MUMPS (as it is abbreviated) is something of a secret treasure in Raleigh. I found out about it…read morethrough word-of-mouth and have never known them to do much in the way of advertising, but it is a GREAT program. MUMPS is a half-day program that runs concurrently with the Wake County public school system calendar, though they have their own severe weather policy and do not observe WCPSS teacher workdays. It IS a religious preschool. They do learn about God and Jesus; several times per month they go to Chapel. It's nothing overly pushy or confusing to the children. They also emphasize kindness to others, and visit with the senior citizens in the church program a few times each year to sing them songs or help out. Tuition is very reasonable. It sounded expensive to me at first for a half-day program, but if you break it down hourly, it really isn't (I pay just over $4 per hour). They do offer discounts/reduced tuition to families enrolling multiple children or experiencing financial difficulty. Classes are small; they seem to be typically under-enrolled and accepting new students. My son started this year in a class of only 6 children (with 2 teachers per class), but has grown to about 10 now. They spend each day doing the usual preschool activities- singing, dancing, coloring, cutting, practicing their alphabet and writing skills, reading, playing on the outdoor playground, and going to "discovery" (an amazingly well-stocked science classroom). The teachers are all amazing and many have been working there for over a decade, if not since their own children were preschoolers there! Vivian Brendle is the director of the Preschool and has been involved with it for many years. She does an amazing job of keeping parents in the loop and involved, through field trips, volunteer work (planting bulbs to beautify the church grounds is one of my favorite activities to help the kids with), and best of all- they often e-mail home photos of the childrens' daily activities. I love being able to forward these e-mails to my mom, since she lives out of town and doesn't get to see the kids as often as she'd like! Overall I could not recommend MUMPS any more highly. If you are looking for an easy entry into the world of preschool for your 2-5 year old kids, and are considering a half-day, Christian-centered program, MUMPS is definitely worth checking out.

Our son currently attends MUMPS; we would highly recommend it to anyone looking for half day…read morepreschool. The teachers and directors are excellent! They clearly have a passion for what they are doing and make it a priority to make each child who walks in the door feel special each and every day! They offer fun, creative programs for the children and fun family events to participate in as well. My son wakes up asking to go to "Millbrook School" and runs to give his teachers big hugs every morning! Overall, we feel really blessed to have found MUMPS.

We LOVE St Raphaels Preschool!!…read more My daughter spent two years at the preschool and loved it and my son is currently enrolled for his first year and loves going to school. Since the first time we stepped into the school for a tour 4 years ago til now we have entered into a consistently kind, calm and welcoming atmosphere each day. The communication between teachers and parents has been excellent, allowing us to understand, practice and help our children with everything they are learning!! My goal was to find a preschool that would foster a lifelong love of learning for my kids and that's definitely what we have found at St. Raphaels.

Before moving to the area I began to research a preschool for my 3 year old to attend. He had…read moresuccessfully completed a year as a 2 year old in a small Catholic church school and I wanted the same type of atmosphere. I promised myself that my husband and I would look at several schools before making a final decision...we didn't. St. Raphael's ECC is part of the St. Raphael Catholic church community but you don't have to be Catholic, attend the churh or send your child to their private school to be part of the ECC family. I was very impressed with the tour and administrative personnel. The take security of your children while in their care very serious. And in this day and age it's a good thing. When you bring your child(ren) there is always an admin there to answer any questions and keep an eye on the coming and goings. My son is doing well and the school and I really like that fact that his time there is run like an actual school day, rather than just play all day. While I can't get him to tell me what he does each week, I can ask the teachers and also can see what they are focusing on each week via bulletin boards. I also personally love that he is getting religious teaching without being hit over the head with it.

I had two children attend this fabulous school. My youngest started at 14 weeks and recently…read moregraduated. I can't say enough positive things about this school. Between the direct, Sheli Marslender and the fantastic caring teachers, I knew my kids were in the best hands. They have taught my daughter and son more than I ever imagined from daily manners, socializing and preparing for elementary eduction. Without any hesitation it's a phenomenal daycare.

Absolutely unbelievable. This school is the furthest thing from CHRISTIAN. The majority of the…read moreteachers don't teach properly and focus on the complete wrong things. The school is a mess, the rules make no sense. The way they treat the students is genuinely so embarrassing. If you want your child to feel supported or respected, look somewhere else. This school is the last place I would ever recommend. Disgusting.

We sent my gifted black nephew to NRCA. We asked former teachers, families of students, black…read morefamilies of students and we heard negative statements concerning the African American experience here. As a teacher I asked a former NRCA teacher about it, and his words were "It is a good education, but they are not the place for black students." Despite this, we normally know how to navigate those spaces, and most teachers here are actually GREAT. However, they have a science teacher and a coach that has received several complaints for ostracizing students. It's one of the worst experiences I've ever had with an educator. I've never seen ANYTHING like it. We have spoken to administration. Other parents have spoken to administration. They head nod and continue to employ him, knowing he has actively chosen to kill the energy of the students he is called to serve. You don't have to believe me, ask about him. The responses will be the same. Parents agree but duck their heads to avoid rubbing him wrong as he takes it out on kids. I've been a teacher for 15 years and have recommended my sister remove him from this situation as I see how he has affected him. Families of players agree, but I'm okay speaking up, bc someone needs to know. Ronnie Kruger's actions are so egregious, and he alone has caused my nephew such pain, I can't believe a Christian School continues to let him behave this way and not require him to at minimum treat kids with respect and love.

We started my son here in February, and it was the best decision ever! The staff is amazing- my son…read moreis in the infant room & there are two teachers to a small ratio of kids- it feels like personalized care. The directors are phenomenal- kind, caring, and always willing to answer a question. My son has thrived there, and we are so happy with our experience so far.

From the owner: Infant Programs (6 Weeks - 1 Year), Toddler Programs (1 - 2 Years), Discovery Preschool Programs (2…read more- 3 Years), Preschool Programs (3 - 4 Years), Prekindergarten Programs (4 - 5 Years), Before and After School Programs (5-12 Years), Summer Programs (preschool, prekindergarten, and school-age)

Still loving the preschool! I honestly believe they have the…read morebest program around. My niece is going to be moving on to kindergarten in July so our time at Durant is coming to an end. Thank you to the teachers and office administrators for providing my niece such a great foundation for the upcoming kindergarten year. We will miss you all!

Everything looked great. The manager was really friendly and respectful. The place seems perfect…read morefor kids, but we decided to choose a different school.

Childworks isn't a school you send your kid to if you're looking for bells and whistles. There are…read moreno high tech security check-ins or webcams to watch your kids all day. However, what you will get are teachers who love your babies, and a director that is always kind and attentive. We started sending our daughter to childworks at 13 weeks, and the infant room teachers were completely amazing. She loved them and they loved her, and what more can you ask for with an infant? She's now in the toddler class and there was a bit of an adjustment period, but they've worked with her and us (her parents) to make the transition as smooth as possible. I still believe she's getting great care and most importantly she's happy! She gets sign language classes and singing classes and is learning how to follow rules. We are very happy with the facility and while certain amenities would be nice, we still recommend them to our friends looking for a new preschool.

Keep yourself and children away from this Place majority of "teachers" which are some "teenagers…read more"have the worst attitude everand so many more bad things about this place I wish I should of had listen to that review that was posted 2 yrs ago because I had the worst experience ever