My daughters went here for K-1 and 1-2 at the Campbell and Hamilton campuses. They were both in the mandarin immersion program and I was pleasantly surprised on how much they learned both reading and writing in Chinese. By the end of their first year, they ere able to easily read short books in Chinese, and write short messages (like thank you cards) all in Chinese. We don't speak mandarin fluently at home but we're still able to somewhat help with homework. Their math program is also very advanced, and now that my kids are set to go to public school, I'm confident Springbridge is at least a year ahead in their math program. The teachers in both K and 1st grade (and 2nd grade, where my oldest attended) are all very caring, attentive, and communicate well with the parents, which was appreciated. They worked with us to figure out ways our kids could grasp concepts they had trouble learning. Their detailed reports for parent teacher conference showed they were deeply involved and interested in my children's education. In addition, the community and camaraderie of the parents and teachers is another factor in why we loved the school. read more

Springbridge International School is a place where my two children are receiving a high-quality, bilingual education. They have been at Springbridge since 2016 and both love the school. The school curriculum in is offered in English, Japanese, and Mandarin, and is delivered in such a way where students learn meaningful lessons, in two languages, that stress academic, cultural, and personal development. The faculty are passionate educators who embrace the mission of developing young minds in ways that are interesting and challenging to the students. After some issues with the facilities in the early days (such as locations, size, access to good sunlight), the facilities we have now are now top notch - secure, with good light, plenty of room, and large playground areas for the kids to get out and RUN and play!!! The administration has done a very good job through the COVID pandemic. They were able to rapidly transition to remote learning and despite some minor hiccups (which we all experienced at first) the learning continued - with the added benefit of my wife and I having the opportunity to see and hear what and how our girls were learning. It was at this point we truly understood and appreciated that our hard-earned dollars were being spent wisely and to great affect. Last year when the school reopened for in-person learning, the protocols set in place were adequately strict and strictly enforced. Classes were held outdoors and the kids were maintained in cohorts to minimize the risks of any widespread exposures. The use of masks was mandatory without exception even when on spacious playgrounds. The rules were/are clear and uniform for all grades. With the recent surge in Omicron, we are voluntarily back to distance learning until the surge passes. As parents we are responsible for providing our kids with every opportunity we are able to provide. My wife and I are not rich. We're working class people from working class families. Financially we'd be far better off if our kids went to public schools and in our area of San Jose there are some well-rated schools. While we toil away and struggle at times, we know we are doing what is best for our kid's future. They are both bilingual, in touch with their Japanese and American cultures, and are receiving advanced level education from this fine private school. Added Note: When I use Yelp I usually look at the most recent reviews...but always find myself drifting toward reading the negative reviews too. I did that for Springbridge as well. There are a couple of negative reviews and I think I know one of them. Everyone has a different experience and that's fine. Not every student and not every family will have the same opinion, nor will they have the same experience if there is a misalignment in key areas like respecting the rules, embracing the mission, or you or your child having a disagreeable outlook or personality. This school is a community and your child and my children are not special, they're members of a tight knit community where learning is the priority, delivered by trained and caring people, in clean and secure facilities. read more

Our son started 1st grade in Springbridge this year. We're just about one semester in and so far all of us - parents and child, love it here. Picking the right school for your kid is subjective and highly personal. We moved our son from another bilingual school, b/c we were unhappy there, but this is not a review/tirade for the other school. I'll just highlight what we like about Springbridge (and you can get a sense of the things we care about) - 1. Program - Springbridge offers rich curriculums for K-5 (they have preschool too, but I'm not familiar with that). The focus is on well-rounded learning and development, and a healthy balance between academics (math, language arts, sciences) and creatives (history, arts, crafts, music, and sports). 2. After-school program - hassle-free transition from day program (ends at 3pm) to after-school program (ends at 6pm). We're a dual-working family, so this makes it so much easier for us. However, the best part is SB offers a variety of courses/activities to choose from based on day of the week (e.g. chess, abacus, tennis, piano, soccer, second language, even Lego! all at basic levels). A great way to introduce your child to different things and hopefully something will pique his/her interest. 3. Teachers - high caliber staff who cares about how your child progresses in lessons as well as personal development. 4. Bilingual - yes, it advertises as a bilingual school, but the difference here is they offer more than one non-English language. Japanese/English, Chinese/English, and I think they're working on Spanish/English. Hopefully French/English too. 5. Family environment - SB values the social/community connection it has with their students' families. There are events around major (cultural) holidays and mini events like movie nights and picnics. 6. Administration & price - for a small and very young (maybe 4 or 5 years) institution, this place operates professionally with minimum staff. Price is also very reasonable compared to other private schools in the bay area. (Details on tuition are published on their website, best to check it there to get the most current info). 7. Optional paid lunch - SB uses Choice Lunch (www.choicelunch.com). They have a good selection of hot and cold meals, and their website is super easy to use. My son is a picky eater, so I mix it up w/ lunch bag from home and pre-ordering his favorite (e.g. mac and cheese or cheese pizza) from Choice Lunch. It's a nice option to have when I'm super busy or forget to pack lunch. 8. Field trips - There are field trips throughout the year, almost one per month. These are a mix of educational and fun outings for the kids. For example, waterpark in Sep (it was extremely hot last year), pumpkin patch in Oct/Nov, candle-making in Dec, planetarium in Jan, etc. There is a small fee for each trip, about $5 to $20 per kid, depending on the activity. The school has a mini bus that takes the kids to these events. My son gets super excited whenever there's a field trip coming, he would countdown the days. And on those evenings that I pick him up, he'd happily start a conversation and talk non-stop about the things he saw and did - really puts a smile on my face, especially after a long stressful day at work. We're happy and pleased with Springbridge. My son was shy and sad when he first started, b/c he didn't speak Japanese and most kids do. The teachers helped him adjust and he made friends eventually. I remember by the second or third week, he was already happy and looked forward to school each day. read more

Springbridge International School - First day of school, morning drop off. - Language Schools Near Me - Campbell, California

Have had both my kids in this school since preschool. Great school with wonderful teachers!

This review gives 5 stars to Springbridge International, an outstanding bilingual elementary school situated near the border of San Jose and Campbell. Springbridge International School evolved from a humble beginning, like many other successful Silicon Valley startups, in a very modest facility. The determination and grit of its founders, the skill, compassion and empathy of the faculty, and the superb network of families have formed a participatory, welcoming community. My daughter attended Springbridge for 10 years (pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1 - 8). She graduated last year, and now attends a prestigious catholic high school. She gets grades of A in the subjects she has always performed well (notably English), and in subjects where her performance was average level (math). Springbridge is not the school if you are looking for high grades without effort, however the hard work and quality of teaching will pay off in later years. The founders Rob and Tomoko lead the management and direction of Springbridge International. Since the humble beginnings in Campbell, they successfully grew the enrollment, and outgrew the original facility. The school has moved to a very nice campus centrally located for pick up and drop off by commuters and work-from-home parents. Rob and Tomoko put in long hours and give their hearts and souls to this school with quality field trips, bilingual newsletters, holiday celebrations. They wear many hats and can often be seen at drop off and pick up, keeping the traffic flowing and keeping everyone safe. They have children of their own who attended and graduated from Springbridge. The strong network of parents, students, faculty and staff is on display at many community-wide events (back-to-school picnics, sports day, holiday party, movie nights on the campus green, and graduations). The friendships formed with this community are very strong and will last for many, many years. My daughter still considers Springbridge as her home, and misses it every day. As a member of the first graduating class (2021), she looks forward to visiting Springbridge to share her high school experience and spending time with so many great friends there. read more

We love this school! My children have really enjoyed their learning experiences here, and have managed to maintain a high level of proficiency in Mandarin, whilst doing well in all the other core subjects, in English. We appreciate the small class size/ student: teacher ratios here, which contributes to a very conducive learning environment. 1. This school has a fantastic Mandarin (Bilingual) Program. The class sizes are kept small, the tuition is currently less than other private bilingual schools, the teachers are passionate and great at teaching Mandarin. The lessons are taught in a very lively manner, and the schools uses textbooks that are on par with the schools in Taiwan. 2. In terms of other subjects (Math, Social Studies, ELA), the students are challenged appropriately, and are on par and most of the time exceeds the standards of public schools at a similar grade level. 3. The administration and Head of School, Mr. Regan, is very responsive to feedback and questions. He also acts promptly on feedback and is very accessible to parents. 4. To my knowledge, the administration and teachers have always tried their best to work with families with children who have disciplinary issues. Throughout the years, they have not asked many families with such issues to leave the school, but when they do, it really is the last resort because due diligence and care has been provided by the school and teachers to the parents and child. I highly recommend this school if you are looking for an attentive, small school community for your child to learn and thrive in a bilingual (Mandarin- English / Japanese-English) environment. read more

It's been a couple of years since our kids started going to Springbridge International School. They enjoy studying and playing with friends in recess every day, which is the most important thing we believe. The school provides bilingual education, so they don't need to spend much time for studying Japanese in weekend. It is very important for us since we can have other activities. We really appreciate the teachers for motivating our kids with great enthusiasm and giving them great opportunity for learning American and Japanese cultures. read more

Updating my review based on post COVID actions. English classes are now mixed, in that the same class will have both Chinese and Japanese program students with a single teacher. However, students are told to still segregate themselves. It's akin to allowing the white children to place together and let the non-white kids in their own group, given their focus on the Japanese program. PE teacher only speaks Japanese and just lets the Japanese program students translate for the Chinese program kids. Their lack of concern for the Chinese program students has increased. My child did not understand why they were not allowed to be in a group with someone in the Chinese program. Communication has become even worse (any they were already bad in my opinion) and they no longer share the teacher email addresses. COVID testing that is offered is taken by volunteers. No privacy provided at all, and being someone who speaks with parents from both programs, I can tell you that if your child tested positive, it would be known... Please take into consideration some of the comments from the recent positive reviews. * Mom and pop... Mom and pop doesn't automatically make anything better. It's something I don't mind for a restaurant or an auto shop, but quality is still the most important trait to look for. Mom and pop is NOT something I look for in something as important as the education and well-being of a child.  Especially when the child is there most of the day. Yes, it is run by a mom and pop... No, the quality is not there. I mean... do you take your child to a mom and pop medical facility or do you check on the quality of care first? or better yet... would you want your children to enroll you in a mom and pop nursing home? * Reviews from pre-school parents. Doesn't really compare to the failings this school has at the elementary level. My prediction is that once their child moves to high school, this mom and pop will either sell or close the school down. They do not care about the longevity of this school. Remember, there is no school board to oversee anything. * Jenny P's review contains at least one lie. She states: "2) No turn over on staff. So far, there has been no turnover on staff  for the five years I have observed on this school. Now to me that's  unheard of. That's a huge problem at all the schools I have been to. You  put in a deposit and on the day you start... that teacher you wanted is  gone and it has only been less than a year. Springbridge has a super  stable set of staff." In the past 5 years, there has always been at least ONE teacher who left. In some cases, they left before fall break. I don't know how she isn't aware of it, but from all the gushing, sounds more like a family friend. read more

I moved to US from singapore and have always wanted my kids to grow up bilingual (English & mandarin). Most schools in the Bay Area only offers mandarin programs up till kindergarten. There are only 2 private schools that offer bilingual programs up till Grade 6. Other choices are charter schools (which depends on luck) and after school/Saturday schools. To master another language, research shows that you have to be exposed to it for at the least 1 hour everyday. That leaves me with private school. SB is the only option I can afford. Thankfully SB has been great. My two kids attend this school (6 & 4 years old). The big one is able to read Mandarin poems and short stories using the Zhuyin system! What we love about SB: 1) English and mandarin classes & activities gets equal time 2) after school activities are available for a decent price and no hassle (great for working parents!) 3) the teachers are qualified, professional, and cares about the kids. They only hire teachers that had actual teaching experience. 4) the Japanese culture. Personally, I do prefer the more structured/formal culture because singapore is very similar. You are expected to be very respectful to your teachers and elders 5) the mandarin program is very comprehensive. I'm definitely feeling optimistic about my kids' ability to remember mandarin when they are adults 6) field trips. Lots of them!! 7) Mr Robert and Tomoko-sensei, who run this school together. They are wonderful people who take the time to get to know the parents. I'm really impressed that Mr Robert actually remembers the parents' names. Not only that, I heard from their staff that he takes care of them like family! Weakness: Being a small school, the administration sometimes sends out notices last minute. But that's not a deal breaker for me. I understand that they are going through growing pains as the school expands. Volunteer time - we have to volunteer but all parents do anyways. Again, not a deal breaker for us. We believe in this school so strongly that we are willing to drive the kids 30 mins to school everyday and 30-40 mins to work!! We have great hopes for this school and our kids. 1/9/18 - correction - SB only offers up to Grade 6. Fixed my typo read more

If during your visit to this school or in your communication with this schools management you feel uneasy or unsure about it, listen to that feeling. In the the two months we had our kids enrolled we noticed that our daughters Chinese speaking was noticeably improving. Unfortunately our overall experience with the school's staff and owners was filled with frustration, disappointment, and stress. So much that sometimes my wife could not bring herself to do drop offs because it was such a difficult process. Let's start there. Drop Offs: The first day we dropped off son we inquired about the pick up procedure at 6PM. When we signed up that was the agreement. They told us no, pick up is at 12PM. They did not have enough staff for full day preschool. This was a punch to the gut. My wife and I both work full time jobs. But accepted it, we had no choice. The owner, Robert said they were in the process of hiring another teacher and can support preschool until 6PM in two months. Two months later we ask again about the new pick up time at 6PM. The office informs us that they cannot let our son stay until 6PM, he can only stay until 3PM. It would be more convenient if they told us two months ago. They are not great about informing parents about policy. The other hard part about drop off is there is a limited window of time they will allow drop offs. If you miss that window then drop off becomes very inconvenient because you have to ask other staff to help and they are very busy with their own classes. There is no admin staff or floater to help. This was hard for us because our son was not excited about going to school. We had homeschooled him during the pandemic. In one incident my wife had him ready with his backpack on and in the mood to start his day right. The teacher came to greet him and take him in. The supervisor sent the teacher away and said "He's not ready, he doesn't have his mask on." My wife put a mask on our son and waited at the gate for forty minutes for the teacher to be available to bring him into his class. We understand it's difficult because they have limited staff but we felt like they weren't putting in the effort to help us. They sent our son home many times: "Your son refuses to wear his mask you need to pick him up now." "Your son is crying you need to pick him up now" "Your son kicked dirt toward me (Robert the owner) you need to pick him up now" The school is very punitive. If your child misbehaves they do not take that opportunity to make it into a teachable moment. The child is removed from the class and is told to go home. I asked my son, "Did you say sorry to the boy you hit?" He responded, "I wanted to but they did not let me." The final straw: The last time they sent my son home I was working an hour away. I asked them if they could keep him at school because I was at work and could not get away. They called back and told me that I need to get him now and he is suspended for two days. They punished my son and me for not picking him up in time. Two days later my wife arrived at the school to drop off my son. As she was taking my son out of the car the owner's wife stopped her and told her our son was still suspended and could not come in. She then berated my wife about how late I picked him up the day he was suspended and told her we need to cooperate with the school. It was a really stressful confrontation for my wife. I spoke to the owner of the school, Robert Reagan, about the whole incident. I told him that a suspension for my son is not a punishment for him, it's a punishment for us his parents. Robert Reagan's response, "If we punish the parents maybe they will do a better job raising their kids." We removed both our kids from Springbridge and joined another school. Our son has not been sent home once from his new school. This school operates on a punitive system. Your kids will do very well here if they are angels. But if your kid cries, takes off their mask, throws a fit, or strikes another kid be ready to drop everything at work and come get them. We like how great the Mandarin immersion curriculum is at this school but we do not agree with their values. We know of six other families who have left the school for similar reasons. Other complaints: The school is disorganized in providing consistent information on school schedules and policy. They took a week off and did not inform the parents about it ahead of time. The school does not offer lunch or even water. The school secretary does not work at the school. She works from home and usually has the wrong information. The school is understaffed. This is why kids get sent home. There is no admin staff on the premises to help. The class sizes are very small. My daughter had about eight kids in her class. I'm giving the school one star for its impressive curriculum and zero stars for facility, management, communication, and values. read more

Our daughter has been attending preschool for 6 months now and the level of development has been astounding. I can speak Mandarin but default to English so my daughter didn't know much Mandarin prior to SB. She speaks and understands quite a bit of Mandarin now (I'm so impressed!) in addition to being able to write the name of family members in English and writing if we spell it for her. She identifies pattern in the world (sky, trees, landscape, etc.). She's also learning LOTS about interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution. The student to teacher ratio is unbeatable and the teachers are incredibly warm. I'm an involved parent and am grateful the teachers catch me up at drop-off or pick-up and they're all responsive via email. The multi-campus situation and campus itself is nothing to write home about but the level of positive learning and warm environment is unequivocal in the standard of care. I would highly recommend this school to anyone, background or no background in Mandarin, because the whole household will benefit. read more

Our just turned 3-year old son goes to preschool at Springbridge, in the Japanese-English program. He's been there 6 months now and this is a good time to review Springbridge. Another recent review mentioned that this is a mom-and-pop run place. That's true but I'd state it differently - this place is a creation of two parents trying to raise their own kids in the kind of school setting they wanted to raise them in. Robert and Tomoko sensei don't sit in offices all day. They're there in the morning welcoming each child from the car at dropoff and escorting them into the school. Robert ferries kids between campuses. You can see them hard at work each day to make the place run. That's not to say the place is amateurishly run, because it isn't. They do run the place very well, and they're very accessible. We cannot complain about anything related to interacting with Springbridge as an organization. That's our perspective of interacting with them. Now from the child's perspective: Our son has been to a couple of daycares and preschools before - we just moved a couple of times. In all prior cases, there were days when he didn't want to go to school or was anxious or cried during drop off. We were apprehensive when he started at Springbridge. They're firm, structured and we wondered how he'd cope with their Asian philosophy. Would it be even harder for him ? But... the ONLY time he's ever cried was the very first morning at Springbridge. It took him one hour with the other kids in the playground before he was calm enough for us to leave him. The other older kids came and sat with him and played with the toys. That evening he was grinning when we picked him up. He's never ever complained since. Every morning we drop him off, and they open the car door and greet him, have him put on his bag and escort him in. He goes in and hugs his teachers and plays. The kids behave well, and treat each other kindly, because they teachers are around to ensure they do that. It rubs off on our son's behavior too. It's the same drill in the evening - sometimes he doesn't want to leave until his best friends are also being picked up. We've never dealt with a crying toddler at dropoff or pickup since the first morning when we dropped him off, and even then he was playing with the kids by the time we left. His behavior gives us all the feedback we need as to how much he likes the school. His English and Japanese are both picking up. He talks about school and sings in the car on the way home, or wants us to follow his friend's or his favorite teacher's car out as we leave. The class sizes are small and every kid gets attention. The teaching staff is stable. Even Robert and Tomoko sensei are seen reading books to kids. They seemingly know every kid and parent by name. This is a fabulous school. Scratch that. This is a family's labor of love, and we've seen how good it is. We couldn't recommend it more. read more

Both of my kids have attended Springbridge and have had a great experience. My daughter has been there for 5 years and can speak, read and write in Mandarin and has little to no accents (from what native speakers have told me - neither my husband or I speak it). My son just started last year and has already made a lot of progress in learning Mandarin. The teachers are caring and they look after the wellness of the whole child. read more

Teachers here are very nice! I like the ways they talking with kids, playing with kids.

This school is mom and pop ran. You have to understand that they are doing their best to run their ideal school for their own children and sharing that with the Springbridge community. I love this school because of the value they teach and their beliefs about children needing to spend more time with their families, not doing homework. I love this school for their immersion program -- my only true desire is for my son to speak fluent Mandarin and Springbridge is excellent! I originally sent my son to Little Tree but it was a waste of money, he only had 1 hr of Mandarin exposure a day whereas Springbridge is a FULL IMMERSION program, my son will be able to think in Mandarin. Understanding that they are a small school, ran by a husband and wife duo, communication is not their strongest suite, but they do respond within 7 days. Don't expect a response within 1 day. read more

Springbridge (SB) is a perfect school for parents who want thier kids to be truly bilingual. For us, we are in the Japanese/English program, but since SB also has a Mandarin program my kids learn about all 3 cultures and holiday celebrations. SB is also the best option for dual working parents who want a rich after school program until 6pm. What keeps me loving this school is the treachers are amazing! Great teachers is the main reason why I give this school 5 stars. The teachers really care about my kids, give great parenting feedback, and are dedicated to make learning very fun. My kids have been coming to this school for almost 4 years. Both my kids started off in pre-school: Red hat (2-3yrs), Yellow hat (3-4), Green Hat (4-5), and Kindergarten (5-6). The first few years, SB focused on Japanese but starting in Pre-Kindergarten they really start picking up English. They also have science, social studies, music, and PE in both languages every week. I have looked into other options on raising my kids bilingual. You have the choice of sending your kids to a Saturday school (hoshyuko) for 5 hours or taking them twice a week after school (saniku). I learned my Japanese by going to Saturday school for 9 years so it worked for me. The reason I choose SB is its a one stop shop, homework is done after school, and again the teachers. So far, I feel my kids have had all the best teachers. I heard in Saturday school you have a 3 in 5 chance of getting a boring or unmotivated teacher. I checked my local school (10 rating) and the after school program didn't compare. If my kids are going to be in after-school Program for 4 hours (2pm-6pm) a day or 20 hours a week, I want it to be meaningful. My son was in 8 different after school programs last semester: Spanish, abacus, mandarin, private piano, tennis, art, lego, soccer. This semester he is taking only sports: hockey, baseball, basketball, soccer and private piano. My daughter takes hula, dance, art , and mandain. These after school program is extra cost, but comes out to about $5 per day, per class. Now SB does has a two weaknesses: Sometimes communication is last minute and administrative response has delays or is laid back. Overall these dont bother me because i have been coming to this school for a while and i know what to expect. Looking at the big picture this is best school if you want your kids to be bilingual and if you want quality teachers for your kid, fun education for your kids, and a rich after school program. read more

We found this school through a friend and we're so happy that we did. Both of our kids go to this school, one in Kindergarden and one in Second grade. The school provides a true immersion program with both Japanese and Chinese curriculum. The teachers are extremely experienced and caring. The staff are very accommodating to the needs of our kids. What we like a lot is that the school feels like a big family and there's a lot of interactions among kids from different grades and between teachers and students. Academically, our kids are at least one or two grades ahead of public school without much extra work after school. So it's really a peace of mind sending them to the school. Being a younger school, it has improved a lot in the past two years in terms of administration and communication with the parents. The Chinese program is currently small but we are hoping to utilize it in the near future. read more

I completely disagree with the negative on Springbridge. I have been living in Cupertino and this area for close to 20 years and have seen schools come and go and visited MANY schools during each of my pregnancies to find the most caring school for our kids. Springbridge was the ONLY school that you can tell that the owners actually care about kids and their education and not just the money. I wished I sucked it up before with the 5-10 extra min drive to Springbridge so I put my kid there in the first place.... instead I have had to pull my kid out of her previous school for reasons even ones you cannot imagine and put her into Springbridge. I feel sorry for my first kid to have to go through what she experienced at the other school. My second will go straight to Springbridge when he is of age. Now here are some reasons I absolutely love this school: 1) Unbeatable teacher to student ratio. While this school does focus on academics that was not my top top priority for young kids. To me, the most important is actually to show love and care to the kids. This school has unbeatable teacher to student ratios so that they can actually care and take of them!!! Sure there are tons schools which will tell you their radio is 1:12... but did you notice it's actually 3:36???? Can you even imagine 36 kids in one room for age group 2-5???? As you know teachers chat all the time..... 36 kids in one room? It's hard to manage 10 already needless to say 36! 2) No turn over on staff. So far, there has been no turnover on staff for the five years I have observed on this school. Now to me that's unheard of. That's a huge problem at all the schools I have been to. You put in a deposit and on the day you start... that teacher you wanted is gone and it has only been less than a year. Springbridge has a super stable set of staff. 3) High caliber of people with integrity. Did you know the owners of Springbridge used to teach at Harker? All the teachers also have high credentials too and also there willing to teach and not just to watch your kids!!!! And they are there to STAY. 4) Owners actually care about kids and education. The owners are actually have graduate degrees in education. They actually know what education is about. It's not just some random investor who sees the bilingual market as a lucrative way to make tons of $$$$. There are tons of schools in this area with owners who just sit in office and count money. Their goal is recruiting and fill the spots and NOT your kids. This care needs to come from the top so staff will also care. 5) After school activities are awesome. I love how Springbridge really focuses not just academics but the WHOLE child. The after school program brochure blew me away. Rob really cares on trying to provide as many activities and a HUGE wide range of activities as possible. 6) Rob is there for the parents. Can you name another school that the owner is at school all day everyday driving the kids around, doing school tours, and actually showing care to the kids??? Or can you name another owner that gives you his CELL PHONE NUMBER so you can text him anytime to see how kids are doing???? Can you name another owner who actually responds to your texts within minutes about your kid because he is actually with the kids???? You will notice that Rob is responding to emails everyday at 4am in the morning too... why? Because he needs to get ready to get to the school by 6am and prep and get ready to greet and take care of YOUR kids. I was happy to see even the owner of my daughter's previous school show up! And that owner he would never return any of your calls. Only his "staff" and receptionists did. Rob actually cares and knows the names of every kid and is always actually with the kids. Now I will tell you what you will NOT find at Springbridge: 1) Fancy talks and brochures or websites or fancy open houses. This school does not know how to market. I admit that. They do not know how to sell the school. Besides the fact that Rob isn't very good at marketing, I think it's also because Rob is just too focused on hands on admin work that he doesn't have time to focus on marketing. It's NOT his forte and not his focus. I am selfish..... I am fine with that!!!! If he was too good at recruiting then he prob would be too busy to care for kids. 2) Fancy brand new building. There are new schools all around. Springbridge has been around a while. This is not the most beautiful site. But a very nice site where kids have tons of places to run around with unbeatable ratios. If you care so much about how the school looks and not what the school actually does.... this is not the school for you. Ok well, I need to stop writing because my husband says I wrote too much. But honestly I could go on forever. Feel free to privately message me for more feedback. All I can say is..... FINALLY I discovered a school that cares about kids and not just money. read more

Update: During the Shelter in Place of spring term 2020, Springbridge rapidly put into place an online schedule for multiple, daily, live classes with fun student participation thoughtfully incorporated. I compared notes with friends going to other schools and most of them did not come anywhere close to having so many live, engaging, interacting classes - most places were relying on having kids watch videos instead. So even if Shelter In Place continues, I have to say this I think this school did a good job for this past term, so I have hope it will continue to be outstanding down the road. read more

Stay away from this school. This school knows absolutely nothing about Early Childhood Development -- weak on resume, and completely lacking in practice. Any good program would have multiple variables at play to ensure the success of the child. This school has one at most, sometimes zero, at play at any given time. There is only once social construct exercised at this school: obedience. It is so engrained, beneath this obedience is only one of two things: shallowness (the staff are stuck in their ways and incapable of listening/discussing and offering even a modicum of professional wisdom), else something far worse that I never in all of my life expected out of a preschool: pure malevolence. If that isn't enough: this school has no board of directors. There is not a single worthwhile school that doesn't have a board, whose primary motivation is one thing only: the kids. They guarantee this through, just like any good board, due process. Without this board, there is no accountability, and that, above all else, should scare you to death. Stay away. read more

We love Springbridge!! My young daughter went to their Mandarin Immersion PreK program and absolutely loved it. You will not find a better program anywhere. Her teacher, Fay Laoshi, was one of the best teachers I have ever encountered. She is an excellent teacher who truly cares about the children. My daughter is now speaking in Mandarin. I am impressed. The school is run very well and the owner, Robert R. is very attentive and nice and makes sure his program is top notch. We are moving out of the area, but I wanted to post my absolutely positive experience with this school. Thank you!!! read more

Ill make this short and sweet. Our daughter has learned a ton of Japanese and english and she loves going to school every day. What more could a parent ask for. read more

My son started in kindergarten Mandarin program in 2017 at Springbridge and we couldn't be happier with the school choice we made! I want to write this review because Springbridge is a small school and not very well known, especially the newer Mandarin program. Many parents don't know there is a good option for K-8 Mandarin immersion program in the south valley. When I was searching high and low last year for a school for my son, springbridge was not even on my radar. I only happened upon it while looking for the mandarin summer camp. When I toured the school, I was thrilled to learn from Mr. Regan that they have a good size class for the incoming Kinder Mandarin program (the school started as an Japanese immersion school, the mandarin program was just added in the last couple of years and is growing to decent size) . At that point I have already paid first month tuition at another school we picked. To choose Springbridge would mean choosing a small unknown school with a fairly new program over a well-known reliable school, forfeiting more than two grand, and having a much much longer commute. But O Boy did I make the right choice! Now the details about why I love the school. 1) Kinder Mandarin program teacher is outstanding! It's hard for kids to learn and speak mandarin in our English environment. The teacher did a wonderful job of making it fun and teaching it effectively. Now my son love to talk to me in Chinese and he can read some Chinese books in ZhuYinFuHao (phonetic system), recite Chinese nursery rhymes and sing Chinese songs! Some background: We are a mixed race family. My son was in an English only preschool for two years prior to joining springbridge. He used to speak Chinese with me but he gradually stopped using Chinese since starting preschool and almost speak none when he started K. 2) The English program teacher and Japanese teachers are wonderful too! They are very caring and kind. The English program is accelerated based on the class progress. Due to small class size, the teacher is able to give lots of individual attention and make some more challenging work for my son who is a little ahead in the English academic part. 3) The owner Mr. Regan and Tomoko sensei put their heart and soul into the school. They can be seen around the campus all the time. I can approach them with any concerns or questions and always get help. I can tell they always put the kids' needs first. 4) Solid academic programs design. The kinder class Mandarin is at the same level with Taiwan Kinder level; English is at the first grade level or more with local public schools. I feel that my son is getting a good mandarin education without sacrificing the regular academic stuff. 5) Fun and family-like campus culture. Love their annual Sports Day! 6) Attention to kids' development in emotional matureness and self-care. But, of course, the school is not without its own downside. Being a small young school, it has its share of growing pains. 1) The management can be a little disorganized at times. Sometimes communication is sent at the last moment. Tuition is inexpensive and they have very few overhead staff, sometime things fall through the crack. I understand and can deal with that. 2) School campus is small and they are trying to expand. My son loves going to school, and when I pick him up in the afternoon he is always reluctant to leave. It's priceless to see the spark of joy and excitement in his eyes. We are grateful that such solid a mandarin immersion program is available to us. We hope Springbridge will get better and better! read more

Springbridge is a great small school that provides both Japanese and Mandarin immersion programs. Our son was part of the Japanese program, and we were happy with the instruction he received and the school community as a whole. During the beginning of the Covid pandemic, the teachers in two weeks switched gears entirely to provide remote learning, and despite the expected issues of remote learning (grade school kids in front of a computer screen all day), the school did a great job of stepping up and keeping the kids on track. The school curriculum is fairly challenging, since they teach a year ahead in math and language, so some students may have a rough time occasionally, but I've found the teachers to be very helpful in helping the students out. As a very small school, it does lack the facilities that a larger school with a larger funding base would have (such as a full size library, computer lab, etc.), but in our case the immersion program trumped these shortcomings at this time in our son's schooling. Our son's Japanese is above his grade level in Japan, and the fact that math is taught in both Japanese and English is a big plus, since it is taught quite differently in the two languages and thus provides a richness beyond common core for mathematics instruction. We would have kept our son at Springbridge, but we ended up moving away from the Bay Area. We'll definitely miss the community there! read more

My children have attended the Japanese/English program at Springbridge since Preschool, they are now Kindergartners. Springbridge has a dynamic approach toward learning. This is fun and naturally fuels enthusiasm toward learning. A model Springbridge uses for introducing and instilling a core set of values and disciplines is to have students work with the grade level ahead of them. You can imagine the ease in transitioning to the next level this affords the students. Entering the next grade, they carry on the work already made familiar. This guidance has a sort of organic progression as the students know and look forward to showing the same care to their younger school mates. Outside the regular courses, Springbridge offers after-school classes. Our children are now learning Mandarin, chess, piano, judo and even hula. They love it. It gives them exposure to other cultures and they interact with their friends through different mediums. Very healthy. read more

I can't say enough good things about Springbridge. Its rare to find a school that offers bilingual programs in Chinese, Japanese and welcomes families who are non-native speakers. Our child loves the school, teachers and staff and has been going for close two years now, looks forward to going to school every day. read more

Springbridge International School is awesome! Our 4 year old daughter has been in the Springbridge preschool program for over 1 year and will be continuing with Pre-K, Kindergarden, 1st, etc. The teachers are all amazing, and the program is so rich with various experiences and activities for the children. The kids learn so much about life, education, friendships, values, and we are very thankful to all the effort put in by all the faculty. The school is very personal and family oriented. My daughter absolutely loves going to school everyday. read more

Love this school for my son. My son is in the Chinese program and has learned a lot so far after only one year. The teachers are very involved and give great feedback in order to better help my son excel. Also the Reagan's are great overseers of the school and truly care about the students and families. The best thing of the school is immersing your child into the Chinese culture and pushing them to speak Chinese more and more. If you can get your child in then you should check this school out. read more

My son started going to Springbridge when he was 2.5 y/o. He is in the full-time Japanese program, and he is always happy and excited to go to school every morning. His Japanese speaking skills have improved so much in the last few months that he carries a pretty complicated conversation in Japanese with his grandparents who live in Japan. The school is run by the wife and husband duo and I can tell that they really care about every student. If my son missed school for a day because of sickness, she will notice that he's lost a bit of weight and checks in with me. Let's not forget about the teacher too, she is so loving and attentive, yet strict enough that kids respect her (exactly the kind of teacher my kid needs). They have a monthly newsletter and a daily communication notebook for each student so I feel well-informed about how he is doing at school. All in all, we have been very happy with the school after 4 months at Springbridge. read more