The Goddard School of Manhattan - Murray Hill — Local services in New York

After one month of being open, The Goddard School (Murray Hill) has met and exceeded our high expectations. The moment you first walk inside their location on Second Avenue, you can really see everything here is all about the children. From the safe, contemporary, and sparking clean facility itself, to the smiles and warm welcomes you get every day, to the engaged teachers and staff, and to the carefully thought out classroom toys, furniture, and activities, we recommend The Goddard School without hesitation!

We took several tours of other daycares in the area, and while we saw nice and clean facilities (for the most part!), classrooms we observed sometimes didn't have the correct (or advertised) teacher/child ratio, teachers were on their personal phones when they should be watching the kids, and daily activities lacked any real structure. Whether you have a 3-month old or a 4-year old, you can't really expect teachers to just "wing it" and let the children roll and romp around for 10+ hours every day. In addition to the varied (and standards-aligned) daily lesson plans, you can expect regular and detailed communication via the "Tadpoles" app. Through that interface, you'll get daily updates ranging from the obligatory feeding/diapering notes, to a recap of the daily activities, to some photo highlights of your child in action.

All of the above are reasons enough to consider The Goddard School, but there are two additional factors that made the biggest impression on us, and both are things you probably won't read about in their pamphlet, but rather things you'll immediately observe once you're here:

1 - The owner (Rami) is on site full time, involved, and passionate about delivering a top-notch experience for all students and staff under his roof. He responds quickly and acts appropriately and when needed when something is not absolutely perfect. Christina (director) and Candace (assistant director) are experienced, true professionals, and right there "in the trenches" with the kids whenever they can be.

2 - The staff here are equally as passionate about working with children. Even though each age group/classroom has their own set of teachers, teachers in the other classrooms will also get to know your child. It's easy to have a bias for your own kid, but if you take a careful look around, you'll quickly see the teachers here really know EVERY child.

For the amount you'll pay in NYC for daycare, you need to demand better, so if (like us), you find yourself shopping around in the Midtown East / Murray Hill area, really pay attention to the classrooms, the teachers, and the children inside. Read the parent handbook cover to cover, review the safety procedures, and look at their lesson plans. Ask questions of the directors, the teachers, and (if applicable) the owners.

Again, The Goddard School in Murray Hill has checked off all our boxes so I can wholeheartedly recommend them for your daycare needs. Kudos to all, and keep up...

We originally chose the Goddard School because of their covid procedures, way back in 2020-2021, that were very strict. Throughout then, till now, we have been beyond satisfied with their organization, safety protocols (protests, covid, etc.), food selections/variety/nutrition (organic, etc.), communication (frequency, methods and accuracy) and most importantly the teachers. The people and systems that really hold everything together to give the opportunity to forster fun and learning.

From Lowest Aged Classrooms - Ms. Victoria and Ms. Molly - both so kind, gentle and understanding, which at a younger age, really what kids need. They take note of important things like food intake, health, sign language, and even smaller (but life hack tips) items such as good sippy cups to use, etc.

Ms. Monica and Ms. Destiny - they had our (first) son at a very challenging age and really were his first teachers at Goddard. They worked with him to achieve so many milestones. He loves them both dearly! They were upbeat, so dedicated and really got him out of his shell (and may I add out of many bad moods)! We can never thank them enough!

Ms. Philena and Ms. Tiana - Both great teachers! Ms. Tiana is so sweet and caring. She keeps kids calm and speaks to them in such a way that they really open up to her. Mrs. Philena is also great, she speaks to the kids like little adults, and helps them to achieve milestones, such as staying dry after a nap, etc. She communicates (as she was the late night teacher) to the parents at pick up about the happenings of the day!

Ms. O and Ms. Nina - Ms. O is a model teacher - as she must be for the age she teaches is when they start to get a little "smart"! She is firm and challenges them (holds them accountable) as well as relates to them on a friend level. Ms. Nina is so warm! She knows the unseen things such as if they may have to use the bathroom, or if they are in any type of "mood." She gets to know each kid and treats them as if they were her own.

The administration really runs a tight ship - there is never a slip-up. Kellyanne, Yolanda, Sylvia and Emily they are all highly efficient whether it be getting the daily reports, communicating sicknesses/incidents, holidays, or crazy things that parents ask for like pictures of how big the chunks of food their kid are eating (guilty), or swiftly getting ....snacks or throw up off the floor (the sheer number of things that they handle I am sure I only know a small fraction). They basically are the neck to the (very heavy!) head.

We could not be happier about the quality of teachers at the Goddard School to entrust them with the foundational years of...

Our daughter has been with the Goddard School - Murray Hill for over a year and a half. We've had a wonderful experience with the school. She began at 1.5 years old and grew with the pre-toddler classroom (18-24months) with teachers who were warm, kind, and fun. They would play fun games, songs and activities throughout the day to enrich their little minds and help them grow. We loved using the app to see pictures and meal/potty updates. When our daughter turned 2, she transitioned to the toddler room with several other classmates. Having friends helped tremendously with the transition even though it was still an adjustment. The lead teachers Ms. Stephanie and Ms. Javon held several transition meetings with us to understand our daughter, her needs, and ways to best assist her. They are caring, loving, and fun teachers as well. Our daughter developed tremendously under their care. Ms. Emily and Ms. Kellyann as Directors were so wonderful and capable. They care about the kids, know what their needs are and know how to guide them properly. The facilities were modern and clean both indoor and outdoor play spaces. The curriculum is play-based and also educational. There were fun music and yoga classes offered weekly and extra in the summer time. Water play is always a hit. The only suggestion I have for the school is to consider language courses (Spanish, Mandarin, French) for families with second language needs. The detailed student reports are a couple times per year and demonstrate that the teachers care and are paying close attention to children development. We highly...