I'm not a regular mom. I'm a cool mom. And this is what cool moms do now: write very detailed…read morereviews about childcare. My youngest has been at the Mililani Cole Academy for over a year now, in both the Toddler and Preschool classrooms. My oldest also attended Cole until she transitioned to kindergarten in 2019, so we experienced the school at two different points in time. For this review, I'll focus on our experience over the past year to give parents a better sense of what the school is like today.
We were there through last year's administration change, which was bittersweet because the previous directors were so loved. But after the transition, the new director and assistant director have found their stride. Anytime I stop by the office, they are available, and respond quickly to emails. We have not had any billing issues, and they helped with my subsidy applications.
The teachers genuinely know and care about the children. Even teachers from other classrooms greet my daughter by name, offer a compliment, or give her a high five. It makes her feel so special! And when she runs into the classroom with a huge smile, I know she feels safe and happy there. She mentions teachers joining in their games or pointing out interesting things like different vehicles or birds from the playground. I appreciate the teachers actively engaging with the children, encouraging their curiosity and imaginations. Her teachers have also handled the many moods of toddlerhood with patience, understanding, and open communication. Potty training was one area where I especially felt like we were a team. They worked with us to keep our approach consistent between home and school.
In the last year, we experienced very little turnover among the teachers we regularly interacted with, even in adjacent classrooms. One was a planned move when husband's job moved them off island, while another transitioned to the classroom next door. There are new faces from time to time. These are "float" teachers who cover breaks or step in when a teacher is on vacation. They are paired with a permanent classroom staff member, which keep the classroom's routine. We see many of the same float teachers, and my daughter knows them by name.
There is a set curriculum for each week. Each month, parents receive a syllabus outlining the topics for the upcoming weeks, including the books, songs, activities, learning goals and how they support the children's development. I am impressed by how much my daughter has learned. She isn't even 3 yet and can count to 30, recognize all of her letters and numbers 1-10, and tell me the letter sounds for A-F. Every week she has new vocabulary related to what they're learning. For example, recognizing "a shooting star" in a book following their space unit. To me, that's exactly what learning at this age should look like. The learning is intentional, but enjoyable. Optional worksheets that reinforce the week's classroom topics are also sent home for families who want to continue the learning at home. Over the past year, I can recall a field trip to a local park for a nature walk, along with visits from the police and fire departments, dragon dancers, and a Sea Life Park naturalist.
For parents thinking ahead to kindergarten, and even those considering private school in the future, I can offer a little perspective. My husband and I are both proud public school kids, but we navigated the admissions process for one of Oʻahu's more selective private schools with our older child. Several children from her small Pre-K class at the Millilani Cole Academy are classmates at that school today. Cole had a reputation for preparing children well then, and from what I see today, that hasn't changed. If that's the path our younger daughter takes, I'm confident Cole is giving her the academic foundation, confidence, independence, and social skills to be well prepared for the process.
Every family's experience is their own, but ours has been very positive. I encourage parents considering The Cole Academy to tour the school for themselves and talk with families who have chosen to keep their children there year after year. When it was time to find care for our younger daughter, we thought highly enough of our first experience with Cole that we chose to wait for a spot rather than enroll her elsewhere. Having now trusted Cole with two of our children years apart, I'm very happy we chose it again.
