As a military spouse and a mother of three children ages 5, 4, and 1, I understand how useful online reviews can be when researching area schools at our next duty station. I was surprised to see Emmanuel Day School had recently received such a negative review. My 4 year old daughter currently attends pre-school here and I couldn't be happier. Not only is each teacher certified, the director of the school, Carissa Perkowski, has a Master's of Education. She is extraordinarily hands on and spends each day involved with the children's activities and instruction. The other two teachers, Mrs. Kate and Mrs. Terri are highly qualified, professional, kind, caring, and capable. I receive a detailed report daily of my daughter's activities including how she was feeling and how she interacts with the other children, as well as how much of her lunch and snack she eats. The school organizes fun and educational field trips a couple of times a month. The school also holds great night time events that the entire family is welcome to attend. I can't say enough about the daily lessons and instruction my daughter receives. She has completely blossomed when it comes to learning her letters and numbers. The teachers are very creative and make learning fun for the kids. The children have the opportunity to explore the classroom on their own, make fun messes, learn through dramatic play, and cook! And speaking of the classroom, the facilities are outstanding! The school is part of the historic Emmanuel Church built in 1852. The building in beautiful. The children's classroom is HUGE, well organized, and impeccably maintained. I can't say enough wonderful things about this school. Moving to a new area can be quite intimidating when having to choose a school to send your children to. I highly recommend Emmanuel Day School to anyone currently residing or relocating to Newport, RI. read more

I've never reviewed anything on Yelp before, but after hearing that our beloved EDS had received some recent negative reviews I felt compelled to share our experience with this fantastic school. We're a Naval War College family and sadly only have one year in beautiful Newport. When my husband and I were here house hunting in the Fall of 2013 we were also scouting preschools. We dropped in to EDS and the previous director took over 45 minutes out of her day to give us a personal guided tour, talk with us about the curriculum and let us observe some of the activities taking place that day. Everything about the place gave us the warm fuzzy feelings that we've never before experienced from a preschool! The 9 months that my son attended last year were wonderful and he absolutely loved going to school and finishing each day with giant hugs for all three of his teachers! We're preparing to move to our next duty station this week and are so sad to leave EDS. The new teacher and director, Mrs. Carissa, has been a great addition to the team there and puts an amazing amount of work into a daily blog chronicling the fun and educational activities that take place every day. It even includes pictures! I hope anyone considering EDS will take a moment to visit the blog and see for yourself what an amazing school it is! http://emmanueldayschool.blogspot.com In addition to being impeccably credentialed, the three teachers are caring, loving and exceptional in every way! EDS is a true gem in the Newport community! read more

My family moved here in the fall of 2013. Our twin daughters had just turned 4 and after touring EDS as well as 3 other popular preschools we enrolled them at Emmanuel Day School. We love EDS! It is a small church school with 3 teachers (all certified, of course). Before I became a Mom, I was a certified, full-time elementary school teacher, so there were a lot of things I hoped to find in a preschool for my girls, and Emmanuel checked all the boxes. The school is very warm, cozy and inviting. There is an emphasis on hands-on learning and exploring. I love that there is no daycare component... it is just a school with regular school hours (9-2). The children get a lot of attention since it is such a small school. I love that there are no typical playground structures in the big, fully fenced church/school yard because the kids actually kick balls, blow bubbles, dig in dirt, and play interactive games like duck-duck-goose instead of loitering at a jungle gym. After completing one year of preschool at EDS, our girls could have gone on to the public school for PreK, but we chose to enroll them back at Emmanuel for PreK because the school is so wonderful. Call to set up an appointment for a tour and see for yourself! I highly recommend Emmanuel Day School! read more

My daughter has been at EDS for the last year and I couldn't be happier with this amazing school and its teachers. When we first started looking at preschools in Newport and Middletown we toured 4 different preschools, but the moment we walked into EDS we knew it was the right one. The warm staff, the beautiful garden, the incredibly creative and thoughtful learning spaces, but most of all the children - confident, happy, engaged in learning, respectful and collaborating. I think one of the things I have loved so much about EDS is the way in which it engenders a sense of community in its youngest students. The school also does a fantastic job involving the families in their child's learning experiences. From the children's art show, to the Christmas and end of year concerts, the Halloween plays and the field trips to local places of interest. The staff obviously put an incredible amount of time and thought into every opportunity for learning and I am constantly amazed at the creativity and diversity of activities that my daughter has the chance to experience. She has really blossomed in this wonderful environment and I am so thankful to Ann, Kate, Terri and the wonderful new principal Carissa for the amazing job they are doing. read more

My son attended Emmanuel Day School for 2 years (2012-2013 & 2013-2014), and we could not have been happier there. I plan to send my daughter as soon as she turns 3! The teachers are warm, compassionate and positive, and they continue to ask me about his progress even after he left the school. They love their students! In 2 short years, my son learned a great deal. He learned to write & recognize his name, as well as write & recognize every letter of the alphabet. He recognizes numbers and counts to 100. He learned to problem solve and become more independent, which was so important for us, and he loved every second of his time at school. We were extremely happy with the education he received, and we found the teachers to be exemplary. At his new school, he is one of the more advanced students, and we have EDS to thank! Maybe most importantly, my son learned to love school, trust his teachers, and find joy in learning new things. We could not have chosen a better place for him to begin his education. read more

My daughter attends Emmanuel Day School and we love everything about it. The teachers are always cheerful, welcoming, and positive. The room is full of interesting educational toys and activities. The curriculum has our 3 year old learning very quickly and surprising us all the time with the things she's learning. She's learning new songs, making cool new art in ways we hadn't tried before, learning about science, and getting darn good at writing her name! We are a military family who will only be in the area for a few months and they were completely welcoming and willing to work with our timeframe. Our girl is blossoming there, both educationally and socially- the teachers are helping our energetic and sometimes wild girl learn her manners and how to be a citizen and a classmate. Love the sight of coming to pick her up and she and her classmates are running in the church yard in their adorable uniforms. We will miss this place deeply when we go. read more

A child is not a number at Emmanuel Day School, he/she is part of a family. At Emmanuel Day School(EDS), children are heard, challenged, and loved. It is a welcoming and nourishing place they love just as much as they are loved. I couldn't imagine a better preschool to send my children and I couldn't recommend it enough. To say that the teachers are amazing is an understatement. The curriculum is fun, engaging, and creative. Each and every day students are exposed to different forms of art and music. Activities change daily and the students interests' help drive the areas of exploration and discovery. I love that it's a play based school - no worksheets here. I have 3 years experience at EDS and I haven't a single complaint. My daughter entered Kindergarten with great confidence and a tremendous love for learning, and my son is thriving there as well. I wouldn't change a thing. read more

We have been an Emmanuel Day School family for the last 4 years. First with our daughter and now with our son. We've loved the foundations our children have created to help prepare them for grade school. The EDS environment is warm and caring and my children have always felt very comfortable there. The teachers do a great job of exposing the children to a wide variety of topics and experiences. They go on wonderful field trips around our community taking advantage of all our unique island has to offer. I hope that if you are looking for a preschool for your child that you will come in and take a look at the school for yourself and see the school in action. read more

Emmanuel Day School is wonderful resource to Aquidneck Island! It is a loving, compassionate and thoughtful environment where children are encouraged to play, explore and learn each day. My daughter attended the school for two years and went on to kindergarden well prepared and confident. Miss Terri is a tender teacher who gently eased my daughter's worries about starting a new school and showed her how much fun she can have while learning at the same time. Miss Kate's creativity is amazing and her passion for her children is tangible. Most importantly however, my daughter and our family became part of a loving community during her two years at EDS. read more

Both of my children have gone through the EDS program and I have been overwhelmed by how warm and nurturing the school has been. My Daughter, who is now in Kindergarten, was more than prepared for the new challenges of reading, writing, language development and social skills. She adored all of the teachers at EDS and still says they are her favorite. My other child who is currently enrolled, is thriving both at home and in school thanks to the enriching preschool environment EDS provides. What's more, the school has created a community that I am proud to be a part of. read more

Emmanuel Day School is a wonderful school. My children were there over the course of 5 years and the teachers are great. The kids learn so much in a loving playful environment. Just 1 and 2 years out of EDS, my children are reading way above their grade level. There was turmoil among some of the families when the old Director left (a few years ago), so I wouldn't trust any negative comments you might read here. I feel that the school only got better since then under the direction of the current Director. read more

I enjoyed my first pre school experience here so much. I always felt like I dropped my child off in a fairy tale. Not only the historic surroundings but the interactive play and projects were always done with love and imagination. The dedication of the teachers and their understanding of your child's needs was consistent thru ought the year. They build confidence and teach your child to be in control of themselves...ready for the "real school world" Three was an awesome year because of EDS !! read more

We absolutely love this school! The school is set up with different sections for the kids to explore and learn. They play outside in all sorts of weather. The teachers are amazing. I feel like they really make an effort to know my child and know what she needs. We get daily reports, they have field trips and have evening family events. They do wear uniforms (white shirt, navy blue bottoms and red cardigans) so it makes my mornings easy when we have to get ready for school. read more

We are a military family in Newport (War College)...this school is wonderful. Please don't pay attention to old posts and or negative comments. Go and check out the amazing, safe and nurturing educational environment they have going on at EDS. Especially if you live in Newport... such a fabulous way to embrace the community and meet wonderful Newport and Military families. This is a local favorite for PREK and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND more military families taking a look!! read more

I highly reccomend EDS! We now have our 3rd Child going to the school and he only has 1 yr left, so not looking fwd to that last yr! ! The teachers are so wonderful, nurturing, friendly & outgoing. every year gets better! The class room set up is so nice and everything is so clean! All my alumni friends keep saying how much they miss EDS and how it was the BEST start to their child/childrens education and how lucky I am to still have a child attending EDS! read more

Had 2 daughters go through EDS & even though we moved 2 towns over, had to still take our little guy to EDS for the same experience. Miss Ann/Kate/Trish/Terry shower the kids with love & support - couldn't have asked for more. At Melville Elementary had 2 Kindergarten teachers say "we always know the kids who come from EDS, they are so prepared" read more

Both of my children had wonderful experiences at Emmanuel Day School. It is a warm, creative, nurturing environment that exposes children to art, creative dance, music, cooking, math, science, reading and friendships for life. My children were so well prepared for kindergarten, I would highly recommend EDS to any parent in the Newport area. read more

We are on our fifth year and third child at Emmanual Day School. We had our fourth child this past year and when he is old enough he will definitely be heading to EDS too. It is a magical, fun and nurturing environment that the teachers have created for our children to learn and grow in. read more