Apple Montessori Edgewater was pivotal in my son's development. Not only did he come home equipped…read morewith the knowledge and confidence to be independent, he came home HAPPY. My son LOVED Apple. His teacher, Ms. Reyes, and her team took the best care of my child, as they do with all the children. There was always art work or themed days or new recipes or science experiments happening every week. The director, Ms. Barias, is a joy to communicate with, Ms. Jeong somehow keeps things organized amongst chaos, and I just really loved our time here. If you have the opportunity to attend this school, it is an absolute joy.

Apple Montessori Edgewater has been amazing for our family. Our child has grown so much in…read moreconfidence, independence, and curiosity since starting there. The teachers are incredibly caring and attentive -- they really get to know each child and bring out their best. Communication is excellent, and the environment feels both nurturing and inspiring. We feel so grateful to be part of such a wonderful school community!

Pardon the length, but my review is long overdue. My two daughters had been attending Cadence…read moreAcademy Preschool (CAP, formerly Prime Time Early Learning) since LITTLE BABIES and LOVE THE SCHOOL!!! Overall, I am very happy and rely on CAP to take care of my daughters. CAP has certainly become an extension of our family. For my older daughter, she attended CAP from 11-months old until 4 years old (50-60 hours/week, 2015-2020). In 2021, my daughter entered Kindergarten upon a "pandemic gap year" of staying at home, however, she transitioned quite easily into the larger, more structured school environment. Now in 2022, she is graduating Kindergarten with the strong ability to socialize well (loves going to school and learning with schoolmates), as well as achieving basic reading and math! Much of her success is attributed to the nurturing, social and learning environment from her early years at CAP. For my younger daughter, she attended CAP from 4-months old until 2 years old (50-60 hours/week, 2018-2020) and is planning to return to CAP soon. Unfortunately due to the pandemic and personal reasons, we had to suspend her attendance, however, she still has many fond memories of her school days at CAP. She tells me every day that she can hardly wait to return, be with her loving teachers and make new little friends. Every time we drive by the school, she still excitedly shouts, "OH THAT'S MY SCHOOL (CAP)!!!" It's been over 2 pandemic gap years!!! OUR PERSONAL FAMLY NEEDS * CAP is extremely responsive with a dedicated administrative staff and hands-on school director (Ms. Setenay is amazing!!!); Any time I've called during school hours, a staff member always picks up the phone line * CAP is convenient for drop/off and pick-up relative to home and commuting routes; Edgewater shuttle bus van connects from ferry at Edgewater Marina * For care, we wanted a "village" of people versus a nanny, so we weren't always relying on one person for childcare * Social aspect was important for us * My older daughter as a baby had stranger anxiety, because she was just interacting with family/adults; Since she joined the school at 11-months old, she improved playing, sharing and communicating with other kids * My younger daughter didn't have separation anxiety, because we enrolled her earlier at 4.5 months old; Btw, the baby room headteacher (Ms. Julia) has been at the school, much like other teachers for over 15-20 years! * My girls eat better at school then at home, maybe kid pressure, lol, but also regular schedules DURING PANDEMIC (MARCH 2020 UNTIL NOW) * Teaching staff extremely friendly, patient and professional, answering all my periodic questions in anticipation of returning my daughters back during the pandemic * Long history in Edgewater for last 20+ years of establishment (formerly Prime Time Early Learning), so teaching staff retention, association with public schools and community are strong * Classrooms are 6-month age groups until 3 years old, then 1-year age groups, e.g. 3s, 4s, 5s, etc * Features mobile/desktop app (e.g. Preschool2me or KidsReport app) for daily updates (photo, weekly learning themes, diapering, napping, eating) * Building used to be a school, so all classrooms have lots of light and air conditioning * Large indoor gym, nice for rain/cold days * Several outdoor playgrounds and classroom walking routes * Security deposits honored for future re-enrollment * Adjusted Operating hours very flexible: 7:30am-6pm, Monday-Friday; open year round except for major holidays * Flexible enrollment packages: 2 half days minimum (7:30-12:30 or 2-6); Minimum 8 hours/day to customize drop off/pick up times * "1-week vacation credit" every 6 months on tuition * Accepts Bright Horizons as supplement on top of base package * Virtual tours (during school hours) and in-person tours provided * 2022 Summer Camp available for school-aged children PANDEMIC SAFETY (may flex due to state guidance) * Several mom friends gave updates on their children at CAP during the pandemic and all safe and healthy * Masks required for staff * Masks are optional for students * Dedicated drop off and pick up areas outside of school and in hallways * Routine daily cleaning * Teacher vaccinations encouraged but not required * Ventilation with open windows encouraged * Extremely low Covid cases w/ staff/students; did not charge families during closing period PRE-PANDEMIC (2016 to March 2020, may flex due to state guidance) * School/classroom photos 2 times per year * Extracurricular (e.g. Spanish, soccer, dance, music, martial arts, gymnastics) * Learning visits (e.g. dental, water/fire safety) * Field trips (e.g. pumpkin picking, roller skating, bowling, pools, water parks) * Meal planning (e.g. pizza days, external catering, ice cream trucks) * After school program & busing from local Edgewater public schools Choosing the right daycare is not easy, but know that you will make the right decision for your family. Hope this was helpful!

As a parent, leaving your child at a daycare requires an immense amount of trust, and…read moreunfortunately, my experience at this center did not meet my expectations. I am very relieved that my daughter is no longer attending. The highlight of our experience was a few of the lead teachers and teacher assistants who genuinely cared about the children. I truly appreciate their dedication. I also want to recognize Sajida, who was always welcoming and kind. Unfortunately, that level of care did not feel consistent throughout the school. In my experience, the center director Ms Set was difficult to communicate with. There were times when I felt my concerns were not taken seriously, which left me feeling unheard. My daughter also shared that she sometimes felt certain staff members were overly harsh with her. I was also concerned by incidents involving children pushing or shoving one another, and I did not always feel those situations were addressed as thoroughly as I expected. The classrooms themselves were cared for by the teachers, who I often saw wiping tables and mopping floors. However, the overall building did not appear to be maintained to the same standard. During my visits, I noticed dust buildup around the air vents and felt the facility could benefit from more thorough routine cleaning and maintenance. Given how easily illnesses spread among young children, this was disappointing. Another concern was the frequent staff turnover. It seemed like there were constantly new faces, making it difficult to feel there was consistency in my child's care. At times, some classrooms also appeared to be led by very young staff members, which made me question the level of experience available. Finally, I attended the recent graduation ceremony and personally felt the Hollywood theme was NOT the best choice for an early childhood celebration. A bit inappropriate if you ask me. Overall, this center was not the right fit for our family. For the tuition being charged, I believe there are cleaner, more modern centers with stronger communication and greater consistency. Based on my experience, I would not recommend this daycare.

I literally love that Center for so many reasons, I changed my son's Adam daycare several time…read morearound this area until I found this one! They are all sweet, passionate, loving teachers, I really care how they're taking care of kids there, and how that center is clean and safe for the kids health especially during COVID. I'm so grateful for all the efforts they do with my son and how much they really care to deliver a great experiences and knowledge in a positive manner to my son and the rest of the kids, miss Ally was a Great, Amazing teacher but she left while ago unfortunately, even though miss Angie, Minerva and Kayle are really awesome teachers too, in other words my overall experience with this daycare was pretty much pleasant for more than 3 years until now for both of us me and my son. I really highly recommend this daycare. Hamsa.ch.

*This was a rebuttal to the owner, who has since deleted her comment which was once again full of…read moreexcuses and fabrications.* It's sad - but not surprising - that the owner continues to lack accountability for this incident. As the owner of this facility, she never once called me to discuss what happened. She never apologized. She instead chose to hold 2 meetings on Jan 3 and 4 with all enrolled parents where she blatantly lied about myself and my two year old, and falsely said Scribbles was cleared of all allegations. Her only communication to me is via responses on review sites - one of which was a nasty comment that she then deleted. How grossly unprofessional. To clarify for parents - Scribbles was never cleared by the state. There was no "additional complaints." We gave all information during our initial call, and followed up with emails containing the video footage of her staff pushing and yanking my two year old. There was no a-ha moment where we supplied additional stories to the state. That's not how this works. Further, after the parents meeting, I confirmed with the Supervisors at the State Office of Licensing that the investigation was still open. They confirmed that Scribbles would not have been told by the investigator the outcome, as- at that time - it had not been finalized yet. As you can see from the attached report, the three investigation dates took place on or before the parents' meeting; there was no follow-up investigation after that date - Claudia's rationale makes no sense. Claudia and her team knew the details of this incident immediately, yet continued to minimize it - even though we have their video surveillance footage of this aggressive treatment. Furthermore, she threatened to sue me to keep me from sharing our truth, not knowing that I'm fully aware of what constitutes defamation (Claudia FYI I went to law school. What *you* did is indeed defame our family.) During the Jan 3 and 4 meetings, Claudia and her assistant director reassured parents that they could feel confident leaving their children in the hands of these two staffers - yet now, she has chosen to fire them? She watched the video of her staffers aggressively shove and yank a two year old, but it took 6-8 weeks for it to sink in that's not acceptable behavior? It's clear that the only reason this step was taken is that the State substantiated each and every allegation against them. If the owner truly cared about making this right, she would have 1) called me directly to apologize and 2) taken immediate disciplinary action against the staffers. Instead she and her assistant director downplayed what happened by saying "it looked worse on video," they mocked me and my husband for not letting this go silently, and they engaged in a blatant campaign to malign us. I will continue to refute every mistruth that is put out against our family. My 2 year old will not be the scapegoat or be further defamed. The silver lining in this is that we have pulled our child out and she is flourishing at her new Center. She has learned more in the past 8 weeks than she did in 7 months at Scribbles. The differences are stark. Interestingly, we have not received any negative reports on her behavior - which sadly is the justification they used to excuse their staff's behavior. This saga has weighed on us, and we are happy it's over.

First time mom here! My daughter has been going to OCA since she was 15 months old; she just…read morestarted her last year in pre-K. The teachers and the staff are extremely loving and caring, and my daughter has learned so much here. The constant updates through the app and photos are the most reassuring thing. I truly feel like they care about my child, and my daughter is always genuinely excited to go to school, which is very telling. I highly recommend OCA!

We had nothing but a wonderful experience with OCA in Edgewater NJ. The school is very organized…read moreand communicative. The facilities are wonderful and safe for the kids. The videos and updates from the classroom every single day are just want a parent needs. This school has a real curriculum and my daughter was absolutely prepared for kindergarten after attending this school for many years. Ms. Alison is just a wonderful teacher and truly cares about all the kids. She is the Pre-K 4 teacher. She is so passionate about teaching the kids not only how to read and count but also about the world (travel, theatre, arts, NYC, books). I can't say enough great things about this school. The administrators are very involved and responsive to any requests made by the parents. I was so lucky to find this school and really believe this has given my daughter a massive advantage in life. Thanks OCA!

This was a terrific place that we sent our kids to for a variety of reasons. The staff here is…read moreabsolutely 100% top notch and truly treat the children in the most wonderful and compassionate way. As a parent, I felt really good about dropping off my kids here as I knew they were taken care of very well. The place is very clean and the curriculum is engaging. I can tell how much my children enjoy it as they do a great job of sending daily updates and photos which really help us get a good grasp of what they do all day. Also, my kids always left with a big smile on their faces. This only happens when the people who operate this place truly care about the children. I can say my experience was about as good as it gets and we absolutely plan on bringing the kids back very soon. I noticed there were some legacy negative reviews that were tied to the previous ownership - but speaking from experience I can say unequivocally that this daycare is absolutely pristine and the right place to send my kids to. We've had some good and not so good experiences with other options and Genesis is without doubt on top of the list as I feel confident they take great care of the kids and keep parents regularly updated with their daily communication. Highly recommended.

Best place ever Our…read moredaughter is there since 2017. Now she is going after care. This is like a family place. My daughter have fun and learn a lot. They help her with homework. That is a big plus. They have a lot activities too. Places is really beautiful and clean. Jinah owner is really nice and available if you have any concern. Teachers are nice and helpful. Do not look for another place this is the right one.

Of the dozen highly recommended schools we looked at across UWS, UES, and harlem, this school was…read moreclearly the best. The students were sitting quietly and fully engaged with their projects when we attended a school visit. A student had made a mess and was in the process of getting a broom and sweeping it up when we arrived. No screens, no screaming, no fancy live streams or eye scanner locks like other schools we went to. Just a philosophy that work builds character, children should be allowed to be children, and learning should be hands on, not digital. Loving staff, fantastic teachers, great facilities and location. We could not be more grateful to have found this school. I truly believe it is one of the best pre-k schools in Manhattan.

My son attended RMS as a 4 month old and stopped right when he was about to turn 2, due to…read moreCOVID-19. The schools true colors showed during this time, and I would urge anyone considering RMS, or any Twin Parks locations to do their research. The "teachers" my son had were great, but great caregivers can be found elsewhere. My review is not of the care, but the administration and their dishonest business practices. As a parent, of course finding loving caregivers is essential. What you don't consider is how inflexible and uncaring administrators will affect your experience. I have a gripe with the school. I am no longer sending my sons there (toddler and infant) due to circumstances from the pandemic lockdown, and had requested my enrollment fees back, but the school has decided to keep it. They had refunded other families, but continue to deny mine. I can go on, but will give you a pros and cons list instead, and hope that you learn from my very expensive mistake. Pros -Infant program starts at 3 months, many programs don't start this young -Columbia affiliated, which means you get dibs if you have a connection to the university Cons -Facilities are located in the basement of a residential building, lack of natural light, shared entrance with residents. -School schedule has MANY days off for "professional development", holidays, weeks for winter break and spring break -Make parents fundraise for holiday bonus for teachers and staff, and a staff luncheon---as if parents won't do nice gestures on their own accord -Make parents fundraise for a spring charity -Very strict pick-up time policy for late care -Early closing on Fridays -Expensive tuition, strict contract, no flexibility should you need to leave school. You will have to pay the entire years tuition anyway. They require your SS# to hunt you down if you don't pay. -Administration makes you fee like they are doing you a favor, as if you are not contributing to their livelihood. -Small space, limits the types of strollers they will allow you to store at the school during drop off. If you've made it this far and want to ask me questions, send me a dm and I will be happy to share my honest experience. I know one review won't stop them from securing families to attend, but I hope that this will save some families from throwing their money away. There are much better options around the UWS.

Susy and her team are simply amazing! Our daughter started here when she was just 4 months old and…read morethrived beyond our highest expectations. From care to engagement & learning, their team is meticulously detailed on feedings as an infant and much more as a toddler. Our daughter was always engaged in arts and crafts, reading, learning the ABCs, numbers and shapes and played an active role in group activities. Susy and her team were family to us. They are extremely professional, empathetic and truly go above and beyond for all of her families. What we appreciated most was Susy's responsiveness and transparency especially when caring for a young baby who is incapable of vocalizing their own needs. To this day, our daughter still recalls her fondest memories at Itsy Bitsy.

My boy started attending when he was only 5months old, now he is 27months old. he grew up with Itsy…read moreBitsy Staffs. This place is like his second home. He is excited to go every morning and never refused to go ! I am so thankful for the staffs to have him with warm hearted. you know kids can feel it !! During the pandemic Susy was so helpful for parents' schedules. All the facilities are cleaned and they follow COVID rules very strict. I highly recommend to every parents who need a daycare with loving care.

I couldn't be more grateful to be part of this community. The teachers and staff are truly A++…read more And, not surprisingly, they have handled the entire Covid situation perfectly. Even after 6 months of Covid quarantine, my 2 year old son still asks to see his teachers every day. We couldn't be more lucky to be part of this school-its a gem!

Morningside Montessori is a gem. My family feels so lucky to have found it, and we wish it went…read morethrough high school! It's incredibly warm and nurturing, and we know that our children are safe and happy. There's a friendly vibe and tons of natural light, with wonderful caring teachers. Great parental involvement as well. It has been a beautiful experience. Thank you MMS for giving our children the best introduction to school that we could imagine!

As often as I read reviews, I figured it's about time I contribute, and I whole heartedly want to…read morethank Park West for a wonderful education for my son. During our son's "graduation" at Magenta class today, there were many teary eyes (from the parents that is, the kids had no clue). Why I chose Park West two years ago: 1) It started while I was with my son at the local CPW playground, I remembered being impressed with how well behaved the kids from the school were. Seriously, how were they able to get these little 3 year olds to be so good? 2) the administration: exmissions (yes a word you'll come to know as a Manhattan parent), was very thorough. Since the school ends at 6 years old, they are not incentivized to shunt you to their elementary program. During the period when we were applying for elementary schools, I had almost daily updates on deadlines to be aware of. Very helpful when the whole process is ridiculously complicated. Office workers are very approachable 3) Montessori system: My son was shy and not the type that "opens up" if he were pushed/cajoled/bribed to do what the other kids were doing. I needed a place that allowed for him to progress at his own rate with less rigidity (I had to overcome with my tiger mom instincts). 4) Hours- they have a 12 month option, enrichment programs to 6 PM. Given that most parents there have to work, it's nice to know that this school realizes that and works with it. Two years later, it proved the right decision for us. At four years and a half years old, he is reading simple books, dressing himself, and counting to 100 along with his classmates. He's attending a gifted and talented public school program in September. I hope this is helpful. I wish you best of luck on this crazy process.

We have been at Park West for two years and are so happy with our experience. The teachers are…read moreprofessional, thoughtful and caring. They are in tune with parents' questions and concerns for their children and help us feel at ease. Admin is easy to reach and communicative. My child is flourishing and thriving and loves being there!

We love Apple Montessori-Cliffside Park. My daughter has been going for more than 3 years and have…read moreseen her grow wonderfully personally and academically. Overall school follows structured curriculum but focuses on personality development too.

The teachers are so warm and caring, but also very professional in educating and disciplining kids…read more One day I was picking up my baby and his teacher came out and asked if we could wait a bit because my boy wanted to finish his book. I love their patience and thoughtful approach to the little ones.