Appletree Preschool - Westwood — Local services in Westwood

When we were visiting preschools for our then 5-month-old twin daughters, it didn't feel like any of them were a perfect fit until we visited Appletree Westwood. I had heard that this location was small and originally thought that would be a con. But when we visited, we realized we loved the fact that it is small. It feels "homey" in all the good senses of the word -- like our family is taking care of our kids. I was really impressed when we visited again for an event a week after our tour and Ms Kathy remembered which fraternal twin was which, and which one loves when you sing the vowels to her. Even many of our own family members didn't remember which twin was which at that time! Ms Kathy is a great combination of "professional teacher" and "maternal". I felt the kids would learn a lot and be in a caring environment. Each month Ms Ty creates fun artwork with the infants using their handprints and footprints (water based paint), which expands their sense of touch with the paint. I like that they do infant room group projects with jello and a colorful parachute. One of the reasons we decided on preschool instead of a nanny even at such a young age was because we wanted them to be in an environment where they explicitly think about educational play. Every time we pick up our daughters, all of the teachers take the time to give us an update and answer any questions we have on how our daughters are doing. Ms Hina also raises to us that one of our daughters was refusing the bottle when they first started and she had a great suggestion to temporary redirect the breast milk bottles to that one daughter to make sure she gets enough milk. I had thought it was the bottle that she was refusing so hadn't considered that but it turned out it was the formula (vs breastmilk). Their 6:30am to 7:00pm hours are also especially helpful for us since we work in Manhattan. We usually pick up our daughters by 6:30pm but the 30 minutes buffer is nice so we do not to feel stressed out when we encounter traffic on...

I highly recommend Appletree Preschool as a great place to send your children! My child has been attending this daycare for the past year and I couldn't be happier with the care and education they have received.

Ms. Allison, and amazing team are incredibly friendly and attentive to the needs of each child. They go above and beyond and I appreciate it. They have a great curriculum that includes a mix of learning and play, which keeps my child engaged and excited to go to school each day. There are times my child doesn't want to leave and ask to stay longer. I've spoken to parents who's kids went on to Kindergarten after Appletree and they were well prepared and ahead in most cases.

The facilities are clean, safe, and well-maintained. They have plenty of space for the children to play and learn and have an outdoor area that is nice. When dropping off and picking up my child we are greeted with warm welcoming smiles and laughs. We tried many schools one of thing that made this school stand out the most was the family feeling and caring environment. The other places we researched were cold and felt like your child would be treated like a product instead of a human. At Appletree, you can tell they love what they do and I want my child to be in the care of people who care and not placed on an assembly line.

The communication with the staff is excellent, they always keep me informed about my child's progress and any concerns they may have. They also send pictures and videos of my child throughout the day, which is a great way to stay connected and see what they are up to.

Overall, I highly recommend this daycare to any parent looking for a safe, nurturing, and educational environment for their child and not an assembly line. You can trust that your child will be well taken care of and loved at...

If I could rate this 100 stars I absolutely would! It is so scary to find/trust people to watch your child. However, this amazing gem is the school you want, where the teachers become an extension of you. They care for all children as if they are their own. The communication and accommodations are amazing. They are on top of the education and will definitely have your child prepared for Kindergarten when the time comes. They have extracurricular activities as well for those who choose to participate! By age 3 my son knew the days of the week, the months of year, the planets and the colors of the rainbow.

Additionally, my son has multiple food allergies and the way they handled every food situation was above and beyond. The attentiveness and care was exactly what I was looking for. Even if the food was clearly a safe food, they still contacted me, sent me pictures of the ingredients and asked if it was ok for him to either consume, or just play/build/create with. I felt very comfortable and safe leaving my child with them.

We unfortunately had to move out of state, and experiencing the different schools, there is just no comparison. Appletree's culture and care is not "average" and not easy to find. They made my son's last day incredibly special. We printed the picture of him with all his friends and hung it on the wall so he remembers this amazing time. If I could take the teachers and school with me all the way through 12th grade there would be no question! Any time any one asks me which preschool is the best, Appletree in Westwood will forever be...