Pine Village is a Spanish immersion daycare and preschool, with classes from infant to kindergarten. There are a number of locations (10 by now?) and my son went to two: Brighton (for a transition summer before the new school opened) and Newton Highlands, and we toured West Newton. We LOVE PINE VILLAGE! It's clean, organized, professional, and so warm (emotionally, but also on cold winter days, literally). Spanish immersion. The teachers are native Spanish speakers but there are teachers who speak English (for kids who don't speak Spanish yet, and to talk to the parents who don't speak Spanish). The Directors are fluently bilingual and are around at dropoff and pickup if there is any linguistic confusion. (So no Spanish? No problem. Kids are supported in learning but are understood in English and parents can communicate.) My kid came in as a toddler knowing no Spanish and within a couple months he understood everything but responded in English, and now in preschool is expected to speak Spanish (with gentle prompting) given his abilities. There are Spanish books everywhere to read, or for teachers to read out loud. The price is on the lower side of area daycare/preschool, based on about 13 other schools I looked at. Still not cheap exactly, but maybe licensed trained and educational child care shouldn't be cheap, right? The 3 facilities I looked at are in different spaces, but all seem pretty nice and have access to play areas. The West Newton one is in a UU church basement near Mass Pike, and has a HUGE indoor space for winter running around. The Brighton one is in the bottom of a city block, with big windows, and a small playground/big field across the street, and a short walk away over a sky bridge is a huge glorious public water park with 2 big playgrounds, and Charles River walkways. (Pretty awesome especially in summer.) The Newton Highlands one is also in the basement of a church, in two large rooms, with a permanent smaller indoor play area and (depending on church uses eg play) access to the large empty room next door. There are two small fenced playgrounds and a short walk away is a big field. I'm told there are sprinklers for hot summer outdoor play. In addition they have group exercise classes, such as yoga or Zumba, which kids do according to interest & ability. Pine Village has a dedicated curriculum quality rep, who goes between all the locations to ensure that quality of education stays high across the sites and that best practices are shared. They're ok with different locations having their own 'flavor' or feel, so long as the quality stays consistent. They also really focus on emotional self regulation. Deep breathing like blowing up a balloon, and taking a time out to gather one's reserves when too emotional. read more

Pine Village Preschool - Needham - Newton Highlands location - Preschools Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

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Needham location needs severe improvement. My son did not learn Spanish and his naps were way too long. He would arrived at 8:00am and at noon they went to nap until 3:00. I would then pick him up at 3:30. Terrible if you ask me. My son is 5 (late birthday) and he only needed an hour of rest. He never wanted to nap honestly. The teachers at times would put them to nap at 11:50 which made me a bit furious....I would pick my son up for lunch and sure enough when I would drop him off at 11:50 the teachers would place the kids down for a nap 10 min early. They need to move this location into a bigger suite/building. It doesn't look like they invest much because it's obvious inside they need new toys/everything really just an upgrade. For the amount I spent to have my son attend, I expected better. Lastly, Jenn Doyle from enrollment needs to be fired. She's rude and takes forever to get back to you. She typically has the same lame excuse stating that she is in a meeting which an attitude. I pulled my son out of Pine Village because I felt that he was not learning at all. He is now in another Preschool where he's been learning really quick academically in order to be ready for kindergarten. Look elsewhere or stay away from the Needham location. Lastly, my son learned horrible habits of hitting and biting from other children. That stopped at his new school because the teachers would not tolerate this. But, at Pine Village the teachers my guess is that they did not pay attention to the kids or no consequences happened for example. pulling the child aside. And this is why it persisted. The teachers are nice here but they have a high turnover...My guess is that the higher up's do not value them and simply do not pay them well. The higher up's only cares about profit and they are rude. They should try treating the staff every Friday to maybe lunch as a thank you. Lastly, in order for teachers to receive a bonus they ask us parents to donate money. We pay a lot for our kids to attend school. They should maybe give them a bonus on their end... read more

My son is now in his second year at Pine Village and he has blossomed here. Not only is he speaking Spanish (and teaching vocabulary words to me at home) but he is acquiring the skills he needs to move into kindergarten. He happily runs into his classroom each day where he is greeted by hugs from his teachers. Pine Village has provided such a nurturing environment that I recently decided to enroll my 16 month old twins a few days a week. Since starting just a few months ago I have seen vast improvements in their fine motor skills and they love the daily interaction with their peers and very loving teachers. The director and entire staff at Pine Village are responsive and caring. It's clear they have a passion for what they do and take pride in providing a clean and caring environment for the children in their care. I can't say enough good things. read more

Where do I begin ..... I went to this school recently for a tour with the though of enrolling my child for the upcoming school year. I really wanted to like the school because we are a bilingual household and wanted a place that will reinforce this. Upon entering we were met by the school director (I will not use names) and was already not impressed. I realize you should never judge someone based on the outward appearance but when someone is in a professional role they should appear to be just so. I was aware what to look for in a day care as my mother has 30 years experience in education and years experience reviewing child care centers. Here is where pine village went wrong: Staging: I call this staging because that is exactly what it is. Knowing visitors will be coming you change things to look presentable. Sadly when you have children there is no way to stage things. The first classroom (toddler) was dark, small and dirty. I could tell that things were not how they usually were since the children look lost when the teacher was reading about america. The other classrooms were just as dirty (walls with dirt, garbage on the floor, dunkin donuts coffee cups all over shelves). If this was clean with company I couldnt imagine when there were no visitors. In the older classrooms the teachers were teaching lessons which again obviously seemed staged. The children looked lost to what the teacher was doing and even with us being there there was no enthusiasm from the teachers. It may just be me but I feel when you are teaching you should be upbeat and happy. Not the case here. Dress code: Now I understand you are working with young children and I am not expecting a 3 piece suit. I am expecting you to look neat, professional and appropriate. Most the teachers I saw looked like they just came from the gym. One of the head teachers had a hoodie and winter hat on. Respect for his personal appearance is something I expect my child to learn at home and school. Teachers: My first impression was "who is the teacher?" It seems like the girls working there are all friends. Now again I try not to judge but when I spoke to some of the ladies I found it hard to believe that they would have a degree in early childhood education. The older childrens classroom had 12 children and 1 teacher. There was another lady in the room who was introduced at a "friend" of the teacher who was there for the day. SERIOUSLY!! You have strangers coming in to hang out with the teachers. Was a CORI check run on this lady? Why would she be allowed around the children? The director was nice and I can see my child having the language reinforced there. I dont think they really teach the children spanish as I never heard any child speak spanish only english while I was there. Curriculum is something very important as from day care a child will be heading to kindergarten. I dont see any way a child from this school would be prepared to enter kindergarten. I was sad leaving the school with all the disappointments. This is not to say all of pine village schools are like this but the needham location is definitely not up to standards of even a basic child care facility. read more

Our son has gone to Pine Village for two years. We're a family of educators, both with advanced degrees - so we know what to look for in a program. Our son has blossomed under their care. The staff are all loving, caring, and knowledgeable. We like that the center is more informal - our son is learning in a comfortable and accessible environment. The teachers and the director are responsive and supportive and our toddler is speaking Spanish which is wonderful!! We highly recommend Pine Village. read more

We absolutely love pine Village. Our children have been there since They were 18 months old. The director is warm, professional and so accommodating. The teachers are all kind and love the children. We don't speak any Spanish but our oldest is now speaking Spanish. The play ground here is great and the kids get a lot of outside time. The classrooms are always clean, bright and beautifully decorated. I love knowing that my children are safe, learning and having so much fun at this amazing school! We recommend it to all our friends and have many friends who go there. read more

My son is finishing up his third year at PVP Needham and I cannot say enough about how terrific PVP Needham has been. I'm sad just thinking about his graduation. Many native speakers have complimented his Spanish but the language immersion is only part of the reason we love PVP Needham. All of the teachers have been truly outstanding and the school really feels like a community. Our youngest is now enrolled and has also thrived. I'm grateful to have found such an outstanding first educational experience for our children and highly recommend this school. read more

I cannot say enough good things about this school. Not only do we love it, but more importantly, our son loves it! He has blossomed here and he is speaking spanish in full sentences! The staff are all loving, kind, and very intuitive. This place is a wonderful establishment, and my only wish is that the school wouldn't stop at Pre-K, but that they would go on to elementary school! read more

I can say with full honesty, that we have never made a better decision for our daughter than enrolling her at Pine Village Spanish Immersion School in Needham. They are an exceptional school with remarkable caring and nurturing teachers and staff. As a full time working mother, I know my daughter is getting a top notch bilingual education and receiving the best cultural schooling in Massachusetts. I cannot speak more highly of this education facility and would recommend them to anyone who is looking for their child to attend an immersion program. read more

This preschool has given us a wonderful experience! Our 4 year old attended for one year and we have been very happy with all aspects of his time at PVP. His teachers, the director, and all adults at the school have been warm, caring, and wonderful educators. We always get a good "vibe" when walking in to the school. They strive to provide interesting and challenging curriculum. I am always amazed at what our son tells us he learned at school. The very best part, and the part that really makes PVP stand out the most from other schools, is the Spanish immersion. We do not speak Spanish at home, but our son has an amazing vocabulary in Spanish and his pronunciation is fantastic. At home now, he only asks "Mas leche, por favor", among other things. It's become second nature for him. If you are considering this preschool, please take a look and tour - it really is worth it. I only wish they would open an elementary school! read more