Parent Reviews
Here are a few reviews from Caterpillar parents. You can view many more on Yelp.
We would also be happy to connect you with current parents to get their perspective on the Caterpillar experience.
Caterpillar Cottage is a true gem.
Both our daughters attended pre-school here (our youngest is still attending), and though the girls have such different personalities, they both thrived.
The school's approach is empathetic so that even the littlest children feel seen, heard, and understood. The teachers model and foster social-emotional skills skillfully, so that the kiddos become considerate but effective self-advocates and negotiators, establishing the building blocks for identifying their own emotions and needs and working through conflict. The teachers are gentle and caring. You feel totally confident leaving your child under their guidance, knowing they will be treated with respect and kindness.
The teachers and director also become your genuine partners along the journey of raising your child. Through coffee hour chats, expert talks, knowledgeable resource recommendations, and one-on-one conversations they can help troubleshoot any parenting challenges you are working through.
For myself and some alumni parent friends of mine, the school has been such a trusted guiding light that "Caterpillar" has become a verb. If you're not sure how to deal with a child situation, you ask yourself, "How can I Caterpillar this?" What would (lead teacher) Andrea say or do?
All this is on top of the other good stuff of pre-school they provide: arts exploration, outdoor play, stories and gardening and science experiments and a lovely community of parents and friends.
Highest recommendation!
- Tommy K.
Quite possibly the best decision I ever made for my daughter was to send her to Caterpillar Cottage.
Looking for preschools was difficult, as it's hard to know what exactly to look for. This place is it. Every adult (from the director to the assistant teachers) care immensely from the children, constantly considering their perspective and what might be best for them individually. There were times when my daughter would be going through something difficult and Andrea (the teacher) would tell me how she was thinking of it at home-- never do you expect teachers to worry for your child as their own. This is the norm here. My daughter went here from the time she was 2.5 until she graduated (became a butterfly) last year. She is now thriving in her new learning environment, thank you Caterpillar Cottage! I will forever look back fondly on our years spent here, so incredibly grateful for you.
- Adina B.
This is the preschool of my dreams!
I am tremendously grateful our family found Caterpillar Cottage. Our daughter started at 2.5 years old and is simply thriving.
Caterpillar Cottage is truly special, a place where children are treated with respect, care, consideration, and empathy and learn naturally through play. The teachers are incredible, supported, and invested in each child's development. The director, Heather, is the real deal with 25+ years experience in early education and child development - this is her passion and it shows. The student to teacher ratio is unlike anywhere else I could find and it makes a huge difference, as does the fact that the teachers are simply amazing with children. When I drop my daughter off each day my heart is peaceful and full, knowing she is receiving exceptional care and having amazing experiences to help her grow and learn through play. She comes home covered in paint, sand, dirt, ooblek, you name it! Every day there are super cool projects for the kids to explore as they wish (lots of times they look so enticing I wish I could play myself)! When conferences come around twice a year you receive an amazing, detailed report from the superstar lead teacher, Andrea, that goes over different aspects of your child's development with anecdotes and photos. Communication is outstanding - if you have questions/concerns they will be addressed pronto.
I could go on and on (and perhaps I will add more later), but this is truly an exceptional place. Soon after her second birthday, we actually sent our daughter briefly to two other schools before finding Caterpillar Cottage and the difference is major. She's been there happily at Caterpillar for 10 months now and we couldn't be happier. My husband says, "Every kid deserves to be in a place like Caterpillar".
If a part-time schedule (8:30am - 2:30pm is the maximum extended day) could POSSIBLY work for your family, schedule a tour TODAY!
- Omi C.