Sierra Preschool is a top notch preschool. In fact, it's the best in Auburn by far…read more I toured about 10 preschools in Auburn and Grass Valley, and there were only two preschools out of the ten-ish that we loved. Sierra Preschool was one of them. The other was in Grass Valley and had a waiting list, so it wasn't an option because we wanted our son enrolled in classes sooner than later. That was a blessing in disguise. GENERAL INFO: Sierra Preschool is a cooperative school, which means that parent participation is required and thus the monthly tuition is reduced substantially. I initially was looking for a preschool where I could drop off my son and go about my business of shopping, working out, cleaning the house, etc., but as it turns out, I LOVE that I am so involved in his daily activities and learning. I love the other parents at the preschool, and I love that I know the kids there as well. It is such a family environment! The teachers are top notch and really care about every student. LAYOUT: The school itself is in an old house, fenced yard, in a convenient location. They have a lot of toys for the kids to play with, indoor and outdoor. There's a separate room for circle time, and a general area for crafts and snacks. There is a kitchen for food storage/prep and a large counter and sink. The office is located upstairs. CLASSES: The toddler class is fantastic and fun. Right now it's Tuesdays from noon to 1:30p. There is an hour of playtime, then 15 minutes of circle time (reading books, games) and then 15 minutes of snack time. The parents rotate bringing healthy snacks each week. The 3-, 4-, and 5- year olds can take a Tu-Th class from 9am to 11:30a. It also has a specific schedule of playtime, circle time and snack time. The class is limited to 18 students. And there's a 4- and 5- yr old class on Mon-Wed-Fri which is geared towards getting the kids ready for kindergarten. That class is from 9am to 1pm. The class is limited to 18 students. They also have summer school classes. In 2011, it's a 6-week program from 9am to 1pm. PHILOSOPHY: The philosophy of Sierra Preschool is "When I play I learn." And all the crafts and stories and outside play are great for these developing minds. My son can't wait to go to class each time. He's socializing and making friends, and I feel it's readying him for elementary school. It is such a relief to have found Sierra Preschool! LOCATION: Sierra Preschool is conveniently located off of I-80. Sierra Preschool is on the corner of Channel Hill Lane and Luther Rd. You can also get there easily by CA-49 to Luther Rd as well. PARKING: They have their own parking lot which fits about 6-8 cars. The parking lot entrance is on the side street, Channel Hill Lane; you can't get to it directly from Luther Rd. So, turn onto Channel Hill Lane and then make a quick right into the parking lot. Overflow parking is available on the neighborhood streets. TOURS: I recommend visiting any preschool before enrolling your child. Take your time; watch and listen while you're there. Take notes. Ask questions. See how your child reacts to the surroundings and the other kids. Talk to the other parents if you can. (When I was looking at preschools, I accidentally met a few parents of Sierra Preschoolers at different venues -- Mighty Mites class, the local library, and while I was there at the school), and every single one raved about Sierra Preschool and how we would love it. Now I know why and I agree!) JUST DO IT!: And if you have any reservations about being a participating parent, don't! It's not that big of a deal, doesn't take up too much time, and you get to meet wonderful people from the community. Message me thru Yelp (upper right corner of my review) if you have any questions.

My husband, myself, & daughter moved to Auburn and didn't have any references for preschool hunting…read moreso I turned to yelp! We lucked out!! My daughter has felt completely comfortable here at Sierra preschool from day one. She looks forward to seeing her friends and teacher Heather every week! When my kid is happy...I am happy. This is a co-op, family. I look forward to saying hello to all the kids, parents, & teacher Heather every time I walk through the gate. Everyone is welcome to come check out the school anytime:)

A great place to take your child. Staff are very kind and…read morecaring and children are always learning and having fun. I highly recommend.

Incredible staff very welcoming program very professional team. They have been extremely…read moreaccommodating, and reasonably priced.

The smile on my sons face says it all. Miss Jess and staff are amazing! Lately my boy has had rough…read moredrop offs but miss Jess knows just what to do to help him transition back to his happy loving self. I love the learning art that comes home, and hearing all the things they do during the day. For the past year i have seen so many improvements and achievements and i know it's because of the love and care he gets from the kids' place

My son is in love with kids place! The boy who I had to cancel my gym membership for now slams the…read moredoor in my face to go to school, he loves the teachers and has made friends so fast. It feels like every day they're sent home with a craft project in their cubby which shows me the teachers are constantly going above and beyond with them. We love the kids place

Watching Celine interact with my son is truly a joy. She's a generous, fun, creative teacher (and…read moreparent). She has created a wonderful environment for preschoolers to learn and play!

Celine is a natural and authentically in love with preschool age children. She is incredibly…read moremotivated to provide the most nurturing experience for the mind, body and soul of our littles. There is no better way for an educational experience to begin than with Celine at Peartree.

Tall Pines is a truly special preschool. Not only are the teachers/director passionate about what…read morethey do, but they really treat you and your child like part of the family here and the co-op part is such a lovely way to introduce children to school. If you're considering sending your child here you will not be disappointed.

I love Tall Pines! Sending your child to this school is a gift. Teacher Michelle LOVES her kids and…read moreis an amazing teacher. Teacher Kelsey is warm and kind. This school is clean, fun, and a great introduction to grade school. My child loves going to school. He feels safe and happy at school, and is always looking forward to going. It's hard for parents to make friends, but at Tall Pines you are sure to find your people. The school is an accepting and loving place and they truly want the best for every family. If you are able to participate in a co-op, this is your place!

Our 3 year old has been attending preschool with Miss Destiny for almost 7 months now and to this…read moreday my daughter's face lights up every morning we get ready for school. Each teacher there is extremely attentive, warm and welcoming. Our kiddo comes home each day with such excitement as she tells us what she has learned, shows us an art project she has completed, or tells us about activities she has done with her friends. She learns life/critical skills, social/emotional skills, listening and communication- it has all been so beneficial as she prepares for kindergarten in the future. Thank you so much for being an important part of our daughter's educational journey!!

It's amazing to watch the growth in my son since he has started at whole child home. It's not easy…read moreto leave your child in the care of others and Von from the start felt safe And at home. He gets so excited to go see miss destiny and the other teachers as well as his friends he has made. We love it here! Thank you for caring for our son the way we care for him it means so much to us

We live on Banner Lava Cap and I drove by a beautiful Poppy Preschool sign every day while…read moresearching all over the area for a preschool for my 2 year old. Because they're relatively new, I wasn't finding a lot of information online about it. I called the phone number on the sign and got in touch with Teacher Deva who was delightful to talk to and let me come and tour the school on a Friday morning (a day they have off) with my little one. My daughter immediately clicked with the space. There's tons of forest, a garden, ducks, and even a cat that roams the property. We had seen a lot of really great schools in the area, but this one just felt special. After seeing the space, my daughter didn't want to leave. We knew we had found the one. Poppy Preschool is a Waldorf-inspired preschool where the kids enjoy singing, arts and crafts, gardening, cooking, and lots of play. They also learn a lot of collaborative skills like cleaning up. The teachers Deva and Sarah are calm, gentle, and patient. I've watched them first-hand moderate conflicts between kids where they help the kids verbalize their feelings and gently deflect any physical altercations. It's lovely to see. On the first day of school, I was worried my daughter would cling to me and not want to go, but she took one look at the ducks and the garden and immediately felt comfortable jumping in. Every day since her first day she's excited to go to school and she doesn't want to come home. She's also *delightfully* dirty at the end of the day, which I love. She's engaged and learning so much, she even teaches us all the songs they learn at school. I also love that they garden and cook their own food. Every day of the week has a different focus, so the kids feel grounded in a bit of routine, but there's still plenty of room for exploration and play. It's been a real joy having my daughter in Poppy Preschool. I highly recommend this incredible forest preschool to anyone in the area!

This is the best preschool ever! All of my nephews and five grandchildren have gone here. We love…read morethe country farm setting with the chickens and other animals plus they learn so much. When my grandson started kindergarten he was more than ready because of this preschool. The director and staff are the best!! Very loving and happy and kind. Even new students who cry and are scared at first suddenly feel great and happy very soon into the school year season. It's fun to watch the kids become more confident and start to make friends. I would highly recommend getting on the waitlist fast.

My grandson attended this pre-school and liked it until a new teacher started and then he came home…read moretraumatized numerous times... he no longer attends this school but after 3 months he is still talking about this negative experience with this teacher.. if your child is neurodivergent this is not the school for you child. He is 3 years old.

Sprouts Gardening and Nutrition Early Learning Program is an excellent preschool program. The…read moreprogram is small enough to allow for individual nurturing and the friendships developed here last well past the duration of the program. They provide a wonderful blend of free play, gardening, cooking, stories, yoga and more. The resident chickens hatch out chicks every spring and are great teachers of the ways of nature and the cat was another of my daughter's special friends, providing snuggles and entertainment.