R W Drake Pre School

In my opinion, not the best preschool out there; pretty dark and old inside, staff not so friendly or welcoming. It’s almost as if they make you feel it’s a burden when dropping off your kids. No eye contact or good morning from the person sitting at the front. The snacks and lunches are not the most nutritious. They have a piece of binder paper with a hand written menu that does not change from week to week. Snacks consist of otter-​pops and popcorn. Extremely disorganized — on Fridays they recommend taking home the linens used during nap time to wash and bring back on Mondays — I was shocked when I went to get my son’s stuff out of his cubbie and it wasn’t even his. The only response I got from the teacher was «oh, I was wondering why he kept pointing to the other blanket???» Not acceptable.
I have boy/​girl twins who started daycare at 5 months. They were with that provider up until 3 ½ years old when I moved them to RW Drake. My daughter had an extremely tough time with the change from daycare to preschool to the point that beginning on day #2 she was hysterical claiming there were bugs all over her feet and arms. I was called numerous times to come pick her up because they couldn’t calm her down. I took her to the pediatrician and had x-​rays done to make sure there was nothing more serious going on. Thankfully, the pediatrician confirmed there was nothing medically wrong. I was continuously told by the Director (Maureen) and staff that there was something mentally wrong with her when in reality she just did not like the preschool. The Director seemed really nice and like she had a genuine interest in the kids when I toured their facility. I was disappointed with the way she handled this situation and the tipping point was when she called me at 10:30am to pick up my daughter because they were having a birthday party for another child and my daughter was hysterical again over bugs. That was it; I pulled both my kids out that same day!
My twins were only there for 2 ½ weeks but that was enough time for me to realize this was not the best place for them. The academics are horrible and the food is unacceptable. I am not a health nut but I do expect preschools to feed young kids good nutritious meals and snacks. I shouldn’t have to pack their lunch because the school does not provide quality meals. I understand every parent has different opinions and I want my kids to be happy and love their teachers too but ensuring they are getting a good education is way more important than if my child is hugging and kissing their teacher at the end of the day!
I was extremely lucky that I was able to get them into The Early Years Preschool (also in South San Francisco) and I’m happy to say that my daughter just started her 4^th week there and no mention of bugs!!! :) I think it’s safe to say that there was something not right about this place and she was definitely letting me know in her own way!

I read some of the reviews of Drake and wanted to add my own. All 3 of my chidren attended Drake for 2 + years. My youngest is still a student there and they all loved it. Bottom line, they had FUN and felt LOVED and that is what I want most for my children when they are not with me. Could the academics be more rigourous? Probably. Are they fed only organic meals? No. Pack your own lunch if you want to control and montor what your child is eating. I am more concered that they are having fun, learning how to socialize with other children and resolve conflicts in a loving enviroment and that is what I feel they have at Drake. My daughter is always hugging and kissing her teachers good-​bye and to me that is what matters most.

Browsing through the various reviews left for RW Drake Preschool, I feel compelled to write my own review. I am not normally in the habit of writing Unilocal reviews, but feel compelled to leave this one, in order to «right a wrong» (one very negative review that I consider vindictive and completely unwarranted).
Both of my two daughters (now 10 and 8 years old) attended Drake pre-​school, one for a few months (2005), the other for 3 years (2005 – 2008). My older daughter had been enrolled in 2 different pre-​schools prior coming to Drake (both in the Sacramento area); thus, I feel competent to compare and evaluate Drake school.
I have looked at numerous other preschools, both in the Sacramento and SSF area. I visited schools that have brand-​new facilities and others that are housed in older buildings. I have visited schools that provide lunches and others that don’t. I have seen preschools that emphasize academics, others that focus on creativity and the children’s self-​guidance, and others yet that focus on social skills.
From all these visits I learnt what is important to me and my family: a loving, caring environment with a low staff-​turnover, attentive & patient teachers, and a curriculum which encourages the children’s learning, but is not too rigorous.
My goals for my daughters’ preschool education were that they’d learn to interact in a group, that they’d learn to function in a school environment, that they’d grow in self-​confidence and self-​discipline, and that they’d learn the skills and knowlege required to enroll in Kindergarten.
I was looking for a stimulating environment where I could leave my children while I work full-​time, where they’d be safe and where they would learn AND play. RW Drake School did all that and much more.
My daughters still love to come back and say «hi» to their old teachers. They are always welcomed back with a warm hug and can’t wait to tell their teachers what has happened to them since they last visited the school.
Both of my daughters have grown to become loving, caring, kind, curious, inquisitive girls. Both are A-​level students, have a circle of friends, and enjoy several extra-​curricular activities (both sports and arts). Much of the foundation for their academic performance and their social skills has been laid at Drake Preschool. Thank you and thumbs up!

My husband and I checked out 7 preschools in the area in 2007 when decided that our then 3 year old daughter needed to go to school. She had never been in the care of anyone but close family relatives and needless to say we were very apprehensive about sending our little girl off to school.
My husband was looking for safety and security measures; I was in charge of academics and structure. I am a teacher and was a kindergarten teacher for 6 years, so I had a very specific vision for what I wanted my daughter to experience in preschool. In the first 6 preshool, either my husband or I had a huge issue; playground too visiable from the street, untidy/​unkept areas, more daycare less schooling, etc. RW Drake was the last school we were scheduled to see.
WOW! From the moment we pulled into the parking lot, we had a feeling this was the place. The playground is tucked behind the building, not visible from the street. The building is well kept and the parking lot was large. We parked our car and before we knocked on the door, a teacher opened if and said that she saw us drive in and didn’t recognize our car… my husband’s eye lit up and I could read his mind; «they’re watching the parking lot, plus number one.»
At that point, Maureen gave us a very informative tour, the class areas, the school yard, etc and I was able to look at the teacher’s lesson plans; which are on the counter for all to inspect. While we were touring, the chidlren and teachers were busily working on various projects. I immedicately noted the small teacher to student ratio; well below the «legal limit». I saw the projects/​assignments that the children were completing and noted that each age group was worked on age appropriate lesson within a school-​wide theme.
My daughter absolutely flourished during her time at RW Drake. She is a pre-​reader in Kindergarten now but she knew all of her letters and letter sounds several months prior to graduating from Drake. She went to Drake school happy and can home happy; her teachers Ophelia, Robin, Pam, and Linda were a huge positive influence on her confidence. RW Drake lit the flame of learning in my daughter; it continues to burn bright.
In Spetember, 2009, my husband and I enrolled our 3 year old twins in RW Drake. My son transitioned beautifully into school. He walked right in, every teacher greeted him with excitement and immediately engaged him in informal play while introducing him to other children. He was a late/​slow speaker but since attending Drake, his vocabulary has increased at an amazing rate. I am still considering having his speech evaluated and have been working closely will Maureen to get her input on his progress.
His twin sister had a more difficult time transitioning. She cried, clung to my leg, screamed… you get the picture. She’s my talker and she tried to talk her way out of school. Teacher Robin pick my daughter pick, hugged her and held her close while I left. I called about an hour later and spoke with Maureen and found out that she was just fine. Since then, my daughter has adjusted beautifully to school. She potty trained while at school through encouragement and positive reinforcement from her teachers.
We love that the teachers and staff at RW Drake are very family-​oriented. They respect the children, each other and all «Drake families». Each child is loved and treat as an individual, from the moment they walk in the door and each is dealt with in a loving and kind manner. The children are taught valuable lessons in academics, social behaviors and independence. My three children love RW Drake and I continually recommend Drake to anyone looking for a preschool.
Teaching is a profession of the heart and all of the teachers at RW Drake have hearts of gold. My children deserve gold; don’t yours?