Future Valley is at it again even though we spoke about this and they promised never to do it…read moreagain. Another driver is blocking the same driveway, the van is completely blocking the driveway if the home of an elderly woman. The front bumper is also in a red zone. He was parked here when I arrived and still there 15 minutes later when I left. Do better Future Valley!

This is a review for the school day craft camp and summer music camp that my son went. He is a huge…read morefan of the camps. He learnt several Chinese songs (with some dance moves) and English songs from the music camp, played Ukulele and went to parks to have lunch. He also got himself a playdate from the camp (he is not even 4). The best part he claimed is they have a play area downstairs that they are allowed to be bare feet and no one push him to take a nap. Because of his normal school does not allow bare feet and nap is required, he always talks about the camp now and wants to go back to the camp soon. Thank you, Future Valley for my kiddo to have a great summer time.

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!

We've been so happy with Merry Moppet/ Belmont Oaks Academy! Our kids have been attending since…read morepreschool, and we couldn't be happier with the experience. The teachers are exceptional--dedicated, nurturing, and truly passionate about education. They have low turnover in teachers. It's actually pretty impressive. The leadership, including the owners and principal, demonstrates a remarkable commitment to creating a supportive and enriching environment. You can feel the support and care that permeates the school. In elementary, the curriculum is academically rigorous and continues to progress. So that maybe an important consideration for your kid. We appreciate the close-knit community; it feels like family. Our kids genuinely love going to school every day, and that says it all.

Worst school ever! School owner feels so entitled and kept asking parents to park properly while…read moreshow no intention to improve the parking situation such as buying more slots. You can circle forever and cannot find a parking and be late for 2 min and get fine of $50! The job for teachers cannot be easier - they don't tell story and let kids listen to radio - they don't do white boarding and let kids watch screens lol We stayed for one year and due to poor planning we let kid attend summer school - there is no schedule or whatsoever - kid complained so bored it was $2600 (2 years ago summer tuition) per month for absolutely nothing. We could not escape faster and this is worst school we ever attended in Bay Area across private and public schools!

I cannot recommend this Saturday Spanish school enough. Both of my children attend age-appropriate…read moreclasses from 9-12 on Saturday mornings, and they are met with so much love, care, and thoughtfulness. They're picking up Spanish quickly, but what matters most to me is how much they enjoy it. To them, it doesn't feel like another weekend activity; it's a joyful way to spend Saturday morning. Thank you for all you do. We truly appreciate it!

Welcome Amigos was the BEST decision we made this past summer for our 6-year-old daughter. She was…read morestruggling with social-emotional learning, and they did an AMAZING job in creating a warm, loving environment where she could grow and progress. They offer a wonderful balance between academics and play. We are forever grateful for all the support we received from all the incredible teachers and staff at Welcome Amigos.

The Mandarin Immersion (MI) program at Orion Alternative Elementary is hands-down Redwood City's…read morebest-kept secret for an exceptional public school education. It is an extraordinary environment where students of all backgrounds can thrive. For non- Mandarin speaking families, the dedicated support, including a specialized TOSA (Teacher on Special Assignment) ensures kids catch up to grade level. My own daughter attended TK elsewhere and had no trouble catching up in Mandarin when she started Kindergarten here. What Makes Orion Special: Dedicated Staff & Leadership: The teachers are exceptionally kind, attentive, and engaged. Principal Winnie works tirelessly to address parent feedback through frequent, accessible touchpoints like Zoom check-ins and Principal Coffees. Vibrant After-School Support: A huge shoutout to PlayThrive, the on-site Mandarin after-school program, which provides fantastic enrichment and care. They help kids with homework and support the mandarin learning, but also offer extracurricular activities (for an added fee) of Math camp, Photography, Sports, etc. An Unmatched Parent Community: Parent involvement here is incredible and it really feels like a collaborative team effort to help our kids succeed. Beyond cultural celebrations like the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lunar New Year, and Dragonboat races, there are constant opportunities for parents to connect. Our family has gotten involved in "BroRion" (the dads' group), moms' pickleball and even parent dragon boat racing! Things to Keep in Mind: Like any growing public school, Orion faces a few operational hurdles: Facilities & Funding: Facility maintenance and air conditioning can be ongoing challenges, but the active parent community consistently steps up to help bridge the gaps. For instance, during the hottest day of the year, the air conditioning was not working well in some of the TK portables but parents dropped off air conditioning units. The school also relies on annual fundraising drives to fund classroom assistants and extra enrichment classes. Admissions: While TK often has a waitlist through the lottery, the program's expansion means there are usually plenty of openings for Kindergarten. Academic Outcomes: Don't be deterred if some students transition to North Star Academy after 3rd grade. CAASPP assessment data consistently shows that the MI students who remain in grades 3-5 score exceptionally high in Math and ELA, with the vast majority testing at the "Advanced" level. This is especially impressive since they learn Math in Mandarin, but test Math in English. Orion is a warm, high-achieving, and deeply supportive community. We are very fortunate to be part of this school!

We bought a house in Redwood City specifically so our child could attend this school. Since we…read moredon't speak Chinese at home and our daughter was diagnosed with a speech delay at age two, I wasn't sure how much Mandarin she would actually pick up from the Mandarin Immersion program at Orion, especially without extra support from us. But after completing kindergarten and halfway through first grade, she surprised us by initiating conversations in Chinese on her own. I'm pretty sure I cried the first time it happened. The teachers are incredibly thoughtful and professional, especially in guiding young kids through learning two languages. In the first few years, about 90% of the school day is conducted in Chinese, which provides an immersive experience during those crucial early years. I remember my daughter sometimes mixed up calling her teacher "mama" and calling me "Wu Laoshi" -- small but meaningful signs of the trust she was building in this environment. The quality of education is outstanding. It's project-based, with a rich blend of art, gardening, STEAM, and physical education throughout the week. During lunch, the kids have options for how they spend their free time. My daughter loves cooling off in the air-conditioned library on hot days, gardening with friends, or practicing her monkey bar skills on more moderate days (after all, Redwood City is known for its slogan, "Climate Best by Government Test"). What matters most to me is that my daughter wakes up excited for school. She genuinely looks forward to her day, eager to see her teacher, curious about the new things she'll learn, spend time with her friends, and engage in the many activities this wonderful space offers. It's a place where she's building her own community, being challenged academically, and hopefully forming friendships that will last at least until high school. At this age, while academics are important, a positive and supportive community matters even more to us. Finding both at the Mandarin Immersion program at Orion has been an absolute gift, and we feel incredibly fortunate to have this school in the Bay Area.

My kid has been going there for months and just left this place for a better environment. I felt…read morelike it is time for a review. He was getting sick once or twice literally every month. The facility inside is well lit and organized but however has no openable windows for positive airflow and no adequate HVAC system filtering the airs, thus the main suspect of him getting easily sick besides kids being kids! The main concern of this place and the worse was during the months my kid was there 90% of the directors and teachers are replaced and came and gone!!! This placed has gone thru 2 directors within months and all the teachers except the older teacher Fang Fang were either quit or terminated without any notice to us parents!!! If the retention rate is so low and turn over rate of teachers are so ridiculously high, how can our kids adjust mentally and psychologically to the constant changes of teachers!!!Recently, our parents were given 1 day notice of a director leaving this place??? Seriously? If the directors and teachers were not happy, how can our kids be?? The upper management should pay attention on fixing and treating their most valuable assets (directors and teachers)better, otherwise this place is the worst place to send your kids to grow and learn!

This review is solely based on the visiting experience. Big deal breaker- there is no real outdoor…read moreplayground. This place basically converted an underground garage into a playground. How could kids grow in an environment without the sun everyday?! They have a very tiny garden though-however I can't imagine how much outdoor time they would get from this. Second big concern: this school seems have a big teacher turnover rate. The director was changed to a different person within two weeks when we contacted the school vs when we visited. The classrooms were quiet as Death Valley when we visited. As an elementary school teacher I can tell you that a classroom for young kids isn't supposed to be as quiet as this. When it is, there is something wrong. Again this review is solely based on visiting experience. But I would never send my kiddo to a place like this.

We initially looked into KUBO thinking it was a Japanese-run facility, but we soon found it is…read moreoperated by a wonderful Filipino team. For any Japanese families considering this school: while the origin of the name might be different than expected, the quality of education is world-class. Having gone through a Montessori education myself, I have high standards, and this program exceeded them all. The teachers provide amazing attention to individual development, supported by an excellent student-to-teacher ratio. The curriculum perfectly balances education with character building. The level of discipline and respect shown by the graduates here is truly admirable--something often missing in standard TK programs. We also appreciated the professional touch of annual parent-teacher conferences and detailed progress reports. On top of the great environment, the food is fantastic! It's healthy, balanced, and introduced our children to delicious flavors like lumpia. We are so grateful to Mrs. Jeck and the entire team. If you are looking for a place where your child will be treated with respect and given the tools to excel, this is it. Our yongest is graduating this year and we are sincerely going to miss seeing Ms. Jeck and the staff on a daily basis, but we look forward occasionally swinging by just to say hello!

Long overdue review! We're so fortunate to have found Kubo! We had a very bad experience at another…read moreschool and had to pivot fast. The moment we stepped into Kubo, I knew it would be the perfect place for our daughter. It is a very serene and loving environment with a wonderful Montessori curriculum . The teachers are amazing! Homemade meals- what a life changer! A supportive parent community. We could not be happier to have found this little gem.

Six skills school is an amazing place for my child to go. My child takes the art class and loves…read moreit. The teacher teaches a multitude of levels. The teachers there really know what they are doing.The after school program teacher has great patience and my son has learned a lot of Chinese there. My son has went to learn Chinese for about a year and speaks regularly with family. He can read and write Chinese characters and poems. I will continue sending my kids back there.