The Pinafore Nursery School5521

The Pinafore Nursery school is fantastic. My son attends school full time and had a tough time transitioning from nanny to school setting. The teachers could not have been more patient and supportive. He loves going to school, does fantastic projects that he is proud of, the kids are great and most important my son is happy and learning. I feel that the school is our extended family.

Tiffin

As a parent, there is nothing more important than knowing that your child (or children) are in a safe, secure, nurturing and loving environment each day. If they are not with you personally then Pinafore is a wonderful and reliable nursery school where I know my son is not only being taken care of but being treated as if he were one of their own. Literally from the very first day my now 2-1/2 year old son started at Pinafore, he was happy and excited to go to school. As soon as he arrives he feels comfortable and cared for. When I go to collect him at the end of the day, he is always in the middle of doing something that is creative, fun, interesting or engaging. He often doesnâ??t want to leave! While the school is divided into two sections (by the age of the children), the teachers are there for all the kids and the children interact and play with each other accordingly. I like Pinafore because of both its ability to allow my son a certain amount of independence while creating an atmosphere of direction and discipline through play, projects, outings to the park and zoo, music, dance and yoga time, reading and quiet/nap time. My main concern is that he is safe and having fun and learning without feeling burdened or overwhelmed and I feel that he gets all that at Pinafore. He could recognize letters and numbers after a month there and he wasnâ??t even two years old yet! The teachers have so much energy (bless them for being able to keep up with twenty 2-5 year olds everyday!!) and they genuinely love and adore the kids. Like some parents, I ask the teachers to babysit because I trust and like them so much. They know my son and he knows and cherishes them. I love the fact that the place feels like one big family and that Thelma and Dennis are so easily available and helpful. The school feels genuine and true â?? no pretensions, no competitions, no petty rivalries â?? and my son gets to be a kid rather than a little blueprint for some adult agenda. Pinafore feels like itâ??s really there for your child and what more could I want than a place where my son is sincerely welcome with open arms. MG

My four year old twins have attended The Pinafore nursery school for the last 14 months. It has been a wonderful experience for the children who are taken care of by the most wonderful group of teachers. The environment is happy and homely and each morning the children are greeted with a big hug. The activities carried out are stimulating and varied with the perfect balance between work and play. My kids will miss everything about Pinafore but the "Big School" is beckoning and so sadly we must leave. I would recommend this Nursery School to any family.

Our daughter Syndey attended The Pinefore Nursery School for more than 1 1/2 years. She joined Thelma, Dennis and the wonderful teachers when she was just about 2 1/2 and I can not say enough about the caring and nurturing enviroment of the Pinefore Nursery School. The first time i stepped foot into the school I immediately felt at home as did Sydney. Thelma and her loving staff of teachers and assistants treated my daughter like she was their's. From potty training to learning to spell her name, the patient and loving way in which they taught my daughter allowed her to become the independent, sweet and curious child she is today at 4yrs old. My kitchen walls are covered with the many beautiful crafts that she came home with each week - each one more adorable and impressive than the next. Thank you to Thelma, Dennis and the Pinefore Staff. Theresa McLoughlin 10-12-2010

My four year old son Caspar has attended Pinafore four days each week now for 8 months and loves it. The staff form genuine nurturing relationships with the children and it shows. The small classes and teacher-child ratio's of 1 to 4-5 really make for a highly participative and interactive environment. Managers Dennis and Thelma are professional, dedicated and flexible. Regular excursions to museums, fire stations, and Central Park, etc, are an excellent balance to classroom activities. When I collect Caspar each afternoon I am given a detailed verbal summary of his day and shown his classwork. We like the staff so much we approach them for after hours child care. The year-round calendar offered by Pinafore was another feature of the curriculum which influenced our decision. We visited 9 pre-schools before deciding on Pinafore. Like the other parents listed below, I highly recommend the school.

My son attended Pinafore part-time from ages 3-5. I recommend the school very highly. The director Thelma is really great and always has time for the kids. She makes sure the kids have lots of outdoor activities away from the school and there is a set structure to the daily routine. All the teachers there are friendly, kind and caring towards every child and make sure every child gets the attention they need. It is always a very happy atmosphere and whenever I go there it seems they are all one big extended family. It is also a good learning environment for the kids and I feel my son is perfectly prepared for kindergarten. A great affordable alternative to many schools on the Upper East side.

My son has attended the Pinafore School full time for 2 years (ages 3-5). He is super happy and always looks forward to going to school. The teachers are warm, caring and very attentive. The children are taken out to parks and events in the city and this is a wonderful experience for them. The owners are warm, attentive and get to know each child personally. It is a very family friendly environment, nurturing at the core. The owners are also very flexible and accamodating. I would highly recommend this school.

My daughter has been going to Pinafore Nursery school 3-4 days a week since she was 6 months old. She absolutely loves it. The atmosphere is very nice for young children - stimulating but warm. The staff is fantastic. They take a personal interest in the children and treat them with a warmth and caring that far exceeds what I expected from daycare. My daughter always comes home talking about her friends at school and her teachers. They are always doing creative art projects and she has learned so much through their classroom time. They also make sure to take the children out to the park or the zoo as weather permits. In addition, Pinafore has been extremely flexible in terms of schedule - taking my daughter for extra days at short notice, even coming in early or having teachers stay late. This has been a lifesaver to us as our schedules are often unpredictable. Finally, the school organizes activities for the parents and children such as holiday parties and trick-or-treating at the neighborhood stores at Halloween. Pinafore Nursery School has been a wonderful introduction to daycare for both myself and my daughter. I would highly recommend the school.

My daughter has been attending Pinafore for almost a year full-time. She
is an only child, and she thrives on the interaction with the other
children, both younger and older. She loves the music lessons,
story-telling, and yoga classes. The teachers as well as Thelma and
Dennis are great. It is obvious how much they all love the children.

My daughter, Mia, has been attending Pinafore for the past year. My wife and I are extremely pleased with the choice that we made to enroll her at the school. Mia started Pinafore when she was only 2.5 years old and it was her first experience with school. Thelma and her team were very instrumental in getting Mia comfortable with the idea of being away from her parents for the day. The transition was smoother than I could have imagined thanks to the experience of the staff at Pinafore. Since the beginning Mia has enjoyed going to school and has formed a great relationship with her educators.

Also the school has been extremely accommodating to Mia and our schedule. Since Mia built a good rapport with one of her teachers, the school changed this teachers schedule to coincide more closely with Mia's. As well, for the winter semester, we decided to increase the number of times Mia would be in school and again Thelma was very accommodating to the idea.

In summary, I would strongly recommend this school to any parent. It's a great feeling to know that your kid is well taken care. As well, I really enjoy coming back from work and reviewing with Mia the activities and projects that she completed at school. She proudly presents her art work and performs the different songs that she just learned.

Best of all, I really enjoy taking her to school in the morning and watching her run up the steps to jump in the arms of one of her teachers. That, I know, is the best proof that we made the right choice !!!

We think that Thelma, Dennis and the caregivers are doing a great job at Pinafore school. Our son enjoys so much going to school : he loves the art projects which were always fun elaborated and educational. The activities are different and adapted to the weather and seasons : playground, gym, and puppet show in rainy days. And the school has a lot of toys, and nice ones. The caregivers are very sweet, smiling and happy and the family-like environment is really what our son needed to have a good start at school. He knows now plenty of songs, he can count very well and he is much more open, lively and happy since he s going to school.
So thank you so much for everything !
We hope that next year our son's twin brothers will be able to join the school too.

My husband and I were nervous about enrolling our 2 year old son in a group childcare setting after his nanny moved away, but we thought it would be best for his development. We are so thrilled that we found the Pinafore Nursery School. The teachers are incredibly loving and enthusiastic. They did everything they could to make our son's transition smooth and he really loves going to school. The only time that he sometimes cries is when we pick him up at the end of the day, as he is usually in the middle of an exciting activity. I am always impressed with the creative art project that he brings home every day. What my husband and I love the most about Pinafore is that, despite its homey and fun atmosphere, there is structure to each day and a real emphasis on learning. Another thing that we really appreciate about Pinafore is the flexibility of the staff and their appreciation of individual differences between children. I can't think of a time that a special request was not accomodated. Thanks to Thelma and her terrific staff, I know that my son is safe, happy and learning so many new things while he is at the Pinafore Nursery School.

My daughter has been going to Pinafore for almost 1 year. She loves it! The school is adorable and everyone is fun and caring. I love it because everyone that works there is very helpful and kind. Several other children from our building attend and their parents are just as pleased.

Our daughter started at Pinafore over a year ago at which time she was very shy and had a hard time separating. Now she is a very outgoing and active child. The teachers and owners are truly interested in the well being of the children. It is a warm, loving and safe environment in which they encourage the children to be themselves and have fun. Every day our daughter brings home a new project that focuses on either a letter or an animal. They also teach dance, song, and sport and when the weather is nice they take the children to the different parks in the neighborhood. Our daughter talks about school and the friends she has made there all of the time. Pinafore has been a great experience for her and we would recommend it to anyone!

In July '06 we re-located from the UK to New York and needed to find a suitable nursery for our two sons. We were delighted when we found the Pinafore Nursery and were amazed at how quickly our boys settled in. It is clear that Thelma and the rest of the nursery staff really care for the children, in a homely atmosphere. Our two have developed significantly since attending and they enjoy the daily projects, sing songs and outings that they do there.

Wonderful, nurturing, loving and educational environment. We live in Los Angeles and due to illness in the family had to temporarily relocate to new york city. Thelma and Dennis, who run the school, graciously allowed our three year old daughter Gillian to attend the school temporarily. Additionally they were both quite helpful when emergencies at the hospital or with the doctors required a modification of Gillian's schedule. The teachers were all fabulous. Gillian is back in Los Angeles now, however she was just in New York for a day and asked to 'please go to new york pinafore school". She loved the school and blossomed tremendously from being there. The activities in the school were wonderful as were the special outings, including tennis and going to the park. At her preschool in Los Angeles yesterday, Gillian asked a little girl if she would like to play "New York" with her. First, they hailed a taxi, second, got in their car seats and buckled up and lastly ..they went to "new york pinafore school". We give the highest recommendation possible to the Pinafore Nursery School. Feel free to contact us if you have any other questions.

Our 2 year old daughter has attended the Pinafore School for almost a year. We have been delighted with the owners, staff, and our experience at the school. They take a personal interest in the children, and are always professional and courteous with us. Our daughter has grown so much from her experiences at Pinafore. Every day she brings home an art project. They frequently have field trips to Central Park, tennis lessons, or dance lessons. The environment is loving and safe. Our daughter looks forward to her time at school so much! It's so nice to know she's in such good hands. We couldn't be happier with our experience at the Pinafore Nursery School!

Our 1-year-old son has attended the Pinafore Nursery School full-time since he was 4 months old. He is friendly and smiles at everyone, because of the warm and loving environment in which he spends most of his time. Before signing him up to the Pinafore Nursery School, we looked at other places, but we fell in love with this place the moment we walked through the door -- we immediately felt right at home. Thelma and Dennis are dedicated to running the school with all their hearts, and together with the other teachers have truly made it a second home for our son. The staff is caring and professional. Pinafore Nursery School is a teaching facility with activities for all age groups. We are always thrilled to hear what our son did during the day, from long walks to visiting Central Park to finger painting. We are lucky to have found such a great place where we feel comfortable to leave him each and every morning -- a safe place we know that he is happy at.

Our 2 1/2 year old son goes to Pinafore full-time. They have been so wonderful! They provide an incredibly loving, safe and developmentally sound environment. Every single member of the staff is caring and professional. I'm always impressed to hear about the activities they do during the day -- everything from picnics in the park to interesting art projects to puppet shows! Our son had some trouble transitioning from being at home with me to a full-time daycare environment, and it has meant so much to us that we can count on the staff to really take the time necessary to make sure that he feels safe and happy. There's nothing more importnat than being able to leave him every morning with total peace of mind. The school's smaller size makes it attractive and the people who work there make it something very special.

Our little girl has been attending the Pinafore Nursery School since early this year, and she enjoys every moment with her teachers and with the other children. It is a warm and friendly place, with caring personnel and a fun learning program. It is always a joy to pick her up in the evenings and see her smiling face telling us how nice of a day she had at school.

Our ten month old son goes to the Pinafore school part-time. We absolutely love the place! The environment is very friendly and the staff is wonderful. They really care for the children there. Our son loves it too. He gets excited when he realizes where he is going and greets everyone with big smiles. Thelma and Dennis who run the school are great. They are always helpful and accomodating. We are lucky to have found such a great place to watch our little guy! Lisa & Matthew Stearns