I have 2 kids attending UP Academy and they love the school!…read more My older son used to struggle in a public school with math and writing. 3 years ago, at 2nd grade, we transferred him to UP Academy, and, within a few months, he has become a lil writer. He fell in love with writing. He wrote one full-page of very a fun story. I can't thank you enough to all the educators there. Since then until now, he always happy every morning that he gets to go to school. He loves the community there and the small-sized class makes him feel like a part of the community. My younger one started last year as a kindergartner. He loves his teachers and his friends. He learned a lot academically and socially. We love how UP academy teaches kids by their own paces. Thus, our kids get challenged throughout the year. If you are looking for a project-based learning, a place where you child can build confidence and empathy, small class sized, great community, and personalized learning, UP Academy is the place for your kids.

We love UP Academy!…read more My older one went to the school since 2nd grade (now 3rd grader), and my younger one since TK (K now). The school is relatively new (2.5 years old) but our kids attended since 2 years ago. We are happy with the school in the full two years. ***Strength** We love the super low teacher-student ratio, the differentiation of learning. We also love the mixed-age classes, that allow kids to grow and thrive not limited by grade but by the their own levels. The school focused on growth mindset and recognize the efforts and progress. We also love the focus on project-based learning and social-emotion learning. The school also offers foreign languages classes, Chinese/Mandarin and Spanish. This might be a good plus for some families. We love that. We also appreciate the schools offer afterschool extension to 6pm as well. This is very helpful for parents who are both working. The school builds a great community. Teachers that we experienced - which means all teachers since we have two kids there for two years - are all very caring. Kids love each of them. The founder has an amazing vision inspired by a strong why. We love the philosophy, the vision & mission of the school. ***Potential concerns some families may have*** - Small school space: As a micro school, the school space is small - basically an office building only. But with various field trips and outdoor learning opportunities, especially during the pre-pandemic era, we don't have any concern at all. There's indoor facility for exercise, and kids love it. - Small class size For some parents, the small class size might be another concern for social issues. However, I appreciate this a lot since it also means great individual attention from teachers. Every kid can develop his/her own learning plan, academically and socially. We particularly appreciate the small size of the school during the pandemic time. A small class makes us feel safe to send kids to school in person during pandemic, knowing that the school is small and our kids could still learn and socialize safely in person with the COVID precautions that bigger schools may not be able to offer. The school remains open in 2020-2021 school year with the waiver. I believe it's heathier for kids to interact in person than virtually on Zoom anyways. - New school This is a progressive lab elementary school, and yes it's pretty new. We've seen the school evolving in the past two years, and overall towards a even better direction. I do encourage families to experience the school themselves during the trial-out days. We did so before we transferred our kids from a good public school in the following school year. Kids loved Up Academy so much that we made the decision right after they experienced the school. It turned out to be one of the best decisions we've ever made. Overall, we love the school and highly recommend the school to other families.

We love Edison Montessori School. All 3 of my children have gone there. The teachers have decades…read moreof Pre-School and Montesorri experience. The students learn and grow the Montessori way. They learn to be independent and on task. My eldest started at 2.5 years old and continued until he went to Kindergarten. He is now 9 years old. My middle child went for a full year before moving on to Kindergarten. My youngest will have spent an entire year there before he goes off to Kindergarten this upcoming Fall. The directors Ann and Angela, Teacher Beckie, Teacher Virigina, and all the rest- are the best. We adore all the teachers there. My youngest remembers the songs they sing, about who the officer was during their circle time, he tells me about historical figures and the science of his internal organs! They practice writing, math, reading, science, geography, art, music, they even have a soccer coach! I will miss their Pre-K years at Edison Montessori after my youngest graduates.

Our has been going to Edison Montessori for about a year now and we are extremely happy with how…read morethings have been getting better and him learning and progressing socially, emotionally and academically. The teachers are lovely caring and capable. Montessori structure and program is enriching experience. Our son loves his outdoor time, the daily classroom activities, singing and reading. Their tuition is reasonable and standard for all the services they provide and time coverage provided. Highly recommend them!

I searched high and low for a great preschool for my daughter (even pulling her out of a previous…read moredaycare and touring countless others), and I am so grateful we chose Challenge School. Even though Challenge is a bilingual Mandarin immersion school and our family is Korean, every box was checked the moment we walked in. We immediately noticed the safe, clean and warm environment, the kind and nurturing teachers, the exceptionally well-maintained space, and the highly organized, thoughtful curriculum. Every teacher my daughter has had or currently has--Teacher Catherine, Teacher Joannie, Teacher Lilly, Teacher Stephanie, Teacher Jing, Teacher Min Min, Teacher Hong Li, and Teacher Xiang--continues to foster her growth, act as a positive role model, and provide incredible care and education. In just about over a year, our almost 3 year old daughter can understand, speak, recite poems, and sing in Mandarin, despite us not speaking a word of it at home! Her English also exploded after attending Challenge. But the teachers go far beyond language by weaving in essential life skills. They teach core values like fairness, kindness, and respect . They give opportunities for each child to respond, stand up in front if the classroom, even donate books to build a sense of pride and confidence. They promote healthy eating through hands-on activities--from gardening and harvesting vegetables to actually making wontons! They integrate Chinese culture while ensuring families of all backgrounds, including our Korean family, feel completely included and celebrated. Best of all, the teachers are highly responsive and act as true partners in parenting. If I ever bring up a typical toddler concern, such as body safety and curiosity, they will often incorporate a supportive lesson for the class the very next morning! I truly can't say enough great things about this school and the amazing experience our family has had so far. It's no wonder my friends have raved about Challenge School (all at different locations). As a parent who wants to give my child the best, safest, and most nurturing environment possible, this was the best decision ever. Thank you so much to all the teachers for everything you do -- for the kids and the parents!

Sent my 2 yoe to the foster city challenge school after touring almost 10 others nearby, and this…read moreis simply the best decision. The school is so well managed, with amazing curated curriculum daily. Teachers are professional, attentive, and genuinely caring. My kid loves it, and we appreciate it so much. Would recommend to anybody.

Sea Breeze is a wonderful school. My son went there for 3 years, and we were very sad to leave once…read morehe graduated from TK. The best part of the school is the wonderful teaching staff - especially Mrs Ghiozzi. She's the warmest, sweetest teacher any kid could have. Our son blossomed under her care. He still fondly remembers her and the songs she used to sing with him, and the big warm hugs she used to give him. The other teachers, including Mrs Sheldon, Mr Weber, Mrs Briones are all lovely as well. All the support staff are also fantastic. The school is well-led under the leadership of Ms Weber. We are so grateful for everyone at Sea Breeze, and especially Mrs Ghiozzi, for caring for and nurturing our son.

The 2 stars are for the teachers here who have treated both me and my daughter very well…read more However, the Director Jamie Briones and the Principal Jerelyn Weber are a different story. I signed up my daughter for after care through 4CS, which is a program that helps low income families afford child care services. I got a really negative vibe from Jamie right away. She had told me that 4CS was giving them extra payments beyond tuition that I asked her to use towards the $200/month they were charging me directly for transportation because they told me that it wasn't covered by 4CS. I kept asking Jamie to ask the 4CS payments coordinator if they could use those extra payments for my transportation costs, since that money was meant to help me with child care costs after all. Jamie then proceeded to outright lie to me (as I just found out yesterday, 6 months later). She told me she had not received a response from 4CS. I had to keep asking several times and she lied to me several times. I feel she was waiting for me to send a frustrated email so that she could show Jerelyn that I didn't deserve to get MY money back. After receiving that frustrated email from me, Jerelyn responded and told me I was being unprofessional and that they would not be returning MY money to me, instead they decided to use it for their scholarship fund. I went back and forth with Jerelyn until she sent me a screenshot that showed that Jamie had gotten a response back from 4CS saying that they could use that money 'however they liked' back in early February. So, Jamie lied to me for months and she would end those lying emails with 'have a lovely day! Warmly, Jamie'. So disgusting. I showed both of them proof yesterday that Jamie outright lied to me for months and I haven't heard anything back since then.

Excellent preschool in the heart of Belmont. We love it here and feel like our child is getting the…read morebest preschool experience we could ever hope for. We feel so lucky to have found such a gem of a program. The teachers are SO caring and great with communication (they send daily pictures and videos and are responsive to messages), the curriculum is thoughtful, they have the best teacher to kid ratio of the preschools we looked at in the San Mateo/Belmont/San Carlos area, and we love how they do so many fun activities with the kids! Besides learning their colors & letters and going on fun field trips in the area, they focus on different subjects each week (insects, planets, emotions, vehicles, etc.). For example, during their insect section, they grew caterpillars into butterflies and got to release them in the school's garden (they have an onsite garden!) and during vehicle week, a backhoe came onsite and did a demonstration for the kids! Special guest instructors come to the class to expose the children to sports-related activities, juggling, cooking, and there is also a music teacher who does music class with the kids a couple times a month. The school throws fun events for families to enjoy with the kids, like Spring Fling (the kids were ecstatic about SF Bubble Man!). The classrooms are very clean and are attached to a play area dedicated to the preschool classrooms. The preschool rooms have dedicated restrooms within them. There is also access to a larger playground and field which is fun for kids and parents to spend time at after pickup. There is a dance school that operates in the same building complex and the preschool teachers help get students ready for dance (if they're enrolled with the dance school) and will walk the kids to the dance classes & bring them back to the preschool rooms afterwards. Morning and afternoon snacks are provided, and the school offers extended hours (730am-6pm), if needed, which is a huge plus for our family's schedule. Our child has been thriving in this preschool program and has blossomed so much since starting at BCLC.

I have to send a shout out to BCLC. I am enrolling my third child here, and they have always done…read moreand continue to do a stellar job. My kids have always loved it here. The teachers are patient, kind, and very experienced in dealing with the children. They have had the same staff for years. The director is very responsive. Their new protocols in light of Covid-19 are quite adequate and make me feel comfortable with having my child attend. They do crafts and projects, and have lots of enrichment activities for the kids. Unfortunately for safety, some of these are on hold for the moment due to Covid-19 but I'm sure they will be back when the time is appropriate. If you're looking for serious academics, perhaps this is not the place. They do story time, and they do projects with letters but they are not going to drill your child. It's preschool, I want my kids to enjoy themselves and interact with other children. They do talk about numbers, letters and phonics but they keep it fun and light, in an age appropriate manner.

My daughter attended preschool at this location with Graciela, Martha, and forgive me as I do not…read moreremember the names of the other teachers. However, they were all amazing. Leaving your child in someone else's care can be very scary but I didn't once question my daughters safety at this location. They are compassionate and loving, teaching structure and basic skills for our little ones. I wouldn't think twice about sending my child here and am so grateful for the staff and the beautiful memories they gave our family and life long lessons they taught my daughter.

This is long over due! I am very happy with the job that all teachers do at footsteps! My son loves…read moregoing to school. He is excited every morning and never wants to leave in the afternoon. All teachers are FANTASTIC!! They are all lovable and caring. Kids don't have to be potty trained. They offer full day or part time. They offer breakfast, lunch and a pm snack. They do various fieldtrips and they get visitors too. For example, this month a dentist came by to visit them and another day they had 2 officers come by to visit. And next week they will go visit the fire station. They also do recitals, they just had a winter show where all kids sang and danced. Very beautiful! The programs is year round so they never stop learning! They only close on holidays. My son started in July, and I see a tremendous improvement in his skills, HE CAN WRITE HIS OWN NAME! (he is only 3 and a half!) Also if my son ever falls/hurts himself, or hurts someone else I get a call and an "ouch report" they are very on top of things. I am so happy I found footsteps. Director Graciela does an AMAZING job and I am truly thankful!

I'm sad to report that College Park hit the wall this past year. In terms of it being a school…read morewith qualities our family supports, it's no longer a fit for us. Be aware: API results blend gifted (self contained) classes with the general school population. To analyze test scores for non-GATE Mandarin-track kids, you'll have to dig hard. It's a mixed picture. Sadly, most parents don't know how tough it is to staff Mandarin schools well (I've been involved with Mandarin immersion schooling for 25 years). CP is now bleeding experienced staff who feel the program under-serves kids who can't deal with immersion. They're 100% right btw. To evaluate this school accurately, ask tough questions about budget, and visit more than one Mandarin program. This one's budget is threadbare and nearly entirely reliant on volunteers to supplement teaching. If your child is a VERY adept speaker of English (i.e. will not require any help ever supplementing his reading or writing in English) an un-funded Mandarin public school education probably won't do much damage. Our story... In 2011-12, a bullying problem flared up. A core of tough boys were leading teachers around by the nose, disrupting class,and taunting kids. Ours got it often, others had it worse. There was a lot of boy-on-girl bullying. We and my daughter asked for help, but teachers were intimidated by the boys and ineffectual in handling them. We asked about a bullying policy and were told there wasn't one. Some teachers were turning a blind eye out of misplaced empathy for boys who needed to be removed from class, educated separately, or punished. I was told - after witnessing a very public humiliation of my daughter by 5 boys - that "these kids have trouble at home." It was my 9 year old's job to suck it up and tolerate it apparently. The air at College Park is thick with racial politics, and it has repeatedly affected the daily lives of some children (granted some kids feel none of this and to them I say: mazel tov, you've been lucky). The principal rejects the concept that there are discipline problems, or indeed ANY serious problems with the program. Her own staff roll their eyeballs when the subject of Mrs. H "listening" is mentioned. Nothing derails her constant, tedious boosterism. Imposing Mandarin immersion on a student body whose parents are perhaps 10% functionally illiterate or 40% poor English speakers is just bad policy. It's true that a few English-learners excel, but they are a tiny minority. Most struggle. Many fail. These kids need a strong traditional English program. Teaching quality is all across the board. Many long-time teachers of English at CP have been wonderful. Some of them are leaving. And frankly, their efforts are being undermined by this now unfunded, experimental Mandarin program. Given the extreme needs among the local kids for outstanding English teaching, I'm truly confused about why the district would continue Mandarin at College Park. You're lifting API at the expense of kids who need the 3 Rs. Budget decimation. In December 2011, the federal government pulled the grant program that funded the $300,000/year Mandarin immersion program at College Park. To be clear: THE FEDERAL MONEY IS GONE. We all knew it was coming. I asked if they wanted help raising serious foundation money but was told they didn't understand the questions I was asking ("What is your budget and where is it written down?). The level of naivete around how to manage the loss of funds by raising other funds was startling - really startling. You do NOT find $100k+ at a bake sale or a single Chinese meal for PTA members. Heavy fundraising requires professional expertise and a budget. They have no expertise and demonstrated confusion when asked for a budget. A nice, totally inexperienced group of parents was assembled to raise money to replace some of the funds. They had raised, by June 2012, about $20,000. So, from $300,000 to, less than 1% of that. The principal doesn't dig outside expertise. Big mistake. She needs heavy help fund raising and she's not asking for it. The lady shows all the signs of having a thin skin and refusing help she can't control. 3rd and 4th grades were combined. There is no more differentiated instruction in Mandarin. New parents rarely understand how badly CP's immersion compares to those in other districts. Their kids may end up doing ok, but only if they have plenty of outside tutors in Mandarin. We were sad to leave that community of friendly people. PTA folks are super. But we felt that under present leadership, CP would never fix its troubles. There are some super smart parents trying to make it work at CP. I earnestly wish them luck. But it's unlikely the program will thrive without leadership change.

My daughter is now in second grade. She was a kinder when a brand new principle came to the…read moreschool. I had a lot of respect for the previous principle and I also feel really good about the current one. I think Steven Chuang probably speaks more Mandarin than English so his delivery might be misunderstood by folks that are native. Over the course of the last 3 years I do see a lot of compassion and effort on his part, and the teachers too. It seems to me like this is a great school where u have parents teachers and principle working together. I will say I am not a fan of the district people for taking away the magic from the bilingual after school program. Kuai Le. I was not impressed by the people sitting in the district offices.

Trinity is a play based co op that has exceeded my expectations. My daughter is in their 3's…read moreprogram and loves it! The staff is great and they have done an excellent job organizing the co oping parents to maintain order. The projects and activities are age appropriate. What I love the most is that everything that they do at the preschool is backed up by concrete educational research. I have also found that the famillies have been wonderful and there is a nice little community of parents that have set put to support all of the kids in the school. Overall a wonderful program! I highly recommend.

I felt the need to write a review because I don't want someone to miss out on this wonderful…read moreschool. My family and I decided to move in October otherwise my daughter would still be attending. This school was everything I was looking for in a 2 year old preschool. Play based and my daughter loved it. The 3yrs programs was just as loving, supportive and nurturing as the 2's program. My daughter had Mrs. Folan and Miss Taylor. WOW, they are amazing at what they do. They seriously taught me how to communicate better with my kiddos. The teacher's really care about the children and provide a great environment to learn all while being play based so the children just have fun. Every child is different and I felt like at Trinity they worked with each individual to fit their needs. I toured five preschools when we moved and not one compared to Trinity. It's a GEM!!!