This school lacks discipline and leadership. The children have learned that they can pretty much…read moreget away with anything. Approached the principal and nothing gets done. Her mentality is that kids will be kids and does not hold them accountable. There's bullying, physical violence among other things from the 4th grade and up. I just cannot believe that I was suckered in to this school with the tour, and I think even the kids are in on it because they behaved and acted very differently from how they act now. For the amount of money I pay I am extremely dissatisfied with this school. Maybe if they replace the principal with someone who knows how to run a school it might have a better future. Bottom line: keep tuition money in your pocket. At least this school is NOT worth it.

As we all knew this day was coming, PJP2 will officially be closing its doors after the 2018/2019…read moreschool year. Please Be aware they just started charging non refundable registration fees for next year's school year. As a parent, this truely angers me. Private school is already too expensive. Last year it was the cockroach infestation now this? It's extremely sad to see the way the arch diocese has handled this. Private investors are pulling donations that are keeping the school afloat. The current principle has been forced to resign on allegations I shouldn't share. You may ask why none of this has been released to the press? The arch diocese is a non for profit which allows for different treatment. Every truth I just stated has been brushed under the rug. It's sad and angers myself as a parent. I for one will not be sending my child back to this school.

We've had a wonderful experience with this daycare. The staff is caring, professional, and…read moregenuinely attentive to the children. You can tell they put a lot of effort into creating a safe, clean, and welcoming environment where the kids can learn, play, and feel comfortable. Communication with the staff has been excellent, and they are always friendly, patient, and willing to help. It gives you peace of mind knowing your child is being cared for by people who truly enjoy what they do. I would highly recommend this daycare to any parent looking for a trustworthy, caring, and well-run place for their child. Thank you to the entire staff for everything you do!

My son is learning a lot at this day care, he loves coming back so they must be doing something…read moreright.

My son has been going here for 2 years and absolutely loves it. He started at 8weeks old and is…read morenow 2 and half. He is very advance in his alphabet and numbers. I feel like the teachers/caregivers had a huge influence on this. They treat my son like family and it's always a good feeling when to leave your child for 8 plus hours a day. Thank you so much to this amazing staff, I was very lucky to have found them.

From the owner: Ages 6 weeks to 13 years.read more

Our son has attended Ivy Garden since 6 months old. He has now graduated from two infant level…read moreclasses and onto the toddler classroom! As first time parents, we were anxious about daycares and thoroughly researched all nearby options before landing here. We absolutely love this school/daycare! The teachers are so attentive, experienced, and kind. Our son loves each teacher he has had and enjoys going to school everyday. As parents, we trust they have his safety and development in mind. Since starting, he has been coming home with new sign language, words, and preacademic skills (e.g., shapes, letters) constantly. We especially love the academic and events programming. From weekly themes, science lessons, to holiday events (e.g. Valentine's Day dance, Easter egg hunt). I know the older kids go on field trips too. The school also offers organic meals that our picky eater actually enjoys! Personally, it was also very important for our biracial son to attend a school with diverse peers and teachers. He's class is made up of 80% mixed race classmates which is incredible! We couldn't have asked for a better daycare!

I can't say enough great things about Ivy Garden South Loop. I enrolled both my boys there starting…read moreat 2 months old. The care they received at every stage was phenomenal. The teachers were very warm. The curriculum is challenging and stimulating. The parent community is supportive. My kids really thrived at IG, and we will always be thankful for this opportunity.

Run away! They charge fake fees, won't show you an invoice and no teachers just aids that get paid…read morelittle. Save yourself the headache they are a complete ripoff

I was new to the idea of Montessori when we enrolled my son in the AMA primary classroom this fall…read moreand his growth this year is beyond our wildest dreams. Our son has shown growth both in academic skill but also as a curious and self sufficient young man. It is fantastic to see the Montessori curriculum trickle into other aspects of his life and every day I love the stories he tells about his day. This really was the best place for him and I cannot recommend the staff and teachers more.

We had two kids at TGS for 2.5 years. We had nothing but great experiences with the staff and the…read morefacility. We always felt a warm and familial vibe from the day we started. Ms. Angelina is a wonderful teacher in the 4 year old class. Her nurturing instincts and creative approach to teaching young learners provided an unforgettable experience for both of our kids. We also love Ms. Denise, Ms. Evlyn, Ms. Jessica and Ms. Cornesha (and many more -- too many to list here!) The administrative staff was always responsive and helpful. I appreciated the opportunities for enrichment classes on-site, and I felt like my kids were participating in curriculum that exceeded other daycare/pre-schools we have attended. I would recommend to anyone.

As a first time parent I was scared and hesitant to send my child to daycare, but I was needed back…read moreto work at my full time job. We started our daughter at 4 months and I was terrified. I cried in my car after the first drop off and watched my phone all day for the updates. Ms Kristine and Ms Lydia were our first teachers and they eased my worry after only a few days of starting at TGS. They were clear and honest about what to expect, what daily activities were, about this transition and they sent a lot of pictures that first week. Throughout our time in the infant room, these teachers answered my questions, treated my child with the utmost care and helped us ease into solids and out of breastmilk when we chose to do so. I honestly felt a jump in my daughters development after the first couple weeks and that continued during her time in that room. I have nothing but good things to say about those two teachers. We moved into the toddler transition room just after her 1st birthday and we were again met with nice welcoming teachers. In this classroom we felt our daughters development flourished- she sits at a table eating meals with her friends, doing crafts, participates in story time and songs and plays in the indoor playscape area so well. She weaned off the bottle, off the paci and transitioned to 1 long nap a day, even without her sleep sack! Besides the advancements, The pictures the teachers sent on a daily basis were clear indications our daughter was happy there. We moved out of state recently and sadly there is not a Gardner School where we moved, otherwise I would enroll my daughter immediately. I recommend this school, specially the west loop location.

If you are in need of wonderful childcare in the South Loop, then the Nook is the best place to go…read more Their staff is fantastic and our 10-month old son absolutely loves coming in every day. They are attentive to his needs and we trust them taking care of him. They post up to date reports of how/what he's doing each day from the naps he takes and food he eats, to when he goes to the bathroom. They post at least 2-3 pictures everyday of him doing various activities or playing with other kids. It's very calming and reassuring to know what he's doing during the day. It's a small place, so we know he's getting personalized attention. They use the "Brightwheel" app and if we ever have questions, we can send them a message and they'll respond right away. They also reach out immediately if they think something is wrong. One time our son was running a bit of a fever, so they were in contact immediately with us to let us know what was going on. There was another instance when Annette told us that she noticed he was wheezing towards the end of the day. Turned into a trip to the hospital that night, but she caught it right away with her watchful eye. Annette and her staff are doing such a great job at the Nook. We have already recommended this place to some of our friends who have recently had children and will continue to do so in the future.

The service was great. Lots changed when Sylvia relocated to another facility…read more My children required consistency and there was a time where teachers were changing too frequently. The price to pay for such a smaller childcare center is the same price as the large two story daycare center down the street; which has a rooftop playground, elevators, community events and nice sized classrooms. I would recommend but if you have other options, I would second this one due to pricing.

I graduated from here around 5 ish years ago. This school is a bit expensive with an outrageous…read moreamount of money to pay for education. There are sports and clubs provided, which can be fun for everyone! Just keep in mind, bullying does occur more at this school than it should.

From the owner: Our Mission Statement It is the mission of St. Nicholas of…read moreTolentine School to. . . ™ Engage students in a quality Catholic education. ™ Inspire a community that develops and values each individual's gifts and talents. ™ Empower students to make a positive impact on their family, school, and community.

I was a student of June Hellesoy back in the early 90s. I was only 6 but remember her kindergarten…read moreclasses with great fondness. If you are interested in waldorf early childhood education then it will be hard to find a more beautiful, heartfelt, nurturing location for your child. As a former student, I can vouch for it!

Definition of cult: (noun) A relatively small group that…read moreexcessively controls its members, who share a set of acts and practices which require unwavering devotion, and are typically led by a charismatic and often self-appointed leader. Yes, that's how I would describe this early learning center. Let me explain- my son (2 years) and I attended a Saturday playdate a couple months ago. As soon as I set foot inside those gates, I wanted out. Something felt off, and I felt trapped. It did not feel like a normal daycare open house. We were hounded by the staff the entire time, answering question after question about our son. I am all about alternative education, especially early childhood. I also have read some Rudolf Steiner and understand the spiritual aspects of his teachings. But this "secular" school had Christian mangers EVERYWHERE, and they admitted they teach about Jesus, which is not super secular at all. You would think in 2023, they would have left all of the prejudiced and supremacist Steiner teachings out, keeping just what is actually relevant in our current world. Just not so at this place, unfortunately. Everything was super white, "white is right", and non-inclusive. Which brings me to the finale of this horrible experience. They asked us to help them bake bread, and everyone attending took part in the process, and then we sat down to eat it. Not 6 hours later, my son is vomiting with a high fever, is weak, and won't eat anything. The very next day, I come down with similar symptoms. I have dubbed this event, the "Poison Playdate" for this reason, and reported the school to Chicago Public Health. They should be shut down for a potential rotavirus outbreak. On a side note, my friend volunteered briefly at another Waldorf school and she said they reused broth that was who knows how old in their "bread," so maybe this problem is more endemic than anyone could imagine. I won't be going back to any more Waldorf school events- I sincerely hope other parents use caution as well. Additionally, I contacted the school about our illness, and they denied any potential responsibility. Red flags all around

As first time parents, sending our then 7 month old into an unknown space for the first time was…read morehard for us. Even harder was doing so in the middle of a pandemic. We received great support from the Kids&Co staff, especially the director Ms. Katrina, to help us through the transition and everything else thereafter. Top three reasons we picked Kids&Co over others in west loop (1) Flexible schedules - when we started off we wanted flexible days of our choice, so our baby and us could take the transition slow. Kids&Co was the only one offering that option (2) Attention to parents asks - When we got the tour of the place, we felt confident that our requests will be taken care of (3) Access to classroom cameras - this was a big winner for us Top three reasons my now 16 months old continues to go to Kids&Co (1) She enjoys and thrives in the class - She looks forward to daycare. The fun part is, if we go to pick her up early when all her classmates are around, she refuses to leave (2) Everyone is so affectionate - Not just her teachers, but the entire staff is so affectionate, including Ms. Simmons from the kitchen. They know the kid and her needs so well (3) Providing the best possible in current times - With daycare closures, staff rotations, holidays, and so many unknows, the place is still run very well. It is not easy to keep-up and keep-going. The entire staff is committed and motivated to keep the child safe and help families thrive

We originally enrolled our son was he was 6 months old and were there for 2 years. For the first…read more1.5 years, it was great but it has steadily declined since then. They have a huge problem with turnover and the teachers that are left are less than stellar. In the 6 months that our son was in the Twos class, he would freak out and cry on the way to daycare every single day. When he was there, he wouldn't say a single word to his teachers which was a red flag for us. There are cameras, which is helpful, so we could watch him during the day. It seemed like the class was overcrowded and the teachers wouldn't pay much attention to the kids. The final straw for me was when we started potty training. We potty trained our son and he was 100% potty trained so we were ready to send him to daycare in zero diapers. We had concerns with the fact that he wouldn't talk to the teachers and that we didn't trust them not to put him in pull ups for their pure laziness and unwillingness to partner with us (which had happened to other kids in his class). We had emailed the director of the daycare over the weekend stating that we didn't want him in a pull up under any circumstance and let them know his tells that he has to go potty since he wouldn't talk to his teachers. We had the same conversation with his teacher on Monday morning at drop off. We were watching the cameras closely all morning and saw him try to open the door multiple times to go potty and was displaying all of the tells that we described to his teacher. The teachers were not paying attention and he had an accident. After that accident, they never took him to the potty so he could finish and he had a second accident not long after because he couldn't hold it in. Then they put him in a diaper a little over an hour after drop off against our wishes. I immediately called them upset and explained how angry I was and I went to pick him up and bring him home. After hearing excuse after excuse from the director, and after the regional director decided not to return my email/call, we decided to unenroll him and enroll him in a new daycare. The new daycare is night and day from Kids & Co. It's a smaller class size, more attentive teachers, and is much cleaner. Our son has thrived and in just 4 days there, he is having full conversations with his new teachers, has had zero accidents while potty training there, and is happy to go to daycare every morning. This weekend we walked past Kids & Co on the way to a coffee shop and he freaked out and started crying and screaming thinking that we were taking him there. I'm honestly so upset with myself that I waited so long to switch him.