My son went through Jakes place and it was the best pre school experience for him. It is nurturing, caring , academically strong environment which fosters a culture of community. I met my closest friends in town and have continued these friendships 7+ years later. I wish i had the opportunity to have all my children go through there but timing didn't work out for my current pre-k child. I can't imagine running a preschool in this pandemic . I feel like with ever changing rules and the pressure to stay open an healthy Jakes place has taken all precaution to keep the children safe. My friends children currently enrolled have definitely have reiterated that they are doing everything to remain open . It's really sad to hear one person's need to bash a business because she thought this was " over the top" when the business is following the DESE regulations for preschool kids that are not protected by vaccine . My advice that if that is this is not a right for your family that's fine you can leave. There are ten + people on a waiting list that would be happy to be there. This is a small town please remember that being so callous and bashing someone's livelihood doesn't make you a hero. read more

We had two kids at Jake's Place in the last three year and we couldn't be happier! I wish I could give them 10 stars! First of all, Jake's Place has amazing teachers who are experienced and caring. They have made us feel like family. When we send our children to Jake's, we feel they belong to a community. That is something corporate daycares and preschools don't provide. Secondly, the education is wonderful. They work on math, language, motor and social skills. Our daughter was graduated from Jake's last summer and the K teacher was amazed by her skills levels. Our son is also is learning fast. Finally, the value for money is unbeatable. The care, education and love that our kids got were far beyond what we have paid. The backyard is large and shaded naturally by trees. Kids love playing outside there. I highly recommend this place if you can find an open spot for your child! read more

We've had two children go through Jakes Place and they both had wonderful experiences. The teachers are warm and genuinely connect with the kids. My daughter who currently attends is upset when I pick her up and counted down the days until school started over winter vacation. The director is a fantastic communicator who is invested in the students success. We are living through a difficult time where COVID dominates many aspects of our lives. Jakes Place has done a great job communicating changes coming from EEC. I for one am glad that they have the pool testing protocols in place. read more

We couldn't imagine a better preschool than Jake's Place. We have put three of our children through Jake's, covering almost every year for the last decade. Our youngest is in her second year, both of which have been during the Covid era. The safety rules have been rational and effective and fully in accordance with state guidelines. Our daughter loves going to school everyday and feels loved every minute she's there. We are also amazed at how well she's progressing in ABCs and 123s. We and our children have made lifelong friends through Jake's and have never heard a bad word in 10 years. Each of our children has gone off to kindergarten with a strong foundation in their educational, social, and emotional well-being. There is a reason Jake's is a highly desirable preschool. We are appreciative to the owner and her staff for the incredible work they do every day, especially during this pandemic. We often forget that part of their job is dealing with over-the-top parents that can't accept that the world has new and different rules. Whether we like them or not, they need to be followed. Regarding communication: Information on our kids is available any time and the team is always responsive. The staff post pictures to an app every day - yet one more task that didn't exist before Covid. They do this to inform us and to enable us to feel engaged. Before Covid (and eventually when it's over), we always enjoyed visiting the class, reading to the kids on occasion, and celebrating milestones. Once again, three kids, over 10 years, a global pandemic, and ZERO controversy. read more

We have had two children go through Jake's Place in the last couple of years and our third is very excited to follow in the footsteps of his older siblings. From day one, Jake's Place has been a great place for our children to learn and develop fundamental social, emotional and functional skills. While the transition was a little bumpy at first for our oldest, Michelle was incredibly supportive and helped us develop a plan for successful transition. Jake's Place is not just somewhere to drop off your kids when you are working, it is a place for children to grow and develop lifelong skills. Additionally, Jake's Place has done a phenomenal job being agile and adaptive with respect to the ever-changing pandemic situation. read more

My daughter attended Jake's Place for 3 years. We were so happy with it - even in the worst of the pandemic they did their absolute best for kids - we looked forward to remote yoga every day in spring 2020, when were were all trapped in our houses. In 2021, their pandemic protocols ensured that my kid was able to stay in school for the vast majority of the year and I was so profoundly and deeply grateful to Michelle and the staff. My daughter blossomed there - she's confident and sure of herself in Kindergarten, and we're very happy we chose Jake's place. read more

Jake's place has been our kids second home for almost three years. it's professional director and wonderful teachers have gone above and beyond to make sure kids are loved, respected and safe while getting the proper education in the most creative ways. Their creativity and the loving ,nurturing environment have amazed me for the past three years. our kids are the happiest there. read more

I am absolutely shocked there is a negative review about this preschool, our experience has been the complete opposite. Jake's Place has been one of the BEST experiences for our 5-year-old daughter and we send her every day knowing she is in a safe and caring environment. She is in her third year there, attending full-time and participating in summer programs, and we are confident she is fully ready for kindergarten next year. A few of the top reasons we LOVE Jake's Place: - Teachers are absolutely wonderful: they are caring, attentive and it's amazing how much our daughter has learned already. - Management is excellent: They return our emails promptly and handled COVID extremely well. - Scheduling is flexible for working parents with various options to choose from. - Our daughter has made a lot of special friendships and enjoys going every single day to see her friends and teachers! We will absolutely be sending our second child there and highly recommend it to any family in the area. Jake's Place - thank you for helping our daughter grow and providing a safe and nurturing environment for these kids! read more

Jakes Place is a poor representation of what preschool education should be. Below are examples as to why we feel this way.... 1. Strict over the top rules. For example: not allowed into the building, ever, not ever. Not even welcomed to see our child's classroom for a few moments-to see their world that they spend many hours in. Even when things were getting better with Covid last summer/fall, there was never an adjustment to welcome families inside or plan a safe way to do so, like many other programs have adapted in doing. 2. Over the top demanding Covid testing for children to return to school if being a close contact. Claiming they are following the EEC guidelines but NO other preschool in the area took it to this extreme. Requiring 4 tests on these young children (2.9-5 years old). These four tests included: 1 PCR and 3 at home test on day 5,6,7. Even required children before entering on day 7 to take a rapid test at home and then on the SAME day tested the children again when they entered the building. If you did not sign up for the preschools pool testing at this school, you weren't allowed back until day 8, even if you tested your child with a PCR and 3 rapid tests. No tests were provided by the facility prior to us leaving. 3. Drop off and pick up was very uncomfortable. It was get inside quick and parents leave immediately. Our child was anxious and stressed over drop off and always needed reassurance when we would be picking him up. 4. A lack of quality communication, unless it was Covid related, then we received multiple emails daily that were hard to keep track of and very confusing and contradicting. We were provided one virtual parent/teacher conference back in the fall, if you even want to call it that since it lasted less then ten minutes. The conference started with the teacher saying "Well, do you have any questions for me?" No introduction on their thoughts on my child, and how he's doing in preschool. We always felt like we had to dig for any update or information about our child. The teacher did not provide us with any information or evidence on what my child could or could not do in the classroom. We did receive one progress report in a year and a half with a bunch of check marks, no comments 5. We asked the director basic questions about the pool testing, that she encouraged families to sign up for, asking for a photo of what test was being used/who was the manufacturer, but we weren't provided any information. Director told us in an email "the children line up excitedly when we have to test and like participating". We found this statement twisted, poor choice of words, and quite honestly the last straw for us to ever allow this facility to care for our child. It felt like their main focus this entire year was all about their pool testing, rather than focus time on learning. 6. No information on what preschool standards they were covering daily, weekly, or even monthly. Not even a monthly newsletter. Few photos a day, with minimal descriptions. 7. Lastly...defensive, argumentative, repeated emails from the director to us anytime we had questions or concerns about our child or the center. Never really heard us, was never flexible, understanding, or open minded to our questions or concerns. Very dismissive. It was always just on the defensive and how fabulous the preschool was. We could go on and on. A true disappointment for a private preschool education in a town that is near and dear to my heart (lived in Sharon for 25 years). It was a wonderful place when I was a child, but sadly not the case today. I would never recommend this facility to anyone. A place that never displayed a warm, loving, and understanding environment for both the children and families, especially with the times we are in. Covid obsessed business is what this facility has turned into. We are extremely happy at our new preschool program and it is night and day from Jakes Place. Our child is happier, excited about learning, and LOVES his teachers. The best decision we ever made was to terminate our contract at Jakes Place. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Jake's Place. My two older kids, now 7 and 9 both attended Jake's for three years starting on the Green team at 3 years old then graduating from the Blue team before starting Kindergarten. When I became pregnant with my third I immediately added her to the waitlist and she is now enrolled on the newly formed Yellow Team for kids not quite 3 yet. So what makes Jake's so great? 1) FUN. The kids have so much fun everyday. The teachers do such a great job balancing curriculum with lots of time for creative play, while maintaining routine and structure that gives the kids the comfort of consistency. aAs a working parent it's so important to know that your kids are engaged and happy while in preschool. Since Michelle took over ownership, we also get pictures and video uploads in real time everyday showing us what the kids are up to - and they never disappoint! 2) SUPPORT. My son is on an IEP which began while at Jake's. The teachers there helped us every step of the way when designing his plan and helping us make sure he received the support he needed. From communicating with town officials, to attending IEP evaluation sessions and ensuring we were aware of his progress and challenges in school - the teachers really helped us at every point. 3) FLEXIBILITY. I love how flexible Jake's has been and Michelle especially given the challenges of the pandemic. They have been able to pivot quickly, and always place children's safety as #1. Recently Michelle purchased child size KF94S for all the kids, and she is always working with the town and DESE to try and make sure they are abiding with all requirements while being the least invasive possible when it comes to impacting families with quarantine time etc. 4) CURRICULUM. I really like how the kids get to rotate specials such as sports or art, and that they have themes every month. 5)RELATIONSHIPS, I can say that the friends that my older two made at Jake's remain some of their closest today, and even as parents My husband and I have made some great connections with fellow parents that we still have today! We are excited to see the friendships our youngest makes there too! I could keep going, but suffice it to say Jake's is awesome - get your name on the waitlist early though, because it's no secret! It's also one of the most affordable options in town! read more