Creative Beginnings

My daughter has been attending this school since September, so I feel like I can finally give a review. I am a teacher myself, so my criteria when looking for a school for my daughter might have been influenced by that. I absolutely love this school for our little girl. We chose this school after visiting a number of places because we got a wonderful feeling about it. Right away, I noticed the place is kept immaculately clean throughout the day. I can tell expectations are set for all teachers and staff in terms of routines, cleanliness, and scheduling, and these expectations are carried out very well. I also noticed the care the teachers showed for the children. It is a warm, welcoming place and they really love the children. There always seems to be more than enough teachers for the number of kids present. Ms. Nelly, the school’s director, is a present member of the staff and teachers and knows, loves, and plays with the kids as well.
Since starting at the school, I have seen some wonderful changes in my daughter. She is open and friendly with new people, she plays very well with other kids, and her vocabulary has greatly increased. She knows numbers and many letters, and she’s only 2! She comes home singing songs and telling me about how to sit «criss cross applesauce». She was a little scared at first to start school, but now gets so excited to go. I love how the school fosters independence while at the same time providing the right amount of nurturing and love. I’m so happy we found this school.

I visited many preschools while looking for a school to send my son and Creative Beginnings stole my heart. The school’s environment was warm, inviting, and fun! The staff was amazing. They treated the children like family and used only positive reinforcement to discipline. They provided a very well rounded education that included socialization, physical activity, music, art, and drama. My son and daughter completed preschool and junior kindergarten at Creative Beginnings and their transition into kindergarten was smooth and easy. Truly loved this school!

My daughter has been attending Creative Beginnings for 2.5 years and she loves it. She will be in kindergarten soon and couldn’t be more prepared! The teachers are wonderful — we wish we could take them with us. The facility is laid out well and incredibly clean. They have great activities and educational programs throughout the year. During the summer they have field trips that are memorable for the kids. I wonderful preschool we highly recommend Creative Beginnings. We are sad to leave, but excited for kindergarten.

Our daughter started at creative beginnings a few weeks ago and we could not be happier. We toured and researched at least 7 – 8 preschools prior to deciding on this one. The teachers here are so nice and it’s obvious they really care about the kids. But the owner/​director — Miss Nelly was the most deciding factor on why we chose this preschool. She is so organized, friendly, and really engages with the kids. She responds to calls and emails and even sends pictures via email of the kids and their activities. She’s very accommodating with requests. Most importantly, what really stood out was unlike most of the other directors at other preschools who mainly handled paper work, or gave tours, etc, miss Nelly actually engages like the other teachers with the kids .
Our daughter is so happy when we are on the way to drop her off in the morning. Miss Atorin, her teacher is also very sweet and sends weekly updates on what the week was like. Overall, we are very happy and feel safe when dropping our daughter here.

We found Creative Beginnings after a long and exhaustive search for our three year old son. He had been home with a nanny and was ready for more socialization and some academics. As parents, we were really nervous and finally found CB after looking at several childcare centers/​preschools. Between both of our boys, we attended CB for 4 years. My youngest son is starting kindergarten in the fall and is well prepared thanks to the wonderful teachers at Creative Beginings.
I felt like my children were nutured, safe and stimulated at Creative Beginnings and would highly recommend this school! They are very accomadating with schedule changes, have a wonderful play area in back, and my kids brought home lot of neat projects. The staff periodically sends videos and pictures out of what the kids are doing throughout the day and my son loved to tell me all about what I was seeing.
The teachers at Creative Begnnings are career-​educators and nurturers and seem to be passionate about their work and children. They are happy to be there and treated well themselves. Happy teachers = happy kids and Ms. Nelly seems to have figured that out. Our last day will be bitter sweet.
You won’t find another childcare as good as this one in Cambrian Park!

As a 25-​year veteran teacher and owner of a private educational diagnostic business, I know that choosing «the right» preschool for one’s child is very important. Preschool lays the foundation upon which future educational experiences are built. While the development of pre-​academic skills is clearly essential, what is equally (or perhaps more) important is establishing a child’s positive sense of self as a learner and a positive view of school in general. Creative Beginnings does a wonderful job of fostering the academic, social, and emotional development of the children in their care.
Both of my grandchildren attend Creative Beginnings, one recently graduating from Junior K and the other just starting out in the two-​year-​old class. Because I frequently take the kids to school and/​or pick them up at the end of the day, I have been able to witness first-​hand the relationships among the children as they play with one another, as well as the interactions between the staff and the children. I’ve seen happy, confident children engaged in creative, developmentally-​appropriate teacher-​directed activities, along with plenty of opportunities for independent, self-​directed play. My bright, verbal, outgoing granddaughter has thrived at Creative Beginnings and I’m confident that my equally-​bright, yet much shyer, grandson will thrive as well.
Are there glitzier preschool campuses out there? Are there preschools that promise «challenging» programs and that your young children will be «achievers»? Certainly. However, when searching for the best placement for your preschooler, I whole-​heartedly recommend that you take a look at Creative Beginnings.

We researched lot of preschools in the Cambrian San Jose area since we moved to the location couple of months ago. We had shortlisted few after taking tour of about 4 preschools and creative beginnings was on top since we felt that Ms Nelly and team was such wonderful people and they are very organized. Since they had no opening then, Ms Nelly accommodated my daughter in afternoon classes and promised us she would be the first to consider when a spot opens up. They kept their promise and it was easy transition for my daughter to full-​time.
I definitely would recommend this preschool to anyone. They have nice playground which my daughter loves to play and the staff put lot of effort in coming up with themes for each week which involves science and arts/​crafts projects.

Our 3 year old has attended Creative Beginnings for almost 1 year and we couldn’t be more happy. All of the teachers and Ms Nelly are so nurturing and kind. Our son has grown tremendously and really loves going to school. Like other parents have mentioned, the environment feels calm and loving. The children also receive personalized attention based on their needs. Everyday our son learns something new. We are so happy to have found Creative Beginnings and would highly recommend!

We looked at a lot of facilities before choosing Creative Beginnings for our child. The most noticeable thing at this preschool is how calm and loving the kids and teachers are. Kids are well behaved, polite, happy and stimulated. We compared the school with other, flashier places that emphasized iPad time and regimented schedules for little ones. Meanwhile, this school actually had teachers down on the floor with the kids, hugging them when they cried and encouraging them to play with one another. My daughter is 4 and knows how to write, count, sing, tumble, color, think and read at this school. But what we value most is that she is loved and has learned to be kind. If you want a calm and nurturing environment for your tiny person, this is it.

We have sent our now 6 year old and our 3.5 year old for 1.5 years and love the teachers and facility and Nelly, the owner. We feel like our children are safe, listened to, cared for and socialized. The facility i very clean and well taken care of and the teachers are great about the education they are providing as well a their nurturing care.
The communication is frequent via email from the teachers and the owner and the communication is definitely a two way street.
We are very happy with Creative Beginnings and have recommended it to many friends.
My only issue is the parking is a little limited but it is no big deal overall.
My children are very happy at Creative Beginnings.

We’ve been lucky enough to be part of the Creative Beginnings family for a few weeks now. Our son, Michael, turned 2 last month and thus made him eligible for enrollment. We’ve always had our eye on this place but because of his age, we tried somewhere else when he was 22 months old. Boy, was that a terrible experience. The first place Michael went to was absolutely not the right fit. He was miserable. We pulled him out of that place after about 2 weeks and just waited it out until we could attend Creative Beginnings.
From the very beginning, Nelly Tuman, the Director of the school, worked with us to transition Michael in a comfortable way for both him and us. Michael is/​was what you can say a difficult transition — he had major separation anxiety but Nelly and her team of wonderful teachers helped him feel at home. He used to cry when we’d drop him off, but the teachers would embrace him with so much love, he’d stop crying before we would leave the building. Now he doesn’t cry at all. He’s attending full time and taking his naps there, which is something else I thought we’d have trouble transitioning into, but of course, Nelly and her staff proved why they are the best. Ms. Lilia cuddles with him and that’s all he needed to feel safe and go down for a nap. We are so grateful he has love and attention in an environment that is helping him grow.
His teacher, Ms. Stephanie is absolutely wonderful. Her teaching style works very well with our son. He comes home now and sings new songs, his ABCs, shows off his crafts and so much more. H
This was the best decision we could have made for our son. His future is bright at Creative Beginnings. We have a second baby on the way and there is no doubt we will be enrolling him when he turns 2. Looking forward to the next few years of being part of this wonderful school.
Thank you to everyone at Creative Beginnings for giving my husband and I peace of mind while we are at work that our son is in a safe, caring and nurturing environment!

My son started going to creative beginnings last September, when he turned two. He was a very shy kid and it used to take time for him to get adjusted with new people. All teachers here gave him time to get adjusted with them, with lots of love and wonderful care. I feel blessed to find such a wonderful school for my child. He will be turning three soon, and I am happy to see confidence in him. I love the way they teach them with lots of art projects and fun. My son has learnt a lot from this place. He will tell his teachers name as his best friends and that explains every thing to me…
I would like to give a big hug to these wonderful teachers, and a special thanks to Ms Nelly, Ms Stephanie and Ms Atorin.

Our little girl went here for about 3 years. She always looked forward to going to school and like all her teachers very much. The teachers all seem to want to be there and seem passionate, dedicated and care for the kids. It was a very positive experience and she really liked her school.

I would recommend Creative Beginnings. They are the most patient and caring group of teachers. The age group is from 2 – 5 yr. They all play and learn together. My daughter has some separation issues, so in the morning Ms. Atorin gives her hugs and support. She is a wonderful teacher who is creative and loving with all the kids. The teacher forward the weekly lesson plans on Sundays. All the teacher interact with the kids, that is nice that they know all of them and not just one.
My daughter enjoys breakfast there which is so nice. She loves the great backyard to play all the fun stuff such as climbing/​slide, little houses, activity tables, sandbox, trikes, garden and more. She comes home with art of such variety all the time. I can go on and on.
Also, the director Ms. Nelly is very nice and really listens. Great to communicate with via email and in person. If you would like a preschool that has less than 40 kids with really attentive and kind teachers this is the place.

I can’t say enough positive things about Ms. Nelly and the staff at Creative Beginnings. I agonized over which daycare to send my son to, wondering if he’d get the same care and attention that he had been at home. I was immediately put at ease when seeing how patiently and compassionately they cared for my son during the first few weeks of adjustment despite his tearful meltdowns. Now he loves school and looks forward to seeing his teachers –many of whom are like affectionate grandmothers to the kids. The facility also safe with parents using a security PIN to gain entry at the door.
One of the several reasons I initially picked CB is that the teachers there foster an atmosphere of cooperation for the kids with many of the older children taking an active interest in the younger ones. For example, when touring the daycare, one of the older kids immediately introduced himself to my son and lead him around the playground showing him all the fun things to do and helping him up and down the jungle gym. He and other kids were so welcoming to my shy boy, who just adores older children. He was in heaven.
The curriculum at CB is play-​based, which was extremely important to me. The schedule is filled with activities like art, music, tumbling, dress-​up, etc. and plenty of free play that make learning a by-​product of fun. Within the first few months my sons social skills, vocabulary and color/​number/​letter recognition increased exponentially though creative learning activities.
Lastly, I will say that the communication between teachers and parents is excellent. My son’s teacher, Ms. Stephanie (wonderful, btw. We’re so lucky to have her!), has often sent emails to me personally with updates on my son’s progress and achievements. Additionally, the few times my son has been hurt (nothing serious, kids will be kids) an incident report was provided. There are also emailed lesson plans, a monthly newsletter and other information and pictures emailed periodically.
If you are looking for a loving, nurturing environment to foster your child’s growth both socially and academically, you really can’t pick anywhere better than Creative Beginnings!

Creative Beginnings was the best choice for my son. He had a great experience there– staff was welcoming, caring, and very knowledgeable. My son started the school a very shy and unsure 2 year old and left a much more confident and happy 4 year old. My 10 month old daughter will be attending when she is old enough.

Very happy to have my son at this preschool. I feel like it’s a safe, happy and creative environment. Highly recommend.

Why I Initially Chose Creative Beginnings:
1.Safe, clean, and sanitary facility
2. Appropriately trained staff
3. Mix of staff (age and ethnicity) Older women with grandchildren and young, educated women who love children
4. Motherly, nurturing, loving, caring, personal, and compassionate towards children
5. Experienced, mature, warm-​hearted and involved director (Ms. Nelly) who has the children’s best interest first.
6. Organized and safe field trips with website photos of every event
7. Children come home with something to show for their days
8. Academic Curriculum w/​Arts, crafts, cooking projects, ballet, movie day, etc…
9. Mild, calm, and maintained environment.
10. Christmas Program
11. Staff is always friendly and welcoming to parents
12. The word ‘kiss’ :-)
Why I Have Continued to Choose Creative Beginnings for 3 years:
I am particular, opinionated, and not easily impressed. Mrs. Nelly and the staff at Creative Beginnings take the cake. They’re the best. Grade A. Four Stars. Diamond Certified.
I looked at about 20 centers in the area… narrowed it down to 3. Mrs. Nelly stood out amongst the 3 based on a word she used during my initial visit and interview with her; she used the word ‘kiss’. I asked her how she comforted a distressed child. She said, «…I give them a big hug and a kiss.» Mrs. Nelly was the only person out of 20 centers who said the word ‘kiss’. I noticed that.
I noticed the word because my child was in need of a certain kind of daycare center. A center where there were caring, interested, compassionate, concerned, patient, mature, and experienced staff. A center where I felt confident my child was being given an academic foundation for kindergarten and 1^st grade, but most importantly, a center where there was a kind, interested, and loving staff… not a place where people just come to do their jobs and have no connection or true concern for the children.
My child has been socially awkward and challenged since birth. I knew that. The staff at Creative Beginnings took a sincere interest in helping my child feel comfortable. They did everything to accommodate his peculiarities and idiosyncrasies, and were always patient and compassionate in their interactions with him. It was because of their gentle suggestions and trained observation, I had my child tested for Autism.
My child’s Asperger’s Syndrome has been confirmed by many doctors, therapists, and the school district. My child is now receiving the much needed care and attention he needs to thrive. My child remained at Creative Beginnings after his diagnosis. A member of the staff voluntarily took additional training and classes on children with specials needs. They worked hand in hand with me, the school district, and special needs counselors to ensure my child had access to the help he needed. Every counselor, doctor, therapist, and school district appointee were all impressed with Creative Beginnings, e.g., the environment, the curriculum, the staff, how the children move about the day in work centers. They all said they would recommend it over other daycare centers in the area.
My special needs child no longer attends Creative Beginnings, but I have another child there. When I pick her up, my other child always wants to come in and say hello and most importantly… get those kisses.
Mrs. Nelly and the staff at Creative Beginnings are the best.

This may be the best preschool in the area, I don’t know. But what I DO know is that whoever picked up the phone when I called had no manners. I called to ask about their preschool and was cut off 2 seconds later with «uhhh…sorry we don’t have any room». I was about to ask for the NEXT year as well but was absolutely put off by the person on the other line. Ok, I understand you are full this year, but they just lost a potential next year customer. This is not a school review, so don’t view it as such. However, any school experience starts with the first phone call and, in my opinion, they need to work on that.

I assist my friend in taking his daughter here and I have to say it looks fun!
It’s in someone’s house, but!!, they have security codes to unlock the door so it’s pretty secure. And the kids are at an age where they know they will not go with a stranger but even so, people have to sign in and out their kids when they leave and everyone knows everyone (close knit feeling=great). I would recommend this place for anyone living in the area since its so close by!