I cannot recommend Miss Linda highly enough. My son started seeing her about 15 years ago when he…read morewas struggling to find his voice and wasn't talking yet. Under her care, he truly blossomed. Fast forward to today: he is 18 years old, maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout high school, and is headed to Purdue University next year! We truly believe his academic success and confidence started with the incredible foundation Miss Linda provided all those years ago. If you are looking for someone who genuinely changes lives, she is the one.

I spent months looking at all of the preschool options in the area and I am so glad I chose Little…read moreScholars. Miss Linda is absolutely amazing. After one school year with Miss Linda my three year old is reading, writing, and spelling and has so much confidence it's amazing. I was very afraid of bringing my daughter to preschool because she was very attached to me and I thought she would have a hard time being away from me. My daughter met Miss Linda and was instantly smitten. Miss Linda's devotion to each student's individual development is amazing and my daughter is always so excited when it's a school day. It's truly amazing to see what my daughter has accomplished in one school year with Miss Linda. I truly feel that Miss Linda has instilled a love for school in my daughter and I am so grateful.

Both my husband and myself have Professional Doctorate degrees and corresponding careers. We value…read morea safe, educational and nurturing environment that will inspire an early love of learning in our child. After visiting and interviewing several private preschools, we decided to enroll our daughter at Community Montessori School (CMS) in Fishers, IN. There are only two AMI accredited Montessori schools in the state of Indiana. CMS is located in Fishers, IN and the other AMI accredited Montessori school is located in Carmel, IN. CMS starts at age 18 months, whereas the one in Carmel starts at 3 years old. The CMS building is fairly new and was built specifically with the Montessori environment in mind. The classrooms all have tons of natural lighting and an open floor plan. All the Directress/Teachers have college or graduate degrees. Every Directress/Teacher at the school knew my daughter by name by the second day of school. I get daily reports via email on my kid, letting me know her days activities. The toddler classroom will help potty train as well. Every personnel at the school I've come across has been courteous and informative. The diversity of the staff is a definite plus. Exposure to diversity promotes curiosity, creativity, and encourages the search for novel information and perspectives - something we want our child exposed to early on. There is an entrance interview that CMS calls "an encounter" where the Directress spends approximately 30 min with your child in their respective classroom, observing them play with the particular "work" they chose and how they interact with their surroundings and other children in the class. I came to value a school with an entrance interview after I visited other preschools that didn't have one. The preschools that did not have an entrance interview take anyone and everyone as long as the parents have the means to pay the tuition. Preschool age children are sponges, quickly picking up social and behavioral cues from their peers and surroundings. The children at CMS, in general, seem to be more respectful of their surroundings and peers. I would attribute this to both the Montessori environment as well as the existence of an entrance interview. There have been multiple social activities throughout the year, hosted by CMS, that allow the parents an opportunity to mingle and meet other parents. There is a real community feel for the parents and students at CMS, which we value. Although we feel our daughter is in a safe, educational and nurturing environment at CMS, we are realistic about accidents that may happen from time to time. Having inspected her classroom, I know CMS does everything they can to keep the kids safe. However, children can still trip, stumble, or fall despite the safe environment. The child-to-teacher ratio is right in line with state mandate; in fact, in my child's classroom, the child-to-teacher ratio is better than state mandate. In terms of fundraising, I agree with the other reviewer who said "of course, any private school will have fundraising activities." This is true for all the private preschools we looked into as well. And come to think of it, this is true for all the schools my husband and I have attended as well (college, grad school, professional school). Giving is always optional. If you do give, it's a tax deductible contribution that is used to further create and sustain the Montessori environment and education for your child. For this reason, we were happy to contribute. I was not familiar with Montessori schools and methodology until I started researching preschools. Although my husband is a product of a Montessori preschool, I was not. It's one thing to read about Montessori online, but it's another to actually see and observe the classroom and environment for yourself. I'm glad I took the time to visit the various private preschools and observe the children in their respective classroom environments. CMS was the clear choice for us. My daughter has been at CMS for almost a year now. What I like most about CMS is that my child loves it; she is excited to go to school every day. As a parent, you can't really ask for more.

Three years later, we are still at CMS and our appreciation of the school has only increased…read more The turn-over at the school is not high, as proposed by a previous reviewer. My child has had the same teacher for three years in a row. The elementary teacher has been there for several years, as has the toddler teacher. The three primary teachers have all worked there for three years or more. My child loves to go to school and is sad when something (illness etc) prevents attending that day. They use the Montessori methods that build long periods of concentration. At home, my child is now able to concentrate on one task for a very long time. I know that this is not true for all five year olds. There are so many positive developments that we have seen in our child. Every year, my child makes friends in the classroom that really mean a lot to her. Because there are frequent all-school events, we are able to meet other parents and children. There was just a fabulous fall hay-ride pitch-in. Since parents have required volunteer hours, there is a strong sense of community. This service is a great model for children. Involved parents are a great thing!

Phenomenal preschool. Wonderful teachers and staff. My daughter was very well prepared for…read morekindergarten! Class ratios are perfect with a teacher and instructional assistant in the classroom. Excited for my son to attend in the fall!

My child loves this preschool. We're so happy with the level of care, learning, teachers, etc…read more Could not recommend this preschool more!

We absolutely love The Nest! From the very beginning, we have felt completely confident leaving our…read moredaughter in their care. The entire staff truly works together as a team to provide exceptional care, and it shows in every interaction. Our daughter is in the infant room and genuinely looks forward to seeing her teacher each day -- which speaks volumes. The teachers don't just supervise the children, they actively play with them, engage with them, and thoughtfully plan activities to keep them entertained and learning. It's clear they truly enjoy what they do, and that makes all the difference. One of the things I appreciate most is how well everyone knows my daughter. Her teachers and the director, Sarah, can answer any question I have and truly understand her personality, preferences, and development. That level of attentiveness gives me so much peace of mind. I also love the app they use to keep parents updated throughout the day. The regular updates, photos, and communication make me feel connected and reassured while I'm at work. We are so grateful to have found such a warm, nurturing, and professional environment. I would highly recommend The Nest to any parent looking for a daycare where their child will be genuinely cared for and loved.

Very communicative staff that provides excellent care and consistent meals for the children. Both…read moremy sons even started eating their vegetables at home. My oldest is about to graduate the program amd head to kindergarten and is well prepared

Professional teachers provide a safe and nurtuning learning environment. Unique outdoor classroom,…read moregarden and playgounds ensure children can get outside to play and learn about nature. Excellent communication with families. Lots of fun activites at pickup to engage families.

We love the school, teachers and staff are extremely friendly…read more. My four year old loves going to school, he loves music time and I love looking in his backpack when he comes home from school and see all the work he has done.. over the past 4 months I've seen his writing improve, his patience, only wish his volume would go down :) They are implementing new ideas and they are nice.. this year they had a registration party and it was a blast.. he got to run around with his friends and they served dinner for the kids.. very nice. Only concern is the parking lot and drop off and pickup.. it is extremely hectic and many parents tend not to pay attention very well.. as long as you take your time it's fine.. I do wish they had a better drop off policy where the kids stayed in the car and teachers escorted them into class..

Good teachers are attracted to this school, and this benefits everyone. There is balance between…read morelearning and playtime. Kids can be kids while learning.

I love The Goddard School Fishers 2 location. My daughter has been attending since May 2015, and…read moreshe is excited to go to school everyday. She is only 2.5yo, but I've noticed a marked difference in her social and educational development. The teachers work very well with the students during lessons and playtime. Upon entering the school, staff is sure to acknowledge their young scholars first. I can tell this makes my daughter feel welcomed and safe. When my daughter misses a day, she is anxious to get back to her friends and school family. I actually feel guilty when I keep her home, because I know she will miss a worthwhile lesson. She has been in three different classrooms in 7 months, but only because the administrators insist on placing children in the classroom that best suits their development pace. In her first classroom, her teachers managed to get her about 85% potty-trained within her first week of school. We were amazed. Also, as a neat freak, I love that the school is kept tidy. I always notice upgrades to the facility and new toys. Lastly, at this location, many extracurricular activities are planned for the students and their families. We look forward to each one!

I had never heard of a cooperative school before I started my search for a local preschool for my…read moreson. I didn't even know this concept existed but I have since discovered it's an awesome way to run a preschool. I started out enrolling him in the parent's day out program which was awesome. I wasn't yet a member that needed to volunteer or anything so it was just a nice way to try it out and see if we liked it. It was like 4-5 hours (I forget) for a seriously small amount of money, especially compared to the babysitter I was considering hiring for $10 an hour. He brought his lunch and played with about 4 other kids, some younger some a little older. Everyone was aged 2-4 and the 2 teachers had great themed activities laid out each day. He was shy at first but by the time the program was over in the Spring, he was chatty and had made new friends. He was like a totally different kid. So after that, I officially joined the co-op. I was sold. I'm reviewing this as a "customer" and as someone who sits on the school board. The thing about a co-op is: you're both. I love that I get more than just a small say in the stuff my son is learning. I love that I get to help out with the running of a school and sit in on his class about once a month. I think if I had gone the traditional preschool route I would never know what I'm missing by not spending a whole day in class with him once in a while. It's great to watch learn and interact with other kids. OK so one thing you're wondering is: what am I going to do with my baby while I'm helping out in the classroom? This crossed my pregnant-lady mind when I first found the school too. Turns out I'm not the only mother of a preschooler with a baby (who'da thunk it?). We just swap baby sitting days in a toy filled room at the school. I tell you, my babysitting day is my favorite day of the month. Just this week I snuggled a wee baby while my 15 month old zoomed cars around on the floor with a 2 year old and it was an overload of adorableness. Way too much cute packed into one room. My son has blossomed since starting school and he has learned SO much. I am amazed at his social development too. He loves his teacher, so much so that he has a teddy bear at home named "Miss Marlo". I love that there's a focus on learning through play, a large focus on science, healthy snacks and lots of outdoor time. There's a huge outdoor play area with so many activities. I honestly feel like I've become a better parent because of what I've learned from my experience at this school. That sounds incredibly cheesey but cheese or not, it's the truth.

This school changed the way I thought about early childhood education and gave us exactly what we…read moreneeded - play! As a parent who really values the attachment that I share with my kids, I didn't want to send them into a school on a regular basis not knowing anything about their day, their peers, or their teachers. I had made that choice initially and realized quickly that it wasn't a good fit for us :). This school, on the other hand, welcomed my whole family through its doors and encouraged all of us to approach learning together. We took a tour, registered, and fell in love. I only wish we had found it sooner :)!