Granada Park United Methodist Nursery School & Kindergarten

I have had a child enrolled at this school for the past three school years and have had a great experience with the staff and administration. The teachers are very patient and are willing partners with the parents in helping develop the academic and social skills of the kids. The staff were always very responsive to my questions. The class sizes are small and the kids receive a lot of individual attention. The Kindergarten program is fantastic with a very knowledgeable teacher. The playground facilities are great and the social activities are very fun for the kids. I am very grateful for the time and attention that the school gave my son, and I am now in the process of enrolling my younger son at this school for the upcoming school year. I would definitely recommend this school for anyone looking for a preschool or kindergarten program.

My son’s experience at this school was very disappointing. Coming from a family of educators (myself, my husband, my mother and both my in –laws) we all noticed that what we were observing was not typical for the preschool classroom. There was not a lot of creative hands on learning going on, music, movement or learning games. I observed a lot of dittos coming home which I was told was to get students ready for «common core» but being a teacher and knowledgable of the standards I know that common core at this age is all about explorative learning, which I just wasn’t seeing. My child’s teacher was also very grumpy and didn’t seem to know how to deal with the children’s behavior appropriately. At times she could be heard arguing back and forth with the students or answering them in a very snappy manner. It got to the point where my son did not want to go to school anymore. I asked for my son to switch teachers, but still didn’t see much improvement in the overall program or quality of education. At the end of the year on my son’s evaluation they wrote about all these behavior issues my son was supposedly having, but had never once notified me during the year. As a parent it is extremely important to know if your child is having issues so you can deal with them and help your child to grow. I felt completely blindsided by this. When I spoke to administration about this I was told it was a «flaw in their system» and was «unfortunately discovered at my child’s expense.» I was also told that they didn’t call home because some parents «see it as a form of harassment» and that I could have signed up for a conference. Why would I if I wasn’t aware there was ever a problem. In my nearly 10 years of teaching and calling home I have never once heard that it was «harassment». If a child is having a problem the parents want and deserve to know. Overall just not a good experience. For my next child I feel I need to be much more selective in choosing a preschool.

I’m very pleased with GPUMNSK. My daughter attended the school and my son currently is enrolled. I’ve looked at a lot of schools, and was very happy when I visited the school. Right away I knew this was the right school for us. The staff is patient, encouraging, understanding, loving, and treats each child as an individual. The curriculum really prepares these children to excel in school. My daughter’s first grade teacher always says my daughter is right on target, and I believe that is due to GPUMNSK for laying a great foundation for learning. The education is balanced with fun special events — a reptile show, petting zoo, whale watching, pony pictures with pony ride, just to name a few. The most important thing for me is that my child enjoys going to school to learn and socialize and enjoys seeing his teachers!

My son has been attending GPUMNSK for two years and has loved it from day one. He was not speaking a lot at age 3 when he started attending and after the first month his speech had dramatically improved and has continued to improve. The small class sizes really give him the opportunity for close teacher interaction which has been key to his successful learning and development. I highly recommend visiting the school and meeting the staff for yourself.