Our daughter was recently diagnosed as being on the spectrum. When we had her in the 3 year old…read moreprogram she was evaluated to receive speech twice a week. Some days she was extremely difficult for my wife in the morning and had to go to the program in her pjs. Mind you it was 3 hour sessions, three days a week. We had a teacher Ms. Diane who not only called my wife about this; she seemed annoyed and disgusted on the phone. One day she went ahead and called my wife in her seemingly annoyed tone stating "You need to have your kid evaluated." My wife replied with "she has been.. hence why she gets speech there twice a week". One day I picked up my daughter and overheard the teacher say to another teacher "I have to remind myself that these are not third and fourth graders... That's what I'm used to teaching". That's nice; then go back and teach those grades since you're not willing to be equipped to handle younger kids developing with speech, behavior issues, or possible occupational therapy being with needed. Speaking to some other parents whose kids were in my daughters particular class agreed that this teacher and this place should NEVER be allowed to take in any kids with an IEP of any kind. My daughter hated going there at such a young age. Let's fast forward a year to UPK in Island Trees school district; NIGHT AND DAY difference! My daughter's teachers were so amazing (Ms. Tina and Ms. Gabby to name a few) that we all were upset when the school year ended. Just goes to show you some teachers are amazing and some are not. I'm a civil servant and you either get someone on the phone that will do their job and assist anyone anytime or someone who just shows up to work.

If you have a child who is typically developing, does not have any academic or behavioral issues…read moreand doesn't require any additional TLC, this is a nice school with great, fun projects. I certainly did enjoy all the colorful, bright, fun work that was sent home! To add to the silver lining, the communication from school to home is excellent, However, if your child has any kind of struggle - emotionally, behaviorally, academically, in reaching milestones - I'd highly recommend looking for another arrangement. At my request, my son was evaluated two months into the year and qualified for speech and occupational therapy. Both of these factors delayed his letter and number learning as well. His teacher had no patience for him whatsoever. I heard nothing but negative feedback from the beginning of the year, and did not see any attempts made to modify his classroom behavior, motivate him, or differentiate to meet his needs. There were no sticker charts offered, no modified, multi-sensory work to help with his delay in learning letters, no small, attainable goals set for him - there were just a series of complaints. It was only thanks to his wonderful service providers from outside the school that my son finally started to make progress toward the end of the year. Still, it didn't feel like enough, and, as my son started kindergarten, I was convinced he would have the same issues. Not so. Within a week, his teacher knew exactly what he needed, got him on a behavior chart, and I'm amazed that he's currently able to do so many of the things his preschool teacher insisted he just couldn't do - all he needed was the right teacher. It was a different world - one where my son actually felt motivated and capable, which he hadn't felt at Tendergarden at all. It's sad to me that an early childhood setting would do so little to help a child who just needed a little extra support, encouragement and love, but, sadly, that was my experience there. It is my hope that this may be limited to this one teacher, and perhaps the added stressors of teaching PreK during a pandemic, but, if you are concerned about your child, perhaps research other places where he or she may get more support. Preschool is supposed to be an enjoyable start to school, so I really hope no other children have the disappointing year that my child did.

I cannot say enough positive things about Merrick Woods! MW has been a HUGE blessing to my girls…read more Not only do they wake up early each morning looking forward to another exciting, fun-filled day at MW, but I can go to work and not stress or worry for a minute wondering if the girls are safe/bored/alone/insert your worry here. As a parent, you will always feel safe knowing that your kids have certified, caring teachers surrounding them. The kids even take swim lessons and reach American Red Cross levels of safety and skill. You also will not realize you are even in Merrick or Long Island for that matter once you enter the sprawling, wooded campus! We are very grateful to MW !!!!!

Amazing staff and school. They really care about my son and offer so much support. My son loves his…read moreteachers and classmates. Highly recommended

This is my polling place. I've voted in some elections in the morning just before heading to work…read moreand in others after work at night. Never had an issue voting and am usually in and out in 5 minutes. Well organized and the workers know what they are doing. This year they had a giant bottle of NYS sanitizer to use at the entrance. During non-election times I often use the back area as a shortcut. The grounds are well maintained and clean. The school grows several crops in a garden during the spring and summer on the south side of the property. It is nice to see what's growing there while passing by. Did you know that the mascot is a Panda Bear ? I saw a mural on the way out from voting today. Someone recently added a mask to the Panda. Safety first!

I have had a bad experience at this school. The chairs are like seesaws. The books are ancient.read more

This school is amazing!!! I only wish that all schools could provide this kind of love and…read morenurturing to young minds. I have three kids, two kids in the school currently and one has already graduated. They are all very different and have their strengths and challenges, but they all thrived in this school. They all love coming to school. They never want to miss school even on days when they are under the weather. There is so much love and kindness given to these students, and they want to reciprocate. They care about everything. They care about everyone. They care about themselves. They want to do well. They do morning meditation and yoga which is such a great way to start the day. They are allowed to explore and learn as much as they can about any subject that they are passionate about. My kids love all the projects and learn so much from them. My oldest still knows all the facts from her dinosaur and planet projects from 2nd grade. She knows all about the state she researched in 3rd. She learned about all the Greek Myths from one of her 4th-grade elective projects. She still updates our online family tree she started in 5th grade while learning about genealogy. The art projects that sometimes take 5 weeks to finish because of the amount of detail that goes into them are on display all over my home. They can use any color, any medium, and any material in the art room. They read widely and often in every grade. My kids all love the class plays that take place at the end of the year. They are all so entertaining. I look forward to them every spring. Now can you see why they wouldn't want to miss a day? I can truly go on and on. I'm having a hard time condensing this post because there is so much to say about this wonderful school. I feel so fortunate to have found it and that my kids get their academic foundation here. In short, this school sparks a love of learning and then provides them with a thorough education. When they graduate, they are more than prepared for high school.

This is the best school on Long Island. If you are looking for a school that develops children and…read moredoesn't focus on test scores. This is the place. The teachers are amazing and the principal and founder cares about the children deeply. The philosophy of the school is unlike any other. They have robotics programs where the kids can compete in a regional competition and a technology program associated with Hofstra University. Every teacher focuses on the individual needs of the children and with small class sizes the children thrive.

I have had three years experience with this school and I live it!!! The Principal is wonderful!!…read moreShe knows each student by name along with active parents. I am a member of the PTA and must say that it is filled with a group of hard working women working together!! The staff is wonderful from the class rooms to art library gym special ED you name it they are great and all about the students!!! It is nothing like I remember my elementary school being!!! This school is so warm and loving!! They are making a wonderful foundation of education for all students enrolled! The do a genius event for budget time. I don't know if this is district wide but on the day you vote for budget they have the art exhibit this encourages the parents to be in the building to see their children's art work and vote while there.