based on 8 reviews
Friends Nursery School
957 Colorado Avenue
Palo Alto, CA
94303
(650) 856-6152
http://www.pafns.org
By: bikelover
Date: February, 2007
Both my children are in Elementary school now but they got a great start at Friends Nursery School. FNS is a play based nursery run but a terrific set of teachers. The teachers are kind and caring and are very good with making sure the children are comfortable. The teachers are very good at understanding what is necessary for the kids to be ready for Kindergarten and they use all their resources to make sure each child is growing in a way that leads them there.
By: Palo Alto Neighbor
Date: February, 2007
We spent many years at Friends Nursery School with our children and loved every minute. The teachers are phenomenal. Since FNS is a co-op, parents get to know each other through work days, Fiesta, participating parent classroom time, rummage sale, etc. My kids, now all in elementary school, have incredibly fond memories of FNS and so do I!
By: Your Neighbor
Date: June, 2008
Friends Nursery School is an amazing place! The teachers are incredibly nurturing, respectful, and skilled at dealing with little ones. All three of my children have had such a great experience there.
The teachers have very long tenure (many 10+ years) and are so skilled at seeing each child as an individual and understanding what motivates them.
This is a co-op school with some parent involvement, but no night meetings. The school is run by a parent board and thus is quite open and fair in its decision-making processes.
We tried a few other preschools before finding Friends. Absolutely love this place!!
By: Your Neighbor
Date: November, 2008
This is the most amazing pre school in Palo Alto. The whole ambiance is one of care and support, for both children and parents. The children are respected for their individuality. The focus is on their social development , and the boosting of their self esteem. In our crazy world of rush and tear here is a place where children can explore, relax,and be busy with the most important task of childhood.... playing. Their individual personalities are treasured, whilst they are gently guided to blend in with their playmates. The activities the children are offered are many, open ended, and allow the children to take them to whatever level they like.
My daughter was a tom boy, had A.D.D. and lots of energy. At Friends she bloomed. Guided by the experienced, educated teachers she learned how to be bring her enthusiasm to the group without disruption, use her words, feel like she was the greatest kid, and become an amazing grown up(she has her PHD now)
I am in close contact with Friends, and still know many parents with children there, this is THE nursery to go to if you want your child to flourish, to pursue their interests and be guided by the most qualified staff.
The other reason for my admiration of this organization is the fact that they offer scholarships. The parents and teachers of the school work hard to put on fundraisers and events to enable 10% of the students to be scholarship children. They put their hands on their heart rather than in in their pockets to make sure that these needy children get the early start in life that will give them a chance to develop their whole potential.
When you visit this school you will pick up the atmosphere of love and caring, see busy children, no fighting, and teachers down at children's levels, really listening and responding to their needs.
You will be so lucky to have a place in this excellent play-based school.
By: Your Neighbor
Date: November, 2008
My 2 children are in the 4s program at Friends, having been in the 3s program last year. They love it and I love it. The strength of Friends is in the social and emotional development of the children. They emphasize sharing, cooperation, and empathizing with others. The teachers are caring and attentive. The art projects are amazing and my daughter's artistic creativity has blossomed while she's been at Friends. They teach the children to become decision-makers about their activities and value the decisions the children make. Social maturity, comfort with all kinds of other children and ease with making decisions about themselves are the best preparation for K I can imagine!
The parents have a strong sense of community and all of them participate actively in the school as much as they can, given the usual constraints of other children and jobs etc.
It's a refreshing antidote to the overly academic preschools that are gaining popularity around here. They let kids be kids!
By: Your Neighbor
Date: November, 2008
My child is now in the 4s program, having completed the 3s program at Friends last year. One aspect of the programs at Friends that is particularly unique and impressive is the experience level of the teachers- not only do they have many years of preschool teaching under their respective belts, but they have been teaching together, as a team, for quite some time as well. This collective level of experience translates into a very confident, calm and caring group of teachers from whom both children and parents can learn!
By: Your Neighbor
Date: November, 2008
My kids love this play-based school! Friends Nursery School has gentle, caring teachers that really know how to handle my very sensitive son. The outdoor play area is large and shady so I know he can stretch his legs and run to his heart's content all day. They have a wonderful, varied selection of toys and activities that children can play with.
This school is best at developing the necessary emotional and social skills for kindergarten. The only negative thing I can think of is that there seems to be no kindergarten readiness in terms of academic skills, i.e. no systematic effort to introduce letter or number recognition, counting, etc..
By: Preschool Survey 2007
Date: May, 2007
They provide a loving caring environment that nutures social development.
Likes: The facilities, staff and teacher-child ratio.
Dislikes: The school is not academic enough.
