Whole Kid School - Menlo Park, California

Rebecca Cavero

Our son attended Whole Kids School for over two years, graduating from Pre-K in May, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the experience. The care and support he received from every single teacher, along with Teacher Shell (who runs the school) were truly incredible. We could see how much they genuinely loved and cared for each kid that came into their class.

When our son first started, he was a very shy boy who was very attached to his mama, but now he’s outgoing, confident, and has remained humble and kind to his friends and teachers (though still just as attached to mama!). The way Whole Kids School tailored the kid's learning by grouping them based on age was wonderful (especially since they have an infant class!), and we appreciated how thoughtfully they handled conflicts between the kids.

We also loved how engaged they were with us parents, from regular communication to sending us daily pictures of our son enjoying his day—it was such a special perk. Leaving the school was bittersweet, and we were so sad when the time came, but the amazing foundation they provided has prepared him perfectly for TK at elementary school.

If we ever have another child, we’ll be running back to Whole Kids School without hesitation!

Anne Marie Francesconi

Highly recommend WKS. Our son has been going there for 2 years now, infant room the preschool, and our daughter just started in the infant room. They love it! Our son runs in the gate every morning and tells us all about his friends at pickup. I’m always impressed by the activities and curriculum to keep them busy. So many art projects and a great outdoor space for play. The teachers are very caring and attentive to development - also low turnover. Love the daily pictures and updates in the app. Hot lunch option is a bonus for us too. Saves us the menu creation and prep, and our picky eater always eats the lunch and snacks at school. WKS has been a great fit for our kids and we feel thankful to have found a place where they are happy and thriving.

Sarah Sanchez

We have had a great experience at WKS! Our kids have gone for 1-2 years and have grown so much during their time there. The director Shell and assistant director are very good with communication and care for each child's development.

Caroline Chung

Let me tell you how wonderful this school is. My almost 4-year-old son is finishing up his first year, and he absolutely loves it! The staff is amazing—the care and compassion they show for every child have been front and center. The leadership of the director, Michelle Doan, is one that I haven’t experienced at any other school. After hearing her presentation at Back-to-School Night, I was blown away by her deep knowledge of and passion for early education—the academics, the importance of a healthy diet, the impact of sleep, etc.—and it ensured me that my son would be well taken care of. That is an understatement. He has grown SO much, and I’m incredibly excited to see what Michelle and her staff deliver for his last year at WKS!

Dana Mor

I feel so lucky to have found WKS for both my boys. Michelle and staff put the kids first and are warm and caring, flexible and cooperative. Activities are well rounded with outdoor play, sensory, academic and social-emotional. The communication via the app is wonderful, with occasional pics and videos, updates around food/snacks and naps, make it easy to keep updated on kids activities and progress. I cannot recommend this school more strongly. Thank you so much WKS!

DJ Gadaleta

My child has been attending Whole Kid School for over a year now and we could not be happier. Their staff are all wonderful, communicative, thoughtful, and care about the children so much. Our child loves her time at school, her teachers, her friends, and their amazing out-door space. They have a great companion app for parents that makes it easy to communicate with staff and receive updates on your child throughout the day. The team is incredibly responsive and always ready to team up with you on parenting strategies so that home and daycare are coordinated (i.e. potty training, introducing foods, etc). I could go on and on, but we really feel it has been a great fit for our child and we would recommend it to anyone looking for daycare in the area. Thank you to the Whole Kid School team for all that you do and for taking such great care of our child!

Allie Cefalo

WKS had been an incredible experience for our daughter (and us!) who has been going for more than two years.

She seems to learn something new every day, and our pediatrician is always impressed to hear from her about what she’s learning “at school”. We started in the infant program and I initially wasn’t excited about the idea of having her be watched in a “group”. Fast forward a few years and we’ve welcomed another baby who I’m excited to have him start going to WKS at the end of mat leave.

Teacher Shell does an incredible job of creating a team of teachers that truly love children and matches them perfectly with the age groups. We love the regular updates and parent teacher check-ins, mostly because you can truly tell that the teachers love what they do and are invested in helping them grow into smart, kind, and curious friends.

Askar Yu

We have been sending our son for 8+ months and Whole Kid School has exceeded our expectations. Teachers are all kind and professional. They pay great attention to the development of our child and regularly provide valuable feedback. Our son loves coming to school and enjoys his time. We are very thankful to Whole Kid School and highly recommend it!