We visited several other schools, and were drawn to Sacred Heart School in Winnetka. This is such…read morea warm and inclusive community, and we're so fortunate to have decided on this school for our child's education. Our son is on to 2nd grade this fall, and his kindergarten and 1st grade education, care, and experience, continues to be extraordinary.

I have never been part of such a caring community like the one I have found at Sacred Heart. I have…read morefour children at the school ranging from Kindergarten to 8th grade, and they have built so many happy memories, made lifelong friends, and have received a top notch education. The staff and the principal are second to none and have gone far and above to make school fun and safe during the pandemic. People really take care of each other here. When someone is dealing with something tough, or having a hard time, this community shows up, supports you, and lifts you up. Plus, there are many fun parties, sports, fine arts, etc., it is easy for kids and adults to make friends! It's an awesome place to be!

We will be entering our 3rd class at NFCNS and I could not love it more. The staff, director and…read morefamilies are all so kind and welcoming. I first entered the school in the parent and tot program and quickly fell in love. The teachers and families quickly felt like home. It was the perfect thing for my child and I to meet some local families and get our child comfortable with a school environment. It's such an easy way to become part of the community. The classrooms are all so cute and foster such a fun environment for kids to play - they have something for everyone. I love how excited our kids get when we tell them we're taking them to school and the giant smiles on their faces because they've had such a great day in class. NFCNS is such a special community and I feel so lucky we came across it. It made something that can be such a stressful decision a no-brainer for our family and I can't wait as our children continue to grow in the school.

We could not ask for a better preschool for our 3 children. Our kids have loved every minute. The…read moreteachers are so kind and find the most creative, fun ways to interact with kids. Their "nature-play" philosophy is the best! Every child should be so lucky to attend a preschool like NFCNS!

The craziest thing happened the other day... My 2 year old…read moredumped out her container of bows (this is a daily occurrence). I waited for her to move on and create yet another mess in my house (sigh), but she said "I need to clean this up." And then she actually started cleaning up after herself. She must have noticed that my jaw hit the floor because she said "Miss Jacqueline taught me how to clean up at camp." And that's when I decided every penny I've spent for camp @ GJK this summer was well worth it! After we had a contract on a house in Glencoe I started exploring pre-schools in the area. I checked out GJK, The Park District ,Am Shalom and even asked around about the Glencoe Montessori school (opening in September). I don't think you can go wrong w/ any of those options, but after touring GJK with the Director, Debra, I felt most at home here. I also really liked that the majority of the kids who go to this school are from the Glencoe area (rather than the entire North Shore) since that's who my kids will be going to school with later on. While we don't start pre-school until the fall, we've been in camp all summer and I'm 100% confident I've made the right choice. My daughter LOVES camp and I don't blame her. I'd love to spend 2 hours playing, doing art projects, etc as well. When I drop her off I know she's well taken care of and at times between the head counselor, assistant counselor, CITS etc looks like there's more "big people" than 2-year-olds. I've heard several parents who send their kids to other camps comment that their kid seems happy, but they're unsure of what really goes on there. When Miss Jacqueline isn't teaching the kids to clean up (among other things) she does a fantastic job of keeping the parents in the loop and often sends personal emails with pictures/updates. Like most 2 year olds mine has a few issues with sharing and listening. We've still got some room for improvement (then again I could learn to share/listen better myself at 32), but I"ve noticed a huge difference just seeing her interact with other kids during playdates over the past few weeks. The structure and social interaction @ GJK has been really wonderful for her...and me! :) I've also gotten to know many of the parents and it's such a warm, friendly community! Between both my kids we've got several years at GJK ahead of us and I'm looking forward to it!

I loved being a student at Washburne. Most of the teachers I had there are retired now. I loved…read morethe student council parties and going to Walker Brothers before school started. I know I got a great education there from a great staff. I loved the teachers I had there.

I sent my 8 year old to a Glee Camp at Bach to Rock with friends on a day off from school last…read morespring. All the kids came out smiling from ear to ear saying they wanted to take singing lessons. But my own spirited daughter said forget singing...she saw a drum set at Bach to Rock and thought that looked way more fun. She's asking for a new activity every few weeks so I tend to ignore her requests until she asks at least a dozen times...and she kept asking. Finally I agreed to drum lessons if she went to Glencoe Academy of Music since it's so close to my house. I'm all about the least amount of driving possible being a busy working mom of 3 kids. She agreed and I sent an email to Glencoe Music Academy asking for info...and very quickly heard back from Brandon who got us scheduled with Mark. Glencoe Music Academy may be convenient, but the lessons would be well worth it even if we had to drive there. Mark is patient, fun and my daughter comes out with a huge smile every week. To be honest I thought drumming was just making a lot of banging noise, but I've been really surprised (and pleased) with how much coordination is involved w/ playing the drums...and it's been fun to see her make progress. She also has a bunch of friends who take guitar lessons with Carlos and are very pleased as well. The lessons themselves are pretty expensive, but I think that's to be expected when it comes to private music lessons. I haven't agreed to an expensive (and loud!) drum set quite yet, but Mark has offered a few times that he can come with us to the store to help us pick one out when/if the time comes. In the meantime, I'm happy with her playing on her little amazon pad to keep the noise down a bit in my house.

If you are interested in picking up a new hobby or just getting back to playing something you used…read moreto years ago, Glencoe School of Music is the place to be. It brings downtown and area musicians to the North Shore. Carlos and his staff are amazing, talented and fun people who know how to motivate the young and the old! Situated in the middle of downtown Glencoe, next to Foodstuffs, the studio is easy to get to and has plenty of parking with a public lot right behind the building. If you are thinking of taking up an instrument or want to work on your karaoke skills (seriously Kay Rutherford is an amazing vocal instructor), GAM is the place to go. All the instructors are performers in their own right and have the skills, patience and knowledge to make you a better performer!

This pre-school is is a hidden gem! First of all, being a Nature preschool, the students are…read moreoutside all year (safe weather permitting) exploring the beautiful landscapes of the Chicago Botanic Gardens. They are getting what so many of us and our children are craving-more time in nature, learning and growing and re-connecting. In this preschool children really get to be children, and with that they learn and develop in ways that are appropriate to their age. In a world saturated with screens, this preschool is welcomed reprieve. The teachers are special trained not only in early childhood development, but also specifically in inspiring play through nature education. They definitely provide a nurturing learning environment helping children learn important age appropriate skills. The teachers also encourage a wonderful community within the classroom and amongst the families with various extra activities and opportunities. The facilities are second to none- beautiful and inspiring. I kind of wish I could be a preschooler again! My child attended the preschool for two years and I hope to send my other children here as well. Despite their being numerous quality preschools much nearer my home, I felt the Nature Preschool provided opportunities we could not find anywhere else.

My kids have really benefited from this preschool. Their attention span and love of nature has…read moreincreased so much. For example, when we went to the park last weekend they got a large ice block and decorated it with twigs and soon had the other kids and themselves engaged in a snow birthday party. Their creativity and natural wonder of the world around them has grown so much. It's a wonderful gift for a child to go here!

My son is in his second year here and also attended camp this past summer. We love the school and…read morethe teachers. My son is happy and excitheted to go to school every day. They are very flexible with days/times each child attends so we could set a schedule that works well for our family.

Love HP Montessori! Both of my daughters have been to HP Montessori for the past few years. We…read moremoved from the city mid-year; they were able to accommodate my older one easily. My younger one started the following summer in their 2-3 classroom and has progressed to their 3-6 (she's in her 3rd year now). We love how kind the teachers are and helpful the entire staff is. It is a well-oiled machine, but takes the time to work with each family's unique needs. They have been very helpful when my work schedule fluctuated - allowing me to switch days or add hours as needed. My younger daughter is reading now - not because anyone is pushing her, but because she enjoys it because of the Montessori process. Their educational model is American-style Montessori, so even though there are rules to be followed, their is much nurturing and compassion that accompanies learning activities. She has learned about all different cultures and some French, Spanish, & Italian! Lunches are amazing - Chef Don makes gourmet food that your kid will actually eat. I am so impressed by how dynamic my girls' palettes are now & I'm almost certain its because of those lunches. We have also really enjoyed the Fun in the Sun Summer Camp. Affordable, fun, and - a big for working parents - reliable with quality instruction and care. Would highly recommend to anyone in the area looking for a preschool that prepares kids well for elementary education.

Highly recommend Bright Horizons. We started my son here in the Young Preschool class when he was…read more2.5 and we had just moved to Glenview from the city. He's now moved all the way up to the Kindergarten Prep class over the past few years and I also have a younger son in their Young Preschool class who started in the infant room when he was 3 months old. Everything a parent cares about in a daycare they achieve. I am impressed with the curriculum and how much both my boys are learning. Their teachers all have been teaching there for many years, which was great compared to the high turnover we saw at daycares in the city. The facilities are new, clean, and safe with different playgrounds based on age and a large indoor gym. They have also handled COVID very well and very clearly adhere to all daycare regulations (both pre-COVID and during COVID). They communicate daily through the app and teachers/directors are very easy to get in contact with via phone or email. We've been at this daycare for 2.5 years and have been impressed with both the organization and communication from this school. I'm very happy we made the decision to send our kids here!

As first time parents, we evaluated multiple day care centers to find the best fit for our son. We…read morequickly realized Bright Horizons had a wonderful curriculum for all ages and felt the Northbrook location was the best fit for our family. After watching our son develop from 12 weeks to just over a year now, we couldn't have made a better decision. The teachers are so loving and caring for the children while also challenging them with new activities daily. Even though our son has only been in the infant room, the entire center's staff feel like family. Our son loves attending school each day, he lights up every morning when the car door opens in the Bright Horizons parking lot.

We feel so fortunate to have found the little blue school! We moved from out of state and were…read moreseeking a warm, inclusive community for our family. Our oldest has thrived at RNS and loves engaging in daily outdoor play and environmental explorations. The teachers are deeply invested in the social and emotional development of each child. Learning is hands-on, inquiry-based, and so joy filled. Our oldest counts the number of sleeps left to return to school on weekends and vacations, and our youngest can't wait to join next year. We are very grateful to be a part of such a nurturing and grounded community.

We have absolutely loved the last three years at Ravinia Nursery School. My son has made so many…read morefriends and I know he will be amply prepared for starting kindergarten next fall. My younger son just started and is already doing great! The teachers are incredible - warm, engaging, and so committed to providing a quality preschool education. I can't say enough about how positive our experience has been.