As it turns out, the introduction to French immersion has been really important. My daughter had fun, met new friends, learned new things and developed - like any preschool - but the reality is that the door closes and it's all in French. Having this French language immersion introduction made the next step of French Kindergarten/school something that is possible. Other than this, A La Vanille was a lot of fun for all of us... it was a great experience!

~ A parent whose child now attends the French Lycee in SF

We do not speak French in our household. Our initial reason for sending our daughter to French Immersion preschool was to prepare her to attend Austin Int'l School. We sent her to ALV from ages 2-4 and have been thrilled with the outcome. Our daughter is constantly singing songs in French and telling us how to say words in French. Her time there has also taught her table manners, social skills, and helped her reach countless other important developmental milestones. It has also opened the door to other languages as she is now learning Spanish and interested in learning Korean from her grandparents. The program is always new and interesting, everything from gardening to painting with everything except a paintbrush, to making their own books and serving child-friendly gourmet food that is both healthier and more interesting than the average chicken nugget. Although our child is sensitive and high strung on occasion, Rossanna has always made her feel comfortable, secure and happy. I have no doubt that this foundation in both language and life skills will make the transition to her new school infinitely easier than it would have otherwise been.

~ From a parent whose child now attends Austin International School (Bilingual French)

Since beginning in February our son has begun speaking French and singing several French nursery rhymes, he has brought home wonderful art projects that he is obviously extremely proud of, and he has become much more outgoing and social than he used to be.

~ Parent whose child now attends the French-American school in SF

The personal attention and enthusiastic second-language teaching for our children, plus nutritious snacks and hot meals, are an exceptional value for the cost. Our children have been accepted into the French-American school with a head start thanks to having attended two years at ALV.

~ Children now attend the French-American school in SF

Our family is bilingual (French and American) and both our children attended A la Vanille when they turned 2. We absolutely love this daycare. It is a very good preparation for school and it offers the real foundation toddlers need to feel confident and independant. Morning routines and throughout the day help the kids feel comfortable, activities are creative and fun, yummy lunches are provided which helps them discover new flavors and all kind of family style dishes. My kids were able to eat ratatouille and couscous at A la Vanille which is a such a great exposure to good food. Rossanna runs this daycare as if it was her own family and this is really how you feel every day: being part of a family. I can't remember one day in 3 years when I was sad to leave my kids and most of all, my kids are still talking about it as their favorite place. The immersion worked out well for us since we are bilingual but I have also witnessed the language skills of english-only speaking kids improving month after month. We are now at Le Lycée Français and we strongly recommend A la Vanille as a preparation for it.

~ From a parent whose 2 children attend le Lycée Français La Pérouse

All three of our children have attended A La Vanille from the ages of 2-1/2 to 4. The two oldest now attend French American International School in San Francisco; the youngest is still a student at ALV and will begin preschool full time at FAIS next school year. Our experience at ALV has been a pleasure from day one. We are consistently impressed with the hard work and dedication of the teachers - the wonderful activities that engage the children, creative art projects, animated story telling, not to mention the delicious home-cooked lunches. And while the children are enjoying all of these things, they don't even realize that they are also acquiring another language. At FAIS, the teachers have consistently commented on our children's extensive French vocabulary, native pronunciation and the ease with which they understand and converse in French. While my husband and I both speak French, it is not our native language and we do not speak it on a regular basis at home. ALV has become so much a part of our family life, that I will truly miss having a child there next year when my youngest moves on to FAIS.

~ From a Parents whose two older children attend FAIS (third child soon begin FAIS), spanning a nine-year relationship with ALV.

ALV is a great program to help children learn French in a wonderfully friendly atmosphere. The caregiver is extremely loving and the children are sure to have a great time while learning a new language. Of course, they don't even know that they're learning something new, they're just having a great time playing educational games, singing songs, "working" in the vegetable garden, eating new food, reading books... all this in French of course. My daughter has been going for a few months now and I am amazed at the rate at which she is learning. She understands everything and even manages to have phone conversation with her grandparents who live in France. She asks to go to A La Vanille every day! She loves it as much as I do!

~ Written by a French mother who started speaking to her daughter exclusively in French after enrolling her in ALV/Father speaks exclusively in english to daughter.

I speak French to my kids at home, but as a non-native French speaker I needed something more for them to learn & grow with; A La Vanille has been perfect and was exactly what my kids (& I!) needed. They've learned more about the French culture at A La Vanille than I could teach them without going to France; from the wonderful French songs they sing, to the adorable French characters they read about, to the very delicious and nutritious French food that they are fed when they're there, I couldn't ask for a better place! The Director is very warm and caring, and speaks French to the children constantly, which in turn helps the kids absorb more French the whole time they are there. I feel so happy every time my children respond to me in, or better yet initiate a conversation with me in French; as a Francophile, A La Vanille is the best exposure to the French language and culture I could ask for my preschoolers!"

~ Parent whose children now attend the Ecole Notre Dame des Victoires, SF

We are a trilingual family who appreciated our daughters attending the AVL program because of the cultural aspect. They learned songs, poems and stories in French as if they had attended preschool in France. Raising French-speaking children in the U.S. is a sub-culture all it's own. We are grateful to have found a warm, diverse community of parents who are likewise raising multilingual children in the Bay Area. Some of the children are learning Chinese, Tagalog, Arabic, Italian, and other European languages in addition to French and Spanish. The family parties are lots of fun, too!

~ By parents who speak French, English and Spanish at home and children now attend public school in U.S.

Je voulais que mon fils comprenne que le français est une langue vivante, en dehors de la maison. J'étais ravie de trouver A La Vanille! Non seulement ça lui a permit de continuer son Français, mais avec les thèmes variés conçue par la directrice, il a appris du vocabulaire en plus! Je suis très heureuse avec ALV. Un programme intéressant, des déjeuners avec la culture européenne, et une communauté de parents fort sympa.

~ French-speaking family residing in SF

Notre fils avait un retard de language important du à divers facteurs dont une baisse d'audition, mais aussi probablement un manque de "bain de francais" dans le daycare Anglophone à SF où il etait souvent seul dans son coin et tres peu integré dans les activités. Notre fils s'est sentis à l'aise des qu'il a commencé à venir à A La Vanille. C'est à ALV qu'il a commence a chanter et surtout à parler en faisant des phrases, à faire des jeux symboliques, et à ratrapper le retard qu'il avait pris pour avoir finalement le niveau d'un enfant de son age. Madame Donio stimule beaucoup les enfants, par des bricolages, des lectures et des jeux en groupe. Nous sommes très heureux que notre fils a pu frequenter ALV pendant un an et demi, car alors que nous nous apprêtons a rentre en Suisse, nous savons qu'il pourra entrer dans une ecole publique non specialisée, comme cela aurait été nécessaire si sa situation ne s'était pas ameliorée. Nous gardons un très bon souvenir de cette periode et tenons a remercier Madame Donio ainsi que ses assistantes pour tout ce qu'elles ont fait pour notre fils.

~ Mr. Et Mme. R. actuellement residant en Suisse / Written by French-Swiss Parents while residing in the U.S., before returning to home to Switzerland

As a developmental psychologist, I am very particular and specific about what I feel my children need through the very important preschool years. ALV is a great program that takes all aspects of a child's development into consideration. The emphasis on socialization has been invaluable to my twin boys' growth. Other parents often comment on the boys' manners and sophisticated ability to assess social situations. The staff at ALV have helped to develop these skills in a way that would be especially challenging for a large preschool with an academic emphasis or a preschool that allows children to interact socially all day without teaching or facilitation involved. The foundation for appropriate social skills and ability to interact with peers and adults is often cited as a better predictor of success in life than how early one learns the ABC's or how to count to 100. The staff at ALV also promote play and a multi-sensory approach to learning, which is the most appropriate method of instruction for young learners. Prompting creativity in thought as well as input through all of our senses enhances a child's ability to "think outside of the box" as they grow older. Additionally, exposure to a second language opens synapsis in their little brains that improve flexibility in thinking. The boys performed very well at their recent evaluation at the French American School of Silicon Valley. We have been so happy with the staff and curriculum at ALV, and feel very fortunate to have found such a great school with such caring adults... (and the food is great!)

~ Mom to twin boys, Licensed Educational Psychologist

We are very happy to have chosen a la Vanille preschool for our son. We are a Franco-American family where French is the primary language spoken at home. My son easily adjusted to the pace of preschool and his transition from home to school was facilitated by the nurturing staff at ALV. Since the language spoken at ALV is French, my son felt immediately comfortable in his new environment. He comes home happy and always wants to know if he can return to his little school during the weekend! My son enjoys books and the staff at ALV has fostered his love for literature and his inquisitive nature by reading books to him and letting him browse through books as well. Another bonus was the outdoor garden. During the spring, the children plant in the garden and spend a lot of time exploring outdoors. Overall, this has been a wonderful experience for our son and I highly recommend ALV.

~ English Teacher, French American International School, SF

A la Vanille's (ALV) small-school setting enables the teachers to provide appropriate and relevant guidance to their students in addition to fostering open communication with the parents. This esteemed level of communication allows the parents to know what occurs within the school overall in addition to receiving specific information about their child/children. Moreover, the teachers are knowledgeable about not only the physiological, cognitive, and emotional development for children at each age level, but they are also aware of the gender differences in development at each age level.

Part of ALV's focus is to help develop students' social skills. Common courtesy and manners are expected of everyone. Please. Thank you. You're welcome. Hello. Good-bye. What may seem trivial to many, ALV builds vocabulary for mono- and multi-lingual children with these polite phrases. Additionally, students learn patience, how follow multiple directions, clean up, and to focus for various lengths of time. For instance, students wait in an organized fashion to wash up before eating and learn to complete one activity prior to starting a new one.

After touring many early childhood settings, ALV was the only school that we left feeling 100% confident and sure of for our child. Schools should not be chosen based on name or reputation, but by the needs for the child. ALV has exceeded all of our expectations and has definitely kept our child's needs at the forefront of his education. Our child is learning life-long skills and we have ALV to thank for that.

~ This parent holds a Masters Degree in Curriculum & Instruction/Language & Literacy. Also Ed.D. Candidate, ABD in Learning & Instruction with a focus in instructional design and cognitive psychology.

ALV has been amazing in so many ways for our daughter, Mailen, especially around developing her social skills. ALV has been a nurturing, warm environment which is exactly what our daughter needed. We have watched Mailen flourish in terms of her confidence and we attribute this to the supportive, loving staff who have coached her along the way.

In addition, it has been priceless to watch Mailen's face light up as she has come home and practiced her French songs or described her special French meals (she has even learned to like a few more vegetables!) Also, in spite of getting little repetition at home with respect to speaking French, Mailen has made great strides in learning the language.

As her parents, it has been so rewarding to see Mailen's excitement the mornings of ALV which has reassured us that our daughter and ALV were a perfect match. Merci Rossanna and team!