“She’s happy to go to school every day, she’s learning…”
I’d take my child to Cornerstone School because it’s a warm and safe environment for her to learn and to grow as a child. We’re very happy there.
-Lisa F.
I used to be a preschool teacher in the city, so I had some expectations. My experience as a teacher, this age the most important way for them to learn is through play, dramatic play and any other type of play that shows what they’re interested in, and then they feed off of that. They’re not sitting them down at desks and drilling facts into them. Everything that they learn is through fun, through craft, through stories and through acting things out.
She’s happy to go to school every day, she’s learning, and that’s all I can ask for. She learned through play and she felt comfortable going every day with supportive teachers.
I’m just very happy there and I think that they’re doing a great job, and I definitely recommend it to people when they move to town. I think that whatever track they’re on is a good one and they should just keep going in that direction.
“Michele stands there every day at pick up and drop off, and says, “Hello,” and opens the door…”
When I chose Cornerstone School, I must have looked at every school in New Jersey and we chose to live in the Summit because of my meeting with Michele and because of my belief in the values that Cornerstone School have. I take my kids to Cornerstone School because it’s a safe and happy environment for them to go to.
-Becky S.
They are really into learning through play and educating through hands-on activities. I was a teacher in England and those are the things that I think are really, really important for young children. My children are learning and enjoying themselves so it’s a win for me. At Cornerstone School, I felt that they were focusing much more on smart-life skills and the whole child rather than the book smart, the numbers, and the way that the children are achieving academically by showing me pieces of paper.
Michele stands there every day at pick up and drop off, and says, “Hello,” and opens the door, and is available if you need her. If you go in to ask her something, or you have a concern, she straightaway will say, “Come in. Sit down. What can I do for you?” I really like that the children know who she is and that they’re greeted every day. There is flexibility to do what works round your schedule. Especially if you’re working or if you have, like I do, other young kids.
“What you have there at Cornerstone are people who really have a teacher mentality…”
We’ve always enjoyed the programs that they have there in terms of their educational focus and I like the play-based approach. There’s another program that we’ve been part of that’s just a little bit too strict. My older son was actually a November birthday, so that meant that he was always on the older cycle. I always appreciated the way they still managed to keep his interest as we got through the year. He had been in another program and there was not enough educational focus in terms of learning your letters and really trying to get to your next level of learning. But, this has a more regimented curriculum for especially the older classes. So, we definitely have enjoyed that.
-Gretel K.
The main thing that I absolutely love about the program is the flexibility. You can sign up for any day of the week that you want and you can sign up for the number of hours. The standard hours are from 9 to 1, which is nice, because that’s a nice, perfect chunk. They have lunch, you can get whatever you need to do done, and pick them up before nap. What you have there at Cornerstone are people who really have a teacher mentality. They’re thinking about the way they’re going to structure a classroom. They’re thinking about the themes that they want to present for that month. How they’re going to introduce them to the kids, reinforce them, and what other activities and/or field trips or sensory observations are they going to put in around that theme.
When you pick up, they’ll tell you things that they’re doing, about their activities that they’re participating in or what things they’ve enjoyed. They’ll give you some feedback. I take my kids to Cornerstone School because he gets a great educational experience at a schedule that’s convenient for me. They do a very good job with keeping things fresh there.
“The number one thing that we love about Cornerstone School, apart from the wonderful staff and leadership there, is the diversity of the student body…”
I take my kid to Cornerstone School because I am excited that she is inspired each day by other children, her teachers, the way in which instruction is carried out, fun play, music and art. Each day when she comes home she’s excited and really happy. We have enjoyed our experience there very much. We have a daughter who’s in her third year. Each year she’s learning a lot, she’s inspired, she’s connecting with other friends, and having fun.
-A. L.
The teachers are really doing a lot to make sure that there’s an experience for each kid. I was really impressed with what I learned at back-to- school night. Our particular teacher would discuss strategies for the children’s learning and development. And, I feel that the teachers really want to be there. They’re present, they care a lot and they’re passionate about education. There is a good line of communication, it’s very accessible. I appreciate the regular e-mails I get from the teacher and the director. I’m fortunate that I can be in the school each day for drop-offs and pick-ups. It’s so easy for me to just touch base quickly and to know what’s going on. We’ve been pleased with the facilities, and were happy that the playground was recently redeveloped. The children love it. It’s nice to have dedicated spaces for art and music and other activities, as well.
The number one thing that we love about Cornerstone School, apart from the wonderful staff and leadership there, is the diversity of the student body. We’re so impressed that families come to Cornerstone School with all different backgrounds, from many different locations, and different cultures. I think that enrichment in my daughter’s experience there is perhaps the most valuable part of it.
“I take my kid to Cornerstone School because they have a Learn Through Play curriculum…”
I take my kid to Cornerstone School because they have a Learn Through Play curriculum. I think it’s really important that kids get those social building blocks that’s going to carry them through their entire life. The way I’ve seen it in action it’s learning by doing, letting the kids explore and not sitting at a desk and doing a worksheet every single day. Letting them learn by playing rather than by telling.
-Cara L.
One thing I thought was interesting she was learning about emotions by watching how people react to you, and I thought that was good. She’s like, “Mommy, look at my face. Is that a happy face or a sad face? It’s a sad face. I don’t like what you said.” Which I thought was really profound. That’s more than just learning your ABC, that’s learning about how to interact with people on a social and emotional level. It’s more about learning how to have those fundamental interaction skills, in my mind, then that they actually know their ABCs right now.
With this new teacher, she’s coming home and just singing tons of songs, and really wanting to learn to read and to learn her letters. She’s just very excited about it. Not just someone babysitting the kids. She had some recommendations for my daughter which were really helpful.
“Most classrooms have huge windows and so there’s a lot of natural light and that’s what I really like about the school…“
What I really like are the big windows. Most classrooms have huge windows and so there’s a lot of natural light and that’s what I really like about the school. Lots of other preschools I’ve seen have the classrooms in the basement or they’re dark with tiny windows with curtains. So, that’s what’s really different about Cornerstone School.
-Miriam P.