Peregrine School

We tried the afterschool Chinese program. I think it’s great for beginner learners. Lots of culture. For us, my kids are already native speakers and I wanted to continue to expand their knowledge of Mandarin. This place wasn’t a good fit for us.

I have two kids at Peregrine — they love it and so do I. My older one is now in elementary and grew up in the early childhood program, so this is our fourth year at the school. I appreciate that Peregrine focuses on the whole child: social skills, health, language, outdoor education, and creativity, as well as more «academic» learning. The teachers do an amazing job of enabling the kids to follow their interests, weaving student-​driven themes into math, science, art, music, you name it. I’m constantly impressed with my kids’ new vocabulary and songs, creative ideas for projects, investigations into how things work, growing awareness of their responsibilities to others (and the environment), and love of school. This is what school should be like. I wish I were back in kindergarten!
And, okay, a truly superior learning environment is great, but another aspect I appreciate daily? Peregrine PROVIDES lunch and snacks. Sold!

My daughter has been attending Peregrine for 3+ years (ECC and Elementary). Its a great school focused on the child, education in the outdoors, science, and art. The grounds at both sites are amazing.
Because it’s private teachers can focus on teaching the kids and not teaching to a test BUT most kids are ahead of the grade level standards. My daughter reads at an accelerated level and she is able to read with older kids because of the class /​school structure.
I also really like how play based learning is emphasised in both the ECC and elementary. The teachers also focus on emotional intelligence and mindfulness which is an important life skill. Finally the teachers are excellent my daughter has loved every teacher she has had.

This my child’s second year at Peregrine School’s Early Childhood Center (ECC) and we have all been very happy with our experience and time here! Davis is fortunate to have many great preschool options, so much so that when it was time to choose one, as first time parents, we were a little overwhelmed with all the questions we had about: 1) is my child old enough, 2) do we need to be potty trained, 3) do we want a co-​op style school or consider a preschool affiliated wit a religious faith or philosophy, 4) should we be concerned about the vaccination rates of other enrolled children and 5) what is this Montessori that seems to be advertised everywhere?
Simply put, Peregrine School is based on project and play based learning, where your child will have the opportunity to learn through play and engagement with other children, both in the classroom and even on the playground, which in the Reggio Emilia approach, is just an extension to the learning environment. Check out Wikipedia for more detailed info on Reggio Emilia!
My family chose Peregrine for many reasons. First of all, it is a safe environment! Both the West and South sites have locked doors with a staffed front desk. We enrolled our child at 27 months old (though now Peregrine has a program specifically designed for toddlers who are 18 – 24 months old). The teachers told us our child did not need to be potty trained and that assistance with potty training was actually included in their program!!! Although we were tempted to enroll in another school that was co-​op style, we realized that it was much more important for us to have a school where all the teachers are qualified and credentialed to teach. At Peregrine, ECC teachers are required at minimum, to have their Early Childhood Education credits and certifications. In fact, many of the teachers have at least a baccalaureate, while still others have or are working towards their doctorates in education and various other studies. We were also relieved to learn that since one of the co-​founders of Peregrine is an MD, there is already a standard in place requiring vaccinations for enrolled children.
My child also gets fed healthy and nutritious snacks and a lunch while at school a chef and kitchen staff who source local and organically grown food whenever possible. The chefs create a monthly menu, including basics such as pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches, to Mexican and Asian inspired meals. The curriculum includes art on an almost daily basis, and also devotes set days of the week to music, and dance/​movement. In the ECC classrooms, at least one teacher or aide speaks Spanish, so children have plenty of exposure to another language. (*It’s cool to have your child come home and quiz you on Spanish vocabulary*). Also, the school grounds has been delineated into age appropriate settings. You will find gardens, climbing structures, sandy areas for digging and water play, paved areas for trikes and gliders, and at the South site, additional areas for Peregrine’s elementary school kids to have an athletic field and outdoor special projects areas.
Contrary to what another reviewer had written, Peregrine does not have facilities that need updating. The West Site, the most organic and established of the two Peregrine campuses, is of a size and condition comparable to most other preschools in Davis of its size and age. The South Site is setup in a facility built within the last 15 years that was designed and built specifically as a school, thus, making it probably one of the most recently constructed primary school buildings in all of Davis.
The unique thing with both of Peregrine’s campuses is that it changes and evolves seasonally with the kids. The product of their art and imagination are often displayed on the walls and inside the hallways. And while there may be 40 children enrolled on paper, they are spread over several classrooms and grouped by age and development. Also, with the varying part time (2 or 3 days a week) to full time enrollment options, there are never days where all the children are in attendance.
Cost wise, Peregrine School is among the two most expensive in Davis. You will find art, music, playtime and even loving teachers at other preschools without a doubt. But Peregrine School has intrinsic value beyond those things. You may see that your child loves going to school because of the friends they have made and the teachers to whom they have grown attached. But most importantly, you may see that your child develops a love of learning that will hopefully stay with them through high school, college and beyond, and how do you put a value on that?

I had my son in the Peregrine preschool for a year or so. My husband was a graduate student at UC Davis so we were living in Davis temporarily. It is the most expensive school in Davis and definitely not worth the cost. The teachers and admin staff are nice but the facilities (both south and west locations) are in need of updating for sure. The toddler program is huge, around 40 kids and the kids (and the teachers in turn) seem overwhelmed. You definitely are not getting your money’s worth. Best to try other schools such as the Davis Child care centers (four total, and all have full-​time, full-​week care). We eventually ended up there during my son’s second year, and were much more satisfied with the quality of care.

Although I don’t live in Davis I have to comment here and say that Peregrine Preschool is simply hands down THE BEST. Reggio Emilio based… Organic In-​House Chef, Yoga, Loving teachers, Spanish curriculum, Beautiful playground, Gardens and Farm on campus… What more could you want as a parent. I felt so secure every time I dropped my son off at the school. If you are in the davis area, I highly recommend this school. Lori and her staff have done an amazing job building such a warm cozy environment.