Sinai Nursery School

My son is finishing his third year as a Sinai Nursery School student.
We moved to San Jose in the Fall of 2012, just two weeks before the fall session started. At that time, my son had never been in a group environment (we had a nanny previously) and I was very worried about the transition. The staff at Sinai made sure that the transition to a school was very smooth for my son. They gave me clear and regular updates, especially important as my child was largely non-​verbal when he started as a two year old.
They do not push to potty-​train, and do accept children in diapers. However, when it was time to potty train, they were a great help and worked well with me to accomplish that.
Having experienced three sets of teachers, I can say that the curriculum is strong and age appropriate. There is a healthy emphasis on outdoor activity (two wonderful outdoor play areas). There are multiple outdoor water fountains and the teachers encourage the children to stay hydrated when playing. I am confident that my son will get both the outdoor activity and the socialization that he needs. At the same time, there is a good emphasis on academics. After our recent parent/​teacher conference, I am confident that my son will be prepared for kindergarten this fall.
The teacher-​student ratio is low and even during cold season, they always appear to be sufficiently staffed. Each child does get individualized attention. There is a clearly posted schedule for each grade and activity calendars are sent out monthly, so it’s easy to stay on top of exactly what your child is doing on any given day or time.
Over the years Sinai has expanded their hours. They now open at 7:30am to accommodate working parents. They have care available until 6:00 Mon-​Thurs, and 4:00 on Fridays.
One highlight of the programming is Teacher Karen, the lovely music teacher who always teaches a session on Thursdays. My son has come home with many new songs because of her.
I can’t say enough positive things about the teachers and the Director at Sinai. They welcomed us to the Bay Area with open arms — we feel very lucky to have found them.

I transferred my 3 year old into Sinai in October of 2014 after a not so good experience at a previous home day care. I am so glad things happened how they did :) my son loved Sinai almost from the beginning (after a short adjustment period) he learns new things every day and comes home with fun stories and great projects. They are very focused on parent involvement which i think is great. They have activities for all the holidays that bring the whole school together. I also love that they have an English speaking teacher and a Hebrew speaking teacher in every class. When my second son is ready, he will go there as well. It really is a great place for a kid to learn and grow.

Our 2 year old son has been attending Sinai Nursery school since September. He is absolutely in love and asks every day, including weekends, if he can please go to school. I had toured many area nursery/​preschools as we were new to the area and enrolled my son immediately after our tour.
I am impressed with the excellent facilities, the two fabulous playgrounds, the fun activities (gardening, baking, art, etc), but most of all, the teachers. They are dedicated, nurturing, attentive, and excellent role models for my son. My son adores them and so do I.
The school is relatively small, so it feels like a big family. They children are learning valuable lessons about how to be thoughtful, polite, considerate little human beings. The emphasis is on helping them grow into members of a loving community. My son’s manners and his ability to share have greatly improved! They seem to have the perfect balance of structure and play.
While we are not Jewish, I love that my son (and our whole family by extension) is part of this welcoming community that has a foundation of faith and familial values.
A few specifics:
— My son did not have to be potty trained and they are willing to help you when you start to work on that with your child.
— They provide a morning snack.
— They have a morning option 9 – 12 or 9 – 1 — and they have been wonderfully flexible.
— Again, they seem to have struck that balance of letting the children play and discover, while still being in a safe, structured environment.
— The tuition is reasonable compared to many area schools — it’s a great value.
— While it took my son a few weeks to adjust, they were patient and kind and made sure to do everything they could to help in the transition.
— They have a secure facility — safety and security are not a concern.
I think at the end of the day, seeing how happy my son is every day when I drop him off and pick him up, and how happy all of the children seem to be, make me know that I choose the right place for us.

We were referred to Sinai Nursery School by a friend in March of 2014. Our 3 year old daughter attended this preschool for 8 months and we loved it. From the moment we took the tour and met with the Director, Ifat, we knew this was the place for our child. Ifat even encouraged us to stop by any time, and bring our daughter before we signed her up to gauge our comfort level.
Once enrolled, our daughter was put in age-​appropriate classes with excellent ratios. In her last class, there were 2 teachers for about 9 – 10 students. I volunteered there and witnessed a lot of play and learn activities: clay, baking, letters, numbers, songs, bubbles, etc. Our daughter would come home talking about her teachers, the songs she learned, and of course, the wonderful playground– especially the sandbox.
In July we had another baby, and temporarily increased her days so I could relax a bit, and bond with our new baby. It was very hard as I missed her, but I knew she was in great hands while I got through the newborn haze. I knew she was safe, stimulated, and loved. I can’t thank them enough for giving me this reassurance during this challenging time of adjusting to a new baby.
Access and entry to the nursery school is set up so that only key-​holders can access, which also provides added security. Sinai is a gentle, loving, environment and it truly feels like family. The teachers and parents all know each other, and if we hadn’t moved towns, our daughter would still be attending this school.

We love this school! The teachers are kind and caring and work collaboratively with parents on issues like toilet training & eating. I’ve often seen teachers being affectionate with the kids. They are upfront and inform me immediately of any issues that occurred (conflicts with other kids/​crying etc), even if they were pretty minor events. The programming is fun and creative. My son never wants to leave when I pick him up, he tells me he’s having too much fun. I love how my son is learning about Jewish traditions here, but also that you don’t have to be Jewish to go to this school (in fact there are several non-​Jewish kids there, whose parents chose Sinai just because it is a really good preschool). Because it is connected to the synagogue, there is a strong sense of community and lots of family-​oriented events if you are looking for that kind of connection. I would highly recommend this preschool

I can’t think of enough good words in the English language to express my love of Sinai Nursery School! In fact the reason it took me so long to write a review on Unilocal was that I felt my words couldn’t do justice — but I’ll try. My son started coming to Sinai almost 2 years ago, when he turned 3, and he has blossomed and thrived since starting. He runs into preschool with enthusiasm each day, and comes home excited about his day — playing with his friends, doing art projects, playing on the wonderful outside facilities, singing songs, telling me about circle time, music & movement… the teachers are warm and loving, instilling an atmosphere of acceptance and care. They are also doing a wonderful job of balancing play-​based care with Kindergarten preparation. My son is happy and thriving here, and the positive influence of Sinai Nursery school will be him his whole life. I thank Sinai with all of my heart.

The interaction for teachers and parents work very well, we just like a big family.
The teachers inspire kids to learn from their own ways and be creative. Personally, I like their art projects, practical and fun !! As a parent, I feel the teachers carry good spirit all the times.

I fell in love with this school the first time I saw it. We visited during an open house, and I was amazed by all the beautiful kid-​made artwork on the walls, the new-​looking playground, and the friendliness of the staff. Our daughter attended for two years and is now starting kindergarten.
I feel like Sinai did a great job of combining fun, learning, growth of each individual, and Jewish content (which was important to us). She learned about numbers, the alphabet, the days of the week, the color spectrum, Jewish holidays… even nutrition (food groups, etc). They encourage the children to talk in front of the class (e.g. telling about their weekend), which I think is a great thing in terms of social skills. And of course, she brought home tons of interesting art projects.
Finally, the teachers all seemed to genuinely care about my daughter, and she certainly loved them. We felt *very* safe leaving her there every day, and I can’t wait for my younger daughter to start next year.

Just wanted to update that my 2 year old son is now at Sinai as well and its been just as wonderful for him as it has been for my daughter. He has blossomed so much with his wonderful teachers and the great community at Sinai. Its amazing how much he is talking now and how much he has grown since he started attending. My daughter is finishing her 3^rd year and is well prepared to start Kindergarten next year.

I recently had to pull my kids out of Sinai. These are the reasons why:
Safety Issues:
— My son was able to leave the facility without anyone noticing. Luckily, he decided to go back in and didn’t get harmed. The director, who knew about this, didn’t even tell me about the incident when she opened the door for me when I came to pick up my kids, one of the teachers later told me. Also, the director did not file a report about this incident (I assume I would have been notified if she had).
— I learned from my kid that one teacher did not come to school one day, when I asked who was there instead he said no one. There are 16 kids in the classroom, and the director told me when I inquired the ratio would not exceed 8:1. When I called the director to ask about this, she told me she stepped in when she was needed. This is not OK.
Professional issues:
That was the breaking point for us. The two teachers my oldest got this year, especially one of them, were harming my son. In the past several weeks he made a scene every time we got to school and refused to go into the classroom. The teachers also started claiming he does not cooperate with them and interrupts. When I came to observe, the next day my mother came to observe as well, we were shocked by how he is being ignored by the teachers, as if he doesn’t exist. On one occasion one teacher shouted at my son and held him very tightly (when he sat next to her to see what she was doing and she didn’t want him sitting there). Of course I can not go into all the details, it will take too long, but there were several other incidents on these 2 days of observation that made us pull the kids out immediately.
The director was completely unhelpful in this situation.
The two stars are because of the other wonderful teachers in the school, and because there’s a nice community feel to it.

We looked at several different nursery schools in the area before deciding on Sinai. One visit sealed the deal — they had no problem letting me peek in, where the kids looked happy, and there’s a great instructor to kid ratio.
After a couple of weeks to adjust (it was our daughter’s first school experience), our daughter was talking about her new friends, her teachers, and the fun she was having. The staff makes an effort to communicate to us at regular intervals how she’s doing, and they take a genuine interest in her advancement.
The mood of the school (it’s very light inside) and the positive attitude of the staff is a key reason why we feel very comfortable sending our child to Sinai, and don’t hesitate to recommend it to others.

It’s funny how things can come full circle without even realizing it! I initially heard or read about Sinai before I had given birth to my daughter and had bookmarked it on my computer 3 years ago and I didn’t think about it or even remember it. I just recently found the bookmark from way back when after we had decided on Sinai!
After several months of searching this past summer, we decided on Sinai. I came in for a tour and spoke with one of the teachers (Miki, the director was out of town) and loved the overall values and feel of the school and the staff. I really read reviews from Unilocal and noticed the negative one so I even brought it up and questioned it. It’s from 2007! It’s now a totally different director (one who is so sweet!)! She greets us each morning with a happy smile and reads to my daughter after lunch. The staff is amazing– her teachers are so wonderful and sweet! And I love that they aren’t afraid of affection. It’s truly an extension of care and love that we would give our own children. When I pick up my daughter, it’s important to hear how her day was and every day she tells me how much she liked it and had fun!
We are truly happy with the care and attention of the staff and love Sinai Nursery School! :)

I am not sure why I never wrote a review for our favorite Pre School EVER!
Let me tell you that I researched and visited 17 (yes, I can’t make this up) Schools before making a decision for my little girl. My hubby and I were between choosing Montessori education and a Jewish Play Based one for long time as both aspects were important.
Sinai has some BIG pluses: Teachers are so loving and caring for kids! They hug them and kiss them and hold them in their laps ²⁴⁄₇! It really feels like a big fat family due to the fact that teachers and Miki the Director get along so well and you can see they are friends.
The school is play based and very flexible regarding times, days and hours. That is also a big thumbs up in our list. They of course teach about all Jewish Holidays and get to have music and Israeli Dancing as well.
They go on field trips, they bring many visitors and parents are always around participating and helping this small school feel like one of a huge heart.
Our 3 year old started right after her 2^nd birthday at their summer program and I was so shocked she fell at ease right away! She loves going every day, we do play dates and we even became close friends with many of the families attending.
This place it is a gem. It is so good that others not following the Jewish traditions have decided to bring their kids as well… What more to say?
We love Sinai

We enrolled our son about 6 months ago when he turned 2 and are very glad we made this decision. He is happy to go to school and his teachers are very loving and truly care about the children. He is also learning quite a bit from counting into the –teens to singing (almost) the alphabet. It is a very safe place with an excellent outdoor area. As an aside, we are not Jewish and feel very welcome here. I would recommend other parents to consider Sinai as well.

My wife, daughter and I love this school. My daughter is starting her third year — she’s been going since she is two. Teachers are are excellent — they genuinely care about the children. Many have degrees in teaching or other formal training. For different reasons, we’ve gone to a couple other schools for short periods of time, and the teachers seemed to be just going through the motions.
My daughter has made good friends here, and there is a feeling of community. It seems like the right size, about 30 students in three classes.
Facilities are new and clean.
We’re not Jewish, but we feel like we fit in. Sometimes my daughter comes home singing Hebrew songs, or counting to ten. There’s a theme of kids becoming good citizens of the world.
One thing to consider is that the school does observe Jewish holidays, and closes early on Fridays. We make it work, but it’s different than other schools.

We have had our son at Sinai for two years now. The overall environment is positive and nurturing. They focus on learning through playing and activities. My son is in the 3 yr old class and has really progressed in so many areas. The staff and teachers seem to really enjoy their jobs and spend time preparing fun and meaningful activities for the kids. The schools is small — three classes of about 12 kids each max. It’s tucked in a quit neighborhood and the facilities are new and clean. We are very happy at Sinai and highly recommend it.

I can’t say enough good things about Sinai Nursery School. Both of my kids attend the school — my son in the 4 yr. old class and my daughter in the 2 yr. old class. I have been impressed with the educational levels and creativity of all of the teachers, but most important: they truly love the children!
The school offers part-​time and full-​time programs, and is open to kids 2 – 6 (pre-​K). The school is Jewish, but is open to children of all faiths, and there is a wonderful multi-​cultural feel to the school.
This preschool has a great teacher-​student ratio and parents love to volunteer their time for activies, including movement and music class. The school is truly a gem in Willow Glen.

We’re going back for our second year. The grounds are new, clean, and offer the kids both great indoor and outdoor spaces. The program doesn’t burn kids out but finds a good balance of learning and letting your child be a kid. The women working there are wonderful and truely caring. Although not a bilingual program, they usually have a native Hebrew speaker in each classroom (teacher or aid) and children learn songs and words in both languages. The first year they helped my child through the potty training process. What can I say except thank goodness something of this quality is out there for my child.

My daughter attended this school for a year and half. She started shortly after she turned two. She initially seemed to enjoy the program but became bored quickly. The program lacked age appropriate activities and seemed to be geared towards younger students even in the older classes. The children often seemed like they were walking around aimlessly with nothing to do. The director was unfriendly towards the children, and uninvolved in the program beyond the business aspect of it. While the teachers were caring, they did not provide a stimulating environment for the children.
After I switched my daughter mid year to another school I saw what a difference there was in her moods after school. Because my daughter is a very social child she enjoyed going to preschool before, but in her new school she is truly excited to go every day. She comes home everyday and tells me with excitement what she did in class. When she would come home from Sinai she never had anything to tell. She now constantly talks about her teachers, again something she didn’t do at Sinai.
I only wish that I had recognized that Sinai was so lacking in comparison to other schools sooner, and that I had taken my daughter out immediately.

We searched and searched for the best program for the kids that would balance artistic freedoms with skills and learning. Although we are not Jewish, Sinai Nursery School was leaps and bounds above the other preschools and we have been very happy there for over a year.
The student /​teacher ratio is about 4:1. The arts and crafts is amazing (paper mache globes, homeade applesauce making, dry ice sculpting) and the learning approach is student-​led. They accept kids at age 2, whether or not they are potty trained. The facility itself is brand-​new, state-​of-​the-​art school with incredible security and loving care.
The school does have some general religous values that are taught. But, as a non-​Jew, I have never been offended. My kids sing songs like «there is just one God!» that talks about the good of all faiths. How could I argue with that?! I have heard my kids say «Shalom, Mom!» a few times, which totally cracks me up. The school, although Jewish based, is run by an Israeli woman who is more Buddhist than Jewish.
I can’t say enough about the school. I love it as much as my kids do. It’s worth a look: