Imagination Pre-School

3/25/2014\r \r Jennifer C.0friends2reviews\r \r spoke with Eileen Hummel (owner) prior to registering my son for her program. We agreed he was young (just turned two) but she said he would be fine in the class. I went to pick him up today, and was told he was too ""immature"" for the toddler program and just wanted to ""play"" well, he's two. What should he be doing? Discussing the theory of relativity with his fellow toddlers? I was appalled at not only the choice of words used, but also that she immediately said she would refund the remainder of the month (one day) rather than just let him finish.(?) And no talk of perhaps we should try in the Fall?When he is a bit older? We were essentially kicked out of the school. I found it unprofessional, rude, and in poor taste. As someone who claims to be an educator, I find it uncouth to say the least. I am a parent, and my responsibility is to ensure my child is in the best possible environment to foster his growth as an individual. These facilities are a dime a dozen on Long Island. I will take my business to someone who knows what they are doing.\r \r He may not have been ready for the class, but that conversation should have taken place weeks ago. If you were any type of educator, you would have been paying closer attention. After all, that is your job, is it not? more

This letter is long overdue. I can't believe Mark has just completed pre-school. It seems like I was just crying in the audience at Marina's graduation from Imagination Pre-School!\r \r When Marina started the three-year-old program she was kind of reserved and a little hesitant. Once she got to know her teachers she slowly became more confident and always loved going to school. When it was time for her to start the four-year-old class she was an old pro. She always loved going to school and still loves to come visit you and the teachers. She loved telling her little brother all about the things that he would be doing when he went to school. By the time kindergarten came around she was more than ready largely because of the great preparation she had at Imagination.\r \r Then came Mark; so different from Marina, so attached to me. When he started the three-year-old program I never thought he'd make it but I followed the director?s advice and the advice of his wonderful teachers and they were all right. He did make it! He made it because of the kindness, compassion and genuine love for the children shown by the staff and director. This year seemed to go by so quickly. I never thought I would see Mark so eager to go to school. He couldn't wait to see what crazy outfit the director would be wearing for the special days at school! There is just the right mix of playtime and learning. Thanks to everyone at Imagination Pre-School for giving my children a wonderful foundation for their many school years to come. Pros: Everything more

I just wanted to take a moment and let everyone know how well a former student of Imagination Pre-School, Deanna, is doing! She has adjusted beautifully to kindergarten and the preparation she had at this wonderful preschool has made that possible. Her love of learning that she discovered at Imagination Pre-School has continued into all her classroom activities.\r \r Deanna?s year at Imagination Pre-School was such a joy to us both. I enjoyed coming to pick her up and see how excited she would become as she showed me her beautiful artwork or crafts that she had made. Her ?alphabet book? was a labor of love and I will always treasure it.\r \r I cannot say enough about the teachers and all the wonderful people at the school. It was my pleasure to have gotten to know everyone, and as Deanna grows, I will never forget her wonderful experience at this remarkable school. Pros: See comments more

My daughter, Julie, has learned so much at Imagination Pre-School. It was a perfect introduction to her school years where her day was filled with learning, fun, and friends. I was impressed with the daily curriculum and how much the kids learn each day. The crafts were always fun to make and complimented the units' lesson for the week perfectly. Also, we enjoyed celebrating birthdays (which are made very special for each child), holiday parties (Santa handing out the gift to each child was a favorite), and going on the field trips. It was also nice to see the pictures from each activity on display in the hallway. You can see the happiness on each of the child's faces.\r \r I would also like to acknowledge the amazing teachers. They always greeted everyone with a smile and a hearty hello. They are both very dedicated teachers who truly love being with the children and it shows in everything they do.\r \r I would most definitely recommend Imagination Pre-School to anyone with young children without hesitation. It is comforting to know that in this unpredictable world, our children can grow and learn in an environment where they are safe and loved. We will always have fond memories of Imagination Pre-School. Pros: Caring staff and director, modern and clean facilites, educational curriculum more

Imagination Pre-School made my daughter Vanessa?s preschool years a loving, fun, nurturing and happy experience. I recommend this school to everyone I know. The love of children and enthusiasm shines through in all that the staff does. \r \r Each class has new and updated learning toys, a computer and a small teacher-student ratio, not to mention also such a wonderful staff. Special events like the Pow-Wow, the winter picnic, the special parties, the Halloween parade and of course, the most memorable cap and gown graduation ever, were unforgettable. The field trips to the post office, the fire department, the pumpkin patch, the Holtsville Game farm and the hospital were wonderful learning experiences for the children. \r \r Vanessa was prepared for kindergarten in so many ways both socially and academically. We loved the picture alphabet book and learning to write the kindergarten way. Vanessa was reading before kindergarten even started. Now that she has completed kindergarten, she is an excellent reader. Her class picture still hangs in her room on her bulletin board alongside her new kindergarten picture. She will never forget Imagination Pre-School or Miss Eileen and neither will we.\r Pros: Just an all around great school more

""Imagination is more important than knowledge"" ? Albert Einstein\r \r I came across this quote the other day and I thought how brilliant. Children are pushed to grow up so fast in our society day. Do they realty have the opportunity to use their imaginations and see where it can take them? When the time came to find a preschool-for Amanda, Brianna and Dominic, I was disappointed to see what was out there. I was discouraged until I saw Imagination Pre-School. I knew that this was the place I would feel comfortable leaving my children. The atmosphere was nurturing, warm, safe, friendly and fun. The children were learning and having fun at the same time. This is what preschool ought to be. My children had some separation issues. Thanks to your understanding and compassion, those issues were resolved rather quickly. I even got to experience summer camp. It was great. My children have gone through a complete transformation. They have grown socially and academically. They are always observing and exploring through play. They have become very creative in their storytelling - a perfect example of putting their imaginations to good use.\r \r There have been many memorable experiences at Imagination Preschool; the Pow-Wow was my favorite. The children performed after Thanksgiving Dinner. The class trips were well planned and parents got to experience them too. The children loved the holidays at school. They made crafts and sang songs and had parties. They are always singing. A friend commented on that one day and said her son never comes home with a song. I thought how sad. My children were very lucky.\r \r The graduation ceremony was beautiful and bittersweet. I couldn't stop crying ; my babies are growing up. Although it is time to move on, we are going to miss the faculty and atmosphere of Imagination Preschool. Thank you for wonderful memories and friendships we will never forget. I would recommend Imagination Preschool again and again.\r more

I agree with the first reviewer completely. This school was such a disappointment! I did not send my son back after one year there. The director does have major issues and her staff is so phony and inappropriate. One time I overheard two teachers talking about a child in the class they ""had enough of."" I actually heard them discussing how they would present the ""situation"" to the parents so that the parents were left with no choice but to either pull their child out or get assistance in the room because they are too lazy and inexperienced to deal with ""normal child development issues."" I felt so bad for that family!!! They have you sign a waiver that basically states if your child has any issues and is not ""adjusting"" you willl be asked to go elsewhere. Of course the language they use is much nicer - something like, some children need more than what our typical pre-school offers, blah blah, blah. Although fortunately, my son did ""fit in"" (wasn't one of the moms spoken to), I am very sensitive to those kids that had more varied adjustments because my niece was like that, but she was at a school that was sensitive to her indivdual needs and did not require ""assistance"" because they took the time to help her acclamate. Just because a school has been around for a while doesn't mean anything. Like the other reviewer said, this school presents a fasade of photoalbums and classrooms that will put on a show for an observer. Wouldn't you be on your best behavior if you were being watched or asked questions? I happen to overhear that particular conversation and that is what set me off and made me question this place. Find a school that embraces all children and will take the time to get to know your child and work with you to make their pre-school experience a meaningful one - you won't get that at Imagination. Pros: parking Cons: read narrative more

The reviewer who bad-mouthed Imagination Pre-School has some ""serious issues"" and does not represent the vast majority of satisfied parents who have sent their children the school. Obviously, if the school were as she described, it would not still be in business (and thriving) after 12 years. \r \r Come down to the school and judge for yourself.\r See the classrooms. Meet the staff. Meet the director. Observe the classes in session. Then decide if the school is the right one for your child. Pros: Caring staff, beautiful facility, small classes, reasonably priced more

The director, is a very bizzare ""Type A"" personality with serious issues. She tries to ""sell"" prospective parents with her ""perfect presentaion"" of photoalbums of previous class trips and events. The classrooms are dull and unstimulating, lacking a variety of current toys and manipulatives. The teachers are cold, unnurturing, and ""spies"" for her as the various parents come and go to drop off and pick up their kids (which by the way, if you are even one minute early, you are not allowed past the director or one of her lay teachers) This is very inconvienent for us full-time working moms). There is definitely a sense that your child has to fit into a certain ""mold"" to be considered ""acceptable."" The staff are not knowledgable about child development. They report things to parents such as ""Your child didn't share today..."" I mean the kids are 2,3, and 4 years old - what do you expect? If anything is ""off schedule"" or out of place, (and that also means a child not wanting to do an activity) this director becomes a bit nutty. She is very imbalanced psychologically and unprofessional when having to address parents with any particular issues. I am not sending my daughter back there for the next two years and am looking for another school that puts children first, not their own issues and egos. Pros: cost - but as they say, you get what you pay for... Cons: teachers and director have no experience with understanding child development more