We chose La Scuola three years ago for its combination of warmth and strong academics. I toured a lot of K-8 schools and the warmth and personality of La Scuola stood out. Dig a little further and I was impressed by the International Baccalaureate program and language immersion. I have to say we haven't been disappointed. Our child loves the school and is always happy. I have been hugely impressed by the teaching standards and communication. Just fyi, we have no Italian at home and love that our child is learning the language and will take on Spanish in the coming years. Great enrichment program and aftercare for all (if desired). I can't recommend the school enough.

If a utopia for childhood education and care existed, it would look like La Scuola International School. It brings me joy and peace of mind to send my beloved son there everyday. It starts with the warm welcome we receive at drop-off and continues with seeing him run into the light-filled and thoughtfully designed environment created by Italian architect, Michele Zini. The playground is open and spacious. The classrooms are bright and playful, while not being overstimulating. Although we are not Italian, we love that he learns another beautiful language and culture. They serve a diversity of healthy, warm meals and snacks that are cooked fresh each day on-site with organic ingredients. The Reggio Emilia approach to learning is enriching and empowering. And best of all, you become a part of a community of parents that are involved and stay connected through an app that allows easy communication with anyone in your class or in the school. Needless to say, we love La Scuola and feel incredibly fortunate to have our son learning and cared for there.

Our son started preschool at La Scuola just a few months ago, and loves it so far: he has made a couple of great friends, enjoys music class and spending his day in the garden, and has his language skills have blossomed. Our favorite aspects of the school are: their excellent, joyful teachers; the lovely outdoor space; fresh and tasty food; and a strong, supportive community. Regarding the Italian immersion aspect: my husband and I each speak a language other than english with our families, and neither of them is Italian. So when we found La Scuola we were stoked -- this was exactly the bilingual, international community school we had dreamed of -- but puzzled: did it make sense to immerse our son in yet another language? It turns out that Italian has been a welcome addition to our son’s life, and through him (through songs and random but convenient word choices, especially around mealtime) to our household. And that La Scuola is indeed, first and foremost, an international school that celebrates variety in culture: the joys and responsibilities of being a local San Franciscan, and the beauty of being from elsewhere as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=135&v=oEi7np-vNJE

We're in our 6th year at La Scuola - 4 pre-K years and now into elementary. It's really a special institution to be part of. My daughter has always believed that adults want to hear what she has to say...her ideas, her insights, her creativity. They work with the children to draw out whatever the natural expression of the child is - for some it's through art, others in the garden, others may want to talk and talk and talk. But each child is respected for how they learn and what they choose to offer. Nothing is done by explaining or memorization, it's learned by doing! That opens the mind to critical thinking which is exactly what the world needs in it's future citizens. As a parent I have enjoyed becoming part of the community immensely. The tuition assistance is the only way we've been able to take part...a fair and respectful process for us...and we're incredibly grateful to be immersed in this world.

My daughter has been at La Scuola for nearly 8 years. She has attended the pre-school, the elementary school and is now at the new middle school. Last year, we tried something different. We went to Italy for the year for a cultural experience. Simply stated, La Scuola totally prepared my daughter for her Italian 4th grade experience abroad. She had very few language issues due to La Scuola's wonderful language immersion. Her only struggle was that she was not excited about the pedagogy...they used lots of memorization. She missed the collaboration and team approach to learning. She even commented that they don't do science because they only memorize scientific facts. "It's not science if you are not doing experiments" she used to claim. She is excited to be back at La Scuola where the joy in learning is real and she can use both her heart and mind, not to mention getting her hands dirty in both the garden, art and science room!

My daughter has been going to La Scuola since she was just a little under 2. We started with the Spazio Giocco program (a mommy/daddy & me class, 2x/week, ~2 hrs/day). Neither my wife nor I are Italian, but what really drew us to the school: - we wanted to immerse our daughter in another language - Reggio Emilia based curriculum - the gregarious and loving nature of the faculty The Spazio program opened our eyes to what our daughter could be experiencing in a part-time or full-time preschool program. And when the time came, we applied and enrolled her in Piccoli, the preschool program. Our daughter loves La Scuola so much that, now, even on weekends, our daughter wakes up and asks to go to school. She's made some really close friends there and she has discovered a real love for music and instruments through her time there - something the school has really nurtured her to discover. The school's admissions process is competitive due to the limited number of spots. So plan ahead!