This review is three years in the making. As a first-time parent, I was nervous about finding a…read moreschool that would foster my child's unique personality. From the very first "warm hello," the teachers at Gan Sameach made that decision easy. What sets this school apart is their "learn & play" philosophy. Instead of having children sit at tables with quiet workbooks, Gan Sameach lets kids be kids in the best way possible. A huge part of this is their commitment to movement. The class spends at least 50% of the day outside, whether they are playing on the playground to taking supervised walks around the neighborhood to explore. I've watched my kids progress naturally through major milestones here: - They've moved from parallel play (playing near other kids) to truly playing with other kids. Learning how to navigate friendships and "big feelings" with the teachers' guidance. - Through weekly cooking projects, reading, show and tell, and constant conversation, their vocabulary and storytelling have exploded. - Activities like drawing and coloring have naturally transitioned into building the hand-grip strength and precision needed for Kindergarten handwriting. We actually chose to stay here for an extra year instead of moving to TK, and seeing how prepared and confident my child is for Kindergarten now, it was the best decision we could have made! The staff are the heart of this school. They are kind, gentle, dedicated, and incredibly patient. Many of them have been there for many years, providing a level of stability that is hard to find; they aren't here one year and gone the next. They are so impactful that my kids often say they want to be just like their teachers when they grow up! I also appreciate their respect for a child's autonomy. If a student isn't ready to participate in an activity, like painting, singing, or playing in the sandbox, they never force it. They wait for the child to feel ready, which builds so much trust. They truly work with you as a parent. Whether it's navigating the hurdles of potty training or giving us the tools to help our kids work through "big feelings", social interactions, or learning how to share, they are always ready with expert advice and a helping hand. If you want a school that values academic prep just as much as it values play, fresh air, and kindness, I cannot recommend Gan Sameach enough!

Best preschool ever! 2-3 teachers with 12 kids, mixed age 2-5. Perfect dynamic for children who…read morefirst start their daycare. Siblings can go together. Ms Karen and Ms Annie are best teachers. They offer care, love, kindness, patience, inspiration...everything a little child needs. Rabbi Zoe's Friday music and singing session before shabbat was kids' favorite as well. My daughter went there after pandemics when she was 4. We went back for summer camp before she went to first grade. She was sad that she's too old to go there. Gan Sameach and teachers there are our favorite and full of beautiful memories!

We absolutely love St. Joseph! As parents, we couldn't ask for a better environment for our child…read moreto learn and grow. The teachers are truly caring, patient, and dedicated--they go above and beyond to make sure every student feels supported and valued. The academics are excellent, but what really stands out is the focus on kindness, respect, and faith. Our child has grown not only in knowledge but also in confidence and compassion. We also really appreciate the strong sense of community--families, teachers, and staff all work together to create a positive and welcoming atmosphere. Communication from the school is great, and you can tell how much effort goes into making every event, Mass, and activity meaningful for the kids. If you're looking for a school that focuses on great academics, strong values, and genuine care for your child, St. Joseph is a wonderful choice. We feel so blessed to be part of this school!

Wow this school Is amazing big perfect school the learning is Wow the staff is very kind and nice…read moreSJS is a very good school. this school is blessed with excellent first time I stepped in this school I loved the kindness amazing! they added Spanish I love that and art wow this school is a blessing the tutoring is vert good. love this school.

We absolutely loved this school. We were immediately contacted after submitting our application and…read morethey made the process an easy one. My son, Alex was met with kindness and positivity from the staff and all the kids in his grade. He never had a problem with anyone. They have many activities for the kids and their families with plenty of volunteer opportunities. Super communication from Mrs Marsh and all of the teachers. They even have an app that the parents can use to communicate with one another. Holy Spirit is very much a family that we were proud to be apart of. We will definitely miss this school. Such a blessing!

Our kids went to this school for many years and under previous leadership it was great! The…read morePreschool was great & the school was wonderful. Then principals changed yearly sometimes mid year, the Preschool director changed, and the kindergarten teacher retired. My child didn't have a productive year in kindergarten. The teacher couldn't control the class and homework was taken from a Pinterest idea. For the money paid it was a waste. Preschool, my child had a traumatic experience and would refuse to go after a month. My child was so excited to start school and go and that all changed. My child started feeling petrified of the school director. What was once before a loving community gradually turned into an environment where the kids felt isolated and insecure. For a place that is teaching about the love, nonjudgmental acceptance and mercy of the Lord didn't set an exemplary environment.

I found this church through a web engine search, and when we started going we fell in love with it…read more Why? 1) The preaching! Faithful to the Word; unapologetic truth that points us to the compassion and mercy we have received. All sermons (from old and New Testament) show how Jesus' sufficient job on the cross is the a-z of the Bible (and really the core of life ). 2) The people! A group of people that know they are broken, don't pretend, and are there for you when you fall and are in the dumps. They eat with you, pray with you, cry with you, mourn with you, are goofy with you, admonish you, encourage you, and plainly walk through life with you. We left the church when we had to move to another country, but I wouldn't have left otherwise! Miss my New Life family!!! But the Lord is always faithful and I have a new church family in Canada now If you're on the fence about checking it out, don't be! Just go! Try it out a few times and then decide. You don't need to be a Christian. If you're a Muslim, a atheist, an agnostic, a Hindu, whatever you wanna call it, but you wanna find out more about Jesus or Christianity, you're welcome there!

Reposting my old review from 2012 since we've moved and had to create a new Yelp page. Since then…read morethe church has been growing rapidly under God's provision, and we are now at a new location with more space! We now also have an assistant pastor, Rich, who's been such a blessing to New Life. Since Rich's arrival, we've witnessed a huge growth in young adults ministry. - Though I'm sure people will only write good stuff about their own church, I want to first let you all know that I am going to be as unbiased as possible in the following review. I found New Life back in April through a pastor I'd met in Palo Alto. I had just moved back home from New York, and while looking for a church to settle in, the pastor suggested this church that is fairly new in my neighborhood. Since it was a pastor I trusted, I decided to give it a try. It couldn't hurt - it was only a few minutes from my house! Though I was at a very confusing stage in my life when I first started attending this church, I was able to settle in without feeling uncomfortable, thanks to the friendly, non-intimidating environment that is not too in-your-face. Seven months later, I am still attending the church. I have experienced a slow but visible growth in my faith, through the loving and supportive community, as well as Pastor Dave's sermons which are always on-point. The vibe of the community is very fun, friendly, yet intimate. Pastor Dave's sermons are intellectual and witty, but never straying away from the very core of the gospel. Though it is a fairly small church, there is an order that cannot be ignored. I believe this is a reflection of the gospel-centeredness of the church. This allows the church members to be accountable and supportive towards one another. What I love the most about NLMC is how welcoming and accepting everyone is towards newcomers who are still questioning their faith or have never even been to church. I have been to churches where there's the "inner circle" of people who grew up in that church their whole lives, but this church does not question or judge your faith; instead they provide you with some insights and guidance to understanding Christ. The congregation is mostly young married couples or young parents, but there still is a younger single crowd. The church vibe is still very young, and the church is very responsive to the younger crowd, so it'd be nice to see it grow more. Anyways, I suggest everyone to check out the church just for two weeks. I know that everyone feels differently about different churches, but I am pretty confident this one will make you feel safe as a place to grow in your faith.

I was at this church for 7 yrs. It was good for a short period of time when they recruit you into…read morethis cult. People here aren't really there for you and they're not friends. I felt like the entire time they behaved as if they're marketing their church and that's it. I was pushed out by certain people and literally harassed by some of the adults. One of them stalked me a bit. There were people who literally have some issue in their life and they shut those people out specifically. Why have a church at all when you act like you're in a clique? When I left, they did not seem to care at all. After 7 years and all that wasted time being here, it's infuriating to see none of them had even reached out to their members at all. Do not come to this church.

This is the church that my parents grew up with and I have fond memories of sunday school at the…read moreold location at the little farm off Grimmer Rd. They've grown a lot bigger since and their congregation is much larger now. They have several services and a pretty awesome youth group. They organize lots of events and for the most part, the community is pretty united and they look out for each other. They have several locations throughout the bay area, I believe this is home of christ #3. The congregation is primarily Chinese, Mandarin speaking, and they have services in both English and Mandarin. They also provide translations as necessary.

We're fortunate to have discovered Holy Spirit Preschool for my Twins and youngest son who is…read morecurrently attending in his second year. My children love going to school everyday. The teachers and staff there are very supportive of the children growth and needs . Especially Mrs.CC the Director of the Preschool makes every child feel welcome and an easy transition to kindergarten. The school offers a nice playground in the back and a large open grass to run around. In addition to regular class activities and educational programs. My children always came home with some type of project they work on at the day and puts a smile on our faces that they all learned something new each week. Holy Spirt Preschool go above and beyond during special holidays and provide a nice summer program. For example around Xmas time the teachers prepare students to sing in the Xmas program which was nice to see them perform. Also during summer each week they explore a new activities for the children. My children loved all these special events and activities. . We are pleased with Mrs Cc, Mrs Liz , Mrs Mary , They communicate daily and are the benchmark of how preschools should be. Highly recommend for parents looking for a safe and educational preschool environment

A wonderful place for children to play and learn. I felt so fortunate havie my 2 daughters attend…read morethe preschool. Perfect environment to build the foundation needed to succeed in school!

I love this church because there is something for everyone here. There's traditional and…read morecontemporary worship hours on Sundays and so many ways to get plugged in and learn more about God and become part of this very loving community. Bible studies with Pastor Zelt are the best! Probably the main reason why I decided to join this church. I had grown up in the church and didn't realize how little I actually knew about my Christian faith until I joined Pastor Zelt's studies. They are so informative, engaging, inclusive, enlightening and fun. Prince of Peace VBS is one of the best in town as well. They usually draw over 500 children that return each year.

My family started attending church here since my son was a student there. We fell in love Pastor…read moreZelt and are proud members of the church now. We were both raised Catholic so coming here was a stretch for us, but we are glad we did. There is a more traditional service as well as a Modern/Contemperary service and that service also has a kid program called Kids Kount. One of the things we love is that Pastor will call all the kids down to the front and have a lambs message, (a bible topic in a way this kids can understand,) and the the children head of to Kids Kount giving us parents time to worhsip without the kids. I am proud to call this my church home and love the entire family there!

We went to the Trunk or Treat at the school parking lot. Very crowded very hard to park. There was…read morea lot of fun. The candy and happiness were both generous. They also provided hot chocolate which was very nice at the chilly nighttime.

I Love this Church it is very welcoming and they have ministry for everything.word of God is…read morepreached in a way that it's easy to understand and the Bible studies they offer Sunday mornings and during the week or so informative.I started visiting Harbor Light at Celebrate Recovery in 2019 and I continue to come to the events and Sunday service.Thank you to all the pastoral staff and the body of Christ.The worship team is so anointed with the Holy Spirit.Lord thank you for how you are using this ministry to reach a lost and hurting world.Amen