Southwood Pre-School

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Southwood. My daughter has been there for almost 10 months and she is thriving. She started when she turned 2 and it was a tough transition at first, as she had never spent time away from mom and dad before. She cried a lot and asked for mom, but her teachers (Ms. Stephanie and Ms. Ashley) comforted her and helped her to adjust. Speaking of her teachers- they are awesome! Ms. Stephanie is a rockstar, managing a classroom full of children while keeping everyone calm and well behaved. The energy in the classroom overall is relaxed and cheerful. I also have to give a lot of credit to Ms. Caroline and Ms. Anita, who clearly love children and show that everyday. Len, the owner, has done a fantastic job with the school. He clearly cares about how the school is run. They celebrate various holidays, birthdays, and often have fun events during the week to keep the kids busy. The school is always decorated with bright, fun decorations that feature a unique theme. The facility is clean and nicely maintained. They have a huge playground in the back where the kids can get fresh air and lots of exercise. I love how Southwood prepares the kids for Pre-K and kindergarten by properly socializing them and educating them. They have specific lesson plans everyday, and they do a lot of arts and crafts. My daughter's verbal and communication skills have grown tremendously, thanks to the educational activites that the teachers offer. I also want to mention that Southwood is very affordable for the area, which I appreciate. Finally, they have a strict vaccine policy, which requires all children to have up-to-date immunizations. This makes me feel at ease, as a parent, knowing that my daughter's health and safety is being prioritized. I highly recommend Southwood!

We are so grateful to Southwood Preschool, especially Miss Cookie, for helping our 3½-year-old daughter achieve a milestone we had been working on for over a year. We started potty training our daughter when she was 2½ years old. We tried everything we could think of, and the school also worked with her, but we had no success. We were starting to worry that she just wasn't ready. Last Thursday, Miss Cookie spoke with both me and my daughter. She was so warm, patient, and encouraging. She knew exactly how to talk to my daughter and gave her the confidence she needed. That same day, our daughter decided she was ready to stop wearing diapers—and she has been doing great ever since! We were truly amazed. After more than a year of trying, it only took one thoughtful conversation from Miss Cookie to help our daughter believe in herself. It wasn't pressure—it was kindness, encouragement, and understanding. Miss Cookie has a special gift for connecting with children, and we are incredibly thankful for her support. We also appreciate the caring and positive environment at Southwood Preschool. It has made such a difference for our family. If your family is going through the challenges of potty training, I highly recommend Southwood Preschool. Thank you, Miss Cookie, for your patience, compassion, and for helping our daughter reach this important milestone. We will always be grateful!

Southwood preschool laid the foundation for our son’s success in kindergarten. The balance of social-emotional and academics helped him be ready for the classroom. Our time at Southwood was so special. The staff and teachers have created a school community that is so wonderful the memories will last a lifetime.

An absolutely wonderful preschool. Both of my children had the privilege of attending Southwood. We live closeby (can even walk here), so it was very convenient. There is also an incredibly convenient dropoff option via drive thru from 8-9, but Southwood also has very early and late hours which can be very convenient! On a personal level, Southwood accommodated my son off the wait list even when we had initially declined since he had gotten into another preschool first. Long story short, his experience in 1 week at the other school was a nightmare and Southwood agreed to take him as a 2 year old. He had a wonderful experience here and always so happy. It was a joy picking him up everyday and seeing the other happy children in his room. My daughter who is a year younger attended as a 3 year old the next year and she had a wonderful experience as well. Lots of arts and crafts everyday, along with additional extracurricular options (we opted for typing and singing classes along with gymnastics and dance). The teachers are a constant here without the turnover you see at other schools, and we are so grateful for their guidance, compassion, and care they showed our children. I will miss walking through the halls to pick them up as well as dropoff daily seeing the happy kids playing in the playground. There were wonderful events for family to attend like Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Grandparents Day. If our local elementary did not offer TK we would have continued on an extra year. I will truly miss this school and community but give it my highest recommendation. If a 3rd child were ever in our future I would not hesitate to send them here for one more experience! THANK YOU Southwood!

A Hidden Gem of a Preschool My little one spent three wonderful years at Southwood, and I truly could not be more pleased. As an educator myself, I was looking for a preschool that prioritized social interaction and the arts—and Southwood has been an affordable jackpot. The administration consists of the owner and three extremely hard-working directors. They’ve worked together for many years and run the school like a well-oiled machine. From Christmas and Grandparents’ Day to Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Halloween costume parades, and even a sweet “Graduation” ceremony, they go all out planning thoughtful, memorable events for the children and their families. Students regularly sing for their families and are treated to special experiences like puppet shows. The teachers are incredibly caring and knowledgeable about early childhood development. They consistently model how to identify feelings and guide children through managing their emotions in healthy, age-appropriate ways. Lesson plans are posted every Monday outside the classroom, and I now have two large boxes filled with my child’s artwork—each piece reflecting classroom themes like colors, ecosystems, countries around the world, and famous artists. For an additional cost, children can join high-quality enrichment classes like dance, gymnastics, music, computers, and karate. We did most of them (except karate) and enjoyed every one. As my child heads off to TK, she can write every letter of the alphabet, her full name, match letters to their sounds, and is beginning to sound out words during our bedtime reading. She loves school, the friends she’s made, and the teachers who have supported her every step of the way. I will deeply miss this sweet little preschool. Southwood has been a loving, supportive village, and it has laid a phenomenal foundation for my daughter’s love of learning.

I don't even know where to begin. So far this school has been nothing short of amazing. I am very happy that we decided to change schools and so glad we were able to get into Southwood. My daughter comes home so much happier and talks about how much she LOVES her teachers Ms. Vanessa and Ms. Lauren. I love how the teachers come up to us to talk about how wonderful the kids did that day or when they are having not so good days and what we need to work on. My little comes home with a daily report of happy face, not so great face, and a sad face letting us parents know what kind of day they have had so we aren't left in the dark. Also rating how their plate was during lunch. I also want to point out the ART is so creative and cool. Lastly the Staff is so warm and welcoming each day. drop and and pick up is a breeze. I can forget to point out the glue to the school Ms. Cookie she is so great, after drop off i know my child is safe. She is so awsome! If you are thinking of sending your kids to preschool look know further! Ms. Cookie and her staff are the best of the best 1000/1000

• Positive: Communication, Quality, Professionalism, Value

I would prefer not to be writing this PRAISE and ADMIRATION because that would mean my son didn't have to leave for Kinder. We were on a waiting list for over 2 years and it was well worth the wait. My wife was on it and put him on the waiting list after having him; he attended for about two years. The school is incredible and the faculty which makes the school amazing are nothing short of everyday Saints. I walked my son in most days and I always made sure to immediately greet any adult/teacher that I came into contact with even the cook who we said, "Good morning Chef!" while walking Hudson to class. Without fail, every single time which if you consider they have to deal with kids EVERY DAY (no thank you) every professional at Southwood had a smile and were genuinely happy to be there. I am forever grateful and cannot recommend this loving institution enough. Also worth sharing, the owner is an outstanding business owner and leader from what I witnessed.

Southwood Preschool has been an amazing environment for my kids. The staff is great, low-turnover, and cares immensely. The school goes above and beyond and cares about each kid and family.