Primrose School of West Chester

My name is Angela and my son, Brandon, is currently in the Kindergarten class. He joined Primrose last year (2011) for Pre-K and my husband and I have been extremely pleased. Brandon has food allergies, egg, diary and a severe allergy to peanuts. The staff has always been very diligent and accommodating in making sure he is not exposed to any of these allergens, but at the same time, doing it in a way where he doesn't feel "different" or left out. Day to day, the chef tailors his meals so that he eats with everyone else, and I only need to bring in his rice milk. Everything else is provided for him, same as the children without food allergies, When there are special events, such as ice cream socials, we know ahead of time and can bring in his special food so that he can enjoy and participate with his friends. We originally chose Primrose based on the grest history of early childhood development, and we have found both the academics and diversity to be excellent. Brandon has been exposed to so much at an early age, and I am often amazed at what he has learned. For example, in Pre-K, he once taught me (on our ride home from school at the end of the day) about the different types of clouds (cumulus, stratus,and cirrus). Wow, I remember studying about clouds in 4th grade!. He has had an excellent start to Kindergarten, and is reading bedtime stories to his younger brother, Bryce (13 months). He is excited about learning, and Primrose has continued to nurture his curiosity and challenges him to want to learn more and more. In my opinion, Primrose has the perfect balance of structure and exploration which encourages Brandon to be curious and find out about new and exciting topics on his own. However, Primrose also, teaches him self control and that there is a time to focus which is different than playtime. Brandon loves going to school and I love the nurturing, yet structured environment. Our family is very pleased to be a Primrose family.

It's no secret that parents want the best for their children! For my husband and I, this is definitely true, but determining what the "best" is can often be difficult. Even before our children are born, we're making decisions in pursuit of their well-being - whether it is what color to paint the nursery, or what the perfect name will be, or if we're going to breastfeed. These decisions are tough and the pressure to determine what's "best" only complicates things. Well, unfortunately these decisions will never be easy but I'm here to ease tension on probably one of the most difficult decisions we commonly have to make.... childcare. If you're a full-time working parent like me, going back to work is imminent and figuring out who will care for your child when you're gone can be the most stomach-wrenching feeling. I remember the feelings so vivid with my first child - the anxiety of separation, the feeling of guilt, the fear of making your child uncomfortable or unhappy, etc., etc., etc. You can research until your heart desires, but the decision of childcare just never gets easy. Once you make a decision, you cross your fingers and hope it's the "best.”' That's about how it worked for husband and I. When my husband (Adam) and I first looked into childcare for our daughter, we thought about in-home care. However, having been a child in daycare when my parents worked, I wasn’t completely comfortable with this idea. We wanted our daughter to have lots of social interaction and be exposed to “unfamiliar” places to broaden her sense of the world. We narrowed down our selection and chose a local childcare center, where our daughter attended from about 3-months to 1-year. While we were happy with the care she was receiving and weren’t looking for a new center, we happen to stumble across Primrose just after they opened in August 2010. Intrigued by the outside appearance of the building/equipment alone, I scheduled an appointment to check it out – one of my “best” decisions EVER! I probably don’t have to explain the beautiful surprise once I walked into Primrose, as I’m sure you’ve already witnessed how amazingly different Primrose is to any other childcare center. However, what stood out the most to me was the serenity I immediately felt when I walked in. I was shocked at how peaceful and calm the halls were, yet how active and energetic the classrooms were. To me, this was a powerful statement of organization. I was eager to take the tour and learn more. The rest is history. We chose to move our daughter to Primrose in December 2010 and, not once, have we ever doubted, second-guessed or looked-back on our decision. It’s been almost two years that our daughter has been enrolled and we are still just as confident and excited about our decision now as we were then. The benefits that Primrose offers, especially the Balanced Learning curriculum, have been exceptional and have far exceeded our expectations. The teachers are such great role models and truly display a passion for teaching. It’s always a bittersweet moment when our daughter transitions into a new classroom because we have to “leave” another teacher, but we are quickly overcome by excitement for our “new” teacher. The leadership at Primrose has been great. The owners, Mr./Mrs. Roland and Dona Young, could not be better, more giving, present, or enthusiastic leaders. Their energy is so apparent throughout the school and it’s obvious their priority is providing the “best” educational childcare for our children. Their leadership, including the rest of the wonderful staff, makes the difference. We are so proud to send our daughter to Primrose and are constantly reminded that we made the “best” decision. Not only does our daughter love to go to “school”, she has learned so much and has flourished in her cognitive, emotional and social development. Comments from the pediatrician, to family members, to gymnastics teachers, to complete strangers have repeatedly been about “how smart, well-behaved and socially astute” our daughter is compared to other kids her age. I say this not to brag about our daughter (well, maybe a little), but more importantly to express proof that Primrose has been a very important factor in our daughter’s life. I’m sure our daughter would do just fine anywhere, but I often question if I say that because I know how well-adjusted she has become as a result of attending Primrose. I hope I’ve been able to provide some helpful feedback regarding our experiences with Primrose. We wish you the best of luck in making your decision but remain confident that if you chose Primrose, you, too, will be just as proud and confident that you have made one of the “best” decisions for your children!

I wanted to tell you how much we have loved becoming a part of the Primrose family again. It’s hard to capture in words but the love we had for the school is triple now and you two have genuinely demonstrated your love for this community and all the children. The infant room teachers are beyond a show of a doubt-by far, spectacular. I feel so comfortable- and have from day one-dropping off our infant son. The smile on his face melts my heart when he sees his teachers each morning. The cuddle and snuggle him and are so gentle. They genuinely adore each and every single infant in that room. It’s exactly what every mother wants to see when she has that guilt about leaving her baby to go to work. They make it too easy! Our Kindergartener is flourishing and his excitement for learning has increased by leaps and bounds. He thinks the world of Ms. Mickow and is excited to have Mrs. Oglesby- he shares his work every single day. Our two older sons both get out of bed each morning without much coaxing and love being at Primrose. The drop offs are easy and I have been getting to work over a ½ hour earlier every single day. It’s amazing and we have you to thank. Again, I don’t know how to capture our gratitude for you and your school, but I hope you know that this simple THANK YOU means a lot more.

Primrose of West Chester has exceeded my expectations in every way, and I feel fortunate that my son Joey was able to begin his "formal education" here. The environment is fun, energetic, and nurturing, where each child is made to feel special. Your dedicated staff has truly made an impression on Joey, and his teachers have given him so much encouragement and understanding to help him grow. Over the course of a year I have watched Joey thrive and develop into a confident and social little boy who loves going to school every morning to see his teachers and friends. Thank you for your tireless efforts providing a solid academic foundation for young lives.

As a teacher, director, and mother I truly believe in thee values, education, and exellence in child care that exemplifies Primrose Schools.