Schools in Perry Hall, MD

“My son attended the Young School at Honeygo Plaza for about a year of pre-k. He had a good experience and left much better prepared for the classroom structure of kindergarten.This school takes a more curriculum/teaching-oriented approach rather than simple “day care”. They follow a pedagogical philosophy similar to Montessori, emphasizing freedom and harnessing each child’s own specific interests and motivations.The biggest strength of YS is the outstanding teaching staff, all of whom care deeply about the well-being and growth of the children. The different teachers within the “cottage" of four adjoining classrooms developed individual connections with my son and the other children, knowing well their various interests and quirks. The pre-k cottage director, Ms. Jess, oversees the classrooms with expertise and a deep sense of empathy. She effectively fields informal chats with parents about questions and concerns that pop up on the fly. Between the wonderful teachers and cottage director, I always felt that my child was in very safe and nurturing hands.The classroom atmosphere is warm and inviting. There is lots of natural light and many learning stations with carefully thought-out objects left for the children to “discover”. Kids get zero screen time at the Young School. Instead of punishing children, behavior is managed through redirection and talking. Healthy snacks are offered, and the staff teaches and practices good hygiene.The main area that could be improved upon is communication from the director. On several occasions, I received mass emails chastising (unnamed) other parents for taking screenshots of the live video feed, requesting child-specific changes to naptime logistics, incorrectly using cubby space, and calling in to the classroom during non-naptime hours. (“Any parent disrupting the day too frequently will lose camera access and a parent meeting will be requested.”) I would prefer these types of issues be resolved by one-on-one conversations with the relevant parents, rather than public shaming. The unprofessional tone of these emails was underscored by a lack of basic proofreading.My child's classroom had high teacher turnover, with three different teachers in a six-month period. Shockingly, when one left and was replaced by a brand new employee, parents were not given any notice whatsoever. I showed up one morning to drop off my son in his classroom and encountered a total stranger who claimed to be in charge. Luckily, another teacher was in the cottage area and vouched for the new teacher's legitimacy. Lack of preemptive communication on this type of matter is unacceptable. Another instance of poor communication occurred when initially attempting to enroll my child. The paperwork was confusing and I had trouble getting questions answered, as other reviews have noted.Overall, I recommend the Young School as a safe, nurturing, and educational environment for children; parents may have to deal with some unnecessary hassles.”

“Our son loves going to KinderCare and we couldn’t be happier with the team there. We get updates and pictures throughout the day and have loved seeing him blossom!”

“My daughter loves it here! The owners are very friendly people and it feels like home the way they treat their students. My daughter loves all the attention they give her.The teacher for the 2s room has been working there since she was 17. Says a lot about teacher retention rate. They also have an on site cook which is a plus!”