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February 2024 by Leslie H
We adore this daycare/school and can feel the love amongst all classrooms! We just happened to drive past this school while searching, and it was the first daycare we got into last year. We are so grateful we did! I trust the teachers 100% and my child loves them as well and is thriving! Hidden gem for sure!
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January 2021 by Madison R.
Phenomenal teachers who truly are like family. We get constant updates in the day along with photos and our son has picked up so many things ahead of his development. We love it here!
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July 2018 by Tiana Lightfoot Svendsen
Our son is in his third year with The Community School of the Park Cities, a huge upgrade from his previous childcare provider. Even though he is only in preschool he is already exceeding the majority of the TEKS (state educational standards) for students in kindergarten thanks to the strong academic focus of the school.
While the curriculum is solid and he is learning heaps, there is also a great playground and plenty of opportunities for our highly-spirited son to develop social and emotional skills. The school also offers kidokinetics, dance class, and Spanish.
The School’s Director, Melanie Rudebeck, truly cares about the growth and development of the children and has taken any question or concern expressed by my husband and me seriously and has taken immediate action.
Business Manager, Courtney O’Reilly is the perfect complement to Melanie and provides parents with detailed information on daily enrichment classes, special events, and classroom themes.
Each room’s teachers also complement each other well. Preschool teacher Karen has a quiet leadership and over a decade’s worth of experience. Catrina bring high energy and vibrancy to the room.
Another plus - The Community School offers service opportunities and parent meet-ups, making it easy to connect with other families.
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July 2017 by Wendy Mayes
My son attended this school from 6 months until this fall when he left for Kindergarten. I loved this school! My kid was speaking early, was potty trained at 2, learned to wait in line and be nice to friends, learned basic math concepts, learned to write and reads at about a 1st grade level. I attribute most of this to the teachers, who all have degrees and have been there a long time. They did such a good job with him and most of his friends, many who went on to elite private schools in Dallas. Sure, the building looks old, but that's because it is old. It was built in the early 1900s. It's historic and pretty and has a soul. I would send my son there again in a second.
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July 2017 by Melanie Rudebeck
As the Executive Director of The Community School, I can say that we strive to meet the needs of all of the children. Our mission is to instill a foundation for life long learning within each child in a loving, caring, and secure social environment. Many of our children have gone on to do very well in elementary school in both public and private school settings. Please let us know if you have more questions or would like a tour. Unfortunately some people have a negative experience and we cannot meet their needs. Please call if you would like a tour of our facilities. Melanie Rudebeck
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July 2015 by S B
My husband went a paid the registration fee and then after a month I went in to see how the room would be where my son would be starting at. The Assistant director took me to the basement ,the room and smell of swerege and when I brought it up she just smiled and said"I guess we have gotten use to it". I kept quiet for a few days but it will still bothering me so I sent an e-mail to the director and after five days she called me and said the smell is there and we are aware of it and its an old house and we limited money and there are chemical/enzymes that we can use but they are very expensive and bottom line she said very politely and diplomatically there was nothing she could do about and that if the smell was bothering me then this was not the day care for my son. We decided not to send our son there so I lost my registration money ,was very dissapointed that they know that there is bad smell in the basement but they do not even bother to put air freshners which are safe for kids with allergies in the room,they are so cheap that they will even tell you to bring your childs sippe cup because they do not want to spend money on disposable water cups for the kids. My son goes to Christ Luthren on Lovers lane and he loves it.
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July 2014 by Corinda Fellers
My daughter was at The Community School for 2 years and we loved it. It truly is a community. I enjoyed the opportunities for parents to contribute and get to know one another by participating in playground work days as well as after work socials. The teachers loved on my daughter and were very attentive. I also liked the variety of special activities offered. The administrators were very approachable and open to working with me on my scheduling requests and any other topics of interest. The only reason we are not still there is my work situation changed and we no longer need care. I highly recommend taking a tour!
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July 2014 by Natalie Dawn Marshall
I was excited to read the positive reviews about the my son's school, since they also reflect my own feelings about the Community School of Park Cities. I was surprised though to read the 2 poor reviews posted here. My son is almost 2 and has been attending CSPC for the last 3 months. I spent a year researching and touring daycares in Dallas trying to find the best place to send our son while I finish school. My first choice was CSPC, however at the time he was still an infant and the wait-list was lengthy (as I found to be the case at all the top daycares in the Dallas area). We shared a nanny with another family for a period of time, but felt that as our son was getting older he needed to be in an environment that would better foster his socio-emotional needs. Since I am studying to be a teacher I spend a great deal of time in a variety of school settings. Due to this, I searched rigorously to find, what I feel to be, is the best environment for my child. I happened to luck-out and was able to get our son on the wait list for the toddler class just before summer (a *very* helpful tip I learned during all of my research). He started shortly after, first 2 days/week, then to full-time this month. I have been extremely happy with the level of care my son receives by everyone at the school. The entire staff is warm, caring, and all seem highly knowledgeable in the developmental needs of children, as well as that of each individual child in their care. I have felt completely comfortable sending my little boy there since the very first day. He was already surpassing many milestones at a rapid rate, but since starting school at the Community School of Park Cities I can see the development in his language and cognition, as well as his large and fine-motor skills, on a daily basis. In addition, he is also learning how to interact with other children in a safe, fun, structured and nurturing environment. We are so happy to have become a part of the CSPC family!
*It is also worth mentioning that we do not live in the area, I drive from Oak Cliff each day just so our son can go to this school.
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July 2013 by Alyssa Mooney
I am definitely pleased with my experience at The Community School. My son started daycare in another facility for a month and while they were safe, that daycare was light years behind in interaction and care for the children. Within two weeks of switching my son to The Community School, I could tell that just being there had a positive influence on him, even at five months old.
The infant room is set up so the children can roam around on the mats on the floor and play; the adults and teachers remove their shoes so that no one tracks in dirt or germs that will wind up in tiny mouths. There is tons of interaction throughout the day and my son has picked up quickly on sharing, sign language and has been hitting developmental milestones faster than I think he would anywhere else (or even just at home with me.) They also plan activities beyond the usual classroom ones; they take short walks when the weather is appropriate, have splash days in the kiddie pool and there is even a weekly music lesson in which a young lady comes in and plays her guitar as they all sit around and listen. (And this is the infant room, all under 18 months!)
What has meant the most to us is the care they show for not just the kids, but the parents. My first experience made me feel as though I was dropping my dog off at the kennel. But here, we are greeted warmly every day that we walk in, and even in the morning you can see and see the activity and hear the fun the other rooms are having. I've seen one of our caregivers outside of the school and she was just as enthusiastic and loving to my son as she is when I drop him off every day. We've received cards, drawings and fingerpaintings for every holiday so far and it's been lovely to have something to send to the grandparents or display on the fridge!
Daycare was not an easy choice for our family, but I have been able to relax knowing my my son is in a safe and stimulating environment, and one that I'm encouraged to drop in on throughout the day, if I like. I definitely recommend the Community School and its loving and educational environment; we plan on staying until my son is ready for elementary school!
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July 2013 by Jamie Thomas
Community school was an amazing fit for me and my children. The ratios are low and the quality of care is high! The staff is very friendly and always showing loving nurturing contact with children. Their philosophy is a perfect fit for this school and you can tell that each teacher follows by it. Although we have moved away I always highly recommend this facility to anyone looking for quality child care. I think the biggest appeal is that the ratios are low and everyone is so close and connected. I tend to feel a bit lost and left out of the loop in bigger child care establishments. The director knows each and every family and always greeting them by name. I think its great to see such compassion and enjoyment when you enter the facility.
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July 2013 by Robin Weaver
My daughter has been attending CSPC for nearly 2 years and I feel so fortunate to have found such a caring and nurturing environment. The teachers are amazing, they give you a daily download on your child's day. They call promptly if an illness arises. Some teachers babysit, so its a win win with having your child know and LOVE who's coming over to watch them. Other aspect that I love about CSPC is the activities they present, there is free Stretch-n-Grow program which tackles the ever growing issue of childhood obesity. They offer ballet and cheer classes (for a small monthly fee) AND then they do Spanish on Wednesday's (free)! They send monthly email blasts with a wrap up on activities that each class has been focusing on and this includes pictures of the kids actually doing the activities. Another good thing to mention is that during the summer months they have Splash Day on Fridays so the kiddos can have fun in the sprinklers and cool off. Sometimes there will be a random pizza day so us parents get a day off packing lunches. Basically this school is run by real people, who love and nurture each child that walks through the door.
It makes me sad that they previous poster had such a horrible experience on her tour. CPSC is a loving, caring, educational environment!
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July 2013 by Amber Williams
I did not enroll my child there so I can only go on my initial experience on a tour. I was very surprised at the worn down exterior but was very hopeful due to the location. Inside the daycare was incredibly dirty. I noticed opened bottles on a counter in the infant room, stuck on food on one of the kid's tables and the outside deck (?) made of wood was too scary for even me to stand on. I'm sure it was safe but the perception was not.
When we went down into the basement, there was a child gate that we opened before heading downstairs. The lady touring us did not even bother to remind us to shut the gate and that was worrisome for me as little children were crawling around.
Oh! The worst part was the infant room for the youngest babies. There was a woman rocking a baby in her arms with her food (no sock/no shoes) bouncing a baby in a bouncer on the floor.
On a tour - that's the best you'll ever be. For me, I was not impressed and actually left feeling a little gross.
