Fremont Parent Co-Op Nursery School

My entire family loves FPNS. I first learned of the school through my brother-​in-​law; his son attended FPNS for three years and had a fabulous experience. When our first child was ready for preschool, we didn’t even consider other schools. We enrolled our daughter as soon as we could. Our experience with the school was fantastic… warm, friendly, educational, and fun. Our second child also attended FPNS and had an equally great experience. Both children were well prepared for kindergarten and are excelling as second and fourth graders this year. Currently, our third (and last) child is enrolled with FPNS and also loves the school. The coop experience is one of the best decisions my husband and I have made. We would happily recommend FPNS to anyone who truly wants the best for their child and who wants to be involved in their child’s education.

If you are a working mom. they do not want you or your kid there even if you say you can help in a lot of other ways over the weekend. I found them a little rude.
I give it two stars as I did like the facility. It was clean and well kept.

Now I have to review this school from a Pre-​K standpoint. I have to say the Pre-​K program is the shining star of this school which is very important since this is the last year of preschool before going into Kindergarten.
One of the best kept secrets of Fremont is how awesome of a Pre-​K class Fremont Parent Nursery school has. They have the Writing without Tears program so kids who hate to write are writing their name happily by the middle or end of the year. Also they keep all the important play based curriculum present so your child is socially and emotionally developed enough to handle the parts of Kindergarten that are much more difficult on your child than whether or not they can write their name.
Teacher Marsha is awesome! She is gentle yet has boundaries. She is playful and extremely intelligent. She uses the most cutting age curriculum for her class. As preschool curriculum evolves she evolves her class. She can apply new things fast because of how smart she is. The kids love her and call her «Teacher Marshmallow» because her parents use to call her that. So cute!
Teacher Marsha has more than a decade of experience in teaching in preschool and also in parent education. I have learned how to be a better parent because of her and also the Director of the preschool Annette. Both of them have so much knowledge on spirited children and kids with ADHD and both agree drugs are not the answer which is my view as well. They have knowledge of how to use things like trampolines, tug a war, body socks and other things for kids who need more sensory input. They know how to deal with extremely outgoing kids in addition to very shy ones.
I like how one parent in the review said they have a custom tailored approach to each kid because they do and I think this comes from experience. Annette has even more years behind her than Marsha and I think together they have over 30 years experience. That is a lot of experience!!! Both are kind and gentle when speaking to parents about questions or issues that parent might have. They think about how to help you they don’t just blurt out and answer because they want to think about the best solutions for your unique problems or issues with parenting or the preschool itself.
Some people are afraid of co-​ops because of having to work with other parents and such. Don’t pass up this learning experience as it is guaranteed to make you a better person and a better parent at the end of 3 years of being in a co-​op (any one really).
Also, I actually left this school for a year to try Castro Valley Parent Nursery School. I found that the drama there was out of control so came back to Fremont Parent Nursery school because in Group A and Group C both Teacher Marsha and Director Annette were there for me and supporting me. They support all the parents and know how to minimize drama in my opinion and help you to get the most out of your co-​op experience.
I want to add if you EVER have an issue or concern about your child, your parenting or the school just go to Annette as she is not the pushy type so you have to go to her. She is very respectful of people’s boundaries so she won’t give advice unless you ask which is actually very smart. Don’t be shy. She is so sweet and gentle and extremely helpful. I can never thank her enough for how much she helped me and my child through these years. Same goes for Marsh for when your child is in Pre-​K. she may give advice rarely without you asking but she like Annette is extremely diplomatic and professional. So if you need something or have a question you need to ask.
Sometimes the Teachers and Director here get busy because they GIVE so much of their time (unpaid time often) to the school and to us parents and our families so sometimes you may have to remind them which they actually REALLY appreciate so don’t be shy.
Thankfully FPNS is a member of California Council of Parent Participation Nursery Schools (CCPPNS)
I HIGHLY recommend that at least one parent of your children attends the California Council of Parent Participation Nursery Schools convention that happens every March. It is best if you can’t do it all 3 years than do it while your child is in Group A so you will have the needed parenting tools to get you through this challenging time for a parent (after teenage years of course). The link I already put here
is where you go to find out about and sign up for the CCPPNS convention.
Also we just received a big grant (Thank you Annette who made this happen) for our school which allowed us a new roof, the pruning of a huge fruitless mulberry tree we have and a extensively updated playground!
There is absolutely nothing better for your child than a co-​op preschool. We only have one in Fremont so you know what to do.
May you and your child (ren) have a wonderful experience as you venture through the preschool years

My son could not be happier here. This is my son’s first year at FPNS and nothing gets him out of bed more quickly than the phrase, «Time to go to school!»
As a first year/​first child going to school, we were nervous and worried about how his experience would be.
The faculty and staff put all that to rest. The minute we walked through the doors at FPNS, we were treated as family and made to feel welcome.
The best part about this school is that it is a co-​op. You, as a parent, are directly involved with your child’s development. You are there in the class interacting with other children and parents. I can sum up this experience one way, «Learning and growing together.»
Call the school, attend an open house and see for yourself how truly wonderful this place is for your children.

I love this school! Im new with the school for kids thing and I just like how I can stay in the school and watch my son learning new things and making new friends.
I like that it is co-​op too so you pay less than other schools. I also like how parents participates in a lot of activities so its not only the kids that are learning but the parents too

This is the perfect preschool for my kids. I was looking for a preschool that’s play based & promote healthy socializing for both kids & adults. For anyone who is looking for an academic based preschool, this place is not for your kids. But please at least attend an open house event to see it for yourself even though you are not looking for a play based preschool. I’ve both of my kids went to FPNS for a total of 3 years, & I was very happy every year that we enrolled.
A few years ago, I was invited to an open house event at FPNS, I wasn’t planning on signing up my son until he’s older, but I went just out of curiosity. The caring teachers & parents at the event that day made me fell in love with the school instantly. Going to the school felt like being at play date with parents & kids. I immediately signed up after exchanging emails with one of the board member who was specialized in enrollment. This is a co-​op school meaning each parent has to do its share.
Each day that we went to FPNS, the same loving & caring environment was there. The teachers there respect each kid as a human being. Behavior issues were always being addressed in a loving & caring way. It’s not your typical large preschool with 1 teacher to 20+ kids running around. Teachers aren’t just there to monitor & guide the kids during school hours. It’s more than that. The teachers treated everyone with respect & calmly worked out any situations that arised. The teachers gave 1 on 1 time for each kid. Each project taught kids about numbers, alphabets & how to follow directions. As for outsiders, it all looks like the kids are just playing during school hours with no formal academic learning. But it’s designed in such a magical way that kids are learning while playing.
In the real world, It’s easy to be academically prepared for most kids. However, it’s not easy to be socially well prepared for most kids. Just ask any kindergarten teacher, they will tell you that they prefer socially well prepared kids than only academically well prepared kids. You can easily help the kid along if they fall behind academically. Kids need to have strong foundation for them to be socially well prepared, & it needs to start when they were young.
Both of my kids are still shy up to this date, they did well academically & socially. Attending FPNS gave them confidence to be themselves, to use their imaginations, to respect others, to resolve conflicts among their peers, to listen when important instructions are being given, & the bonus is that we all made a lot of very very good friends both kids & adults along the way.

Many of the other reviewers have stated the truth. But what I think of, in a few succinct words, is the following:
— cozy
— family-​oriented
— volunteer based
— nurturing
— loving
— understanding
— diverse
I have two boys enrolled at FPNS. Very happy.

This is a great school for several reasons:
1) Teacher to student ratio is very low, usually 3 students (ors less) to every one teacher.
2) Tuition is very affordable, much lower than other schools
3) Teachers really work with each student to help them learn and socialize.
My experience with other pre-​schools was that the teacher student ratio was usually the maximum allowed by law (I believe 12 – 1 for over 3 and 8 – 1 for under 3). Also other preschools would often council out children that had problems adjusting or required extra attention, especially if they had a waiting list.
In general other preschools treat the education of children as a business, while FPNS does not. I suppose this is because other preschools are for-​profit, but FPNS is a non-​profit.
In summary, this is a great school that really goes out of its way to help your child learn.

We are very happy with the education our son is receiving in the 3-​year old group. The teachers are very warm and nurturing and the class focus is on learning through play.

Really great school — creates a tailored and customized learning plan for each kid — child driven. Our 3 year old has had issues adjusting with other schools and with the love and attention at this school, is progressing much better.

This is a fantastic preschool! My son is three and he loves it. The teachers are wonderful they really care and take an interest in each and every child. I love the fact that you can be directly involved with your child at school and being able to participate in class and interact with the other children. They have a great atmosphere of fun, play, and learning. They have several yearly field trips and a great math and science fair every year. All of the parents work and help each other out. I would recommend this to any parent seeking a quality preschool at an affordable fee to come join FPNS.

My 3.5 yr old son is very attached to me and his father. A traditional «drop off your kid» preschool didn’t work for us. We tried and failed miserably (tears tears and more tears). Fremont Parents’ Nursery School was the perfect fit for us. My son loves that I am at school with him and it gives him the comfort he needs to learn to «fly from the nest» when he’s ready. The teachers are very welcoming, encouraging, loving, and thoughtful. Parents, guardians, and grandparents are all involved in some way. It’s a truly lovely environment.
Yes, this school is a cooperative, which means that families are an integral part of the school’s success. We do the upkeep of the school grounds, we garden, we clean, we hammer/​fix things, we fund raise, we do it all! This is true ownership and involvement but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
There are options/​alternatives for families who want the coop experience but for whatever reason might not be able to be as involved (due to work, school, etc). Don’t let that deter you! Check out the website, visit the school, meet with the Director, and get a feel for the place.
FPNS is a great place of learning, laughing, playing, and community. My son loves it here, as do I.

I have been a parent at FPNS for 3 years now with my two children and I love it here. My daughter was very shy and I was able to stay in the class with her until she was ready to stay alone. I was able to watch and see all the wonderful activities the teachers put together. She is now in kindergarten and doing very well. My son is having a great time as well.

Great Teachers: CHECK
Great Parents: CHECK
Great Learning Environment (for both children and parents!) CHECK! CHECK!
Rarely will we as parents get a chance to play an integral role in our child’s development! It’s a loving environment where parents and children really come together as a community. I’ve tried the «mommy groups» and tried other local community events, but nothing has compared.
Yes – it’s a co-​op. Don’t think because you may work full-​time that you wouldn’t get the full experience from this type of school. It was a great way to get the whole family involved. Grandma drops him off, Me and dad have switched off to our time requirements at the school. The time I miss at work is always well spent with my son and our friends at FPNS.
School’s out for the summer and my son is already asking when we are going back! WE LOVE FPNS!!!

A great preschool for parents who want to be involved in their child’s education. Great teachers and a fun campus. Come check it out!