Considering CWO for our 2 year old, any recent experiencer?

Hi! My kiddo is a CWO alum; he attended from age 2.5-5. I plan to send his younger sibling there. My sense is that there are not many reviews of the school on BPN because most enrollees find out about the school via word of mouth, or are younger siblings of alums. The school is intentionally small & in my experience, fostered a sweet, nurturing, tight-knit community amongst students & parents (our cohort remains friendly even after we have scattered to various elementary schools).

There are lots of wonderful things to say about the program, the vision of the director, Jessica, & how she & her staff interpret & apply a reggio emilia, child-led, inquiry-based curriculum. It is helpful to have some knowledge about this approach to learning because it is unique compared to more traditional preschools. We loved this approach to learning, as it emphasizes following the inherent curiosity & creativity of children to guide learning, while fostering children’s understanding of working & learning in community (i.e. class is working on a project, teachers facilitate kids expressing their own ideas, while encouraging them to consider the ideas of others & collectively solve problems).

The school rooms are beautiful, if cozy; I liked that it is a formal school with a home-feel. One unfortunate drawback is that the outdoor space is very small & used as outdoor classrooms, so while the children spend a good amount of time outside each day, the physical campus doesn’t have a lot of space to run. However, this gets compensated for as the kids get older & take neighborhood walks. The kids build up to walking to local playgrounds/fields, Lake Merritt, & even taking the bus to other local destinations. The neighborhood in which the school is situated is vibrant, with invested community members, but it is also an urban setting & is not immune to some of the challenges that can come with this. The school is on a busy street; the sidewalks can suffer from trash accumulation & illegal dumping; it is not uncommon to encounter used condoms in the morning when dropping off your kiddo. Over the years there have been occasional reports of school families witnessing muggings or other crime. I mention all of this, not to detract from the program, but for awareness. Jessica is very committed to safety of staff/children/families; she communicates & solicits feedback regarding any safety concerns that arise.

Jessica is very intentional about the teachers she hires. There was significant teacher turnover during our time there, however we were there during the pandemic; teacher turnover was not unique to her program. She has some long-term teachers that are very dedicated to the program; other teachers come for a few years, then pursue other career opportunities.In some cases, teachers don’t end up being a good fit for the program & have very brief tenures. 

The ratios of teachers:students is small & was never a concern for us.

The program is expensive (as are many preschools), but we felt that it was worth it & that the tuition goes into the school & staff. Having snacks and lunches included is invaluable!

There is much more to say; the program has its quirks & it’s not for everyone. However, for us, it was overall a very special experience for our kiddo & family. Happy to chat more & answer any questions you have. Feel free to reach out directly.

We're in our 4th year with CWO. My son started in 2020 when they reopened after being closed for a few months due to covid and have always been super happy with the team. This year my daughter started with the 2s. Most of the time my son was there, there were just 2 teachers per class but now they're fully staffed with 3-4 teachers per room with a floating teacher to help when and where needed. Everyone is so loving and both kids love it there. My son loves going to pick up his sister so he can say hello to his teachers. There is a regular amount of turnover for a preschool and the director, Jessica, always communicates any change happening. My son had already been in daycare prior to joining CWO so we knew he'd do fine, but my daughter was a nanny share kid and I was worried how the transition would be for her. It has been so much better than I expected. The 2s/3s spend their days together and she loves playing with the older girls. We're really happy we've ended up with this community and def recommend CWO.