I wanted to tell you how much I have appreciated how much the teachers, Ms. Kim, Ms. Erin and Mr. Jesse, are doing in the classroom with Bryn. Every day I can tell that they are teaching her new things, from the alphabet, singing, art, dramatic play, structure, and listening skills. I know there is much more that I know that they do from what Bryn tells us, but I think it is all fantastic! Every day when we pick up Bryn she has something to say about what they did. She loved doing the artwork! And then we can tell how much she is learning when the artwork is like making a duck using the letter “D” as the body. Then she knows that duck starts with D. She is learning something in multiple ways. I love how much they ar teaching. We have found that Bryn always wants to learn and it is great that they are helping to facilitate that during the time that she is at Gateway. It is great that they share what they are doing so when we are home we can practice and help Bryn learn as well. I feel like they are a great team of teachers and are doing a great job! I would like to nominate Ms. Kim, Ms. Erin and Mr. Jesse for a customer service award. I truly appreciate all that they are doing to help challenge Bryn every day.
Thank you
Ann
Smoky Hill Location
I wanted to let you know how much I love going to pick Alex up from P2 now and hearing all about his day. Mr. Jesse always shows me that day’s art project and seems so excited to share silly stories about the kids, and Ms. Erin gives me a great rundown of how the day went, who he played with, what he seemed the most excited about, how is mood was…all things that I love knowing about. I know they put a lot on the communicator sheets, but having that personal touch and hearing the little stories is very comforting to me. I miss my guy terribly during the day and I love to hear what his day was like. Especially now that he’s taking so much more it is also fun and helpful to us to go home and I have the nuggets of his day to “talk” about with him.
The transition into P2 seems to have gone really well and I think that Alex is really going to grow and learn so much in this room. Unfortunately I don’t get to see Ms. Kim much, but when I do talk to her on the phone she is so nice and helpful as well. We all totally adored Ms. Lori and I was sad to leave her room, but I couldn’t be happier with how things are going in P2.
If you could pass that along to them that would be great, and I plan to tell both of them when I pick Alex up this afternoon, too. I was just driving home yesterday after hearing all about how his first day back after being sick and it dawned on me that I didn’t have to probe for anything, they both just seemed eager to fill me in. and I really appreciated that.
Thank you!
Wheeler family
Smoky Hill Location
I do apologize for the delay in sending you this letter, but I wanted to share with you my sincere gratitude for accepting my daughter, Emma Sweeney, into your school and placing her in Ms. Lori’s room. I felt confident that Emma at almost 2 ½ was ready for a change and that Gateway was the right place but putting my baby through change made me so nervous. Little did I know the impact this change would have on my daughter and Ms. Lori was instrumental in this successful transition.
Emma bonded with Lori almost instantaneously. After her first week alone, she wanted to go back to school on Saturday and I had to explain that Ms. Lori was with her own family and would see Emma on Monday. I can tell that Ms. Lori truly cares about each child in the T2 room and Emma’s face just lights up when we come in each day and she makes eye contact with Lori. In less than 2 months, Emma’s vocabulary has multiplied, she is putting together bigger sentences, her sign language skills have doubled, she sings all the time, and loves to sit and read books even to herself, more than ever. Her interest in TV now is minimal, she potty trained in 2 weeks, and the best thing of all is that she is so proud of herself and has much more confidence. The daily sheets that we get in the class, she loves and will not leave without, and I love because I can ask her questions and she tells me more.
There is no doubt in my mind that moving Emma to Gateway was a great decision and the key to this for us has been your fabulous staff and the very wonderful, special Ms. Lori. She has a true gift with this age group and is a true blessing to our family. We know that everyday Emma is in good hands, will learn a ton, and have plenty of new food to try.
Thank you so much!
Sincerely,
Sweeney family
Smoky Hill Location
As a follow up to our conversation a couple of weeks ago – unbelievably this Friday the last Schneider graduates from Gateway! I just wanted to send a note to say that over the past eight - yes count them – 8 years our three sons have received exceptional care. I have always felt that my children were safe and growing, which I am incredibly grateful for.
I would like to take note to a few of the teachers who happen to still be there that have touched the lives of my boys – most notably Ms. Anita in the infant room. For me to have had the same woman have all of my kids was amazing. To this day – that is one of the primary reasons we continued to come back to Gateway, knowing a good, safe, kind foundation was being offered to my babies.
Also – Ms. Rita in the PreK class – what a hoot, and her easy going personality with boys was a great fit for us as well. Many others have come and gone that were also great – Mr. Dave, Ms. Mary, etc.
Too many to name – which is something Gateway should be proud of. In a tough industry, you have done a great job recruiting.
Jennifer, your stability for the center was needed and you are an asset to the organization. Thank you for your oversight and leadership and I wish you the very best in the future.
Kind regards,
Susan Grant Schneider
DTC Location
As my daughter, Samantha, gets ready to transition to the Beginners class, I wanted to take a few minutes to thank you all for the amazing care she has received over the last year at Gateway in the infant classrooms. When I went back to work last fall and had to find care for my 10 week old I was very nervous. As a first time mother I had no idea what to look for in finding a great place. A friend of mine, who has 2 older boys, told me that I should smell the room and listen. She suggested that if the place didn’t smell like dirty diapers and the teachers were talking to the infants in abundance and loving on them then it would probably be fine. Needless to say Gateway passed that test.
Samantha spent about 6 months in Infant A with Ms. Anita and Ms. Hiroko. I visited often and really enjoyed the seemingly carefree nature of the classroom. To this day I wonder how two ladies can manage nine babies and make it look so easy! I do not think I could have found two better teachers to start my day care experience. It is abundantly clear how much they love their little ones. They always seem to take a keen interest in helping the babies learn and increase their skill set. I will never forget when Ms. Hiroko pointed out that Sam’s first tooth was coming in on a Monday morning when all weekend I could not figure out why she was so fussy! I love that even as Samantha moved on they took an interest in her achievements and were always quick to offer her hugs. I will also never forget when Sam and I were visiting Infant A one day during lunch (after Sam moved up to the next room) and Sam took her first steps. Thank you, Ms. Anita and Ms. Hiroko, for your dedication and commitment to both your babies and their parents.
When Samantha moved up to Infant B I was very sad to leave Ms. Anita and Ms. Hiroko, but little did I know that two more terrific women were in Infant B. Ms. Robin and Ms. Rachel were equally as amazing and kind. They spend so much time reading with the kids and making the classroom bright and engaging. They were patient with all of Samantha’s food issues and I found it encouraging that they were willing to focus on the individual needs of the kids. I have been so impressed with the pride they take in the achievements of their little ones – its almost like they take as much interest as I do as a mother. I found it especially intriguing that they take such an interest in teaching the kids through play. I love that they pick a theme (i.e. books, music, dress up, etc) and focus all activities for a particular day around the theme. Thank you both for the remarkable part you have played in helping Samantha develop and grow.
We are so excited about Sam’s transition into Beginners after meeting Ms. Jessica and Ms. Kristi at Back to School Night. They walked us through their curriculum, including daily art projects, signing, learning the alphabet and numbers. We were impressed to hear that most of the kids leaving the class around 18 months know their alphabet and can count to 10. I was also really excited to know they would do something artistic every day so I can have things to send to grandparents and put on my fridge!
I also want to thank Jennifer and Jonah for their kindness and persistent focus on a friendly and engaging environment. I love walking in the door and feeling like I am at a good friend’s house, not just some random place. It is comforting knowing my daughter loves where she is and sometimes does not want to leave. I love walking in the building and being greeted with a friendly smile and hello from teachers we have not even had yet.
Thank you Gateway for your focus on care in an engaging and happy environment. We feel fortunate to have such a wonderful care center this close to work. You are the best!
Amanda Fuller
DTC Location
I have to admit, I was very nervous about moving my 3 year old to an institutional daycare environment. She had been in an in-home daycare since she was 3 months old and I was quite scared that she wouldn’t get the kind of personal care and attention that came with her in-home center. Boy was I wrong! I could not be any more pleased with the staff and environment at the Gateway Academy. Ava, my daughter, gets exactly the same personal care and attention that she received previously (if not more)….but in addition she now has better structure in a highly stimulating learning environment. She is also building great relationships with her classmates, teachers and directors. I was never concerned with her learning and development before but since she began at Gateway she is speaking more clearly and we have wonderful conversations now! She amazes me every week with what she has learned, from songs to Spanish to occupations in the community. It brings so much joy to my life. I love it and I have to thank all of her teachers and the directors for that! Enrolling Ava in the Gateway Academy has truly been one of the best decisions I have made for her and I know it will only get better as she grows with them.
Quinn Gaston (mother of Ava Gaston, 3 ½ years old)
Whitehall Location
I became a mom a few months ago to a baby boy. Although I had done a lot of daycare research, making the decision was harder than I expected. I was immediately drawn to Gateway because of the convenience of the location. After seeing the facility and meeting Amber, Nicole and the entire staff of the Whitehall location, I knew this was the place for Troy. Three months later, I know it was the best decision I could have made. The Gateway staff welcomes you like family, and treats Troy like their own. As a parent, you want your child to be safe and well cared for, but Gateway also has heart, and Troy is thriving under their care. You can’t imagine the sense of relief I have every day knowing that I don’t have to worry about my little guy! Thanks, Gateway!!!
Karen, Troy’s Mommy
Whitehall Location
We just wanted to take the opportunity to express my thanks for the great care you have shown for our daughter. We really appreciate the special care Amber and Nicole took during her initial days. We also appreciate the attitude of all the teachers, the fact that they really seem to get to know and work with the individual personalities of the children and the obvious interest in providing them with a bright, learning-filled atmosphere. My daughter loves being at Gateway Academy and that, of course, puts our mind at ease while we are at work. Great job!”
Lahari Das
Whitehall Location
Our daughter Avery has been a Gateway Academy student for almost 3-years. As parents, we were searching for a learning-based program in a caring and loving environment. Having visited several fantastic centers, we found that Gateway Academy at Raintree in Charlotte, N.C., was the perfect fit for our family's needs. Through flexible part-time scheduling, Avery began in the one-year old classroom and was met with loving and nurturing teachers and staff. The journey has continued into a full-time schedule for Avery and she is a fine student in the pre-3 classroom. Avery enjoys her friends, teachers and an extended team of teachers from our local school system that supplement some of her needs for special education. We've found that Gateway offers an all-inclusive, positive mix of structure, creativity, academics and playtime -- all the while administered by a top-notch leadership team. Joelle and Shannon are the first faces that you see when you walk in the doors of our school and their positive spirit is reflected inside of every classroom. We treasure the experience that we have at Gateway and have made friendships that will last a lifetime.
All our best,
Jessica & Stephen Dey
Raintree Location
When we first moved back to NC six years ago, our primary concern was finding quality, reliable childcare. Since then, our children - all four of them - have absolutely thrived at Gateway Academy. By participating in the variety of social activities and education programs offered at Gateway, all were well-prepared academically, socially and behaviorally to enter kindergarten. They have developed lasting friendships with their peers, teachers and the administrative staff. Gateway provides a safe, supportive and nurturing environment that reinforces quality character traits; as a parent I can't ask for anything more.
Scott A. Thomas J.D./M.B.A.
Raintree Location
