Autumn Creek Learning Center

Great and patient teachers, my eldest daughter had serious separation anxiety and would throw fits wet herself and cry all the time now she wants to see Mrs Sumita every day especially now that school is out that’s the first place she wants to head. This place is extremely expensive (well for me that is) but my daughters are the reason I do ever and they are the best asset I have so they are worth every penny. There’s a teacher to student ratio that is strictly adhered to and security it tight.

When I first visited ACLC I immediately knew that that was the preschool that I wanted my son to attend. At the time he had just turned 2 and I was looking for a place which would give me the peace of mind to go to work knowing that my son was left in the best possible hands. Now, 3.5 years after, I can say that I met the most wonderful, loving and dedicated team of teachers, and that my son had an amazing social and academic development during his journey at school. ACLC became an extension of our house and I felt like all the staff was part of my family. I never heard from my son anything bad about the school and I only have good things to say about it too. We will miss ACLC when Kindergarten starts this August…

We’ve had an amazing experience with ACLC — I’ve watched my son grow by leaps and bounds since starting there last year: letters, numbers, colors, coloring, writing, singing songs, sharing, and so many language skills, just to name a few. Everyone there dotes on my son which makes him feel so special, and upon observation, I find that they dote on ALL the kids, which is so nice to see. It makes for such a happy environment with good energy. My son has never come home unhappy and loves his days at school. He’s constantly talking about his teachers, the staff, the director Ms. Kay, and every morning asks, «Mama, is it school time?»
In our experience the teachers and staff have been very hands on and have done a great job in keeping us involved in our son’s education and time there. We’re always getting updates, feedback, and so much art! The teachers, staff, and the director Ms. Kay are easy to talk to, they always take the time to answer any questions we have, accommodate any schedule changes, and respond to any email queries in a timely fashion. As a «techie» parent, I love the monthly email newsletters, the monthly menu being posted online, and that the calendars are set up to sync with my own Google calendar. The NAEYC accreditation is well deserved given their adherence to the quality assurances required and communication with parents and staff.
The food service is also very impressive at ACLC — the food is fresh /​hot and prepared on site. The planning and variety of the food reminds me of the enviable French crèche menus I’ve read about. Also, my kid is one of the ones with allergies, so I very much appreciate their strict policy about the food that is brought in to ensure no cross contamination. My child LOVES lunch time and when asked, he is so enthusiastic telling us about lunch and how much he ate. It’s really nice to see his palate grow this past year and the food service at ACLC has a lot do with that.
It takes a village to raise a child and I’m very happy that ACLC is part of our village. We look forward to sending our second child there when it’s his time to start school.

My oldest son went here, my middle son goes here, and my daughter will soon go here. This is the 3^rd school we’ve used and by far the best! The teachers here don’t just enjoy the kids, they love the kids and it shows! Ms. Kay runs the place and she really knows what she is doing. They even cook for the kids and get them to eat healthy foods they would never eat at home!
Ignore the 1 star haters on here, I am very hyper-​critical when it comes to my kids and this place is the best!

This place is wonderful.
I don’t know what to really tell you except that I trust this place enough to send my son here.
Staff is always cheery. They have a good back yard that is segregated for kids’ ages. They are also next to Sloan’s nursery so they sometimes take field trips there.
I wish I had this place when I was a kid.

We had a mixed experience with this day care. Some of the teachers were really good, but about half were mediocre, and the director was so egomaniacal, rigid and threatened by any questioning of her methods that, at times, I questioned her mental health. The 2 – 3 teachers who did a great job with our child were why we stayed so long, but we counted the days until our child left ACLC, and we have never looked back. In retrospect, I regret not removing our child earlier, particularly in light of how much happier and better taken care of he was at his subsequent school.
For example: I was told I could only bring pre-​packaged, manufacturer-​labeled foods for lunch because they needed to be able to verify that nothing had nuts – in other words, I couldn’t bring dinner leftovers in tupperware because they could not vouch for it’s nut-​free status. When I protested that my child preferred my lovingly prepared (organic!) home cooking to prepackaged junk food, the director went pretty batty on me. It created hours of extra work for our family, and cost us extra money, to send our child to school with lunches that conformed to their nut-​free policy – lunches that were less healthy than the nut-​free homemade food we would have sent him with, if we had only been able to make our child’s own food (I know, it sounds crazy, and it is). We understand and respect the seriousness of nut allergies and would never bring anything with nuts to school. We were appalled that parents were not trusted to keep their lunches nut-​free and that such a draconian policy was instituted in place of the logical/​obvious choice: the honor system.
We’re not the only family who was bothered by the insanity of this place. Out of my three friends who had their kids there as well, two others also removed their children because of a serious issue with the staff or their child’s experience. Since leaving, I’ve learned that most of the teachers who my child knew have also gone, which I also consider to be a bad sign. High turnover of families + high teacher turnover speaks for itself…
If your kid hits the jackpot and gets a great teacher they love, and if your family can get on board with the many outlandish rules and practices, you’ll love this place :)

We’re definitely glad we chose ACLC for our family: our oldest son started as a Little Bear (~2 yr olds) and just graduated from Grizzlies (~5 yr olds) this past summer to start elementary school. His younger brother started literally on his 2 year old birthday and is currently a Honey Bear (~4 yr olds). Our youngest is still a baby, and even though her brothers will be long gone by the time she turns two and there are other preschools more convenient to our home & their elementary school, we still plan to enroll her at ACLC.
Overall, this place is not cheap (and tuition slightly increases each year), but we feel it’s money well-​spent for the following reasons:
(1) Upholds high standards (NAEYC accredited, which very few preschools in this area can tout)
(2) Great preparation for Kindergarten (frequent progress reports and periodic conferences, curriculum very aligned with nearby elementary schools — in fact, when we bump into parents of others who’ve since graduated, we all remark that our kids were possibly OVER-​prepared by ACLC to the point that Kindergarten is almost too easy for them!)
(3) Clean and healthy environment (great enforcement of hand-​washing procedures, teach kids to cough into elbows, safe nut-​free environment)
(4) Friendly, loving teachers and staff (warm greetings and hugs — our oldest still happily greets everyone when he comes to pick up his brother, help with dropoff especially if they’re cranky in the morning or when you’ve got multiple kids in tow, cooperation helping our boys to take naps as they started getting older and «thought» they outgrew the need for them)
(4) Convenient for busy parents (long hours of operation, snacks & hot lunch provided, optional tumbling & soccer activities available onsite)
If we could wish for a few improvements, they would be:
— Better parking (At peak times it can be challenging to find a spot. Safety-​wise: There’s a blind spot entering the circle that causes near-​collisions. Also, half the spaces in the lot aren’t accessible from a sidewalk)
— Lunch (Initial portions distributed to each child is very small, which is good to minimize waste, but teacher’s frame of reference gets skewed: «Your son ate so much today; he had 4 servings of the entrée!» which turns out to be maybe a third of an actual sandwich. Also, for certain items like chicken nuggets they limit getting seconds, so the end result is much less than what your child would normally eat. That said, our kids end up eating more veggies and variety at ACLC than they do at home.)
— More differentiated summer program (It’s mostly the same as the rest of the year plus a few extra bells & whistles, but definitely not like a standalone summer program. However, continuing through the summer saves you a spot in the fall. And they don’t pro-​rate tuition for absences of any kind.)

I began researching schools for my first daughter months before she was scheduled to age out of the infant center she was attending. I researched thoroughly online and visited more than seven schools in and around our area. Autumn Creek Learning Center (ACLC) was at the top of my list. We initially sent her to a school near our home, only because we were having our second child and we thought introducing too many new transitions to our first would be difficult for her. In retrospect, our first daughter would have done well with the new school and new baby and I wish we would have sent her to ACLC in the first place.
Upon first entry into the school you know that it is a place that encourages creativity, learning and fun. The school is clean and the walls colorful and vibrant.
ACLC has been a great place for our oldest daughter who has been here now for almost two years. She started in «Little Bears» and is now a «Koala.» Unlike a Montessori school we visited, the kids here are being kids. Sure, there are times when quiet focus is necessary, but there are also times when I enter and the joy of childhood is evident. It is also clear that my daughter is loved, not just by her teachers, but also by the director and co-​director. They all have hers (and our) best interest at heart. It is important to me that she is in a place where she is safe and feels safe.
What also separates ACLC from other schools I visited is that they have a very thorough emergency system/​procedures in place. So, if there is a disaster of some sort (like an earthquake), the staff is prepared and knowledgeable about what to do with the children AND they are properly equipped (equipment wise) to feed and shelter the children for several days. Lisa, the center’s co-​director spent several months coordinating with local disaster authorities to get the school equipped and ready to handle these situations. Believe me, this is the ONLY school that is this prepared. My eyes widened when I asked other schools about their procedures and learned how uneducated and how much they lacked in terms of emergency procedures and equipment.
Another very important thing for me was to place her in an environment that encourages cleanliness. I appreciate that children wash their hands upon arriving to the school as well as throughout the day. It helps decrease the children’s unnecessary exposure/​spread of more ickies. One parent commented about her child constantly getting sick when they first attended ACLC. Children who have never been exposed to a school environment will definitely get sick more often, especially in the beginning because their immune system hasn’t been exposed to all the things that group environments bring. That happened to our first daughter at her infant care program, and as disheartening as it was, it was bound to happen.
I also have to disagree with some of the comments that ACLC is more of a «daycare» than a «preschool.» I believe that the activities are appropriate for the age groups and that the learning that occurs in play is profound. There will be years ahead for children to sit down and learn strictly by rote and memorization. These growing years shouldn’t be the time for just that kind of learning.
Not everyone will have the same perspective on a single school. For us, we love ACLC and what they provide our daughter. We love the teachers, Ms. Kay and Ms. Lisa. They go above and beyond to take of our daughter and to keep us involved.

I have been meaning to write a review of Autumn Creek. My son loved this school and I did as well. He went to pre-​school here from 2012 – 2013 and was in the Honey Bears classroom with Ms. Molly as his main teacher. Autumn Creek, Ms. Molly, and the other Honey Bears teachers have all prepared my son well for Kindergarten this year (his teacher commented from the start on his neat penmanship). So many reasons why I love this place:
*My son has a peanut allergy, they don’t allow any outside unpackaged food — which is very helpful and comforting for me. And — they were more than happy to prepare his breakfast for him (he had to have bagels every day — so I brought prepackaged bagels and cream cheese that they kept in their kitchen)
*The teachers care — I drop him off with one teacher that allows me time to check in and chit chat with her; I pick him up with another teacher who always took the time to tell me how he did each day and something fun he did that day (love this — so personal!)
*He attended a full day– they had circle time in the AM and in the PM — he did curriculum both times. Some daycares only do curriculum in the AM and then the kids play all afternoon. Curriculum in AM/​PM is not too much as my son is very active and energetic and he was able to focus no problem
*He continually came home and amazed me — having learned sign language, math (add/​subtract), and beginning reading. They were learning the same song (I think it’s the phonetic alphabet song to start reading) that my other son was in kindergarten!
*They had parent/​teacher conferences throughout the year where they evaluated my son on his readiness for school
I have three children — William is my youngest. I had the other two in two different preschools that I just was not happy with. I wish I had put all of my children in Autumn Creek. I got to know all of the teachers there in my one year and was very happy and extremely pleased with all of them in all my interactions. William was happy going to school every day and we still talk about his experience at Autumn Creek — great school!

My son has now been in 3 of the classrooms and I’m still a fan! I actually think his current classroom (Honey Bears — for 4 year olds) is the best yet. I am so impressed by the things he comes home saying (although I could probably do with less poo talk) — geography, Presidents, holidays in different countries I don’t even really know. And he’s made himself some good friends which definitely makes a mom happy.
Will be sending my younger daughter there when she gets older!

We started our two year old in the «Little Bears» class in September. Best. Decision. Ever. We are so happy with this school and the little girl loves it here. The first week was rough as it takes our daughter a bit to warm up to new people, but now she happily runs into class and never looks back.
The teachers are great… I get an update every single day and my daughter is thriving, learning and maturing very rapidly. it’s pretty amazing really. I think she was getting frustrated/​bored at her old in — home daycare, whereas at Autumn Creek she is stimulated and engaged all day, every day.
Main reasons why we chose Autumn Creek:
1. When we visited, every kid seemed genuinely happy to be there.
2. It’s very clean and bright throughout.
3. They serve a healthy lunch and snacks each day.
4. It’s fairly close to our house (5 minutes).
5. They offer a variety of schedules to chose from and if none of them work, they are very flexible.
Price tag is high, but comparable to others in the area.
I am so happy we made the decision to chose Autumn Creek… more than likely due to the changes in the Kindergarten system at elementary schools, she’ll be here for 4 years!!! (gulp)
We had one situation that was not too cool… My husband came to pick up our daughter to be told she’d already been picked up! My husband’s heart skipped a beat but turns out she was hanging out in the back room with one of the teachers, happy as can be. They really need to be more careful about what they say in situations like that…
Regardless, I recommend Autumn Creek to anyone looking for a great preschool to send their little munchkin to!

My 3 year old daughter loves autumn creek and is learning and doing so much for her social and academic growth. I am extremely pleased with the communication between teachers, admin and parents — I always get a report on the day and progress, if I need one, and I love getting monthly emailed newsletters and the written progress reports that are sent home fairly frequently. I feel confident in the teachers, admin and owner that they are continually updating the program as they see room for improvements. I do wish the snack and lunch menus were a bit more tasty and diverse, but decent considering how many mouths are being fed. I have always felt that feedback is appreciated, considered and welcomed by owner and staff. This place is fantastic!!!

We just moved here from the East Coast. I find the preschools in this area to be extremely structured and highly academic, almost too much. And competitive. Why cant kids be kids? I needed to find a place for the remaining three months or so of the school year.
Then we went to Autumn Creek. There is an exciting and diverse group at this school. It is clean and colorful and action packed. I absolutely loved it, really. Although my son did not ultimately attend, it was because of the availability for his age group.
I loved the philosophy and approach to learning. So creative. Tons of kids in a one big bright room broken down into several groups that travel from activity to activity center. Sometimes math, reading, play – I have not seen another school that uses stations in such a way to reinforce learning concepts.
The director, Kay, is vivacious and loving and welcoming. I felt a connection with her right away and she got down and spoke directly to my son at his level, which many other places spoke only to me.
The things I did not like: I was not crazy that they provide the snack and the lunch, as my son can be a picky eater. I would prefer to pack his lunch/​snack. I was also not a fan of the bathroom situation, it is just one big open room with five mini toilets and several child size sinks all out in the open. There is no privacy, no stalls. I did not want my child having a bowel movement with an audience, and nor do I think that at age 5 should he be removing his pants in front of the opposite sex. They assured me that he would have privacy but with so many kids I found that hard to believe that it would happen, even under the best intentions.
However, these would not have prevented me from enrolling him if they had an opening, which disappointingly they did not.
Every kid there was happy, engaged and most importantly, having fun while learning as little kids should at this age in a social setting. I have a younger son who is one and would definitely consider this preschool when the time comes for him.

My son has been at Autumn Creek for two years now and he – and we – love it. The teachers and staff are all very caring and take the time to really get to know and understand each child and his or her specific needs. I did a lot of research and visited a number of preschools before deciding on Autumn Creek and we have been completely happy with our decision. My daughter will be starting there in a few months as well.

I was VERY happy with the teachers and especially the positive progressive learning environment that my childre got. It was very apparent that they had good schooling because they were FAR AHEAD of other students when they entered kindergarten. The atmosphere is very warm but not to «touchy feely» they stress good learning skills so the combination is perfect… FIVE STARS!

Having inspected most Preschools in the San Ramon Valley, we settled on this for our 3 year old. After almost having our daughter there for 2 years, as well as most of our friends children, we have to say that by FAR the staff and education levels were fantastic. Our children were challenged in all areas of development, kids loved going to school there and from day one felt very comfortable. A very secure feeling. School owner Kay is very involved with every child and it shows, as the children take to her very well. The repairs are done immediately, as having been an inspector of this facility, as well as many others in this area, by far one of the cleanest and well run facilities. Staff certainly enjoyed their jobs, as it showed in their dedication to the children. I write this review after having dealt with them as both a parent (2 years) and as a professional (5 years) in my dealings with Autumn Creek. You won’t be disappointed in this facility. My child has excelled in K, and I owe a large part to that to AC. Plus they will be honest with you about how and if your child is ready to take the next step to K…

My child attended for a while, some of the staff is really nice but unable to make decisions, the director must make all the decisions. The summer program is really weak. There is not one teacher in charge of the classroom they all have a say so you can tell there is friction there… Don’t feel enough food is given for lunch and snacks my child would come home hungry. Repairs aren’t made until someone complains. My child was constantly sick and now that attends a new school hasn’t been sick one day… Extended naps are given all children in the 2’s and 3’s rooms must take a nap — no exceptions…

I enrolled my child and we were there for a month but we realized we made a mistake. It was more of a daycare than a preschool. While there seems to be enough staff, they didn’t seem to enjoy their job. When I spoke to the director and told her some of the reasons we were leaving and told her what preschool we were going to go to, she became defensive and came very close to badmouthing the other school. We lost our deposit but it was well worth it. We are much happier at Sycamore Valley Day School.

I went to the school as a prospective parent also. I found the administration and staff very friendly and well-​informed of the school’s philosophy and policies. I appreciated the time they spent answering all of my questions. My son felt comfortable and welcomed. I give it a 4 because we are seriously considering sending our son there, but we are still in the research phase of making the right decision. I have recommended this school to other parents because of my experience.