I will never be able to adequately express the deep love and gratitude I feel for the lovely and…read moretalented teachers and administration at Parkway Preschool. My son is a very sensitive kid who, since infancy, has been slow to acclimate to new situations and not great with transition. By the time he was 3.5 and needing to enroll into a formal preschool program (from home daycare), I was apprehensive about how it would all unfold. We'd toured/applied to several preschools in the area, and had been ready to take a spot at a very popular school in JP, when, based on a friend's recommendation, I toured Parkway, met Patsy, and instantly sensed a warmth I hadn't felt anywhere else.
A few months later, my son started at Parkway, which was, incidentally, two weeks before my daughter was born. Due to some complications, my daughter came early and the morning my husband and I had to rush to the hospital, my anxiety was through the roof. I'll never forget Mary (one of the amazing teachers) making me feel like, even though I barely knew her at that point, that everything would be okay. The ease and kindness with which the teachers coordinated my son's pick-up that day (with our friends who were taking care of him), so my husband could stay with me in the hospital, helped us be able to focus on the labor and not worry that my son would be afraid or confused. This is just one of COUNTLESS moments over the 14 months we were at Parkway, that I felt deep compassion and support.
Some more examples: Patsy (the founder/owner/director) worked with my son diligently, at his own pace, for 6+ months to get him to participate in the biweekly Spanish and singing classes; by the end of the year, he was having a blast. My son was also late to potty-train, and Patsy and Patrice (now the K1 teacher) bought him special Star Wars stickers (knowing how much he loves Star Wars) to reward him when he used the potty; that, in addition to all of the teachers' warmth and encouragement, helped him reach that milestone. Jen, my son's teacher (he was in the K1 class there), was beyond amazing. My son really formed a special bond with her, and was always excited about their letter-themed weeks and book- or season-themed projects.
In addition to being incredible, salt-of-the-earth people, the teachers are passionate about learning. For instance, I LOVED how, at any given time during free play, there is almost always a teacher or assistant reading a story to the kids, and while the kids can choose to play, many often opted to listen to the story. Academically, Parkway prepared my son very well for K1 in a BPS school. Learning at Parkway feels very natural, and while a specific curriculum is followed, it is integrated into fun. Silliness, imagination, and creativity are highly encouraged. The space itself is clean, well-organized, warm, and conducive to learning. Parkway has a vast library of all kinds of books, available to the kids at any given time. My son would often reference things he read in books there, and ask to buy books read to the kids at circle time. Books we discovered at Parkway (like the Pete the Cat series) have become family favorites.
In every moment and interaction we had there, Parkway was an extraordinary experience for both my son and our entire family. The confidence my son gained there, being challenged and encouraged to try new things (and actually executing on these things!), would only have been possible in such a loving and nurturing environment. Leaving Parkway felt like losing family, and it took us ALL awhile to recover. Luckily, we have a second kid and can do it all over again!!