Colibri Preschool

We just did a tour of Colibri PreK on Piedmont Avenue for our (almost) 2 year old son and they mentioned that they have an after-school program for TK/Elementary school kids just up the street, also on Piedmont Ave. This is a Spanish Immersion after care, so not sure if that would fit what you're looking for. During the tour they said that if we send our 4 year old to Piedmont Ave Elementary, they pick up the kids after class is over and walk them down the street to their after care program, which I believe is open until 6pm. While we're not sending our 4 year old to Piedmont Ave Elementary, we might consider this after care program because we have heard great things about the preschool and we were really impressed during our tour. 

My kids have all gone to Colibri (one of the owners also runs Creative Spanish and many families just move from one program to the other) the oldest did a few weeks of Creative Spanish summer camp. Juliana, the owner, is awesome. She loves encouraging kids' exploration of Latin culture and fluency in Spanish. She does a good job of positively but firmly encouraging the time to be Spanish speaking. I think the kids have a lot of fun and grow as Spanish speakers.

We had a rough experience with summer camp because my kid was so stressed out and disregulated from Covid closures and disruptions that it ended up being a really tough time for him. Juliana worked so hard to make it work though (she had been one of his preschool teachers and cares for him very much). She worked well with him and us to try to support his behavior and regulation. But their indoor space is pretty small so he didnt really have the room he needed and when they went to the park he couldn't stay with the group. All this is to say, I still recommend Creative Spanish but it wasn't for my kid at that time despite them trying so hard. I felt very supported as a parent through all that as we tried to figure things out for which I'm very grateful.

Colibri Preschool,  which is near Piedmont, is open 7-6. We don't use the long hours but many families do. It's a great place and definitely worth considering. 

Our preschool, Colibri, is now mask-optional at this point. I have a child in the 4s class and I would say 25-50% of the kids wear masks. I'm not sure about the lower classes. It is a Spanish immersion school and I'm not sure if that would work for your family and child, but we and our two kids have been very happy there. Our third is starting in the 2s class in the fall. The teachers are patient and understanding. When masking started they were great about recognizing how tough it was for kids but also encouraging them to wear them. The administrators are very on top of things. Both my kids have some challenging behaviors (though no diagnosis yet) and they have been very supportive and creative trying to figure out how to make school work. The only caution I would have is that my second has a speech delay. He has an IEP and goes to therapy through OUSD. While his doctor and I were aware of it I was surprised that the school didn't catch it sooner and encourage us to seek out help. I think the Spanish immersion environment (even though my husband and kids speak Spanish at home) and his behavior issues masked the speech delay for a while. So, I would ask some questions about how the teachers and school in general is trained in supporting kids with special needs.

We've been very happy at Colibri, which is near Piedmont. Our oldest graduated from there and was in a good spot for kindergarten academically, socially and emotionally, despite him finishing in the midst of the pandemic. Our 4 year old is there now and our 2 year old will start there next year. I think the program is well balanced- enough structured activities with the maestras to give the kids a good foundation in Spanish and introduction to pre-literacy skills but also a developmentally appropriate amount of free play. Our oldest is now in an immersion elementary school and doing well.

At our preschool (Colibri in Oakland) there is not regular testing but there are times when people must be tested. Let's see if I can get the current rules right as they've changed over time with me guidance from health and education officials. If someone (teacher, student, etc) is exposed to someone with Covid they must quarantine for two weeks and get tested twice- immediately and before they come back. If families travel, like over the holidays which was strongly discouraged, they also had to quarantine for two weeks and have a negative test. New families follow a similar prodical.

We love Colibri Preshcool in Oakland! It's Spanish Immersion. They have a 2s, 3s and 4s class. They just got approved for slightly larger cohorts and classes so they might have room. My oldest was there and now my middle one is. We'll definitely send our youngest (who's only 10 months now) there too. The owners are awesome. The teachers are engaged and creative. They have done a good job adjusting to Covid and communicating with us as parents what the policies are and each time there is a change.

Also, as far as TK goes in Oakland Unified I'm not sure there's Spanish immersion option. My oldest is in kindergarten at Greenleaf, a Spanish immersion elementary and middle school that has TK. But the TK is in English. We didn't look into that too much since we have an April birthday.

Hi Margaux. My son just started at Colibri Preschool on Piedmont Ave, and he's loving it. It's Spanish-immersion for kids 2-5 (has a 2s, 3s and 4s class). Long hours (from 7am-6pm), they're being very covid conscious and abiding by Alameda County guidelines, and the teachers/admin have been so great.

I don't think they have immediate openings, but with guidelines changing all the time, I think these things are in flux more than before. And it's always worth looking into if you want to get on a wait list for next year. Both your kiddos could go then, I'd imagine.

Feel free to reach out if you have more questions.

We love our preschool which is at Piedmont and Pleasant Valley. It's Colibri Preschool and is a small Spanish language immersion school. We've been there since we moved to the area a year ago. My oldest is now in the 4s class and my middle child is in the 2s class. They have a lot of flexibility in schedules- you can do 9 to 3 or 7 to 6. 2s have to be there at least 2 days a week, 3 yos 3 days a week and 4s 4 days a week. This works well for our family as I work part time and so we just do the minimum number of days for each age. The teachers are caring, attentive and creative in their teaching. My 4 year old struggled a lot with behavior after our cross-country move and they were very patient, collaberative and thoughtful as we tried to address that. Throughout the SIP and COVID crisis they have been great at communicating, provided some online teaching and materials and working with families struggling with tuition. The owners, two women, are investing a lot of resources in the school itself. They fairly frequently are buying new toys, recently painted a mural on the building and work hard to create a sense of community. The preschool is a little more structured than some as they want the students to interact with the teachers more frequently so that they are hearing and speaking in Spanish. My 4 year old struggled with this a bit at first but is doing well now and is learning so much. It seems to work well for my 2 year old. I really can't say enough good things about them.

Hi! My son will be starting at Colibri preschool in Piedmont this Fall. My daughter went there, too, when she was 2 (back then it was Kids Speaking Spanish, which is still active but in transition to a new location in Montclair). It is Spanish immersion, the teachers are warm and welcoming, the environment is vibrant, the teaching style is play-based, and I found the feedback from the teachers very thoughtful. My daughter is now at Escuela Bilingue Internacional and she loves it. The Spanish immersion piece is what originally put EBI on the map for us, but now that we are there, it is the teaching model (based off the IB program) and the community that really give the school a special touch. I would note that EBI starts at 3 (3 by September, I believe). Good luck!