L’Academy San Mateo
L’Academy San Mateo, 608 N El Camino Real, San Mateo, CA 94401
About
L’Academy San Mateo offers a bilingual program that includes Mandarin immersion, Spanish enrichment, and English readiness in a blended Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and play-based setting. Children take part in activities such as Kung Fu enrichment classes, art, music, painting, rhythm, song, sensory exploration, outdoor play, storytelling, circle time, and STEM and the arts combined with play-based learning.
• Ages: 0–6 years old
• Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:30am–5:30pm
L’Academy San Mateo is a full-time, year-round preschool and daycare with fewer than 20 school closure days per year, with spacious indoor and outdoor environments and clean, new facilities that include Montessori shelves and toys. Classrooms are described as warm and welcoming, with spaces arranged to foster independence, curiosity, a strong sense of belonging, and a bilingual, enriching environment. The program provides healthy meals and snacks daily, including fresh, hot, nutritious meals made in-house, often with organic ingredients, and offers potty training support. Families receive daily updates, including multiple photo updates on children’s activities, meals, and potty breaks, and the program maintains low student-teacher ratios and smaller class sizes as noted in parent feedback.
The program’s mission states that it nurtures young minds through love, language, and meaningful learning experiences, blending Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and play-based learning to support whole-child growth. The mission also highlights a focus on love, language, leadership, nourishing care, bilingual immersion, and whole-child learning in a bilingual, enriching environment, with attention to kindergarten readiness skills. L’Academy San Mateo offers infant, toddler, preschool, and TK/Pre-K programs led by dedicated educators in a safe, nurturing, and well-sanitized environment, and is part of a bilingual community where children engage in language learning and cultural exploration, with language immersion in Mandarin and Spanish alongside English daily and multilingual immersion with exposure to three languages at many locations starting as early as 5 months.
The leadership team includes Zoe as Director, Alejandra Penate as Lead Toddler Teacher, and Shaomin Lao as Lead Preschool Teacher. Ms. Zoe earned a degree in Education Studies from Skidmore College with a minor in Asian Studies and Business Management and completed a Master’s in TESOL at the University of Pennsylvania, and has several years of experience in Early Childhood and International Education as a teacher, academic advisor, and instructional coordinator. Ms. Ale began working in child care after high school, worked as a nanny for three years before becoming a preschool Teacher Assistant, and is studying to pursue her Child Development Associates degree while also studying ultrasound technology. Ms. Shaomin Lao has been working with children for almost two years and speaks Mandarin and a bit of English. The program opened in September 2021 and operates under License Number 414004754.
The San Mateo location also serves families living in Burlingame, Foster City, Belmont, Hillsborough, and throughout the Peninsula. Parent testimonials describe the school as a favorite among multiple daycares attended, note that children talk about their teachers and friends and look forward to going to school, and mention that the school provides all meals (lunch and two snacks) made in-house. Parents also report receiving multiple photo updates each day, including information about activities, meals, and potty breaks, and describe the facilities as clean and new with beautiful Montessori shelves and toys, warm and kind teachers, happy children singing Mandarin songs, and the program as highly reviewed.
Last updated June 21, 2026.
• Ages: 0–6 years old
• Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:30am–5:30pm
L’Academy San Mateo is a full-time, year-round preschool and daycare with fewer than 20 school closure days per year, with spacious indoor and outdoor environments and clean, new facilities that include Montessori shelves and toys. Classrooms are described as warm and welcoming, with spaces arranged to foster independence, curiosity, a strong sense of belonging, and a bilingual, enriching environment. The program provides healthy meals and snacks daily, including fresh, hot, nutritious meals made in-house, often with organic ingredients, and offers potty training support. Families receive daily updates, including multiple photo updates on children’s activities, meals, and potty breaks, and the program maintains low student-teacher ratios and smaller class sizes as noted in parent feedback.
The program’s mission states that it nurtures young minds through love, language, and meaningful learning experiences, blending Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and play-based learning to support whole-child growth. The mission also highlights a focus on love, language, leadership, nourishing care, bilingual immersion, and whole-child learning in a bilingual, enriching environment, with attention to kindergarten readiness skills. L’Academy San Mateo offers infant, toddler, preschool, and TK/Pre-K programs led by dedicated educators in a safe, nurturing, and well-sanitized environment, and is part of a bilingual community where children engage in language learning and cultural exploration, with language immersion in Mandarin and Spanish alongside English daily and multilingual immersion with exposure to three languages at many locations starting as early as 5 months.
The leadership team includes Zoe as Director, Alejandra Penate as Lead Toddler Teacher, and Shaomin Lao as Lead Preschool Teacher. Ms. Zoe earned a degree in Education Studies from Skidmore College with a minor in Asian Studies and Business Management and completed a Master’s in TESOL at the University of Pennsylvania, and has several years of experience in Early Childhood and International Education as a teacher, academic advisor, and instructional coordinator. Ms. Ale began working in child care after high school, worked as a nanny for three years before becoming a preschool Teacher Assistant, and is studying to pursue her Child Development Associates degree while also studying ultrasound technology. Ms. Shaomin Lao has been working with children for almost two years and speaks Mandarin and a bit of English. The program opened in September 2021 and operates under License Number 414004754.
The San Mateo location also serves families living in Burlingame, Foster City, Belmont, Hillsborough, and throughout the Peninsula. Parent testimonials describe the school as a favorite among multiple daycares attended, note that children talk about their teachers and friends and look forward to going to school, and mention that the school provides all meals (lunch and two snacks) made in-house. Parents also report receiving multiple photo updates each day, including information about activities, meals, and potty breaks, and describe the facilities as clean and new with beautiful Montessori shelves and toys, warm and kind teachers, happy children singing Mandarin songs, and the program as highly reviewed.
Last updated June 21, 2026.
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