Sunrise Preschool

Searching for the right school for your children is a difficult choice. My experiences over the years have been superb. The teachers have all been there for many years with low turnover rates. The classes sizes are about 12 – 20, it increases with grade level, and teacher/​student ratio is low. I love that the kids bring home projects and artwork daily. They sing, read books, and play outside on a covered playground daily. They truly care about the kids, both emotional and academic performance. My child is very prepared for kindergarten and has met some great friends at the school. The teachers will also help potty train your kids which was so helpful for me. Finally the director is amazing and greets you with a smile everyday, it is so refreshing. All of the staff are fantastic, schedule a tour with Sunrise to see if it’s a right fit for your family.

Sunrise has been an absolutely wonderful place for my two boys. We came to Sunrise after hearing about it from a family friend and I feel so fortunate that we were lead here. To begin, the facility is impeccable. Large and clean classrooms and bathrooms, plus a wonderful playground that is safe and well maintained. Next, the staff is hands down the best around. The majority of the teachers and classroom aids have been there for over a decade and it is so apparent that they love what they do. A few things that I think really sets this school apart is that they take the health of our kids very seriously. Food allergies are not brushed off or ignored but each classroom has strong established rules to make sure everyone is safe. If a child comes down with a contagious virus beyond the normal cold, families are informed! It is a reality with preschoolers that they get sick and instead of allowing it to spread like wildfire, we are notified so we can be on the lookout if our child comes down with symptoms. There is also no «fundraising» so what you see is what you get with tuition and they also have great options for extended hours. For our family, we love and appreciate that they are also providing our kids with a solid Christian foundation. All of the teachers my boys have had always stressed the importance of making good choices and having a big heart that is filled with God’s Love. Lastly, our oldest son, who is now in 1^st grade, was so well prepared for kindergarten. The Advanced Pre-​K program is exceptional and truly prepares your child for the higher demands that kindergarten requires. If your goal for a preschool is to mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually prepare your child for kindergarten… then this is definitely the place.

I can’t say enough good things about this school. This will be my son’s third year at Sunrise Preschool. My son likes the school so much I ended up signing him up for summer school. His first year was great and he was behind in potty training and talking. Both of these skills excelled during the year at Sunrise. The teachers are great with helping potty train and since the kids are seeing their friends learn they are excited to learn as well. His vocabulary just took off during his first year. In the two year old class I believe the ration is about 15 students to 3 teachers. ALL of the teachers at Sunrise are so caring and outgoing. Teachers are always smiling, parents are so outgoing and friendly, and the staff is amazingly sincere and helpful.
My son’s second year at Sunrise was truly a blessing. He had a VERY special group of teachers that kids are so lucky to have and as a parent you truly hope they will have. Again, the ratio is about 20 students to 3 teachers. In the three year old class they like the kids to be potty trained but will help with any situations that arise. They help the kids wash their hands when they arrive and before lunch, that is what I saw when I dropped him off and picked him up. During the three year class, the kids learn to write the alphabet, count, say the alphabet, colors, shapes and that is just the tip of the iceberg.
I love how the school has familiar kid songs playing throughout the playground. It really makes the atmosphere of the school friendly and welcoming. My son gets so excited when it’s one of his favorite songs playing. Sometimes I get there a little early to pick him up and I can watch what is going on in the room through the window in the hallway. I always see the kids so excited playing with a number of different toys, I see teachers sitting on the carpet playing with the kids, I see organized playing (kids aren’t running around wild, they aren’t throwing things, they are sharing, and playing nicely with their friends and the teachers).
My son missed school one day because he was sick and I LOVED that the teacher called to make sure he was okay. That is such a personal touch to make the parents and child feel like they are cared for. As a parent I know each teacher, staff member, and other parents very much and genuinely care for each student, parent, and family that attends Sunrise Preschool.
I am super excited to see what his final year has to offer. I also have a 7 month old who I am looking forward to enrolling at Sunrise. (I’m so excited that I can continue to be a Sunrise mommy for another 3 years!!!)
Thank you Sunrise for doing a great job!
PS Sunrise has a new director who is absolutely a gem to the program.

Both my daughters attend this school currently and one is moving onto Kindergarten. I can write a book about all the amazing things about the school. The most important thing as a parent is for your child to love their teacher, environment, and education. Both my kids LOVE to come to school every day and even ask to stay. After interacting with the teachers and the rest of staff, I realize that they genuinely care about the kids and provide a healthy curriculum. As my first daughter is moving on to Kindergarten the genuine, I am going to miss your daughter comes true their hard work and dedication. As I said before, I can go into the details, but I came here based on reference, and I would be glad to refer anyone to this preschool. Definitely 5 stars!

My son has been attending Sunrise for 2 years, he loves it, runs in everyday! the teachers are very caring, when my son when home sick his teacher called later that day to check in and see how he was feeling. The school material is age appropriate and he’s learning a lot.

My son attended Attended Sunrise and Oneonta coop nursery school for the month of September (I missed the deadline for the tuition reimbursement when I decided to switch preschools). By the second week, my son clearly preferred Oneonta Preschool. His exact words were «I don’t like to go to Sunrise because it’s hard to find friends and the teachers only talk to you a little bit, at Oneonta I have lots of friends and the teacher talks to me a lot.»
He would cry every time I told him it was a Sunrise preschool day. His crying concerned me because he’s such a social butterfly and makes friends where ever he goes. I really feel like his emotional needs were not met here. When I brought it up to the teacher, she was kind of dismissive which irked me. I have a degree in child development so I almost felt like she didn’t understand the emotional needs of a child feeling insecure about his environment.
I don’t think they had the means to give the children more individualized attention because the teacher child ratio is way too high. I believe it’s 18 students and 1 teacher and 1 teacher’s assistant.
On a positive note, this facility was very clean, safe, and organized.
This is a very «commercial» type of preschool. They have childrens music playing outdoors and indoors (which seems to more «background noise» than purposeful music), they color dittos, and do crafts… I just want more for my child… I want a school that nurtures the creativity in my child. If you are a parent who thinks socio-​emotional development is just as important as cognitive development, this may not be the school for you.

My son went to preschool here 9 yrs ago and my daughter 2 yrs ago. Both spent two years here.
My initial observation was that teachers were so strict and the children seemed like they little lemmings. Boy was I ever wrong!
They do strictly enforce a routine in the classroom but these teachers are all very loving.
Both my kids were very shy and it’s very easy for them to disappear into the background. However, the teachers have always worked on having a connection with the children.
These teachers aren’t paid welt to do what they do. They are there because of their love for children.
The school is clean and very organized. No fundraisers at this school! They make the tuition fit everything they need. In my opinion, tuition and registration fees are steep but how could we put a price on quality care/​preschool?
My kids graduated from sunrise with a good foundation in Christ and in their skills/​talents.
I highly recommend you check this school out. The director has been there over 20 yrs. she is always very patient and kind. She is also a wealth of knowledge when it came to me deciding to start K or hold off a yr. to them it wasn’t about the money, it’s what your child is ready for.

This is our second preschool. Our daughter (now in 1^st) went to Pasadena Christian. This is our son’s second year here at Sunrise. Though I agree i too have witnessed some of the teachers lacking an amount of empathy for the children who are having a rough time adjusting to leaving mom (mine had horrid separation anxiety), after speaking with Ms. Margo (director) things immediately improved. I also agree with a previous review that the director is an iron fist BUT what wasn’t mentioned is that she puts the children first! If a parent has any issue, be it with another student, another parent, a teacher, etc. Ms. Margo is totally open to hear your thoughts AND totally open to finding a solution that works for everyone. All but one of the teachers my son has had so far have been so very warm, loving, happy! Of all the preschools I toured, this is the ONLY one where the teachers were actually SMILING and laughing with the kids! ONLY one! And I am not sure what happened with the one reviewer, but yes the teachers DO help the students with runny noses, potty, hand washing, etc. until the child can do it themselves. Though they do expect the children to be fully FULLY potty trained. But then, by 3 there is no excuse for diapers anyway.
I am excited to see how his transition into kindergarten will be next year. Our daughter, had a horrible transition. Pasadena Christian did NOT prepare her at all for kindergarten (even though her last year was a pre-​k prep class) I do feel my son is already surpassing my daughter in certain abilities needed for kinder and there is still 6 months left of preschool!
I fully trust these teachers and the facility. That is really all it comes down to, what YOUR feeling is when you walk through the school and meet the teachers. Everyone is looking for something different.
I do know that the discipline here is a firm but caring approach which works best with most children. I am a performer. I performed for the preschool and the children were in awe. Quiet, amazed and waited till the end to ask questions. I the went to my daughters 1 st grade class in a Catholic private school and was ridiculed. The teachers were in NO WAY effective at getting the students to calm down and be respectful. Could be age, could be lots of things but I was amazed at what I saw at Sunrise!

Best pre-​school in the area. Wish they had 1^st grade available.

This school has wonderful facilities– it is clean, the rooms are spacious. But don’t be fooled by the appearance. The staff is not caring. They do not nurture the children. They expect the children to be 100% independent with their personal and hygienic needs, and refuse to even help clean a runny nose!!! When I leave my daughter at a preschool, I like to think she is being cared for and not left to fend for herself. Even though this is a preschool, the staff expects these children to behave like mini adults… it is appalling as a parent and disturbing…