2007 PARENT QUESTIONNAIRES

 HAVE BEEN RETURNED.

 OUR THANKS TO THE 21 FAMILIES

 THAT RETURNED THEIR FORMS !

Here are a few things our parents have to say about our program:

"KGLC has a wonderful staff."

"I am very satisfied with what <my daughter> learns @ KGLC.  I appreciate all that has been done over the years.  Thank you for having such a great KGLC family."

    REPLY:  We've said it thousands of times before and we'll say it thousands of times again ... Our families are what make KGLC such a great place for children.  Without active families, we would be just another childcare center.  Thank you for trusting us to care for your daughter and thank YOU for being a part of OUR FAMILY.

"Great Program!! I would recommend it to others.  The kids are able to learn age appropriate material and have fun while doing so."

    REPLY:  Thank you so much.  Our goal is to provide all students with the warmth of a home combined with numerous age-appropriate learning experiences.  We believe that children learn best by "doing" and that is the basis for our curriculum.  Admittedly, this approach is not right for every family.  We view our relationships with parents as a partnership for the good of OUR CHILDREN.  Please remember our family referral program.  Although we are usually filled to capacity, it is nice to receive calls and visits from new families that were referred by one of our families.  Thank you for being part of OUR FAMILY.

"I would like to be able to take one week vacation (without paying) because the summer week that school closes doesn't always work for our family.  Thank you for your consideration.  Everything else is great!"

    REPLY:   The old adage is that it is impossible to be all things to all people.  We are so happy that you feel that everything other than our vacation schedule is great!  As for the week of free vacation, we will continue to make sure that OUR entire FAMILY (including the staff) has a week to relax and refresh their bodies and minds each summer.  That week is scheduled to be from July 28th until August 1st in 2008.  Thank you for your understanding.

"You guys are awesome!  Keep up the amazing work you do. :)"

    REPLY: We really appreciate it when a parent realizes how hard our staff and especially our director, Maria, work to make KGLC the best place around for children and their families.  Her secret is to act like a duck on a pond.  While people notice the calm motion of the bird cruising across the water, they rarely take notice of those little webbed feet, paddling like crazy, below the surface.  Thank you for noticing.

"I don't feel that the # of field trips that are planned for the kids needs to be that frequent.  It seems sometimes the kids are too busy between special events, holidays, field trips and projects.  It would save $ if the field trips were only 1x a Qtr or 3x a yr.  Also the Mother's Day, Father's Day & Grandparent's Day is a great idea but again too much is trying to be done in a small period.  Snacks + 1 projects is fine really.  We don't need to go home with 3-5 things."

    REPLY:  Thank you for your suggestions, but we do not feel it is correct to limit the number of learning experiences for ALL our students because one or two families are not comfortable with the level participation we request at KGLC.  Kinder-Garden Learning Center is not for every family.  Many people would be satisfied with a run-of-the-mill daycare center or home daycare where children sit in front of a television all day.  We are not that place.  KGLC is a learning center.  Saying this, you should never feel obliged to participate in any activity.  As you know, we offer many opportunities for learning, but they are not mandatory.  If your family does not wish to participate, there is no penalty.  After years of experience, we can attest that students and their families get out of our center what they put into it.  Although many of the trips can be costly, our PAC agrees that they are important.  They work very hard to raise money to help offset some of these costs for our families.  You may not know this, but we have some families that are not able to participate in the fundraising events.  They are still able to take advantage of the reduced costs of field trips because they too, are voluntary and we are A FAMILY. 

"I love that my child has a safe and happy environment to learn and grow."

    REPLY:  Thank you so much for the kinds words.  That is exactly what we are trying to achieve for every child at KGLC.  To bring together the warmth of a family home and learning environment of a classroom was our goal.  We're glad to hear that OUR FAMILY agrees that a safe and happy environment to learn and grow is important for OUR children.

"It is wonderful that the children are able to go on so many field trips each year.  However, is it possible to avoid the gift shop?  My child only talks about what he got at the gift shop - not the trip.  I think the gift shop takes away from the experience.  Thank You."

    REPLY:  We agree with everything you've stated.  The field trips are wonderful learning opportunities that many children would not have the benefit of experiencing if it were not for KGLC's outings.  As for the gift shop visits, it is a terrible hassle for our teachers to get the students through the gift shops.  For many years we avoided the gift shop altogether and we would be happy to revisit the idea of skipping it if the majority of parents agree.  It was only because of many parents' requests for their children to bring home a souvenir, that we started stopping by the gift shops at the end of our visits.  Please remember that you do not have to send money for your child to pick up a souvenir.  Children that do not have money to spend at the gift shops are allowed to do other activities while the students are shopping.  Perhaps you can emphasize, as our teachers do, that the trip is the fun part of the day and not the plastic key chain or stuffed animal they get at the end of the day.  When the teachers discuss the field trips with the children, they talk about what the children experienced and not what they picked up at the gift shop.

"I think it's a great center and would definitely return if circumstances arised."

    REPLY: Thank you for the compliment and the trust you showed by allowing us to care for your child.  We are always sad to see a wonderful family leave OUR FAMILY and wish you all the happiness you deserve."

"Being and working at other centers makes me appreciate this program and center my children are at.  I am treated well and my family is part of the KGLC family.  I am also able to be as involved as I wish in this program.  I do not consider this center as "daycare" but rather a "school" because the education I provided at home was continued in a more social setting and is continuously elaborated on.  You get back what you put in -  GET INVOLVED!"

    REPLY:  We couldn't have said it any better.  We pride ourselves on our "Open Door" policy.  We invite and welcome visits from OUR FAMILY but we must reinforce that this is not a social invitation.  Please don't feel insulted or unwelcome if our teachers are not able to conduct lengthy conversations with you when you visit.  The responsibility to provide exceptional care to the children in their charge is not something they take lightly.  Our teachers focus must remain on the students in their care.  Parent's help with an activity, snack or project is always appreciated.

"Keep up the good work.  You're doing great."

    REPLY:  Thank you very much for the kind words and the honest assessment of our program.  WHAT NEWSLETTERS?!?!?  You almost had us there.  We try very hard to provide exceptional care and learning experiences to every child in our center.  It is always nice to be commended by a family for giving our best effort to OUR FAMILY.

"I would like more flexibility in the hours/day for children.  Parents are being squeezed in every imaginable angle and it would be very helpful to give a little more flexibility on the late pick up fee especially when there is inclement weather.  I would propose allowing up to 49.5 hours/week with the flexibility of going up to 10 hours on two or three days but the other days have to add up to 49.5 hours.  We love this daycare but can't continue paying all these late fees when traffic delays me."

    REPLY:  It appears that what you are proposing is a weekly, part-time / overtime schedule for one child.  KGLC does not provide part-time care and discourages overtime care.  We are sorry that you are dissatisfied with our 9 1/2 hour daily limit, and we hate to lose a family for any reason, but you were aware of this requirement before you enrolled your child.  We try to be flexible by allowing families to select their own hours before their child begins and then allow them to make changes as the need arises.  The late fees are the strongest deterrent we can use to stop late pickups and often times, they are not high enough to stop habitual overuse of our time limitation.  KGLC is opened from 7:00am - 5:30pm.  We have little doubt that if this time restriction was lifted, there would be several children here from open to close.  Spending this amount of time at school is not beneficial for any child.  If this policy is causing you to consider an alternative childcare, perhaps you could check into a childcare center closer to your place of employment.  This would limit your travel time because inclement weather and traffic are out of your control.

"I love how informational this program is.  My child is very smart.  More teacher to parent communication would be nice.  More hands on with my child and field trips without a chaperone would be nice.  It's hard to find someone and/or alternative care. :)"

    REPLY:  Our teachers try to speak with every parent before they leave each morning and afternoon.  Parents can also leave a note for the teacher in their child's folder or call us between 1pm & 3pm any afternoon to speak with your child's teacher.  We urge parents to use "The Golden Rule" when speaking with our teachers.  Very little is accomplished if a parent that is upset to the point where they fail to listen to a teacher, shout at them or even slam the door in their faces.  This type of behavior cannot and will not be allowed at KGLC.  KGLC attempts to provide students and their families with numerous learning experiences each month.  It is always nice to hear from a parent that is looking for more activities to complete with their child.  Only the younger children and older children that have difficulty in group settings require chaperones.  Our teachers work very hard to prepare children for field trips, but if a child cannot behave appropriately or requires more attention than they are able to provide out of the classroom, a chaperone is necessary.  If the latter is your case, I suggest you work with your child, whether it is potty-training, behavioral issues or developmental delays to assure that he/she is ready for an un-chaperoned field trip.

"KGLC is the Best."

    REPLY:   Enough said... YOU ARE CORRECT!