Forest Hill Christian Church Preschool

I’ve had all my 3 kids at this preschool. My boys have been with three different teachers there:
— Teacher Mary has the youngest class — she is wonderfully patient and sweet and provides an excellent introduction to a slightly «more structured» classroom (although all the kids are free to play move about the room to different stations or participate in the lovely crafts projects)
— Teacher Sandra has the middle (age-​wise) room and introduced my kids very nicely to writing. She also does a lot of baking in the class and does some dancing, music and yoga (well, we’re talking about 3.5−4.5 year-​olds, so it’s still very play-​based and basic, but I love that she’s doing this with them!)
— Teacher Nina has the oldest kids and does an outstanding job preparing them for Kindergarten. Nice projects, upper and lowercase letters, and an occasional instructional video on her iPad (e.g. she would show them a short video about how an Octopus changes colors).
— There are a couple of other teachers, but my boys aren’t in their classes, so I can’t comment meaningfully.
— Nice outside space on two levels (trikes and cars on the bottom level along with a little play castle and plenty of balls; and a sandbox, swings, and a 7-​person seesaw). The kids go outside for around 30 minutes in the morning and again in the afternoon.
— religious aspect (since it’s a «Christian» school): I was not looking for a Christian school, so this was not important to me (almost the opposite). In every classroom, everybody says a grace before snack time, and once a month, everybody goes to the church nextdoor for a Christian-​influenced story time and a short talk from the (female) pastor.
— Participation: Every parent can choose to «participate», meaning work in the classroom in return for a lower tuition. It’s a nice opportunity to keep costs down, be involved and help out, and see exactly what happens in the classroom.
— Cost: I’ve looked a handful of schools (I didn’t go crazy and mostly looked at local schools) and found that this school is less expensive than many, but not the lowest cost. No fundraising during the year.
— Flexible schedule — the first year, I had my boys at the school only 2 – 3 mornings, and then graduated to a more «full» schedule. You can do several combinations of days, either mornings (9-​noon) or afternoons (1 – 4) (or both). Lunch is optional, which adds another nice opportunity for flexibility (especially last-​minute flexibility). So the max is 9am-​4pm, 5 days per week.
— Snacks are provided — mostly a combination of fruit, crackers, cheese, and some sweets (occasional cupcakes, cookies, graham crackers, etc.)
— extracurricular activities: this year, the school is offering Palercise for the kids once a month (I believe). A nice addition.
— Parking: Parking is incredibly easy and convenient in the large parking lot right in front of the school. Quite a luxury in SF!

I first heard about Forest Hill Christian Preschool through word-​of-​mouth from several families who had graduated from there and are now at Clarendon. I considered this preschool because it was close to Clarendon where my older daughter is attending but after touring the place I knew this would be a great fit for my younger daughter.
My daughter loves going to school everyday and is very happy here and we can’t imagine a better place for her to spend her last preschool year! Teacher Nina is experienced, dedicated, and creative teacher who works hard to get the kids well prepared for Kindergarten. My daughter brings home amazing art projects and talks about all the fun she had at school everyday.
I also like that they offer you an option to be participating parent which means you volunteer in a classroom for reduce tuition. I am participating parent and I love it! I like seeing what my daughter is doing in class and also getting to know her classmates!
I wish we had discovered this place earlier, we’re going to miss this place when she graduates this May!

We absolutely love Forest Hill Christian Preschool. This preschool is seriously under-​the-​radar and I attribute that to the fact that the teachers and preschool director are focused on educating and nurturing the children rather than coming up with flashy marketing.
My son has loved coming to school every single day. He is now in his second year and he has loved both teachers so much he talks about them at home. In fact, when he sees his first teacher from last year, he gets really star-​struck — he loves her that much! Really, I tell her all the time that she is a celebrity in our household.
As a parent, I couldn’t ask for a better first experience with school for my son. He loves the art projects, the fun science experiments, and their on-​site playground (with grass and dirt — I love that he comes home with random rocks in his pockets like any 4YO should). His Pre-​K teacher, Teacher Nina has been really great in keeping the kids engaged and keeping me in the loop on how he’s doing in school since I’m not a participating parent. Once I expressed how I feel like I’m missing out since I don’t get to be a participating parent and she so kindly invited me to just come in any time it suits my schedule so I can see them in action.
I can’t say enough about what a warm and nurturing environment they provide at this preschool. They are all just really kind and great with kids — truly a gem.

We are looking for a friendly preschool for my daughter. All you need to do first of all is attending the school tour. That day when my daughter and me were there, the person who introduced us the school was NOT nice and friendly, so that we decided not sending our daughter there. Secondly, there was another family showed up lately,
the school staff just payed attention on them, totally ignored us… Sad to say so, but we are sending our daughter to another friendly and warm preschool which have helpful staff, teacher, and parents.

We moved from out of state with a few weeks to look for a preschool. Teacher Sally, Teacher Dana and both Teacher Mary’s have been the best staff. They are always available when I have questions and are quick to return emails. My son had a speech delay and I have seen him blossom since being there. They really make you feel like you are family. My son comes home with art projects every week and at age 3 he is writing his name and most of his letters (freehand). Each class is not overcrowded. They allow parent volunteers which helps with the personal attention each child gets. It is a co-​op preschool so volunteering reduces your tuition. The price is very reasonable for the San Francisco area. It is close to UCSF Parnassus hospital and is between the West Portal and Twin Peaks neighborhood and is easy to get to from Sunset. Although on the church campus they do not adhere to a Christian school curriculum but more along the lines of encouraging your child’s creativity and treating each other with respect.