The Compass School

This has to be one of the best kept secrets in child care. I looked about 10+ schools and picked this one out of all of them. They have a heavy focus on art and music which is something that many of the different schools I looked at didn’t have. It is definitely not plain jane, all the kids art projects are proudly displayed in the common area and throughout the classes.
What really sealed the deal was when I said i wished I was a kid and could go here. Also my daughter showed interest in the kids in the classes. From being a stay at home mom to a working mom it made it easier knowing that this is really a cool place.
I get daily pictures of my kid doing things I would be hesitant to try (well only because I don’t want to clean up the mess).
Price wise they are up there but then again you get what you pay for.

My son had originally started preschool at one of the large chains in the area but was miserable. He cried every morning when I dropped him off and again every night knowing he had to go back the next morning. At only 4 he wasn’t able to accurately explain why he was unhappy there. He just said it was «a sad place». I immediately began looking for other schools and 2 of my coworkers suggested The Compass School. He was comfortable from day 1. He was there for most of 4^th year preschool and stayed the following year for their private kindergarten. He absolutely LOVED it there! As a boy with a birthday right around the age cutoff I didn’t think he was mature enough to enter public kindergarten at 4 (almost 5). Instead, after attending The Compass School’s kindergarten, I then put him in public kindergarten. Thanks to The Compass School he was academically ready for 1^st grade, but he was still just a little too immature socially. He just got back his PALS testing scores and he was off the charts! They shoot for a 28 in the Fall and my son got a 95! The Compass School really got him off to a great start for public school! My younger son will definitely be going there for preschool as well next year!

Our son started attending The Compass School at 13 weeks. As new parents, we were apprehensive about anyone but us taking care of him. After the first day, there was little question that he was being watch over better than we could have imagined. During the 12 months he spent in the infant program, he thrived. In addition to the expected activities like learning to sit up, crawl, and walk, he participated in art class, water play, and so many other sensory learning sessions.
Now, he is in the toddler program and is thriving even more. Art class, music class, Spanish class, free play, water play, story time, and «morning meetings» are just a few of the weekly activities in this program. Each month they do an activity theme. This past month it was textures. It was amazing the different textures the teachers came up with.
One of the highlights of our day is receiving the daily email from his teachers. Each day, we receive a document that shares with us what they did that day and a picture of each child. Another wonderful form of communication is the journal. Each child has a journal that is used to communicate between parent and teacher. They explain the activities our son participated in, provides fun descriptions of him, and lots of pictures. We look forward to sharing with him these journals as he grows up. It’s an amazing way to document his younger years.
We could have never imagine having such wonderful programs for him to be in each day. The teachers are extraordinary. They are kind, patient, and caring. The school staff is incredible. You aren’t just a face and a check. WE ARE PART OF THE FAMILY. The Compass School was recommended to us and we have recommended it to many friends. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM TO YOU.

I was turned off by the Director. I can’t really tell you why. Although I am an «upper middle class» individual I didn’t want my kid only around kids of our economic «class.» So — I was looking for more economic diversity than The Compass School had to offer. But if that isn’t important to you — the place looked nice, staff were professional etc. The philosophy was also something I liked but wasn’t sure it was right for my kid.

Our experience at Compass School was pretty darn good. In retrospect, I think MUCH depends on the teachers your child is assigned to. Some are more creative than others; some are more active than others, etc. That’s life. We spent a full year at this school before leaving for a new summer camp that offered more outgoing summer programming for 4 year olds and will also transport to our child’s public elem. school for before– and/​or after-​school care.
I believe creative minds flourish at this school. Communication of your child’s daily routine and development is superior, but I would advise parents to take time to nurture a parent-​teacher relationship.
No regrets. We had an awesome experience. 4 stars instead of 5 because there are areas that could use improvement… I hated to see the large trash cans over flowing in the afternoon and I would often cringe at the state of the restrooms.
The few times I brought up issues to the director (RB), she acted quite quickly to improve the situation. Online, I’ve seen much criticism of her but I think it is important to remember that she is pulled in many directions and works to satisfy the needs of all of the staff, all of the parents, all of the kids, her bosses, and the facility — she even shovels snow when needed! She was always very courteous to and considerate of us.