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December 2023 by Katie Hansen
My daughter loves APPS. We started in 2 day year last school year and are now in 3 day with Ms. Ellen. The play based and positive discipline foundation creates such a wonderful and safe environment for our littles. It is comforting knowing that my child is well supported by fellow (positive discipline) parents on the days I am not working in the classroom. APPS is a gem and unlike most schools out there.
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September 2023 by Angela Owens
My son started in 2 day, moved to 3 day and we are excited to have kids in 5 day and early explorers this year! Teacher Sanyoo is incredibly calm, patient and engaged with the kids. Teacher Ellen is devoted to children's development, passionate and warm.I wanted a place to join a community, be actively involved with my children's learning and focus on play. I found that with APPS!The parent participation requirements and volunteering is rewarding and makes it possible for tuition to be lower than other preschools.This school teaches not only the kiddos, but is a Positive Discipline Lab School. Cathy is our positive discipline coach and does monthly observations and trainings with us as parents to help us understand our children and how to best communicate with them.Cannot wait to see how my kids continue to grow this year!
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July 2023 by mel m.
We so loved our time at APPS. The teachers are so loving and kind. I love the parent education aspect. Having positive discipline coaching is so incredibly helpful. It was amazing to see how much the kids grew and changed from when we first started to two years later. And having other parents to lean on is such a blessing. It's a very non judgment, supportive environment. I'm very confident that my son is well prepared for starting TK thanks to his time at APPS.
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July 2023 by Rosemarie A.
APPS has been a wonderful first step into education for both my son and my daughter. The focus on positive discipline and play-based learning are key elements to their successful program. As a parent, I learned how to improve my parenting skills through parent education offered at general meetings and in the classroom. My children were supported by the teachers and parent volunteers such as myself and the other parents of children in class. Having a low ratio of adults to children helps the program to offer so much hands on learning. It is really worth touring to see what a unique program it is.
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June 2023 by Angela O.
I just finished my first year at APPS. My son started the year in the 2 day class with Ms Sanyoo then moved to the 3 day class mid year with Ms Ellen. Both teachers are incredibly caring, knowledgeable and fun! I wanted a parent participation school and was so happy to find APPS. You are able to really engage with your own child at school and I have learned a lot from my interactions with the other students in the class. There is a time commitment with the "working day" in the classroom and volunteer hours. That commitment of time has given me a community of parents to reach out to when I need support. It also lowers tuition to a manageable rate as the school is a co-op with just the teachers as employees (no admin office etc). APPS also has a positive discipline coach and a focus on parent education. I have learned so much about my sons development and different ways to approach difficult moments with him. I cannot wait to see him grow next year and have my younger son start going also!
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March 2023 by Dolphinus N.
Great place to discover and learn through play, my daughter loves this preschool, it is open for parents to see what is happening in the class. Kids are able to develop their people skills and learn about their feelings besides exploring science and do arts
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December 2019 by ariana paulson
I enrolled my son in the 2-day class at APPS half-way through the 2018-2019 school year after a disappointing experience with a more traditional drop-off Montessori style preschool, and I'm so glad I did. From the moment we arrived for our tour, I have been so impressed with the quality and passion of the teachers and the warm, family-like environment. Because the parent-volunteers take care of a lot of the basic care of the kids during classes, the teachers are free to really focus on the children's social, emotional, and academic development. The teachers turn every conflict and struggle that the kids have into a valuable learning opportunity for the children and the parents.The classroom set-up is fun and encourages the kids to try a variety of sensory experiences, fine and gross motor skills, and cognitive skills. Daily art projects (painting, gluing, beading, coloring), science projects (static electricity with balloons, winches and pulleys, observing silk worms make cocoons and hatching chicks, for example), various kinds of play-dough, sensory bins, building sets and materials, and musical instruments are all available at each class session. It's all play-based and entirely up to the child's interest, and there's plenty of opportunity for outdoor play and physical play if that's what your child needs. At the same time, the circle times start to introduce more traditional school skills of listening, turn-taking, pattern-recognition, rhymes, songs, and finger-plays.APPS is a positive discipline "lab school," and this what sets it apart from the other participation schools in the area. There is a positive discipline coach on staff who comes to each class several days a month to lead positive discipline education for the parents, as well as speaking at the general meetings and offering more in-depth workshops. It's so valuable to learn how to set firm and logical limits with your child and hold them with compassion and calm. As a first-time parent, I find it incredibly helpful to watch the teachers and my fellow parents talk to and interact with the kids in this way, and get to practice in a supportive environment.If you're looking for a school that respects and nurtures your child, teaches key social and emotional skills as well as school readiness, and supports you as a parent, take a look at APPS!
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December 2019 by Surakshya J
APPS is a wonderful co-op preschool. It is a play-based school that practices positive discipline. The community, sense of belonging and the love and kindness the teachers and parents have for their children are unparalleled. We are so lucky to be part of this amazing school and would recommend it to anyone.
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December 2018 by Andrea Cañizares
I can't say enough about how wonderful this school is. The community has become family, and campus has become a second home to us. The teachers are kind, caring, and offer exactly what a preschooler needs to support and prepare them for their future education. Our son is thriving in such a caring environment where he's not just learning his ABCs, but also how to play and interact kindly with his peers. When we had our second child, there was no question that APPS would become her home too. APPS will forever hold a special place in our family's heart.
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December 2018 by Amelia Hadfield
This school is amazing!!! And we love the teachers!!! Not only has my son learned so much, the teachers and parents practice positive discipline! The kids respond SO well! And parents learn a lot too. The teachers do a wonderful job of teaching parents how to handle various situations. There are sessions daily, after class, when parents get time to learn too!There are also tons of fun things the kids do from super cool art and science projects to outside play and reading. I highly recommend going to the APPS (Almaden Parent Participation Preschool) Facebook page to see more. And, of course, take a school tour.I'd also add the parents are all very supportive of one another. They spend so much time with the kids they are always looking out for them all. It is a great community!!
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December 2017 by Melissa-Ann Nievera-Lozano
My older one just graduated from their 4-day class and as he moves on to Kinder, our family has made the decision to enroll our younger one into the 2-day class! What I love about APPS is not just the many well-equipped stations (opportunities) children have to explore, build, and become little scholars. More importantly, it's the dedicated social and emotional learning aspect which shapes the way these young ones care for themselves and others.I want to share one (of many many) stories that really helped me see the beauty of this school. It happened on a day I was volunteering in the classroom. I was covering the gross motor area where kids were crawling through tunnels and climbing small structures. It draws lots of excitement. So as the energy level in the classroom rises, emotions too can run high. And on one particular day, 2 children were having a conflict to the point where one was in tears.What would a typical teacher do?In this unique classroom, where another parent was available to care for one child, the teacher Ms. Sanyoo approached the child in tears, plunked herself down on the floor with him, looked him directly in his eyes and asked him if he were all right. When he shook his head emphatically, she just held him. Told him it was going to be okay. With her arms still around him, i could see his body let the frustration fall away. I could see his face soften. I could see how much her love meant to him in that moment. He really needed that moment. And as an educator myself (high school and college) -- shoot, even as a student, a product of the K-12 system -- I knew instantly the power of that connection between teacher and student.To me, it spoke volumes about the kind of radical care and understanding necessary to support our young children who will themselves grow to be respectable and compassionate human beings. And that is what you find at APPS. As volunteers in the classroom, we get to witness models of parenting; while our children as students in the classroom get to witness models of being that I believe is life and world-changing. This is way beyond what is offered at "traditional schools."My child entering Kindergarten in a couple weeks at another school is undoubtedly ready to approach his new surroundings with a strong sense of self and a mindful/heartful regard for others. For me, this is the best foundation upon which a child can truly learn and grow. Thank you APPS for this foundation for our family!
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December 2014 by Eileen brown
My child attended here for 4 years. The teachers are amazing. Positive discipline is used and taught to the parents, and it made such an amazing change to the relationship I have with my child. I loved the hands on parent participation, and knowing that my child was being played with, encouraged, and supervised by other loving parents. It is an amazingly supportive, and kind environment. I highly suggest it!
