Gardengate Academy

Under New Management : We have been at Garden Gate for a little over 9 months. As a public school teacher , I appreciated the intimate feeling , especially since I teach in a large school . I've experienced how disconnecting a big school can feel. Yesterday , we had a meet and greet with the new director, Yahshannah, and after a long conversation with her I feel confident and happy in my continued decision to have my child here. Yahshannah is already delivering on new promises and I can't wait to see what she has in store! Definitely check them out !

We started sending our son to this daycare when he turned 10 months old, after touring more than ten centers in the area. From the moment I met the director, Amanda, it was clear why this place stood out. Amanda spent a full hour showing me the school and infant room —she even sat down with me in the infant room after 5 pm (when it was quiet) to patiently answer every question I had. At pickup time, I saw smiling parents greeting joyful children, and I knew immediately this was the right choice. It’s now been five months, and I honestly have nothing but praise. Every morning my son is happy when drop off, and few times he he even cries at pickup—he wants to stay wrapped up in Mrs. Fanny’s hugs! Mrs. Fanny is absolutely wonderful; she clearly loves each baby in her care and gives the sweetest snuggles. I’ve seen the same warmth and professionalism from the teachers in the toddler, preschool, and Pre-K rooms. Communication here is fantastic. Amanda always lets us know about staffing changes—new teachers joining or others moving—and the monthly newsletter on the app keeps us up to date on everything from upcoming events or changes. As spring arrived, I love that they take the kids outside whenever the weather is nice, and the daily photos in the app are out favoriate. My husband and I knows how my son is doing, does he love the food or not, how was his sleep, and what fun things he did. I have seen lots of enriching activities. I was impressed by a STEM project the Pre-K kids did this Febuary, they also dis some plantting event, my baby do lots of painting things, he even crafted a little wooden heart with his little hand prints on it in Valentine’s Day, . Overall, this daycare has exceeded all of our expectations. The genuine care, transparency, and attention to detail make it a truly special place. We couldn’t be happier with our decision!

My children have been going here for almost 4 years and we love it! Both have started as infants and now our oldest is in pre-k. The place has a very homey feel, the teachers love the children, and foster a place of learning and development centered around play and age appropriate activities. They really care about the well-being of children and we trust them wholeheartedly with ours. I have seen both my boys thrive here- learning numbers, letters, expanding their vocabulary and learning how to play and interact with other children and adults. They dance and read and play outside and in the summer they have tons of water play and different seasonal activities. Highly recommend this program!

We moved to Natick in June 2022 from Cambridge and my son absolutely loves it! EVERYONE from GA, from the owner Gabi to teacher's assistants, truly enjoys being with kids and genuinely cares about them. GA offered various activities throughout the day, both indoors and outdoors, and posted pictures/videos continuously. Just read the kids' smiles and you will see how much they love this place. A bit more detail --- I work at a university in a different state and will be away 3 days a week. After the long summer break, my son had a tough time emotionally adjusting to my commute schedule. We were not aware of it initially because he behaves normally at home. Gabi reached out to us once she identified the issue. Specifically, she gave us the full detail of what happened with my son at daycare and what she thought might cause those behaviors. Then, she sit with us for several meetings and instructed us on how to communicate with kids to ensure a smooth transition. We communicated almost on a daily basis through the GA mobile app for weeks until my son was completely over it.

We are so happy at Gardengate! I have two children here, and have had experiences now in every classroom (infant, toddler, pre-K, and K-1). We had previously been at a larger daycare in Natick, and could not believe how much better a daycare/preschool could be until we made the change. I have been so impressed with the thought that Gardengate puts into not only their curriculum/academics, but also into the children's social/emotional development. They have varied weekly themes and corresponding stimulating projects. For example, the preschool class had a 3-week space theme last year that my son still talks about! They also pay particular attention to promoting leadership skills. I also love the frequent outdoor time and daily walks the children take. In terms of the staff, the director, Gabi, is AMAZING. Any time we have had feedback, she has professionally addressed them. The teachers are wonderful and very engaged. I feel like they truly know and care about my children. I think it also helps that the class sizes are small, so you really get to know the staff. Gardengate also fosters a sense of community among the children and parents. For example, because they knew parents were reluctant to trick-or-treat in neighborhoods this year, they hosted their own trick-or-treating after school that was outside and structured to keep families separate. But what’s really telling of how great this school is is how happy my kids are there! They absolutely love it and are always talking about their projects and teachers. They are learning, thriving, and feel loved and supported by the staff. I definitely encourage you to take a tour and meet Gabi!