school curriculum. Another unexpected highlight is how culturally diverse our San Francisco campus is. There are many families who speak another language other than German at home and many families who only speak English at home but are dedicated to the benefits of bilingual education. Parents of the school have organized Dia de los Muertos, Chinese New Year and Mardi Gras festivals to honor their own cultures, languages and celebrations. The students at GISSV SF are truly an example of the larger international community of San Francisco. And perhaps the most important unexpected highlight is that our children love going to school. As a parent, you want your kids to want to go to school and want them to love learning but you don't realize that is not a given but a gift. GISSV SF has given us that gift.

I studied French with Elisabeth years ago at the Alliance Française, and took a break for a few…read moreyears once my first kid arrived. I only recently discovered, thanks to the magic of Google, that Elisabeth has founded her own school, Savoir Plus. I signed up immediately. Like most Americans, I studied a second language in high school: 4 years of French. And like most Americans, at the end of it, I could barely order a croissant. For years, I believed I would never speak or comprehend another language. Seven years ago, I enrolled in French classes at the Alliance Française on a whim. My first teacher was OK. One week, I missed a class and did a make-up class with Elisabeth. Elisabeth was so animated, energetic and dynamic that it felt like the material from several hours with my first teacher were compressed into one. I stuck with Elisabeth, and studied French with her for three years. Within months, I was making progress that I never anticipated. I could follow clearly what this fast-talking (in advanced levels!) Frenchwoman was saying. I could listen to Radio France Internationale or Europe1 and understand the newscasters. I could comfortably read Le Monde or Libération. Under her tutelage, I was mastering French grammar to the point where it was helping my English grammar. In class, we read novels by Anna Gavalda, and in my spare time, I went back and read books I read in high school in translation -- Candide and L'Étranger -- in French. She had us watch classic French comedies like "Le dîner de cons" and "Le bonheur est dans le pré" that were hilarious and further trained my ear. Elisabeth adapts readily to all levels of students. At the advanced levels, she speaks quickly, but with great clarity. She is great fun to listen to. She is super-serious about ensuring that you master French grammar and pronunciation, but she's not above teaching you to swear, too. Studying with Elisabeth is a cultural education, not just a language education. You'll hear about current events in France, about the big names in French politics, about how a drunk Serge Gainsbourg once scandalized Whitney Houston on a TV show... everything. If you read a short story with her, she'll dig into all of the cultural subtleties, indicators of class; she'll show you how a French person would read it. It's rare to meet someone who loves their work as much as Elisabeth does. She teaches a full slate of classes as a one-woman show that other French schools need a staff of 10+ people to cover. If you go elsewhere for French language instruction, it's a crapshoot on the quality of the teacher you get. At Savoir Plus, you can be assured, you are getting *première classe*.

Savoir Plus is a remarkable language school and I recommend it highly. I have been a student at…read morethe school for a number of years and, as a result, I have been able to observe all aspects of its operations. The level of teaching is first-rate. Because of the particular courses that I have selected I have had Elisabeth Bonamour du Tartre, the founder of Savoir Plus, as my instructor. Her credentials are impeccable and her teaching skills are excellent. It was evident to me from the beginning that she strives to insure that her students will succeed. In this regard, she assesses the skills and progress of her students continuously and she will adjust course materials and teaching methods to make certain that they understand thoroughly the topic at hand and apply it correctly, the latter being essential in matters involving grammar and phonetics. While the primary goal of Savoir Plus is to have each student master the French language and become truly conversant, I can say from my personal experience that the school offers even more as each course that I have taken incorporates an elevated understanding and appreciation of France, its culture, history, politics and arts. I look forward invariably to attending class each week because I know that it will be challenging, enjoyable and rewarding. Unequivocally, Savoir Plus is the best.

I cannot recommend Karen-Meredith enough as a reading/writing tutor. She has been tutoring our…read moreelementary-school aged son consistently for 4 years and his been the reason he has been successful in language arts, even with dyslexia and ADD. She created a strong foundation of reading and writing habits early on with him and has continued to deliver progress. She does an incredible job of making sure the work is engaging, rewarding, and delivering significant growth. Our son loves spending time with Karen-Meredith, even when the work itself is hard. We feel so fortunate to have her supporting us!

Karen-Meredith helped my daughter prepare for the high school placement test (HSPT) last Fall. My…read moredaughter had never taken any standardized test and was a little apprehensive about the whole process. Karen-Meredith made my daughter comfortable, built up her confidence, and offered her invaluable tips and tricks. I wish I had that kind of help! Based on her test results and academic record, my daughter was accepted at one of the top schools in the City and placed in their Honors English program. More importantly, my daughter is more confident and will be ready for the college standardized tests in a few years. We'll be reaching out to Karen-Meredith for that when the time comes! Highly recommend.

I cannot say enough good things about this INCREDIBLE preschool. My eldest has attended APM since…read morehe was 2. We were looking for a French immersion school, but really what we found is an extended family and beautiful community. The teachers are phenomenal, every single staff emanates love for the children. You can tell that this is more than just a job for them. Not to mention they do so many creative activities, games, and even cooking regularly! My son is SO excited to read and learn to write and is doing so already very well before even starting preK. I am relieved that my second kid will be able to go to APM because we are not ready to say goodbye! I cannot recommend this wonderful school enough. Other huge (more logistical) perks - handmade, hot, healthy meals every day - breakfast, lunch and snack included. Hours that cover the entire work day, and coverage during summer.

Both of my children have attended preschool at Au P'tit Monde and it's truly been a home away from…read morehome. The teachers are the best, they have an amazing menu of food they prepare for the students (breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack), and not to mention the French language experience. There is so much love in this school, it's been such a wonderful experience for us as a family.

If you're interested in a preschool that combines French-immersion with nature school, I…read morewholeheartedly recommend Les Petits Canards (http://lespetitscanards.com), which is right by the Golden Gate park and has immediate availability. It's currently Monday to Thursday 8:30 to 5 pm. My daughter attended from January to July 2021 (sadly we moved out of SF, so couldn't attend longer). I'm totally blown away by how quickly she started speaking to me in French (within two or three months) and how far along she got in that precious time. We visited family in Montreal this summer and she could maintain entire conversations en français! The daycare is run by Fabienne Saurel (fabsaurel@hotmail.com), who is a wonderful teacher and caregiver. Her COVID precautions were/are excellent. The kids wear masks indoors, where there are also several air filters and ventilation. They often eat lunch picnic-style in the GG park and go on all sorts of adventures. Every month, there's a theme and the kids learn all about things such as butterflies, unicorns, the oceans. Fabienne invited a ceramicist to help the kids make and paint butterflies (see pics attached) as well as housing some caterpillars that the kids got to watch transform and grow wings. She had a clown/face painter come in for the unicorn theme and give the kids beautiful unicorn faces. The kids also made us parents the most touching presents for mothers' and fathers' day. My daughter loved the food that Lorraine (one of the caregivers) makes fresh everyday. It's French, so there's no compromising on the quality of food. They would even have special holiday themed foods, like Chinese New Year dinner, galette des rois, and other foods tailored to the holidays. The kids also got to help make the cake whenever there was a birthday, which was obviously the best! On their last day of school before summer holidays, they got to go out for dinner at the local diner, which was a special treat. We joined at the height of COVID, so the usual curriculum was modified and there weren't any trips on the bus, but as the vaccination rates went up, the kids got to resume their field trips. Fabienne takes them on the MUNI, which they love, to the Boulangerie in Hayes Valley, to Ocean Beach, to the Academy of Sciences, to different new parks around the city and to visit all sorts of cool locations, which compliment the theme of the month. Merci Fabienne! We miss you! (Please note I photoshopped sunglasses onto some of the pics attached to protect children's identity.)

Can't say enough nice things about LPC! Fabienne and her team have created a wonderful community…read moreand I love sending our 3.5 year old off to school knowing she will have a day full of French immersion, good food, creative crafts, and outdoor play. My husband is French but my French language skills are limited, so I really appreciate how much LPC has helped my daughter connect with the French side of her heritage. She now comes home correcting my pronunciation and teaching me new nursery rhymes and songs. As COVID protocols have evolved, we've loved how LPC embraces urban adventures by taking the kids on long walks and bus rides to explore new playgrounds, parks, and boulangeries. The kids get an incredible mix of outdoor play, free play, storytime, yoga, dance parties, baking, and arts and crafts that are often seasonally themed. We love getting photo/video updates of the kids having fun together and especially enjoy seeing the custom treats Lorraine helps the kids bake and decorate (the chocolate and rice pudding paella as part of their week studying Spain was particularly impressive!). My daughter has also really developed her handwriting, math, and color/shape recognition skills through all the games they play. My daughter absolutely loves Fabienne and her team, and we are so grateful to be part of such a caring community!

I have one child in this preschool. She loves it and we do too! Amazing meals, outdoor adventures,…read moreand best of all - the teachers.

I have two children enrolled in preschool here and I'm an adult language learner in the Swedish…read moreclass. It's our 4th year at the school now. Honestly, I don't know what I'd do without this place. My kids play outdoors, go on field trips, and are immersed in 3 languages. They also serve top notch vegetarian meals. You don't need to bring a lunch, what a relief! I highly recommend this school to both native and non-native speaking families. It seems that there are many families that have no connection to Scandinavia -- and their kids are fluent and thriving here.