Upon signing my son up for daycare at Goddard we received a warm welcome from the owner stating, "Welcome to the Goddard family!" From that moment on everything at Goddard felt truly like family. Mamta, the owner is involved, Gretchen, the director, is warm and responsive, and every day we felt good about sending our son. As a new school, they are taking painstaking measures to open slowly and carefully and to ensure the best possible experience for their families.
We tried a different daycare prior to Goddard, and it was always a fight to get our son out the door. It wasn't difficult to get him to go to school at Goddard, and every day when we'd ask how his day went he'd smile and say, "good!"
He talked warmly about his teachers and his friends, and matured immensely (both emotionally and intellectually). He enjoyed Goddard so much that he often wanted to continue to "play school" at home and would have us pretend to be his teachers.
In our experience, the most important factors in a daycare/early education setting are the following:
1. Environment: Goddard's environment is unparalleled. The building is newly remodeled, and as such, everything is immaculately clean and new. The classrooms are organized and have a simple Montessori-style organization. Toys and rooms are sanitized with state-of-the-art equipment.
2. Safety: check in at the door is via facial recognition software. During COVID precautions, my child was brought to the front door by either the owner or director. The play area is fenced in, has a sun canopy, and a soft flooring that helps cushion toddler falls. My son has a peanut allergy, and every precaution was taken to ensure his safety. Any time there was even a question regarding allergy safety, the owner and/or director would call personally.
3. Education: the lesson planning at Goddard is impressive. I am a high school teacher, and the plans shared with parents (via the Tadpoles app) each day met my high standards. They are aligned and rigorous while also being age-appropriate. The kids have the opportunity at Goddard to learn through play and to be children while learning at the same time.
4. Relationships: the teachers and administrators here are incredibly warm and caring. I felt that my son was valued and respected every day. He genuinely loved the people he interacted with daily.
When my son was ripping into every toy imaginable during our introductory tour, Mamta, the owner, handled the situation so gracefully and simply said something to the effect of, "it's their school. We're just here to run it." This is absolutely how the school seems to be run--with the kids at the heart of everything. There's not much more you could ask for in a daycare setting.
My son is currently home with me since I have a new baby, but after his experience there from January to June, without a doubt they will both be attending Goddard when I return to work.
The Carlisle Goddard family have my highest recommendation. read more