REVIEW OF Ashwood Glen BY parent, Stefania D'andrea

(5) Student Experience

Our son started at Ashwood Glen in the Toddler class. Within a little over a month, we saw major developmental leaps! He knew how to count to 10 and knew the entire alphabet. To this day he surprises us each week with new vocabulary, he loves his teachers and school! Every teacher is so welcoming and kind, I couldn't recommend a better school, It has exceeded our expectations! Our son really loves the learning environment. He's able to be independent and chose the activity he wants to do in class. He also enjoys the class activities that the teachers set up. It's really nice to get photo updates at the end of the week showing all the students together doing their activities! Such a great school!

(5) School Leadership

The administrative office at Ashwood Glen is amazing! The teachers are absolutely wonderful. They greet each student every morning at the doors and it's become something our little one looks forward to each morning. The office is on top of their daily newsletters and getting back to us with any inquiries. They are also very diligent in making sure our expectations for our children are met. We have regular parent-teacher meetings where the teachers will ask us how we think our child is doing. If there is something specific our child is interested in, they want to know so they can incorporate that into the classroom.

(5) Teaching

I cannot say enough positive things about the teachers at Ashwood Glen. Our son is in the Casa Program and Ms. Lipinski and Ms. Zahid were phenomenal! They are absolutely wonderful with all the kids. The teachers at Ashwood Glen work as a community. Our son knows all the teachers outside his classroom and has a relationship with each of them. They are always smiling and making conversation with him every day at drop-off or pickup. I've seen at the winter and spring concerts how all the teachers interact with the students. All the students seem to know all the teachers and feel very comfortable! Students are always laughing or giggling with their class teachers. I know our son really loves his class teachers and also the teachers in the front office!

(5) Academics

The school really emphasizes independent learning. The students are allowed to go around their classroom and chose an activity they want to do. The teachers really helped our son learn to sit and really play with the activity he's chosen. The curriculum at Ashwood is above any of our expectations. Our son is so excited to learn and participate in the class. It's such a great treat when we are home with our son and he will tell us how something he learned from school. There have been moments where we are just in awe that he knows certain things at such a young age. An example I can give is one day he was playing with a calculator and he told us what each symbol meant (minus, plus, divide, equals). How many 2-year-olds know the function signs on a calculator?

(5) Extracurriculars

Our son is not in any extracurricular activities as he is too young. However, I have seen that there are a lot of options and great activities for students! I see that the school really puts a lot of work into creating a lot of activities for students. I've seen that the student committee is very involved and the teachers work alongside them. We love seeing all the fundraising events that the students set up with the help of the teachers! The school does such an amazing job at helping develop well-rounded students. I've seen the students firsthand working hard during fundraising events. Usually, it's bake sales or selling breast cancer ribbons or mustaches for Movember! So amazing to see the school really help students on the path of volunteering and working for a charity or cause!

(5) Students

The student-to-teacher ratio is great! I find our child gets that one on one when he needs assistance with an activity. We see it on the weekly updates in the photos of the teachers sitting next to a student or our child while working on a task. I feel it allows for your child to interact with everyone and also get that special attention from the teacher. Our classroom in particular has 2 teachers for a group of around 10 preschoolers. Our son raves about his teachers and his classmates all the time. He's able to participate in all activities with the other students and everyone is working together. At the Spring or Christmas concert, we get a chance to see the older grades and classes. They all seem to have a great student-to-teacher ratio. We can see by the way the students interact with their teachers that they have a great relationship. I feel like this is something a lot of kids miss when attending a school with 30+ kids in 1 class.

(5) School Life

Our son has loved going to Ashwood Glen since the moment he started. The teachers were amazing at helping him transition from Daycare to Ashwood. He really felt safe and welcomed by all the teachers. Everyone that greets you has the biggest smile and shows such enthusiasm toward your kids. I know my son has really developed relationships with the teachers at Ashwood. When he started summer camp last year, he cried the first few days at drop-off because Ms. Hussain or Ms. Faran were not at the front door to greet them. Overall the teachers at Ashwood are unbeatable! They go above and beyond for your child and it really shows! Our children spend most of their day at school and it's a great feeling knowing they are surrounded by teachers who are so kind and caring.

(5) Community

The parents at Ashwood Glen are as amazing as their kids! All parents are friendly and will greet you when passing by at drop off or pick up. It's great to socialize and get to know the parents of your child's friends at school functions. It's a great way to talk about how the kids love playing together or what their child really loves about your kid. For example, we went to the Ashwood Glen funfair and it was so great to hear all the parents talking about how their little ones enjoy our son's company. How they talk about how funny he is or how much they love to play together! There is also a private Facebook group for Ashwood Glen parents run by the PEC committee and it's a great space to connect with other families!

(5) School Location

I know the school is located on a busy road, however, there is a beautiful neighborhood just behind it. The casa class was able to go on a field trip last fall to the neighborhood park which was such a great experience! Despite the busy road, the kid's play area is well-secured and we've never felt concerned regarding it.