Our daughter has been attending Russian Hill Academy for almost ~2 years. We were very worried about the transition from being at home with our nanny to school, but it has been nothing but smooth. She joined RHA when shew as almost 3, and in the last ~2 years has become fully fluent in Mandarin, learned numbers / basic math / the alphabet, improved her social skills dramatically, learned to memorize all kinds of Chinese songs and poems (as well as dance to them), and in general has become an even happier and healthier kid than she's been before. She loves her school, her classmates (in her "big" class as well as the kids in "medium" and "small" class), and her teachers. She also rarely gets sick which was the biggest surprise for us. Jiali, teacher Sunny, and the other teachers take wonderful care of the kids and are extremely responsive if we have any questions. They also put on an amazing end of school year / graduation ceremony every year. This last June it was at San Mateo College where the kids danced and performed for over 2 hours and everyone had the best time. We are incredibly appreciative to Jiali and her team for making our time at RHA so amazing! We feel like our daughter will be more than ready for Kindergarten when she starts next fall.

Russian Hill Academy is amazing. My two year old son currently attends and my daughter attended before starting kindergarten. We found the daycare when a family in the neighborhood was talking about their children at the daycare and how warm the teachers were and how much their children loved the daycare. Our daughter started when she was one and a half and was very warmly taken up by not only the caretakers but also the other children. We loved that thee are a lot of children of different ages and she was included in the same activities with some of the older children, but also got time with the children her age to participate in age need age-specific needs. Jiali and her staff are amazing and nurturing. The facility is their newer location now and went through meticulous work to have areas of focus for the children and is well kept. They enjoy time outside at the local playground where the police officers and book mobile often come to make visits to greet the children. Meals are cooked by the staff and I’m always impressed of the health and variety of food. My daughter and son both have different needs that have been satisfied by the Russian Hill Academy. My daughter loved the winter performance and learning songs and dance. My son enjoys the learning activities like making volcanoes or seeing caterpillars become butterflies. We don’t speak Mandarin but both children have been complimented on their Mandarin by friends who do speak the language. They both furthermore enjoy learning Mandarin as it’s a fun activity to them - we now hire a teacher for my daughter, and my son enjoys interacting with the lessons as much as my daughter. They are taught not only the verbal language but reading/learning to read the language as well. They do not have issues with the staff interacting with them solely in Mandarin, and while I do not talk as much with the staff, Jiali is always very responsive and able to communicate with me. Activities and updates are updated on a monthly basis to brightwheel and we love seeing the songs, dances, activities and learning that is going on at Russian Hill Academy. I often brag about Jiali and her astute understanding of children and childcare. When my daughter was ready to potty train, she confirmed it and really helped make it a simple process. I was hesitant about my son being ready because of his different pattern and not showing as much readiness, and Jiali told me when was the right time, a month delay from my daughter’s time frame. I was very ready and willing to let her tell me he wasn’t ready the first day of trying, but instead she gave me very different instructions of a timed voiding plan for him. It worked and I was so grateful for her expertise and her patience when I would not have otherwise done so. We did not search for a new daycare when we moved and have stayed with Russian Hill Academy and I am so happy for her care. I recommend her to everyone!

My husband and I made the mistake of not enrolling our daughters in daycare before they were even conceived. So, when we applied for Russian Hill Academy (then on Union St.), we were waitlisted. Since we really liked the program, we enrolled at their larger campus, Richmond Academy, while we waited. 2 years later, we finally got off the waitlist and started at this brand-new Pacific Ave. location. Reasons why we love this place: 1. Mandarin immersion. The girls probably know more Chinese than English at this point. 2. Homemade meals provided. No need to plan lunches/snacks and clean up more containers at night. 3. Monthly videos that summarize their school activities. It gives context to the new dance moves and vocabulary they come home with, and it feels like we’re sharing those missed experiences with them. 4. Potty training. Our younger daughter has been potty trained since 20 mos old ONLY thanks to the teachers here. 5. Communication is clear and easy. Jiali (director) and the teachers are immediately accessible when needed. They use the brightwheel app. 6. At the Pacific Ave. location, they go to the park daily or close to it. I can smell sunscreen on their faces at pick-up and know that they had another fun filled day.

We love Russian Hill Academy (RHA)! When we first toured RHA pre-pandemic, what stood out was how happy and engaged the children were. We joined RHA in summer of 2020, and our twin daughters started as quiet and shy toddlers and have since blossomed into curious, kind, and responsible rising kindergarteners. Jiali (preschool director) and teachers Wendy and Loraine are amazing, devoted, and very nurturing and kind. They provide exceptional care with seemingly unlimited patience. Teachers Wendy and Loraine make learning fun! My daughters come home showing off amazing choreographed dances they learned, while singing accompanying Mandarin songs. They recite full stories and songs in Mandarin from memory. It’s incredible! What I admire is the curriculum is balanced and accelerated without compromising fun. Through dance, song, and movement, all the activities are thoughtfully planned by the teachers and steeped in learning. Jiali is fantastic - very warm, approachable and super responsive. As preschool director, she really keeps the best interests of her students and their families in mind in everything she does. Jiali truly understands the challenges and dilemmas busy parents face, and she strives to make our lives easier. From providing nourishing and healthy meals and snacks (I never worry if the girls eat enough) to handling the weekly laundering of naptime blankets and to cleaning of their water bottles, so parents don’t have to shuttle those to/from school every week. Even simply providing the nap mats. All these small things add up to one less parenting item that persists on our endless mental checklist. She is a lifesaver! We drop off our girls everyday with 100% reassurance they will be loved and nurtured by teachers Wendy and Loraine. RHA kids are well-prepared for kindergarten — their social and emotional development, individual and social responsibility, and even practiced focus time on an activity or math or writing worksheet - all translate back into the home and beyond for a strong foundation. We were thrilled CAIS accepted our daughters into kindergarten, and I credit Jiali, Wendy, and Loraine for their preparation and instruction. We feel extremely honored and grateful to be part of this remarkable school and community. As we transition to kindergarten, we are sad to leave our RHA friends, Jiali, Wendy, and Loraine. If you are a parent considering RHA for a daycare/preschool, do it! We could not recommend it enough. It is that magical of a place!

We are forever thankful for RHA and it's director, Jiali, and the two fantastic teachers, Wendy and Loraine, at their Union St location. We feel so fortunate to have been a part of such a wonderful school (their wait list is long!) and wish we could stay forever! Our daughter is very shy and not only was she nurtured by the caring teachers but she has grown so much socially and learned so much academically. She just turned 4 and is already learning math! In addition to learning Mandarin, she has been learning to write, count, and sing/dance to Chinese songs. She is always so excited to come home and show me all that she has learned. The program is phenomenal - they do everything and I couldn't be more impressed! The community is also wonderful - the other children and families at RHA are some of our great friends now that we regularly see on weekends. We are blown away and so appreciative of the environment that RHA has built. It has been a JOY and I recommend RHA to all the families with Littles that we know.

Our daughter has been attending Russian Hill Academy since she was 20 months up and now is close to 'graduating' as an almost 5-year-old. The experience we've had with the school has been nothing short of phenomenal. The entire staff - Jiali, Wendy, Loraine - establish a positive, nurturing, and educational environment that our daughter has thrived in. Our daughter has nurtured many positive habits, both educational and social, that have carried into our household and we believe will set a strong foundation for kindergarten. We originally enrolled in the school partially due to the location being so convenient from where we lived. Even though we moved 45 minutes away, we're making the commute every day because we feel so strongly about the positive experience our daughter is getting at Russian Hill. We could not recommend the school more strongly.