After relocating from San Francisco to San Jose, our family was warmly welcomed by the growing community at Creative Minds. From the very beginning, the school has played an essential role in our son's overall development, and we feel truly honored to be part of such a nurturing environment. Creative Minds goes beyond supporting developmental milestones -- the school places a strong emphasis on character building, instilling values such as respect, kindness, and empathy. Children are also guided in learning how to set boundaries and solve problems independently, which are invaluable life skills. The teaching staff is exceptional. With many educators remaining at the school for five years or more, it's clear they are committed and passionate about their work. They foster strong partnerships with families and treat each child with care, as if they were their own. We are grateful to be part of the Creative Minds community and highly recommend this school to any family seeking a supportive and developmentally enriching environment for their child. Thank you so much for all your hard work. read more

My son has been at creative minds infant and toddler class, and I'm really happy with the quality of care and his growth. For us personally we didn't want a home based daycare and neither a big corporate chain, creative minds is a mid-sized professionally managed set up and a perfect fit for what we were looking for. I also really like their Reggio Emilia style. They provide regular updates and photos / videos of my son which is really reassuring. Most teachers have been with the daycare since many years and our very experienced and humble. The daycare has a neighbourly feel but it's also very safe and managed well. Location is great! I'm really excited that my younger son will also be joining creative minds infant class soon! read more

I'll skip to the punch line: there's no better preschool than Creative Minds! Over the last 8 years, we watched our oldest and youngest make their way through this wonderful school - from 6months to graduation. And every single day all the teachers and the owner showed tremendous love and care, making our daughters feel nurtured and cherished. The daily updates on what the girls were up to made us feel super connected to them but also the teachers. We've kept and even printed many of those pictures! It always felt like being part of a big family not than just parents picking up and dropping off. And our girls learned so much! It was fun to watch as they not only learned but developed a love for learning, something I really appreciate. And it wasn't just the academics - values like kindness and respect and listening were reinforced and improved there. We highly recommend Creative Minds to any parent looking for a loving and supportive preschool. We are forever grateful for the fantastic memories and learning experiences our girls had here. Thank you, Creative Minds! read more

Creative Minds is truly a wonderful place, and one that I highly recommend in fostering children's development. I cannot say enough positive things in capturing my experiences that include the infant room, toddler room, and preschool room. The teachers and staff are extremely thoughtful, creative, and hardworking. The activities (both indoor and outdoor) are meaningful and fun. Communication is clear and consistent. I've appreciated the app as well in seeing photos and the details of the day. Both my kids have looked forward to going, and I've seen them flourish during their time at Creative Minds. read more

We cannot express enough gratitude and joy for our experience at Creative Minds. We had our son enrolled here for nearly two years, first in the infant room then the toddler room, before we recently moved out of the state. This school was a true community, a village, for our son. We are advocates of the Reggio-Emilia style of parenting, and this school really stays true to those values. All of the staff are highly skilled, approachable, communicative, incredibly kind and caring. I would often ask the teachers for their advice and expertise on various things we were working on, and they had great insight and partnered with us in helping our son grow. Our son was always safe and nurtured lovingly. The enrichment and activities the teachers led in each classroom were always unique, well thought-out, and well executed. There were always adorable pieces of art to bring home, and our son's face lit up when he saw his teachers every morning. We loved seeing photos they took of all of the fun, and they even sent home an annual yearbook and a graduation book when he moved to the next classroom. Our son was always happy to go to school, and sometimes he didn't even want to go home with us at the end of the day! I think that speaks for itself. Many of the teachers have worked here for several years, which says a lot about their dedication and sense of community. The administrators Richa and Jennifer were friendly and caring, and the school was always very well organized. Communications were prompt and they were also very accommodating when I changed jobs a couple of times and needed to adjust our son's hours. We have only feelings of fondness and appreciation for the two years our son was at Creative Minds. Although he may not remember it, we know in our hearts that our son was positively impacted by the special teachers at this school, who are making the world a better place with their love and care. read more

We are so very thankful to have found such a wonderful, loving, learning community for our 2 year old daughter. I was thrilled to discover so close to us a Reggio inspired infant and preschool. The learning approach is so positive. But above all the teachers and responsible adults who work at the school truly care, nurture and enjoy being with children. My daughter has been there since she was 16 months old in the infant room and then has been in the 2 year old room since August. The outdoor play areas are wonderful, including a wonderful bespoke created outdoor play structure for the little ones. I am so thrilled to have found a school that my daughter can grow within. Thank you to Richa for your leadership and all the team for the extremely hard work you do. My family is very grateful and appreciative of the community you have created. read more

Creative Minds has been for 2 years a caring, nurturing and learning space for my daughter and my whole family. It is truly a wonderful space to learn, develop social skills and create a community between teachers and family. My daughter has made so many good friendships and developed both academic and mainly social skills. Teacher Rashida is an exemple of love for her profession. She is kind, hugs the kids, talks to them in a respectful manner and teaches them how to do the same with friends. Thanks also to teacher Jill, always kind and with a beautiful smile for all around. Really, this place is a gem in a very competitive school scenario we see in the Silicon Valley. All the projects they develop are so creative and full of details and it really engages the kids. Love Reggio Emilia approach! Thanks Creative Minds for all amazing memories we'll cary forever. read more

When my twins were going to start preschool we cast a WIDE net. We looked in San Jose, Milpitas, Campbell, Los Gatos and Cupertino before making our decision. We created a long list from the local Parents magazine. We spent hours on websites creating a spreadsheet to weigh philosophy, commute, cost, and other perks. We narrowed the list from 30 to 15 and started touring. Creative Minds was one of the last places we toured but as soon as we did I knew I'd finally found our new preschool 'home.' I love the teaching philosophy - Reggio Emilia - which I always describe as being a close cousin to Montessori but instead of focusing on doing things individually it focuses on doing things together (building teamwork / group skills). I love how it literally is creative. The kids came home messy nearly every day but they created amazing works of child-art and they were always happy. I loved how the school took a lot of pictures and gave us a disk at the end of the year which chronicled all the kids adventures. I love how your child didn't have to be fully potty trained. There was only one drawback to the Reggio way of teaching and that is that since the teachers would often move with the direction of the class (going deeper into areas they liked) they would get to the end of the year and not get through the whole alphabet or other more structured topics. For that reason we did end up putting our kids in a different pre-K (ATLC on Cambrianna). However, I would still do it the same way - giving them the first 2 years in this fun, creative, school. read more

I absolutely love this place! It's the third preschool my daughter has attended in the past three years as we kept looking for a better alternative. We found it at last. My daughter is in the preschool room and my son is in the toddler room. The teachers are kind, caring and knowledgeable. I think this is the only school where I saw the teachers have more than the required 12 ECE units, most of them have their BAs. My daughter has learned a lot here. True, they don't put an emphasis on the ABC, but they teach the children so much more while also teaching the academics to 4 and 5 year olds who will start Kindergarten in the fall. This is a lovely program that is very much developmentally appropriate. read more

We did a lot of searching the for the perfect daycare for our 6-month old son. After our initial tour, talking extensively with the staff--all of them--and learning a lot about their professional backgrounds and curriculum, we were sold. Our son has been at Creative Minds for over two months now, and we couldn't be happier. He is thriving there. The facility and supplies are new, he gets to go outside EVERY day (which we love), and the staff are as patient and kind in the morning as they are when I'm swinging in at the stroke of 6 pm every day. I can't say enough about how great the care is, how attentive the teachers are, etc. What I tell friends is that we're getting "nanny-level care at a reasonable daycare price." We wouldn't change a thing! read more

Creative Minds Child Development Center - my fun days at Creative Minds! - Preschools Near Me - San Jose, California

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Today will be my 5y.o. daughter's last day here since she'll be starting kindergarten soon. The quality of care and teaching can be seen through the level of excitement and love my daughter has when it was time to take her here. I'm looking forward to coming back when my baby daughter is old enough to begin her journey here. read more

We have been part of the Creative Minds family for almost 4 years now. My oldest son started going here when he was 2 and now my youngest son is here too. The staff is completely wonderful and loving with the children. They are always doing a lot of activities with the children...a lot of tactile activities, a lot of outside play, song and dance, reading. My two year old comes home singing songs he must have learned at school...I can tell he is having a fun time there!! Parental involvement is also encouraged...parents come in to share fun things with the kids (music, etc). And of course as a parent you can drop in at any time. The school is separated into different rooms based upon age (babies, toddlers, older toddlers, and preK) and the rooms are very nice...clean, colorful, a lot of fun toys and activities. I was a little nervous when I found out that the main teacher for the toddler room had left, but the new head teacher in the room, Teacher Teri is fantastic!!! She's so positive and upbeat and even though my son has a hard time with me leaving him, as soon as we walk in he gives her a little smile. She successfully distracts him by playing with the babies (dolls), or the light table, etc...she knows what he likes to do and she (and the rest of the staff) genuinely loves my son which makes it much easier for me to leave him there. My oldest son was so sad when he had to start going to another school (elementary) but we continue to connect with other former classmates. Richa and Jennifer have always been very flexible with scheduling, which has been really great since I'm going back to school and have a new schedule every quarter. Bottom line...this is the best place you could send your children to. You won't be sorry...it's such a happy place and a great extension of family. read more

My child was refused to attend after first day of being there because of " bad behavior". Even adults have a trial period. No way. That is why your advertisement with "enrolling now!" stands the whole year round on the road. I realize that is not an easy business to find the ideal kid. But there is another question: what can YOU give to the child? I've never heard anything about you before. Once, I saw the place while driving and found it convenient because I can get there easily. The stuff seemed friendly. That's it. read more

Our daughter was 4 years when she joined and she spent 1 year in Creative Minds. Kids here are taught in a unique style (Reggio Emilia). They focus on a topic for a long time and get their hands-dirty while learning. The projects that the teachers do with the kids - I have not heard anything like from my other friends who send their kids to other schools. These projects help the kids get excited about life - even the things that are as small as lady bug can be exciting. Kids spend a lot of time outdoors. Their outdoor play area is brilliant - it is divided into 3 spaces - with each space offering different play types. All kids are different and we wanted a school that develops them in their own unique way - this school specializes in that. Our daughter grew up, learned a lot, while still maintaining her individuality. Creative minds is gem and we are lucky to have found it. My family is very grateful to the principal and all of the teachers. read more

First off, I want to make note that this review is for all of the teachers during the time from April, 2015 to August, 2017. Each and every single one of you helped blossom our kiddos into amazing youngsters who are more than ready to take on kindergarten. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! With that being said, it seems like just yesterday that my wife and I were doing tours of potential preschools. We were scared, nervous, and overwhelmed like many parents during this stage of facing the challenge of choosing a proper preschool. Oh, and we have twins (B/G) so our decision had double the weight of pressure. After much deliberation, we decided on Creative Minds and their Reggio Emilia style of teaching. I have to admit, after meeting teacher Jennifer for the first time my fear and anxiety quickly diminished. Her very kind, caring, and easy going personality put me at ease and I knew right then that we had found right place of our kiddos. I also had the same feel after meeting the rest of the staff. Like most parents experience, drop offs were a little challenging at first as our twins didn't want us to leave. Nevertheless, all of the teachers helped assist in morning hand offs - literally. And after a short while, they settled in and our kiddos didn't want to leave to come home at the end of the day! Another sign they were in the right place. Creative Minds also helped assist with potty training (which was another stressor as our kiddos weren't 100% trained at the time). This was a huge factor in our decision as well. In regards to discipline I believe they handled any issues that came up over the years very well. However, those are so few and far between that I can't recall any specific one off the top of my head. We were never worried about bullying or abusive/physical classmates. Needless to say, my wife and I are very happy we decided to send our little ones to Creative Minds. It was such an amazing journey to see the explosive growth our twins had while at this preschool. They learned a lot and make some amazing friends along the way. Thank you once again to all of the teachers at Creative Minds. I wish I had the time to say goodbye to each and every one of you, but I know we will continue to keep in touch and stop by on occasion. You really did make us feel like family. Huge shout out to teacher Richa for creating such a wonderful environment for preschoolers and little ones to learn and grow. We highly recommend Creative Minds. Hope this review helps ease some of your concerns. On to kindergarten... read more

I love Creative Minds CDC, so as my three year old son. It's been a year or so that he goes to CM, and he never wants to leave for home. All the teacher there treat him and me in friendly and professional manner. You can see the warmth and welcoming atmosphere there. Many parents seem to be very friendly and caring. Their activities are very creative, too. My son really enjoys his school. read more

My son has been attending Creative Minds for about 2 years now and he'll be graduating soon as he'll start kindergarten. I feel extremely lucky to have called this place a huge part of our support system in these past 2 years. The diversity of kids in this center is amazing and so are the parents' willingness to volunteer and participate in events (from field trips to holiday/seasonal celebrations) - which, by the way, are organized very often and are so much fun for adults as well as our kiddos. My son was not able to talk and express himself clearly when he first joined at age 3.25, but in a matter of couple months, he started communicating incredibly well. I should add he is bilingual and definitely needed extra help and encouragement with the English language. Apart from language skills, he made immense progress in arts and crafts activities which he never liked and showed interest before. In addition, the way teachers "teach" a subject here - such as Safari Animals, Solar System, etc - is commendable! How ever they do it, the kids get so excited about the subject and become naturally curious to learn it in depth. Not because they have to but because it is brought to their attention in such a fun and engaging way! The friendships and the harmony of Creative Minds kids is so much fun to observe during drop off and pick up times. We have a second baby now, and are looking forward to enrolling him here as soon as possible - yes, we have to wait :( I can't imagine having my child anywhere else. read more

I love creative minds. It's awesome, my daughter is here since last five months and I am a very happy parent . Kids learn a lot with fun and play activity. The staff and the management is superb. Richa and Jeniffer are really very helpful and are very friendly to the students. After taking tour of all daycare and preschools in San Jose and nearby areas I found creative minds the best. The teacher are always full of energy and are really guiding each and every student in a class as the teacher to student ratio is less. The classes are big and airy with a shaded Play area. I and my daughter love the environment. It's so calm!! The way of teaching is amazing as they have all qualified staff with lots of different mentors which help the child to overcome day to day problem and keep learning in each and every minute, read more

Creative Minds is amazing. Our young kids both love this school. It's truly a hidden gem of a childcare / learning center in San Jose. Our youngest has spent time in the Green Room and our oldest spent a year in the Rose Room and is now thriving in the Purple room. The wraparound style outdoor play area is incredible-- very shaded and full of fun equipment and new toys are added all the time. All the staff and teachers are wonderful-- every single one of them are excellent at their jobs and are so caring and nurturing to the kids. Many of the teachers have been there for years and years and have developed a great community of learning and support. I'll admit I didn't know what Reggio-Emilia was before we enrolled (I was drawn initially by the low teacher to student ratio) but I'm now a big fan! Our daughter has grown a lot of curiously about new things now and her imagination is incredible. At the same time, she is also learning letters and can spell her name so I'm confident she is getting good preparation for public kindergarten. We're grateful we found this school! read more

My son went here for 2 years and I wish I had discovered it sooner! I must have reviewed and toured 15 different schools, landing on CM. It was truly the best decision as it has a wonderful, supportive learning environment with a really smart guiding philosophy (Reggio Emilio) to its work. My son is now in Grade 1 at another progressive, constructivist school and I know that the preparation and love he received at CM was instrumental to his growth. Teachers Gwen and Rashida hold dear places in our hearts. I only wish he would stop growing up so I could re-experience our time at CM again!! read more

Our 1-year-old son was at Creative Minds since October 2009. He really enjoys his time there, the facility is brand new, teachers are great and he is learning a great deal. We are very happy we found this place and we highly recommend it! read more

I could give as many negative stars if I am allowed to. We enrolled our 15 month old at this daycare early September and the owner and the teachers (in the infant room) are all just awful. Obviously its going to take a while for a 15 month old to get adjusted to the new surroundings and environment. Just about after 2.5 weeks because he was still crying most of the time, the owner felt he was "stressing out" (she really used this term) the teachers and the other babies in the classroom. And that he wasn't smiling nor walking. Really?! It's the teachers responsibility to make sure a baby is taken care of and held/cuddled and given lots of love until he/she settles in. Seems like they just want easy money and want the kids to sleep for the most part of the day and not trouble the teachers. We pay a good sweet amount for childcare, so you better take care of the baby. And I cannot believe the teachers in the infant room are still there, anytime we walk in there they are all sitting in their own circle and chit-chatting (Probably its only the teachers who have a circle time). The babies are either laying down and sitting by themselves in the room alone with no engaging play or activities whatsoever. The room is always dead silent anytime you go. No stories, no rhymes, No silly play. There was absolutely no enthusiasm from any of the teachers during drop off or pick up time, no conversations about the child's day, nada. They just hand you over the baby and thats it. If you try to ask questions, they simply say "he was ok" and just one word answers. Please do not send your kids to this daycare if you want them to develop normally. I cannot explain the amount of trauma our baby went through at this place. He was extremely sad when he came home as well for the rest of the evening. All because of this rotten place. Richa - I am sorry to say Creative Minds is the worst daycare I have ever seen/experienced. My son is currently in another fantastic daycare and he is flourishing there and doing absolutely great. And its only been 2 weeks since he started. He is already walking, talking and doing everything a NORMAL 16 month old is supposed to do.The teachers are excellent and so nurturing, a little extra care and attention can go a long way! I am glad he gave all the cues that he hated Creative Minds and he is absolutely right! read more

We spent total of 4 years here at Creative minds between my 2 kids, my boys enjoyed the time there. One thing that make this school great is the instructors, very caring. nurturing and knowledgeable, you can tell the teachers really enjoy working there since there is a very low turn over. Creative minds incorporate fun in learning!! read more

I was told my son is not accepted, like this is an Ivy League school, a day before he was due to start part time in the toddler room because they felt he's not socially ready. Let me start by saying he was supposed to start in the preschool room but after observing him in the room after one hour they said he's not ready. I will say he ran out of the room as he was not familiar with environment. As he became more comfortable with routine he would of begun to love it. Now that I think about it that should of been sign this isn't the school for him like my son was telling me something. Examples of him not being socially ready given to me by Jennifer their assistant director was he should listen when being told to wash his hands once vs. washing them again and he should sit on mat during circle time. When she told me to get my son into Gymboree or one on one attention from nanny I about lost it. Having spent five or so hours supervising my son at this school I will say other kids in the class aren't socially ready then too. read more

We are incredibly happy that when we moved to San Jose, there was an opening at Creative minds for our 3.5 year old daughter. She absolutely loves it and has never said that she doesn't want to go to school. The Reggio method works so well for her and I love the amount of time the kids spend outside and being active. She has learned so much and even more than that, she feels a sense of comfort and love from all her teachers and the staff. The human body unit blew me away. She was coming home telling me that he femur was the largest bone in the body, and how her lungs work! Absolutely recommend this preschool and am lucky to be able to send my son there as well. read more

If I could write less than a star a would. I was impressed with this program initially, however, that changed after a month. My child's preschool teacher told me that she thought he was autistic (in front of my child). Even though my child's doc completely disagreed I had an evaluation done. This cost $2500. They said he was absolutely not autistic and we should consider a new preschool program for him. When I told the teacher that my child was fine she just rolled her eyes at me and walked away, We were done that day. read more

reply to Rick K. amazing your capacity to lie and transform reality. you must be living in a separate universe. 1) we never EVER said that our son had a pre existing elbow dislocation condition. the fact that the first time it happened to him was under YOUR watch, makes YOU the pre existing condition. we said that since that also happened to his older brother at the same age, and that it was done a first time by his nanny at that time. 2) AT YOUR PLACE he was bitten TWICE on the chick. TWICE with marks that lasted for weeks. He never EVER did that @ home before he was under YOUR watch and .. he has never done that (if he ever in fact did it !) since he left YOUR childcare. the reality is that when he came in, he was in a class of 4 children with 2 care-takers. at that time, you said yourself, that you were losing $ on that program. losing $ .. I let the reader appreciate the comment. when you wanted us out, you increased the # of kids from 4 to 9 and 6 of them were in need of constant attention. attention that you did not and could not and DID NOT WANT to give to our son anymore. so many time I dropped him and I had to request and to ask one of the person there to take care of him b/c they had paid ZERO attention to me coming in, signing in and so on. too busy with the babies. this will be my last reply here. I am not wasting anymore of my time with you. YOU ARE A MONSTER. read more

My kids just finished their first week at Creative Minds. They were treated with love, patience and kindness. The staff took extra time and care to make them feel welcome and comfortable. There are so many developmentally appropriately toys, games, puzzles, books, etc. It is a clean, bright, and fun environment for children to learn in. read more

I know people often only feel motivated to write reviews when they have something negative to say. This school is wonderful. The staff is extremely caring an passionate about what they do. My son is in the toddler class, and even though they are so young, the kids all seem very happy, independent, and compassionate. He's always had really bad separation anxiety, but his teachers really help make the transition easier for him. And after 2 months, I feel like it's getting easier and easier for me to leave him in the morning. When I come to pick him up he's always in a wonderful mood! He's also getting the hang of potty training really quickly with the help of his teachers. It's obvious that they really take a personal interest in each child. They also really encourage parents to get involved in the classroom whenever possible, such as reading stories or doing projects so the kids feel a sense of community at school. I definitely recommend Creative Minds. If you're curious, go check it out for yourself! read more

Our daughter has been in the preschool at Creative Minds for over a year and has always been very happy there. Her teachers are really wonderful, caring and fun. They know each of the kids so well and are responsive to each child's needs and interests. They're very attentive to the social development of each child and put a lot of attention on nurturing empathy, friendship, and responsibility in the classroom. The director is very attentive to parent interests and concerns. The program is fantastic, and such a rare find in the South Bay. The curriculum is focused on themes of interest to the kids, like transportation, countries, rainbows, and "all about me". Using a theme that the kids are excited about, they engage in all different kinds of activities: making art, exploring science concepts, reading books, construction, and pretend play. They have built marble runs to explore physics, created maps, developed their own country (including learning about things like flags, voting, and different cultures), and made art with every kind of material you can imagine. There is so much hands on learning going on every day. They cook together often and learn that meals are an important time for coming together and making friends. There is lots of outside time, where they can climb, run, make messy projects, garden, dig, or just enjoy some quiet time in the shade. They go on field trips and have visitors from the community (fire department, high school marching band, music/soccer/gymnastics teachers, parent volunteers). They are encouraged to develop independence and are supported in taking physical, social, and creative risks. I'm amazed at what my daughter is learning, and all through play, exploration and fun. She's curious and excited about big ideas they learn about -- whether it's electricity or gravity or how plants grow -- and at the same time has learned enough reading, writing, and counting to be more than ready for kindergarten. And, she's always so engaged and happy when I come to pick her up. read more

Our daughter and son have attended Creative Minds Preschool. The teachers are warm and caring. They always give you an update at pick up and are great at helping with drop off in the morning. I am a teacher myself and I love the community feel at Creative Minds. My children feel comfortable and supported. read more

After MANY hours/days of researching preschools in the south bay, I'm so happy to have found Creative Minds. As a primary teacher for 12 years, I was nervous that I wouldn't find a preschool that matched my personal philosophy of teaching young children. I've always been a believer in the Reggio Emilia Approach and was pleased to learn that Creative Minds shared my same beliefs in how young children learn. My daughter is almost 3 now and has been there for 1 year. Her teachers have created a friendly and enriching classroom environment, where the children are encouraged to explore and make discoveries. My daughter has thrived at Creative Minds. She has become a curious, imaginative and confident child! Richa, the director, has been extremely flexible with our schedule! I have referred 2 friends to Creative Minds. One child has started, and both of his parents couldn't be happier with Creative Minds. Our other friend's child will be starting in January. As a teacher, I value consistent communication between teacher and parents. I can't thank my daughter's teachers enough, for the time they spend informing me about my daughter's new discoveries and learnings. They are always willing to answer any questions. They take pictures on a daily basis and have them printed by the end of the day so the children can take them home. My daughter LOVES going to school!! I highly recommend Creative Minds! read more

Creative Minds has been a glorious environment in which my daughter has flourished in so many dimensions - and it's all happened in a way that respects and celebrates the brilliance of childhood with an emergent curriculum that still will cover her pre-k needs. The room has a sense of calm, even if there is an overlay of joyful kiddie noise. My daughter asks every morning if it's her school day and has never ever NOT wanted to go. What also works is that Creative Minds and the staff works to hold the wellness of an entire family in their minds. They are marvelously accommodating with adding days, adding extra time but not in a cookie cutter way that breaks the bank. I feel really good writing my tuition check each month knowing it is worth every penny and that the staff works so hard in an occupation that is compensated at disgraceful levels. I wish BOTH of my kids could be somewhere like Creative Minds through 3rd grade. I feel a little heartsick when I think of my daughter's last day at this marvelous school/community when she begins kindergarten. I'm totally perplexed by any negative reviews and encourage readers to speak with the staff if they have concerns about those. read more