First Steps Pre School

like most of parents i was looking for a good daycare for my 3 year old daughter in la crescenta area as we just moved here and i had to switch my daughters daycare which was a very nice place in Glendale, i heard a lot about first steps and decided to research about it, i called them asking for information, they said they will get back to me but after two months and no call backs i decided to walk in there, a lady named Maria came out but behind the bars like prisonars answering some of my questions, she told me that they are full and dont take any kids then asked my info to add her name to their waiting list, then advised me to check their other campuse which was not too far from the main, she told me to go and check it out and have thrm add her name to their waiting list as well, because they have plans to add one more class in that age group and if they get enough demands for that they will do that, she dven direct me how to get there and told me u can go nos if u have time, which i did so, gog there find that well known principal, miss Kathy, she was very cold and ignorant, told me «you shouldnt have come here now» «tjis not how we operate» «i dont think they told u to come here now» i was shocked didnt know how to respond, i told her Maria told me to come, again she said” Maria knows our rules better, and she would have said that” went on and on, very rude, i guess thats how she talks to her kids, cause it felt like she was talking to a teenager that came home late !!! didnt answer any questions and told me that i interrupted her because she was with a parent, put my name and phone number on a junk piece of paper throw on the desk and shook her head as a sign of goodbye, i guess i should have known by heart, anyways dont waste your time and money and dont risk your own hardwork of parenting to go wasted by this lady,

My son started in green group at age 2 with teachers Lena and Juliet. He had an easier transition to pre-​school than I would have expected. As a working mom, I wanted to make sure my child would be taken care of in a warm environment, filled with fun and learning through play. He has learned to play well with others, sing in Armenian and brings home cute craft projects regularly. Most importantly, I want him to be happy, and when I see his smiling face at the end of the day… I know he’s in good hands :) Thank you to the entire team that works to bring such a quality school to our community.

The front office may have some communication shortcomings but we’ve been sending our daughter here for the last two years and so far we couldn’t be happier with her teachers which is what matters the most. Ms Tsagik (red group) and Ms Tamar (blue group) have been amazing. My daughter can’t wait to go to school every day. We’re definitely signing her up for kindergarten (yellow group) next year.

My 2 year old twins now attend First Steps in the Green group at their new campus. I love it! Its wonderful to have the smaller kids separated for that first year from the bigger kids. Its a very mellow, safe environment and the teachers are so loving and nurturing. We are very happy with First Steps.

Like all parents, my wife and I started looking into pre-​school choices when our daughter turned 2.5. One of our choices was First Steps, so we signed up for an open house event, and attended the event early this year. The event itself was great; the director and staff particularly emphasized their ‘great communication’ several times, noting that they are especially great at getting back to parents through email.
After the open house, we picked up our paperwork, and were on our way, feeling pretty good about having found a place for our daughter to spend some time out of the house and become familiar with a school-​type environment. Soon after we arranged a personal visit to get better acquainted with the school and staff, and paid our $ 300 registration fee to hold our spot for the coming school year. So far so good.
As with most parents, we ended up having additional questions, so we emailed First Steps. One day went by with no response. But we figured it was not during a regular school session/​season, so a little delay is ok. Two days went by, and we got no response. Finally we resent the email, and it took another day to get a response from them.
We had very similar experiences on two other occasions, and we gave up, and decided that our daughter would not be attending this school.
The whole process felt like we had been part of a time-​share sales process, where everything looked and seemed great right up until we handed the school money.
Best of luck to all the parents who are trying to find a good school for their children; however, this one is not it.

I agree with the previous review. I was excited to attend the open house and learn more about the school as the school is close by to our home. The director began speaking, and two hours later, I felt like I was being beaten in the head about how I should parent my child, instead of learning about the school. I got to know all bout the director, her beliefs about life, her ideas on parenting and her kids. She is a very narrow minded and ignorant woman. She assumes she knows everyones circumstances. She spoke mostly in Armenian, and although I am Armenian and understood what she was saying, my husband is not Armenian, so he did not benefit from attending the 2 ½ hour open house.
I really liked the facility, the other staff members, and the cameras that show what happens during the day, but I am DEFINITELY NOT going to enroll my child in a school with a director as ignorant, self-​righteous and narrow minded as Her.

Where do I begin. I have two children attending this school and another one on the waiting list:) and I can’t say enough good things about it. But let me start off by saying that I’m one of those parents who did research on preschools even before my kids were born;) Yes, I am picky and for good reason. I read and visited lots of different ones and decided on First Steps and am so happy about my decision. I was looking for a fun, positive, safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment for my kids and I got it! I’m all about learning through play and that is what this school’s philosophy is based on. I expect my child to learn but age appropriately and with lots of hands on fun. I want my kids to come home each day with bugs in their pockets, sand in their socks and paint on their clothes… that’s when I know it’s been a good learning day for them. I also really like the focus on building each child’s self-​esteem. My daughter has gone from a shy little preschooler to an outspoken and social kindergartner, all thanks to the staff. Which brings me to the most important point… the teachers!!! I can’t say enough good things about the nurturing and caring teachers. They have so much patience and love for the kids and much respect for the parents. If I’ve ever approached them with a concern, they listen and really take it to heart and try very hard to find a solution. I also really enjoy the office staff who are friendly yet professional and always willing to help. Love them!
The preschool’s director Kathy has been wonderful to work with. She’s a very down to earth, approachable and knowledgeable person who’s in tune with the needs of the kids. She’s an out of the box thinker and has fun and exciting ideas that she’s constantly building on to the school program. She recently added an outdoor music center to their playground and just last year, she added an Environmental Science Center which is a beautiful outdoor garden with a little waterfall, where the kids plant new fruits and vegetables, watch them grow and eventually enjoy their crop by using them in cooking lessons at school. They also have a space devoted to bugs and insects which my kids are a big fan of:)
Another thing I really like about this school is their extracurricular activities. They have Gymnastics classes (by GymnastiKids), after school science classes (by Mad Science), Spanish classes, after school Art classes (by Kids Art) and Ballet which add to their day of fun and cut on my driving time to and from these activities;)
My kids have learned and grown so much at First Steps. My six year old kindergartner who entered this school 4 years ago in her diapers is now an independent, confident and curious little girl who can read books, write sentences and do simple math… how and when did that happen??? Thank you First Steps for making this time of their life so much fun and stimulating!!!

I’m sad to have to give 2 stars to this school, because the people there are really nice (such as the teachers, parents, etc), but the owner/​principal is not the easiest and/​or most understanding person to deal with.
It’s an Armenian preschool, but really its like daycare. My 2 ½ year old daughter really wanted to start going to school, so from several of my mom friend’s recommendations, I chose First steps. My daughter is advanced for her age (i.e. very fluent speech, potty trained at 18 mos, writes her own name, identifies all letters/​numbers, etc), and I let the principal know that I wanted my child to be put in a class with students she could interact with. The owner, Kathy, kept going on about her theories on social behavior and why social skills are important, which I totally agree with. After evaluating the school for 3 months, I realized my kid would come home only with bad habits (kicking, throwing toys), getting sick every 2 days, and being miserable. Most of her classmates couldn’t speak very well, weren’t potty trained, etc. so my daughter has no one to socialize with at school all day really. (my daughter even told me one day that one of her classmates was drinking the toilet water — when I told Kathy this, her response was that «well that in itself is a learning experience for your daughter)!
After letting Kathy know about my concerns, her answer basically was «well that’s how we run our school. you can come pick up your kids belongings when ever you’d like.» — over the phone mind you. Can you believe it? She didn’t offer to schedule a parent/​teacher meeting, or to discuss in person. It’s just about numbers to Kathy: how many kids she can squeeze in to make more money in tuition (crazy expensive too. like $ 800/​mo). Oh any by the way their «curriculum» they email out every month is to basically learn one thing in that month (like the color blue… for the entire month!)
The day after I took my daughter out of there, she was back to her old sweet self — no more kicking, throwing toys, tantrums, etc. Now I spend that money on so many more meaningful, educational, and worthwhile things for her.