Our experience with this preschool, was absolutely amazing and exceeded all our expectations! We…read moresaw ,firsthand, the positive impact it had on my nephew. From the first weeks, the teachers made a genuine effort to support his adjustment, keeping us , thoroughly informed and ensuring he felt secure and always included. That level of communication and Genuine care made a big difference for our family. Their classroom environment is very structured, organized, and welcoming. It is a setup, where the students, are not overly stimulated and they keep it simple, but, yet, very relaxed and productive! Smart Starts Academy has a curriculum , in which, encourages learning through, play while building important social and academic skills. Over time, we noticed improvements in his confidence, language skills, and enthusiasm for learning, which speaks volumes about the quality of instruction and Attentiveness to each student in their classroom! Emotions that each child may carry ,throughout their day, was Never ignored , but rather, very respected and handled with Extreme care and Genuine Understanding! The staff is beyond,professional, attentive, and Deeply committed to each child's development and learning journey! This preschool sets a HIGH standard for early education, and we would confidently recommend it to any family seeking a program that combines strong academics with Genuine care. Furthermore, the fact that, the students are to wear a uniform, distinctively separates, from other schools,especially because, the students are grasping the idea that, "we are going to school" and it clearly shows the difference between all other schools in the area. I absolutely RECOMMEND Smart Starts Academy and it will Not disappoint! The Smart Start Academy is a Great School for each child's first major steps in Learning and socially engaging in Healthy and Sustainable Growth and Development!

Our 3year old has attended Smart Start Academy (SSA Lumbar House) in Jersey City for almost a year…read more We are so happy with the facility, staff and overall program. 1) Love the mandatory uniform. She associates her uniform with "going to school", which is a great visual prompt to get us ready & out the door each day. 2) The administration and staff are so helpful & have been extra accommodating to her special needs. There is a great curriculum including an introduction to Spanish language skills & preschool preparation (tracing letters, using glue sticks & scissors, etc) . It's truly like a school rather than just a daycare facility. She loves her teachers Mrs Ruth & Miss Justine :) 3) The tech used by the facility is great. The app lets us check her in & out for the day with ease. We get information and photo updates throughout the day. 3) Food is healthy and our picky eater never goes hungry.

Can't say enough wonderful things about the amazing 2 years our daughter spent here…read more Highly recommend.

We (and our child) love this school. It is a wonderful, happy place for toddlers and preschoolers…read more It is a part-time school and children attend either T/T or MWF. The teachers use a play-oriented approach, children are free to learn by playing, and to explore at their own pace. Teacher/child ration is excellent and parents are invited to participate in class activities every couple of months. Teachers N & H are fantastic, consistently able to tune in with children, and authentically able to connect at each child's level.My child was mainly Italian speaking at the beginning of the year and both teachers have done an amazing work helping her to integrated in the class. They went as far as learning basic Italian to help her with her transition from Italian to English. Finally, in case that matters, it is a cheaper option than most other schools in the areas.

My kids just started here and I could not be happier with the community we have joined. Thoughtful…read moreeducators and visionary school leadership create an environment where kids thrive emotionally as well as academically. We want our children to be bilingual and we're thrilled that both have entered a dual language english/Spanish program. We also love that fact that this is an IB school that focuses on 21st century skills. Last but not least, the school hired a COVID consultant and reorganized the entire school in order to be able to have children on premises and meet social distancing standards. Although they do have a remote option, this thankful parent is thrilled to drop the kids off at real school every morning.

Last summer our family relocated to New York City and began the impossible task of finding housing…read moreand a great school for our children who were entering kindergarten and third grade in the fall. We visited a number of schools and sought the the advice of countless friends and family before finally being introduced to Pine Street school. We attended an informational social which gave us the opportunity to meet faculty, parents, students, and learn more about the IB program and curriculum - we were blown away by the enthusiasm of the teachers, the global exposure the students had, and the close knit community we encountered there. But it was our children's response that really informed our decision to apply as they were eager to spend more time with everyone they met that evening and excited to learn more about the school. Fast forward to today and we couldn't be happier with the decision that we made. Pine Street School truly supports the whole child: the curriculum is rigorous and engaging, and we visibly see how they are preparing our children to go out and make a difference in the world. Students go on more field trips than any other school I've encountered - they really make sure that they have an opportunity to go out and experience the world. It is apparent that the thoughtful approach to learning supports the development of our children intellectually, emotionally, and socially and we couldn't be more pleased. And they continue to impress us and exceed our expectations, especially during this unprecedented time where our children need more love, support and consistency than ever; they are the only school that I know of that offers 4.5 hours of synchronous learning each day while school is physically closed due to social distancing! Incredible! They have managed to maintain the academic standards and preparation that we've become accustomed to during this challenging time: it doesn't get more committed than that. I could go on forever but will stop by thanking Pine for continuing to reaffirm why we made the best decision possible by enrolling both of our children. Thank you!

We started our daughter at HSH this past September when she was 10 months old. Although I was…read morehesitant to place her in daycare due to covid (and partly due to my separation anxiety), I felt comfort in learning about all of the precautions that Amanda & her team were taking to ensure the health and safety of all (and just for reference -- I'm the nervous, worry-wart type of mom). Aside from that, what really sealed the deal for me was their intimate family type of setting (the center has a 12 children max count), as I was specifically looking for a place that made my daughter feel at home -- and this was it. I was also thrilled to learn that fresh organic meals were made on site and served everyday. Needless to say, but my daughter is excited to arrive at daycare every morning and is equally happy at pick-up. On the development front, she's ahead of the curve. I attribute that to the nurturing and loving environment that HSH provides through their amazing and sweet teachers. I'll be forever grateful to them for everything they do.

It takes a village! Amanda and her mother Gladys have been taking care of our son since he was 3…read moremonths old. He's 5 now and with COVID, HSH created a safe place for my son to continue learning remotely. They lovingly care for the kids, provide the best small group experiences and delicious food (high praise from our picky eater). My only sadness is that we are moving on with a school age kid, I will miss the security I always had knowing he was with HSH and well cared for.

When we saw the combination of the space and the teachers, we were over the moon. Old First has a…read morehuge classroom, a huge indoor play space (replete with indoor jungle gym), and a big backyard! There are swings and a playscape in the backyard, as well as a garden! The teachers are so creative and engaging, my daughter never wants to leave school. One day she comes home talking about the painting projects, the next day she breaks into the songs she has learned, another day she talks me through the process of tilling the ground and planting seeds -- turns out they had spent a couple days tilling the ground and planting grass in the backyard. This school encourages a sense of independence and inquisitiveness in its students, and has engaged and delighted my daughter since day 1. It is a truly refreshing and unique find in the otherwise daunting world of Brooklyn preschools.

We sent both our kids to this school and they both had amazing experiences, as did we (this being a…read moreparent-run cooperative.) As others have mentioned, the teachers are great -- and that has been true even with staff changes over the years. The space is extraordinary - there is no other pre-school in Brooklyn that has has a nicer space - worth it for that alone! The school continues its 50-year tradition of progressive education. Your kids won't be saddled with pre-this&that, but will actively develop executive function skills and learn how to function in a school setting. Best of all, they will learn to love school and will look forward to every day at OFNS. OFNS kids generally do very well when they move on to kindergarten. As a parent-run cooperative, parents are much more involved with the school and each other than is probably typical. While the annual Christmas tree sale shifts may be tiring, they are also a great bonding experience, and a lot of fun. Old First Nursery School is one of those things that makes Brooklyn special!

what a wonderful experience at Perry School…read more our daughter attended it for 2 years during the summer we were a bit hesitant as she did not speak english (we were moving to the US from italy) but was helped by the talented and hard working teachers to express herself, make friends and have a lot of fun the fairytale camp was her big favourite as, at the end of every week, she could perform in the recital she also loved the very creative and fun art & crafts projects the school founder, dawn leslie stewart, is amazing competent, patient, bright, sweet, smiling, loved by the kids! thanks to dawn and perry school, our daughter moved her first U.S. steps, developed a great personality and learned a perfect english: we will never forget her times at perry school and cannot recommend it highly enough

I reached out to this center for summer camp and had a pretty convo with the director explaining…read morewhat I was looking for and multiple times let them know we are from out of town. during this convo I had some misgivings when she downtalked other camps and put a "hard sale" on me. but I ended up booking with them. 3 days before camp was to start they sent an influx of forms including a New York medical form they require. i sent our similar Georgia form and they told me they would not accept it. I asked for a refund and they declined despite a very clear written refund policy that we are inline with. when I called to talk thru this sure that there was a misunderstanding the person there was rude and dismissive. they gawked at me saying I couldnt get my physician to complete their form in time without knowing anything about my situation or how my doctor works. they assured me my doc could do it in 5 mins, talked over me and denied everything I mentioned as being true. it was the most infuriating experience I've ever had. I would not trust my child with someone of this type of moral fabric. Listening, practicing compassion, meeting people where they are, valuing community above money are ethics that i Value and I want exemplified by those who I entrust my daughter to...

Pluses: Awesome teachers, small class sizes, fun events, everyday they give us a sheet saying how…read moremany (and what kind) of diapers were changed, what he ate, what he drank, and anything else we need to know. Ann, the director is simply amazing, very responsive, just good people. Rose and Mary, who handle my son's class are great, loving teachers. Minuses: Cost (But i'd be complaining about that no matter what, lol), was a long waiting list to get in Bottom line, I feel comfortable leaving my son (13 month old) there. Plus, He loves it!

I lucked out and enrolled when it was first opened so the waiting list coincides with exactly when…read moremy then 6mo old was ready. The facilities are clean, bright, and well maintained. Good adult:kids ratio.Rose and Mary (of the baby room) are ROCK STARS and we love them. Our current teachers would send the parents pictures via emails regularly (totally above and beyond being professional) which totally brightens up my day. A lot of the staff (even some teachers from other classes) would greet my little one by name and I feel like they really care. I'm a bit surprised to hear about negative first impression, maybe the time of the visit was during peak drop-off/pick-up time and understandably hectic. Some of the staff speak with accents and may sound harsher than intended. Overall I trust my child is safe and well cared for, which makes returning to work full time much easier than I anticipated.

This place was a legitimate nightmare. I'm copying the letter I sent to the CFO below since it's…read morerelevant to anyone considering the school. I removed names and just included their titles. I received no response from the CFO (not even a denial of the request), which I think is telling. xxx Dear Mr. CFO, My infant daughter attended Explore & Discover from September - December 2018, at which point we pulled her from the program. I have dreaded writing this email because retelling this experience sickens me as a parent. I want to be clear that our early termination was forced based on the improper conduct of your staff. I am writing to request a refund of our $X,XXX deposit. My daughter had a tough experience at E&D. I was told at every pickup she was refusing to eat and yet the head teacher denied my request to come in and nurse her for meals (which is counter to what your Handbook encourages). I was also told at every pick up that my daughter was inconsolable and spent the day crying by the door, yet Head Teacher also denied my requests on 10/4/18 and 12/4/18 to come in to the classroom to help ease her comfort. Her responses ranged from "no" to "absolutely not". She denied me access even after I communicated that the director had agreed it was a reasonable request. As you know, this denial of access to my child violates Article 47 of the New York City Health Code as well as the New York State Day Care regulations. Frustrated by feedback that my daughter's distress was continuing (and having seen an increase in her anxiety at home - tantrums, hitting), I spoke to Head Teacher on 12/11/18 requesting classroom access again. She angrily responded that: - I had no right to enter the classroom - My daughter's poor transition to daycare was my fault due to my lack of scheduling, consistency, etc - My daughter likely wasn't a good fit for daycare - She could only offer my daughter so much comfort, she had other babies to take care of After this conversation, I reached out to Director and asked if we could have a joint meeting with Head Teacher. This was the third time I had approached Director about being denied entry to the classroom. I was told she had already spoken with Head Teacher and based on how well my daughter was doing, they no longer believed we had a problem and I would no longer need to sit in with the class. I found Head Teacher's report of my daughter's sudden turnaround alarming, given that it opposed what she had communicated to me earlier that day. Given Director's acceptance of Head Teacher's account, I could no longer trust my daughter's safety in the hands of your staff. As I explained to both the Director and GM, this is not an early cancelation as I attempted numerous times to make this situation work. I do not expect to be penalized for the bad behavior of your teaching staff and hope that you will agree to issue a full refund of our $X,XXX deposit.

After reading all these wonderful reviews from other parents we were really considering going to…read morethis school. However, after today we will seek else where. I happened to be at the park today wa group of kids from the school also happened to be at the park playing. Please take a look at the photos. Ever since they got there, one of the teacher or maybe TA sat on the bench the entire time, and was on her phone constantly, even with headphones on! Really? The only time I heard her discipline the group of students was when she literally yelled across the park...she didn't even bother walking over to them. If she's a head teacher for the classroom, I didn't know head teachers can relax during open door play time...that's a first for me. A little while after, I caught the other two teachers were also surfing on their phones....I was really surprised to see all three of them were busy looking at their phones. Considering this school is one of the most expensive school in the area I would think they have the best teachers...well...boy was I wrong. Another school also happened to be at the park too, and those kids were much older however they each had an adult with them and they were extremely engaging with the kids. Don't believe me? See for your self. A month ago, the owner did reach out to me and to let me know that the teachers in the photos will not be returning to work, however...I still see one of the teachers in the pic at the school yard just a week ago...On the other hand, I'm sure this was a wake up call for all the teachers there to make sure to leave their phones behind while at work. Either way, my son will not be coming to this school.