I could not say more amazing things about Pali Pres. We are so in love. Julie (the director) and…read moreDiana (the assistant director) are just the best you couldn't ask for a better parent liaisons. They include you in all that your kids are doing and make sure the whole community feels just like that -- a true community---. The teachers are exceptional my daughter asks about her teachers (Ms. Sarah and Ms. Susan) every weekend and talks about them incessantly (which says something as she's only 2 1/2 !! And still working on words in general but she really works hard to make sure we know how she feels about school and her teachers.... excited and so happy! the parents are all so sweet and amazing. The facilities are definitely beyond what is "normal" (and then some...) the "big yard" is ridiculously amazing. If you can't tell, I am sold and sad for the day our family has to say goodbye! Luckily I have another few years to enjoy this experience with my girls, this school is every thing everyone in town told me it would be and so much more!

My two older children go to Palisades Presbyterian and absolutely love it. The Outdoor Classroom…read moresets it apart with lots of different sensory experiences and activities that change on a daily basis, plus tons of room to run around and play. They have a great nurturing staff and the kids thrive there. My 4 1/2 year old looks forward to going to school so much and gets genuinely mad at me when it is Christmas break or spring break and he can't go to school for multiple days. It's amazing how much my two have learned since the start of the school year. They also have a great summer camp too.

I am so blown away by this preschool and how lucky we were to land here. I don't know why, but it…read morewasn't easy for us to find and it was by shear luck that we learned about this school. My son is in his second year and he runs in the doors so happy and misses his teachers when they're gone. He loves them so much! Carla, Brianda and Bianca are incredible they are so loving, truly care, love and have interest in our children and have a beautiful balance of play and learning. They care about my son's milestones and are excited to tell me updates. Their curriculum is so varied and interesting, we realize how special it is that we have access to the whole web of Star Education - every day my son is excited to tell me about when they have animal visitors from the Eco Station, or yesterday a visiting teacher came to teach them how to play soccer. We have fellow parents who are teachers who choose to send their children here and families with multiple children who send all of their kids through here, the care and curriculum is that good. And about the parents! It's a really great community, everyone is so friendly. The hours are flexible. There is early drop-off available at 7:30, normal class day starts at 9, and there are pick-up times before (noon) and after (3pm) nap, as well as extended hours until 6pm. We love it so much and it's so easy and wonderful I'm considering keeping my child here next year for TK instead of at one of the local public schools.

We can't say enough about this school. It's such a sweet and loving community. All the teachers and…read morethe parents are wonderful. The kid's activities and learning experiences are top notch - from a snow day where they truck in snow, to potlucks, to various performances and even visits from their Eco Station staff who bring in live animals for the children to observe. We've had an amazing experience. The hours are super flexible as well. I think you can start as early as 7am or 8:45am with pickup times around noon, 3pm and 5:30/6pm. Summer is optional as well with weekly camps you can sign up for. We are so lucky to have found this school!

Went to Calvary Christian School again for a basketball game and had another good experience. The…read morefacilities are very nice and I am especially glad they were not affected by the fires. The gym is clean, well kept, and a great place for the kids to play. Most of the people there are very nice and welcoming, and the overall atmosphere is positive.

We used to call it Calvary UnChristian School under the previous Principal who was terrible…read more Choosing favorites and treating others with disdain. Thankfully she is gone. The new principal has made quite an improvement in academics and the general tenor of the school.

What an amazing experience! I am an alum of St. Matthew's and have two nieces that currently…read moreattend. While the school has upgraded many of it's buildings and facilities, the core foundation to the school and the high quality of great teachers has not changed. I can confidently say that attending St. Matthew's from Pre-K to 8th grade was the best decision my parents ever made for me. I made so many life long friends, learned fundamentals of being my true self, built my self confidence and was encouraged to be my very best self. The teachers are amazing, the community is very tight knit and supportive and the campus is beyond beautiful!

This place looks beautiful, and by all accounts is. The amount of bullying, harassment and trauma…read morestudents endured during my time there was staggering. Decades worth. Nothing was done to stop or prevent it from continuing. Years later they are doing everything they can to protect their revenue and pristine image. Go look at the other reviews that are "not currently recommended." Rather than address past missteps they are trying to have the truth scrubbed and history cleaned. I'd never in a million years send my pet to this school, let alone my child.

Our 3 year old daughter has loved her time at this school…read more Westside Waldorf has been an amazing experience for our family. The school's approach to learning through creativity and exploration is so refreshing. Our child looks forward to each day, and we've seen such positive changes in their confidence and social skills.

My son is finishing his first year in the nursery, and after considering many options and touring…read more13 excellent programs, I could not be happier about choosing Westside Waldorf for him. Beautiful Early Education Team! Beautiful Campus! We receive the most consistently sweet morning greeting by Diego or Yonni at the gates, (key pieces of the security team) and a warm farewell each day from them as well. Following that, a peaceful journey begins at the nursery. In the mornings, parents gather with the children to ease them into their day away from home. I often miss this 15 minutes of community fellowship, but I love the days that I do make it. My son sees everyone at campus and just goes right into playing. He is a very social, confident and friendly personality. I love the calm, peaceful energy that he is met with by his INCREDIBLE teacher, Archer. His teacher was also a Waldorf student and has dealt with every challenge faced from parents and students with grace and with intelligent responsiveness. He has been consistent in his temperament while meeting the varied demands of each child with flexibility. The daily snacks are apparently delicious according to my 3 year old's accounting. He wants me to make oatmeal and rice and beans the way they make it at school. He has also been known to request several servings of vegetable soup at snacktime! The thoughtfulness of the program and the creative arts is reflected in the best gifts that the children make for us parents for several occasions Not to mention the sweet festivals that feel like utopian moments carved out in time With my son at Westside Waldorf, I enjoy a peace of mind that is invaluable. I know that he is safe and happy, nurtured and building upon his natural gifts while maintaining his confidence and joyous nature. I am so happy that this is a place of peace where my son can thrive and his teacher and the team around him can focus on that work without the residue of drama and trauma that create hostile environments in so much of the world. This place is not ofcourse for everyone. Children must be mostly potty trained when they start at 2.5 years old. Parents must have a commitment to a sense of peace and calm, value a natural rhythm and nature and be commited to allowing this pedagogy to thrive by letting it flow rather than inserting some of our more mainstream worldly ways and ideas.

Choosing a preschool can feel overwhelming. There are so many choices, and so many different types…read moreof curriculum. I looked at most of the preschools on the west side of Los Angeles and while there were many wow factors, my heart and gut always circled back to KI. I did not grow up in the Jewish faith, but I married a Jewish man and loved the traditions, celebrations and morals of the Jewish faith. I felt very connected to it right away and liked the idea that our kids would have their first school experience be one that also connects them with an amazing community of lifelong friends bound not only by education, but faith in humanity. Cut to three years later and both of my children attend KI (ages 2 1/2 and 5 1/2) and we could not be happier. We've had wonderful experiences with every single one of our teachers. The director and entire administration are always accessible, and when I speak to them, they talk to me very specifically about my children because they know them so well. Any time I have had a concern I have been able to have direct conversations that always resulted in a positive outcome. Some of my favorite things about KI are their flexibility in scheduling, family-style lunches provided by the school, enrichment classes, the TEACHERS and STAFF, security of the school, and the inclusiveness of the community. KI has been incredible for our entire family and we could not be happier!

Worked with a child to support behavior in the classroom context a decade ago and was impressed…read morewith investment in curriculum and facilities. Would recommend.

When we moved to Santa Monica Canyon in February 2010, I had no idea what to do about preschools…read more We asked long time Westside friends if they had a recommendation. Their recommendation was Rustic Canyon Co-Op Nursery School. I was told that the school was very small and very hard to get into, but they were willing to make an introduction. So we applied and went through the interview process. As soon as I saw the school and Rustic Canyon Park, I knew I desperately wanted my son to go there. I grew up in Marin County, and this magical enclave felt so much like Marin. The school is small, but is such a wonderful place for my little guy. Much of their day is spent outside playing in the schoolyard. Teacher Eve and Teacher Jennifer are just fantastic with the kids. They teach with a very caring but firm respect for the childhood experience, gently helping the kids along their journey to be good social friends with others. I knew that preschool would be fun for my son, but what surprised me most about Rustic Canyon Co-Op Nursery School was how much fun it has been for me and my husband. Parent stay days are a great way see your kid in a whole new light, but what is the most fun about Rustic Canyon Nursery School is the parties and fundraising events. Rustic Canyon families know how to have a great time! We've made friends here that I know will endure even though our kids will move on to different elementary schools. I'm pregnant again and wish I didn't have to wait a few years to return.

Rustic Canyon Coop Nursery School is like an oasis for early learning in a beautiful park setting…read more The search for the perfect west side preschool can be confusing and overly complicated. RCNS keeps everything very simple. Visit the school on a Monday morning. Apply by the deadline. Have a laid back conversation as an interview. It's just about the kids. The class is small so that each child and what makes them special is addressed with love and care. Be surprised about what you learn about yourself and even more about your child as a volunteer parent. Amazing!

My daughter absolutely adores this school. She says "oh goodie!" when I tell her we have to get in…read morethe car to drive there. I find myself staying and talking to the teachers, director, and other parents at drop off bc it is so welcoming and fun there. It feels like a home. My daughter has been going for almost 3 years. She has learned so much through all of the well thought out and engaging activities the teachers plan each day. She has made beautiful friendships as well. The outdoor space is unbeatable (soooooo much space - the most space of any preschool on the Westside to my knowledge) and she spends a large part of her day outside. She never wants to leave when I come to pick her up and she spends at least 5 minutes showing me all of the projects she did there that day. It is a very special place and I feel lucky that I found it.

If I could give this place negative stars I would…read more During COVID, these people did not want to follow the rules or enforce rules with parents that didn't want to wear masks either.

The Early Years School is truly a special place. We have had the absolute best experience with them…read moreand couldn't recommend it more highly. One of our sons has already graduated, and our younger son is still happily attending, which really says everything about how much we trust and love this place. TEYS' approach sticks out in how much they listen to and respect the children. It has never felt like a place where the kids are dropped off and left to figure things out. Rather, the students are encouraged to make informed choices and ask questions about why and what's next. Their individuality and independence are front and center, but they're also learning to coexist with their friends in a productive way. Conflict is always resolved from a place of respect and understanding. The teachers and staff are incredibly caring, attentive, and truly invested in each child. I could write a paragraph about each teacher individually and the bonds they've created with our kids. In addition, they are extremely thorough in their approach and go to great lengths to deep dive into anything related to early childhood development. It feels like they have researched everything on the topic to the benefit of our children. Our older son thrived here both socially and emotionally, and we saw such beautiful growth in his confidence, independence, and love of learning during his time at the school. When he first started, he was timid and insecure, because we unfortunately had tried attending two other schools that were nothing like Early Years. Watching him graduate felt like watching another person from who he was walking in. Now seeing our younger son walk in excited every day reassures us all over again that this is a truly exceptional environment. At the time of writing this, we are traveling, but our son still asks to go to "yellow group" every day. Now that our daughter has made her way into the world, there's no question about where she'll be spending her early years *wink* The communication with parents has always been supportive and the classrooms are warm, clean, nurturing, and thoughtfully structured. It's worth noting that one of the teachers is an art teacher, so their art room alone makes me as an adult want to go back to preschool. I heard another alum mom say "maybe they don't have a ton of jungle gyms, but they helped shape my child into a good person" and that's what we all want, right? Early Years feels like a community, not just a school. We are so grateful for the foundation it has given our children and for the love and care they receive every single day.

Both of my children attended The Early Years School and are now 31 and 28. Looking back, I can see…read morejust how profound the school's influence has been. Beyond providing an outstanding education, The Early Years helped them develop self-awareness, confidence, empathy, and resilience. They learned to navigate conflict with respect, communicate thoughtfully, and build strong, lasting personal and professional relationships. Those skills have served them well throughout college, their careers, and adulthood. They also left with a strong sense of curiosity, integrity, and trust in themselves that has given them the confidence to pursue meaningful work and fulfilling lives. The teachers and community created an extraordinary environment where children were truly known, valued, and encouraged to become their best selves. I remain deeply grateful for the lifelong foundation The Early Years gave our family.