Words cannot describe how much of a positive impact Ancillae has had on my life. The first thing…read morethat comes to mind when i think of Ancillae is family, I am a recent alumnae and I cannot express how much I wish I could go back. Everyone was so welcoming, I built strong relationships with my teachers and my friends. Not only did it prepare me for high school, but it also gave me amazing memories to look back on. On a daily, me and my friends talk about how much we want to go back. I miss my teachers and friends. I still look back at all of my years and would seriously do ANYTHING to relive it. As a rising sophomore, it has been so hard to go highschool because it just dose not and will never compare to Ancillae. Whenever I go back and walk into the lobby, I am overflowed by warm and fuzzies and want to cry thinking about how much i miss it. Both of my parents think that it was the best decision of their lives sending me and my sister to Ancillae. The connections that they installed in the classes was amazing, when I left I not only had to say goodbye to my small group of friends, but the friendships of my entire class and the relationships I built with my teachers.

When we first moved to Philadelphia, our daughter was five months old and had never been cared for…read moreby anyone but my wife and I and our extended family. I was very apprehensive about putting her in daycare and I knew nothing about what to even look for in a daycare. At Growing Tree, I felt at ease right from when I walked through the door for that first visit to check the place out. The staff is incredibly friendly and each and every one of them cares a great deal about their work and approaches every day that way. My daughter grew to love it very quickly while the staff was very accommodating of my overly concerned checking in on her during the first couple of weeks. The facility is spacious and has lots of natural light, great toys, and a large outdoor space (which also has lots of nice equipment). They are also fully supportive of cloth diapering, which was great for us. The staff was very responsive any time we raised any concerns (which was very rarely) and always wanted to work with us to make things better. The prices are also incredibly reasonable considering the quality of the services provided. Finally, the daycare also puts on lots of great events and excellent programming for the children of all age groups without any added cost. My daughter is now 2 years and 4 months old and I'm devastated that we have to leave Growing Tree because we are moving to Chicago for my job. Growing Tree was one of, if not the best thing for our family about living in Philadelphia and I have no doubt that had we stayed here she would have continued there right through their pre-K program. In the time we were at Growing Tree, my daughter went from being a baby who could barely roll over to a toddler who plays in the sand and talks about everything from kitties to stoplights and the teachers and staff at Growing Tree were there for every step of the journey nurturing her development and helping us so much along the way. It's difficult to put into words how much this means to me, but it's something I will never forget. When my daughter talks about the teachers and staff at daycare there is so much love that is evident in her voice and my heart breaks that she has to say goodbye. But, I take some solace in knowing that her time here has built a foundation for the rest of her life--not just because she learned how to drink out of a cup or sit in a circle, but because she also learned how to have a friend, how to treat people with respect and kindness, and what it means to be a part of a community. Especially now, the world can be a really horrifying place but every now and then you come across people who make you feel good about humanity and I felt that way every time I dropped my child off or picked her up at Growing Tree. The people there have changed my daughter's and our lives for the better and she is just one of hundreds of children who will get to benefit from being in such a nurturing environment thanks to their selfless efforts.

My son was in daycare for a few months as an infant and again now as toddler. I worked in child…read morecare for many years, so I feel that my expectations are very reasonable. However, we were so dissatisfied with the infant care and another "state of the art" shiny facility that we couldn't bring ourselves to take him back. We took another look at Growing Tree and my mommy instincts felt at ease. My son is taking some time to adjust, but he is being nurtured and loved through the process. The staff here is PHENOMENAL. The people are more beautiful than any new building could be.

Not a school I would send my child. A lot of yelling from teachers and students. Lack of…read morecommunication between teachers, administration, and owner (Sirlena). Preschool class is over crowded. By law you are suppose to have 10 students per 1 teacher however, it exceeds that amount and the poor teacher looks stressed and exhausted! I have heard many teachers wanting to leave and looking elsewhere. Complaints of lack of material and support. Stay Away!