Insider Pages Reviews for The Goddard School of Cedar Park - preschool / childcare

4 Stars: The Goddard School of Cedar Park (by Leora R.)

Leora R. — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:46:00 GMT

We have good things to day about Goddard School of Cedar Park! Owner Butch and his team are polite, friendly and overall a pleasure to deal with. The school reaches out to the community and focuses on educating children in and out of the classroom -BookSpring

5 Stars: EXCELLENT School and Instruction (by krtroy)

krtroy — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:00:00 GMT

I have toured this school and is is the cleanest, most sanitary, and most well-kept daycare or pre-school I have found. The teachers actually have degrees in education (unlike almost all other pre-schools that hire young kids and non-degreed staff) and the student-to-teacher ratios are very low. In addition, the owner (Butch Aggen) has a Master's Degree in education and has actually worked in school administration - so he understands the learning needs of children first-hand! The building is new and well-maintained and the school itself has monthly 'themes' that the learning activities center around, complete with educational guests such as UT professors, NASA personnel, and others that you wouldn't expect and won't EVER find at any other pre-school! If you want your child to be in a SAFE and well-managed LEARNING environment that they will get something out of - THIS IS THE PLACE TO ENROLL THEM!

5 Stars: My son loves his school: The Goddard School (by dxu)

dxu — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:00:00 GMT

We moved to Austin couple of months ago, and my son started to attend the Goddard School at Cedar Park.

He is very happy to go to school every day, and comes back telling me the fun things he did in the day. His daily routines include lots of musics, moving, jumping, fun stories, and science projects.

5 Stars: Thanks Goddard School of Cedar Park (by k l.)

k l. — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:58:00 GMT

My daughter loved playing at the Goddard School this summer. We loved the play-based philosophy, and my daughter was enthusiastic about going to school each morning that she attended. The teachers at the school worked to distract and redirect children instead of resorting to "time-outs." I greatly appreciated this approach, and know that my daughter benefited from it. We plan to attend the Goddard School for their summer session each year.

5 Stars: Awesome preschool/daycare (by V V.)

V V. — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:46:00 GMT

Both of my kids attend the Goddard School in Cedar Park. The older has been going for about a year and a half, the youngest for about 4 months.

The facility is clean and bright inside; outside, the kids have huge areas to run around and to play on rock-solid commercial playground equipment. In the summer, they do a weekly "splash day", which incorporates age-appropriate water play into the kiddos' outdoor time. Both of my children love splash day!

The school also provides "enrichment programs" where outside instructors come in to teach piano, dance, soccer and martial arts. These do cost extra, as these are pay-per-service type classes from other childhood programs, but since I'm a working mom who wouldn't have time to provide my kids these extras during the week, it's really cool that they will come to my kids.

The owners, Butch and Maria, have always been kind, conscientious and professional, with a good bit of themselves and their own personalities thrown in. I enjoy dealing with both, and have found them to be immediately responsive and receptive to what I have had to say about my daughters' experiences.

I love the directors, Desiree and Paula, as well. Like Butch and Maria, they are both totally on top of their games, and very easy to talk to about anything. Since my kids are both very individual people, I've had a few parent-teacher conferences and talks with both directors, and their responsiveness and respect for my kids has been wonderful.

With the exception of very young babies, the Goddard program breaks kids into classrooms that have six-month age spans; by that I mean 2-2.5 goes in one room, 2.5-3 goes in another, etc. Babies stay in the same room until they are a year old. I'm pretty sure this is because of the logistics of having cribs for them, and also because they will not allow children to share cribs. I didn't start my youngest until they were over a year old, so I've no experience with the 0-1 year room, but now have experience with every room after that :)

The school also offers two separate and age/developmentally-appropriate play structures for the kiddos, so outdoor play is both safe and engaging. Kids play outside year-round, but there are temperature cut-offs to prevent them from being out there when it's too hot or too cold. On rainy or otherwise inclement days, the kids play in the huge indoor gym.

I think more than a clean facility and good ownership/directors, parents care about how their children are *treated*. I know that for me, the multi-cultural, multi-national curriculum and exposure my children get is really important, where all children are treated as equals (and are exposed to / taught to appreciate the differences and similarities between people) regardless of who/what they are. That my children are nurtured with love and consideration for them as individual is even more important, as is a strict-hands-off discipline policy, based on respect.

I like and believe in the 'learning through play' mindset, and also their pre-K readiness programs. I wish kindergarten was still just stories, play and naps, but since it's not, I appreciate that the school is prepping them for a more curriculum-based type experience, but still allowing them to have fun and be silly.

For the more detail-oriented folks, Goddard is a national program, so the QA, the checks and balances and the strict guidelines on food safety, cleanliness and other "details" are impressive as well. For the feelings-type people like me, the warmth and true care the Goddard School provides just can't be beat.

5 Stars: Great Preschool----Highly recommed (by kerry D.)

kerry D. — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 03:13:00 GMT

The Goddard School and staff provide a loving and nurturing environment for their children. I have felt comfortable knowing my child was in a safe and fun learning environment. My daughter has grown personally and academically in the two years she was at Goddard. I would highly recommend the School.

5 Stars: Outstanding Preschool--Highly Reccomend! (by Rachelle W.)

Rachelle W. — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:55:00 GMT

The Goddard School provided an outstanding preschool experience for my daughter. The teachers were caring and knowledgeable and they were concerned about the needs of each child. The activities were fun and educational. Several times during the year, outside sources were brought in so the kids could have additional learning experiences. My daughter was fully prepared for Kindergarten, and in fact was one of the best readers in her class, thanks to the education she received at The Goddard School.

5 Stars: Nice preschool (by n z.)

n z. — Thu, 14 May 2009 02:40:00 GMT

I have a 3 and 5 yr old child enrolled. They've been there 1 1/2 years and I've found the teachers really connect well with my children and with parents. Seems they really enjoy what they do. I also like the gym that the school has - nice for the kids if its raining or too hot. Other schools, kids are stuck in same classroom all day when weather is bad. Good balance of structure but free play for the children.

I recommend the school highly.

5 Stars: Great preschool! (by Robin G.)

Robin G. — Sun, 03 May 2009 20:06:00 GMT

We have enjoyed having our children at the Goddard School. The staff is committed to having a very clean and positive learning environment. The management and owners have always been open to any suggestions and maintain great communication with parents.

5 Stars: We Love Goddard School! (by Melanie A.)

Melanie A. — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 06:09:00 GMT

We were delighted when The Goddard School opened in Cedar Park as it was the only school that met the standards we expected for our daughter. The owners, Butch and Maria Aggen have really raised the bar with this school! It is a clean environment filled with experienced teachers and a planned curriculum that gave us confidence that our daughter was not just experiencing a place to play but more importantly a place to learn. Every day brought new activities and we love the daily reports from the teachers that keep us in touch with the "going-ons" on a daily basis. The most important aspect of all is that we know that our daughter is truly cared for and loved. The teachers make a point to know all the names of the students and it is so nice to see the friendly faces call her by name in the mornings upon arrival. Madeline has truly grown socially, academically, and most of all, interpersonally because of the nurturing ambiance not only in her classroom but throughout the entire school. If you are seeking a quality environment with integrity and commitment for the care of your children - then I highly recommend The Goddard School. We Love It!