Clarissa H. wrote on 11/6/23
I have been looking for a co-op for sometime in the east bay and have had no success. I came across FPNS randomly on yelp and was so happy to see there was a cop-op in my area. What I love most is this is a certified Nature school and the parents make the school. It is the coolest thing ever. Especially if you want to be heavily involved in your Childs early development activities. The parents are all so nice and there is a huge sense of belonging and community. I highly recommend this school if you want to nurture your children to become independent thinkers and risk takers. They benefit from culinary skills, gardening, play based learning, art without an end result (free to create), how to accept disappointment and positive - negative emotions.
Alex L. wrote on 8/23/23
A year in and my child has prospered in so many ways. Building confidence in physical play, social interaction, dealing with difficult situations - all of these are possible because of the FPNS environment and model.
I firmly believe that the FPNS philosophy is one that builds all the right "soft skills" for children to succeed in the near term and long term.
Carrie V. wrote on 9/27/22
I can't even begin to describe how much this place has changed my life for the better since joining the school six months ago. My daughter is having the absolute time of her life every single day at preschool. She plays so hard, gets so messy and is really coming out of her shell. She was a little late on some of her gross motor skills, and this school was the perfect place for her to push herself in little ways and get more and more confident. She's learned to jump and climb and generally be more adventurous.
Tory H. wrote on 3/15/21
My son has been a student at FPNS since Fall 2019. The teachers at the school are amazing and truly love what they do. I have seen how they are able to adjust their teaching to accommodate every child's needs. The classes incorporated circle time, open play, craft time, story time and outdoor play. I can't stress enough how happy it made me watching my son build relationships with his classmates. In addition, I love that since this is a cooperative preschool it allowed me to be involved in my son's education and I was able to observe how he interacted with the teachers, classmates and other parents. When my son would have a question or need help, the parent would support. My son learned to be able to go to others vs. feeling that he always had to come to me. This also allowed me to spend time with the other children. On the days that I didn't have to work in the classroom I always felt comfortable leaving my son with the parents and teachers. Another wonderful thing about FPNS is that I have created such close friendships with my fellow moms. We chat all the time and they are great resource for advice.
Due to COVID, the school has been conducting Distance Learning classes via Zoom and includes a monthly activity packet. I have to be honest; I wasn't sure how my son would do in the virtual environment vs. in person. I'm happy to say that he loves it. The classes are 30 minutes/ 2x a week and they have been amazing. Teacher Kavitha has planned some wonderful classes that have kept my son engaged. This is not an easy task for 3-4 year olds. The activity packs that she has created have contained craft items, educational worksheets and fun activities. Another plus is that the majority of his classmates from last year also are in his distance learning class.
I would highly recommend Fremont Parents' Nursery school.
Crista A. wrote on 2/15/21
We love FPNS! The teachers are very warm and attentive of every child. When we were attending in person we liked that the kids got to decide what activities they were interested in. My son loved spending time outside at the sandbox and play equipment. And I enjoyed getting to see how the class is run.
Since moving to distance learning, we've been consistently impressed by the teacher's online classes and take home activities. You can tell they put a lot of time and care into everything.
Mit B. wrote on 2/2/21
We enrolled our son in the FPNS online program and it has been great. He instantly connected with his teacher, Ms. Reena and has enjoyed doing all the activities. Teachers prepared and delivered all the materials required for the activities. They also uploaded videos and pictures to simplify the activities. We feel our child has learned a lot to prepare him for kindergarten. We feel very fortunate to be part of the FPNS family.
Stacy G. wrote on 1/26/21
We've been with FPNS since 2017 and have seen the school adapt and change to a variety of circumstances. The distance learning program is an example of this. The board, teachers, and director, have done an amazing job of creating an engaging, educational, age-appropriate distance learning program for preschoolers. They understand the needs of students this age, the abilities, and their developmental stage so intimately that they are able to support the children and the parents to help everybody thrive as much as possible during a pandemic. I am truly grateful for the school, the board, the teachers, the director, and the other families who have helped my children continue to grow.
Julie R. wrote on 9/28/18
FPNS was perfect for our family and we miss it now that our daughter has moved on to Kindergarten.
Our son and daughter each spent 3 years at the school. Before choosing FPNS we visited several area preschools and did out research on the types of schools we were interested in. Once we visited FPNS and saw the play-based co-op environment in action we were sold and never looked back. FPNS was the gentlest introduction to school we could have asked for, both for us as parents and for our kids.
The parent involvement at FPNS was very attractive to me, one because our son was nervous about starting school so I could be there with him to ease him into school. Second, I liked the parental presence at school when I wasn't there. It was comforting to me knowing that there were at least 3 other parents there at all times, beyond the teachers.
We also chose a play-based learning environment for our kids because we believe that kids learn best through play at these early ages. FPNS allowed them to be the kids they are while still learning. At FPNS our kids thrived and have gone on to be outgoing happy kids at their elementary school.
I also can't say enough about the teachers. Our son was a bit of a challenge in his last year and the teachers were so helpful in working with him and following up with us.
Finally, I would say the greatest thing we got out of attending FPNS were the friends we made. My son is now in 2nd grade, so 3 years after leaving FPNS we still have a weekly play date with his FPNS friends. And for my daughter's class we have made bonds that will certainly last long after our time at the school.
I can't speak highly enough about this school. I would encourage you to check it out.
Marie M wrote on 8/4/2012
Great Teachers: CHECK
Great Parents: CHECK
Great Learning Environment (for both children and parents!) CHECK! CHECK!
Rarely will we as parents get a chance to play an integral role in our child's development! It's a loving environment where parents and children really come together as a community. I've tried the "mommy groups" and tried other local community events, but nothing has compared.
Yes--it's a co-op. Don't think because you may work full-time that you wouldn't get the full experience from this type of school. It was a great way to get the whole family involved. Grandma drops him off, Me and dad have switched off to our time requirements at the school. The time I miss at work is always well spent with my son and our friends at FPNS.
School's out for the summer and my son is already asking when we are going back! WE LOVE FPNS!!!
Roop S wrote on 3/1/2013
Really great school - creates a tailored and customized learning plan for each kid - child driven. Our 3 year old has had issues adjusting with other schools and with the love and attention at this school, is progressing much better.
Nicole B wrote on 9/20/2012
This is a fantastic preschool!! My son is three and he loves it. The teachers are wonderful they really care and take an interest in each and every child. I love the fact that you can be directly involved with your child at school and being able to participate in class and interact with the other children. They have a great atmosphere of fun, play , and learning . They have several yearly field trips and a great math and science fair every year. All of the parents work and help each other out . I would recommend this to any parent seeking a quality preschool at an affordable fee to come join FPNS.
Jodie H wrote on 1/22/2013
My experience with Fremont Parent Nursery School has been nothing but wonderful. I just wish I had found this preschool sooner. My daughter has been with this school since the 2011/2012 school year. She has developed so much self esteem and self awareness from this school. The teachers are kind and loving. They have a high priority to teach the children problem solving. This is my daughters last year there before heading onto Kindergarten. It will be a sad goodbye. If you are a parent who can take the time to help out at your child's school, I would highly recommend this one.
Robert B wrote on 3/19/2013
This is a great school for several reasons:
1) Teacher to student ratio is very low, usually 3 students (ors less) to every one teacher.
2) Tuition is very affordable, much lower than other schools
3) Teachers really work with each student to help them learn and socialize.
My experience with other pre-schools was that the teacher student ratio was usually the maximum allowed by law (I believe 12-1 for over 3 and 8-1 for under 3). Also other preschools would often council out children that had problems adjusting or required extra attention, especially if they had a waiting list.
In general other preschools treat the education of children as a business, while FPNS does not. I suppose this is because other preschools are for-profit, but FPNS is a non-profit.
In summary, this is a great school that really goes out of its way to help your child learn.
Ida L wrote on 8/8/2013
This is the perfect preschool for my kids. I was looking for a preschool that's play based & promote healthy socializing for both kids & adults. For anyone who is looking for an academic based preschool, this place is not for your kids. But please at least attend an open house event to see it for yourself even though you are not looking for a play based preschool. I've both of my kids went to FPNS for a total of 3 years, & I was very happy every year that we enrolled.
A few years ago, I was invited to an open house event at FPNS, I wasn't planning on signing up my son until he's older, but I went just out of curiosity. The caring teachers & parents at the event that day made me fell in love with the school instantly. Going to the school felt like being at play date with parents & kids. I immediately signed up after exchanging emails with one of the board member who was specialized in enrollment. This is a co-op school meaning each parent has to do its share.
Each day that we went to FPNS, the same loving & caring environment was there. The teachers there respect each kid as a human being. Behavior issues were always being addressed in a loving & caring way. It's not your typical large preschool with 1 teacher to 20+ kids running around. Teachers aren't just there to monitor & guide the kids during school hours. It's more than that. The teachers treated everyone with respect & calmly worked out any situations that arised. The teachers gave 1 on 1 time for each kid. Each project taught kids about numbers, alphabets & how to follow directions. As for outsiders, it all looks like the kids are just playing during school hours with no formal academic learning. But it's designed in such a magical way that kids are learning while playing.
In the real world, It's easy to be academically prepared for most kids. However, it's not easy to be socially well prepared for most kids. Just ask any kindergarten teacher, they will tell you that they prefer socially well prepared kids than only academically well prepared kids. You can easily help the kid along if they fall behind academically. Kids need to have strong foundation for them to be socially well prepared, & it needs to start when they were young.
Both of my kids are still shy up to this date, they did well academically & socially. Attending FPNS gave them confidence to be themselves, to use their imaginations, to respect others, to resolve conflicts among their peers, to listen when important instructions are being given, & the bonus is that we all made a lot of very very good friends both kids & adults along the way.
"Fpns is like home away from home for me and my child .I feel like I am leaving him with a friend rather than a teacher or adult( another working parent) three years at fpns has flew away so quickly that I feel hurt in a way to leave this place but surely will remain in my heart forever." -P.K.
"As a parent at FPNS, I feel reassured to leave my child in the care of people i personally know, and I love how we develop friendships and long term bonding with parents and teachers here. Your child starts to see school as a community, a happy place, it feels homey." -N.T.
I have been looking for a co-op for sometime in the east bay and have had no success. I came across FPNS randomly on yelp and was so happy to see there was a cop-op in my area. What I love most is this is a certified Nature school and the parents make the school. It is the coolest thing ever. Especially if you want to be heavily involved in your Childs early development activities. The parents are all so nice and there is a huge sense of belonging and community. I highly recommend this school if you want to nurture your children to become independent thinkers and risk takers. They benefit from culinary skills, gardening, play based learning, art without an end result (free to create), how to accept disappointment and positive - negative emotions.
Alex L. wrote on 8/23/23
A year in and my child has prospered in so many ways. Building confidence in physical play, social interaction, dealing with difficult situations - all of these are possible because of the FPNS environment and model.
I firmly believe that the FPNS philosophy is one that builds all the right "soft skills" for children to succeed in the near term and long term.
Carrie V. wrote on 9/27/22
I can't even begin to describe how much this place has changed my life for the better since joining the school six months ago. My daughter is having the absolute time of her life every single day at preschool. She plays so hard, gets so messy and is really coming out of her shell. She was a little late on some of her gross motor skills, and this school was the perfect place for her to push herself in little ways and get more and more confident. She's learned to jump and climb and generally be more adventurous.
Tory H. wrote on 3/15/21
My son has been a student at FPNS since Fall 2019. The teachers at the school are amazing and truly love what they do. I have seen how they are able to adjust their teaching to accommodate every child's needs. The classes incorporated circle time, open play, craft time, story time and outdoor play. I can't stress enough how happy it made me watching my son build relationships with his classmates. In addition, I love that since this is a cooperative preschool it allowed me to be involved in my son's education and I was able to observe how he interacted with the teachers, classmates and other parents. When my son would have a question or need help, the parent would support. My son learned to be able to go to others vs. feeling that he always had to come to me. This also allowed me to spend time with the other children. On the days that I didn't have to work in the classroom I always felt comfortable leaving my son with the parents and teachers. Another wonderful thing about FPNS is that I have created such close friendships with my fellow moms. We chat all the time and they are great resource for advice.
Due to COVID, the school has been conducting Distance Learning classes via Zoom and includes a monthly activity packet. I have to be honest; I wasn't sure how my son would do in the virtual environment vs. in person. I'm happy to say that he loves it. The classes are 30 minutes/ 2x a week and they have been amazing. Teacher Kavitha has planned some wonderful classes that have kept my son engaged. This is not an easy task for 3-4 year olds. The activity packs that she has created have contained craft items, educational worksheets and fun activities. Another plus is that the majority of his classmates from last year also are in his distance learning class.
I would highly recommend Fremont Parents' Nursery school.
Crista A. wrote on 2/15/21
We love FPNS! The teachers are very warm and attentive of every child. When we were attending in person we liked that the kids got to decide what activities they were interested in. My son loved spending time outside at the sandbox and play equipment. And I enjoyed getting to see how the class is run.
Since moving to distance learning, we've been consistently impressed by the teacher's online classes and take home activities. You can tell they put a lot of time and care into everything.
Mit B. wrote on 2/2/21
We enrolled our son in the FPNS online program and it has been great. He instantly connected with his teacher, Ms. Reena and has enjoyed doing all the activities. Teachers prepared and delivered all the materials required for the activities. They also uploaded videos and pictures to simplify the activities. We feel our child has learned a lot to prepare him for kindergarten. We feel very fortunate to be part of the FPNS family.
Stacy G. wrote on 1/26/21
We've been with FPNS since 2017 and have seen the school adapt and change to a variety of circumstances. The distance learning program is an example of this. The board, teachers, and director, have done an amazing job of creating an engaging, educational, age-appropriate distance learning program for preschoolers. They understand the needs of students this age, the abilities, and their developmental stage so intimately that they are able to support the children and the parents to help everybody thrive as much as possible during a pandemic. I am truly grateful for the school, the board, the teachers, the director, and the other families who have helped my children continue to grow.
Julie R. wrote on 9/28/18
FPNS was perfect for our family and we miss it now that our daughter has moved on to Kindergarten.
Our son and daughter each spent 3 years at the school. Before choosing FPNS we visited several area preschools and did out research on the types of schools we were interested in. Once we visited FPNS and saw the play-based co-op environment in action we were sold and never looked back. FPNS was the gentlest introduction to school we could have asked for, both for us as parents and for our kids.
The parent involvement at FPNS was very attractive to me, one because our son was nervous about starting school so I could be there with him to ease him into school. Second, I liked the parental presence at school when I wasn't there. It was comforting to me knowing that there were at least 3 other parents there at all times, beyond the teachers.
We also chose a play-based learning environment for our kids because we believe that kids learn best through play at these early ages. FPNS allowed them to be the kids they are while still learning. At FPNS our kids thrived and have gone on to be outgoing happy kids at their elementary school.
I also can't say enough about the teachers. Our son was a bit of a challenge in his last year and the teachers were so helpful in working with him and following up with us.
Finally, I would say the greatest thing we got out of attending FPNS were the friends we made. My son is now in 2nd grade, so 3 years after leaving FPNS we still have a weekly play date with his FPNS friends. And for my daughter's class we have made bonds that will certainly last long after our time at the school.
I can't speak highly enough about this school. I would encourage you to check it out.
Marie M wrote on 8/4/2012
Great Teachers: CHECK
Great Parents: CHECK
Great Learning Environment (for both children and parents!) CHECK! CHECK!
Rarely will we as parents get a chance to play an integral role in our child's development! It's a loving environment where parents and children really come together as a community. I've tried the "mommy groups" and tried other local community events, but nothing has compared.
Yes--it's a co-op. Don't think because you may work full-time that you wouldn't get the full experience from this type of school. It was a great way to get the whole family involved. Grandma drops him off, Me and dad have switched off to our time requirements at the school. The time I miss at work is always well spent with my son and our friends at FPNS.
School's out for the summer and my son is already asking when we are going back! WE LOVE FPNS!!!
Roop S wrote on 3/1/2013
Really great school - creates a tailored and customized learning plan for each kid - child driven. Our 3 year old has had issues adjusting with other schools and with the love and attention at this school, is progressing much better.
Nicole B wrote on 9/20/2012
This is a fantastic preschool!! My son is three and he loves it. The teachers are wonderful they really care and take an interest in each and every child. I love the fact that you can be directly involved with your child at school and being able to participate in class and interact with the other children. They have a great atmosphere of fun, play , and learning . They have several yearly field trips and a great math and science fair every year. All of the parents work and help each other out . I would recommend this to any parent seeking a quality preschool at an affordable fee to come join FPNS.
Jodie H wrote on 1/22/2013
My experience with Fremont Parent Nursery School has been nothing but wonderful. I just wish I had found this preschool sooner. My daughter has been with this school since the 2011/2012 school year. She has developed so much self esteem and self awareness from this school. The teachers are kind and loving. They have a high priority to teach the children problem solving. This is my daughters last year there before heading onto Kindergarten. It will be a sad goodbye. If you are a parent who can take the time to help out at your child's school, I would highly recommend this one.
Robert B wrote on 3/19/2013
This is a great school for several reasons:
1) Teacher to student ratio is very low, usually 3 students (ors less) to every one teacher.
2) Tuition is very affordable, much lower than other schools
3) Teachers really work with each student to help them learn and socialize.
My experience with other pre-schools was that the teacher student ratio was usually the maximum allowed by law (I believe 12-1 for over 3 and 8-1 for under 3). Also other preschools would often council out children that had problems adjusting or required extra attention, especially if they had a waiting list.
In general other preschools treat the education of children as a business, while FPNS does not. I suppose this is because other preschools are for-profit, but FPNS is a non-profit.
In summary, this is a great school that really goes out of its way to help your child learn.
Ida L wrote on 8/8/2013
This is the perfect preschool for my kids. I was looking for a preschool that's play based & promote healthy socializing for both kids & adults. For anyone who is looking for an academic based preschool, this place is not for your kids. But please at least attend an open house event to see it for yourself even though you are not looking for a play based preschool. I've both of my kids went to FPNS for a total of 3 years, & I was very happy every year that we enrolled.
A few years ago, I was invited to an open house event at FPNS, I wasn't planning on signing up my son until he's older, but I went just out of curiosity. The caring teachers & parents at the event that day made me fell in love with the school instantly. Going to the school felt like being at play date with parents & kids. I immediately signed up after exchanging emails with one of the board member who was specialized in enrollment. This is a co-op school meaning each parent has to do its share.
Each day that we went to FPNS, the same loving & caring environment was there. The teachers there respect each kid as a human being. Behavior issues were always being addressed in a loving & caring way. It's not your typical large preschool with 1 teacher to 20+ kids running around. Teachers aren't just there to monitor & guide the kids during school hours. It's more than that. The teachers treated everyone with respect & calmly worked out any situations that arised. The teachers gave 1 on 1 time for each kid. Each project taught kids about numbers, alphabets & how to follow directions. As for outsiders, it all looks like the kids are just playing during school hours with no formal academic learning. But it's designed in such a magical way that kids are learning while playing.
In the real world, It's easy to be academically prepared for most kids. However, it's not easy to be socially well prepared for most kids. Just ask any kindergarten teacher, they will tell you that they prefer socially well prepared kids than only academically well prepared kids. You can easily help the kid along if they fall behind academically. Kids need to have strong foundation for them to be socially well prepared, & it needs to start when they were young.
Both of my kids are still shy up to this date, they did well academically & socially. Attending FPNS gave them confidence to be themselves, to use their imaginations, to respect others, to resolve conflicts among their peers, to listen when important instructions are being given, & the bonus is that we all made a lot of very very good friends both kids & adults along the way.
"Fpns is like home away from home for me and my child .I feel like I am leaving him with a friend rather than a teacher or adult( another working parent) three years at fpns has flew away so quickly that I feel hurt in a way to leave this place but surely will remain in my heart forever." -P.K.
"As a parent at FPNS, I feel reassured to leave my child in the care of people i personally know, and I love how we develop friendships and long term bonding with parents and teachers here. Your child starts to see school as a community, a happy place, it feels homey." -N.T.
