Stepping Stone Schoolhouse

We love SSS! We had our son in another daycare for a few months before moving to El Cerrito, and then looked at many daycares/pre-schools in the area before enrolling at SSS. At our previous school, our son cried at drop off even after several months. At SSS, it took less than a week before he was happily yelling goodbye out the window as I walked away. On days when he does have a hard time, Tew or Claudia always send photos a few minutes later of him happily playing, occasionally having enlisted other kids to give him extra snuggles as well. Tew and all the teachers are amazing and the love between the teachers and kids feels very real and very mutual. On the day we toured SSS, one of the 4 year olds asked Tew for help with something, and after she helped him, said "I love you Tewey!" and she responded "I love you more!." SSS has kids ages 2(ish) until they go to kindergarten, and there is a wonderful sense of community, with the big kids helping the little kids, and the big kids getting some additional age-appropriate kindergarten prep. The indoor and outdoor space are both beautiful, with tons of "jobs", books, and other educational materials, a big play area, and lots of free play in addition to learning skills. The parents are an amazing community too. We feel very lucky to be a part of this school and the community it has created.

Highly highly recommend Stepping Stone Schoolhouse! After a traumatic experience at 3 (yes, three) other daycares all within a year before my son began at SSS this past April, it was a such a relief to feel the intuitive trust, love, engagement and care provided at this school. The feeling of knowing he was in good hands and was having a happy, safe, and fun day was palpable relative to the nagging realization that I need to get him out of bad care arrangements. The kids all love going to school here, and the teachers genuinely seem to love the kids. I find I am speechless with my appreciation for their hard and loving work. They have a great schoolhouse setup as well as a backyard playground. The parent community here at SSS is also very involved, friendly, and cohesive. Parents voluntarily trade off making lunch for the group every Monday! Grateful to have this care for my son. 

As of August 2022 there will be several openings as the older kids graduate and move on to TK!

My 4 y.o. has been going to SSS since 2019 and our entire family loves it! I fell in love with the place as soon as we entered the building the first time (and by that time I looked at 10+ daycares in the area) - it wasn't just the building itself but the atmosphere of care, calmness, respect, and love. I knew right away that was the best place for my child and they love it as well. From the very beginning, Tew, Claudia, and other wonderful people at SSS made the place my kid's second home that they are always happy to go to. I heard people's stories of their kids crying every day because they don't want to go to school which has never been an issue for us - the kid is too excited to be there. Tew and her team also handled the COVID wonderfully, putting appropriate procedures and restrictions from the start, we always felt (and still feel) very safe. In the mornings they have age-appropriate classes and I am happy to see that my kid knows all the numbers, letters, planets and other information about the world we live in and has skills that will help him transition successfully to the next educational level when the time comes. Tew and the team also organize different additional activities - when we started the school, there was an aerobics class and now they are learning Mandarin (Tew always asks all the parents whether they are interested in this or that activity to make sure everyone is happy with proposed agenda). The school has a wonderful backyard where they spend a lot of time and sometimes they walk to the nearest park, which kids also love. They also organize different events for kids throughout the year which kids enjoy very much. Tew and the team are very caring, and attentive, and have an individual approach to each child (and parent). Kids love SSS, no wonder they come to visit when they grow older or even volunteer because they want to give back to the community that Tewy creates with her wonderful school. I am very happy we found SSS and I recommend it to everyone!

I have two children at Stepping Stone and cannot overstate how wonderful it is. My children have thrived in the care of their kind, nurturing and creative  teachers. They are always excited to go to school and consistently bring home projects that amaze me.
I have no doubts that my children will be well-equipped for kindergarten—they are gaining all the social, emotional, fine motor, and literacy skills they need here at Stepping Stone. 

Tew is also thoughtful and proactive about health, especially when it comes to COVID. She was an early adopter of new protocols to ensure the safety of the children and teachers and continues to impress us with how she has navigated this difficult challenge. 

My youngest just graduated from "Steppings", as we call it. In all, both children have been part of the Steppings family for 6 years. My son still begs to return to visit , having made fast and perhaps forever friends with Tew and her team. Tew, called Tewey by the kids is gentle and kind, balanced and caring. Her program is the perfect mix of focused pre-kinder preparation and exceptional fun. The facility is an adorable little house in El Cerrito with a lovely yard filled with endless imagination.  Squeals of joy spill over the neighboring fences and smiling faces greet parents for pick up and drop off. We have always admired Tew's devotion and attention to her students'  interests.  One year they grew corn in the front yard, another year a garden went up, a music class, swim lessons, gymnastics, soccer, a little library, this year the sandbox was filled, another year scoot bikes and basketball hoops arrived. These additions often appearing over the weekend on a child's whim, or sometimes bestowed on her by loyal parents holding work parties, further demonstrate the commitment and loyalty felt in this small group.  I have personally observed Tew in tune with her graduating classes... watching, attending, teaching to each at their own levels without judgment or competition. This is a special school. I would recommend it to anyone.

I currently have both of my children attending Stepping Stone Schoolhouse (SSS), and we have been part of the school since August of 2015.  I highly recommend this preschool! As a child psychologist I have been completely impressed by the teachers and staff at the school, the approach to their students, and their style of teaching.  Tew (the kids call her Tewy) is so utterly amazing.  She is warm, kind, and sensitive.  Every child is treated in such as special way as  she takes the time to know the children.  She has become a family member to us, and is someone that ALL the families can rely on beyond the school expectation. Tew is also very selective of her staff, and as a result has a team of wonderful, compassionate people.  In addition to this, she stresses the effort to build a community with the parents, and as a result I've built a wonderful social network.  All the families at the school care for one another's child, and this is all due to the culture Tew has built. 

The school's approach to normative peer conflict is so thoughtful and sensitive.  After spending several hours over the course of multiple years I have to say it rarely happens because the teachers take developmentally appropriate preventative steps.  Because of this they have instilled a culture that does not foster much conflict.  However, as you know with toddlers ... it occurs. The teachers approach  this by considering the developmental level of the child, and sensitively working with each child individually to develop an understanding about conflict, and repair.  As a result, the children have formed great relationships across ages. 

Without the foundation of a great teacher, you cannot have a great teaching curriculum, and luckily at SSS there is both. The topics and approach to teaching is amazing.  She tailors the curriculum to the child's learning style and developmental level.  For instance, my 2.5-year-old is learning the continents through song, which is his main mode of learning, and my other son (4 y.o.) prefers tactile interfaces, and has learned the continents through puzzles.  She infuses their everyday learning with special events such as music class, gymnastic class, and swim class. These special courses are inspired by the children's interests just showing that she really puts the kids first. Due to her tailored style of teaching I feel confident that my children will be Kindergarten ready. 

Finally, after I've seen families graduate from the school, these families often return for visits, because Tewy was/is so important in their lives.  I believe that is a testament to the quality of care and relationship that is built at this school. Again, I highly recommend this school, and I'm open to being messaged for further questions about my experiences.  - Anna 

My 4 year old son been at Stepping Stone Schoolhouse for a year and a half now and this is his last year there before entering K next fall.  I have been very blessed to have found this preschool.  The teacher, Tew, has been very accommodating and is very understanding to each kid's individual needs.  She teaches with compassion and truly has the kid's interest at heart.  She takes the kids in as if they were her own family and will take care of them, look after them, and is gentle when she does need to reprimand them.  The other teachers there are also really great and compassionate towards the kids as well.  

My son has gain confidence here with the help of the teachers facilitating some play with the other kids.  The school has different themes throughout the year that the kids are introduced to.  In addition, once a week, there is a different teacher who comes in for various activities.  Last fall, they had a gymnastics teacher, this summer they went swimming, and this fall there is a music teacher.  I couldn't be more happy here because my son is really thriving in a nurturing and caring environment.  I think that's the most important thing in a preschool, to have caring and nurturing teachers who care about the wellbeing of the kids, and Tew and the teachers here really delivery on that.  I highly recommend this preschool.  It's a very good community to be in.  -Willa