We absolutely adore Copernicus, we could not have asked for a better or more caring environment for…read moreour child's first daycare/school experience. The class sizes are very small and the communication is outstanding. We have had a few waitlist spots open up at other schools and continue to choose Copernicus because our girl has loved each teacher and gets so excited when we drop her off. Thanks for being such incredible care givers to our kiddo!

Bone dry truth. They target black children ( my child is actually Asian and West Indian but…read moreidentifies as black) and make them feel bad about themselves. Yesenia complained about my child a lot. He was only two and had not been enrolled a full two months and had not attended a full week due to constant illness. There is no curriculum. My child often played alone and the staff did not help him develop any skills. They are his linch and told me he didn't eat. Km aware of this because when he came home and I would give him a similar snack he was say "give me that!" and snatch from me which was new behavior since he was entilled. He often came home with cuts and scrapes and one time a burn on his arm. Do not leave your minority child in their care. Not warm and fuzzy towards blacks. Period.

Our family has been part of the Stepping Stone School community for nearly a decade, spanning three…read morechildren and multiple campuses, and I can honestly say they have been one of the greatest blessings to our family. My oldest son, Race, first attended Stepping Stone Hyde Park as a baby before transferring to the Wells Branch Parkway campus. Later, my younger son attended both Wells Branch and the Round Rock location. Throughout every transition, we were met with the same thing: caring teachers, strong leadership, consistency, structure, and genuine love for our children. At both Hyde Park and Wells Branch, Ms. Brenda and Ms. Jennifer played a huge role in our boys' lives. They created an environment where our children felt safe, supported, and excited to learn every day. When our family faced difficult seasons, they showed us incredible kindness and flexibility, helping provide stability for our children when we needed it most. At the Round Rock AW Grimes campus, Liz continued that same tradition of excellence. She was always accommodating, compassionate, and deeply invested in the well-being of the children and families she served. Now, years later, I have re-enrolled my daughter Hana at the Hyde Park campus, and I was thrilled to discover that Ms. Brenda is currently serving as interim principal there. When I told my oldest son that Hana would be attending Hyde Park and that Ms. Brenda was her principal, his immediate response was, "Aw, that makes me really happy." That simple comment spoke volumes. Years later, he still remembers the people who cared for him and made him feel loved. The Hyde Park campus has blossomed tremendously since my boys attended. It is clear how much thought, effort, and care have gone into improving the experience for both children and parents. From the moment we enrolled, Ms. Brenda made the process seamless and welcoming. Hana received a personalized Stepping Stone backpack, a teddy bear, and a book as a welcome gift, which was such a thoughtful touch. That teddy bear quickly became one of her favorite possessions. What continues to impress me most is the quality of the people. Hana's teachers are warm, attentive, and genuinely invested in the children. You can tell they care deeply about their development, happiness, and well-being. That level of commitment is something that cannot be faked, and it's something I've consistently experienced across every Stepping Stone campus we've attended. I also love the daily photo updates and communication, the STEM-focused curriculum, the outdoor play opportunities, and the summer Splash Days that keep the kids active, engaged, and having fun. The teachers and staff work together as a team, and it shows. Special recognition should also go to educators like Ms. Lisa at Wells Branch and Ms. Olga at AW Grimes, who has dedicated decades of her career to caring for children through Stepping Stone. That kind of longevity speaks volumes about the culture and values of the organization. Finding childcare is one of the most important decisions a parent can make. After experiencing Stepping Stone with three children over many years, I can confidently say that they have consistently exceeded our expectations. The level of care, communication, education, and support they provide is exceptional. They don't just care for children; they help shape them, support families through life's challenges, and create memories that last long after graduation. Thank you to Ms. Brenda, Ms. Jennifer, Liz, Ms. Lisa, and all of the incredible teachers who have loved, taught, and supported our children over the years. Our family is deeply grateful.

Our son started at stepping stone Hyde park when he was 5 months and almost a year later we are so…read moresad to leave (we are moving out of state). We love Calen the principal and Ms Karina in the infant room (along with a bunch of other amazing teachers). Stepping stone has been a safe, reliable and caring environment for our son and he is thriving. He is so happy, so active and loves his school and classmates. We are truly so sad to go and have can't thank stepping stone enough for the amazing experience. This location is adorable, has great hours, strong communication and overall an amazing place. We truly had an outstanding experience. I also love that they are open while many others are closed

We are beyond thankful and equally impressed with this school. From the start, the Director gave…read moreme much confidence that we were making the right choice for our then 3.5 year old son. We felt at home from the beginning when we showed up to observe on a tour last fall. I sat in on both 3-6 yr old classes (one of the classes was set up in the back of the main house while the other class took up the front space). During my 10 min observation of each class, I noticed the following montessorian traits: -focus that each child or group of children exhibited in respective work/socialization -what appeared to me as a very calm and controlled environment from the children themselves -a sense of enjoyment by all At the time, I was extremely cautious mainly around how my son would behave knowing his impulse control behaviors and most importantly his delay in speech had been issues at a prior school. I laid my concerns out for the TMC and they only reassured me that our son was the typical 3 yr old. Within a weeks time, we transferred our son to TMC with a gradual transition based on his needs. That was over 6 months ago and our son couldn't be thriving more. We attribute this to an entire staff of loving, caring and very patient super-star individuals at TMC. While our son still is difficult to understand with his speech and still has outbursts, luckily they're short-lived; but furthermore, our son's vocabulary has exploded since his time at TMC. And even more importantly is that our son really does enjoy going to school and when we pick him up rarely does he want to leave. When your child begins to talk about his friends and the teachers he says he loves, unsolicited --- you know you made the right decision with TMC!! I wish all of our friends' kids could experience The Montessori Center!

We moved to Austin recently and were in search of a summer program for our three year old. I felt…read morean instant connect with Jessica - the director of the school, she is warm and very accommodating. Our son was here for two months and we loved it. They teachers are wonderful - Bekah, Barbara, CJ and Augusta.It was easy to slip into conversation with them during pick up and they were generous with mindful observations about how my son was doing at school. The school is located in a charming street with plenty of green tress and has been a place of learning since 1970. The bricks have inscriptions on them and the tiles have pictures that peek and tell stories of children who were here. The classrooms have plenty of material for children to choose from and they are very aesthetically done. Every time I drop off the little one the atmosphere has been so lively with music and sprinklers - I wish I could stay a little longer. My wish was granted when Jessica allowed me to stay for an hour and shadow the class. The rest of my review is details of the a few hours I spent in the classroom with Barbara and Bekah. It was the last day of summer so the excitement and restlessness was palpable. Children were being dropped off and they were helping themselves to a snack of whole wheat toast and delicious cream. They started to settle down and pick activities. Some worked on alphabet activities, some with books, some with puzzles, some picked numeric activities and some art and sensory activities. Children either worked alone or in small groups. The teacher helped the children who worked with letters to understand phonetics. Two little girls settled down with books - the younger a little distracted and the older focussed, learning from each other. Another little girl got a bunch of pocket books and flipped through them alone - immersed. The teachers did a fine job of balancing - offering help when needed and letting the children be as needed. The little ones seemed to prefer sensory work - coloring, playing with cotton swabs, watering plants and painting. Each activity is set up on a quaint tray and children are encouraged to clean up after they are done. The class is soon settled and bustling with an air of calm, busy, enthusiasm. Everyone finding their zone, their space, taking time to choose an activity, work and wind up. Some stick with an activity for 10 mins, some 20 and others longer. Little girls are busy drawing a unicorn, a boy in learning to sew with thread and paper. Two little girls sit together and play with colored tiles, learning to match and compare. A little boy who has been playing with shimmer - used a dust pan to clean up and does a throughout job. Older kids tend to persist more and interaction with adults definitely encourages them. Overall a great environment to learn to pick what you like, stick and find meaning in what you do, learn to wind down and clean up when you are done and derive joy through the process.

Austin Play Garden is the absolute best place to send your child! My daughter attended starting at…read more12 weeks old, and every teacher truly treated her like family. Hannah (the director), as well as all the teachers learned her quirks, personality, and interest as she grew up there. Through our daily updates and conversations, it was so clear that the staff really knew her and cared -- she was never just a number. They would even check in on her when she was out sick. I always knew she was safe there. I love that it's a play-based preschool, so the kids can learn through playing and crafts. APG was my only real "village" in Austin when raising my daughter, and they were truly a godsend. They also do a lot of things to reduce teacher turnover on the staffing side, so we hardly ever had teacher changes. I highly recommend them!

When I was pregnant I heard over and over again to "build your village". This was important to me…read morebecause we don't have any family in town. APG IS MY VILLAGE and I don't know what I would do without them. Our nugget LOVES to go to school. I'll say, "Do you want to go to school?" and he'll excitedly say, "School!" grab his lunchbox and run to the door. He comes home with new words and skills and it's so exciting to see him grow in a healthy and confident way. Thank you APG!! We love y'all!!

Best school in Austin :) the curriculum is very reasonable and well organized. Teachers are always…read morevery friendly and helpful and available.

We love Primrose Mueller. The teachers and staff love our babies, communicate really well with us,…read moreand create a great environment where kids can thrive.

Our child went to the Discovery Center Central for just over a year. We really loved CDC at first,…read moreand continued to really like the teachers and classmates and school. We left the school due to an unfortunate incident involving our child eating inedible items during sensory play, which kept showing up in his stool. We alerted the director via email and then also talked to the teachers, who at first promptly addressed the issue by removing some sensory play items and changing all play with food to be with edible food. But then one night he was up all night vomiting glitter, and then over the next 24 hours he continued to have glitter in his diaper. A very large amount of glitter. My partner emailed the director of the school about the issue, and also raised the issue of glitter itself being a microplastic that is bad for the environment. The response from the daycare was not reassuring, and we were threatened with a cease and desist lawsuit if we talked to other parents about the issue [and more recently we were threatened with a lawsuit for a previous longer version of this review].  We obviously took our son out of the school. We have no problems with the teachers or classroom, and really enjoyed the free spirit of the school; but feel it is my duty as a parent to share this with others.

The Children's Discovery Center is not for everyone, but it's pretty perfect for us. The teachers…read moreare loving, and the emphasis is on creativity and letting kids be kids- this means that children run around in underwear or diapers or costumes - really, whatever they want. I've often chuckled at the sight of very masculine boys in pink leotards and tutus - but you know what? They are having a blast. One of the biggest challenges is figuring out how to get glitter out of kids' hair - you wouldn't believe how hard it is! I far prefer when my toddler is covered head to toe in green paint, the "incredible hulk" comments notwithstanding. The good: the kids are really, really happy and learn great social skills - the philosophy emphasizes teaching the kids to work it out themselves (with teacher guidance, of course). The center provides healthy snacks and has recently started using non-toxic cleaners in the classrooms. The bad: the administration is disorganized and laid back to the extreme. The ugly: there is one problem teacher, and the administration is reportedly unresponsive to parental complaints about her. I know at least one child that was pulled out of CDC because of her. Overall, we have been extremely pleased with our experience there. We LOVE the teachers and appreciate that there is a balanced gender split among them. They treat the children with respect, and my children are very happy there - and to me, that's what counts.

Great kids, great teachers and great parents make for a great environment to learn and socialize…read more A great lead into kindergarten, school and life.

Amazing school that centers the child's learning experience and prioritizes community!read more

I don't generally write a lot of reviews, but I'd be remiss if I didn't commend the staff at Olas…read morepublicly! The school is absolutely incredible, and my wife and I feel so grateful we found it for our 2 year old son. He has been attending twice a week for about ten months, and we are astonished by how much he has learned in this short time. Each day he surprises us with new usage of the Spanish language...from numbers, to the alphabet, to colors, to days of the week, to fun songs which he adores singing. He gets so excited on the days he attends, which really warms our hearts, and on the days he doesn't go, he talks about his teachers and friends there. I would give Olas 100 out of 100 stars if I could! Thanks so much for everything you all do, and we look forward to entrusting Olas with our son's development for years to come!

Wow - this little school is amazing. My 6 year old had not been to school all year (pandemic…read moreconcerns) and we just enrolled her at Olas and she is thriving. We feel super safe there and my kid who knows no Spanish is loving it. The teachers are so sweet and fun, the school grounds are adorable, and we just love how happy our kid is to go to school. It's been a total dream. The teachers are super flexible and accommodating to our needs and it's just a super cute community. Thrilled and will continue coming to Olas throughout the summer and even during the school year. Muchas Gracias!