Petite Sorbonne Preschool

Jan 31st, 2018

Jan 6th, 2017

It's hard to describe what an amazing school this is.  I stumbled upon it almost by chance when my son had to quickly find a new school due to him not liking the language immersion school I had initially enrolled him in.  As a first time parent, I was of course focused on setting up my son for the best academic future possible and was looking at academically focused pre-schools like Stratford.  Visiting that school, I had a mixed feeling of hope for the future, and sadness to see pre-schoolers lined up in those tiny desks doing work.  The playground was quiet on the day I visited and there was a little girl crying.  Was it really necessary to start my baby boy on the Gerbil wheel of life so soon?  In contrast, my first impression of Petite Sorbonne was of the crazy noise and sound of laughter.  It was a bit overwhelming initially, but it seemed like kids were everywhere.  As Teacher June gave me a tour of the grounds (a large Victorian house), she was interrupted every few minutes by a kid giving her a hug or telling her "I love you".  The kids just played together and were so happy, the way childhood is supposed to be.  I went with my gut.  I'm writing this review with the benefit of hindsight.  My son is now in 4th grade and at the top of his class academically.  He's in the honors class at Russian school of Math.  But most importantly, he truly loves learning, has what seems to be a bottomless well of curiosity, and makes friends so easily.  Teachers June and Vanessa are the most amazing educators and developers of global citizens.  They teach the important things in life--what it means to be a part of a Community, how to treat yourself and others with respect.  Your children will have traditions from this school, from the blooming and nurturing of the garden, finding of treasures in the playground sand, to the trouble that leprechauns bring.  They will have so much fun doing it!  The years that your child will spend at this school are like a gift.  They will be filled with laughter, love, play, friendship and happiness.
Mar 2nd, 2021

My daughter went to PSP for over two years - from when we moved to San Mateo to when she started Kindergarten.  I wish I could give PSP 100 stars!I cannot imagine a more friendly, caring preschool.  The staff really, really care about the kids and their development.  The teachers have at PSP for years, and it's a real family atmosphere.  We ended up seeing other kids/parents/families regularly because so many kids invite their friends from PSP to birthday parties, and the whole community of families around the school is wonderful.I particularly liked that all of the kids were together as a school, instead of being split apart by age.  The teachers helped instill a sense of responsibility in the older kids - they were encouraged to welcome and be friendly to the new/younger kids at school, play with them, etc.  The teachers at PSP are really great at helping the kids develop socially - and it shows.  They play together really well, know how to navigate conflict, and just be great kids.The outdoor playground was great, too - our daughter ended up getting blisters on her hands from constantly playing on the monkey bars! :)I cannot recommend PSP highly enough - there's a reason it's got the Yelp rating it does!
Feb 2nd, 2018

Our son has been attending PSP for over a year now. We are really pleased with the program and staff. The teachers are very experienced and have been with PSP basically forever, which gives it more of a family feel rather than some other preschools we toured that were more business-like.  Also the teachers have seen and know how to handle pretty much every situation out there. My son has learned a lot from the teachers and other kids while he's been there. He has been really happy there and recently asked to change from 3 days to 5 days per week, so that he would have more time to spend with the kids there. The facilities, program, and teaching style do a good job of encouraging independence and socialization. It's in a converted house, so during free time, kids can move around between activities and groups. The kids are not split up by age, which I think helps socialization and independence, and also encourages younger kids to learn from older ones. I look forward to sending my younger kid there when he's old enough.
Oct 25th, 2017