Incredible dual-language programming in a Montessori setting with experienced and caring teachers…read moreand admin. Strong and vibrant parent community.

Our family's experience with IMS Durham has been deeply disappointing and frustrating. We enrolled…read moreour three-year-old expecting a safe environment and constructive communication with parents, but repeated injury-related incidents and the school's responses ultimately caused us to lose confidence in both. And as it turned out that IMS is not licensed, it is unclear what governmental or other oversight bodies are responsible for oversight of student safety. Among other incidents, our daughter cut her finger while provided a manual pencil sharpener with a metal blade in the classroom to use independently and later came home with unexplained scratches near her eyelids. In another incident, according to the school's own account, a staff member took her hand while redirecting her to sit down, after which she began crying. She reported an arm injury and requested ice. After pickup, she was in significant pain and unable to lift her arm; she was subsequently diagnosed with nursemaid's elbow and required medical reduction. On another day, she sustained a significant tongue injury during nap time. When we picked her up, her shirt and blanket had substantial blood on them, yet we had not been contacted beforehand. We were told that approximately 16-17 children ages 3-6 were in the room and that one of the two people supervising them at that time was a 15-year-old girl on her first day. What troubled us most was what happened when we repeatedly raised safety and communication concerns. At our first and only in-person meeting with the Head of School, which primarily concerned our child's safety, our recollection is that she told us early in the discussion that if we were uncomfortable with the school's practices, we could look for another school before discussing the concerns. We followed IMS's own Handbook process and ultimately escalated our unresolved concerns to the Board Chair. We met with the Board Chair online to discuss them, but before receiving follow-up, IMS terminated our three-year-old daughter's re-enrollment only days before the new school year began. Our daughter had not been accused of misconduct or behavioral problems. The termination letter instead cited the frequency and nature of our communications--including concerns about injuries, supervision, parent notification, and regulatory status--as part of its reasoning. We were left scrambling to find another school at the last minute. In the previous two years in a daycare in another city, our kid was doing quite well. Based on our family's 7-month experience with IMS, we cannot recommend IMS.

My daughter started at Wildflower when she turned three, and she's been loving it! The kids spend a…read morelot of time outside everyday, not just at the playground but also in the woods, at the mud pit and bike path. She has so much fun, coming home tired and content. The teachers are nurturing, loving and attentive. I especially appreciate how they educate kids to be wholesome human beings, care for each other and solve conflicts among themselves.

The teachers are the most patient and positive human beings I have ever come across, and have made…read moremy daughter's first experience with out-of-home care the best I could hope for. Her imagination and confidence have both blossomed since she began there. I only wish the program extended to kindergarten and beyond.

We didn't realize how sought after this school was when we signed our son up. I have nothing but…read moreamazing things to say about Maracas. Our son was only supposed to go there for 1 year but we loved it so much and it was SO good for him, that we delayed him starting kindergarten by a year. In total, he spent 2 yrs there. He started knowing no Spanish (my husband and I don't speak Spanish) and he ended with a really solid understanding of the language. So much so, that when we went to Spain this summer, locals were impressed with his accent and his ability to speak the language. We actually had no particular interest in him learning a Language, but we really wanted to get him into a Montessori school. This school was amazing for his confidence. He started off as a shy, difficult boy who hated his previous preschool. He blossomed beyond our expectations there. He was more than ready (& not only willing, but excited) to go to kindergarten. He loved his time at Maracas. The staff are amazing and caring and it is such a sweet school that I will always hold very dear. I cannot recommend Maracas Montessori enough. Any child that goes there is a very lucky child.

I went to one of Immersion Island's camps for adults this weekend, and it was terrific. As a…read morebeginner (I've been studying Spanish for 9 months), I was worried that it would be difficult (not to mention tiring) to keep up with an 8-hour day of conversation entirely in Spanish, but Jennifer did a great job of structuring the day so it did not get tedious and had plenty of variety. The camp is offered over a weekend and students can go for one day or two (I just went on Saturday). There were about 10 students there, at various stages of proficiency from beginner to advanced, along with 6 or 7 native speakers. There were times when we spent time listening to cultural presentations, other times when we practiced conversation one-on-one or in small groups. The theme on Saturday was a "visit" to Venezuela. The most interesting thing was learning from, and speaking with, 5 native Venezuelans who told us about the country and talked about traditions, the landscape, the food, etc. One of them was a very skillful musician who plays the "cuarto" (four-stringed guitar) and led us through several songs, which was fun and also useful for practicing vocabulary. They also showed us how to make arepas, which we had for lunch. All of the native speakers were patient and encouraging, so I felt like I absorbed a lot without feeling stressed about my beginner speaking skills. The students with more advanced speaking skills also had opportunities to have more in-depth conversations.

We are halfway through our second year at RUMC Preschool and it has been a great experience! The…read morestaff are very kind and responsive, and truly care about all the preschool families. It's a small community, which I enjoy and which allows great accessibility. They also allow and encourage parents to be as involved as they would like to be. My daughters are well cared for, loved, and have thrived in the school. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Both of my sons attend this preschool and I can't say enough good things about it. All the teachers…read moreare so incredibly caring and engaging and the director (Amy) is amazing! My kids absolutely love going to school which is a big deal to me as a previous teacher. I knew preschool would be their first introduction to the school setting (even though the majority of their day is play based) and I could not be happier with our choice!

We have had a terrific experience at this daycare (TLE). Our daughter started at 13 weeks old…read more After the childcare situation we'd planned on since before she was born fell through at the last minute, I showed up at TLE a bit desperate. With three days left before I was supposed to start back at work, I count myself so lucky that they happened to have one spot open in the infant room! Ms. Regina in Infant Room B is a wonderful caregiver. She is always calm and steady, always positive and warm. Her classroom is peaceful, and the kiddos in there seem very content. I was worried that our daughter, who struggled with bottle feeding, would go hungry at daycare. Ms. Regina was willing to work with her and now our kiddo is happily taking five bottles a day. What's even more amazing is that, after I told Ms. Regina I was really struggling with missing my daughter while at work, she started writing extra notes in the daily report. In addition to knowing when my baby napped/ate/was changed, I get to read little details like, "She seems to be especially fond of one of the other babies in the room," or, "Today she smiled while her teacher held her up to the window and talked about the arrival of spring." Those little glimpses into her day show me that she's getting attention and love, and they make all the difference to my peace of mind. Overall, everyone at this center seems kind and sincere. While our daughter does spend some time in bouncy chairs (which is unavoidable when one person cares for multiple infants!), I was thrilled to see that she is more often being held or hanging out in a Boppy pillow on the floor while looking happily at the other babies. Ms. Wendi, the director, is very personable and patient with new parent concerns. She also called promptly on the two occasions that my daughter had an "incident" -- throwing up and getting a small scratch. This made me feel very secure that our kid was safe at TLE. Before enrolling, when I looked for reviews of this daycare online, I didn't find that many -- so I'm especially happy to add my opinion and say that I'd definitely recommend TLE to friends and would say it is worth every penny.

After a lot of media attention related to day care issues all over the country and stories of…read morechildren being neglected/forgotten, I approached our day care options very carefully and cautiously. It is important to keep in mind that not everyone's experiences exemplify the all-around experience, and not every teacher is the same. The teachers in the classroom make a world of difference to the experience of the family entrusting them. With that said, we have been exceedingly fortunate to have had our nearly 2 year-old under the care of Ms. Ann, Ms. Kenisha, and Ms. Susan here. They have all shown what appears to be an honest interest and care for our child. They provide daily care sheets that let us know what he/she ate (of huge importance to me), how they engaged him/her 'academically' (at the toddler age, this would be like singing a certain song, learning about a certain color, working on please/thank you, etc.), diaper changes, naps, and communication to the parents if diapers or wipes are running low. It is an efficient system for communicating those things you are hoping your child is doing/eating/learning. We have popped in without notice on several occasions to really do our own form of 'random inspection,' if you will - really we wanted to verify that at random points midday that our child was being attended to as necessary, playing well, eating well, napping well, etc. So far each visit has been great and we have never experienced any issues with any of the staff that has cared for our child. The management has been wonderful as well. Ms. Stacey does a wonderful job of remembering you and your child's name, and any issues or questions with tuition, payments, general care questions that I have sent them via email have been responded to very promptly. You can research the facility/franchise online and see the technology available to the students. There's a great play town that the older kids get to take advantage of (our toddler is still too young at this point), there are two separate outdoor play areas complete with toys, slides, and ample room as well as seating and shade. They do apply sunblock to the kids, which is a nice touch. We have also been told that as our child gets older and moves up to the next class, they will work on potty training as well. We have seen our child's vocabulary and social skills absolutely BLOSSOM since we have started with this TLE. As I said, we have been so lucky to have the great teachers our child has right now. As our child grows and switches to another class, that story may or may not change, but I will update my review as necessary. For now, I am happy to report that we are extremely satisfied with the care, attention, and developmental/educational lessons that these caring teachers have provided for our child.

I attended Emerson Waldorf School for 10 years. To say I loved my time there is an understatement…read more I went from crying everyday at my charter school in first grade to thriving academically, socially, and artistically. At Emerson, students are not only seen as learners, but also as whole people who have thoughts, ambitions, and capacities beyond memorizing formulas. In elementary school I learned through stories and to this day I am able to remember the content of the lessons- the math activities that helped me learn all my times tables forwards and backwards, the stories I wrote in cursive, the doll I knit in second grade. In middle school, I wasn't taking tests to measure my knowledge, but instead I was writing stories and drawing depictions based on the lessons of Ancient Egypt, Geography, History, etc. Thanks to Emerson I can write college level essays (I got A's on all of my first semester college papers), I play the cello, I sell crocheted hats and knitted socks, I love sports thanks to my years on the volleyball team, I honestly love math, and I have still kept the friendships from my years at Emerson. I think that is what I love most. The students are so kind and everyone is able to be their truest self without shame. There are no expectations to conform to what society (or social media) thinks is popular at the time. Every child deserves to attend Emerson Waldorf School.

Academics is delivered in a unique and creative way here. Using the Waldorf approach has proven…read morehighly effective for our son who has been there for 9 years now. Grateful to his teacher Mr. Wiley.

Montessori Farm school is a wonderful school. Our daughter has been at the school for 2 years and…read morewe have loved it. My daughter has learned so much not only academically but socially as well. The teachers are so nurturing. You can tell they enjoy working with the children and are invested in the wellbeing of them. If I had to do it again I would no hesitation sending our daughter.

This school is so amazing. My son has been here since age 3. This school has provided a magical,…read moreprepared environment for my son to thrive socially, emotionally and intellectually. We love Virginia, Wendy, Jen and Meghan so much and it is going to be so hard not seeing them next year. I know that they have prepared my son for a great future, but I wish he could stay. It is a beautiful and enriching place.