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December 2023 by Fabiana Froldi
Very professional, kind and always giving the kids the best experience!
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September 2023 by David Miller
Our daughter has attended the forked river Goddard since she was 3 months old starting in 2018. The friends, experiences, and very special staff have helped shape who she is today. They regularly bring in educational presentations like police/fireman, magicians, live animals, musicians, dinosaur presentations, geologists, pony rides etc etc. At the height of the pandemic they were still able to bring amazing resources into the parking lot for the kids. Most importantly our daughter loves going to school.
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September 2023 by Karen Hueb
My girls love this school. We have been bringing our 2 girls to Goddard for 4 years now. Even though they are now in public school we continue to enjoy your summer camp program. The staff is ALWAYS kind and attentive. Great place! BTW, we live in Manahawkin , worth the drive!
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January 2023 by Brendan Weiner
We had our daughter attend the full day Kindergarten program at the Forked River Goddard School during the COVID lockdown as we felt this was the best option for her at the time and given the abnormal situation. By taking this approach my daughter was able to capitalize on a 5 day a week program as opposed to the 2 to 3 day program offered by the Public School System. We felt this was very important for her as Kindergarten sets the tone for a lifetime of learning and boy are we glad we took this approach as opposed to the alternative!Our experience with Goddard since signing my daughter up has been fantastic. The school provides a great environment for learning and the teachers truly care about our most precious assets. Additionally, our daughter has been able to advance tremendously, not only in her education but also by building her self-confidence. I am happy to report our girl has scored well above average on several of the standardized tests that are given in the academic year through the School District and she has had great success with elementary school thus far. I attribute her success to the foundation offered by The Goddard School of Forked River and to the hard work that the teachers and staff put in every day to offer a wonderful experience for our future leaders.
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January 2023 by Ashley Eckerson
I have been working at The Goddard School in Forked River for 5 years and I can honestly say that this is one of the best private daycares in town. The owner and director care so much about their employees, children, and parents that they are always willing to work to benefit others. It hurts my heart when they do not receive credit for all of the hard work they put into the school as unfortunately I have seen many parents either in denial about their child needing additional care services, or even old faculty making false accusations to make up for their lazy worth ethic. Working and raising kids is no easy job and having the Goddard team as a support system seems like the best chance for success.
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January 2023 by Janai Mercado
I’m writing this review as a former employee but more importantly as a former PARENT at the Goddard school, not a relative of the owner to sugar coat what goes on at this school. My son did the kindergarten program at Goddard. And although I LOVE the kindergarten teacher, the way the kindergarten program is run does the children NO justice. They had kindergarteners with pre-k children all day. The classrooms were supposed to be separated about a month or two after school started in September, like I was promised by the owner, so that the proper curriculum could be followed and that never happened because they couldn’t manage to keep the school staffed, and they over enrolled so they had to over pack the kindergarten room. The kindergarten teacher was constantly being pulled from her classroom to help assist the new director in doing her job. I’ve had to attempt to re-teach my son some of the core things I know he will need for 1st grade because unfortunately it was not taught to him at Goddard, and it shows. Again, this is no fault to the kindergarten teacher, she is amazing. But she was not given the tools to give these children the kindergarten education that they deserved. People pay A LOT of money to have their children in this kindergarten program, and it’s sad to say, but it is not worth what they bill you! I am NOT speaking as a former employee, but as a former PARENT, just to reiterate. I am not disgruntled, I am disappointed.
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January 2022 by Bob Scribe
Our son went to the Goddard School in Forked River for multiple years and he absolutely loved it - whether it was day care or summer care. Running this kind of business can be so challenging, but the directors and teachers never let that get in the way of providing quality education, care and fun for the kids. We'll always be grateful for Goddard - Forked River for having such a positive impact on our son's life!
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January 2022 by Judith Hoffsomer
I am very thankful for the staff at this school..my daughter has gone to the Goddard school in Forked River since she was 2. She completed their kindergarten program this past year and is now in public school in first grade. I cannot help but be so thankful being that her teacher is constantly telling me how advanced she is, her manners are wonderful, follows the structure great and really enjoys school. I couldn’t thank The Goddard School enough for setting a great foundation for my daughter! I will be sending my newborn as well and I couldn’t be more excited.
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January 2022 by Lisa Brinez
This school was nothing short of a disappointment; more so because they made themselves seem like they were the best because they were a REAL school with REAL teachers. My 5 year old was only there for a period of three (3) months, due to an "error" on the school's end. This was just one of the many unfortunate events. When my son first started at Goddard, we were told we would receive a Daily Activity Report at the conclusion of each school day, explaining how my son's school day went. We received nothing but positive feedback for a total of 6 weeks, until I received a lengthy report from his teacher on the 7th week, explaining all of the things my son was not progressing in, as well as some odd behavioral issues. When I confronted the staff about why they had not communicated these things to us on the day that they were happening, rather than 2 months into his schooling, they advised they couldn't "evaluate" his behavior in such a short period of time. Of course no parent wants to know when their child has a bad day at school, but knowing almost 2 months later, in no way helps or improves the situation with the parents, teachers, or in this case, my son. As parents we like to reward our children when they do a good job. And that made my husband and I very angry. We immediately requested that the daily reports include when and if he has a bad day and his behavior. After that discussion, my husband noticed some differences in my son's behavior when we'd pick him up from school. He was never happy, smiling, or playing with other children. Every time my husband arrived at school to pick him up, he was either on the ground crying or sitting alone by himself, not playing with other children. Not once on the ride home did he ever mention a friend's name, activities he learned, or just the fact that he may have had a good day. Then fast forward 4 weeks and we are nearing the end of the school year. I was dropping my son off at school one morning and noticed a paper taped to the door and it explained the procedure for the 2021 pre-k graduation. I was confused because my son started the school year in April and not once was pre-k graduation ever mentioned to my husband or I at drop-off or pick up. So that afternoon I made a call to the school and asked to speak with my son's teacher about the graduation. I explained to her that I never received a paper with this information and would like a copy so I know who to make the cap & gown check out to for same. She advised that she had spoken with the owner, and that both of them were unsure if I wanted my son attending graduation, in that they thought he was not up to their "Pre-k Goddard standards" for graduation and that I should consider keeping him in daycare another year. Obviously, we all know what our own children are and are not capable of. So that statement not only shocked my husband and I, but we were very upset, thinking that they just simply did not care for my son's attendance to graduation at all, or else they would have told us 3 months ago when he first started school with them. We advised them that our son worked very hard that year, and we knew the progress he had made and that he certainly deserved to walk at graduation, despite not meeting Goddard school standards. Fast forward another 2 weeks and it is the day of my son's pre-k graduation, of which we did not attend. I HAVE ATTACHED FIVE (5) SCREENSHOTS TO THIS REVIEW, of the email conversation I had with the owner about the entire graduation day incident. This, alone, was enough to leave Goddard in our rear-view mirror. I whole-heartedly regret ever placing my son in this school, because clearly, all they cared about was their $1500 bill they got from us each month. BEWARE to all the parents -- a bouji school is not always the best thing for your child. Their response, none the less, was unprofessional and just down right despicable.
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January 2022 by Jeanna Culp
Amazing school and very caring staff.
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January 2019 by Jenifer Avana
The Goddard School in Forked River sets high standards for their staff. The teachers are all highly qualified with full certifications and/or a degree. Teachers receive many hours of trainings during the year. The owner, Directors and Teachers are such wonderful, caring and loving people. I highly recommend this school.
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January 2019 by T E
The Goddard School in Forked River has hard working , degreed teachers. When people actually visit the school, that is very visible.
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January 2015 by Melissa Ramos
We could never justify sending our child anywhere else. Goddard of Forked River is not just a daycare, it is a school jump starting our child's education needs in a safe, invigorating environment. This school is well worth it and all the parents have same goals....to have their child or children receive the best care and education possible. After several other poor experiences at other local establishments, we can honestly say Goddard is worth the money and peace of mind.
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January 2015 by Dr. Jennifer Kohart Marchessault
This is, by far, the best school in the area for little ones. My daughter has truly blossomed since starting only seven months ago. We were pressured to put her into a "disabled" school where I knew more about her needs than anyone there and how to help her succeed. When I first spoke to Toni and asked if they even accepted students with Sensory Processing Disorder, she said, "absolutely, we'd love to meet her!". The admin and staff are the most caring, supportive and educated I've met. Her teacher, Miss Sharon, made more progress with her in 6 weeks than her OT did in 6. She is happy, well-adjusted and LOVES school days. When I got the chance to discuss their education curriculum for the pre-k, I was more than impressed. Initially, we wanted her there for socialization because I could handle the education part at home, but what they are offering is entirely above what I could have expected. Tools and strategies that I teach my grad students to implement...they are daily practices here!! If you ever hear anything negative about Goddard, it is simply nonsense...Believe me, after over 15 years in schools ranging from inner city to rural to urban, this is top-notch. Coming from a Reading Specialist, they will be leaps and bounds ahead when they leave here!
