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July 2024 by Xiaoli, Shirley Wang
My daughter has been at Challenge School belmont campus for 2 years. She is having fun at school everyday and loves the school and the teachers there. From day one, it's been clear that the teachers are not only dedicated but also genuinely caring and patient, which has made a world of difference for my daughter who took some time adjusting to a new environment.
The environment at Challenge School is incredibly nurturing, and it's evident that the teachers know each child individually. They go above and beyond to accommodate different needs, which has helped my daughter build confidence and feel comfortable expressing herself. The daily activities are not only fun but also educational, ranging from crafts and role-playing to planting and even making ice cream! They also had short field trips to the post office to mail their first valentine's day letter!
One of the standout features for us has been the bilingual education. In the Blueberry (2yr-old) class, the entire curriculum is in Mandarin, which has been fantastic for my daughter's language development. As she transitioned to the Strawberry (3yr-old) class, she began learning English alongside Chinese, with dedicated teachers for each language.
Beyond language skills, the school places a strong emphasis on social and emotional development. In Blueberry, the focus was on adapting to school routines and learning self-care, while in Strawberry, it shifted to teaching manners, cooperation, and empathy. It's been incredible to see my daughter grow not just academically but also in terms of her social skills and independence.
Overall, our experience with Challenge School has been overwhelmingly positive. We've watched our daughter blossom in ways we couldn't have imagined, and we owe a huge thanks to the wonderful teachers and staff who have been instrumental in her growth. If you're looking for a preschool where your child will be nurtured, challenged, and supported every step of the way, Challenge School is an excellent choice.
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July 2024 by Alicia Chen
My son has been at this school for almost 3 years. Compared to other daycare my two kids have been in, Challenge is well organized and welcoming of parents. They get a week rounded Chinese and English education. They have time to explore and play and still learn the fundamentals like the alphabet and so on. They have building toys, sensory bins, special art and science projects, Chinese cultural performances, field trips, you name it they've probably done it.
The teachers are generally very good, although like all day cares they sometimes have a hard time retaining the best ones, but that's pretty typical. The director Jenny is great, very communicative and on top of things.
In terms of actually learning Chinese, they do their best. The kids are split, some speak mostly Chinese and some mostly English. There's usually one Chinese speaking teacher and one English-speaking, and activities like circle time are also split half Chinese half English. My son definitely understands Chinese but he aggressively refuses to speak although the teachers do their best, that's more on him than them. He has also sometimes been a problem child and they are patient and do their best to work with him while still making sure all the kids are happy and safe. I'm also glad it's in the same system as Challenge Afterschool, which is a big bonus. Next year, my son will join my daughter and several of his preschool classmates there!
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February 2024 by Yanfei Z.
"Attending Challenge school has been an absolute delight for both my child and me. The teachers here not only excel in their subjects but also possess a genuine warmth and responsibility towards their students' well-being. The school's emphasis on learning through fun activities, ranging from arts and crafts to singing and dancing, creates a vibrant learning environment where students thrive. I couldn't be happier with the positive impact this school has had on my child's education and overall growth."
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October 2023 by Joyce Huang Bright
We love the wonderful teachers who genuinely care about my child. We also appreciate their fun and meaningful curriculum which really improved our child’s language skills. Our kid looks forward to go to school everyday!
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September 2023 by Sally Shi
We would highly recommend Challenge school Belmont campus. Our son attended all three classes from Blueberry to Strawberry to Pineapple, and he thrived there, growing up from a toddler to a preschooler. We have witnessed his tremendous growth and the many skills he has learned, thanks to the great teachers there, who are super caring, attentive and have a genuine affection for children. The school has an enriching curriculum encompassing language, math, creativity, and social emotional development. Teachers would take photos and videos throughout the day and share them via Brightwheel app so parents can be instantly informed of the daily activities of the children.
Overall love the school!
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September 2023 by Jane Zhang
Love the school. Teachers are supper attentive and caring. They have organized many activities to involve parents and have very good communication about the situation of my daughter at school. My girl is a little bit shy and quiet girl and now she is very happy and eager to go to school. Thanks for the whole teachers team!
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August 2023 by Lester L.
We are so grateful to the wonderful teachers and staff at Challenge School. For context, we have an older son and a younger daughter who have attended Challenge School. Our younger daughter just finished her first year of preschool at Challenge. At first we were worried that she might not be ready socially, having only been taken care of by us and our nanny. It only took a week for our daughter to separate easily from us and she soon started to talk about how much fun she was having and how much she loved her teachers. Over the course of the year, she's become close to several other children and has blossomed socially. In terms of other skills, she can now speak full sentences in Mandarin and has become conversational. Our son attended Challenge just before Covid. His teachers were so kind and patient and allowed him to be his best self. He also blossomed socially at Challenge and was well prepared for elementary school. Here's what we love most: The teachers are extremely loving and genuinely care about our kids. It's clear that the staff are happy -- there was a lot less turnover during Covid than in other schools and several staff who taught our son 4 years ago are still there. The staff is excellent at communicating everything from the day's happenings (with cute photos!) and will let you know of any concerns or incidents. They are never too busy to catch up about your child after school. They even let us know when they think our kids nails are too long and when our sunscreen had expired. Don't let the low key location fool you. Our older son previously attended a preschool that had somewhat "nicer" facilities but he was not treated nearly as well by his teachers there. Challenge is a gem because of the people there and we are forever grateful!
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August 2023 by Tim Gu
Our daughter attended blueberry and strawberry classes. The teachers are attentive and caring. They clearly have a pedagogical method; it’s not just daycare. The kids learn a lot of Mandarin and English. Post a lot of pictures and info. Would definitely recommend!
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July 2023 by Shutong Y.
My daughter really enjoyed her 2 years at Challenge school, teachers are very caring, and the mandarin immersion education is top notch. There are lots of activities for the kids to explore, I especially love the pictures that are updated on a daily basis. We will miss the teachers and kids!
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May 2023 by Sandra C.
My daughter has been at Challenge Preschool's Belmont campus for about 2 years. The teachers are very caring and attentive, and they have regular training for all teachers to polish their skills. The curriculum is well organized, and parents receive updates with pictures and some videos from the Brightwheel app. My daughter is picking up both English and Chinese, and some Spanish too! We started under strict Covid restrictions with everyone masked up and no parents were allowed to go inside. The school made transition plans to gradually open up and I am happy that parents get to participate more in the class activities now and can go inside to drop off and pick up. The newly expanded outdoor playground is a plus too. The school is very well run. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a bilingual and nurturing preschool.
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May 2023 by Jiaji Hu
Highly recommend Challenge School in Belmont. Our daughter was part of the Blueberry (2 year old) class for 8 months.The facilities were fine, and the curriculum was good, but without a doubt the best part was how the teachers all genuinely cared for the kids. They were attentive of the every child's needs and growth path, and we were able to check in every day at pickup to understand how our daughter's day went. The school also does a great job taking photos every day and uploading to the brightwheel app for us parents to enjoy!
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April 2023 by Jiefang Z.
My son loves the teachers - they are caring and knowledgeable! He's been attending challenge school for 2 years. They've prepared him well for entering k. Love the fact that multi languages are taught - Chinese, English, Spanish!
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April 2023 by Jiaji H.
Highly recommend Challenge School in Belmont. Our daughter was part of the Blueberry (2 year old) class for 8 months. The facilities were fine, and the curriculum was good, but without a doubt the best part was how the teachers all genuinely cared for the kids. They were attentive of the every child's needs and growth path, and we were able to check in every day at pickup to understand how our daughter's day went. The school also does a great job taking photos every day and uploading to the brightwheel app for us parents to enjoy!
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April 2023 by Joe G.
Challenge school is such a great school with wonderful teachers and good policy. Our son spent two years there and now we look back, that's the happiest he has been. The school shares a lot of pictures of kids' day to day, so we never have to wonder how our kid is doing. At pickup, teachers will also share with us anecdotes of the little ones. Teacher Lulu and teacher Deng gave a lot of attention to our son, and they know his quirks like us parents do. The school is also a great bridge both ways for native English speaking kids and Chinese speaking one. Our son only speaks Mandarin when he first started, but he can understand and speak a lot of English quickly in the bilingual environment. The only downside would be we can't go to elementary there, it would be nice to stick around for many many years! : )
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March 2023 by Jiadong S.
My son attended Challenge Belmont preschool pineapple class and fell in love with the school right away. It is very well organized and teachers have been really caring and responsible. Their playground is recently expanded and full of nice outdoor activities. Highly recommended.
