MUMPS (as it is abbreviated) is something of a secret treasure in Raleigh. I found out about it…read morethrough word-of-mouth and have never known them to do much in the way of advertising, but it is a GREAT program. MUMPS is a half-day program that runs concurrently with the Wake County public school system calendar, though they have their own severe weather policy and do not observe WCPSS teacher workdays. It IS a religious preschool. They do learn about God and Jesus; several times per month they go to Chapel. It's nothing overly pushy or confusing to the children. They also emphasize kindness to others, and visit with the senior citizens in the church program a few times each year to sing them songs or help out. Tuition is very reasonable. It sounded expensive to me at first for a half-day program, but if you break it down hourly, it really isn't (I pay just over $4 per hour). They do offer discounts/reduced tuition to families enrolling multiple children or experiencing financial difficulty. Classes are small; they seem to be typically under-enrolled and accepting new students. My son started this year in a class of only 6 children (with 2 teachers per class), but has grown to about 10 now. They spend each day doing the usual preschool activities- singing, dancing, coloring, cutting, practicing their alphabet and writing skills, reading, playing on the outdoor playground, and going to "discovery" (an amazingly well-stocked science classroom). The teachers are all amazing and many have been working there for over a decade, if not since their own children were preschoolers there! Vivian Brendle is the director of the Preschool and has been involved with it for many years. She does an amazing job of keeping parents in the loop and involved, through field trips, volunteer work (planting bulbs to beautify the church grounds is one of my favorite activities to help the kids with), and best of all- they often e-mail home photos of the childrens' daily activities. I love being able to forward these e-mails to my mom, since she lives out of town and doesn't get to see the kids as often as she'd like! Overall I could not recommend MUMPS any more highly. If you are looking for an easy entry into the world of preschool for your 2-5 year old kids, and are considering a half-day, Christian-centered program, MUMPS is definitely worth checking out.

Our son currently attends MUMPS; we would highly recommend it to anyone looking for half day…read morepreschool. The teachers and directors are excellent! They clearly have a passion for what they are doing and make it a priority to make each child who walks in the door feel special each and every day! They offer fun, creative programs for the children and fun family events to participate in as well. My son wakes up asking to go to "Millbrook School" and runs to give his teachers big hugs every morning! Overall, we feel really blessed to have found MUMPS.

We LOVE St Raphaels Preschool!!…read more My daughter spent two years at the preschool and loved it and my son is currently enrolled for his first year and loves going to school. Since the first time we stepped into the school for a tour 4 years ago til now we have entered into a consistently kind, calm and welcoming atmosphere each day. The communication between teachers and parents has been excellent, allowing us to understand, practice and help our children with everything they are learning!! My goal was to find a preschool that would foster a lifelong love of learning for my kids and that's definitely what we have found at St. Raphaels.

Before moving to the area I began to research a preschool for my 3 year old to attend. He had…read moresuccessfully completed a year as a 2 year old in a small Catholic church school and I wanted the same type of atmosphere. I promised myself that my husband and I would look at several schools before making a final decision...we didn't. St. Raphael's ECC is part of the St. Raphael Catholic church community but you don't have to be Catholic, attend the churh or send your child to their private school to be part of the ECC family. I was very impressed with the tour and administrative personnel. The take security of your children while in their care very serious. And in this day and age it's a good thing. When you bring your child(ren) there is always an admin there to answer any questions and keep an eye on the coming and goings. My son is doing well and the school and I really like that fact that his time there is run like an actual school day, rather than just play all day. While I can't get him to tell me what he does each week, I can ask the teachers and also can see what they are focusing on each week via bulletin boards. I also personally love that he is getting religious teaching without being hit over the head with it.

This was the first time our daughter was left in Pre-school. At 15months of age and dealing with…read moreall the anxiety a toddler can have, Ms. Sondra and Ms.Hope had the most patience. The school is clean, the staff professional, nurturing! My first and best experience ever!

My now 3yo daughter loves going to class here. The teachers and other staff are all wonderful and…read morethe facilities are great with a recent update to the outdoor play area and easy access to the church's great hall and more for special events.

Our daughter has been at the Jordan center since she was 8 months old when we unexpectedly lost our…read morenanny. As I think many people are, I was kind of heart broken at the idea of sticking her in a class room full of other kids at such a young age. Ten months later I couldn't be more happy with our choice. The first thing that I noticed was that the staff was constantly down at the kids' level, on the floor, getting crawled on, hugging kids. It turns out that the staff at the Jordan center are pretty highly trained, the head teacher in our daughters infant class room had just completed her masters degree in early childhood education. They also have a very low turnover rate for staff and so I think staff develops real bonds with the kids. I am constantly amazed by the things my daughter is learning from being in this environment. The other day I asked her where her ears were and she got a big smile on her face and pointed. Her language and physical skill acquisition have been excellent and her social skills are outstanding. I loved our nanny but I honestly don't think we would go back to an at home nanny, I feel like she would really be missing out. In the mornings, my daughter will bring me her coat (which she in convinced is a prerequisite for leaving the house, no matter what the weather) and points to the door. She runs in to her class room happy and is smiling when we pick her up.

My son absolutely loves going to school, thanks to his wonderful teachers, Ms Jessica and Ms…read moreCecilia. He has learned so much since being there and they are truly such kind and amazing teachers. The consistent updates on his naps, meals, education, etc. and also constant pictures of him having fun and learning makes me feel confident that my son is in the best hands possible.

A friendly, neighborhood PE-backed daycare…read more Even though our in-person visit was a bit of a mixed bag, we went ahead and paid the $100 "registration" fee to join the waitlist because nothing says confidence like paying for the privilege of waiting. Chesterbrook assured us we'd likely get in within about six months. Fast-forward seven months: we received an email letting us know we won't be getting off the waitlist after all. But no worries- Chesterbrook (and their capital partner, Primavera Capital Group) has generously volunteered to keep our $100 registration fee for "safe keeping." So unless you've got the right connections and can pull some strings, save yourself the donation and don't bother.

Best preschool in Raleigh-bar none! We have been with this…read morepreschool for 6 years now. All four of our children have attended and now only our youngest child is left as the older siblings have moved on to elementary school! So only 2 more years left of GSLP! Bittersweet! As a newer mother when I was researching all the local preschools I was directed to GSLP by a dear friend whom I admired. I visited them all, asked lots of questions and by far, GSLP was the most prepared, most cost efficient and most qualified. I personally really like the schedule and the times the preschool runs. 9:30am is after the early morning rush so it is the PERFECT starting time. And the fact that the children get to have lunch there-what a blessing! So many other preschools end around lunchtime-and they cost the same if not more for having children there for less hours! (Why? Hmmmm...I dunno!) 1:20pm is a great endidng time because it is after lunch so you don't have to deal with the hurry to get the kids fed right after picking them up, yet it is still before afternoon quiet times (which all younger children, in my humble opinion, should have. Saves mom from going insane and gives them some time to themselves. THAT in and of itself can be talked about for hours....Ok, I digress....) All of the teachers are certified and have extensive backgrounds in teaching. Their curriculum is superb and all of our children have fond memories of GSLP. The parents are very involved and frankly, as each year passes the school improves even when I think it can't improve any more! The Director, Deanna Klimek, is very hands on. Her staff responds well with her and you can tell they all really enjoy working together. Their biggest love, and rightfully so-is the children! Oh how they all love those precious children! We have never doubted our decision to send our children to Good Shepherd. I encourage every parent who is wondering where to send his/her children-to just register those little one/s! You will be so glad you did!!

My two sons started Good Shepherd two years ago and what a blessing the school and teachers have…read morebeen! My kids love going to school each day and I love seeing them happy. All the teachers have a background in child development or education and follow a curriculum that prepares children for entering kindergarten. The children stay very busy and engaged. They go to Music and Movement each day and chapel once a week. The older children also have Spanish lessons. We love coming into school each day and are always greeted by the Director, Deanna, and Mr. Mike.

We love the entrepreneurial design magnet and the diversity of this school! The teachers are so…read moreengaged with the kids and families, the PTA is very strong and involved, and my children are thriving at Conn. I cannot say enough great things about this school.

I had to write this review when, after repeated attempts at check-ins, I realised my kids' school…read morewasn't even listed on Yelp as an elementary school! I believe the school was named for Emma Conn, but for the past several years the school has been the ONLY magnet school in Wake County offering the Active Learning and Technology program. As a parent, obviously I put a lot of thought into which school I wanted my kids to attend. The recent Wake County school board controversy really made me shy away from the public schools; I knew I was interested in a magnet program. My husband and I have been looking to buy a house also, so knowing we were moving (possibly from one school district to another) was also an incentive for magnet schools- my kids would be able to attend the same school from K-5th grade! As a kid who attended 3 elementary schools myself, that really spoke to me. More importantly, I can vouch that the Conn system really works. Today, I had my kindergarten son's 3rd quarter parent-teacher conference. Prior to him enrolling in school, I was concerned, because like a lot of little boys, he had trouble sitting still, listening, being attentive for long periods of time. I don't know if it was his wonderful teacher Ms. Christie, or the syllabus that includes time for dance, drama, PE, and arts in addition to the reading/writing/arithmetic basics, but I literally nearly teared up as she laid out for us a sample of his free-period writing from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarter. My son has made insane progress this year, moving from a kid who was proud to know his alphabet, to a kid who can write multiple sentences without any adult input at all. The "technology" and "active" part of the curriculum aren't just buzzwords, either. Whether it's the interactive "smart tables" the school is placing in kindergarten classrooms, or that strawberry "learning module"/fundraiser they recently held (an educational trip to the berry farm followed by sales of baggies of regular and chocolate-dipped strawberries), the school not only keeps kids motivated and interested in learning, but helps parents feel involved as well. I'm a technology-minded person myself, and I HATE being sent home random slips of paper that will inevitably end up lost in my kid's bookbag or in the dredges of my car's backseat, so I also appreciate principal Diane Kearney's weekly pre-recorded phone calls full of the latest school news! Try relying on your 6-year-old for important data and you would appreciate it also! Tonight we had Kindergarten Orientation for my youngest, who will hopefully benefit from the same great teachers Jack had, but regardless will benefit from Conn's innovative magnet approach. I felt stressed at the time of choosing a school to apply for, and I felt stressed we wouldn't be chosen after submitting my application, but ever since my kids started attending Conn, I have never once been stressed about their safety, happiness, or education. That's about the highest praise I can give. Keep it up Conn!!

Long before my younger son came along, my older son was lovingly cared for and taught here from the…read moretime he was 6 months old until he started pre-K (2013-2017). He learned so many skills in their care and my working first time mom worries were minimal because we had such a good experience. When his school dates and my teaching workdays did not always line up, he came back for care during the summer several times. I had a coworker who also brought his child to Childcare Network because they were impressed with both what we had to say about the center and how happy our son was when they toured the facility. Despite it being nearly a decade later, when my second son was born in February 2024, we knew this was the first place we wanted to look for childcare options. I was pleasantly shocked that several employees knew and remembered my older son by name, and to comment on how much alike my sons look. It warms my heart to hear him greeted fondly by name by teachers from all classrooms and ages, not just those who care for him in the infant room. I am so grateful for the care and education both of my sons have received and the little one will continue to receive for the next several years. I am able to be a much better, healthier and happier working parent with their partnership.

From the owner: Located at 221 E. Six Forks Road, Childcare Network in Raleigh provides the foundation for children…read moreto move from infancy through elementary school and beyond as confident, lifelong learners. At our schools, children are encouraged and guided in order to thrive. Our curriculum covers all areas of development, including important social and emotional skills with activities that combine learning and fun to create happy, curious kids. Our dedicated staff and safe learning environments make our schools one of the best places to learn and grow. We are committed to fostering your child's development alongside your family and providing a safe space for children to learn and grow within the Raleigh community. Schedule a tour today to experience everything our programs have to offer!

We have been drawn to the Childcare Network's throughout Raleigh for day- and childcare and…read moreBrentwood Rd location has been one of the best to work with. Ms. E, the director, has a welcoming staff that greet and speak to you when you walk in; the teachers communicate when there are concerns, and treat our children with fairness and kindness. We are very happy with the results that our last preK child has shown and will recommend this location to friends and family.

From the owner: Located at 2912 Brentwood Road, Childcare Network in Raleigh provides the foundation for children…read moreto move from infancy through elementary school and beyond as confident, lifelong learners. At our schools, children are encouraged and guided in order to thrive. Our curriculum covers all areas of development, including important social and emotional skills with activities that combine learning and fun to create happy, curious kids. Our dedicated staff and safe learning environments make our schools one of the best places to learn and grow. We are committed to fostering your child's development alongside your family and providing a safe space for children to learn and grow within the Raleigh community. Schedule a tour today to experience everything our programs have to offer!

After looking at all the schools in our area, it was obvious that St. Timothy's would be the best…read morefit for our family. We were looking for a school with a solid academic program that also focused on our children's social and emotional development. St. Timothy's checked all of our boxes. In addition, The STS community is warm, kind, and inclusive, and we are so proud to be part of this school. Our children are genuinely thriving at STS!

Exceptional. I can't rave about St. Timothy's enough. The academics, extra-curriculars, community,…read moreteachers and families are all amazing! Our children LOVE school and so do we!