About Telegraph Hill Neighborhood (TEL HI)
Telegraph Hill Neighborhood (TEL HI) is a caring community that has been anchoring the neighborhood for over 100 years. Parents entrust their children to the thoughtful and genuinely interested teachers, who are kind, caring, and invested in each child's development. The school provides a wide range of activities, including a well-maintained garden, outdoor playground, gymnasium, and field trips, ensuring that children get outside every day. The school also provides organic food, which is a bonus for working parents. The community at TEL HI is exceptional, with parents who are involved, supportive, and host various events for the children, parents, and neighborhood. The school's teachers and staff are highly trained, responsive, and offer great guidance, making it an ideal place for children to grow and develop. TEL HI's approach to learning is impressive, with a range of activities that promote sharing, recycling, and cultural awareness. The school's space is well-maintained, with plenty of outdoor areas, including a garden and a full-sized gym. The nutrition program, which includes snacks and meals, is a bonus for parents, providing healthy and varied food. Overall, TEL HI is a wonderful place for children to thrive, with its caring community, supportive teachers, and engaging activities. Parents who have experienced TEL HI cannot recommend it more highly, and many are grateful for the positive impact it has had on their families.
I've been a part of TEL-HI since early in the pandemic, starting in August 2020, when schools first starting reopening. 3 and a half years later, and with now two children in the program, I cannot overstate how much of role TEL-HI has been in their development. I know I am putting them in good hands everyday at drop-off as they often awake excited, asking, 'is today a school day?!' I can only hope their early excitement for school continues to carry with them along the way! TEL-HI embodies the North Beach neighborhood it has anchored for over 100 years- it is a caring community with thoughtful, genuinely interested teachers, parents who are involved (and hang out with each other after school, on weekends, and even without their kids!). I will forever be grateful for the overwhelmingly positive impact that TEL-HI has had on my family.
My child has been at TEL HI a little over a year (started at 6mo). We have been incredibly happy with the services provided here and our kiddo is SO happy here - what more could we ask for! A few things that stand out to me (compared to other places we looked at): 1. The Hours - with both parents working full time, we're grateful they have great dropoff and pickup hours. 2. Food - Food included via Chefables. Organic! My child would not get this amazing variety of food if it was just me cooking. Love! 3. Getting Outdoors - (3-parter here) a. Garden - amazing that they have a well-maintained garden that kids of all ages get to participate in working and playing in. b. Great onsite outdoor playground (for both young and older kids) and gymnasium that's perfect for rainy days. Kids get outside every day! c. Field trips (ex. Aquarium) + walks around the neighborhood (ex. reading time at the library) - love that my kid gets these experiences 4. Teachers + Staff - would be hard to find a group of kinder and more caring folks. They are so invested in your child and, of course, that means the world. These are some of our daughter's favorite people! Additionally, they are well-trained and have continuing education (thank you!) to ensure the best for the kids. I'm constantly amazed by the variety of activities and the skills our daughter brings home. 5. Our Community - I would be remiss if I didn't include that this is simply a great group of folks and regularly hosts events for the children, parents, and neighborhood. It is great getting to know fellow parents in the neighborhood at "Mom's Night Out" fundraisers, or the Halloween parade, or onsite live music, or one of many other fun activities hosted by the school and parents group.
Our family absolutely loves Tel Hi. I get downright weepy thinking how lucky we are to have found this wonderful place. Both our boys, 4 and 2 now, absolutely love it. We started when our now 4yr old was ~9 months, during the pandemic. It was wonderful to see our son interact with other kids, and how they learned and grew together, and how so many of the same kids have moved up through the classes together over the past few years. I'm most impressed with Tel Hi for: 1. The incredible teachers and staff. They create a warm and caring environment, they are so attuned to each child's needs and development. The teachers are responsive, they offer great guidance (like when we struggled with our first kid throwing food on the floor!), and they're supportive in so many aspects of the children's development (including potty training)! The best is how they genuinely enjoy each kid. They tell me when my son "did the funniest thing today!" or when "I'm so proud of how he handled" some thing... and also when "he's been a little quiet this week." They are nothing short of phenomenal. 2. The learning. The kids are taught everything from sharing to recycling/garbage/compost bins in younger classes. And in older classes, they're learning about everything from writing to insects to various cultures' holidays to how to respond when a friend doesn't want to play with you. I've been amazed at the vocabulary my kids come home with, at how they've picked up numbers and letters, and how they interact with kindness toward other kids. 2. The space. They do a great job maintaining the classrooms, with various improvement projects over the years. There is plenty of outdoor space both in the front play structure, and the back garden, and the full-sized gym. 3. The nutrition. Snacks and meals are included in tuition. Which means we don't have to deal with planning/packing food and we know that it is healthy, varied, and nutritious. 4. The parents. It is a wonderful community, everyone supports each other with things like one parent picking up another's kids when they're running late. The "core pac" (parents group who organizes fun events) is committed and thoughtful. Each class has a WhatsApp group for informal communication amongst parents, which is amazing as we collectively navigate dealing with everything these kids throw at us! I can't overstate what a wonderful experience we've had with Tel Hi and I can't recommend it more highly.