St Bartholomew’s School

I love love love the St. Bart’s EDP! Believe me, I couldn’t live without it. At least, I couldn’t work without it! :) Seriously, though, it is really the best thing for my daughter.
My daughter has always been in daycare because I need to work full time. When she was three, we moved into this neighborhood and lost our daycare at the same time. Luckily I found St. Bart’s school. (You can read my separate review of the school.) We enrolled our little girl, and a few weeks before she began I started a new job that required longer hours. It almost broke my heart thinking that my little girl would have to be at school for so long, and I was also really worried that I would have to make other arrangements to have my daughter picked up.
Well, no worries! I met Kathy Ott, the director of the EDP, and really grilled her about the EDP. She was so kind and really gave me the time and attention a nervous mom needs. She told me that the kids really like coming to EDP and showed me the rooms they would be in and all the toys and books and games. So the first day I took my daughter to before school care, my daughter was greeted warmly by Mrs. Ott and the other children. An older girl took my daughter under her wing and got Kiera involved in some kind of a game. I watched for a few minutes while talking to Mrs. Ott, then went to kiss my daughter goodbye and my little girl nearly pushed me out of the door! She also attended after-​school and loved being with the kids, having snack, and cried when I picked her up because she wanted to stay longer!
The EDP program is open from 7:00 am until 6:00 pm, and if you need earlier hours, they can be arranged. So I knew I wouldn’t have to make other arrangements.
Now fast forward to last year when I took a maternity leave with my son. I was so excited that I would be off for three months and could drop her off at the start of the school day and pick her up at the end of the school day because the «poor little girl had to spend so much time at after school.» Well, wasn’t I surprised when my daughter cried the first day I picked her up because she WANTED to go to after-​school! She loves it so much that she missed it and wanted me to leave her there.
Now she is in first grade, it is her fourth year at St. Bart’s, and she still loves the Extended Day Program. She does her homework, plays with her friends, and has a snack. When we get home, I just check her homework and sign her assignment notebook.
I just can’t say enough great things about it!
UPDATE: My daughter is now in second grade and still loves school! Our son will start in 2010, and he can’t wait. We are STILL THRILLED with the school and EDP!!!