If you're looking for a school that will truly help your child thrive, grow, and soar beyond…read moreexpectations, Mountain Blvd Montessori is a hidden gem that every parent should know about! We cannot say enough wonderful things about Mountain Blvd Montessori. From the moment our son started in the toddler class and continued through preschool and the Pre-K/Kindergarten program, we have felt incredibly supported, welcomed, and confident that he was in the best hands possible. The entire staff is truly exceptional. Every teacher and administrator has shown genuine care, patience, and love for our child throughout every stage of his development. It is clear that this school is more than just a place for learning. It is a nurturing community that helps children grow academically, socially, and emotionally. The results have exceeded all of our expectations. Our son has not only received an amazing education, but he has also gained confidence, independence, and a true love for learning. Most importantly, he has been surrounded by teachers who genuinely cared for him and helped him thrive. Watching him grow over the years has been incredible. As parents, we had different thoughts about the next step for him. My wife initially wanted to enroll him in Transitional Kindergarten (TK), while I felt that he wouldn't gain much beyond a few extra hours of social interaction and fun. Looking back now, Montessori was absolutely the right choice for our family. Thanks to the incredible Pre-K/Kindergarten program, he is beyond prepared for elementary school and will be entering 1st grade this fall with a strong academic foundation, confidence, and excitement for what comes next. One of the most impressive parts of the program has been the language education. Our son was speaking Spanish and Mandarin remarkably well for his age. He can count, sing songs, and communicate with confidence in both languages. It has been amazing to watch how naturally he absorbed and retained what he learned through the school's language program. What stands out most, though, is the love and attention he received every single day. We always knew he was safe, cared for, challenged, and encouraged to become the best version of himself. As parents, there is no greater peace of mind than knowing your child is genuinely loved by the people helping shape their future. Overall, we feel incredibly blessed to have found Mountain Blvd Montessori. The well-rounded curriculum, dedicated teachers, outstanding language program, and focus on developing the whole child have made a lasting impact on our son's life. We wholeheartedly recommend this school to any parent who wants their child to receive an exceptional education while growing into a confident, kind, and capable young learner. Thank you, Mountain Blvd Montessori, for giving our son such an amazing foundation. As he heads off to 1st grade this fall, we know he is more than ready, and we couldn't be more grateful.

My son attended Mountain Boulevard Montessori for two years and three months before advancing to…read moreTransitional Kindergarten (TK). During his time there, we had experience with their toddler, preschool, and pre-K programs, and overall, our experience was wonderful. We never had any concerns about our child's safety, and communication with the school was consistently excellent. Every email or phone call was responded to promptly, and we always felt informed and supported. The curriculum is quite structured and leans a little more academic than some preschools, but in our case, that proved to be a real benefit. It provided an excellent runway into TK, where our son seems very well prepared compared with many of his peers, both socially and academically. There were several staff members who really stood out to us. Mr. Andreas has a wonderful disposition for working with children--he strikes a great balance between setting high expectations while remaining warm, patient, and humorous. Mr. Dennis is an exceptional administrator and was always communicative, open, and thorough. I never felt that a question or concern went unanswered. Ms. Wendy was my son's favorite teacher and was part of his experience for most of his time at the school. She was his classroom teacher for about a year and later his Spanish teacher after he moved into the pre-K class. She is very nurturing and has a particularly good way of channeling the energy of highly active children like my son while still keeping them engaged and focused. In terms of value, tuition seemed right around market rate. Compared with similar schools we considered, Mountain Boulevard Montessori was somewhere in the middle price-wise, but what stood out to us were the smaller class sizes, strong teacher-to-student ratio, and the overall quality of the facility. The school is highly organized, impeccably clean, and consistently well maintained. It was also extremely helpful that the school calendar generally mirrored Oakland Unified's holidays and vacations. That made childcare logistics much easier and avoided many of the scheduling conflicts that can arise when preschool and elementary school calendars are out of sync. If I had to offer any constructive feedback, I think families would benefit from as much advance communication as possible around staffing changes. At this age, changes in teachers can feel significant to children, and having a little runway can help families prepare them. At the same time, I completely understand that employment and privacy considerations may limit what a school is able to share. I also observed a few interactions involving one long-standing teacher where the communication style felt somewhat less patient and nurturing than what we had experienced with the rest of the staff. I have no doubt about her academic abilities or experience, and my son had very limited direct interaction with her until right before his departure, so I can't speak to any lasting impact, however, it was something I noticed that seemed inconsistent with all other interactions with staff at the school. This was very much an exception to an otherwise consistently positive experience over more than two years at Mountain Boulevard Montessori. We were very happy with the care, education, communication, and preparation our son received, and I would feel very comfortable recommending the school to friends or family without hesitation.

My daughter is currently at Creative Hearts daycare and it has been an amazing experience. They put…read moreso much love, thoughtfulness, and creativity into each day. Every day when my child arrives she has a huge smile on her face and runs in to greet her teachers and friends. The owner of the school, Ms Dulci, is so communicative and always gives me updates on my daughter. I can't recommend Creative Hearts enough!

I am so grateful for Ms Dulci and the teachers at Creative Hearts. I couldn't imagine a more…read morecaring, compassionate, and creative group of people to care for my little one. Getting used to daycare was not always easy (for my son or me!) but knowing he is in such caring, capable hands made it so much easier. They are so great at keeping us informed of his progress throughout the day, sharing photos, videos and texts as needed. Now my son asks to go to Ms Dulci's house on the weekends! He has so much fun with their truly creative programming and activities, and I love knowing he's growing and learning there every day.

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.

Both my kids went to St John Preschool and they thrived there! And my kids were well prepared for…read morekinder. The teachers are top notch and get the kids ready for K -- socially and adademically. I highly recommend St John Preschool! They are NAEYC accredited and from what I remember, they have the folders for you to review to see what goes into the accreditation process. (In case you didn't know, St John Preschool does not have any religious affiliations. The school rents space from the church.) St John has 2 teachers for each classroom and they are engaged with the children. They get to to know each and every child really well. Most teachers have been there a long, long time with very low turnover. We loved the teachers. Over the 5 years that we were there, there were some incidents that concerned me. I talked to the teachers and/or the director, Carol. It was handled well with follow up. If you hear of bad behavior from your kids, talk to the school. What I loved about the preschool: 1. TEACHERS! 2. open door policy - I can come unannounced and observe any time 3. they serve hot lunch made with love in their kitchen 4. well stocked classrooms and playground (constantly improving playground) 5. diapers included for the younger kids & daily notes! 6. mixed classrooms in the summer as the kids get older (a 3 year old would visit the 4s classroom) Many families lived nearby so many kids from my kids' classes are not in the same grade school so it is fun to see the familiar faces school in kinder (and now!). There were mornings when they wanted me to stay there longer at drop off. So we cuddled and read books (plenty of really great books to choose from), played with legos, drew in their notebooks (my daughter who's now in 1st grade still has her preschool notebooks and we look at all the drawings in there), read to the class during circle time at 9am, looked at all the kids art on the walls, etc. The program is so flexible. You can be as involved as you'd like. There were parents that we only saw at pick up and drop off and rarely at the school events. There were families that we saw all the time - at every school event, volunteer in the classroom, etc. It's up to you! They have a huge parking lot.

My son has attended St. John since just before he turned two, and now he's almost three. He loves…read moreSt. John and proudly proclaims whenever we pass by "That's my school!" My son loves his teachers, he loves seeing his friends every day, and he loves the meals he gets at school, if his choosy palate asking for seconds is any indication. My experience of the teachers is that they're highly nurturing and guide through positive reinforcement. It's important to remember that as toddlers our children are still learning how to be little people, and preschool is a laboratory for social interaction. My philosophy is to give him a space to explore and learn with enough structure that he can still learn to be independent. I feel confident that this is what he gets at St. John. Features which have made St. John super convenient for us: - Hours: 7am-5:30pm full time, though half day also offered - Meals: morning snack, warm lunch, afternoon snack. - Diapers: provided - Potty training: The teachers help with potty training. Bless their souls. - Lifecubby: personal online account for regular photos and updates of your child at school. So this review is based not just on my own experience, but more than anything, the wonderful way my son has developed since starting at St. John. My son was in home daycare prior to St. John and has tended to be a happy, independent child, and this environment has been so well suited to him. We have nothing but gratitude for the dedicated teachers who are teaming up with us to raise our son!

We applied for preschool and were put on a wating list. Once we were told we were next in line and…read morethen miraculously dropped down to 8th place. Then upon another check by us they told us they could not find our application papers anymore and asked us to reaplly. Apparantly you pretty much have to become member of their church if you want to get in. We were waitlisted for over a year, and even partcipated in one of their donation drives hoping that it would help our chances. I cannot comment on the preschool itself but it ticks me off that they took our application money for THIS.

The teachers at Seedlings are wonderful nurturing educators but the directors and administrative…read morestaff are unfortunately very challenging to deal with. Our daughter had a great experience but the lack of communication, poor payment management and disrespectful directors means I can't recommend this preschool. One year after our daughter stopped being enrolled we are still waiting for them to reimburse us our prepaid tuition. The director continues to give us the runaround and does not return emails or phone calls. But when you drop by are told everything will be in the mail shortly.

Joyce has been watching our daughter since she was 10 weeks old -- she's 20 months now…read more She's a total pro with decades of experience working with young children and their nervous parents. She delights in the milestones, funny moments, and unique personalities of her charges almost as much as their parents do! We'd recommend her to anyone looking for quality childcare.

My husband and I remind each other every day how lucky we are to have found Joyce. Our 9 month old…read moredaughter started care with Joyce when she was 6 months old. Our daughter does not take kindly to strangers, but she almost immediately made an exception for Joyce. Now, when we pull up to Joyce's house, she smiles in anticipation to see both Joyce and her lovely community of tiny friends. Joyce holds a degree in child development and has been running a childcare for over 40 years. She cares for a maximum of four children up to the age of 3. In her beautiful home in Elmwood, she has carved out a room specifically for the children which opens directly onto a shaded garden into which she takes the children daily. The environment is both calm and engaging. Joyce seems to truly enjoy each child and bring out their own special personalities. I found the prospect of going back to work and leaving my daughter somewhat difficult. Knowing that she was in this environment which was actually better than anything I could provide for her on my own was incredibly comforting. Joyce is truly a gem.

My kiddo has attended Husky House for after school care and summer camp. The folks at Husky House…read morerun an incredible program. They keep the kids entertained, physically and mentally active, provide snacks and are just all around wonderful. The staff is very communicative and accommodating. I'm so grateful to have this reliable and trustworthy child care option close to home!

We were with Husky House for a year and a half - I LOVE them. Another reviewer stated they wished…read morethey could have given more than 5 stars (I wish the same). I can not say enough!!! I was so sad when we moved this year, the boys even asked if they could go back for the summer camps. We will see (because it is a little bit of a drive, but not out of the picture). The staff is amazing - thoughtful, kind, they love kids, and such a great atmosphere. The activities planned are well thought out and FUN. The boys loved it there - they are definitely one of the top after school programs we have ever been a part of.

We have been so happy with our care from the program director Megan and her wonderful staff. Our…read morechild has been in Megan's care for over a year and he has really flourished. Megan has helped us through teething, toilet training, and emotional learning. We also have a happy kid at home who loves to help out around the house. A lot of daycares use the word Montessori, but Megan has over 15 years of training and it shows. She is also one of those rare people that genuinely loves kids and has so much patience for them. I have never heard Megan jokingly talk about how a kid is a trouble maker or heard her raise her voice. She's has a positive attitude and seems to take the rough days with a smile. It's also nice to know that our kid is in a place that reflects our values and makes a point of including other cultures and lifestyles. Also the pricing is incredibly affordable, which is a welcome from our previous daycare. I highly recommend going with Fledgling Montessori

From the owner: Montessori school led by a woman with a masters in childhood education and more that twenty years…read moreexperience working with children.

I highly recommend Wonder Babysitter. My grand-daughter was…read morein the care of the loving staff during her first year. The communication was great using the Brightwheel app. The team at WB posted multiple photos during the day which was very comforting and reassuring for the new parents to be able to view. The kids get lots of stimulation each day with a variety of activities. The caregivers are excellent. This is Spanish immersion environment, which was a bonus to be exposed to a second language from and early age.

We've been with the Wonder Babysitter crew for over a year now. WE started our little one at Wonder…read morewhen he was 3 months old for 2 days a week and gradually increased. They were so kind with him from so early on and literally he has so much fun there. He's with his best friends and gets to play all day. I love the photos we get from the team and we are super informed. The caregivers are all so kind and I can tell really love our babe. They've also been super flexible with us and the general set up is flexible in its set up - you can sign up for as little as 2 days a week and go up to 5 days a week. Overall it's been an amazing experience!! we also love the children's club house downstairs.