The Goddard School

As a family, we came to The Goddard School after our two-​year old son was asked to leave his previous school/​daycare because they felt «he needed too much attention» with is autism disability. We were unsure if we would even have him attend another school, but due to the importance of having him socialize with age appropriate peers, we decided to take a leap of faith after meeting with The Goddard Staff and even visiting his proposed classroom.
Like any two-​year old, there were days that he would cry when we dropped him off with Miss Bernice and Miss Stephanie, but more often than not, he was excited to see his classmates and teachers. Our son adjusted well to the everyday routine even learning all of his classmates names, participating in art and story time, and even greets «Miss Stephie» with hello’s and goodbye’s.
It is not only the opinion of us, his parents, but also the opinions of his multiple therapists whom The Goddard Staff and classmates welcomed, that «Miss Stephie» went above and beyond for our son. Stephanie is warm and caring, but at the same time will challenge him to learn while being attentive to his special needs. Feedback I also received from his private therapists and educators is that he seems to have «off» days when she is not there which is proof to us that she is a large part of his success at The Goddard School.
We want to take this time to say thank you to everyone at The Goddard School for having the patience and believing that our sons belongs in an environment where he can grow and learn amongst his peers. Also, we would like to recognize Miss Stephanie for truly doing more than was ever asked of you.
Warmest Regards,
Sandra and James L

My husband and I had our first son in home daycare for the first year. After many problems (one major one being reliability) we decided to start looking at daycare centers. The process was very overwhelming in the beginning. I never felt comfortable leaving him with any of the centers we looked into. We decided to take a tour of Goddard in Derry (2010), even though it was out of our way. When I walked into the breeze way and saw the security palm scanner to enter the school and a director sitting at the front desk (behind a glass window) I knew this was the one! We temporarily left for 2 months when I was pregnant with my second son, boy was that a mistake! I wasn’t sure we could afford 2 kids in a center, so we moved my older son to a facility closer to home. We had a horrible experience and I would cry almost everyday he wasn’t at Goddard. I decided I rather drive a cardboard box than have my kids watched by anyone other than Goddard. I spoke to Suzanne and we worked it out so we could come back. Happiest day ever!
They have a beautiful and extremely safe facility. The 2 playgrounds are fully fenced in, locked and alarmed. The outside doors on the playgrounds are always locked from the outside so you will need to be let in by a teacher. The classroom doors they use to enter the playground are also alarmed for extra security. They do regular fire safety drills no matter the weather conditions, which is really important to us.
The teachers are amazing with the kids! They provide a very nurturing, consistent and positive environment for them to learn, play and grow, which we did not find at a lot of centers. I can thank them for my older sons successful potty training. His teacher at the time mentioned he was doing so well staying dry during nap. She felt he was ready for big boy underwear. Pull ups were holding him back from being dry all day. We ditched the pull ups and put him straights into undies and he did great! Communication between the parent and teacher is key. They are always making sure they are on the same page as you and address any concerns you have in a professional manor.
My youngest son was always very shy before attending Goddard. He has really come out of his shell! The teachers plan out daily activities and provide daily reports of each child via email.
They truly love your child and love their jobs. My boys love going and that makes me feel 1,000% comfortable dropping them off 5 days a week. I love that my youngest son (who is now in the toddler room) remembers and LOVES his teacher from the infant room! He runs down the hall with his arms open saying «Mary»! He is looking for Ms. Mary, who is now an Assistant Director. He goes into her office and gives her a big hug. You can’t ask for anything more than that!

We searched for a long time for the perfect preschool for our daughter. She is an only child and when she hit the age of 2 we thought we should take her to preschool for the socialization. I was very nervous about leaving my baby somewhere unfamiliar. After searching a few schools we decided to try The Goddard School in Derry, NH. The first thing I noticed about the school was the palm scan to enter the building. This immediately put me at ease about leaving my daughter there. Then the friendly staff (Samantha, Suzanne, and Jen) welcomed us and let us leave our daughter in one of the classrooms so that we could talk uninterrupted and she could have the full experience.
I was afraid that my daughter wouldn’t want to be left alone with «strangers.» Boy was I wrong. She saw all the books, games, dress up clothes, dolls, sensory tables, puzzles, and crafts and gave me the backwards wave as she ran away from me into the classroom. «Bye mommy! Take your time!» I was able to happily walk away knowing that she was happy and safe.
The staff walked us through the entire building and outside into the play area. I liked that there is a soft foamy ground in the play yard but there is also a grassy area for the kids to run and play in. The whole back area was fenced in by a very large white fence with a couple locked gates.
We went back to the classroom to collect our child and were able to talk with Mary, one of the toddler teachers. She gave us a tour of the classroom and talked about the curriculum. I liked that there is a daily sheet that all parents are given every day that goes through what books were read, what songs they sang, what the child ate, how often they needed a diaper change (if not potty trained), how much lunch they ate, and a memorable moment from that day.
We were planning to only do half days and I liked that a half day at The Goddard School is from 7:00 AM until 1:00 PM so that children are encouraged to dine with the other students. Mommy can get a lot done in six hours! Also, you can pick which days! You can decide your own schedule. I really liked this.
Switching days is flexible too. Often times we will be taking a long weekend vacation over the summer (yes, they’re open all year long, including summer time!) and need to switch our daughter’s day to another day that week. The staff at The Goddard School is very approachable and will happily switch days as long as we give them respectable notice (about a week or so). We have had to switch her once or twice without as much notice and they were able to accommodate and were very understanding.
I am a helicopter mom. I admit it. I have one child and am nervous about leaving her anywhere without me. The day I left her for the first time at The Goddard School, the ladies in the front office let me sit in the office for as long as I needed. They were very friendly and patient with me. They sent me a picture of my daughter after I left (and sat in my car in the parking lot for a while) and told me a little bit of what she was doing. She was smiling widely, making a craft, and laughing with new friends.
I would recommend The Goddard School to anyone. Hands down. I love this school and I will be very sad when my «baby» has to leave and go off into the world. If you are thinking of sending your child here. Check it out. They have «fun Fridays» every month where you can go with your child and spend some time there for FREE. You won’t be sorry or disappointed.