Park Street Academy

I can't say enough great things about this school. Unfortunately, my daughter only went there for 7 months because we moved out of state. Leaving this school was the one of the hardest parts of the move. They have the perfect balance of learning and having fun. My daughter always wanted to go to school and took no time to transition. The teachers all cared about the kids, it feels like a family atmosphere. We still keep in touch with some teachers and parents.

I loved that they brought in guest speakers on a regular basis, celebrated all holidays and cultural events and provided after school activities like soccer, tennis and other activities. She learned so much from the well rounded education she received in the short time she was there.

I would highly recommend this school to anyone looking for a place where you want our child to thrive.

My son attended Park Street from Nov 2009 to August 2012, and I've been procrastinating about writing a review since then. In a way, I'm kind of glad I did, because I've had a chance to see how well Park Street prepared him for Kindergarten. We knew going in that Park Street had a more academic focus than most pre-schools, and had some reservations that our son wouldn't enjoy it, since he has always been very active and physical.

- We found that PSA strikes a great balance between sitting the kids down for structured lessons and letting them get their energy out, both with creative games and on the playground. They did some fun science experiments, lots of artwork, and brought in doctors, dentists, writers, and other people from the community on a regular basis. Our son never came home bored and - more importantly - always looked forward to going to Park Street in the morning. The 'academic' part of the day ends after naptime, but they are staffed for more playtime and daycare until 6pm.

- PSA also offered a summer camp program, which was a life saver for us as a family with two working parents. The counselors there are mostly high school and college kids who have a lot of energy and keep the kids entertained and active. Our son started kindergarten in September and the effects of his time at PSA are very noticeable. He's comfortable with changing rooms throughout the day, and understands the routine of moving from one subject to another. The concept of sitting down to complete an assignment is old hat to him, even if he does space out and daydream from time to time. The in-class work and homework picked up right where PSA left off, and I don't feel like he has missed a beat making the transition.

- Another positive thing about PSA is that Mason got along very well with all his teachers. Some of them are long-time employees and some were newer, but they all understood that each kid is different and would work with them to make sure they were comfortable. Our son was very shy when he started, and didn't say much of anything to the teachers for the first couple of months. He played with kids and had lots of fun, but it took him a while to warm up to the adults. They handled it wonderfully and by the end of his 'freshman' year he was great friends with all his teachers.

- One thing to be aware of is that PSA's schedule is more closely aligned with the public school schedule than what you would find in a daycare setting. This means that school will be closed for a Spring Break, Christmas Break, and the major religious holidays. This was a surprise for us the first year, and we had to work around the school schedule on a few occasions. This fits in with the school's mission of academics but I have to admit it caused some frustration for those of us without in-home care. In his second and third years we were able to schedule vacations or time off around the school's calendar and things went more smoothly.

- I would recommend PSA to any parent without hesitation.

This school gave my little girl the most amazing education and cognitive edge when it comes to going to public school in my town. We've been at PSA for 3 years and the teachers their were excellent, they were so patient with my little girl and they were so detailed when it came down to her education. I was amazed by how they treat the kids as if they were little high schoolers, really teaching the kids, at such a young age, the concept of changing classrooms, and dealing with multiple teachers. If I had another child I would definitely enroll them in this amazing program. I wish this program went all the way to college, hahaha..

I have had a child at Park Street Academy since the fall of 2006. My children have felt loved, important, interesting, smart and accomplished in large part because of their school environment. I have felt as a parent, a genuine love and appreciation for all of my kids by the entire staff. The teachers are nurturing and warm and have created a setting where the kids can figure out who they are and they are easily understood and valued for it. Park Street is a perfect little bubble of a place where if you could keep your kids there forever, you most certainly would.

This place is excellent. The teachers are smart and energetic, and the person that runs the school does a great job and is very involved. I had 3 kids go through there, and I never had an issue. They even go back to visit their old teachers. I was really lucky to find this place, it is awesome