The Goddard School

We feel blessed to have found the Goddard School. Our daughters both started in the infant room and have moved their way up through each classroom. It has been fun to see them develop under the care and instruction of some truly amazing teachers and staff. Our oldest is now in first grade and had a smooth transition into kindergarten last year. Teachers remarked at how well prepared she was; a true testament to her time at Goddard. The staff is approachable, accommodating and considerate. Shauna, Brittany, Debbie, Tina and the entire staff work incredibly hard to foster a sense of community within the school. Our girls have thrived at the Goddard School. We couldn’t be happier with our choice. — Kimberly D.

We unfortunately do not have the best experience with this daycare after a couple of years being here.
I want to first make clear that every child is different and requires care based on their needs. I think it is unfortunate that this business was unable to be flexible enough to support the needs of my stepson. You have to make sure the daycare is willing to work with an array of personalities and this location didn’t seem prepared to do so. If a child isn’t passive or docile it appears they don’t have the means to manage them.
We were told he was problematic and needed therapy. He was too physical, couldn’t sit still, and didn’t listen well enough. He was even disciplined for being too imaginative as a superhero with displaying actions they deemed unacceptable (really?)
We moved him to a new daycare in redmond and what a difference we found. They welcomed his energy and need for physical attention and activity. He’s thriving in his new school. The grad school instructors, who might I add have actual degrees in child care, have all worked with him wonderfully. It’s frustrating to hear they also agree that his learning was hindered previously because of the inability of the previous caregivers to provide an adequate environment for him.
Not all children should have to sit at 4 years old all day, be expected to do academics, and not be anxious when their bodies are meant to move.
We also discovered that he needs glasses which impacted his learning with academics. Something that the new school acknowledged and welcomed without previous criticism to his capabilities.
I’m upset because he was met with hostility as the staff wasn’t trained or accredited for proper child care and he was the victim. I hope other children don’t feel alienated because they are… children.

You know you have found a gem of a place when your kids grow attached to their teachers and the staff. For several years we have been a part of the Goddard family. With all of our kids we have been blessed to know they are being well taken care of in a safe, loving and fun environment. Safety is a priority with double security measures just to get into the front door. Detailed daily reports with pictures and videos is such a neat way to stay connected with what your child is doing during the day.

This place is the cats pajamas! It’s always has a great atmosphere when I walk in and I trust the teachers and staffs advice. They even listened to my stories and jokes… well sometimes. Can’t win em all I guess.
The owner showed us around before we made the decision to enroll our Lumberjack-​In-​Training there, and I figured she would give us a very sanitized, tell us what we want to hear type of thing, but that was not the case. She was AWESOME and answered some tough questions and it was easy to see she would have our child’s best interest at heart. A few of the places we looked at gave the impression children would be kept in a hermetically sealed bubble, but Goddard lets them explore their rooms and go outside (w/​o any obvious hazards to their safety of course!)
The kiddo loves his teachers and its great to see they are able to motivate him to be independent and well-​rounded. His emotional maturity is off the charts! (I think.) The infant kiddos get to paint and my little whippersnapper is already better than me! Though to be fair, I can barely color inside the lines and the last paint by numbers book I received ended up in the shredder. But I digress.
Is this place way out of my way? Yes. Is it slightly expensive? Yes, but what daycare isn’t and you get what you pay for. This place is worth the extra commute and every penny. Some parents want their kid to be the next Einstein, Elon Musk or Russel Wilson. Goddard realizes not everyone will turn out to be the next Bruce Springsteen, but you can bet your sweet alligator that they will help your mini-​me be well-​rounded and capable of performing at the best of their ability.
PS. You get/​politely asked to wear crocs when you go in the baby room. I personally think Mario Batali is on to something. I feel like I could, in total comfort, fight crime every time I slip those bad boys on.

I have to agree with the previous reviewers– our family is a big fan of the Goddard School in Redmond Ridge. Both of our daughters (ages 2 and 4 currently) have been attending for the last year. We have found each of their teachers to be interactive, good at setting boundaries, and very involved in our daughters’ learning. No matter what time of day we are there for dropoff/​pickup, the kids are constantly engaged in activities (from painting to crafts to reading in circle time), and aren’t just sitting around doing their own thing. The curriculum is highly structured, and my daughters come home all the time telling me about the new things they learned that day.
The owner, Shawna, and her management team are very hands-​on. They know each of the families, and communicate with us regularly through email to let us know the monthly calendar, the snack menu, upcoming events, etc. They have at least one event at school every month, which gives us the opportunity to meet other parents, talk to the teachers more informally, and learn more about the «extras» that Goddard offers (like their music program, computer program, etc.). We feel that our children have thrived at Goddard, and I have recommended them to several parents. They are a little more expensive than other options in Redmond, but the quality of interaction, cleanliness, and activities/​learning experiences offered certainly make up for it. In this case, you definitely get what you pay for.
If you’re looking for a place for your children, you should absolutely meet with the Goddard staff and do a tour. You won’t be disappointed.

Like mano a., we LOVE the Goddard School at Redmond Ridge as well. Our kids have been in Ms. Fefe’s, Ms. Jessica’s and Ms. Lisbet’s classrooms and they loved all of their teachers.
The teachers are very caring and loving and work very hard to make sure the kids are involved in activities, participating and having fun while learning. It’s a fun environment and the teachers become part of your family because they care about your child as much as you care about them. The kids are learning, but it’s learning through activities that are fun for them.
The owners are fantastic. There is an open door policy so that parents can talk to the owners at any time. Owners, directors and staff are approachable and they love kids. They are engaged. Communication (email, flyers, daily reports, newsletters) is constant. As a parent, you always know what is going on (unless you don’t read your email, flyers, daily reports and newsletters).
What we love about the school is that it is a healthy, clean, loving and caring and educational environment. My kids did not want to come home at the end of the school day! They want to go to school on the weekends! What?! It’s true.
What I really like about Goddard is that they really help the kids with learning social skills so that they can interact appropriately and constructively with their peers. They teach the kids to have respect for others, to wait their turn, to care for one another, and teach them conflict resolution. This is important to me, because our oldest son went to a Montessori preschool in the area (there was no Goddard School at the time) and did not learn any social skills there. While he excelled in the Montessori environment and still excels academically as a highly capable student, the Montessori classroom did not help him with interacting and coping with his peers. He still struggles with this today.
When we moved up to WA over 7 years ago, we looked at a variety of area preschools for our oldest son, who is now 11 yrs old. We called and toured close to 20 schools in the greater Eastside. I can tell you that there is no better facility than the Goddard School at Redmond Ridge. If you don’t believe me, you can do your own research and spend countless hours speaking to school directors and touring the different schools. You will come to the same conclusion. It is worth your while to get on the Goddard School waiting list. It is also worth your while to nag the owners if you are on the waiting list to ask them when space will be available. Sometimes you will get lucky and will have called in when a parent just gave them notice because they are leaving the school/​area or the staff has transitioned a child to the next level classroom. I know this because it is what I did. We were on the waiting list for 7 months and I called at least every 3 weeks to check to see when a space would be available. I knew I was an annoying nag, but all I cared about was making sure my son got enrolled. Squeaky wheel gets the grease. We got lucky and I am very grateful that my 2 younger kids are now Goddard School graduates.
If you have any questions, please private message me via Unilocal and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.