It's hard to explain the wonderful experience my family has had with Mountain Blvd Montessori…read moreSchool. My family, much like other families, has had its share of ups and downs. This is why I am so thankful to have found MBMS when I was searching for that "good school" for my kiddo. I wanted a school where there wasn't hundreds of kids where my kiddo would be just another face in the crowd. I wanted a smaller school that truly welcomed and encouraged diversity. In addition, I wanted a school that reflected a warm and home like setting with a solid educational program. I was so frustrated in my search that I was ready to just give up, quit my job, and try homeschooling (which I felt I couldn't do). Then I ran into a friend who suggested I go see this obscure little school she discovered while hiking on one of the hiking trails in the East Bay Regional Parks. This is when I took her up on her suggestion and called MBMS. After getting so many voicemails, answering machines, and no answer phone calls, I was surprised when the director actually answered. We spent the next hour or so talking about parenting, education, and life. Having a person to actually talk to me rather then trying to sell me something put me at ease with this difficult and very emotional decision regarding my child's first school. When I toured MBMS with my child, I knew I found the little "gem" my friend told me about. We found that home we were looking for. The teachers and directors are always available for short update phone chats if I have a question or need advice. I would give MBMS 10 stars if I could. Thank you so much for being there for my family.

We are so grateful to have found Mountain Boulevard Montessori School for our son. It's hard to…read morefind a daycare you can truly trust, especially when you're starting them at such a young age, but we immediately felt comforted by the staff's warmth and genuine care during our initial tour there. Our son started here at just two years old, and we have been amazed to watch him blossom over the years. The teachers and staff have not only provided a nurturing and loving environment but have also been deeply committed to the children's education. We've seen him learn and grow so much, and the curriculum has thoroughly prepared him for his start in grade school. Mountain Boulevard Montessori School is a truly special place, and we are so grateful for all the hard work they put in. We're so happy with our experience that we've already decided to bring our next child here when she is old enough. We couldn't recommend this school more highly.

Sequoia Nursery is a special place! The staff, the parents, the kids, the environment are all top…read morenotch. It's very well organized, structured perfectly, well balanced and run by teachers and parents who really care. We are proud and grateful to be a part of this wonderful community

Teachers Margo and Susan are so gentle and effective with the kids. Our child has really enjoyed…read moretheir time with the other kids and the teachers. We see growth and are excited to see how much is to come by the end of the year. The school is managed by the parents and follows an organized model for how teachers & kids are supported in the program. It's a beautiful school and we're happy with our experience and truly welcome others to visit and see for themselves.

When we first moved into the nearby neighborhood, we started hearing about Treehouse because a few…read morefamily members went through the program 35+ years ago! We then heard of other neighboring families who sent their children to Treehouse more recently. At the time we were looking for preschools for my son, it was a no brainer to add Treehouse to our list of schools to look into. The director Jan gave us a personal tour, telling us about the different classes, their values and how they support the children through the days and the years. One thing that stood out to us during the tour was how calm and happy the children were in their classrooms! The environment seemed to be a good fit for our son - and 3 years of attending Treehouse we have had no regrets. The care, attention, learning social dynamics, and cognitive development have been fantastic. We'll be transitioning out of the preschool phase and will miss Treehouse greatly!

This is our final year at Treehouse preschool, and I am writing specifically regarding the TK…read moreprogram, as this my third and youngest is the first to attend TK. She is safe, nurtured, and so well prepared for kindergarten. I only wish my other two children would have stayed another year! The staff go above and beyond to work with parents, focusing on everything that matters most for this age group: being safe, loving school, and enjoying community. I am so grateful for my family's experience here and will miss it dearly. A great preschool experience during this important time in a child's life.

The day my son started here, he was completely at home. I love getting new artwork in his cubby…read moreevery day. He's been much more in to cooking at home because they do snack prep. It's such a warm and welcoming environment. The teachers are non-judgmental and supportive of both kids and parents, and it's clear they genuinely care about each and every child. When you work in the classroom, it's so nice to get to know other kids and see your child in action. Beyond that, it feels like the school is built for families, not just kids. Having purpose in the classroom connects you to other parents in a way that doesn't seem possible anywhere else. Housekeeping days, fundraising events, parent education, school participation at city events...they all help us feel like we're part of a community.

Both of my kids attend Lafayette Nursery School and have had a wonderful experience! My kids are…read moreexcited to go to school. They love the different stations set up, they love the new themes every week, and they love the amazing backyard full of fun activities! It is such a warm and welcoming place to be!! Being able to co-op has been a really special experience!

Our son has been with Creative since he was just 6 months old, and we couldn't be happier with our…read moreexperience. Silvia and the entire staff treat him like family, which gives us so much peace of mind while we're away. Their love and dedication truly shine through. Since joining Creative, our son has flourished in so many ways--physically, emotionally, and in his speech development. Now, at 20 months, he amazes us daily with new words and songs he's learned, as well as important life skills like picking up his toys and throwing things in the trash. The learning environment they provide is incredible! Beyond his development, we've also noticed how social and personable he has become, which we largely credit to the nurturing and interactive atmosphere at Creative. We are so grateful for Silvia and the entire team for fostering such a loving and enriching space for our son. Thank you, Silvia!

My son started at Creative Montessori at age 3.5 years old. Due to Covid he had been home the whole…read moretime and spoke no English prior to attending school. Ms Silvia and other teachers have been so patient and helpful. My son has grown so much in every aspect and loves going to school every day. Highly recommend.

Literally couldn't dream up a more idyllic preschool. Such a lovely community and the staff is top…read morenotch.

Highlands is truly a magical place that both our child and my family love. Teachers Angela, Dani,…read moreand Tracy are phenomenal--they genuinely care about each child's growth and happiness, and have many years of early childhood education experience under their belt. Their passion for teaching shines through in the fun and engaging activities they create, making learning a fun adventure. The sense of community fostered by being part of a co-op is wonderful: parents, teachers, and students all come together to create a supportive and collaborative environment. I look forward to the days I volunteer because I get to interact with my child, his friends, and teachers. I've learned so much from those days at school! The school itself is a wonderland for young minds--imaginative play areas, art stations, and an outdoor space that invites exploration and discovery. It's a place where creativity is not just encouraged but celebrated, and where every child is given the freedom to express themselves. We feel so fortunate to have found this gem of a preschool. It's a place where our son is not only learning but also thriving, and we couldn't ask for a better start to his educational journey. Highly recommended!

This review has been a long time coming...we've been so grateful for The Nurtury and I've been…read moremeaning to put into words just how much this school has meant to our family. It is truly a top-caliber preschool in every way. Every single teacher is exceptionally caring, attentive, and deeply present with the children. You can tell they genuinely love what they do, and it shows in how happy and supported the kids are every day. The teacher-to-child ratio is excellent, which means every child gets the individual attention they need to thrive. Since starting at The Nurtury, our two-year-old has blossomed--he's become so much more social and confident in group settings, his language has taken off, and he even started saying "please" and "thank you" (a very happy surprise for us!). It's a truly special place that nurtures not only the child's development, but also their sense of safety, joy, and belonging. We feel incredibly lucky to be part of this community.

Our son has a fantastic time at Nurtury. The leadership and loving teachers really care for the…read morestudents and it is a solid, well-run Christian pre-school program. We entered when our son was 2 and the teachers were very patient in helping with the pre-school transition and provided a wonderful and safe environment. They have many activities and the children spend their days doing art, music, building social and emotional skills, and gather together for full-group activities such as a visit by the fire department (big hit!). We are thrilled to observe our son grow to be confident and enjoy school, and without qualms we hope to send our second kid there.

I don't know where to start! We have sent our 2 boys to Cottage Playhouse (my youngest graduating…read moreend of July). We feel so incredibly lucky to have had Michelle and Chalena in our lives to share their love, care, encouragement, patience, fun, guidance, attentiveness and warmth with our boys. The kids LOVED going to Cottage, each went from before the age of 2 until they went on to Kinder or TK around age 4-5. Cottage is a special place and is hard to put into words. Its small size makes it feel so much more like a family where all kids of different ages support each other and play together. Michelle and Chalena have supported the boys in their learning from early on with letters, numbers, spelling, workbooks and math. The art projects are out of this world, frame worthy. My oldest was completely ready for Kinder and my youngest for TK. Don't hesitate (RUN!) to send your kiddo to this amazing group of kids and teachers. We are extremely sad to say goodbye but feel so fortunate to have had our boys thrive in this amazing community. THANK YOU MICHELLE AND CHALENA. WE LOVE YOU!

Our daughter has been at Cottage for a year and we love it. It was a surprisingly easy transition…read morefrom a nanny I think because the smaller size allows so much individualized attention for each kid. We toured other preschools in the area but they felt overwhelming especially for a sensitive two-year old. The school has several outdoor play areas and the kids do a ton of imaginative play and art. There is also weekly dance and music class which my daughter loves. She comes home with flowers she has planted, amazing paintings, and most recently the ability to describe her feelings! The other parents are great and often get together. It's a really special place! The main limitation is that the current hours are 8:30-3:00. We have arranged our work schedules to make this work because this preschool is so worth it.

My daughter was here for ~1 1/2 years. She was extremely nervous going into preschool and all of…read morethe teachers made her feel so at home and comfortable. She really thrived in the environment and made great friends. The campus is beautiful and very well maintained. The parents and teachers host many events throughout the year- bake sales, trunk or treat, spring socials, parent's nights out. It's truly a great community full of extremely kind parents and teachers. We will miss everyone dearly and can't thank the community enough!

Both of our girls have gone to Skyline Preschool for preschool and pre-k and our youngest is…read moregraduating this June and we are so sad to go. Nestled into a beautiful Oakland Hills setting, Skyline Preschool has been such a wonderful experience for both our very different daughters and for us as parents. With a hybrid model of play-based and educational learning, our students grew both academically and social-emotionally. The director Naomi, created a curriculum that is so well-rounded, inclusive, thoughtful, rich with pertinent themes in a very age appropriate manner. Both our kids thrived, and particularly our youngest, while we all dealt with the difficulties of the pandemic, she had an extremely physically and emotionally save place to make the most of this time. Naomi pivoted the structure of the day and shape of the class to adhere to safety guidelines so successfully, we are so grateful for the hard work and dedication it took to make our daughter's preschool safe for her and the entire community of families enrolled. All the teachers are great communicators, care deeply for the children, and are creative and skilled. I really can't say enough positive things about the school experience, from setting to curriculum to staff - it was an incredible part of our family's development. We will miss it so!

Our family moved to Rockridge specifically for the great K-5 schools, but when those schools closed…read moreduring COVID we found a neighborhood school that was finding innovative ways to stay open and serve the students and their families. Now, 5 years later, we have every intent to see our kids graduate from the BRWS middle school. There is a rhythm to each day, week, and season. That rhythm (and the intentionality behind it) calms my children, grounds them, provides them with stability, and has allowed them to develop at their speed. This is a school that in early childhood lets kids be in nature, play, discover themselves and the world, and lets kids be kids. As the curriculum moves into the grades and middle school, it evolves into a rigorous, really well-rounded education that develops the technical analytical skills needed these days while also cultivating skills like resilience, creativity, and confidence. Beyond that we have found "our people" with the community of parents here. There is real buy-in from everyone. The school's seasonal festivals are wonderful, and weekends and holidays are often spent with other families from the school at parks or each other's houses. Unique aspects of the Waldorf curriculum (like no media in the classrooms and a de-emphasis at home, having one teacher stay with a class for several years at a time, leaning into creativity and skill development as opposed to rote memorization and an abundance of homework) really resonate with the parent community and are gaining mainstream traction for the antidote they seem to provide to many of the perceived struggles this generation of children is encountering (with respect to anxiety, isolation, depression, a lack of connectedness). We couldn't be happier here.

My partner and I have two children at Berkeley Rose, and we have been overwhelmingly happy with our…read moreexpereince. When our older child entered the school for nursery, we were certain we would transition to our local public school for the grades. However, we were quickly enamored with the thoughtfulness and intentionality of the school at large and the attuned care our young daughter received. We were also surprised and impressed by the strength and creativity of the academic programming in the grades, such that we felt a conviction to stay at the school beyond early childhood and consider oursleves very lucky to have stumbled upon such an educational gem. Perhaps the greatest benefit of Berkeley Rose is its community, which is thoughtful, kind, engaging and interesting. We've made great friends to raise our children alongside.