Our daughter, Aviana, joined Willow Tree in 2021, during COVID, as part of the first Tiger class…read morewhen she was three years old. After a wonderful nanny-share at home--where we could closely observe and control every aspect of her day--my wife and I were understandably nervous about transitioning her to preschool.
We did extensive research and toured nearly ten preschools and daycares. Willow Tree immediately stood out. From the very beginning, it was clear that the director, Liu, and the entire staff were genuinely loving and attentive caregivers. From her first day, Aviana loved going to school. Her development accelerated noticeably--she made friends, gained confidence, and even happily ate the school-made lunches.
We initially had questions about the Mandarin immersion program and whether it might delay Aviana's English development. Liu reassured us that the opposite would be true, explaining that children's brains at that age are "like sponges," capable of absorbing far more than we often realize. She was absolutely right. Aviana's English continued to flourish, and her Mandarin grew from zero to a working knowledge of the language--truly incredible.
To sum it up: if we had to do it all over again, we would choose Willow Tree without hesitation.
Two years later, we enrolled our younger daughter, Amelia, when she was just a year and a half old. She began in the Bunny class, moved on to Penguin, and is now in Tiger. She loves it. Her Mandarin is now as strong as her English, even though we speak only English at home. On more than one occasion, I've caught Amelia dreaming in Mandarin--a constant reminder of how much she has learned in such a short time.
Willow Tree has provided an exceptional academic and developmental foundation for both of our girls, along with a truly welcoming and supportive community. As Amelia prepares to graduate, we know we'll remain connected through the friendships our daughters have built and the families we've come to know beyond the classroom. We couldn't be more grateful for Willow Tree.
