Presbyterian Early Learning Center

We had our two sons go here, both attending the 2’s, 3’s, and 4’s rooms and the second one attending pre-​kindergarten here.
Pros:
Most of the teachers are nice. I can’t say many were particularly warm, but most were nice.
They really focus on play instead of academics, which I appreciate. There’s plenty of time for academics later.
There’s endless crafts; painting, gluing, drawing (crafts that they bring home)… and endless use of hands-​on toys with magnets, beads, building toys, etc., a nice playground with sand and grass shaded by trees and a canopy. This is what I loved about PELC. At this age, I want my child using his senses to explore the world.
Adorable singing performances for Christmas, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day.
Cons:
The quiet child is not tolerated here. They MUST find a friend to play with ALL the time. Parent requests to allow the child to rest (maybe read in a quiet corner) are not honored and are in fact met with open disdain.
When you have a problem and feel the need to escalate it to the director, Grace, she is hostile and tells you that you can leave PELC if you don’t like it and threatens to kick you out even.
Many sugary snacks.
Overall, it’s a decent place if your child fits in their box. Just be warned that if you have issues, they are often met with open disdain. If you don’t like it, it’s time to start looking elsewhere.

My daughter attended PELC nearly three years. My daughter is very happy and excited to go there everyday. My daughter always talk about how much she had fun with all the teachers and staff as well as her class mates! She is very happy and I think she feels like she is really a part of PELC family as well as mother, myself. Because all the teachers and staff are so caring and loving!
My daughter was a very shy girl initially but now she is very sociable and also very curious. My daughter currently attends full day three year old class, their curriculum is also very well organized and she learned a lot. Also I would like to mention that she was so excited to attend a Hot Shot sports program by Mr. Dave.
I really wish I could send my son here but a waiting list was too long at that time. My son was able to attend their summer school and he was still talking about how excited and interesting it was!

My younger brother went to PELC after my parents decided that the preschool I attended wasn’t a good fit for him. They chose PELC based on stellar recommendations from family and friends, and we were not disappointed. It is clear why this school has so many fans and has been around for so long, my brother still talks about how amazing his teachers were and how much he learned.
Now, my friends’ children attend and I love hearing them rave about PELC and the teachers and the curriculum. The staff know all the kids by name, even those in other classes, and even remember things like their favourite superhero or what they did on their last vacation.
Much of the staff that was there when my brother attended is still there, and they remember him and his favourite things even though it’s been years since he was in their classes. They clearly love their jobs and the kids they work with, and their energy and love for their job is contagious.
PELC is by far the best preschool I have had experience with, and the reviews from family and friends are always the best!
PELC is amazing!

My daughter has been going to PELC for over three years. She was in the Mother’s Day Out program and then transitioned to the part-​time 3’s (Teddy Bear room) and then to the part-​time 4’s (Fantasyland).
I have nothing but praise for this organization and it’s teachers. My daughter was a shy girl who clung to me when I first started taking her and has just blossomed in the three years she has attended their program.
The teachers know her name by the second week of class. The projects are fun and learning based and the children have a great time. My daughter wishes she could go every day.
I am not familiar with the case of the previous report, but I have been told I can drop in at any time and attend class. They have an open door policy. And I have dropped by and so has my mom and my husband, on various occasions and they have always seen the children being taken excellent care of and having lots of fun.
I also have to say that the administrators are great. Especially Susan in the front office. The teachers are well educated and caring. The organization donates to various non-​profits in the Sunnyvale area and I think that is really important for our children to see the benefits of helping the community.
I am a pretty picky parent and I have been pleasantly surprised by the organization and learning plans associated with PELC. I would definitely recommend the part-​time program. I would also recommend Hot Shots for after school program.

I couldn’t disagree more with the other reviewers. My child went to PELC for four years, in both the Mother’s Day Out program and the preschool, and I can only say good things. We’ve always been welcome to observe and encouraged to come in and share something with the class (I’ve visited to read stories and to cook).
I’ve never seen the need for the teachers to discipline a child: They help kids defuse and resolve problems before they escalate. My son has used the techniques he learned at PELC at home, even teaching his older sibling a thing or two.
Teachers have been warm and friendly, and respectful when my son shy wanted some space at first. He soon warmed up, and we’ve been happy to see him become increasingly confident and outgoing with his classmates and the adults on campus.
The flexible after-​hours care policy has been a tremendous help, allowing my spouse and I to handle last-​minute work demands and school commitments for our other child. My child spent mornings with the full class, and some afternoons with a smaller group — his teachers’ observations of how he interacted in each group size was very helpful, and they’ve helped him grow happily comfortable in both settings.
We’ve had a few teachers change, but for the most part my son enjoys visiting with teachers throughout his time at PELC.
We stayed in the 4’s classroom instead of pre-​K, and my child is well-​prepared to start kindergarten this fall. The school communicates the monthly themes and daily activities. While there is no written daily report — how could there be time for that? — teachers have been very open to chatting with parents at drop-​off and pick-​up.
Our family has experience with some other preschools too, and I am so glad we found PELC (and so are most of the other families we know there.)

I’m loving this year in the Sunshine Room! My daughter has been in the rainbow and sunshine room (full times 3s and 4s) and also spends a little bit of time in the Pre-​K room with Ms. Sue.
Quick list of great things here:
–The teachers here are loving and FUN! We have especially loved Ms. Lynette, Ms. Hailey, Ms. Susila, Ms. Sherilyn, and Ms. Sue
–Ms. Frevert is a retired teacher and teaches a music class 1X a week for the kids and my daughter loves it
–There’s a PE program, additional fee, but it’s been great
–The office staff can’t be beat. I’ve had some great interactions and experiences with Grace, the director and Susan who is the gatekeeper of all information here.
I have some friends who are in the part time programs and they are having similar experiences.

It was a difficult decision in finding a preschool for my daughter when she was 2 ½, but am so glad I found PELC. The teachers are warm and very involved with the children. My daughter loves going to school and has grown so much academically, and socially. The director is very visible and available. She is very involved with students, parents and staff. I love feeling comfortable and confident about where my child spends her day!

I want to write an update as our child attends another school now. There is one downside that I want to mention. My child does not get sick as often in the school. When my child was at PELC, there was a new bug brought home every week or every other week. Children who are sick are allowed to be in school and I think that is how the germs get spread easily. The part time classroom are shared with other classes on other days so the things get touched by different kids a lot more. Not sure if the toys are disinfected often enough. The classroom is actually quite small by comparison. Kind of claustaphobic and not condusive to growth than if there was more space in the classroom. Another minus is the billing/​invoice system is not that great.

My daughter has been going to PELC since August of 2010. We enrolled her based on the amazing reveiws that we have gotten from friends and neighbors over the years. And now that we’re there, we can see why this preschool has been around for 50 yrs!
Everything in the class is so well organized and lessons are thoughtfully planned. All staff is very warm and loving, always saying hello to my daughter by name each and every morning. The office staff even knows my child by name and tells me little stories of things they have observed through the window while she’s out playing. Many of the staffmembers and teachers and have been there for YEARS. All seem to get along very well together and really enjoy being there. I get the feeling that it’s more than a job for them; they love these kids!
For us, this is as good as it gets. The school is as close to a family and home environment as can be in a structured preschool setting. The classrooms are well kept and the playground is amazing. It’s like the kids have their own private park!
Fridays are extra special as the kids get to have their faces painted and some one these are VERY elaborate! My daughter came home bearing a striking resemblence to Hello Kitty a few weeks back. It was amazing!
I can’t say enough about how loving and nurturing the environment is at PELC. My daughter is already enrolled to move onto the 4 yr old class next Fall and we are thrilled as is she!
WE LOVE PELC!

My 4 year-​old has thrived at this school. She adores her teachers and she’s always coming home singing songs she learned and showing us artwork she’s done. In the 9 months she’s been at the school, she has learned to read. The field trips have been wonderful too – Humane Society, Happy Hollow, and a planetarium to name a few. The only thing that can use a little improvement is the food they give the kids – we personally don’t think Goldfish and spray-​on «butter» are ok. Otherwise, this is a wonderful school.

I have two children currently attending PELC and I could not be happier. I have enrolled them in both the Mother’s Day out programs and the part-​time preschool and both have been a great fit for my family. The teachers are extremely loving, warm and welcoming.
PELC has been great at adapting and changing to meet the needs of their customers. This year they extended the part-​time preschool hours to 9−12pm and it is so much better. They also added a program called enrichment and additional drop-​in hours to help families have a more flexible schedule based on their needs.
Lastly, PELC is affordable. It is an excellent value for the money. The loving and dedicated staff, the hot shots and music programs and the clean, welcoming facility all make this an excellent choice for both mother’s day out and preschool education.

I have been sending my children to PELC for 2 years now and have loved every minute of it. PELC does a wonderful job creating a warm, nurturing, safe environment where my both kids feel completely at home. I have continuously extended how much of the day my daughter spends at PELC and still she never gets enough or wants to come home! The teachers are very warm and friendly to parents and children alike.
I am a fan of all the fun projects, the Mother’s Day Out program, the teachers and environment… but most of all, I am so happy to send my kids to a place that they just love. What more could you want in introducing your child to ‘school’ than a place that fosters a love of learning while feeling as warm and safe as at home? :)

Our child was in the Full Time 3 – 4 year old room from June 2010-​Feb 2011. Although I’ve heard great things about the Moms Day Out and part time programs, unfortunately our experience in the full time 3 – 4 year old classroom wasn’t very positive.
Pros:
* The facility is awesome! The playground is huge, there is a gym where they can have classes or go when it is raining.
* Music and Hot Shots teachers are outstanding, our child really looked forward to these classes.
Cons:
* Physical abuse — Our child told us that a teacher hit her, punched her, and poked her in the eye. The director defended the teacher and the issue was never addressed. The teacher is still in the room. The director said that if we talked to other parents about this issue, she would kick us out of the school.
* No drop-​in policy — After the hitting incident, when we wanted to stop by to observe the classroom, the director informed us that we were obnoxious parents and we were not allowed to stop by the classroom unannounced because we were making the teachers nervous. We stood in the parking lot 30 ft away from the room and tried to look through the window, but she also said we were not allowed to stand in the parking lot and observe the room. If we violated this, she threatened to kick us out of the center. Note that this policy goes against what is written in their handbook, and is also illegal. For this point and the above point, we have filed an official complaint with the licensing office. Since the original writing of the review, the licensing office said that they could find ‘no evidence’ of any of these claims. (Of course the school isn’t going to admit any of this.)
* Staff turnover — three teachers turned over while we were there.
* Inconsistent staffing — there are a total of 5 – 6 teachers in this room, 3 on the morning shift, 3 on the afternoon. There is little consistency.
* ‘Warm body’ teachers — the teachers don’t seem to really care about the kids. They don’t remember items the kids need help with (like remembering to potty, sucking thumb, remember to drink water), so the children don’t make progress on any developmental issues. They often don’t greet the kids in the morning, sometimes circle time doesn’t happen, and when the kids are playing they are just sitting there staring into space.
* Bribing children with M&Ms– teachers bribe kids with M&Ms for cleaning up, etc. They don’t have the control or rapport with the children to get them to do anything without junk food. We brought this up and the teachers disagreed with us, saying that it’s perfectly reasonable to bribe kids with M&Ms daily. Note that this contradicts what is written in their handbook. Additionally, the teachers would usually clean up after the children, so the children never learned to be responsible.
* Sugar heaven — During cooking week, all the projects used junk food — cookies, soda, etc. The teachers gave out valentines with chocolate & lollies. There is sugar served at almost every snack (including cupcakes at 10am!). Children get into poor dietary habits here. Teachers & director defend the children’s right to eat sugar. Note that this contradicts what is written in the handbook.
* No communication– teachers don’t communicate anything, so you have to rely on your child to tell you what happened during the day. Several parents have brought up this issue, but nothing has improved.
* Sick child policy — when our child got sick at school, they left her in the middle of the room sitting in the teachers chair screaming her head off while the other 20 children played around her in chaos. They didn’t send her to the office or put her in a quiet corner away from the other children so she wouldn’t infect them. It was horrific to behold. Upon getting up, our child threw up all over. The teachers didn’t immediately come to help, and another child walked right through the vomit and kept walking around the room. The teachers didn’t care.
* Disclosure of confidential information — On several occasions, the director and teachers disclosed information to us about other children that we did not think was appropriate (X ‘s parents are going through a divorce, Y has a health issue, child Z is «clueless»)