Smiles Preschool
Hello,
I am seeking more recent feedback on Smiles Preschool in Montclair Oakland. We are on the waiting list and will start the program in September. Also, I was wondering if somebody could share any feedback regarding which floor they liked better (as I understand there are 3 classrooms on the first floor, and 2 classrooms on the second floor). It seems like that the second floor has less kids, but the first floor looks a little more fun. Also would love to hear/learn more about teachers. I cant find much information on-line.
Thank you very much for any feedback.
Jul 5, 2016
Parent Replies
We just finished a year at Smiles (downstairs) and really liked it. Pluses: My son learned a ton academically, even though I wasn't even really looking for that - I feel like it prepared him well for kindergarten. He gained confidence and got comfortable making friends and playing in groups - he had a bit of a rough start adjusting to separation, but the teachers were great about working with him and helping him fit in, and by the middle of the year he'd run right up and join a group of preschool friends even when we ran into them outside of school, like at the park. I liked that every time we came or left kids said "hi" and "bye" to my kid by name (and sometimes even to me) - the overall mood seemed really positive and inclusive, and palpably better than at the "fancy" preschool my older kids attended. My son uniformly adored his teachers. The only downside is that I didn't feel like we really got to know the teachers or other families well like we did at our other preschool, since the kids move around from teacher to teacher and there's no room parent or social events. (But it was also kind of nice not to be expected to attend an auction!) Overall, I'd whole-heartedly recommend Smiles - I wish I'd known about it when my older kids were little!
My second child is currently at Smiles in the downstairs. The upstairs is for the partial day kids and the downstairs is full day kids. My oldest is a calm, outgoing girl and my son, who is currently there, is an active boy who has trouble sitting still and paying attention. Both of my kids have thrived here. The staff is caring and experienced. It is a little different in that they switch classrooms and teachers throughout the day, but all the kids remain in their core group and don't have any issues with the transitions. There is a lot of space for them to use and they spend a lot of time playing. I highly recommend it and am counting the months until my youngest can attend too!
Thank you very much for your feedback. Its nice to learn about your positive experience! We are in acclimation visits now, and so far my daughter likes it. Somehow we ended up on a second floor for now, and I may ask to try out the first floor too.