Schools in Palo Alto, CA

“My 4 YO son loves Heffalump school and I am so thankful we found it!

Both teachers Ms.Meenakshi and Ms.Barbara are very nice and professional.
Whenever I visit the classrooms, the teachers are always honest with the children and communicate with them, which I feel is wonderful.

I feel with the feedback at home that my son is learning a lot here.

I definitely recommend Heffalump school to any parent looking for a great preschool experience for their child.”

“We are a biracial family and though both my husband and I try to speak Chinese at home, we aren’t fluent. We chose Acme because the Chinese was used more consistently than other schools we visited. Most of the students speak Chinese as their first language and the teachers do an excellent job of meeting students at their level and helping them learn the language. The English instruction is also great and there appears to be a well planned curriculum for all subjects.

We are delighted by how happy our daughter has been with her social and peer relations, the staff and parent community help all students interact harmoniously. My daughter hasn’t been bitten, pushed, or hit. Every time I drop in, students are solving disputes respectfully, and teachers are attentively watching and facilitating interactions.

Overall, this is a safe, fun, nurturing environment where students learn to love learning. After a bad experience with a previous nursery school, we’re very grateful to the teachers and staff here and couldn’t be happier with Acme.”

“This is an excellent Montessori preschool!
The staff is very attentive and responsible, and my child enjoys going there every day.
My daughter has learned to write letters, do math, including adding and subtracting numbers.
The teachers also organized wonderful celebrations for both children and adults, adding a special atmosphere and joyful moments to our lives. Each event was carefully planned, and the children always participated actively, which contributed to their social and emotional development.

I highly recommend”

“Country Day Little School is a truly unique and special place. It is a Waldorf-based school that is kind to children and parents alike, has patient and wonderful teachers, and is accommodating of every child and parent's needs.From the moment you walk through the doors, you feel like you are part of something bigger than yourself. The teachers and staff are all so welcoming and supportive, and they go out of their way to make sure that every child and family feels included.The Waldorf curriculum is truly unique. It is based on the belief that children learn best through hands-on experience and through the arts. Each day, the students at Country Day Little School spend time working in the garden, preparing and eating healthy/organic/nutritious snacks, and even growing their own vegetables or baking their bread. They also have plenty of time for free play and social interaction.One of the things I love most about Country Day Little School is its focus on social skills. The teachers teach the children how to resolve conflicts peacefully, how to be respectful of others, and how to work together as a group, steeped in developing good manners with the teachers often using their wonderful voices as persistent tools of persuasion and compassion.The school also does a great job of maintaining order and decorum. The teachers create a calm and nurturing environment where the children feel safe and respected.I highly recommend Country Day Little School to any parent who is looking for a Waldorf-based school that is kind, supportive, and focused on the whole child. Every child and their needs are unique and CDLS demonstrates that reality and takes into account these unique and special needs at every step of the way in a patient and loving way.Overall, Country Day Little School is a wonderful Waldorf-based school that provides a unique educational experience for its students. The Waldorf curriculum is focused on the whole child and helps children to develop academically, socially, and emotionally + without screens/media (which is both rare and important for complete and unassisted growth and development).I am so grateful that my child has the opportunity to attend Country Day Little School. It is a truly special place where children can thrive and learn to their full potential.”

“We love CPSC! We decided to send our son here because so many of our friends’ children attended and loved it. It’s a loving environment with curriculum-based learning and just the best teachers. We are better parents because of the advice and community that CPSC provides.”

“Update: I learned that the head teacher of Room 1 is no longer with the preschool so my comment to avoid that room is now obsolete. The rest of my review, which is very positive, still stands.”

“This place is pure Magic!Our son loves attending PNS and our family loves being part of such a wonderful community of parents and educators. If you are considering joining (take it from someone who toured almost all the preschools in the area) nothing compares to PNS!”

“My daughter has been in both the infant daycare and the preschool and has received amazing care in both places. They have taught her so much and made sure that she is happy to be there every day. Andrea and JR have been wonderful with her and she genuinely loves them. They are patient, engaging, and really have learned who she is and how to interact with her in a way that helped her self esteem and love for learning blossom. I am so sad to be moving away. I have felt so secure in her care while she was here. Thank you guys for everything.”

“How can I even begin expressing my gratitude for this school? We were lucky enough to find it for my older son (pre-pandemic) and now my younger son is set to graduate from here too! It is a gem and has been in the community for generations.It's a play-based school centered around social and emotional development. Having been a part of this community for 5 years, I've seen such growth in all the kids that come through here and prepared for Kinder.I've noticed that the kids graduate here with their creativity in tact, with an insatiable appetite to learn new concepts and ideas.The teachers are nurturing and kind, but most importantly focus on conflict resolution rooted in communication and open dialogue.The kids go into the 3s and 4s every day with new projects and discover new ways to collaborate and creatively play.Lastly, it is a Co-Op which doesn't suit everyone, but I often found that as parents we set examples. And being in a Co-Op gives an opportunity to show service and volunteering to our children.I will be forever indebted.”

“I cannot imagine a better day care. Our daughter is now enrolled for 2 years and she is so happy at KinderCare. Passing through 3 classrooms we have experienced several care takers. All were super qualified and very devoted to the children. And it really shows in the happiness of the children. Our daughter loves going to Kindercare and we love taking her to KinderCare. The daycare is extremely well managed and there is such a nice and positive atmosphere.”

“Challenger isn’t the best place for school but it doesn’t mean it’s a bad place. The teachers are very creative and helpful in our study’s even if one of them is a bit sensitive when people are within 6 ft(Ms Rusu). Everyone had their flaws ( sry ms Rusu I need to write someone down to convince people to go to challenger). As a student who has been there for 7ish years Challenger is a good place to go to. It is in the more expensive side but if you can afford it ( u probably can cause you live in the Bay Area) the curriculum is a good 2 to 3 years ahead of the normal public school.

Edit: sorry if I did any grammar mistakes( to mostly Mrs. Gokhale), my mom was rushing me to hurry up the entire time.”

“I have two kids in the PreK and the 2s class and we LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. Very well structured, monthly emails with calendars and announcements, teachers and staff all around amazing and just love on all the kids, and we appreciate all the enrichment activities they offer. My kids have both been singing and counting in Spanish and Mandarin, and singing songs from the music teacher. Highly recommend.”

“Great immersion program. We've been at the school since in infant room for both our kids and through the pandemic. If you're looking for a balanced montessori + academic focused school I would definitely recommend the immersion program. By the time our son left for Kinder he already knew how to read on his own and do addition and subtraction. He's also doing really well in his current mandarin immersion elementary and learning characters isn't hard for him. Our kids love music class, Spanish class, and art class and are self sufficient. Even at 3 they came home singing songs about continents and planets and all sorts of animals. The complaints and bad reviews I think are mostly from parents who disagreed with the pandemic rules for the school since they were quite rigid. They don't really apply anymore but the proof is in the pudding. Our school didn't get a single case of COVID in class until 2.5 years in and even then it didn't really spread and was well isolated. I would talk to the current parents at the school before you judge based on disgruntled parents who didn't like the COVID policies. We've never felt the need to talk to the president and those teachers that left had their own personal reasons that people are assuming or generalizing. We live 30 mins away and still am willing to make the drive since the kids are developing so well.”

“Great School facilities are great. Academics is awesome.They have a decent football program, now that Mr Greyhounds is coaching there. ?They have a great pool, which helps in running an awesome swimming program.”