My two sons attended APTG over the course of 5 years. During our first month there, we were told by the current director (who has since been let go) that a child was accidentally left at the park across the street during outdoor play. Apparently, no one at the center realized this mistake until a random town resident returned the child to the school. The mind boggles... Obviously, this was a long time ago (and we ended up keeping our children there), but I think parents reading reviews would want to know this. The school is housed in a plain gray building which is sort of depressing the first time you see it. Inside, however, is a very warm and caring environment, thanks mainly to the teachers, who are for the most part very good and attentive. Some of the teachers were not-so-great and were clearly just passing through on the way to greener pastures. The teacher turnover rate has always been relatively high, including a near-total turnover in the space of a few months at one point. Luckily, most of the teachers we interacted with were awesome and devoted to the children. Dropoff in the morning is a completely chaotic affair. Parents are rushing in and out, kids are screaming/arguing/crying, teachers are catching up with each other about their weekends, etc. Totally hectic and very rough on kids who require a smoother transition. Now that my youngest is in a different daycare environment, I can see what total madness this was. The daycare has a weird layout, mainly due to its small size. In fact, to get to one particular classroom, you have to walk through another classroom. The center's "office" is situated in a cramped room that's sandwiched directly between two classrooms. This means that if you have anything to discuss with the director (even confidential matters), you'll be subjected to other teachers, parents, kids, etc. wandering through to get to the other room. The center director runs the center well, from an organizational standpoint. However, she lacks the warmth that you would expect from someone who works with young children all day. I often got the impression that she'd be much happier with the job if it weren't for all of those pesky children. The founder of APTG is not around very often, but sometimes stops in for big events. There's no kind way to say this: she has an extremely condescending manner. She's clearly very smart and has a lot of experience with children, but I always felt like she was lecturing the parents rather than offering helpful/useful advice. The school makes a big todo about its "curriculum", but...there really isn't one. They cover a couple of cute themes and practice some words and letters, but this is not Montessori. I think it's perfectly adequate for what it does, but let's not get carried away overselling it. APTG organizes several really fun events throughout the year. This includes a picnic in the summer, apple picking in the fall, a stone soup meal, and lots of other special events. These are always a lot of fun and a good way to see your kids in action. The nutritionist APTG hired is fantastic. She overhauled their snack menu to make it much healtheier, which was appreciated. She sometimes offers workshops at the school. If you can attend one of these, I highly recommend it as she offers a lot of useful advice. Play time (and most of the day, really) is very geared toward girls. Lots of beadwork, coloring, dramatic play, etc. Of course, this is all fun stuff for boys too! But there is virtually no rough-and-tumble, sports, kicking balls, etc. If you have a spirited/active boy (or girl), he/she will soon grow bored with the lack of variety. I don't think APTG actually _wants_ spirited/active children, since they are more work and will buck against the rigid structure. The tuition is very expensive, but seems to be par for the course for Belmont and the surrounding area. From what I've gathered, the teachers are not paid very well, which probably explains the high turnover rate. APTG isn't amazing, it isn't terrible either. It's perfectly adequate and sometimes that's exactly good enough. But there are better alternatives out there, especially for older children. read more

Luckily, this place didn't have availability for our child. The director was not pleasant during the first inquiry call. She acted like a snob. Listening to her sounded like accommodating parents schedule is something no one ever heard of. Apparently this place is too "good" to work with parents. First impression is the one that stays. And this is what I will be remembering about this "carrying" place. I am glad the decision not to leave our child in this place didn't have to be agonizing one. Thank goodness, certain things just don't mean to happen. read more

My wife and I could not be happier with A Place to Grow. Our son started in the infant room and is now a toddler there. The staff is always friendly and professional and, most importantly, they foster a caring and nurturing environment. As a previous review said, I am surprised by the older reviews because they do not in any way reflect our experience here. The facility itself is well-managed, bright, and clean. It's located directly across from a local park making it ideal for the children to have plenty of outdoor time. Bottom line: if you're in search of a child care center, then APTG needs to be on your list. read more

The two previous (and old!) reviews do not reflect my own family's experience with this nursery school. We currently have two children at the center, a 4 and a half year old boy who has been there nearly 4 years now, and a 16 month old who's been attending for the past year. We have been very happy with the care and attention they have received at APTGB. The facility is a nice size, large enough to offer most of the bells-and-whistles of a fancy-schmancy daycare, yet still small enough to feel intimate and inviting. The rooms are clean (I know great effort is required to keep them so) and bright, and always decorated with the children's artwork. In addition to the daycare's small play area, there is a public playground and large ballfield directly across the street, so weather permitting the kids have plenty of opportunity for outdoor play - something I really value. I also have been happy with the curriculum, which I think strikes a healthy balance between social/emotional enrichment play on the one hand and conventional early education on the other. During our time at the center the program for the older children has been refined, with a more structured day and Montessori-like choice activities to engage and challenge the children; our son has responded very positively to these improvements. Snacks are provided, and I'm pleased too with how wholesome they are; roughly two years ago a nutritionist was brought in to improve the offerings, and they've been very good ever since. Activities and events are scheduled throughout the year to bring all the parents together at the center and foster a sense of community. Of course, the daycare is only as good as its staff. The center director, Heather, is perhaps APTGB's best asset, and I've always appreciated the balance she strikes in her work - professional and businesslike on the one hand, personable and accomodating on the other. She has many years of experience working with children, and always has sound advice to offer whenever our kids throw curve balls at us. The teachers are generally speaking very good - warm, engaging, interested in the children. If I have one complaint about APTGB, it's that over time there's been a fair amount of teacher turnover (I think it's the nature of the business, unfortunately) and we've had to say goodbye to some truly wonderful people. But watching firsthand as new teachers grow into their roles and develop their skills while working at APTGB, I think that reflects positively on the working environment and the culture of the place. And there's been much less turnover since Heather took over (approx. year & half ago). A word about tuition - it isn't cheap, by any means. But on a couple of occasions over the years we've had to explore other daycare options for various reasons, and always we've come away really pleased with what APTGB offers for the money. The quality of care/early childhood enrichment is equal to that offered at other high-end centers that charge much more. But please, don't take my word for it. If you're looking for a quality daycare situation for your child that's a good value, check out APTGB for yourself. read more

my little brother went to day care here for a short time when we were kids. somehow, with two working parents, i got dumped here too once even though i was way too old (7) for daycare. anyway, my chief memory is that i was climbing the jungle gym with all the little runts, and as i put my hand on the top rung, it came off all slimey. i look at my hand and there was bright green snot on it (and believe me, it was snot). pass "a place to grow" over, and send your kid to a snot-free daycare.... read more

Both my children attended A Place To Grow in Belmont for over 5 years and I loved the school, teachers and philosophy. The educational philosophy of A Place To Grow is that children learn through meaningful activities, positive relationships and mostly importantly through play. The teachers are nuturing, caring and committed. The owner of A Place To Grow creates a strong parent partnership and home school connection with families. I am pregnant with my third child and will be sending my baby to A Place To Grow in the spring and I know that my baby will be loved and well-taken care of. read more

My daugther went to the preschool from 2.9 untill 5.1 and she loved it! Her realtionships with the teachers were always very positive and she couldn't wait to go in every morning! I loved how small the center was and how every teacher knew every child. It was a wonderful family community and I would highly recomend it to working parents who are looking for a loving/academic atmosphere for their children. Oh and their curriculum/art show nights are AMAZING! read more

Our son began APTG at 12mos in the Toddler room, progressed to Sprouts and is headed into Preschool this fall. APTG has helped our son learn to share, develop his language skills, improve his letters and numbers and potty train. The smaller classroom size has allowed for one-on-one attention when needed and a strong bond to develop with peers and teachers. The environment is caring, safe, clean and innovative helping the kids learn at their own pace, in their own special way...even incorporating sign language. I have also deeply appreciated the way APTG shares and celebrates diversity, making all families feel welcomed, accepted and helping our son learn about respecting differences. The teachers and director are amazing, warm and well-educated individuals, most of whom carry degrees in early education and are always open to helping us personally deal with our sons developmental milestones. To give you a better idea of just how thoughtful the owner is, included in our tuition are seminars, workshops and consults with a well-seasoned child psychologist who also hands out her card and offers support anytime you need it. APTG encourages parents and families to mingle also by providing fun and free events like apple picking, pumpkin decorating, gingerbread house night, spring breakfast and a family picnic to kick off every year. We also appreciate the constant feedback we receive through parent-teacher conferences and annual developmental screenings, all at no extra cost. Oh and don't forget the adorable school (group and individual) pictures occur every year and the amazing trips to the fire station and senior center where the kids get to explore and get a feel for community service. APTG has enriched our son's life, making it easier for us to head to work knowing he's not just safe but in a loving, fun and nurturing environment...that peace of mind is priceless!! We're looking forward to our younger son beginning next year. read more