I am extremely disappointed, hurt, and honestly heartbroken by our experience with Big Tree Little…read morePreschool. This is not a review I ever expected to have to write, especially because our son absolutely loved this school.
Our son had just turned 3 while he was attending and this was his very first preschool experience. He attended three mornings a week for approximately two months and became very attached to his teachers. He was happy to go to school, talked about his teachers at home, and we genuinely loved seeing him become comfortable in a school environment. We also really liked the school and trusted that we had found a place where he would be supported.
During the last week and a half, he began having some hitting behaviors. The school and I discussed this and a proactive behavior plan was created specifically to help him. I was also repeatedly reassured by his teachers that they understood he was new to preschool, that they were completely fine giving him time to adjust, and that everything was okay.
Then, literally the next day, we were told by the director/owner that he could no longer attend and that an in-home daycare would be a better fit.
I am devastated by how abruptly this happened. We had JUST discussed giving him time and putting a plan in place to help him. The plan was never even given the opportunity to be implemented or evaluated before he was removed.
I reached out to the director asking her to reconsider and allow our son the opportunity to try the plan. I asked why the plan had not been implemented. I asked for documentation regarding the reasons for removing him, what specific behaviors had occurred, and the behavior records. My emails were ignored.
What makes the situation even more upsetting is the timing. Shortly before he was removed, I had asked questions as his mother about toileting procedures and interactions with my child, including concerns he had communicated to me. I believe every parent has the right to ask questions about how their child is being cared for. I found the timing of the school's decision extremely concerning.
The hardest part of all of this is that our 3-year-old doesn't understand why he can't go back to the school he loved or see the teachers he was so attached to. I have had to explain to my child that he won't be returning to a place he genuinely loved, and as his mother, that has been heartbreaking.
I have saved the emails, messages, screenshots, and documentation surrounding this entire situation, including the communications regarding the behavior plan and the subsequent requests for information that went unanswered. I am sharing this review because I feel other parents deserve to know about our experience.
I truly wish this had been handled differently. We were willing to work with the school. We were willing to give our son time. We were willing to follow the behavior plan. We believed we were partnering with the school to help our child.
Instead, our son was removed before the plan was even given a chance, and our subsequent questions were left unanswered.
For a child who had only just turned 3 and was experiencing preschool for the first time, I expected patience, communication, and a genuine opportunity to work through a behavioral adjustment. We did not feel that we received that.
This experience has been incredibly painful for our family, and I hope the school takes a very serious look at how situations like this are handled in the future.