Schools in Menlo Park, CA

“We spent one lovely week at Safari Kid while visiting the area. Our child (almost 3 at that time) had never been to preschool, so we were a little nervous about how things would go. We had no need to be worried—the kind and warm teachers, the fun atmosphere, and the slate of interesting activities on offer ensured that our kid loved every day of her visit. Months later, she's still talking about the teachers, friends, and activities she encountered there.”

“As a parent, I want my children to feel happy, safe, and supported at school, and they absolutely do at Oak Knoll. They simply LOVE their school. The teachers and staff go above and beyond, and have created a very special, warm environment with a strong sense of community. There is a clear focus on academics and individual progression, as well as on a child's social and emotional development. I could not be happier with my children's educational experience.”

“We love Synapse! Our experiences in TK and Kinder, have been exceptional, largely due to the incredibly dedicated and empathetic teaching staff. My kid loves going to school everyday and is well engaged. What distinguishes Synapse even further is its embrace of neurodiversity and its application of research-backed methodologies, in collaboration with Stanford, which go beyond the typical progressive school approach. Social-emotional learning (SEL) and amazing changemaker themes are seamlessly woven into a broad array of subjects, including science and art. This integration fosters a rich and comprehensive educational experience that is well positioned to setup the next generation for success. Their approach is aimed at meeting the unique developmental needs of each student. For instance, my child, who is signficantly advanced in math, is encouraged to explore and apply mathematical concepts in depth across various disciplines and real-life scenarios, rather than simply moving ahead in a traditional, grade-skipping manner. The recent addition of a new math specialist has injected even more creativity and progressive thinking into the math program! My kid has also been well supported in her areas of struggle such as transitioning between activities. We highly recommend Synapse School to families seeking a warm, down to earth, holistic, forward-thinking educational environment for their children.”

“My 3 kids have came to Belle Haven Child Development Center. This is a wonderful place.*They prepared the kids to kindergarten and able to achieve their goals.*Personally, socially and physically competent.* Safe and Healthy.The teachers and staff are wonderful! Teachers are bilingual which is a great for kids learning. The teachers are kind, caring and more.My experience from the first day of registration at the front desk with Karina was amazing. She is very helpful. Also Kira is AWESOME. She is the supervisor of the center.My first child had teacher Stephanie, teacher Radina and teacher Teo . Now he is in middle school and the teacher are still there and is great to still see them there. They are awesome! My second and now my third child have teacher Elaine, teacher Rosa and teacher Yesenia. Wonderful teachers. I highly RECOMMEND!!I want to thank everyone that works so hard to make this center so awesome for the kids and parents!!!”

“Peninsula School has been an amazing experience for our kindergartener and for us as his parents. The school puts joy, love, and play at the center of the learning environment and process. Instead of orienting on test scores and grades, Peninsula School strives to instill and nurture the love of learning, the internal desire to explore and understand, and it shows - our child loves going to school everyday, and we witness the blossoming of his curiosity and confidence to engage in all kinds of pursuits, from reading to woodworking to physical play to arithmetic. Peninsula emphasizes the development of the whole child - self-confidence, emotional awareness, the ability to understand others and form deep friendships, the willingness to take risks and embrace challenges. Freedom and responsibility are part of the core values of Peninsula, which has helped our child on his journey towards independence - from learning how to walk around campus on his own to thinking about and choosing from a variety of daily activities.The teachers at Peninsula continue to impress us with their thoughtfulness, authenticity, and talent, as well as their passion for the pillars of progressive education. Our child regularly wants to stay a little longer when we come to pick him up from after care, which is heartwarming. And we love how intentional the families are about building community among the parents and the kids.We are so happy and grateful that our child is at Peninsula School.”

“We have been very happy with the Robert's school. Prior to starting our 2 year old there she went to an in-home daycare. Everything has been so much easier at Robert's school! We had no problems with our daughter refusing to go to school on Monday morning, which had been a struggle at the previous place. It is comforting she enjoys being there. When kids are sick, we also appreciate there are clear guidelines. Our daughter is in the Rainbow room and her teacher seems great; we love reading her daily summary on what the kids are doing (as well as seeing pictures posted on Friday), it sounds like they are having a lot of fun. The director of the school is also positive and kind.”

“Incredible faculty and educational experience! We've had our two children at PBS for 3 years now, and have appreciated the partnership and community. They did a great job with COVID, and I always appreciate how thoughtfully major decisions are communicated. My kids enjoy school and love learning, and are challenged in the classroom and (more importantly to me) appreciate the focus on social-emotional skills as a complement to the academics.”

“BK of Menlo Park is wonderful! Sylvia is fantastic and we have been taking our kiddos here for the last two years. They have a great pre-k curriculum that allows children to gain the confidence needed to start primary school.”

“Very warm, friendly and positive environment! Open communication about progress and concerns. My son felt encouraged and positive about the program right after the first day and made also lots of friends. It took a lot of pressure away.”

“We transferred our child to Nativity from another private catholic school and we wish we had done it sooner.Nativity is a wonderful school. Academics are solid and the facilities are beautiful. Tuition cost is justified relative to other very epxensive schools in the Menlo Park/Atherton area. The parents are all very involved at the school (mainly volunteering) so friendships are formed not just with the kids but with parents also. Parents are also really vocal here so changes are implemented quickly. That could be a good thing or bad thing depending how you look at it.There have been alot of leadership changes in recent years but it seems to be happening in all the catholic schools in the bay area. Leadership and teachers need to be paid more to retain the best.”

“Thank you Toddle, in particular Maria and Samantha! Toddle helped to educate, foster and support my 3 year old through a tough time. Their guidance and care goes beyond a dollar value and layered a foundation of social confidence in my son that will be realized through his life. Thank you Toddle, will never forget!”

“Alto has been an excellent experience for us so far. We are new to the school *(2018) and it is clear the the new leadership and teachers push every day to provide the best possible learning experience for kids. We absolutely love the International experience each teacher brings to the classroom every day and the joy in our child learning the breadth and depth of the IB curriculum. Love it.”