New School of Berkeley

Both my kids go to New School — one just started at age 2.5 and my older kid, who’s been there since age 2 and is currently in the after-​care program. To many, New School may seem quite unstructured and more than a bit chaotic. However, from personal experience I can say that whatever their ‘system’ is, it works. Both my kids look forward to going there every day, and as a parent that’s a good sign.
Here’s what, in my opinion, makes New School a great preschool:
— The teachers here are amazing, and most have been here for years. They believe in personal attention and positive discipline, and seem to genuinely care about what the kids are doing. I also find it striking is that all the teachers seem to know all the kids, not just those in their class. Some of the teacher assistants are also willing to babysit after-​hours, which is a big help.
— There’s lots of outdoor space and nature activities, including rabbits, a fish tank and a vegetable garden that the kids help to take care of. Outdoor play is structured so that for part of the day, kids play with other kids of the same age (same class); and in the afternoon, also get to play with kids of other ages (with teacher supervision to make sure things don’t get too rough).
— Food! Parents provide lunch but the school has amazing, healthy snacks three times a day (including hot meals) that help kids try out lots of new foods that they probably wouldn’t touch at home.
— Kids have a lot of freedom to explore. They’re not forced to be part of any activity. At the same time, there’s a whole variety of things for them to participate in, on a daily basis. There’s painting, play dough (home-​made), crafts, reading, music, dance, capoeira, cooking as well as a bunch of age-​appropriate and educational toys.
— There are weekly field trips, as well as an annual camping trip to Mendocino. There are several pot luck events, as well as fund-​raiser ‘bazaars’ which get a lot of parents to get to know each other.
— New School is amazingly diverse, even for Berkeley. This is great for kids, in my opinion.
— The school is ‘play-​based’ yet somehow kids learn enough ‘academic’ stuff to be well prepared for kindergarten. After-​school kids can get help with homework.
Are there any problems? Of course, but all minor ones — New School is not exceptional in ‘marketing’ what they have, nor are they very tech-​savvy in communicating with parents (though there are regular newsletters).

My son just finished 3 years at New School and it’s been like a family for us. The staff is wonderful, many of them either sent their own children there or attended New School themselves when they were kids. I think this says a lot. It’s a creative and eclectic group of teachers, a good mix of male and female. This school is very unstructured in their approach to children. This can be really great if your family is looking for unstructured play, and if your child thrives in this type of environment. For those that do better with structure, it’s a bit harder (like with our son) to find your groove. The best take away from this school is the amount of love and care the teachers have for the children. I couldn’t ask for anything more for my child. Here they really recognize each child’s individuality and foster it, through love and support as well as challenging the kids to grow in positive ways. The field trips and experiences are wonderful. Our son has made some great friends here. Such a wonderful and unique place!

New school is fabulous. My 4 and 6 year old kiddos have been there for 2 plus years. The staff is loving, affectionate and attentive. The children get tons of time outside and there are two huge outdoor spaces with a garden, rabbits, ampitheater and play structures. They allow the children to play and socialize and there are always child-​lead learning opportunities. My son is in K now and the teachers are impressed with his communication skills and his empathy. Regular field trips encourage the kids to explore and become independent. My kids love it there and consider the teachers their friends.

I was really interested in this place, but their terrible customer service, unresponsiveness and lack of accommodation has made me lose all interest. They don’t respond to inquires and give you the runaround when they do. I do not want to put my child in an environment where there is such a lack of care and professionalism.

Lots of art and play. Jeannie is amazing! Plenty of time outside, running around.

my two daughers have attended this school for 3 plus years. I have nothing bad to say about it. It literally saved my life because as a single mom it tore my heart out to have to put my daughters into preschool before they were two years old. But I had no choice. Anyway, this place was like a godsend to me, I owe them the world. They are truly the closest thing to family that I could have chosen, and I feel that my kids benefited so much from their experience there that they will forever be better individuals.
niki, jeanie, marcelena, jennifer, jamou, suzanne, susannie, jazmin, nikki two, najmey, karen, gabriel, alfonso, corin, rubina, pamela, mary, THANK YOU ALL