Preschool for almost 3 year old - Berkeley
Hi
We will be moving to Berkeley in the summer and are looking for preschool options for our son, who will be 3 in September. We are looking for a place with good child:teacher ratios and preferably smaller class size. Preferred locations around North Berkeley, Thousand Oaks or close to UC Berkeley. Recommendations and any additional advice is welcome! Thank you!
Apr 5, 2018
Parent Replies
Hello! I highly recommend the Berkeley Urban Garden School! It offers a very warm, caring, and stimulating environment with lots of music and fun. My son went there for a short period. We unfortunately had to take him out because we lived too far away. http://berkeleyurbangardenschool.com/index.html
Hello. I’d highly recommend Hearts Leap North Preschool in Berkeley, located at Cedar & Oxford.
Excellent teachers and parent community. The school fills up quickly so do give a call to see if they have availability.
My daughter was at the school for 3yrs.
Check out Montessori Family School at Hearst and Scenic in Berkeley. It’s across the street from UC Berkeley, has a small teacher:student ratio, and kids can start a few months before they turn 3. It’s a loving, wonderful environment.
I enthusiastically recommend The Berkeley School Early Childhood Center (http://www.theberkeleyschool.org/) -- it's located in North Berkeley near campus and it's an incredibly nurturing and stimulating environment for preschoolers. We've been there for four years, and both of our sons have loved the teachers, classmates, community, and the idyllic campus - imaginative classrooms and a big outdoor space complete with a little garden, playhouse, and room to run. And there are three teachers to every class!
Good luck with your move and search.
http://www.theberkeleyschool.org/
Welcome! We also moved to Berkeley recently and our 3 year old has really been enjoying Step One School (http://www.steponeschool.org/).
The school nurtures children’s love of life and learning in a community rooted in respect for self and humanity. Most of the teachers and staff have been with the school for a very long time and I've heard there are still a few preschool (3.5-3.11 years old in September) and transitional kindergarten openings (5 years old by January 31st). The school is located at 499 Spruce Street near Tilden Park.
You can also contact Stacey Bell in admissions for more info stacey [at] steponeschool.org
Good Luck!
Enthusiastic recommendation for EBI (Escuela Bilingue Internacional) @ Colby/Alcatraz. My daughter started there when she was 3 and is finishing her second year of PreK. We’ll be sending her there for Kindergarten in the fall. Some things I like about the program are the IB program, language immersion, staff, and parent community. So they start the International Baccalaureate (IB) in preschool with the primary years program. You would think it wouldn’t “matter” for preK but the way the IB program encourages a love for learning is amazing. My daughter is always asking probing questions about math, art, language, you name it. I really love the children at this school. The IB program at heart is rooted in caring for your community and being part of a greater whole. My daughter speaks often about caring for the community around us, being part of a family, and respecting differences. I am so proud of the person she is and am glad that she has so many others with similar values surrounding her. The parent community is fabulous as well! The school is a language immersion program. My daughter speaks Spanish with, what I’m told, is a native accent. This school teaches through Spanish, which is a fancy way of saying she is getting an amazing education and learning to speak Spanish while doing it. The ability to speak another language is invaluable and will allow her to broaden her life experience. One of the school’s graduates is doing a year abroad at a school in Oaxaca, Mexico before starting at Lick-Wilmerding in the fall. The IB program is challenging (in a good way J) and EBI has a dedicated staff and committed teachers. They really went above and beyond when we were dealing with speech language issues. Great student/teacher ratio. Head of School goes out of his way to make sure we know he is aware of our daughter and her progress. We appreciate that.
Other things - grounds are ok. PreK-1st location seems “light” on facility amenities but it is just the right size for the littles. We’ve had trouble getting our daughter to leave the play structures often. Lunch program is a nice to have option. We mostly pack her lunch. The 2nd -8th campus is great. I’d encourage anyone looking at the K-8 program to tour both campuses. Plenty of volunteer options.
Hi, I recommend visiting Escuela Bilingüe Internacional (EBI). It's a Spanish immersion school with programs for pre-k through 8th grade. Even if Spanish immersion is not on your mind, this is an amazing place for preschool. Loving environment with amazing teachers and activities.