Providence Preschool

Prov Preschool has exceeded my expectations for what I thought preschool was "all about." First of all, it's truly a school where my sons are learning. There are lesson plans that are clear for parents each week where we can partner with the teachers knowing what goes on in the classrooms each and every day! And I see it at work! Each day my sons bring home school work, crafts and daily reports of behavior and other things. Teachers are very aware of each student's learning and social needs as well. I know my children are not neglected or lost in the crowd. My boys have plenty of time to play indoors and out--and specifically--in various places inside. (I love the idea of different centers/rooms to go to so that the children aren't in the same room all day!) The whole staff is great at making each family feel special and loved. It is also rooted in Christian values which is evident in the way the staff treats the families. There are events to attend and various fun things coming to the school on different days/weeks to mix things up and promote learning in various ways. The truest testament is to hear the joy my sons have for school! They love their teachers, friends, and after-care teachers. They get excited for the school week on Sunday nights... and for this stay-at-home-mom turned working mom, that's the best piece of mind!

Let me start off by saying I am sad to write this review. It will be my last review, since my last child is finishing up his VPK year here at this amazing school. This is our 6th year at Providence Preschool and I tear up every time I think about moving on to Kindergarten. My two kids have had the best, most amazing teachers at this school. This school is bright, inviting, fun and has the best academics. I toured many schools before I made my choice and even had my daycare lady go with me to help me choose the right school when my oldest was two. We both agreed that this school was by far the best. The school is in a great and safe area. It has large class rooms, a cafeteria for the kids to eat, a library, science room, computer room and a indoor playroom. I had no idea the school was a Christian school when we toured, but that has turned out to be the most positive for my family. My kid's hearts are even bigger now with having this Christian aspect added to their every day learning. When our oldest was in VPK three years ago I figured we would move on to Chets Creek School, but after being at this school and meeting the parents and the wonderful teachers and kids....I got sucked in and moved on to Providence School. It has been the best decision our family has made. It was not an easy financial decision, but I would eat Tuna fish and crackers every day to send my kids to this school. Our little one just passed the kindergarten entrance exam and we are so excited to move on to the big school. Some might think this school is challenging, but they are going by the VPK standards and if the kids become bored by those standards....then these teachers are smart enough to know when the kids need to be challenged a little more. I have never once felt pressure from a teacher to push my child. I have never once felt my child was unhappy or not taken care of. I have many friends that kids go to other preschools and yes we are ahead of them when I tell them what we are learning, but my oldest has exceled in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade and I know it is because of this preschool. My friend's kids struggled in Kindergarten and were just wowed by how smart my oldest is. Trust me he didn't get it from my husband or me...it is this school. Some kids might not do well at this preschool and need a different type of learning environment. All kids are different and as parents it is our job to know what our kids need and meet with our teachers to find out what they think, which this school is very good at doing this. Each year this school offers a company to come out and evaluate our kids to see if they are special needs or have a learning disability. That is the great thing about this school...they give us the opportunity to find these things out early, so our kids do not struggle later on. This faculty cares bottom line. The new Director has been in place for two years now and she is the best. She was my oldest son's PreK3 teacher and she has turned this school into a place I would love to work at. Thank you to the teachers and Mrs. Benson for making this part of our lives a wonderful memory we won't forget!

As an educator in Duval County for the past 11 years, choosing a preschool for my two toddlers was not a task I took lightly. There will never be enough words to describe how much I love this school, faculty, and staff. Their curriculum is rigorous and their expectations are high, while also providing developmentally appropriate supports and engaging content. In addition to their stellar instruction, they foster social skills in each student and help them reach their full potential in a loving, nurturing, and child-centered environment. My children wake up excited each day to attend school: the huge grins on their faces tell me everyday that I've made the right choice. My children love to learn and they love to learn because of Providence Preschool.

My son attends this school, I volunteer my time and work side by side with some of the most caring and devoted staff. To say they pour their hearts into teaching and building an amazing Christian environment for each child is an understatement. Highly recommend this school for anyone looking into the private, Christian sector.

I think there are nice people at this school, nice facility, l but it was not a match for us. My son became very angry and frustrated because he could not keep up with the work. This was hard to write because everyone is so nice there, but some training/improvements could benefit them and the children. The teachers were very nice, but did not seem to have much training/tools to help identify suspected learning disabilities. My son's Providence PK4 teacher told us they have extra high educational expectations since they are a feeder school to their college prep school my son's teacher explained, which is great if your child is above average/exceptional. Also son's personality began to change becoming angry/lashing out at everyone and down on himself/Self esteem lowered drastically. We knew he had some fine motor skills challenges and possibly other learning/developmental challenges and now with the negative behaviors we initiated the IEP process. A special ed teacher began working with our son in the Providence classroom and shared with us that the work they are asking the kids to do is NOT developmentally appropriate for a normal/average child and far too difficult for and average/normal child When we began my son already had tioleting issues but they became MUCH worse. He began refusing to go near the bathroom unless bath time and yelling "No please no"! We later found out from my son telling us and then the PK3 teacher confirming it at a conference that TIMEOUTS WERE BEING DONE IN THE BATHROOM! No wonder he thought the potty was a bad place. The Director seemed surprised when I told her about the timeouts in the bathroom in the 3 year old class so hopefully that has changed. He loves his new school, he is happy, self-confident again, and no potty accidents at all! It is our fault we did not detect the mid-match sooner but I think the school has room for improvement.