Please see attached pictures for current violations!
I don't like to write bad reviews but I feel responsible to warn other parents that might potentially use this day care or parents that already have children enrolled. As long as my review is, it's a portion of what I witnessed!
If there is one thing you take away from this review I hope this is it! MAKE SURPRISE VISITS TO YOUR CHILDS CLASSROOM. If you take a tour of the school, request to visit a few of the classrooms & meet the teachers because your child will be moving up eventually. If you are lucky enough to have one of the "normal" classrooms you will leave feeling pleased. My son was enrolled for a year and was lucky enough to have Mrs. Minoo as his teacher. She is one of the most caring compassionate teachers at St. Andrews along with Kathy, Maia, & Uri. He recently moved up to the next class for 18 months-36 months kids. He was with Uri (very kind) & Mrs. Joan & a substitute (carol)who are very cold with the kids. The only time I heard them speak to the kids was to reprimand them. I made quite a few surprise visits & I was uncomfortable with what I saw each time. One little girl was crying & roaming around because she was new to the class & the teacher walked over and yanked her sippy cup from her hands & mumbled "nope, can't have your water cup over here" & placed it out of her reach & left her to cry by herself. If you have a child that cries they will be placed away from the group by themselves until they stop crying. I don't think any parent wants to pay almost $1400 monthly for their child to be left alone to soothe themselves. This particular class that he was only in for a couple weeks had quite a few substitute teachers, & the parents are never notified. Twice there was a young male teacher whom I've never seen before, & a few other times were substitute teachers that are not introduced to the parents. I made a surprise visit 2 weeks ago during lunch time & found all the kids laying down on their cots, lunch dishes were already washed and it was only 11:39! Lunch is supposed to be at 11:30, so I questioned the teacher about the timing... How can you wash hands, sit the kids down, feed them, pull their cots & blankets out & have them laying down 9 minutes after lunch is served? Her response was that lunch probably came a little early at 11:25! Mind you, nap time is until 3:00. I felt like the kids were rushed to shove their food down & hurry up & go to sleep for the teachers to relax. I brought my concerns to the director Carolyn Jones, & she was upset & offended that I visited the classroom. The classes are conjoined & in order to visit without upsetting my son I would go in the other class to watch him without being noticed. The teachers wouldn't notice me right away & I think that made the teachers uncomfortable. I think if your doing a good job & have nothing to hide you should welcome unnoticed parents. We will go back to work feeling happy knowing our child is having fun at school. She told me I could no longer visit through the adjacent room & that I had to walk in his door, & when he saw me & cried when I had to leave then that's just how it had to be(Legal way of bullying me into not checking on my baby) 3 weeks ago a parent from a different room had a meeting as well to discuss why her child (in the 2-3 year old room) was slammed into a chair by the teacher(large African American woman). So of course I want to make surprise visits when these situations are occurring. Bottom line, if you choose this school, please check on your child often if your not comfortable with the teacher & if you have a problem don't expect much resolution from Carolyn as she is hardly on site (takes the train to the day care center maybe once or twice a week), and is protective of her staff to a fault. I was contacted this afternoon & told his care would be terminated in 2 weeks. He hasn't been to school in almost a week, & I had already put in a 2 week vacation notice because I felt so uncomfortable leaving him there & was hoping to find a new school asap. There are a few wonderful teachers, but a lot of unkind, weird, not kid friendly people in the classrooms that ruin it for the rest!
Carolyn,In response to you, this is the most communication I have ever received from you! As I stated, there are great teachers at St. Andrews, unfortunately there are more bad ones then good. My experience the first year was mostly a positive experience. What you have stated is simply untrue and I find it sickening that a center especially that uses the "church" as their bases, is OK with such disheartening practices towards these children. My entire family never came to "spy". I came about once a week on my lunch break, alone, to check on my child and you & your staff were not pleased or welcoming. Children absolutely have stranger anxiety and that was my entire purpose for visiting the class. There was a constant change in personnel in & as I parent I was concerne read more