PHONE: (415) 753-3012
Community Rating
Based on 9 ratings
Community Rating by Year
Teacher quality
Parent involvement
Facilities & equipment
The Community Rating is the school’s average rating from its community members (e.g., parents, students, and school staff). The highest possible rating is five stars; the lowest is one star.
When I first visited Happy Times, I got a really good impression from the teachers and was amazed with the structure and organization of the classrooms and what they had to offer the students. As the school days passed, I noticed that my daughter was not happy with her new school anymore. When I asked the teachers for my daughter's progress, they said she was a good student and there were no problems. I agree with the previous review regarding money being their main concern.
I ended up being very dissappointed in Happy Times. I started out loving Happy Times, but over the past three years, so changes have been made and they are not for the best. The shift of focus has seemed to change and instead of putting the children first, it seems as if money is the main concern now. On top of that, they let go one of their most qualified teachers. When my chidlren started going there, I was really happy with the school, but ended up being very dissappionted.
We've been attending Happy Times for five years, and one of the lovely things about the school is the low teacher turnover. In those five years, one teacher retired and one new teacher came on, but all of the other teachers are the same. For very young children, it is very reassuring to know you will continue to see your favorite teachers throughout the preschool years. I would also say that Happy Times is very interested in making logistics easier on parents. They go out of their way to make drop off and pick up easy; the aftercare program is totally drop-in and pay-as-you go, unlike at other preschools which offer all-or-nothing and/or payment in advance. Finally, I love the Pre-K program. I'm amazed at the progress my child has made during this important year and I know my child will be ready for Kindergarten in the fall.
My daughter loves this school. The teachers are great and there are lots of great celebrations & activities. It's a traditional preschool so don't expect any cutting edge ideas. It seems that they've had the same curriculum for at least 25 years, but the kids like it and they come out ready for kindergarten. It's ideal for families with stay-at-home parents since they kids are only in school for 2 hours & 45 minutes. They offer 2, 3, or 5 mornings a week (9-11:45am) for the two younger classes (ages 2 years, 9 months - 4) and 5 mornings or 3 afternoons (M,T,Th 1-3:45) for the Pre-K class. Each class has 3 teachers and classes seem to range in size from the high teens to the high twenties. They also offer extended care from 8-9am and after school until 4pm on a drop-in basis.
Community ratings and reviews do not represent the views of GreatSchools nor does GreatSchools check their accuracy or verify the reviewers' identities. Use your discretion when evaluating these reviews.
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