There are many things that I love about Golden Pond School. For example, the way the curriculum is taught the children feel as if they are just playing, while in fact they are learning important concepts all the time. Each child is exposed to music, art, science, math, reading and much more. If I had to pick one thing that stands out for me, it is that each and every person there, from the teachers to all the staff, is completely committed to the children and their education.
Maria S.,
Parent
I just wanted to send a quick note to let you know how happy we are with the preschool program my son has experienced at Golden Pond over the years. Over the 3 years he has attended Golden Pond, he has enjoyed all of his teachers and truly developed as a young boy. He has learned so much scholastically, but just as equally has gained exceptional social skills, manners, and respect for others.
Currently, he attends the Lunch Bunch Program 3 days a week and just asked me the other day if he could go to Lunch Bunch every day. I thought that spoke highly to the phenomenal job these teachers do to make this extra program so enjoyable for the kids. My son speaks so highly of both teachers and never wants to miss a day of Lunch Bunch.
In addition to the extraordinary staff for this program, he enjoys the meals served. Now, he is a very particular eater and will not eat the variety of foods at home that he eats at Lunch Bunch. It absolutely surprises me when he raves about fish sticks, meatballs, baked ziti, and the chicken he enjoys at school. I cannot get him to eat these foods at home. I would absolutely love to get the brands of these items or recipes from your chef. It would really help me get him to expand his variety of meals here at home.
Please know that these teachers have truly created an exceptional and enjoyable school experience for my son.
We are looking forward to our younger daughter, enjoying the same success when she starts at Golden Pond next year.
Laura G.,
Parent
I would just like to thank the whole staff of Golden Pond for all the wonderful years of caring and teaching! Words cannot describe the comfort Golden Pond gives me when I leave my child with you everyday! Keep being the best school and, most of all, keep caring so much for our children!
Thank you for everything!
The “A” Family
Lunch today is on the parents! This is just a small way of showing our appreciation. I will never be able to return the wonderful gifts that the staff at GPS has given my child!
Thank you,
Cheryl,
Parent
[My husband] and I wanted to thank you for everything you have done with the school. We cannot even begin to tell you how well you prepared [our son] for Kindergarten. His PALS scores were excellent, mostly his confidence in reading and writing from [his teacher’s] class. [Our daughter] is writing her name already and she recognizes all the letters. Most of all the friendships they made were priceless. You have set the standard high, and we know that as we say goodbye to Golden Pond School.
All our best to you and your staff,
The "D" Family
We couldn’t leave without letting you know what an amazing experience GPS has been for our kids. Your staff is incredible and they have left a lasting impression on [our boys]. [Our son] still asks if he can come back! We leave knowing that we couldn’t have made a better decision than Golden Pond. Thank you for working so hard to create such a perfect environment for them.
Sincerely,
The "C" Family
As we are approaching the end of the school year, we would like to thank you and all the school staff for all the work you have done with our children […]. We have been quite happy with our kids’ teachers and all the other staff. In particular we want to thank [two teachers] for their dedication and work with our children. We would like to ask that our children stay with them next year. We know that you have other constraints in determining your resource allocation. However, we wanted to share with you our preferences and hope that you will be able to accommodate them. We greatly appreciate [two other teachers’] work and dedication. Our children have developed greatly because of their efforts. They have always been responsive to our needs and have communicated effectively with us. We are very grateful to them. Please share this letter with our children’s teachers. We look forward to another wonderful year with the Golden Pond School.
Best regards,
Surat N. and Zaid D.,
Parents
My daughter [….] was a student of [the] Panda class this past year. I am so pleased that we chose Golden Pond as the foundation for our daughter’s education. Golden Pond School, the staff, and especially the educators have exceeded the expectations and high standards we set for our child. [Our daughter’s teacher] was an extraordinary teacher and she made a profound impression on our daughter. [Her teacher] managed to make each day an adventure for the kids and I know that [our daughter] will never forget her first teacher. [Our daughter’s other teacher] is also an exceptional member of the Golden Pond staff. [This teacher] did a great job comforting [our daughter] during those times when [our daughter] was reluctant to be away from mommy. Every preschooler should be lucky enough to have a [teacher like this one] in their class. The Spanish curriculum is one of the many things that sets Golden Pond apart from the other schools in the area. [Our daughter] always came home from school with new Spanish words and phrases and we are amazed at how much [she] can now articulate in Spanish. [The Spanish teacher] did an outstanding job and also left a remarkable impression on [our daughter]. [Our daughter] was a member of the Lunch Bunch. She adored [her teacher] and thoroughly enjoyed all of the music and crafts in the program. [Our daughter] joined the program late in the school year but, thanks to [her teacher], [she] felt immediately comfortable with the group. [She] made many new friends in Lunch Bunch and she has become much more social since starting that program. Golden Pond School seems to have the prefect mix of curriculum, activities, and staff. Since starting school, our child has grown in so many different ways and learned so many new things. Needless to say, we are very excited about Golden Pond Camp and the 2006-7 school year. Thank you for all that you do. I am truly in awe of how well the school is run and thrilled that my child is a student at Golden Pond School.
Sincerely,
Pamela S.,
Parent
As the school year comes to an end, we want to thank you and express our appreciation for the Golden Pond School and its staff. Although we do not get the chance to spend much time with our daughter at the school, we commend the staff for their abilities and dedication. We see their work every day in the way [our daughter] interacts with us and her continuously improving skills. She has become much more expressive in her communications with others and her behavior in group settings has certainly matured. Her interaction with her brother tells us a lot about the school’s environment and the types of behaviors and discipline enforced. During our interaction with various school staff we have always found professionalism and dedication. We appreciate the diverse environment the school has and the variety of cultures different people bring. We appreciated the chance to present information on Ramadan (Islam’s holiest month) to [our daughter’s] class and we value your openness and support of diversity. We appreciate your responsiveness to parents’ feedback. We want to thank [three teachers] for their good work and all those who work behind the scenes supporting our daughter’s growth and development at the school. We hope that you all will have a great summer.
Sincerely,
Parents of S. A.
I am writing this letter to personally thank you as well as your staff for providing an extremely high level of care for my daughter […]. From the first day and throughout the year, I was very impressed with the professionalism of your staff. I would especially like to recognize [her teacher]. [She] has been amazing. Every day [our daughter] would show or tell us something new that she had learned in class that day. In addition, [her teacher] is extremely well organized and was wonderful about keeping us informed about the day’s events. As a family with two working, [her teacher] made us feel very involved with [our daughter’s] activities and class festivities. I had the opportunity to observe the class on several occasions and from what I observed [her teacher] truly had her classroom fully engaged. I was very impressed with the academic curriculum she provided the children from science experiments to art activities. I could go on and on about how wonderful [her teacher] was with [our daughter] this year. I can tell you that we will truly miss [her teacher] next year. We are so happy that our daughter had a great year at Golden Pond School. I would be happy to recommend Golden Pond School to any of my family, friends or neighbors. Keep up the outstanding service and dedication to the children.
Sincerely,
The "M" Family
I enrolled my child […] at Golden Pond School in February, 2006. I must admit I was very concerned – I always had my boys enrolled at [....]. My neighbors all had great feedback about the school so I thought I’d give it a try! Since that time I’ve been amazed at the quality of care [our son] has experienced at the school. Your teachers seem happy to be at work and when I walk to [our son’s] classroom in the morning they all greet him by name with a big smile. He is pushed academically but not too much. The central theme of the day is always “fun” and as a result he’s happy to be there. The classrooms look terrific, the educational/craft material [is] plentiful, and the teachers and students [are] always engaged. In addition, I thought the summer program for SAC I was incredible. My oldest boy […] loved the program. It was one fantastic field trip after another. Again, challenging and stimulating activities that he still talks of now! Thank you for all you do to make a difference in our children’s lives. It is very much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Sarah and David P.,
Parents
I know [my daughter] is enjoying school so much. She comes home every day and talks mostly about her friends […] and often I can get tidbits from about her day, especially if I don’t ask, she will offer up the information throughout the day. Anyway, I just wanted to give you an update of something she did at home last night as a direct result of what she is learning in school. Last night when I was making dinner, she asked if she could paint at her art station in the kitchen. I laid out her paints and paper and then I heard her say, “Blue horse, red bird, yellow duck” as she was methodically selecting those colors. Well we are quite familiar with Brown Bear, Brown Bear at Home and I knew this was one of the target books at school this month, so I knew what she was talking about. Well, with zero influence or interaction from me, she had painted on her paper these “animals” in the correct colors and I was so impressed that she was able to apply at home what she was learning at school. Additionally, last night she asked me to write her name and she spelled her name for me… [each letter] and I knew you were working on name recognition this month as well and I was so impressed because only a week ago she only knew [the first three letters]. She often sings songs from school (“Put your finger on the wall, on the Wall”) and various monkey songs – some I recognize, some I don’t. She also recited “Baa, Baa Black Sheep” and told me she made a black sheep with her hand (I believe) and put on the wool. Anyway, I find it so rewarding to see how she is growing and learning per your and [her other teacher’s] influence. I also greatly appreciate all of your patience and guidance with [my daughter’s] potty training (and accidents)! She did tell me today that you told her no more water from the fountain as I’m sure it was contributing to her accidents! But she told me she was able to get water today because she didn’t like orange juice at snack! Thanks again for all you both do and I thought you might enjoy knowing what “information” [my daughter] is bringing home and sharing!
Sincerely,
Caroline B.,
Parent
I just wanted to write you both a letter thanking you for everything you do. [Our son] absolutely loves school and [my husband] and I are so amazed at how well [he] has adjusted. I’m sure you both know that [our son] is rather shy. He always liked to stay home and hated to socialize with other kids. I tried to put him in classes but he was always scared of the other kids and would not participate in anything. A lot of people were telling us that it was time to “cut the umbilical cord” and send him to school. Boy, are we glad we did! [He] has transformed into a new child. Sometimes I don’t recognize him! He plays with other kids and doesn’t run away like he used to. [My husband] and I owe this all to the both of you and the school. I can tell you that you both are so sweet and patient with him. When he comes home, he always has so much to say. Just last week [he] told me, “[My teacher] wasn’t at school today. She went to see her sister. I really miss her. She has a cat and a dog.” And of course, he always talks about how nice and pretty [his other teacher] is and how “today she was really beautiful, she looked like a princess.” I just need to thank you both. [My husband] and I are MOST overprotective parents and we were so worried about how [our son] would like school. Now we cannot imagine life without this experience. He seriously is a changed child. He sings and tells stories all the time. He talks about [his classmates] like they live at our house. His goal in life is to be line leader someday. It’s just so cute, I can’t take it! Oh! I always wanted to thank you for being so thoughtful with [our son’s] sickness. […] You were right when you said that [he] was off on Tuesday. He was playing all right that day but as soon as nap time hit, he was as sick as a dog. I kept him home some extra days because I didn’t want him to get any of the other kids sick. Also, [… he] was really happy to hear that you called. He wanted me to tell you that he’d be at school on Monday. =) Again, thank you both so much. I know that teaching is such an underappreciated job but we thank God every night in our prayers for the both of you. You have both changed our lives is such a positive way.
Sincerely,
Anne and Patrick L.,
Parents
Between two boys, my children have covered every year that GPS offers…coming into the school not yet potty trained (scramblers) to full day kindergarten and SAC after school care. I cannot adequately express the appreciation and respect I have for the educators at GPS. My boys like school and love learning; GPS has provided and fostered that foundation. Indeed, my older son learned to read in kindergarten and my younger son is now reading in pre-kindergarten.
The school is more than the strong learning base, though. It is a nurturing and respectful environment. Walking in the classrooms I feel the teachers genuinely like the kids. I can’t tell you how many hugs my kids have given and received at the school. I trust my children are safe at school and the teachers are supporting their social and emotional development as well as their learning. The children are referred to not as students or classmates but “friends.” Not only do the teachers respond to the children’s needs, they anticipate them. And, they are a wonderful resource in terms of child development. It was the wisdom of my then four-year-old’s teacher to not be too concerned about my son’s shyness with other kids -he’ll grow into himself…and he did. Without fail, I have always felt the administration has an open door to talk about and address any questions, concerns or suggestions. Finally, there are many opportunities to participate in your child’s education from volunteering in the classroom, coming for a class event, or attending school sponsored community events outside of school. I highly highly recommend the school.
Theresa A. L.,
Parent
Our primary priorities in selecting a pre-school (and also later when deciding to continue with kindergarten) were to find a school that would 1)appropriatley challenge our children 2)help us instill a love of learning, and 3)provide a joyful and nurturing environment. Golden Pond has provided the right environment for us in all of these respects. Our daughter is now in her fourth year at Golden Pond School, attending Kindergarten. She absolutely loves going to school every day - this has been our experience since she began at Golden Pond in the two day program when she was just three. Her development and pride in her accomplishments has been wonderful to watch. Our son is currently attending the two-day three year old program, and we have enrolled him in a five-day program for next fall. We plan to continue with him through Kindergarten as well. This year has been a great start for him - he also looks forward with much enthusiasm to those days of the week when he goes to school. We feel very fortunate for our experience with a wonderful school and the tremendous and caring teachers and staff.
Sophie C.,
Parent
As educators ourselves, we were looking for a school that took a hands on, in depth approach to learning. We found that at Golden Pond School. Our boys have grown in mind, body, and spirit, and have come to love school and all the opportunities it offers on a daily basis.
Thanks Kenna,
Parent
