Our 2 yo went to BPOS and it was the best decision and money spent. The teachers are warm and…read moreexperienced. The other families and other children were amazing. Our little one was given the attention and direction needed to learn and grow an immense amount over that year. Grateful to the thought, care and dedication to science. The owner Carmelo is on site many days, all the admin knowing everyone by name and greet everyone equally in the mornings. All the teachers (we were in Ms. Brianna's class) are everythin and put so much thought and energy into each day and week. BPOS also utilize Brightwheel which is a wonderful communication tool. I looked forward to the 1pm photo drop every day!

One of the worst schools in my history of being a mother. I had such high hopes until one incident…read moreoccurred where one child was hurt and the school closed temporarily and went through an investigation. A teacher and a teacher's aid were removed. After some time the school reopened. About a month after reopening the teacher that was removed was reinstated. My child was not involved in the incident and continued to attend. Upon speaking to a teacher during an interview I discovered awkward body language which told me there was more than meets the eye. About a couple of months went by and there was a new teacher's aid. She was not introduced to the parents. This woman did not look friendly which lead me to further investigate without the help of the school. At the students' graduation the school administrators Irene and Shirley and this particular woman that went by the name Ms. Janet did not not show up to celebrate this special moment with the students. Red flags After the last of school, I was contacted by a fellow parent stating that something serious happened at the school. I was told that Ms. Janet was hitting the children. The students were being abused by this monster. The following thought was the teachers have to have known. It broke my heart and made me mad. I write this review in hopes that you think twice about sending your child to this school if it ever reopens in the future which I hope it does not. The administration consist of young irresponsible women who do not have enough information to offer when it comes to staff members. Just a lot of ummmm uhhhh a Hamina ahamina and made up nonsense. And SHAME ON YOU TEACHERS FOR NOT PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN FROM THIS MONSTER. Kudos to the student that bravely spoke out. This review does not warrant an arrogant response. Police reports have been made to support this review.

My daughter attended Aleph Bet for 5 months and I decided to not return in the fall this year for…read moreseveral reasons. They provided 1 day notice to parents about extensive demolition and construction while school was in session. Kids were moved into a basement room instead of their usual space. To take it one step further, they were painting right next door. We were very concerned about the paint smell and brought this up to Shirly, who assured us that it was fine. When we picked her up it really smelled like paint within the children's room. Several days later major demolition started in the building. There was a lot of dust in the common lobby. As we became more concerned of possibly hazardous conditions we asked the owners if any tests were conducted prior to starting demolition. Specifically if they tested for lead paint and asbestos, since it's a building from the 60's. They refused to share the results. I am in contact with the EPA and department of health and hygiene regarding this matter. Also, see picture of the children's bathroom, this is the only one (looks friendly, right?). I was not shown the bathroom during my tour and made the mistake of not having asked to see it. When I was ready to start potty training with my daughter I discovered this bathroom which looked more like a janitors closet and decided to postpone potty training. Hygiene is important and I would not want my child in a tight space with dirty mops and buckets within arm's reach. Also the light bulb wasn't working when I took this picture. Their yard is a nice play space, however it is infested with mosquitoes. My child came home with new bites ever day. The yard is lined with old AstroTurf that holds water for days. Instead of fixing the problem they sprayed the kids with bug spray daily. The last straw was when they refused to return my deposit of $880 after I decided to not bring my daughter back in the fall. When I registered my daughter it was based on the calendar dates they provided in the contract. After I realized the calendar was inaccurate and the dates did not work with my schedule I asked for a refund since my daughter would not be returning in the fall. When I confronted them they dismissed their error as a "clerical issue" for which I should be held financially responsible. They used words like "extortion" when I insisted on a refund of my deposit and "slander" when I was transparent about my plans to leave a negative review. Both of these are illegal and I don't think I've entered any criminal activity by writing my opinion, wanting to know if my daughter may have been exposed to any hazardous dust and asking for a refund based on an inaccurate contract which they provided. I will say that the staff provided good care to my daughter for the time she was there. Ms. Jenny, Ms.Cindy and Ms.Gina we're always great.

I have 2 of my kids there, age 5 and 8 months old -- the staff are amazing. We've been with them…read morefor a little over 2 years and my kids love it. They're organized, clean, great communicators and really cater to building child development skills. I'd highly recommend them to anyone.

I placed my son here at 2 years old when she first opened... I couldn't be happier with her…read moreengagement with the kids, the healthy food, and how organized and kind the director is. Someone who truly has a heart for working with kids.

Elena and Louis are wonderful. We had a great experience here with my two children. Elena is a…read morewonderful teacher who puts a lot of thought into her daily lessons tailored to each child and what they need. I could not say enough good things about them.

Our son learned a lot, including how to feed himself, many words, and made friends due to Elena and…read moreher resources. However many times our son came home with bruises and marks and they did not know why these minor injuries occurred. So when one of the children lost their tooth without reason being given to the mother we became very concerned, we said to ourselves this could have been our son. When we raised this concern and suggested that she either get another staff member or perhaps keep the kids in a more confined area so they can be watched closer, she decided to expel our son. Good place for early learning and development, not so good for close observation and safety of the children. I guess you get what you pay for!!

Bank street is the standard in Head Start Education…read more It did not take long for my partner and I to realize we made the right choice for our son with Bank Street. From day one the entire staff made us feel safe and welcomed us with open arms. Our child has developed wonderful relationships with his classmates and teachers these last few months. Classrooms have one lead and two assistant teachers - the environment is very intimate and close knit. There is structure, yet the children are encouraged to rotate activities at their will. Lots of group and individual reading - such an important habit to develop at an early age. The children are also assigned "jobs" for the week- our son raves about how well he is as the "line counter" The children visit Tompkins Square Park for daily outdoor playtime, weather permitting of course. Parents receive weekly newsletters dedicated to the recent learning and happenings in the classroom - we love these since it gives us a closer look at the projects the kids have worked on and what to expect for the following week. An applause to the chef who is always leaving a mark - our child loves the cous cous (recipes are shared throughout the year). Parents are given a lunch calendar. The opportunity to join a council and team up with staff is great as well. Reiterating how much they value family involvement in the classroom. The leadership at BSHS is astonishing, Director Willis is always communicating with families - no matter the time of day or night. She masterfully manages all operations for BSHS. I truly admire her tact and skill. Thank You Willis, if there were more YOU's in this world we'd all be in a better place. Bank Street Head Start will not disappoint you - If you have the chance please enroll your kid(s) here. Solid learning, emotional and social development. What more could you truly ask for your little person? BSHS has played such a impactful role for our family in such a short period of time. I sincerely do not know where we would be without them. Our 2nd child will definitely be a student at Bank Street. Good luck to all!

My son had the best time of his life at this school…read more He had it very rough during the first few MONTHS of school. He cried and cried and cried every morning, everyday for three or four months of school. His teachers, Terry and TA-Joanne were patient, caring and understanding. Their everlasting efforts of trying to gain his trust had finally paid off and I had never felt so grateful on the day that my son waved good bye to me and told me he loved going to school. The school had a great staff. The teachers are college graduates and TA are all professionally trained to care and assist within the classroom. Every morning, children were allowed to explore and "play" with any activities of their choice. The only rule is you must clean up after yourself. Their morning activities includes art and craft, play dough, dramatic play area, blocks, puzzle, or simply being read to. When the weather permits, the children were allowed to go outside the secure area of the building for 45 minutes of physical exercise Monthly sing-along where parents are invited to attend with their children. Most importantly, they have awesome extra activities such as children yoga. Students also visit the Third Street Music school in the East Village regularly for sing-along, music appreciation, and group activities. Food is cooked and prepared on premises by staffs that are licensed by NYC DOHMH where they ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS use fresh, and healthy ingredients to cook for our children. During the summer, they shop at the Farmer's Market to get low-price organic fruits and vegetables. Academically, they encourage children to learn through play which I also believe is the best way for children to learn. Children are being read to everyday to encourage and to establish the love for reading. And I can't believe I almost forget to mention those field trips to the farm, different museum, Highland Park, puppet shows and much more. Today my child is a sweaty but confident little boy who loves to read, play legos, and wanted to become a robotic engineer when he grows up.

Turns out, what you imagine will be amazing before your child arrives might not be amazing for the…read moreactual child you have. We were so excited about this school - it's beautiful, we love the philosophy, they have great exmissions, they said they took the children to play in the park nearby. And our first year in a toddler room was magical. The teacher was a phenomenal resource, our son grew and made some terrific friends, and we were excited for him to go to primary. Well, primary was a disaster. He had a young and inexperienced teacher who meant well, but telegraphed her disapproval of our high-spirited, high-energy, emotionally still very young kid so that our formerly school-loving child started melting down at every dropoff. An administration that wouldn't accommodate a request for change to a classroom where he had good friends, and seemed ill-equipped (or ill-inclined) to help him in general. When he needed extra physical movement, they had him walk in a circle along a piece of tape stuck to the floor. Carrying a cotton ball on a spoon. Which, as you've probably noticed, is not playing in the nearby park. No one said anything nice about our son to us at all until we informed them of our decision to leave. We went back to an AMS lab Montessori school in a different state, and the contrast is extreme. Teachers with decades of experience, lots of communication and support, lots of ability to respond to the needs of individual children who mature at different rates in different areas. The entire administration of the new school knows his name and says hello to him in the halls. Outdoor playground time every single day. And, it must be said, it's half the price. You might have an excellent experience at Flatiron. I hope you do. I wish we had.

It's obviously an extremely expensive school. Nonetheless…read more.. The teachers, staff, curriculum, facilities, and basically everything about how they grow children is excellent and wonderful. I couldn't ask for, or even imagine, anything better. The administration/ownership is bad. Aloof is probably too generous an adjective. It's Trumpian in the sense that it seems centered on what furthers their own idiosyncratic goals (eg prestige, donations, growth); which might not be the same as yours or your child's. In the end (if you can manage the tuition, and don't need any favors from the administration) it's a wonderful place.

I moved to the neighborhood 13 years ago and my husband and I was looking for a safe, nurturing…read morepreschool with commitment to teaching our child and giving her the solid foundation to build upon academically. I visited three preschools before I visited Francis Grace Day Care on 130-20 Merrick Blvd, while the other preschools were appealing to an extent I didn't feel confident enough to enroll my two year old daughter at the other preschools. When I met with Ms Shauna Francis and the teachers at Francis Grace I was impressed with their professionalism, kindness, warmth and was very happy to know they included prayer and worship daily to start the school day. My experience with Francis Grace was beyond my expectations so when I had my son six years ago that's where he went as well and still goes there to the after school program. I am happy with the service, loving environment and teachings they provided for my children, my daughter now attends High School and is excelling and my son's transition to elementary school was seamless...I would also like to mention the excellent work of some of the teachers Ms.Gail and Ms.Sophia...keep up the good work. .

Midwood Montessori is a wonderful neighborhood school, and we feel lucky to have it nearby. The…read moreteachers are warm, patient, and deeply committed to the Montessori philosophy. They truly understand and support each child as an individual, and it shows in how confident, curious and happy the students are. As a family-run school now in its second generation, Midwood Montessori has a strong sense of community. The mixed-age classrooms encourage kids to learn from each other and grow at their own pace, in an environment rooted in kindness and respect. Our son is starting his third year (kindergarten) and we've seen tremendous growth--socially, emotionally, and academically. He loves his school, and we're excited for our daughter to join next year. Midwood Montessori provides a strong foundation, and it's easy to see why families stay through kindergarten. The children graduate as independent learners and leaders, well prepared to enter a wide range of public and independent schools.

My son has been attending Midwood Montessori for almost 2 years, and it is a fantastic school. The…read moreteachers are very caring and super knowledgeable in early education. They really tailor the curriculum to each child based on their progress to make sure the materials are at the right level to maximize learning.. All the kids are very friendly and intelligent as well, and my son has made quite a few close friends. Overall, it's a great school and highly recommended.