Children's Happy Day School is possibly the best preschool in the Boston area. They offer a…read moreterrific curriculum, and the head of the school, Ms. Helen, provides hands on guidance and support to children, parents, teachers and families. Founded in 1987, CHDS has a tremendous history of educating young people. The building the program is housed in was built specifically for use as a preschool, and the classrooms are bright and sunny. Their prices are less than other West Roxbury preschools, and they are walking distance from Millenium Park.

From the owner: CHDS is a fully NAEYC accredited school that offers four different programs for children age 2.4 to…read more6 years old. Parents have the option of full day or half day programs and a choice of either 10 months or 12 months. Our literature based curriculum is enriched with a music and movement program, yoga and field trips.

Our toddler started at SolBe on day one of the school opening. We had very high hopes after our…read moreinterview, despite the cost being much higher than the alternatives. For the added expense, we were promised minute by minute updates, a two-to-one ratio of teachers to students, and a focus on education that could be overlooked elsewhere. Unfortunately, despite an excellent experience with the Director and our son's first teacher, a significant change was made after a few months. The Director, along with many more staff members, were replaced, and the focus seemed to shift notably towards higher profits and cost cutting measures. Our son was moved into a much larger room where there were often two teachers for eight babies, even after they showed up late. The stress put on the staff still making an effort meant that the "minute-by-minute" updates through the app were ignored until the afternoon when they played catch up while all the kids were napping. Often, we wouldn't find out if our son had eaten or had a diaper change until hours after he'd been picked up. The high ratio also contributed to clothes being lost or ruined with art materials unsuitable for infants, diaper changes being skipped, brusies and scrapes, and a near weekly changeover of staff who were clearly frustrated with the experience as well. Our son's class shared a changing room with another, and it was very common to hear the teachers there, unaware they were being observed, repeatedly screaming at the toddlers "everyone come here" and "be quiet". Another thing for prospective families to consider is that SolBe considers themselves a school first and a daycare second. On the average month, SolBe closes around three working days for holidays, conferences, and "teacher enrichment", meaning that working parents will suddenly have a child to account for (not even to mention the frequency that they contact you and ask you to bring your child home early because they "seem like they're not feeling so well', with no other symptoms than a low fever and a lack of energy; a very common experience for young kids). Obviously, the monthly cost is the same regardless of how many days they actually care for your child. Ultimately, we found another center that is offering 5 nine-hour days a week for the same price that SolBe was charging for 3 seven-hour visits. The new school doesn't have a fancy app or gourmet lunches, but we feel our child is a lot more than just an income source in their eyes, and we're much happier. (FYI- This review refers to the new location on Sherman Road, which doesn't have its own listing as of this date.)

Our family is extremely fortunate and blessed that our son's first social experience was at Solbe…read more He started school when he was just one year old, and was greeted with unparalleled love every day by his class teacher, all the other teachers, the director, and the chef. Now, he runs out the door and into his classroom. This 2 years old ability to love others and accept himself is on full display not only at Solbe, but also at the park, the supermarket, and on trips, where he greets everyone with a smile and a "Hello!" As parents, I am most grateful for : Solbe's nutrition system, the best in the US. Three meals a day, chefs prepare fresh, nutritious, and varied menus, allowing our young children to experience a wide variety of foods and get the most nutrition. So I can forgive myself when I serve him just chicken nuggets at dinner :) Furthermore, from such a young age, the teachers provide new art experiences every day. My son loves drawing, talking, singing, dancing, and running around--all of these activities are spontaneous and active. Thanks to Solbe, his brain, mind, and motor skills have developed remarkably, and most importantly, he seems very happy. So I can forgive myself when I let him watch TV before dinner time :) I am grateful to the teachers and staff who provide the world's best early education, nutrition, with a big love spirit and we truly appreciate their professionalism.

Both of my kids (soon to be in 3rd grade, soon to be in 7th grade) are thriving at Wellan. It's a…read moreterrific learning community for pre-K through 8th grade; ~300 children, from pre-K to 8th grade, with small classes and skillfully staffed. It feels like a traditional schoolhouse model right in the heart of Newton center. The Montessori method leverages a child's interests, inspiring curiosity, creativity, and a desire to learn.

I recommend NMS to anyone that I can. When going on tours of various preschools for my son a…read morecouple of years ago, I had no real knowledge of what Montessori teaching was. Honestly, I thought it was very "hippy dippy", kids just doing whatever they wanted all day. When I took the tour (Deanna is awesome!), I was amazed... like jaw-on-the-floor amazed. The things she was showing me in the classroom just MADE. SENSE. It was like a light bulb went on, and I knew my son had to go there. We are now in our second year at NMS and couldn't be happier. The building is filled with people who care, immensely. The amount of planning that goes into a classroom is insane. NMS has a great community around it, the events held for student and families outside of school, educational events for parents (like Montessori in the Home), and fun events for parents too. The administration at NMS is amazing, every teacher is amazing, the specialists (library, music, language, etc) are amazing, the Parent Association is amazing, the early/late care staff are amazing, the office staff are amazing. I know that I am doing the best that I possibly can for my son by sending him to Newton Montessori. I've already seen the difference it has made, and I know that it's really the best environment for him to become the best, happiest, smartest, kindest, little boy he can be. And those are all things that will serve him throughout his life. Everything in his classroom is there for a reason, whether it works on fine motor skills, or how to hold a pencil, it all builds on lessons throughout the Montessori classroom years.

I can not say enough good thing about the commonwealth learning center and about my child's tutor…read moreAmy. my child was struggling with reading was diagnosed with dyslexia and was becoming so discouraged with his school. since Working with Amy his reading has improved tremendously and his confidence. Amy works so well with my child always keeps me up to date with everything they are working on and my child is comfortable working with her. We are so so happy with this learning center .

My daughter and I met with Alex, the director, for an initial consult. Alex was well-prepared,…read morehaving read, highlighted, and annotated the test results I sent to her ahead of time. She also was prepared with a set of questions based on that material. Alex is caring, thoughtful, and even during the initial meeting demonstrated deep knowledge and experience. We are so happy to have found them.

this place sucks. It is horrible, dirty, and boring. When I…read morewent here it was so dirty. I literally found a piece of chewed gum on my desk. I learned nothing here, This place is horrible for teaching. 1 star

This was the most stressful experience I have ever had with my kids' extracurricular activities…read more The class was fine -- teacher was actually pretty good -- and the math was good and kids were able to do their homework without too many challenges; the administration was awful and I have never encountered such a mercenary business, particularly one that is for children. We told them when we first came in to get an evaluation that we are a middle-class family and would need financial assistance in order for our kids to attend. They told us that they had an application to fill out and I was pretty confident we would get one as we do for most of the activities in town. The application was ridiculous and exhaustive, and it took a long time to complete it (I've never been asked what charities we donate to??). Every pay cycle, I would reach out by email and ask if they had reviewed our application. I would wait to pay our monthly bill, there would be no response, then bam -- they'd slam us with a late fee every time for not paying by the due date, even though they never got back to us about whether or not we received a scholarship and what the amount should be. They would also immediately shut down our account if we payed late, so that the kids couldn't access their homework. After the last day of class and final exam, we tried to check their scores online, but lo and behold, they had already closed our account. The teacher was surprised that the administration had done that; they knew we were not going to register for another term as we couldn't afford it (after many weeks, they finally denied our application), so it was vindictive and just unprofessional. I've heard from teachers at private schools that Art of Problem Solving is a much better program, and one is supposed to open in Newton soon. If you just need a simple math class and you can afford it, RSM is probably not bad; it was just terrible for us.

how is this place beneficial to Wellesley? swimming access still covid policies, no drop ins. did…read moresomeone get paid off to give so much away??

We have had a fantastic experience here! The facility is great--the pool and locker rooms are…read morealways clean and well maintained. One of the biggest pluses is the water temperature; it's perfectly warm, which makes a huge difference for kids getting into the water. Most importantly, the instructors are incredibly kind and patient. They truly know how to work with children and build their confidence. Highly recommend!

Rashi is a different type of school. Your children first will get the world class education…read more My daughters student teacher ratio is about 8:1, not including the gym, art, social justice (more on that later) and Hebrew teachers. However, Rashi is unique for reasons other than a great education. Their partnership with Newbridge Senior center is inspired. Your child will get life lessons and wisdom from people much older. Kindness, Respect, and Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) are the other hallmarks of a Rashi education. Students learn to see the world as it and how best to improve it. Social justice isn't preached, its intertwined with the curriculum. I once asked a teacher at Nobles why he sends both his kids there. His reply speaks volumes. He said Rashi kids at Nobles are different. They are more grounded and respectful than other kids. Lastly, the community is just plain awesome. Seriously. They are just a hard working bunch of parents who want what is best for their children. I normally would end a review there, but October 7th has taught a valuable lesson. I want my daughter to be proud of her heritage and be able to stand up for herself in an increasingly hostile world. Rashi is the only place where education, social justice and your heritage will be taught.

For a Jewish Day School, Rashi lacks Jewish values. We found Rashi to be unprofessional, unethical,…read moreand the school's administrators to be highly disrespectful. There was no transparency/communication in the admissions process - after countless hours, including a ninety-minute tour and on-site assessment/pre-screening, and $125.00, we were told that there was no financial aid left for the coming year, which should have been communicated to us before beginning the admissions process. I would not waste your time and money investing in Rashi!

My son absolutely thrived at Pine Manor last year. He looked forward to going every day and was…read moreexcited to tell me all the activities he did each day. The teachers really worked with him on what he needed and helped him grow. They were warm, kind, and seemed to truly love each child for who they were. We're so lucky to have found them!

Both of my kids went to Pine Manor's CSC for 3 years each and they loved it! The program offers…read morewarm, nurturing and experienced teachers led by an awesome director in an idyllic setting. My kids had such positive experiences there -- I cried when my little guy had his last day ever!