Our son attended KidTime and we are so happy we found this school! I have chatted with so many…read moreparents and left so many rave reviews for the school online when parents shared they are looking for a preschool or a better fit for their child. We left a previous school and were looking for an environment where our son could thrive, and after touring with the director, Sydney, we knew we had found just the right fit. Our old preschool, a Montessori-style school, didn't do any TK curriculum, so we were worried he wouldn't be as prepared for Kindergarten. Our son missed the cutoff for public TK, so we knew we needed to find a better fit for him. Plus, our previous school wasn't accommodating for our active little dude. KidTime wasn't concerned at all when I mentioned our son wouldn't sit for circle time or stay focused during 'work time'. Instead of concern, we were met with open arms! The school meets the children where they're at! There's no need to hide any problems your child may be having. The school will not only work with you, but they will take the time and care to help your child and your family with any issues. There are no expectations for a child to meet a cookie-cutter mold. Your child will be embraced! The school is very inclusive! I was told, he sounds perfectly at his age level. This is truly refreshing to hear when you're leaving a school that isn't welcoming. The school has a massive backyard with a garden, chickens, and the biggest sandbox you've ever seen, with a water play area as well. There's plenty of shade and trees as well. The school will also apply sunscreen (they supply it, or you are welcome to bring your own). The school prepares fresh meals for the children, which after sending our son to school that didn't; this is such an amazing aspect! It saved our family so much time and hassle. Our son is a great eater, but for children who arent; it's so helpful to have the children all eating the same meal together. A lot of parents have said this helped their picky eaters embrace new foods. Plus, there's onsite water fountains, so we didn't even need to bring a water bottle. Again, you really appreciate this when you realize you don't need to wash a water bottle daily. The staff are so kind and warm! They do really fun activities with the children. Each week they cover a new theme and do activities related to the theme including STEM, art, math, etc. Our son learned about the earth's rotation and how time worked, learned his phonics, etc. Their teaching style is all play-based; at first, I didn't really know what that meant. I thought it was just open play, but it's not. They play a lot of games and do a lot of hands on learning, so they learn through play. It's truly wonderful! They also have a lot of community events, like a Thanksgiving meal where the children prepare all of the dishes, and families are welcome to come and eat together. Plus, they host Trick or Treating, a very lively Cinco de Mayo party, a family camping trip, and many more! Families are also welcome to come at pick up and play with their kids in the backyard! This is so different from a lot of other schools. This is so fun because you can see your child at play! You can join in and meet other families. We're happy our baby will go here as well, and this time for the full experience, as our son joined only joined for one year. They even welcome back alumni for their fun Cinco de Mayo party! Only downside, that they will openly tell you during your tour, children are allowed to be children...meaning they are allowed to get very messy! When I first toured with my baby, I didn't think this would be a good fit for him because he didn't like to be messy; but when he joined later, it wasn't a problem. Some kids do get wildly messy, but our child never did. Just know, that they use all washable materials, so any stain, I was easily able to get out. However, it's very possible, your child might be covered head to toe blue when you go to pick them up! I've seen a mini Smurf there at pickup!

Both my boys went to Kid Time over the past 4 years, and I could not recommend it more…read more We loved the inclusive and loving community -- every child is welcomed and celebrated for who they are. They offer a play-based approach to learning, and the teachers embrace messy, hands-on exploration, letting kids follow their curiosity while building real social and emotional skills along the way. It's clear the staff genuinely care about each child's growth, not just academically but as whole little people. Both of our sons thrived here, and we always felt supported as parents too!

Springfield Montessori is, hands down, the best option for children ages 2-5. From the moment you…read morewalk in, you feel the warm, loving, and nurturing environment that the school has cultivated. Each classroom is a well prepared environment. The educators are experienced and genuinely dedicated, guiding and leading not just in the classroom, but in every interaction throughout the day. What sets Springfield apart is that they don't take a one-size-fits-all approach -- it's one size fits MOST, meeting children where they are and helping them grow at their own pace. The administration team is outstanding and truly hands-on, involved in day-to-day operations and knowing each child by name. That level of personal attention is hard to find. With over 35 years of experience as a private Montessori preschool, Springfield has a track record that speaks for itself. I can't wait for my grandchildren to attend and have this same incredible academic experience as I've seen, firsthand, with so many children who have come through the doors. Highly recommend to any family looking for the best start for their little ones.

I really wanted to love this preschool, but unfortunately our experience with the admissions…read moreprocess was so poorly handled that I would not feel comfortable enrolling my child here. It started before we even toured. I spent some time trying to get in touch with someone and received no response. I was ultimately only able to connect with the school after a coworker, whose child currently attends, reached out on my behalf. Once we finally had a tour scheduled, the school canceled on us the day of the tour and rescheduled us for the following week -- despite the fact that we had taken time off work specifically to attend. When we finally toured, we actually liked the school and were excited enough that we planned to enroll our child. We discussed the schedule we needed and understood that the 7am-6pm option was available. We told the staff that we would immediately pay the deposit. She was fine with us leaving to go home to get our check and coming right back. We live 5 minutes down the road. We left to go home and get our check and returned immediately afterward to secure his spot. In that very short window, we were suddenly told the 7am-6pm schedule was full and that they could only hold 9am-3pm. If we needed care outside of those hours, we were told it would be an additional $30 per hour. I understand that preschool spots are limited and availability can change. What I cannot understand is how a family can be sitting in the school discussing enrollment and availability, leave specifically to retrieve payment, and return shortly afterward to find that the schedule they had just discussed is no longer available -- without any communication or acknowledgment of the "confusion". The entire experience left me with serious concerns about the admissions process and the emphasis on additional fees. When you're choosing a place to care for your young child, communication, transparency and trust matter enormously. If communication is this difficult and inconsistent before your child even starts, it is hard to feel confident about what communication will look like once your child is actually in their care. Afterward, I went back and read through Yelp reviews and was surprised to see other parents describing similar frustrations with the admissions process, including concerns about communication, transparency and cost. Obviously I can only speak to my own experience, but reading those accounts after what happened to us reinforced the concerns I already had. I understand the school has recently had a change in admissions leadership, so perhaps some of this is related to that transition. Regardless, families are making significant financial commitments and, more importantly, trusting a school with their children. They deserve clear information, empathy and consistent communication throughout that process. We genuinely wanted this school to work for our family. Instead, after time of unanswered outreach, a tour canceled the day of after we had taken off work, and then having the schedule we were prepared to pay for become unavailable in the short time it took us to retrieve our check, we walked away feeling that we could no longer trust the admissions process enough to enroll our son.

We have had our girls enrolled at NorthCreek Academy since Kindergarten and TK. We now have an 8th…read moreand 5th grader and we love it as much now as we did on day one. We admire the entire staff, from the administrators, to the teachers, to the playground staff and the grounds team. They are all wonderful people who love the Lord, love the kids and desire to meet them where they are at. Our girls hearts and minds have been shepherded so well by the wonderful team at NorthCreek. It is a blessing to have spent the last nine years at this special school and while I know it will be hard to watch my oldest move on to high school, I am confident in the strong foundation NorthCreek has provided.

If you're looking for the best school in the area for your child, look no further! While the school…read moreis highly academic, they are able to meet every child where they're at academically, while still caring for them, socially and emotionally. They care about each child as a whole and that is the biggest difference I've noticed from other schools. They really do care about each child and their success so much. I have 3 children who have attended this school. One from preschool all the way through 8th grade and we have had the best experience. They are able to offer testing and academic resources for children needing more help. The curriculum and teacher style are excellent. The school feels very safe. The facilities are very nice and clean. The school's online platform and technology are excellent. They also offer sports teams for junior high. The elementary and junior high are a little more separated, both programs and teachers have been absolutely excellent. My 8th graders was Very prepared for high school. This is a happy school! The staff are happy, the children are happy and the parents are happy to be there! It's a wonderful and diverse community. Although it feels a little separate from the church, there is a strong religious component. I tell people all the time, this is the BEST school! I cannot recommend it more highly.

My child attended CiL for a little over a year before going to kindergarten and during a trying…read moretime for the site as there was not only Covid in full force, with a population not eligible for vaccines, but the nonprofit which runs the school was about to embark on a large renovation/building project at the site. We had a great experience with the teachers and really appreciated the safety focus they had for the kids. Though we didnt get to benefit from it, I really like the association with the Choice in Aging senior services next door and could see that being a real plus for everyone in the future when things calm down. They have moved the preschool to a different area of the site temporarily to prepare for a multiphase construction and it looks really nice. The site will benefit from wholesale renovation as it is aged. I went 4 stars because of things independent of the care of the kids, basically the administrative aspects (pricing, planning, communication, etc) were frustrating. I would not hesitate to send my child there again but be prepared to have some frustrating moments.

We really love this school. It's a real gem…read more We had our daughter in a different school and after a year, we decided to just look around to see what else was out there. We knew this was our school just when we visited. Our daughter loved it so much she cried when we left. The teachers, Ms. Jan, Ms. Christine, Ms. Sharyn, and Ms. Manya are all amazing and have been there forever. Many of the teachers have sent their own kids there. The classes are so calm and organized and our daughter is just thriving. She has learned so much - she's coming home singing songs in Spanish and talking about map activities they are doing. She loves to play circle time with her teddies. Ms. Gina, the director, is so on it and clearly loves the kids. She's very responsive and organized. They just moved into a brand new addition to the building which is beautiful. It is well-thought out and impressively organized. They are also really COVID conscious which I've super appreciated. We feel so grateful we found this place. It's made all of our lives so much better. Couldn't recommend more.

Old Firehouse School is Exceptional!…read more We sent both of our children to OFS after moving to Lafayette, and it was a wonderful experience for our family. The dedication of the staff is truly what sets this school apart. We especially valued the model where teachers, like Liz, Pam, and Zahara, continue to work with the students as they grow. This consistency and the deep care they show for the children is evident every day. Our kids absolutely loved their teachers. We are huge fans of their kid-led, project-based learning approach. It allows the students to drive their own education. Just as important is their focus on emotional education--teaching kids practical ways to understand and manage their feelings, which is a key skill for life. Alex and Michelle are fantastic leaders, and the entire team deserves praise. We have nothing but great things to say about OFS and highly recommend it.

I have had at least one child at OFS since 2021. It is an incredible community and the director…read moreAlex is a thoughtful, bright, measured, and caring leader. We have loved all the teachers we've worked with and were first drawn to OFS because of the Reggio Emilio method they practice. This approach centers around a single primary caregiver for the majority of a child's time at the school. Our oldest has come out of OFS with incredible social emotional skills as a result of this model. We still have our son there and will be sad the day we have to leave. This is not the closest school to our home, but we trust the staff and we can't imagine going anywhere else.

We had such an amazing experience at Lafayette Nursery School! I attended Lafayette Nursery School…read moremyself when I was little and had such fond memories of it that I couldn't wait for my daughter to experience its magic as well. Nonetheless, we did our due diligence and toured a few schools before committing to LNS--sure enough, no other school compared. LNS has it all--a beautiful, bright classroom and spacious and fun backyard area, experienced and warm teachers that truly love what they do, and a variety of constantly changing activities that keep children engaged and excited to go to school every day. LNS is a co-op (parent-participation) preschool and therefore enabled my husband and I to help in the classroom and feel included in our daughter's first years in school. Co-oping, as well as other school-wide activities and social events, afforded us the opportunity to get to know the other families at the school and build connections (in contrast, friends at other preschools have personally shared it's sometimes hard to get to know other families at their preschools). Finally, the LNS play-based education model fostered a love of learning in our daughter and left her well-prepared to go straight to kindergarten (we chose to stay at LNS over TK). Overall, we have loved our time at LNS and highly recommend it!

The day my son started here, he was completely at home. I love getting new artwork in his cubby…read moreevery day. He's been much more in to cooking at home because they do snack prep. It's such a warm and welcoming environment. The teachers are non-judgmental and supportive of both kids and parents, and it's clear they genuinely care about each and every child. When you work in the classroom, it's so nice to get to know other kids and see your child in action. Beyond that, it feels like the school is built for families, not just kids. Having purpose in the classroom connects you to other parents in a way that doesn't seem possible anywhere else. Housekeeping days, fundraising events, parent education, school participation at city events...they all help us feel like we're part of a community.

My daughter joined the Firetruck Room at OFS with Katie (her primary caregiver) and Maylis, and it…read morehas truly been a transformative experience for her -- and for us as a family. We came from a more traditional daycare setting where she stayed fairly quiet and reserved for nearly a year. Within just a few months at OFS, she was thriving. Now, after two wonderful years, she's graduating as a confident, empathetic, and wildly creative kid whose true personality was clearly nurtured and celebrated by every caregiver she encountered. One of the most impactful aspects of OFS is their primary caregiver model, which gave our daughter a deep sense of safety, stability, and trust. Their project-based curriculum, where kids vote on topics they want to learn about, empowered her to take ownership of her learning and develop a curiosity that astonishes us daily. She now teaches us about the world -- even how to take care of it! Sofia, her current primary caregiver, went above and beyond to support us with things like Kindergarten readiness. Through joyful play, she introduced foundational math and reading concepts that she now uses in everyday life. Her thoughtful assessment gave me clarity and made completing public school enrollment paperwork a breeze. Beyond the classroom, OFS fosters a strong sense of community. They host events that bring families and teachers together, and over our two years here, we've built lasting friendships and support systems that I know will extend beyond preschool. We are endlessly grateful to Katie, Sofia, Maylis, Judy and the entire OFS team. This school has been a foundational chapter in our daughter's life -- one filled with joy, growth, and love.

This is an overdue and very long but very well deserved review of the special place this is OFS…read moreWalnut Creek! We absolutely cannot say enough wonderful things about Old Firehouse School in Walnut Creek. We were on the waitlist for a little over a year and we are so glad we held out for our spot! It was beyond worth the wait! From the moment we first toured, we knew it was something special and that feeling has only deepened as our son continues to thrive at OFS. He is graduating from OFS this summer and will enter Kindergarten this Fall. One of the things that immediately stood out to us was the school's primary caregiver model. This was very important to us and to my knowledge OFS is the only preschool in the area with this special model. Each child is paired with a dedicated caregiver who truly gets to know them and builds a deep, nurturing bond over the years, not just with the child, but with the whole family. This consistency and emotional safety has made such a difference in our son's confidence, sense of security, and joy at school. It's clear the staff understands how essential these early relationships are for lifelong trust and emotional development. Our teacher, Maylis is a true gift! She is such a special person and is the epitome of a dedicated educator. In Maylis' care our son and his class have been encouraged to explore their own ideas and curiosities in collaborative, creative ways. The projects she has them participate in are so impressive. I don't know how she gets a classroom full of preschoolers to engage so deeply in each lesson with such passion, it is truly magical to see! Maylis has helped our son learn to stretch his thinking in beautiful, and creative, age-appropriate ways. Our son comes home full of questions, ideas, and stories from his day, proof of just how engaged he is. The rest of the staff at OFS Walnut Creek is equally as exceptional. The entire school environment is warm, joyful, and promotes independence while also encouraging classroom belonging and connection. We honestly wish every child had the chance to attend Old Firehouse Walnut Creek. We often say we'd send our son here through elementary and middle school if we could, that would be a dream! This school has given him the most magical, foundational start, and we're forever grateful and will be so sad to end our time at OFS this year. Thank you, OFS Walnut Creek!

We spent three wonderful years at Guiding Light, enrolling my son starting at age 3, and it shaped…read morehis early childhood in the best possible way. The teachers are warm, attentive, and truly invested in each child as an individual, and the Montessori approach is carried out thoughtfully in a way that makes kids feel safe and excited to learn. We appreciated how present and communicative the staff were, with regular parent-teacher conferences that made us feel genuinely involved in his growth every step of the way. Our son adored his time there and his confidence blossomed in ways we are still grateful for. Any family looking for a nurturing, quality early education program in the area would be lucky to find Guiding Light.

I hope my words convey the deep respect I hold for Guiding Light Montessori and its exceptional…read morestaff, particularly Justine, the owner and Head Teacher, and her dedicated handyman, Hubby. Their unwavering commitment to creating a nurturing environment for children to flourish, grow, and gain confidence is truly commendable. Which brings you to my story. Earlier this year, I lost my adult son; he left behind my beautiful grandaughter, who now lives with my husband and me. Her world changed from one day to the next, and life as she knew it was different and absent. Being an only child who desperately needed structure and friends, we enrolled her at Guiding Light Montessori. It was a rough 1st week, and when I say rough, that is being softly put! Justine was a Godsend; she gently guided and helped my granddaughter feel safe, welcome, and loved! It didn't take long for that transition to happen because of Justine's genuine heart for the grace of children. These early experiences play a crucial role in shaping our children's self-confidence. My granddaughter has learned to trust that her feelings are respected, welcomed, and loved at Guiding Light Montessori. The education and daily experiences at Guiding Light are beyond measure. I do have to circle back to the tender care the children receive daily. Because of that, the children are open to receiving the teachings. My granddaughter comes home singing and sharing; she wants to do everything all by herself--a true reflection of a Montessori student. I am beyond grateful and feel completely blessed. Thank you, Justine, and every wonderful teacher who helps guide these little people. Your work is truly appreciated! With Sincere Gratatude, Jim and Michelle Service