I graduated from Little Tot in 1979. I still have memories of riding around in circles on the little tricycles in the play yard, sitting in the yellow plastic "cubbie" reading books with my best friend, and waiting for the snack fairy to tap my head with his or her magic star wand.
Fast forward 30 years, my boys, Jake and Cameron, have each taken their turns on those tricycles, have read in the yellow cubbie, and have excitedly shared with me when they got to be snack fairy.
While traditions continue at Little Tot, things certainly have not remained the same! In the four years that I have been a parent to Little Tot students, the school has undergone quite a transformation. Not only in the building itself, but in the new toys, an ever changing and adapting curriculum, a phenomenal teaching assistant, music and dance classes, and so much more!!!
Mrs. Donmez has done a fabulous job balancing tradition with developmentally appropriate activities and learning opportunities. She has a true gift in her ability to create and implement a program that works for EVERY child at Little Tot. From the shyest special needs child to the most outgoing character (yes, I am describing my two boys!), Mrs. D knows how to adapt to make it work for them all!!!
I am so thrilled to have Little Tot as place we can all call our own, for it has given all of us a great start and fabulous memories. I can't wait to sign Kyle in 2011!!!
Thank you for all you have done for my children and our family. You are the BEST!
- Amy
I love Little Tots, from the colorful classroom to the friendly faces. My son Connor wasn't interested at all in learning. We played games with him and tried to make it fun but we had no luck, he would rather do anything else. Until Little Tots, Connor walked in on the first day of school and realized hows much fun it was to learn. Now, we fight with him on the weekends because there is no school. Connor has learned so much, and he wants to tell everyone the things he has learned. He loves to sing his ABC's and count EVERYTHING! He has not only learned academically he has also made some great friends at Little Tots including Mrs. D and Ms. Ara. Little Tots has done great things for Connor and all the kids that are lucky enough to go there and Mrs. D has turned it into a top notch preschool. Thanks!
Sincerely,
Maribeth & Ryan Fogarty Collin class of 2006 Connor Class of 2009 Addison & Emma class of 2012
To Mrs.. D and all the other student teachers at Little Tots,
I want to let you all know how much my husband and I love that our son, Bryce was able to attend Little Tots pre-school. When Bryce started school he was not used to interacting with kids his own age and had problems with stuttering and speaking in the third person. Since his time at Little Tots, he know longer stutters and does not refer to himself third person when he speaks. We find that when he is home he is singing songs and teaching my husband and I activities that he has learned at school. He is much better with sharing and has made some really good friends and looks forward to his days at school when he can see them again. There are some things he has shown me that I didn't even know he knew,and I am impressed with the level of knowledge he has at only three years old.
My husband and I enjoy when we can come to school for activities. It's a fun time to see what he is learning and to meet with other parents. Mrs.. D and her staff are always friendly and I like how we can see displays of what kinds of crafts, pictures, etc. the chilen in the class have made. I feel that Mrs.. D is very open with us about Bryce's progress and keeps communication open if there were any concerns that we may have. My son enjoys making snacks with me to bring into class and loves to come home to let me know what activities are coming up in class.
I am glad my husband and I chose Little Tots for Bryce's pre-school. He has made really good friends and we are happy to see how much he has progressed this year.
Thanks to Mrs.. D and all the other staff at Little Tots.
People often ask me why I drive so far to take Jake to preschool. "Don't you have any schools where you live?" they say. And I always reply with the same answer, "Of course, but Little Tot is the BEST."
Ms. Borrero has a true gift in her ability to create and implement a program that works for EVERY child at Little Tot. Jake has some special needs and challenging behaviors and I was very nervous to send him to preschool. However, Ms. Borrero assured me that she and her staff would find ways to help Jake succeed. He has come so far, and Little Tot is the safe, nurturing environment that let him be who he is and figure out school at his own pace. I am so grateful to have this wonderful school and these fabulous women educating Jake. I am confident that he has gained the skills and knowledge necessary to be a successful Kindergartner in the fall. And during that same fall, Cameron will start Little Tot, a little adventurer who already thinks he runs the school. Ms. Borrero and the staff at Little Tot will have their hands full with him but I know they are up to the challenge!
We are truly fortunate to have a Nationally Accredeted, licensed, nursery school program in our area. I am so thankful to Ms. Borrero and the staff at Little Tot for providing a quality early childhood program at an affordable price. And for taking the time to make Little Tot well worth the drive. You truly are the BEST!
- Sheila M. Shover
Mother of Madison Shover (Little Tot Graduate 2006)
and Grace Shover (currently enrolled, class of 2008)
As a former elementary school teacher, I knew exactly what I was looking for in a nursery school for my children. When my husband and I started looking for schools for Jakob, we contacted seven schools in the Capital District. We made appointments to visit all of them. Little Tots was our fourth appointment, and when we got home from our initial visit, we called and cancelled the rest of our appointments. We didn’t need to see any more.
I worried about Jakob’s socialization skills in the beginning because he did not often have the opportunity to play with children his own age. I was also nervous because he had been undergoing speech therapy; I thought he might have trouble communicating with the other children. Ms. B had so many fantastic ideas to make the transition an easy one, for him and us! She gave us tools to use at home to carry over what was being taught in the classroom.
In September, Jakob attended 2 days a week, by January; he attended 3 days a week. Now this September, Jakob is there all 5 days, and he could not be happier. He absolutely loves it there. The staff at Little Tot Nursery School is top notch. They cater to the needs of each individual child, no matter what the socialization or intelligence level. The staff is helping me with the most important job of molding Jakob into the person I want him to be… himself.
