The Goddard School

Sending our daughter to this school was one of the best decisions we have ever made.
Upon first moving to Manhattan, we visited Goddard. We liked the school but we decided to send her to a different school on 96^th and Columbus it was a HUGE MISTAKE!!! Our family and child suffered greatly.
Once we made the move to Goddard, everything changed. Our daughter grew both socially and academically, our family felt at ease knowing that she was in such a wonderful place with knowledgeable and caring teachers. We were thrilled with our entire experience and highly recommend it to all of our family and friends.

I did not have a good experience with the school representative. In addition and in aggravation someone attempted to silence my review.

We send both our children to this school and have for over two years. I can’t recommend it enough. I have been nothing but impressed by the staff, both administrative and the teachers, who have gone above and beyond to not only challenge both children to learn and grow, but also be my eyes and ears when I’m not with them. Sandra, Dr. Bill Swan, and the teachers are always available to discuss any questions I have and I’ve found that my daughter’s progress is monitored closely; our quarterly meetings with her teachers are always thorough and thoughtful. With all the preschool options in the UWS, I am so happy that we decided to send our children to Goddard and would recommend it to any other parents in the neighborhood looking for a warm and academically challenging environment for their preschooler.

My husband and I were planning on sending our child to the Goddard school on 93^rd Street & Broadway (because it is very close to where we live, and we liked the tour). We really enjoyed meeting the staff and the owner seemed absolutely wonderful. Our child was accepted to start in July. I submitted the paperwork the day after including the check for the non-​refundable deposit. A few hours after I submitted the paperwork and check, I received a phone call from another daycare stating that our child would be able to start attending there in July. We had not expected that a spot would open there, because it is a daycare which is partially sponsored by my husband’s employer and it is in high demand. Anyway, I called Goddard the day after I submitted the paperwork. Bill Swan picked up since the school was closed because of some holiday. I explained the situation and told Dr. Swan that we would no longer be sending our baby there. He said that he was holding my paperwork in his hand and that the checks had not yet been deposited. I asked him if it were possible at all not to deposit them, and he promised me he wouldn’t deposit them (even though it was his legal right to do so). However, on Monday the check was deposited and the money gone from our bank account. We emailed a few times back and forth and he denied having promised not to deposit the check. We understand that he was within his legal right to deposit the checks. However, we were sorely disappointed from an ethical perspective after Dr. Swan had assured us the checks would not be deposited.

The Goddard School should be considered the benchmark in child learning and development. Goddard was not my family’s first experience with young child education. My son started out at another school which was woefully understaffed, lacked basic administrative communication with families and treated their teachers with little-​to-​no respect. When looking at the many options that Manhattan has to offer, we concentrated our search to find a place where 1) the academics speak for themselves, 2) the school administration is engaged with families and their teachers, offering support on all levels and 3) treat their teachers as family and encourage them to bring their unique offerings into the classroom. This is not an easy task and it was a search that took many months and was guided by an educational consultant. After our first tour and meeting with Bill (the owner), we were sold. Every activity that is planned for the various classrooms is rooted in learning. Even free play at the water table or with play dough has an educational lesson behind it, whether it be learning about the different stages water can take in the atmosphere or the letters my son cuts out in his play dough. I may not be in the classroom with my son every moment of the day, however, I know he is learning when he can tell me that the cold air will bring snow. He is not yet 3.
As engaged as my son is in his classroom what I find to be one of the best aspects of our experience at Goddard is the availability and direct communication the parents can have with the administration. Sandra, the director, is available to parents at any time of the day, without an appointment. To say this is unusual is an understatement. Sandra has guided my family step by step through potty training, preparing for a sibling’s arrival amongst the many other daily ups and downs one has with a toddler. She is professional, loving and truly wants what is best for your child and your family.
The teachers are incredible. Although we have had limited experience as my son is still in the younger classrooms, our head teacher has a Master’s degree and a passion for children that makes me envious. These are the people you trust with your children every day to feel safe, nurtured and to help them grow into the best they can be. It is quite sad to me that some parents feel that it is the school and teachers’ job to be the educational endpoint for their child (ren). Learning and teaching do not start and end with a school. It should start and end at home. We are the first teachers our children look to especially when it comes time to start preparing for kindergarten and beyond. Learning your ABC’s, I23’s and colors can happen (shockingly) outside of a classroom. They can be learned (and enforced) on the way to school, at dinner, during bath time or while reading a book.
We love the Goddard School and know that there are many, many, MANY other families that share our excitement.