Casa dei Bambini School

Our daughter attended Casa dei Bambini for one year (after we pulled her out of another Montessori school which went downhill). She also attended Bing Nursery School. I consider myself an extremely picky mother when it comes to good preschools. Casa dei Bambini is one of the best! The Director, Teachers and all Staff are very professional and caring. The facility is clean.
Not only do they understand the Montessori philosophy and love/​respect every child in this school but they also follow NAEYC standards such as cutting down certain veggies and fruits that may pose a choking hazard (for snack time) and the kids brush their teeth after lunch.
They also heat up the food that you provide for your child’s lunch and recommend that you send it in a glass container. I do not like microwaving my children’s food in plastic containers so to be able to send food in glass is music to my ears.
My daughter had severe peanut and tree nut allergies and the teachers had me come in to do an in-​service of how to use the Epi-​pen. I was able to communicate when they should use it (because she was able to take Benadryl first) and how I wanted it administered in my daughter’s leg if they needed to use the Epi-​pen.
The outdoor playground and urban garden is good. Their indoor playground is made to look like it is outdoors. Even though my daughter attended Bing (one of the best play-​based preschools and they had an amazing outdoor space!) she never liked getting dirty. Rain, mud and extreme temperatures are not her thing. I liked that they had two playgrounds for different weather.
For the 5 day a week program (9AM to 3PM) the kids learn French and Spanish and they have Music and Gymnastics. The tuition is more expensive here than at the other two preschools we attended but worth every penny. They also have a part-​time program but I suggest that if your child is entering Kindergarten the next year you help them build the stamina in their last year of preschool by stretching out their day.
They had the most amazing preschool graduation ceremony that I have ever witnessed. The children performed (singing and speeches) and there was attention given to each child receiving their diploma whether they were graduating onto Kinder or being promoted to another year of school at Casa.
I applied to seven private schools between Menlo Park and San Francisco and my daughter got into my top choice school in SF. I thank Casa dei Bambini for preparing my daughter for Kindergarten. The testing and interviewing process at these preschools were grueling but my daughter made it through successfully.
Also something else that I thought was pretty cool is that Casa dei Bambini has been in the Children’s Fête Parade that the City of Palo Alto hosts annually. They have been in this parade for 20 or 25 years. My daughter was so excited to walk (and wave) among her schoolmates through the blocked off streets of Palo Alto. She lasted for 30 minutes. I couldn’t believe it because she is so attached to her stroller.
My 21 month old son will attend the twos program in the fall 2014. Their twos program is legit. It is not an over-​glorified daycare. The teachers are teaching the two year olds preschool material. They also include potty training in the price.
Casa dei Bambini is a very secure school (they are neighboring East Palo Alto and in an industrial business park) and I am at peace knowing that they don’t just let anyone come in from off the street ringing their doorbell. The application process takes a little time but I am glad that they make sure that the student and parents are a good fit for the school and diverse community.

I recently moved to this area and wanted a great school for my daughter. She left a great preschool but I needed one that could give her a great final year before starting kinder. I sent an email in the summer, no response. I decided to go by the school this month. I go by and the receptionist is walking someone out. She didn’t even want me in the building because she tells me it’s a security issue. She doesn’t want to talk to me and tells me that this is a Montessori school and if I know what that is. ??? I keep pressing and ask if there is someone I can talk to. She tells me that there is no one there and I have to leave my info to fill out an application to have someone talk to me about the school and to take a tour. I tell her I don’t want to fill out an application, I’d rather have someone talk to me about the school so I can see if I’d be interested. She wrote down my name and number but I’m not going to hold my breath. Something tells me that my skin color wasn’t the right color to even merit a conversation.

I can’t say enough about the contribution Casa has made to my Son. Over the last year and a half that he has been enrolled the positive changes are routinely noticeable. Each day we sit down and talk about the learning experiences he enjoyed, and I believe these «experiences» to be a key to his development. He always seems to have a project or task that he is responsible for and loves being able to track his accomplishments.
The faculty at Casa is second to none and you can tell how much they care about each Child’s development. It’s a great mix of a small classroom environment where the children have their teachers focus, while learning the social and play skills to transition to kindergarten. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Casa to any incoming family and certainly hope to have the opportunity to send my future little ones through the program at Casa dei Bambini.

My Daughter Shaylin spent last summer at Casa Dei Bambini. I cannot say enough about how awesome this place truly is. She loved going there everyday and always came home with stories and projects to share. The teachers are wonderful people who are truly attentive and warm and will make your child feel comfortable to thrive in a learning environment. The building in general is impressive. There are many different rooms for learning and a huge area for playing. The location is also convenient for commuters as it is right off 101 and on the way to the Dumbarton Bridge. If you want your child to be in a program where you know they will grow and thrive then I highly recommend Casa Dei Bambini.

Casa dei Bambini provides an incredibly enriching and vibrant environment in which children can blossom. We spent a great deal of time researching preschools before selecting Casa Dei Bambini. We were looking for a preschool where the teachers would be engaged in the development of the whole child. Casa Dei Bambini has surpassed our expectations. They go to great lengths to apply true Montessori principals creating an incredibly nurturing and rich environment for children to explore and learn in. In just a few months we have already seen the impact of their influence. Our daughter is learning persistence and will now focus on and complete puzzles and games that just a few months ago she would have abandoned as too hard. Learning is child-​driven and the teachers are loving and supportive, helping children to explore new activities. The first time I visited the school I was surprised at how tranquil it was. The children were calm, supremely happy and all engaging in fascinating projects that they were enthralled in. The facility itself has expansive play areas, both inside and out including an area for gym sports, an indoor playground, and an outdoor playground with nearby planting beds. Our daughter is taking classes in Spanish, French, gymnastic and music. In addition, they have afterschool options including yoga. Finally, we feel lucky to have met so many wonderful and engaged parents who come from all over the world. We are very fortunate to have found such an amazing school.