Rory’s Room

We are very happy with Rory’s room. Our daughter LOVES it, she sings the songs at home, points out the shape of the month when we are out together, and literally jumps for joy in the morning when I say it is a day to go to Rory’s Room. She has never had this kind of reaction for daycare or another preschool. She is there all day, 8 – 6, three days a week. She loves all of her teachers (Devin, Ryan and Emily) and enjoys the specials — music, French, Gymstars and Theater. She counts in french at home. I am very happy with the level of communication. If she hurt herself, a bump in the head for instance, they always tell me at pickup. We get a weekly update over email from Devin and a monthly longer newsletter, both with pictures. They go downstairs in the afternoons for after-​school time and she really likes the indoor playground there. She has been at Rory’s Room for six months now, and we have signed her up for next year as well. They go outdoors, to the library, to Greenwood Playground, to the community garden, or just a walk around the block, when the weather permits.
The only bad thing I can think of is that it was difficult to communicate with the management when we were first signing up. It was frustrating that we had to give over vast sums of money but not be able to call and talk to someone when we had a question. But, once we were in, and there was less of a need to communicate with anyone other than the teachers, that has been less of an issue.

I think this school is wonderful. I love the teachers, the assistants, what the kids learn. My son has been going full time there for two years and will go to pre-​k there as well and I am enrolling my daughter. I think the management could improve their customer service a bit but I have not had to deal with them too much. Yes, it is expensive but not more so than equivalent options. I am writing this review because I disagree with the previous review written. I have full trust in the teachers at the school, who are very loving and caring and that is what is important to me.

This school has really taken a turn for the worst. It used to be a unique artsy preschool, but now it resembles more of a typical daycare. The tuition costs and fees however, continue to go up as the quality of the program continues to go down. The owner of this place has opened more schools in the area (Parker’s Place, Hudson’s House, Hudson Off Henry) and effectively thickens her pockets with the hard earned cash of parents who are duped into thinking her program is better than the average daycare. Information on the website and claims made at open houses are a complete fabrication of what actually goes on.
Here is why: They used to have amazing special classes, where once a week the children would benefit from the local talent in the neighborhood. They no longer have an art program (or even quality art supplies it seems), yet the owner claims they’re an arts-​based program. The music teacher (who was the kids favorite!) used to come in twice a week, but now only comes once. They also used to have a fabulous yoga company come in once a week, but now the owner’s assistant/​operations manager is the yoga teacher. They still have a French program (they advertise it as «French immersion», but that’s obviously not the case) but I’ve never heard any of the children speak any french or even talk about the classes for that matter. The special classes also used to be 45 minutes long and 5 days a week, but now they are 30 minutes long and 4 days a week. To reiterate — Quality goes down, prices go up.
Also, the small staff of friendly faces no longer i exists. Now it seems there is a new person in the room every time I walk through the door. Can there really be so many good, qualified, well-​educated teachers working part time? I guess it’s possible. However, when a company has such a high turnover rate it really says a lot about the way the company is being run and the quality of its staff.
Don’t expect to get anyone on the phone either. You have just given this woman thousands of dollars, yet your only option for any correspondence is an email address that belongs to her super inexperienced, under-​qualified assistant (who is also the operations manager, who is also the yoga teacher, who also hosts orientations and open houses, who is also left to RUN the entire network of schools). In other words, good luck getting an email response.
It’s been progressively getting so bad for a few of us that we have decided not to return for next year. If she didn’t have such a strict «no refunds» policy I would have pulled my kid out a year ago when the tide began to shift. I can’t imagine what this place will look like next year,
It’s the classic «If I knew then what I know now» thing. Learn from my mistakes — Find another school. There are many other better schools in the Windsor Terrace/​Park Slope area that aren’t owned by greedy people or run by a child.