This is a great private college prepatory school, from grades Pre-K through 12th Grade. Located on…read moreTodt Hill in Staten Island, their campus is large & beautiful, with rolling grounds, sports fields (soccer, track, football, etc), a large multi-building setup, including a very nice common area with 2 glass sides & a large auditorium. I have attended many events here since my niece has started school here 5 years ago. The teachers are incredible, class size small (10-14 students average/class), excellent extra curricular activities, & attentive administrators. The cost is very expensive ($26K for Kindergarten), but if you are of the mindset that private school is the only option for your children (as I am), then this is as good a place to send your children as any, particularly if you don't want to transport them to NYC. Graduates go to excellent colleges, and many obtain sports and/or academic scolarships. Students are very well rounded, with exposure to the arts, music, drama, all types of sports, as well as academic excellence. A good choice for your child!

I was fortunate enough to attend SIA and my time there left an indelible mark on me. The teachers…read moretruly care about the students, not only as students but as people. As an adult, I am still in contact with some of my teachers. Going back to visit campus almost makes me feel like I am returning home. I know it is expensive, but they offer many scholarships and the cost is a small price to pay for the quality. SIA taught me much more than just math or English... I learned empathy, responsibility, integrity and a sense of duty not instilled in students today.

Castleton Hill is a wonderful preschool. Such fond memories of the teachers and staff. It is a…read morenurturing environment. Still friends with families that we met 10 years ago. If the school had gone from K through 8, We would've stayed in a heartbeat. They provided learning through play in a nurturing Christian environment.

My son is a freshman and so far we love it. I love the how it is a small school and if there's any…read moreproblems I get a phone call immediately.

This school puts on a act during open houses and shadowing. The school is very different when you…read moreare a actual student at the school. All they care about is taking your money. Unless you are rich enough to afford the school on your own I don't recommend this school. As a child on a scholarship they treat you worse then all the other kids. The school only cares about you when you want to transfer out of the school, since then they won't get your money once your out. Only tried to take care of the bullying issue I had once I went to transfer out. As if I one of the teacher's didn't bully me. Mr. Albanese is his name. Picked me out of the rest of the class to make fun of and embarrass. I skipped his class most of the time because of it. Made me feel more unsafe in the school. You would think a school causing thousands of dollars a year would have trustworthy and helping adults. Now lets dive in to detentions, you can get a detention for any little thing. Being a minute late to class, chewing gum, drinking water in the classroom, sending a email during class, and my personal favorite being in the bathroom (they can think your doing something suspicious when your not). How wonderful is that and they can keep you until 8:00 pm. Now I completely understand them not wanting your phones out during school, however lets say you break that rule for some reason they make you sign a handbook which along the lines say they can keep your phone for THREE DAYS, how crazy is that they will take your personal property away. Ms. Bulone is a geometry teacher, not a bad one I must add, however she picks on students to embarrass every lesson (I was not one of those students but I watched it happen) she only had one favorite in the class I was in, but it was very obvious and definitely pointed out. I only had two teachers I could actually talk too. Which was Mr. Mackey and Mr. Hoefner, they were very good teachers and they made it easier to talk to when things were bad. And Mr. Hoefner helped when the bullying wasn't good. Mr. Mackey I spoke too when something personally bad happened to me and he gave me good advice to get past it. If you do let your child go to this school Mr. Turner is a great music and art teacher and will teach you everything. But with all of this I still do not recommend going to this school. Check in with the realties of the school before just listening to the lies the school feeds you.

Great program .Both my kids attend Smiles Around Us and i"m very happy with all the progress that…read morethey are having. Great leadership, great place.

My child has been at Smiles Around Us/Southfield Institute for several years. All I can say is that…read moremy child is enjoying being at school daily. Teachers are very attentive and do care about students. The school uses challenging curriculum that allows my child to be at a level he is. Small classes really help as teachers have an opportunity to teach and make sure students understand what is being taught. Additionally, school offers free clubs weekly for children to explore their interests.

I am extremely disappointed in how my son was treated at this school. From the beginning, he was…read morerepeatedly blamed for hitting, as if he were the only 4-5-year-old engaging in behavior that is developmentally normal for children that age. My son was honest with me--he admitted when he hit, but he also told me that other children hit him as well. The school only seemed to care when he reacted, never when he was on the receiving end. Rather than working with us to support growth, accountability, and improvement, the school chose to focus solely on my son's weaknesses while ignoring his strengths and progress. Children are still learning emotional regulation at this age. What they need is guidance and fairness, not labeling. One of the most troubling moments was when another parent contacted the principal to say they did not want their child playing with my son and the school allowed this behavior instead of shutting it down. That sent a very clear message about whose comfort mattered. As a veteran who served this country honorably, it was extremely frustrating and painful to watch my child be treated unfairly in an environment that claims to uphold values of compassion and morality. My son is not perfect, but he improved significantly and yet it felt like decisions were being made out of spite rather than care. It is also impossible to ignore that my son is Black in a predominantly white school. The picture that was painted of him by staff was far more extreme than the child I know at home, and that raises serious concerns for me as a parent. I regret ever placing my son in this environment and have since apologized to him for believing this school would be a safe and nurturing space. I would not recommend this school to families looking for fairness, understanding, or true support for young children.

ST. Ann is my child's second home. He is in K3 and we couldn't be more blessed to be a part of a…read moresafe ,caring , and family oriented school. His teacher and principal are dedicated to their work and shows their passion and love to help others. I couldn't ask for a better school! I am sure my son will strive and achieve all goals given.

Sent my son to start private prek3 in Ms. Frisina's class September of 2024. He was enrolled one…read moremonth. My son would come home crying almost everyday. Ms. Frisina would yell at my son everyday. I don't know how she is qualified to work with kids. There is an app where we can see how our child is doing that day, and Ms. Frisina would never update it to keep us in the loop. Not to mention he was pushed in class one day and I was never notified. We only found out because the parent of the child who pushed my son apologized to my husband during a class presentation we all attended. The last straw was him being sent home with a black eye and blamed it on a tantrum. I called to speak with the coordinator and she had NO CLUE about any of this. Nothing was reported. Why wasn't the nurse called? When we asked to see classroom footage we were laughed off and told "we are unable to show parents the cameras." When I pulled my son out they just sent us on our way like nothing. This was my son's first experience with school and it was horrible. He still talks about "Ms Frisina yelling" If you are looking to send your child there... do yourself a favor and don't. EDITED 4/29 - Since I can't reply directly. Hi! Thanks for responding! Im new to Yelp hence the 7 month later review just thought everyone should know.. added a pic for context.

Honestly I'm hesitant to write a review because I've loved a school one day and hated it the next…read more But I'm going to do this because when I was looking for schools, I ALWAYS read reviews. Full transparency, I worry about my child being the only (or one of few) Black student in schools and after touring Gateway I didn't see a ton of diversity. BUT I've truly never been happier with a school. The director (Melanie) continues to address every single question/concern I have. Now the staff is the best part - they update you on every single thing your kid is doing all day. If a diaper is wet - you know, if it's dry - you know, if they don't eat all of their food - you know, what they're learning - you know. Pictures? At least 5 a day! Everyone tells me that my daughter is gifted and I believe it, I also believe that the staff is encouraging and making sure they add more to what she knows everyday. I don't need my daughter to be a genius, I need her to be happy and she is. Everyday we pull up to the school, she is excited to walk in. At pick up, the entire staff is hugging her and telling her how beautiful and smart she is. I could go on, but who's reading this far? My older toddler is going to begin there soon and I hope he's met with just as much kindness, love, patience, and encouragement. Rebecca, Denise, Silvana, Emily - all of the best women you could trust your baby to. (And I don't trust anyone )

I was so nervous when my first child started school and we had an amazing experience there. All the…read moreteachers and paras I have come across, are so friendly and attentive. I was shocked to see the staff members of other classes greet my child by their name. The general staff members (site coordinators and office staff members) know all the children's names and greet them and dismiss them. One time my brother in law came with me for pickup and he was holding my child's hand, he was stopped because the staff did not recognize him and I came and said I was here with them. The staff is very attentive. They built such a great phonics foundation for my child that they were reading on a first grade level in kindergarten. I live on the other side of the island but I am so satisfied with this school, I am sending my second child there was well. My second child was always greeted by the staff during drop off and pick up. I was nervous about my second one starting 3k but my second child is so comfortable there, I am definitely returning. Love this school so much! Please note if you are unhappy with the school or any school, you have the power to pull your child out. You are the parent/guardian of your child, they are still too young to speak up for themselves. You are their voice.

Allow me to preface this by saying there are a few teachers and Paras there that are friendly and…read moreseem to genuinely care about the kids but there isn't an aspect of this school that isn't disorganized and unprofessional. It was a school year of just stress and worry. My child isn't fully potty trained as of yet and needs pull ups changed, they would change her but one day she came home with a latex glove stuck in her pants leg. I was fuming because that was a choking hazard if she had found it before I did. They were apologetic but said my kid was wiggly during changing . A s**t excuse to turn around and blame a toddler. It's hard to say who actually changed her that time because there are a lot of different Paras that rotate between classes but it's a reflection of the whole school for me. Early this spring my child was out sick .As a precaution I had her at the pediatrician for a viral screen for COVID and RSV and a got a letter that she was negative and cleared to return to school on a specific date. When she returned on that date the nurse called saying she has a runny nose and wanted to know why she was out sick and if she had a seen a Dr. I said there was note in her backpack from her MD. He hadn't even seen it and said the teachers didn't even tell him about it. So in theory I could have returned her to school without any documentation that she was cleared since no one was looking or reporting it to the medical room. She could have returned with any number of viruses. When I asked the staff about it they blamed the nurse and the nurse blamed the teachers, just passing the responsibility off each other. When they would call to ask about her absence they would ask me to get a note but never asked me before she entered the school in the morning . No wonder my child was sick every other week . The mornings were stressful, the staff rushes the kids into the school, when they told me they line up at a certain time it actually meant they went upstairs at the time ,not a minute later, there were a few times when a para took my child's hand and whisked her away without a chance for me to even say goodbye to her, very strange. This occurred even in mild weather so it wasn't just to avoid exposing the children to freezing weather. Once ( while 9 months pregnant ) I was walking towards the gate with her and a staff member yelled out with an attitude - my child's name- "we're waiting for you!" . It was just rude and mean to assume my child would understand and to also expect me to run across the lot with her while super pregnant. It's a shame , avoid avoid avoid .

We are so grateful to LEAP and the entire team for taking such wonderful care of Maya and…read moresupporting her growth throughout this year. We have seen so much progress in her, and I strongly believe that the warm, kind, family-like environment at LEAP helped her feel comfortable and open up with time. I am so grateful that LEAP has created such a wonderful community. Through LEAP, I have also had the opportunity to meet so many kind and like-minded families, which has been such a gift. Thank you for creating a place where children can feel safe, supported, and encouraged to grow. We are truly grateful for the kindness, care, and hard work of the entire team.

Due to circumstances outside of my control this was where I went to middle school, and I wouldn't…read morehave wanted it any other way. The teachers and students are some of the friendliest and most supportive people I've ever met, and I've made lifelong friends here. I wholeheartedly believe that the way they educate their students is miles more effective than any "real" school on the island. When I came into Leap I was behind in school, but a year or two later I was well on my way to being above my level and I have Maria, George and the rest of the teachers here to thank for that. While it's expensive, it's worth it for the things your kid will learn and the friends they'll make.