Since pulling my son from Happy Halls, he shortly thereafter attended Stratford in San Bruno. This was THE best decision for him, as well as our family. My youngest son now is extremely happy to attend school, he has learned so much while there, the teachers are extremely genuine and caring, and I receive lots of updates (Happy Halls couldn't do). I today continue to receive lots of pictures (compared to the 3 that I received in 5 weeks at Happy Halls). I simply trust the school he attends now. My experience at Stratford is so different. At Happy Halls, leadership (Rachel) managed to proceed to tell me we simply will not provide more updates / pics of your son. Back then, he wasn't even 3 years old. How unsettling can this be for a parent! Comparing now to back then (over 2 year ago now), I'm so happy we switched out. Based on my experience with the teachers and the leadership team, I CANNOT recommend Happy Halls to any family. Please do your research before sending your child here. read more

First off, any 1 star reviews you see are from unrealistic parents. Happy Halls is a great school with a great staff. My kid has thrived since joining Happy Halls. He is happy, learns in a warm environment and makes great friends. read more

We love Happy Hall. I was very concern about the transition for my son, he had stay home with our nanny since he was a baby so I was not sure how he would feel about a classroom environment. His teachers in Cedar class created a nurturing and creative environment. My son enjoys going to school everyday! read more

Happy Hall is the absolute best. Our kids are thriving here! I cannot say enough good things about the program! Our oldest just started kindergarten this year and went to Happy Hall through TK, couldn't have been prepared any better! The teachers go way above and beyond! Our two little ones are here too and again, learning so much week after week thanks to the wonderful teachers and staff! They make it feel like a home away from home :) The activities and agenda each week makes it exciting and our kids have grown so much because of this! I would 100% recommend Happy Hall to any family looking for care, learning, and growing! read more

We enrolled our child in this preschool with high hopes, but sadly, our experience has been far from positive. One of the most glaring issues is the constant turnover of teachers. It feels like every few weeks, there's a new face in the classroom, which has been incredibly unsettling for my child. It's hard for kids to build trust and form bonds when the staff changes so frequently. What really alarmed us was a terrifying incident involving a child walking out of the school's playground and onto the street. The playground gate was left unlocked, and one of the children managed to wander out unsupervised. Happy Hall NEVER officially inform the parents about the incident. We only learned about it when we we got a letter from the school district 6 months later. What's even worse was, nothing was done during those 6 months until a couple of weeks before the representative from the school district came to inspect. We withdrew our child immediately. I cannot recommend this place to other families. read more

My two kids attended Happy Hall School and currently go to their after-school program and summer camp. Marina and her staff run a really good program that my kids continue to enjoy and look forward to attending after school. I am the event coordinator at a local swim club - In past years, we've hosted HH's summer camp at the pool for lessons and recreational swimming, and they have been great guests for us. Their campers are respectful to our pool staff and HH will make sure they clean up after themselves after using our facility. I would recommend HH's program to any parent looking for a safe and fun environment for their children. read more

This after-school program is one of the best in the area. The teachers are friendly, helpful, and caring. One of the many good things about Happy Hall Meadows is that they ensure students finish their homework when they are there. They also help if the student needs help when completing their homework. My kids learn a lot of other activities such as making bracelets, playing different games such as chess, reading books, and socializing with other kids other than their classmates. Lastly, it would be unfair for me not to mention Ms. Marina. She is an awesome, super caring and outstanding leader who has successfully managed this place for more than 2 decades. She ensures all the kids are well disciplined and follow instructions. I would recommend this place to all parents who are looking for an after-school program or camps. read more

Our kid was part of both Happy Hall preschool and now Happy Hall aftercare in Kindergarten. She enjoys the environment a lot. She gets her homework done, and has time to play outside with her friends. When I asked my kid what comments we should leave: She says one of her favorite aspects is being around the older kids in aftercare as they teach her lots of new things! All the teachers have been kind and do a great job running the program. read more

We would give Happy Hall 10 stars if possible! From Shelley the director to the front desk, to each one of the teachers that we had the pleasure to interact, everyone was welcoming, knowledgeable, suuuper loving and supportive! We sent our younger one to Happy Hall back in August, and he had a very smooth transition from a pandemic sheltered baby to a preschooler. The teachers are all very communicative and we had lots of informative feedbacks at the end of the days. Every day when we pick him up he is beaming with smiles. There was even a time when he fell asleep in one of the teacher's arms, and the teacher just snuggled him the whole time :) ​​ ​​Other than the amazing teachers and the loving environment, we highly appreciate the following as well: ​​Lots of age appropriate hands-on arts and crafts projects ​​Yummy and nutritious food - our little one has put on some nice weight in the past three months ​​Outdoor space - you should check out their playgrounds and the village, it's every kid's dream come true :) ​​Social events - well planned events like the Park Day and the Halloween celebrations. It is clear to us how much effort and time they spent to make sure everyone had a blast. ​​ ​​Looking back, I regret not sending our older one here. She has a lot of amazing things to say about her little brother's school, and she gets very excited whenever she visits Happy Hall (still raving about the HH Halloween parade)! ​​ ​​Thank you from the bottom of our hearts - Ms. Shelley, Ms. Monica, Ms. Michelle, Ms. Jocelyn, Ms. Jacky, Ms. Kenya and many more! read more

My son has been attending Happy Hall after school care at Meadows for the past year and a half. He has also been attending their summer camps for the past two summers. If you are looking for a safe place for your child to learn and grow, Happy Hall fits the bill. Their staff is caring and their Director takes the time to become familiar with your kiddos needs. On days I pick my son up early, he often makes me wait outside while he finishes whatever fun activity he's doing. I don't anticipate sending him elsewhere for after school care and he's very much looking forward to the upcoming summer camps. read more

My child has been attending Happy Hall for about 1.5 years. The program is excellent and the teachers/staff are kind and truly care about the children. I've noticed tremendous growth in my child's cognitive and language skills, and I think most importantly at this age (especially in the era of Covid) social skills. I am at ease during the day knowing that my child is happy, safe, and thriving at Happy Hall. read more

Happy Hall has been our extended family for the past 7 years. We are so thankful we found our "village" to partner with us in the development of our 2 children in these important young years. After we were referred to Happy Hall by several families, our son started attending Happy Hall at 18 months and thrived through each classroom. He developed lasting bonds with the teachers and staff. His readiness for Kindergarten was incredibly impressive. My daughter has had an equally incredible experience over the last few years, as she currently attends the school. I highly recommend this preschool! read more

Both of my daughters have attended the Happy Hall after school program at Green Hills since we started at the school, and we are really happy with the program. The teachers help with homework and my girls love the snacks. There is also plenty of outdoor time after homework gets done. The teachers are communicative, fun and helpful. read more

Our family has been sending our kids to Happy Hall after school and Summer Camp for many years, their staff are extremely nurturing, dedicated and fun! My kids have really enjoyed it! They do a great job organizing fun games, celebrating all the holidays and helping my kids complete homework. We are so grateful for their program and would highly recommend them! read more

Be aware of the Happy Hall executive director's management style. My child didn't feel good and asked if he could stay indoor, but Happy Hall teachers still pulled him to outside field. Happy Hall did not notify me at all during that day. How awful they did it to a little kid. The executive director told me that this is Happy Hall's universal rule that when most of kids want an outside play, rest of the kids have to go outside. No one can stay indoor, even the child doesn't feel good. The executive director doesn't care about my concerns, and she always thinks she is right as she has been working in HH for over ten years. It is a terrifying thing to learn that the executive director's indifference in child's well-being, and teachers from Happy Hall including summer programs, day care and after school programs, have to work under her management style. read more

My old son attends the Happy Hall before and after school program at Green Hills! He is in kindergarten and loves attending the program. The teachers are very attentive and patient with the kids. You can tell all the kids enjoy the program. The teachers help the kids with homework, have outside activities and keep the kids engaged. We feel relieved that we don't have to worry about our son when he is at the before or after school program. read more

I cannot say enough about Happy Hall schools . My kids have attended the Meadows after school club since Kindergarten and the staff are like a second family to us. Marina and Colleen are the most dedicated, caring and professional care givers. Amazing support, flexibility and communication. And the learning environment is so diverse and fun. Highly recommended to all families as your morning and afternoon childcare provider! read more

Both of my kids have attended Happy Hall after school care and their summer camp and they love it there. The teachers help with the school work and activities are provided to keep the kids entertained. It's easy to communicate with the teachers and to update them on any changes going on in the day. They take really good care of the kids and I highly recommend them if you need someone care for your child(ren) while you work. read more

Ms. Marina and her staff are so nice. I know my son is well taken care of while I'm at work. Thank you everyone for helping me with my son.

Our child has been going to Happy Hall at Spring Valley (after school program) for a few years now. The teachers are fantastic and seem to really care about the kids. They help with homework when the kids first arrive, on the playground I always see the teachers engaging with the kids in playing ball and other activities and they engage in a lot or arts and crafts. They provide afternoon snacks which is a bonus. My child enjoyed Happy Hall so much that we signed up for the summer camp last summer . She made some new friends and really enjoyed the program. Overall extremely happy with the program. read more

Two of my children have been enjoying Happy Hall after school @ Meadows and summer/winter camps as well. They take a good care of homework and offer healthy snack that my kids love and often tell me how delicious they were. They always look forward to going there and playing with the other kids and teaches. Ms. Marina is super nice and always responsive. I highly recommend Happy Hall! read more

Happy Hall is an amazing after school program. They provide so many different activities for the children to nurture their growth. And the best is that Marina and her dedicated team are paying attention for the children's social and emotional well being. The teachers helped us many times with problem solving with peers and to fit in the new environment when we started off. We are very thankful for them that they give values to our family. Many thanks! read more

Our son has been going to Happy Hall after school at Green Hills for 1.5 years. It's a safe and fun place to send our son. We also tried another after school at some point. Compare to there, our son enjoyed Happy Hall more. Happy Hall is our first choice. He was visibly happier and more outgoing when we switched back to Happy Hall. He always finishes his homework there. One day he told us to pick him up as late as possible in the afternoon so that he could spend more time there. Over all I recommend happy hall at green hills. read more

Happy Hall has been a delightful experience for our son and us. Our son has time to finish his homework and play outside as well as time to be able to nurture his creative side. He has built deeper relationships with all the kids that he attends school with, with brings him joy every day to see them at school. He has also learned from the teachers there through creative play. Every day the question at pick up, "Can I have 5 more minutes please?", hearing that makes you feel good that we picked the right place! Thank you Happy Hall for the time and nurturing you give to our son!. read more

My son has been at happy hall for 1.5 years and has experienced 3 different classes there. Overall, it's been a great experience. The teachers are caring and dedicated, the outside yard and village are very impressive, and overall it feels like a loving community. They have also navigated the challenges and complexities of Covid very thoughtfully with regular communication to families about changes and updates to the policy. My son is very happy there and is learning so much! read more

We are so lucky to be part of the Happy Halls school family. We are in the after school program at Meadows Elementary School in Millbrae, and I could not ask for better care for my children. There are a lot of after school care options in Millbrae, and I always tell incoming Meadows families that Happy Halls is the best. Everyday they have a homemade snack, then finish all their homework before moving onto a group craft and/or game activity. Every time I pick up my babes, I find them playing with their friends and teachers, and they come home with craft projects and homework finished. The teachers are all so warm and caring. Ms. Marina and Ms. Colleen in particular have been constant staples of love and fun. Being at Happy Halls has made life easier for me as a parent and enriched my children's development. read more

There are not enough stars for Happy Hall at Green Hills Elementary. Our kids have been going to Happy Hall since 2020. We were fortunate to have our son in their remote learning cohort as we both work full time and were unable to do the remote learning. Most weeks our kids get mad when I pick earlier because they love the activities they do after homework time. The homework help has been great and has further helped both children with their learning. I love their variety of healthy snacks each day and how they celebrate holidays. I have never had to worry about the safety of the children when they are at Happy Hall. Thank you to all the amazing teachers at Happy Hall for making a safe environment for students to learn and socialize after school! read more

Before i start, i am a parent, have no affiliation to the school except that my child went to school there. HH is such an amazing school and a blessing for our older daughter who is a cautious child. HH really understood our daughters needs and the teachers were so amazing and patient with her. She spent about 3 years here before moving to Kinder just recently. The teachers are a delight and treat the kids like their own. Also the covid protocols the school followed during the pandemic were exemplary. Our daughter is so sad to move and so are we!!! We are looking forward to going back soon when our LO is ready to start school. read more

Love this school. My son is 4.5 yrs and goes to purple class. Both ms Stacey and ms Olivia are amazing. School has amazing backyard, play area and village. Kids do ton of activities. Teachers are loving and caring. Feels like a family. They have a secured entry. Management is great and all in all I would highly recommend this school. Very very happy with the growth of my son. So happy we found a spot in this school. read more

I wanted to give my perspective on Happy Hall from a parent with two children, one currently there, and the other who graduated from Happy Hall and is now attending Kindergarten. We moved to the peninsula when my older child was almost 4. We were very nervous about transferring to another pre-school, as he had good friends and isn't very good with change. We went to Happy Hall because of a very high recommendation. We were told "It doesn't look like much, but you need to try it, I promise you will be so pleased with your kids results." This came from a very respected colleague who sent both her kids to H.H. Was she ever right. All I can say is we were BLOWN AWAY from the amazing experience provided both academically and socially. He truly flourished! Miss Suzy (his teacher) is the most amazing teacher and their curriculum really allows children to learn so much while having a great time. He loved his school experience and often asks to come to pick up his little sister so he can say hi to his old teachers. His transition to Kindergarten has been seamless which I attribute to the Happy Hall transition program. They did such a good job preparing the kids that he has been generally ahead of the curve according to his current teacher in all academic areas. My younger one got her start much earlier (we began with her at 2 and 1/2). We only wish our son had started there that early. Now three, she is already starting to spell by sounding out words, singing new songs weekly, has great friends and her vocabulary is amazing. I attribute a great deal of this to her experience at Happy Hall. She often says on the weekend how she misses Miss Annie (her head teacher). My last point... I want to address these very low star reviews. I don't know a single parent (and I know many of the parents from both children's classes) that don't absolutely adore Happy Hall and all of their teachers. They are the most caring and loving and really make sure these children are both emotionally and physically taken care of. And this remark that they don't focus on academics is ridiculous! If you got this far in my review, you know how impressed I am with their focus on academics. Do not listen to reviews of people who didn't even send their kids here! We love this place and have recommended it to many friends living in our area. read more

Happy Hall is an incredibly nurturing environment. As two professional educators my wife and I often reflect on how lucky we were to enroll our daughter there! It was not easy finding a preschool that had the right balance between academic enrichment and proper socialization of children. The staff is properly certified/trained, communication and transparency are phenomenal, and caring relationships exist throughout the facility. All the teachers from Ms. Susie to Ms. Angela to Ms. Marclen are terrific role-models for the kids. The parent community couldn't put greater trust in Happy Hall. Please don't pay any heed to unwarranted criticism from a few people writing negative reviews on yelp: the village is only ONE component of a well-balanced program that they offer. In my daughter's own words, "I love the teachers over there, because they took care of me when you & mommy were at work." She was excited to go to Happy Hall each day and always asked if she could remain there a few minutes longer upon pick up. What more can we say? read more

I am sitting here in shock reading the one and two star reviews. Having been at Happy Hall for more than 3 years, I have found Happy Hall to be the most amazing pre-school. And, I know this is a fact, because we were previously at a very expensive, preschool in San Francisco with a great reputation. Which, when compared to the teachers and curriculum offered by Happy Hall, we realize now was sadly lacking in every area. At Happy Hall, the teachers are not only extremely caring and compassionate, but their curriculum uses play-based learning in the best way I have ever seen. My son was ready for kindergarten this past September, only because of the amazing job done by the teachers at Happy Hall. My daughter is happily still at Happy Hall and she has a wonderful time playing and learning each day, although she doesn't even realize how much she is learning. As another reviewer mentioned, she also eats all of the homemade,hot lunch that is provided everyday. As for some comment about the Village. In the three years we have been there, both my children (weather permitting) have been in the Village once a week. If I had to guess, those reviews are from disgruntled former employees, who are no longer at the school for a reason. Suffice it to say, I would HIGHLY recommend Happy Hall for anyone who wants their child to be loved and cared for as if they were at home, while at the same time helping them to learn all of the skills necessary to be ready for and excel in kindergarten. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Happy Hall. read more

I can't say enough about the staff at Happy Hall Schools. They saved me from the WORST daycare center and have shown my two little girls what true care, teaching, and cleanliness should be at preschool. They have learned so much and grown in so many ways I can't even count. I would be lost without everyone at Happy Hall and I know my girls would not be the little girls they are now without the help of the caring Teachers and Staff. read more

My children attended Happy Hall preschool from 18 months through 5 years old and now they attended summer camp each summer. I can't say enough wonderful things about our experience. Teachers are caring, patient and knowledgeable. In preschool children had lots of activities to teach them academics, intellectual curiosity and life skills such as flexibility and curiosity. They got lots of exercise and made lots of friends. They have had similar experiences at camp. Everything is geared to keep different ages engaged in activities and keeps their brains and bodies active during the summer. My kids say their favorite part is swimming and reconnecting with friends they have had since preschool and forging new friendships . All the programs are organized and well run. Rachel Heck, the executive director is a great leader and well liked by all staff. I highly recommend any HHS program to everyone. read more

Review for Club Happy Hall Meadows: Low Director/teacher turnover, and my kids don't want to leave at the end of the day. Even my alumni kids want to go back and visit whenever they can. Snacks are pretty decent, often cooked from scratch (Mac and cheese, potato soup, etc.). Leadership and volunteer opportunities for teens is a plus. read more

I signed my kids up on the waitlist because we were moving up to the Bay Area from Los Angeles and possibly living in San Bruno. After following up about a tour and updates on the status of the waitlist, I got zero responses. read more

First let me start by saying I only gave 1 star because the Village is amazing (I don't even think the kids get to play in there other than at family events hosted at the school) and I like a few of the teachers, but other than that this school is not a place where I would ever want my friends or family to contribute to. I started my daughter there last year and thought things were going along great, my daughter was becoming socialized and starting making really good friends. Then at the year end bash, I learned she would not be joining her friends in the Pre-Kinder class even though she is 4 years old and will be going to kinder next year. The beginning this year was an eye opening experience. First day of the school year, my daughter was placed in a class with 3-4 years old as opposed to the 4-5 years class. The students who were in her class were being encouraged to stay on an extra year as the school feels they were not ready to move on. So I asked for my daughter to be moved to the higher age level and was told she was "too young". I was never given any other reasoning and when I asked for a curriculum comparison by the teachers and admin staff I was only given a presentation on the Red-Green classes which are the 18month - 3-4 year old class, I was never given the information on the 4-5 year old class of which she is. This school gives you a lot of run around and tries to by time so they get more money, they have no interest in the child's well being or correct academic placement. I have learned that this school is focused more on getting new students in the doors and have really bad organization. They told me that if I wasn't happy with the placement of my child that I "knew what my options are and are free to leave, but first I needed to submit a 30 day written notice or I would be charge a full months tuition and that they had a waiting list to fill". This is not what a concerned parent wants to here... a waiting list and paying for services you didn't receive! They claim they tell you everything upfront but that is a lie, then will say you should have learned that in the tour, which you do not. Even as small as a picture for transitioning is over looked. My daughter had a bird's nest as her picture in her 3-4 year old class (Yellow class) and when she was moved into the 3-4 year old class (Green class) she was given a new picture, I asked for this to be changed on the first day their response : "Its just a picture, its no big deal", so I said if its no big deal well then change it they said "we can't the little girl who doesn't know how to recognize her name only recognizes that picture" so I replied well why is my kid in a class with other kids who can't recognize their own name? My daughter can so she must be placed wrong... their response: "she is too young" I spent many hours going back and forth waiting for emails to be returned at their leisure and in the end I pulled my daughter out because they didn't respond by my deadline and the staff started giving me dirty looks and ignoring my questions when I picked up my child. It became very uncomfortable and just out right unprofessional on their end. I was going to throw a final party for my daughter with her original group of friends and the school did not get back to me until the night before and said "we can accommodate a party for her in her class so give us a list of names so we can move her friends over there during lunch" Instead of moving one kid (mine) to the Blue class with all of her friends they wanted to move 15 kids over to the green class... no sense at all! So we just decided to not have a party after all. To sum it up .. .DON'T GO HERE! DON'T RECOMMEND ANYONE ELSE TO GO HERE, YOU WILL BE SORRY YOU DID! read more

Our son attended Happy Hall's Rollingwood campus and several camps over holiday weeks/summer. We were incredibly pleased with the program! They do a wonderful job of keeping the kids entertained while boosting their confidence, homework skills and flexibility. Even on days when our son was there from 7am-6pm, he was happy and content to keep playing when we arrived. The staff were reliable, friendly and well organized. Having two working parents is REALLY hard with school aged kids but Happy Hall provides an incredibly service to make life manageable while making your children feel challenged and supported. Thank you so much Happy Hall! read more

These people never let the children play in the Village the whole time I worked there. They also didn't want to pay me I had to file a complaint to get my money. The classes didn't do anything It appeared to me that they just were set for watching the children and nothing else. It was just a glorified baby sitting position. read more

My daughter attended Happy Hall School for 4 years. I enrolled her at 2 years old and she continued thru kindergarten. In my opinion, as a parent it's very difficult to entrust the safety and well-being of your child to anyone at such a young age. I found the staff at Happy Hall to be competent, supportive, caring and always felt that my child was being well taken care of. They provided a safe environment for her to learn and socialize in a healthy way. They were there to comfort her when she needed it and taught her how to be kind to other children as well. I felt that their curriculum was appropriate for the age groups in each class and I loved the art projects and Family Fun nights that they hosted for the families. But, what I appreciated most of all is that their love and encouragement allowed my child to become the person she is today. Today my daughter is a sophomore in high school and has maintained a 4.0 GPA for the past 5 years. She's intelligent, confident, kind, compassionate, and I am extremely proud of her. People say that it takes a village to raise a child, Happy Hall was my Village and for that I am very thankful. read more