Our son has attended Early Steps for the past year, and we couldn't be happier with our experience…read more Ms. Maria Ferrufino has been an amazing teacher who truly cares about her students. Ms Maria has taught him writing, math and early phases of reading- we truly believe he is well prepared for kindergarten this fall. Also, she has been great about communicating our son's strengths and areas that we can help improve upon on home. Another thing we've loved about the school are the freshly cooked meals daily, and the various events/recitals hosted to help grow community among the families whose children attend the school. We've seen so much growth in his confidence, learning, and love of school. Knowing he's in such a caring and welcoming environment gives us so much peace of mind. We're so thankful for the wonderful foundation Early Steps has given our son and highly recommend it to any family looking for a caring bilingual preschool.

Early Steps has been the best preschool experience for our family…read more When we transferred our son from another preschool (a Montessori program), we were concerned that he might struggle to adapt. However, the transition was seamless. From day one, he enjoyed every moment and felt right at home. At the time, he was behind academically, but thanks to Miss Maria Ferrufino's dedication, he quickly caught up with his peers. Her guidance helped him feel confident and comfortable while learning to read, write, and perform basic addition and subtraction. She treats every child as if they were her own, and that care makes all the difference. I'll never forget the joy I felt picking him up each day he never wanted to leave because he was having so much fun. The entire teaching team ensures that no child is left behind. They also go above and beyond to teach children daily life skills, like brushing their teeth, combing their hair, and maintaining cleanliness throughout the classrooms and facilities. Miss Maria and her team even made lunchtime a learning experience, teaching the children about vitamins and minerals to encourage healthy eating habits. Choosing to switch schools was one of the best decisions we've made. I'll be forever grateful to Early Steps Bilingual Preschool, Miss Maria Ferrufino, and the entire staff. If we ever have another child, I wouldn't hesitate to enroll them here. There's no greater peace of mind than knowing your child is truly cared for.

I worked here AND had my child here. On both ends this school was terrible. Thankfully I was always…read morearound to keep an eye on my daughter. At the time she was 14 months old. I hated the people that watched her. I caught her crying unattended so many times. I can't even imagine what it would've been like if I wasn't around. They also paid the bare minimum and made you work with the entire class of children BY YOURSELF!

We are very happy with the care that our kids have received at Springfield Academy. The teachers…read moreare very caring. My kids have a lot of fun and learn so much while there!

A team of caring and intelligent educators and leaders. We…read morehave been at The Springs for near a year now. We started the application process pre COVID and entered during the summer program which secured our slot for the fall, so my experience is limited to the Toddler Program (my child started at 22 months old) during the pandemic. For background, I have had my now toddler in a chain daycare (Kindercare) and a great in home daycare but those are true daycares vs a Montessori school so they are completely incomparable. I only have laudatory remarks about the professionalism and care of The Springs. Mr. Dan, The Head of School (HoS), and Ms. Katelyn the Assistant HoS are absolute leaders. Incredibly responsive to any request and communicative on all aspects of the school, I trust their judgment and appreciate all the efforts to remain operational during COVID. Our teacher Ms. Katelyn D., and her assistant teachers Ms. Belkin and Ms. Ethel are amazing with the children and my tot is THRIVING! I have sent emails late on a Friday or Saturday night to Ms. Katelyn D.,not expecting a response until the next working day, only to find a reply in my inbox within hours. Professional and dedicated, I feel a sense of team between the educators and parents as all focus is on the child. The Springs Montessori has me a true believer in the Montessori methods and although yes, it is more expensive than the other daycares my peace of mind for the well being of my child and results of my happy kiddo worth the price tag. Some perks: -A daily report of diaper changes/ what was eaten/ nap length so you can plan your evening -Catered lunches- no oops I forgot the lunch box on the table moments, such a time saver -Parent teacher conferences- yes for a TWO year old, it's awesome -Weekly photos of your child engaging in activities at school -virtual learning options -online portal to track your child's milestones and communicate on routine admin requirements Things to consider: -It's a school, not a day care, school schedules include seasonal breaks -when things get back to normal the kids wear a uniform, I love this but it does add cost -the parking lot is not great, it's busy! Between the parking lot and COVID mitigation, allot extra time for drop off/ pick up Bottom line- I love this school and my child loves this school too.

Would not recommend. They were not very approachable and do not try to work with the parent. They…read morewould always call me wanting me to pick up my child, because they claimed my child had a tummy ache or was sick. Upon arrival my child was completely fine. I was told once my child had pink eye. After picking them up, my child's eyes were NORMAL. Took them to the pedi. just in case, and was told nothing was wrong with their eyes. Not worth the crazy amount of tuition they charge. Find somewhere else, you DO NOT GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

My almost-four-year-old son currently attends Griffin Academy. We are working parents and needed…read morefull-day care, and we did a pretty exhaustive search in the area for an affordable preschool. I cannot BELIEVE how lucky we are to have found this place. Let me tell you why you should send your kids here. Even before I talk about my son's experience, I need to mention how well this program is run. Kristine Lee, the preschool director, is one of the warmest, kindest, most competent and professional humans with whom I've had the pleasure of interacting. She was so responsive and helpful throughout our enrollment process that we felt like we were already family members from the first contact. This was not our experience with other preschool programs. Many private preschools, like the one our older daughter attended, have strict arbitrary rules, parent work hour requirements, and intimidating admission processes that (for us) made us feel a tiny bit unwelcome. None of this from Westminster. This private school, with its classical focus, has managed to wrap us in its arms and surround us with a community of funny, warm, and down-to-earth people. It feels EASY, not stressful, to attend school here. As private school first-timers, we had to adjust to uniforms, but it's been no sweat. Teachers. We knew that our son liked his teacher, and that she (and all of the Griffin teachers) had been kind to him, and patient as he adjusted to a full day of school. We were so incredibly impressed when we met her in person at back-to-school night. Beyond having exactly the personality you would want for a preschool teacher (gentle, nurturing, and understanding), Miss Horner brings incredible expertise and professional knowledge to her job as classroom teacher. I myself am a board-certified teacher, so I have some clue about what they do, and my son's teacher is at the top of her game. Literally every aspect of her students' experience seems to have been designed with their development in mind. Everything in the classroom is accessible to the children, with the goal of fostering their independence, improving their fine and gross motor skills, and promoting harmony. The children are taught to greet each other respectfully, refer to their classmates as "friends", and express appreciation frequently. We toured other schools in our search, and at some well-known schools, we were dismayed to notice that the teachers did not seem to have a loving relationship with their students. My son's teachers LOVE him, and it shows. This was the single most important thing that we as parents were looking for. Every child deserves to experience preschool in a class like my son's, and we cannot overstate how fortunate we feel to have landed here. Here are some other fun things that we love: - They go on field trips (on the Westminster bus!) on almost a monthly basis. That is so many out-of-class experiences! - Each classroom has an imaginative play area that changes monthly (post office! garden! cave! grocery store!). - You can pack your child's lunch, OR order hot lunch from their service! Or both! - Excite Soccer offers a short after-school class on Thursdays, and our son goes to this and LOVES it. - French. Library. Music. Science. Our preschooler's schedule is as varied and rich as our 1st-grader's. My son is a wiggly little boy. Was I worried that he wouldn't have enough opportunity to move and play in the course of his rigorous classical education? I was. I've got one word for you: GYMNASIUM. If you can show me another preschool where kids get to run around a huge gym first thing every single morning, I'll be astonished. My guy comes home happy and tired every day. I'm typing all of this because when we were looking for preschools, there weren't a lot of parent reviews to read, and parents need to know that this wonderful option is available. Look no further!

Our son went to Griffin Academy for preschool and he attended some of the Griffin camps (winter,…read morespring, summer.) Griffin Academy is part of the Westminster School, however, it is on a different campus and it is run by a different headmaster. So first, I must say that this review is for Griffin Academy not Westminster as we do not have any experience with Westminster directly. The best part of Griffin Academy is the teaching staff (actually, all of the staff) and the facilities. If you take a tour of the facilities I have no doubt you will be very impressed. Having an indoor gym-type of space in the winter was hugely beneficial. Also, the teaching staff was excellent, and I mean really excellent. My son had a primary teacher who he adored and then he did rotate through other teachers who teach specialty subjects, and they all got to know him and I was really impressed with all of them. The expectations, educationally, were set very high which works well for my son and our family because I felt that he was pushed just the right amount. The class sizes are small so the teachers are really able to work with the kids at the level that they are at. They also worked a lot on his manners and his social interactions. My son came out of Griffin at age 4, able to sight read entire books on his own, silently, to himself. So educationally, I cannot fault Griffin at all; I was very impressed. Our son was definitely not bored, which is a big thing for us. The hours that they provide childcare/school for are also very good for working parents, as they provide a variety of options to allow the parents to be able to choose and manage the hours of school and childcare that they need. The price was also surprisingly much more affordable than a lot of other preschools. The only reason I am not giving the school 5 stars is because, just out of bad luck, is our son really didn't have that many other boys in his class, so unfortunately a lot of the stereotypical boy activities, he was not able to partake in to the fullest extent of what he would have preferred, so I ended up having to enroll him in some outside extracurricular activities (karate, etc.) just to kind of make up that deficit. The class he was in was almost all girls. However, as I say, I realize that experience was probably just unique to us and unfortunate due to the way the classes broke down. The reason that is a big deal to me is my son needs a lot of physical activity to get his energy out and that really requires him basically running around like a maniac playing soccer, etc. He is already at the age where he doesn't want to play what he thinks of as girly games so that was a bit of an issue during the school times, was not having enough physical activity for his liking. (***During the camps sessions it was a better mixture of boys and girls so this problem actually completely went away for us during all of the Griffin camp sessions.) The only other pretty minor complaint I had about the school was at times I felt they were a bit too strict on some things that I myself am pretty relaxed on - especially the "clean your plate" mentality, I am not really that into. On the flip side, his manners were much improved and he is able to do a lot more on his own and for himself than he was when he went into Griffin, so I have mixed feelings about that. All in all, I would really recommend Griffin, it is a very good preschool, and when our daughter is old enough we will probably be sending our daughter there.

Hidden gem in the heart of Springfield. I have sent 3 of my 4 kids there so far with the last one…read moregoing next year to start in the 2's program. This school is a wonderful Christian based preschool. the kids get to move around the school to enjoy different areas (math room, pretend den, art room, etc) so that they don't spend all their time in one classroom. the teachers and administrators are wonderful and care deeply about the children. HIGHLY recommend!

I cannot put into words how amazing this preschool is. I've had 2 of my 4 kids complete 4 year old…read morepreschool there and they were very prepared and ready for Kindergarten. I love how it is a play based Christian preschool that allows the kids to learn through imaginative play, art, music, hands on activities and SO much more! The staff and teachers are the best around- happy, kind, helpful and loving. My youngest just finished in the 2 year old class and had a little separation anxiety at the beginning of the year. Her teachers were very supportive and got her through it! After only a few days of crying, she was walking in smiling from ear to ear. Would highly recommend this preschool to anyone!

I recently went for an orientation w/ this school and a lot of red flags:…read more 1. I was told by a staff member that teachers are not mandated to be vaccinated but they do need to wear masks... 2. Kids that I saw at the school NONE HAD MASKS ON... 3. Place is dirty and RR are crowded, toys are old 4. Alot like Christinia E. review from 2017 -- I feel exactly the same. There's a pandemic going around and our kids have no protection against this virus -- so your telling me this school is being irresponsible do not enforce health and safety of kids and not having students in school wear masks for their safety or strictly make preschool teachers vaccinated...I don't understand why and how they're still running...without enforcement. I'm just saying...parents Dont send your child here

Great teachers/staff. It is apparent they care about the kids and work hard to be creative in their…read moreteaching methods. Awesome curriculum! My three year old has gotten to watch butterflies develop and now they are watching baby chicks hatch. I feel like LAP makes our lives easier instead of binding us by arbitrary rules like other preschools I looked into. Love the flexibility in schedule as sending my son four days a week makes it all much more affordable for us.

A wonderful pre school environment for young families! The teachers truly care about the kids.read more

I contacted the preschool while the director, Gail, was on vacation. Within 24 hrs, Gail contacted…read moreme from vacation & gave me detailed information about the school. The preschool has a small class size- 1 teacher & an assistant teacher for 6 kids which is perfect for my shy 2 year old. Gail has a great positive energy & you can tell the teachers adopt that attitude as well. Everyone is genuinely happy to be there & there is a warm atmosphere to the school. We do not have a Jewish background, but Adat Reyim does a great job educating the children & including all cultures in their curriculum. I am truly happy with the preschool, and my once shy 2 year old has really blossomed!!!

Absolutely love this place! Our daughter started when she was 4 years old and she learned so much…read moreso fast. Best decision we made to enroll her here. The staffs are always friendly, professional and courteous. Most importantly, this is a safe place for children to learn and the children are always being monitored/cared for (security is always important). The Principal is always paying close attention to who comes in and out of their building. The teachers won't release the children unless she sees the parents. Mrs Fell & Mrs Culpepper are amazing teachers & our child absolutely adores them! Two thumbs way up for this awesome Pre-School!!

Our daughter just started attending Ravensworth in the fall of 2015. She absolutely loves each and…read moreevery day she attends! The teachers are caring, patient and professional. The children get a well-rounded experience with activities such as art, music, field trips, recess and even yoga. In the short time that our daughter has been attending, she has developed leaps and bounds. I highly recommend Ravensworth PDO for anyone seeking an affordable, caring, nuturing and professional environment.