We attend the campus on Avenue D. The year started out poor. They did not communicate with the the preschool families until last minute. When I asked for information about the program they did not include important information. One example is that families must provide 2 snacks each day for the kiddos. As I did not know this, I did not purchase a lunch bag. You can imagine how hard it was to find a lunch bag days before school started. Not only do we have to provide two snacks but one of the snacks must be a two part snack. This means like something to spread or what not. This is a good idea... however the way it was communicated was horrible. The teacher said, " don't be the parent who send yogurt and fruit snacks." It could have been gracefully handled by listing items that are not allowed. Then I find out that the teacher would like my four year old to use a toaster, microwave and apple cutter to promote independence as she doesn't have time to help all of the kids. Some kids might be ready to use those items. This was not mentioned in the information about the preschool. If it was, I would not have sent my child there. I was not planning on sending my four year old to home economics class. I feel these are skills for the parent to teach. Then my daughter urine started to get concentrated. She is prone to UTI infections. So i sent juice with he snacks, noting dark in color. For two weeks i did this and she was not drinking the juice so then i got her favorite juice, watermelon. Again it came home not drank. I asked her why she did not drink it. She told me that her teacher would not allow her. I even told her teacher days before to please remind my child to drink and explained the medical issue. So i e mailed the teacher as it seemed strange that after i directly asked her to make sure all her drinks were open that she would not let her drink or help her to open the drink. She tells me oh we dont do juice. The reason is the staining. How would apple juice stain? She could not have communicated that to me over the 2 weeks of me sending juice? As preschools are hard to find this late in the game... i let it go and i give her extra drinks before and after school. Worst of all the things that they have done. My daughter gets rides home. I looked at the time. they were running late. Ok. So then I called the ride. The phone was off. Strange. Then I try to call the school. No answer. So then i thought, well if she was not picked up surely they would have called me. They have called me for other things. So i try the friends husband. He has not heard from her either. So now i am scared. I called the hospitals. Not there thank God. So they i try the school again. No answer. They do have an after school program. My child is not enrolled into it. I specifically told them to not take my child there and to call me. However maybe the teacher forgot. The teacher is lacking in some common sense proven by many issues worst of which was putting soiled clothes in my child's lunch bag. Gross. So anyways back to the point. I try to find a phone number.... no number for the ABC care on google. No number for the ABC care on the website. I called my husband who is with the national guard and thank God he was stationed in Bismarck that day. He went out to hunt her down. He found her there. He asked them for a number. He was told to go to the front desk and aske the receptionist. There was no one there. Then again he asked. The work told him that she would pray for him. WHAT?!?!?! I know God has time for all of our issues in our life. However, looking up a phone number is not in his top 20... PRAY for it. I run a daycare for a profession. I could not just take a child anywhere without first informing the family. If we go to the park, they have to be told. If we had a fire emergency, as soon as possible i have to let the families know of their where abouts. This preschool seems to have a clear lacking in communication and common sense. Also please know that i have not listed all the issue. Just the main ones. I cannot comment on the other building and how it is ran. I know that there is some staff issues. Honestly I would not send my dog to them if I would have known when i signed up what i know now. I will be looking into what children's communication/ tracking devices that they will allow in the classroom so I can ensure that I can know where my child is. My child has been home with me as I do run a daycare so it is very important to me to have her learn to listen to other adults. I just don't honestly feel comfortable to send my child there. I am very heart broken with the continuous disappointment my family has had with this program. Even worse i recommended it to other families that chose to go there and are also now facing similar disappointment. read more

2 of my children have attended preschool at Shepherd of the Valley and it is a very good preschool. I highly recommend this preschool program because I can tell that the staff cared for my child. They would always bring home little projects and crafts that they worked on, and they were so excited to go to school every time. My kids never had any problems with other kids hitting or bullying, etc. read more