Starkids Preschool & Kindergarten

The owner Amy is very professional, personable and friendly. You can see that she runs a very good daycare with caring responsible staff members such as Ms. Kim. She has been in the business for a long time and she does care about the kids, their happiness and education. It’s too bad that our kids did not get a chance to enroll. There is a long wait list so if you want to go here make sure to sign up early.

My son has been going to school here since he was 2 and a half. When he first started here, his teacher spoke Chinese and English. He was able to understand a few words in Cantonese. He learned to socialize, eat with others, and share. The teachers here are very nice. Homework was given starting at 3 years old. Price is reasonable, compared to many other places. If you want your child to start learning to write their name, know their letter and sounds, and numbers before they enter Kindergarten, then this school is right for your child.

We visited this school twice and put our daughter on the waiting list twice. I called to see when she would be let in and they said they didn’t have her on any waiting list. And when I asked to add her name they told me they weren’t accepting any new names. The director hardly speaks English and she made it clear multiple times they are only interested in families with multiple kids. This place is just out for your money and doesn’t run an ethical school.

I really like this school. The teachers are very TLC. My daughter went there for only about six months and got out due to relocation. We occasionaly go back and visit the teachers there too.
No complains about the school. Lunches are freshly made every day. The facility is very clean but a bit old. It will be best if they can update the playground and some of the hardware in the school. The price is very resonable.
Overall, i appreciated every thing the school had done for my daughter. A good place to consider to put your child in.

Very friendly teachers! my son loves all the teachers and the owner is always there to help out. I love that they speak Chinese to my son, he looks forward to go to school every morning. I recommended this place to few of my friends.

called to get more information about preschool, facility, curriculum and to request a possible tour. The phone number provided direct me to a staff’s cellphone number. The staff was very unprofessional and rude. You can hear that she was driving and doing something else while trying to answer my phone call. She kept saying «no room. we full.»
Based on this phone call first impression, I would not even bother wasting my time to schedule appt.

Overall, I am very pleased with this preschool. My son has been attending for 2 years now and will continue to enroll for another year before he begins Kindergarten. I have seen my son who was initially very shy, thrive here. He can be a little emotional and very attached, but all the teachers have been very accommodating and seem to have really brought out his social side. Academically, I am very pleased as an educator myself. He was already reading as a 3 year old. They do have homework on a daily basis, even on weekends in the older classroom, but it is fairly simple and done within 10 minutes. They do have two performances a year, one at Christmas and in June for graduation. I am always very impressed with how it’s done, and the energy and effort put into it. Also, I am always very impressed with how CLEAN and organized the classrooms and outside play areas are.
The population is mostly Chinese– I would say most of the students come in speaking either Mandarin or Cantonese as their primary language, and all the teachers know and speak both as well. Now, my son does not speak either (I am an ABC, and we speak English at home) but one benefit i did not expect was that my son casually picked up a lot of Mandarin just by attending. Instruction is done in English, but especially in the younger classes, much supplemental instruction is done in Mandarin/​Cantonese to aide those students who do not speak any English. Personally I was very pleased that he picked it up so quickly and this is a perfect age to pick up another language. In fact, because of it I am considering some elementary schools with a dual language program.
For lunch, they generally serve both Chinese/​Asian and American foods, which is nice that I don’t have to pack a hot lunch, but I do wish they would serve more healthy foods like fresh vegetables and American foods tend to be more junky– hot dogs, chicken nuggets.) They tend to also give a lot of candy/​cupcakes etc during birthday parties/​holidays and such, but I understand that parents bring them in and I can’t control that. They also include a morning snack which usually consists of fresh fruit, which i like.
I do wish they would sometimes expose the kids to other curriculum aside from general reading and math, such as social studies and science. I do notice the teachers do not speak perfect English as it is their second language. At times I have difficult time understanding some of them, and I know my son will occasionally mispronounce a word due to hearing them say it incorrectly. However, I feel it is minor due to the amount of care that they put into teaching and working with the kids.

Everyone it’s official, due to my Unilocal review, the school has a one year waiting list, please sign up early

I’m a big fan of this school. My two kids both attend, and I’m happy with the level of instruction and the facilities. It’s a clean, cheery place – three classrooms, two play yards, plus access to some of the church facilities for graduation, the Christmas pageant, etc.
I’ll weigh in on a few of the previous reviewer’s notes:
1) With regards to kids learning Mandarin: Many of the students come from homes where Chinese is spoken. The teachers all speak Mandarin and/​or Cantonese informally with the kids to keep them in line, but all instruction is in English. My daughter has been here for two years, and might understand some Mandarin, but I wouldn’t advertise it as a selling point.
2) No complaints here on the homework assignments for 3+ year olds. They’re simple to do, and are designed to teach the kids the idea that schoolwork is done at home. Usually they mirror what’s happening in the classroom. I’ve found it interesting to watch my daughter’s evolution over the past year.
3) Diversity-​wise, this is a VERY Chinese school, but that’s not a surprise, given Arcadia’s population. The parents I’ve met are friendly, some are more Americanized than others – something to consider if you’re looking for a community of parents.
4) Star Kids currently offers weekly dance, art, and Chinese classes as extras you can pay for.