Stepping Stone Schoolhouse

El Cerrito, CA

To see Department of Social Services records on this facility, click on its DSS Facility License # below.

Type:
Home-Based Daycare/Preschool
DSS Facility License #
Owner:
Tew Pakawongse
(510) 685-3212
teachertew [at] gmail.com
Location:
El Cerrito
94530
Maximum Capacity:
14
Language(s) Spoken:
English
Editors' Notes:
  • Jan 2019: daycare changed locations in 2018 and was issued a new license number

Parent Reviews

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We love SSS! We had our son in another daycare for a few months before moving to El Cerrito, and then looked at many daycares/pre-schools in the area before enrolling at SSS. At our previous school, our son cried at drop off even after several months. At SSS, it took less than a week before he was happily yelling goodbye out the window as I walked away. On days when he does have a hard time, Tew or Claudia always send photos a few minutes later of him happily playing, occasionally having enlisted other kids to give him extra snuggles as well. Tew and all the teachers are amazing and the love between the teachers and kids feels very real and very mutual. On the day we toured SSS, one of the 4 year olds asked Tew for help with something, and after she helped him, said "I love you Tewey!" and she responded "I love you more!." SSS has kids ages 2(ish) until they go to kindergarten, and there is a wonderful sense of community, with the big kids helping the little kids, and the big kids getting some additional age-appropriate kindergarten prep. The indoor and outdoor space are both beautiful, with tons of "jobs", books, and other educational materials, a big play area, and lots of free play in addition to learning skills. The parents are an amazing community too. We feel very lucky to be a part of this school and the community it has created.

Highly highly recommend Stepping Stone Schoolhouse! After a traumatic experience at 3 (yes, three) other daycares all within a year before my son began at SSS this past April, it was a such a relief to feel the intuitive trust, love, engagement and care provided at this school. The feeling of knowing he was in good hands and was having a happy, safe, and fun day was palpable relative to the nagging realization that I need to get him out of bad care arrangements. The kids all love going to school here, and the teachers genuinely seem to love the kids. I find I am speechless with my appreciation for their hard and loving work. They have a great schoolhouse setup as well as a backyard playground. The parent community here at SSS is also very involved, friendly, and cohesive. Parents voluntarily trade off making lunch for the group every Monday! Grateful to have this care for my son. 

As of August 2022 there will be several openings as the older kids graduate and move on to TK!

My 4 y.o. has been going to SSS since 2019 and our entire family loves it! I fell in love with the place as soon as we entered the building the first time (and by that time I looked at 10+ daycares in the area) - it wasn't just the building itself but the atmosphere of care, calmness, respect, and love. I knew right away that was the best place for my child and they love it as well. From the very beginning, Tew, Claudia, and other wonderful people at SSS made the place my kid's second home that they are always happy to go to. I heard people's stories of their kids crying every day because they don't want to go to school which has never been an issue for us - the kid is too excited to be there. Tew and her team also handled the COVID wonderfully, putting appropriate procedures and restrictions from the start, we always felt (and still feel) very safe. In the mornings they have age-appropriate classes and I am happy to see that my kid knows all the numbers, letters, planets and other information about the world we live in and has skills that will help him transition successfully to the next educational level when the time comes. Tew and the team also organize different additional activities - when we started the school, there was an aerobics class and now they are learning Mandarin (Tew always asks all the parents whether they are interested in this or that activity to make sure everyone is happy with proposed agenda). The school has a wonderful backyard where they spend a lot of time and sometimes they walk to the nearest park, which kids also love. They also organize different events for kids throughout the year which kids enjoy very much. Tew and the team are very caring, and attentive, and have an individual approach to each child (and parent). Kids love SSS, no wonder they come to visit when they grow older or even volunteer because they want to give back to the community that Tewy creates with her wonderful school. I am very happy we found SSS and I recommend it to everyone!

I have two children at Stepping Stone and cannot overstate how wonderful it is. My children have thrived in the care of their kind, nurturing and creative  teachers. They are always excited to go to school and consistently bring home projects that amaze me.
I have no doubts that my children will be well-equipped for kindergarten—they are gaining all the social, emotional, fine motor, and literacy skills they need here at Stepping Stone. 

Tew is also thoughtful and proactive about health, especially when it comes to COVID. She was an early adopter of new protocols to ensure the safety of the children and teachers and continues to impress us with how she has navigated this difficult challenge. 

My youngest just graduated from "Steppings", as we call it. In all, both children have been part of the Steppings family for 6 years. My son still begs to return to visit , having made fast and perhaps forever friends with Tew and her team. Tew, called Tewey by the kids is gentle and kind, balanced and caring. Her program is the perfect mix of focused pre-kinder preparation and exceptional fun. The facility is an adorable little house in El Cerrito with a lovely yard filled with endless imagination.  Squeals of joy spill over the neighboring fences and smiling faces greet parents for pick up and drop off. We have always admired Tew's devotion and attention to her students'  interests.  One year they grew corn in the front yard, another year a garden went up, a music class, swim lessons, gymnastics, soccer, a little library, this year the sandbox was filled, another year scoot bikes and basketball hoops arrived. These additions often appearing over the weekend on a child's whim, or sometimes bestowed on her by loyal parents holding work parties, further demonstrate the commitment and loyalty felt in this small group.  I have personally observed Tew in tune with her graduating classes... watching, attending, teaching to each at their own levels without judgment or competition. This is a special school. I would recommend it to anyone.

I currently have both of my children attending Stepping Stone Schoolhouse (SSS), and we have been part of the school since August of 2015.  I highly recommend this preschool! As a child psychologist I have been completely impressed by the teachers and staff at the school, the approach to their students, and their style of teaching.  Tew (the kids call her Tewy) is so utterly amazing.  She is warm, kind, and sensitive.  Every child is treated in such as special way as  she takes the time to know the children.  She has become a family member to us, and is someone that ALL the families can rely on beyond the school expectation. Tew is also very selective of her staff, and as a result has a team of wonderful, compassionate people.  In addition to this, she stresses the effort to build a community with the parents, and as a result I've built a wonderful social network.  All the families at the school care for one another's child, and this is all due to the culture Tew has built. 

The school's approach to normative peer conflict is so thoughtful and sensitive.  After spending several hours over the course of multiple years I have to say it rarely happens because the teachers take developmentally appropriate preventative steps.  Because of this they have instilled a culture that does not foster much conflict.  However, as you know with toddlers ... it occurs. The teachers approach  this by considering the developmental level of the child, and sensitively working with each child individually to develop an understanding about conflict, and repair.  As a result, the children have formed great relationships across ages. 

Without the foundation of a great teacher, you cannot have a great teaching curriculum, and luckily at SSS there is both. The topics and approach to teaching is amazing.  She tailors the curriculum to the child's learning style and developmental level.  For instance, my 2.5-year-old is learning the continents through song, which is his main mode of learning, and my other son (4 y.o.) prefers tactile interfaces, and has learned the continents through puzzles.  She infuses their everyday learning with special events such as music class, gymnastic class, and swim class. These special courses are inspired by the children's interests just showing that she really puts the kids first. Due to her tailored style of teaching I feel confident that my children will be Kindergarten ready. 

Finally, after I've seen families graduate from the school, these families often return for visits, because Tewy was/is so important in their lives.  I believe that is a testament to the quality of care and relationship that is built at this school. Again, I highly recommend this school, and I'm open to being messaged for further questions about my experiences.  - Anna 

My 4 year old son been at Stepping Stone Schoolhouse for a year and a half now and this is his last year there before entering K next fall.  I have been very blessed to have found this preschool.  The teacher, Tew, has been very accommodating and is very understanding to each kid's individual needs.  She teaches with compassion and truly has the kid's interest at heart.  She takes the kids in as if they were her own family and will take care of them, look after them, and is gentle when she does need to reprimand them.  The other teachers there are also really great and compassionate towards the kids as well.  

My son has gain confidence here with the help of the teachers facilitating some play with the other kids.  The school has different themes throughout the year that the kids are introduced to.  In addition, once a week, there is a different teacher who comes in for various activities.  Last fall, they had a gymnastics teacher, this summer they went swimming, and this fall there is a music teacher.  I couldn't be more happy here because my son is really thriving in a nurturing and caring environment.  I think that's the most important thing in a preschool, to have caring and nurturing teachers who care about the wellbeing of the kids, and Tew and the teachers here really delivery on that.  I highly recommend this preschool.  It's a very good community to be in.  -Willa

I wish I would have found Stepping Stone Schoolhouse sooner! My son started attending SSS when he was four and soon had to venture off to Kindergarten the following year. I believe he would have been much more prepared for K had he been able to spend more time with Tew. Tew sets a time aside for the older kids to work in a small group to introduce them to reading, she doesn’t push this work on the kids so they don’t feel like they “have” to do it, they actually want to!

Although my son doesn’t attend SSS anymore, he still asks to go back all the time. Lucky for my 2 yr old daughter, she gets to attend at a much earlier age. Since she’s still young, she only goes 1-2x a week but if it were up to her, she would want to go every day (soon enough!). I am looking forward to seeing how much she picks up when she begins to attend more regularly. I really love the home-like environment, paired with a gentle but firm structure with lots of outdoor play (water-table, sand-table, climbing structure, cycles, balance beam, etc.), art, books, and fine-gross motor skill activities.

I highly recommend SSS. Tew is absolutely amazing with all the children and knows how bring out the best in your child, she's patient, caring, and very loving. She not only cares about your child's well-being but also about you as the parent and does everything in her power to help you if/when needed. You really feel the sense of community at SSS and couldn't ask for a better place to send your little one to learn and grow.

*You’ll also love the parents nights out events that they offer monthly. My son still goes to these and really looks forward to them.

~Veronica

Archived Q&A and Reviews


Sept 2014

There is still an opening at my son's Montessori-based preschool in El Cerrito. Stepping Stones Schoolhouse is a small, nurturing school and we've grown to love the teachers as well as the school community. The head teacher, Tew, has extensive experience with young children and plans monthly themed curriculum with activities for all the various developmental levels. We could not as for a more dedicated and supportive teacher for our son. She is equally dedicated to fostering community among the parents and families and hosts regular backyard social events and 'parents night out' opportunities. There are also two assistant teachers who are both native Spanish speakers and help incorporate Spanish into the curriculum. My son will be more than ready for Kindergarten next year after his time at SSS. Contact Tew if you are interested at teachertew [at] gmail.com
Kathleen



June 2014

My son started Stepping Stones Schoolhouse in the Fall of 2013. I fell for Tew in the first moments of meeting her. Our introduction was a lesson about how seeds grow, and I observed the children opening their seeds to discover what was inside. The children were fixated on her every soft word. Stepping Stones Schoolhouse is a sweet little house nestled on a cute block in El Cerrito. It has a great yard with tons to do and my son loves it there. To say he was thriving would be an understatement. Tew and her staff have far surpassed my expectation of preschool in their curriculum and love and compassion for the children. they also offer several parent's nights out and special field trips, and ''activities'' each season like swim lessons, music class, soccer, etc. We have also had two community parties at the school. It is a lovely setting and a lovely community.



June 2013

My son (now almost 5 and about to start kindergarten) has been attending Stepping Stone Schoolhouse in El Cerrito for 2 years and everything about the school has been fantastic, from the core approach to teaching and the dedicated teachers to the supportive community, great environment, and wonderful kids. My son has learned about astronomy, biology, botany, geography, art, music, cooking, sports, and more. And the best part is that he has loved every minute of it. I highly recommend Stepping Stone Schoolhouse to anyone looking for a great preschool experience for their child. Doug



Oct 2012

My son has been attending Stepping Stone Schoolhouse for a year now. At SSS, each student is loved and appreciated for his/her strength while the teachers are gently working on their weaknesses with patience and unique approach based on the child's needs. They learn through the themes as they are exploring each theme using science, art etc. This is a great school for kids with curious minds that love to learn while having fun. It's also a school that created great community among parents - we know each other well and organize activities outside the school as well. If you're looking for a school in El Cerrito/Albany area, this is a lovely little school that I would recommend with all my heart. Ali



July 2012

I wanted to pass along my strong recommendation for Stepping Stone Schoolhouse in El Cerrito. Tew is an absolutely amazing teacher and our 4-year-old daughter loves getting up to go to school each day. She's grown so much at Stepping and is surrounded by a great group of kids. I normally don't post reviews like this at all but this place has been such a wonderful force in my daughter's life that I want other people to check it out. If you are looking for a great preschool in the El Cerrito area you can't beat Stepping Stone. Justin



Feb 2012

Re: Need Montessori Preschool Now!
You don't mention what part of the East Bay you are in, but if El Cerrito is convenient for you, you should definitely check out Stepping Stone Schoolhouse, which is Montessori-based. While it is brand new (opened last fall), the Director/Teacher, Tew, has been teaching preschool in this area for many years (including at Growing Light Montessori in Oakland). My 3.5 year old son was a student of Tew's for a year at another preschool and now attends Stepping Stone and we could not be happier with it. Tew is an amazing teacher. My son is very high energy and I think he has really benefited from the structure of Montessori. I also like that Tew isn't rigid in her philosophy, incorporating lots of other methods and ideas in her teaching. There is a magical sense of both peace and joy when the school is full of kids. I know Tew has a few spots left and right now she has mostly boys, so she would love to have more girls. You can find information about the school atwww.steppingstoneschoolhouse.com. Feel free to email me, as well, if you have other questions. Robin