Reviews of Garden Nursery School (Kindergarten)

Kristin Lauricella

What a special little program! Both our son and daughter attended GNS and we could not have been happier. Garden Nursery School's wonderful program fosters a love of learning through exploration and socialization in a safe, supportive, and encouraging environment. So thankful we were able to attend!

Merrill B. Lamont III

we're coming back next year! "PLAY is the 'work' of being a child" - that quote plus the focus on emotional-social development is what brought us - you can tell the staff are made for what they do - my 3yo daughter is having fun - it's actually a community for parents, too

Cam Firouzbakht

A wonderful wonderful school! I can't rave enough. The teachers are excellent, and the coop is a great way to be involved in your children's school life and community. The curriculum is play-based, and there's a real emphasis on social emotional development which provides the critical foundation upon which everything else is built. We'd stay for another year if they had kindergarten, and we will be sad to have to leave!

Aaron Tyler

Outstanding experience for our 2.5 year old. A special place.

Ellenor Barish

We have loved our time at GNS. The staff is highly skilled, compassionate and passionate about their work with our families. They encourage each child to explore and develop their personal interests and to share their experiences with their classmates. GNS is a place where children bloom. And as Parent Helpers we get to witness and participate in the process in a unique way. Plus - it’s easy to get there via public transportation.

Katie Brillantes

We LOVE Garden Nursery School! My first 2 kids went to another pre-school as GNS was oversubscribed and we didn't win the lottery. My third finally got in and we couldn't be happier. It is a truly unique place where children and families form a community and share in the joy of each child's growth. The curriculum is child-lead and really evolves based on the interests of the group. My son's class decided to do all things train related for awhile and now they are running a restaurant (making menus, drawing play money, etc..). Since the ideas come from the kids, they are very engaged and take ownership over their projects. Another focus of GNS is to help children build their social / emotional skills. My son receives individual attention from the teachers everyday and they have really taken the time to get to know him. He had a hard time with separation at the beginning and the teachers helped him feel safe and comfortable in the most kind and nurturing way. Now he loves to go to school and happily waves from the "goodbye window" everyday. So grateful for such a wonderful start to school for my son. Couldn't recommend GNS more.

Rachael Elliott

Our kids love going to Garden Nursery School, and we love the school's focus on play, respect, kindness, and communication. It's been an amazing year of growth for both of our kids, and especially the social and communication advances that we've seen in our son this year...we credit the teachers for their loving consistency, patience, and amazing care for each individual child in the school. Given the intimate size of the school and teacher-to-child ratio, we expected our kids would get lots of attention and guidance. (That was the case!) What surprised me was how impactful the cooperative aspect is at GNS: parents take turns helping out alongside teachers in the classroom, so we develop bonds with all of the children, in addition to the pleasure of seeing our own kids at play. Not to mention the respect I've gained for the many other parents who help keep the school running through volunteering their expertise in many fields. As a result, the sense of community at the school is vibrant and thriving. The school director and teachers are outstanding, and are clearly invested in creating a respectful environment among all of the children. Each day, our kids had opportunities to develop their social skills, language acquisition, fine and gross motor skills, etc. through creative play, problem solving, stories, dance party, and songs. When confronted with conflicts between students, the teachers help the children deal with their 'big feelings' by putting them into words and making a plan for how to move forward. They are attentive to the various and varied needs of each child in the classroom. After one year at Garden Nursery School, we can better understand what makes this place so fabulous. It was a poignant goodbye in June to the kids who are moving or entering school, and our younger one is so excited to return come September!

Genevieve Wolfe

Two years at Garden Nursery School, an idyllic first school experience for young children and parents alike, goes far too quickly! The teachers are true masters of their craft: warm, professional, calm, experienced and thoroughly engaged. Children feel safe and respected; they learn how to navigate school routines, care for themselves and their friends and discover the wonder of learning though exploration and investigation. Our daughter has now moved on to a large PreK-8 school. I am amazed at how ready (and happy!) she was for so much newness. I attribute all of this to the start that she had at Garden Nursery School.

Justin Shatraw

Great great great parent co-op nursery school for 3 and 4 year olds.

Christine Ermgassen

I'm a teacher and mom to 4, who due to multiple moves has had experience in 5 different preschools. GNS lies by far closest to our hearts. It has a fantastic parent community and a supportive, inclusive learning environment with play at its core in which kids thrive. We loved the part time programme as well as it gave our children a chance to learn social skills and become school ready while still giving them time to free play and explore at home. It was the perfect balance for us. I really can't recommend this school enough!

Christa Griest

An incredible, "nest" of a first preschool experience. I cannot say enough about the quality of the teachers, the director, and the experience of the kids there. This is a truly child-centered school, from before the child even begins their first day. For example, I was incredibly impressed by the detailed GNS Welcome Book given to each student to take home, well before they began their first day. It included pictures and descriptions of their teachers, the classroom space, their cubbies, along with an explanation of what the day would be like, where things are, etc. The fact that they created this book spoke volumes to me! They really get the 3-5 set and in return, the kids ADORE it there. My 3yo talks incessantly about her teachers, her friends and complains every day that isn't a "preschool day." The structure and nurturing environment have been everything we could have wanted in choosing a school. So thoroughly happy here.

Meg Vadakekalam

We can't say enough about how much we love GNS! It has been such a warm, supportive, empowering environment for our shy daughter. Since she started in the fall, we have watched her grow more confident every week and she is always so excited to go to school and play with her friends. The teachers and director are amazing and so dedicated, and the cooperative structure allows us to be an active part of the school community, which is so great for our daughter as well as ourselves. We highly recommend this wonderful school!

Daniel Wendel

I cannot imagine a more perfect first introduction to "school" than Garden Nursery School. My son found a second home at GNS where he was loved, understood, and valued for who he is. And that was true of each of his friends here, too. My son is now in a kindergarten program he loves at a Montessori school in Cambridge, so it's been 8 months since we left GNS, but when we went back to visit for "Alumni Day" last weekend, he absolutely glowed with joy. All of the friends who returned for a visit picked up right where they had left off, and, due to the community that developed from the co-op structure and "parent helping", the parents were really excited to catch up too! It is hard to identify exactly what it is that makes GNS so special, because it is a combination of so many things working together. But here are a few things that stand out: - Parent helping means that I got to know (and really care for!) the other kids in the class, beyond the caricatures that come from first impressions. In other schools I would have noticed the rambunctious kid at drop-off who was making my son feel a little intimidated. But at GNS, I helped to comfort that boy when he was crying because of how much he missed his daddy, and I learned that his heart was even bigger than his energy as he made the extra effort to invite my son into his games and activities. Perhaps it was the good influence of the teachers, or just that all the kids were all abnormally awesome, but I came to know and care for all of the children, and I know the other parents similarly care for my son. - The teachers treat the children with constant love, respect, and delight. I learned a tremendous amount about parenting by watching them! Everything from acknowledging and accepting "big feelings" to sharing in the awe of what a butterfly wing looks like under a magnifying glass let the children know that they were known, valued, and safe. - The play-based curriculum ("play is kids' work!") is wonderful. One thing my wife and I noticed when visiting other preschools was that in most places, our arrival caused some disturbance in the class, and typically several children would come talk to us or want to play with us, often competing for our attention. But when we visited GNS, we were struck with how unimportant our visit seemed! We certainly felt a warmth and happiness in the air, but there was also a sense of security and purpose that was lacking in our visits elsewhere. I described it to my wife as "this picture isn't going to color itself!" and "these cars aren't going to drive themselves!". It was as if each of them felt they were contributing something to the world in their play, whereas in other schools the children were just biding their time until they got to go home again. My predominant feeling when reflecting back on our experience at GNS is one of gratitude. We really struggled with our decisions about childcare and preschool, and ultimately felt like we were just kind of guessing and hoping for the best. So I'm extremely grateful that we got to be a part of something so wonderful. I wish that every preschooler could have the experience my son had.

Angelika Makkas

Excellent school for our 3 year old. He’s learning and growing so much but most importantly he’s becoming an empathetic kind person. Highly recommended.

Buffey Anchordoqui

Our son loves it here. We love the cooperative aspect, has given us a community of parents to befriend and share time with. The play based core is wonderful. Our son has learned so much socially and how to be a part of school in a fun and engaged manner. The teachers are very caring and involved. A great foundation for the future!!

Michael Volles

Our daughter attended GNS 4s class during 2016-2017 as her first real school experience. We were extremely happy with the school for many reasons. First and foremost, both of the teachers Tracilee and Liza are exceptional- engaged, flexible, understanding, kind, and dedicated to the kids. They are real pros and helped us numerous times to gently put our daughter at ease (and ourselves), and they helped her transition, grow, and make friends in a new, away from home environment. Not a simple task. We also found the other families to be very positive and supportive of the school and all the kids, which also makes a difference in creating a warm environment. The play based curriculum is creatively constructed, follows the kids' interests, and we observed that the kids were almost always engaged and excited to be there. Overall, GNS really exceeded any expectations we had- it could not have been a better experience and foundation for moving on to Kindergarten, and we recommend, support, and endorse it in the strongest possible terms!

Mathias Neuber

GNS has been a great experience for both us and the kids. The kids love the time that they spend at the school. They love going there and talk enthusiastically about their day and the their teachers and friends. The focus of the school on learning through play and preparing them socially for kindergarten. The teachers are amazing with children this age--as parents, we have learned many tips and tricks from the teachers on raising our children. As a co-op, GNS actively involves the parents in their child's learning and development. We are asked to participate in the classroom a few times during the year which helps us understand how our children interact in environments outside of the home and family. We could not think of a better place for nursery schools.

Rianna Keegan

My daughter loved her time at GNS. We feel lucky to have been a part of such a wonderful and supportive community! We are still close with many former classmates and teachers. I would strongly recommend this school to anyone looking for creative, project based learning for their child.

Katy Downey

Our daughter had an exceptional experience at GNS. We chose the school for its part-time schedule (which we felt was developmentally appropriate for our daughter), the school’s caring and dedicated teachers, and the creative and playful approach to early learning. As it turned out, the parent community and involvement was an amazing bonus to the experience. We can’t recommend GNS highly enough!

Amanda VanVleck

We had the privilege of spending 3 phenomenal years as part of the Garden Nursery family. The amazing teachers and director have created a safe and nurturing environment where each individual child is gifted the space and time and rich experiences to allow for extraordinary growth - both social/emotional and academic. My son lost both of his grandparents during his time at Garden Nursery and their long illnesses consumed our home life, but GNS offered him consistency, predictability and the warmest home away from home during these difficult years. I would recommend this school to anyone looking for a "just right" school experience en route to Kindergarten - there are 2-day, 3-day and 5-day programs. (Our son is thriving in Kindergarten now and I owe his confidence and willingness to take risks and his inclusive instincts to his amazing experience at Garden Nursery School.)

Phaea Crede

Simply the best possible preschool experience for any child, no matter their needs. Our son just graduated and we couldn't be happier with our two years in this magical place.

Jeff Rawson

GNS is truly a top-notch place! Our two kids are excited to go every morning, and come home with stories of unique activities from each day. The kids are so enthusiastic for their nursery school that they proudly wear their GNS t-shirts around town. The teachers work diligently, far above the minimum, to plan enriching activities for the kids, and they clearly implement the science of early childhood development into their practices. GNS is far more than a daycare, and will foster your child's emotional, intellectual, and social development. We've also enjoyed the expectation of parental participation; it's given us a chance to be involved with our kids at the school, to spend more time in the space and with the teachers, and bonded us with a community of other local parents.

Kristen Kimmel

We can't say enough about our daughter's experience at Garden Nursery School! Let's just say that she begged to go school every day. The teachers are extraordinary and truly know all of the children. Our daughter made lasting friendships that were developed through play, play and more play. The children at GNS are encouraged to do what comes naturally to them -- play. What developed from that was truly beautiful and must be cherished at these tender ages. We highly recommend this nursery school! GNS is the kind of place where after we dropped our daughter off in the morning, we had complete and total confidence in what was happening at school.

Deidre Deegan

An incredible school with the best teachers and community spirit. Our daughter attended for two years, and is now in Kindergarten. She's more than well prepared and so confident and socially/emotionally more than ready, in no small part thanks to GNS. We really miss the school and teachers! The philosophy is to focus on social emotional as the foundation, with everything else branching and building from there. Science, math and early literacy are baked into the activities, though all our daughter knew was cozy, fun, friends. The parents are really involved, a wonderful built in community and nest type experience for the start of school -/ this is what preschool should be!

Rebecca Joyce

This is an amazing preschool. The teachers are incredibly warm and caring. You feel an instant bond with everyone at this school. We love this school, such a great start to lifelong learning!