Cole Academy

We sent our son to Cole because of last resort, but I am so happy we got such wonderful teachers. Ms. Noe and Mrs. Maureen teach the Toddler class: 18 – 24 months at Cole, and if it weren’t for them we would of pulled our son out sooner due to tuition prices rising. They show such passion for the kids in their class and love them like their own. If you have money, the cole academy is definitely worth paying if your teachers are Ms. Noe and Mrs Maureen, your kid (s) will be cared for well and they will also LOVE them too. I want to Thank all the wonderful teachers who cared for my son. I finally understand what teachers appreciation is:)

Noticeably under manned. Dropped off child with 2 adults (one of which occupied making meals) and 13 other children. Complained and they stated they will assign a rover when one came available. The place looks incredibly dirty and they have children walking around barefoot in areas adults wear shoes. Had multiple bottles prepared and the lady looking after him said he didn’t want to drink any. The real reason was the woman didn’t take out the spill stopper so he got a great tease and no milk for 6 – 8 hrs. The vibe I got from the employees was not positive and actually more like a postpartum mom or dad. Oh and the drop in rate is 90 a day pretty steep for the care your child will receive. I was also told that my child fell off an outside toy several times and I asked why did you continue to let him on it and they responded… We can only do so much.

Love the cole academy! Both my sons went to Cole. The curriculum is wonderful and the teachers really love the children. The tuition seems high but they are open long hours and during many vacation periods. Per hour the tuition is reasonable. I will always miss cole.

It is easy to write a review of place after spending a few minutes through a tour. It is easier to write a review of a place after spending many years interacting with teachers/​caregivers of the place. My little one has been attending the school since four months old. She is now three. Infant program here is by far the best. It felt like a Zen spa for the little ones. The teachers in the infant program not only took care of my daughter, they took care of me. They were attentive to every concern I had. They fully encouraged nursing. I loved being able to drop by the school and nurse my little one during lunch breaks.

My little one transitioned from infant to wobbler to toddlers to 2’s to now 3’s program. The teachers paid extra special attention not just to the little ones but also to the parents during the transition period to make sure everyone is adjusting fine. My little one loves her teachers and friends in her current 3’s preschool.
The little ones have structured schedule starting from day one (yes, infants have schedules too). The curriculums have a great balance of learn and play. Parents get written daily report of what the little one did from eating to napping to learning activities. There are parents-​teacher conferences to assess how the child is doing. We have toured other daycare/​preschools to see if the little one would like them better. We are staying at Cole Academy. Here are the reasons:
Pros:
— Amount of days the school is open. There are no one week off in spring, one week off in summer or two weeks in December non-​sense. We are not losing a month of school payment.
— Teachers. They are genuine. They are real. They love the kids (even the naughty ones). They put in a lot of effort for the little ones to have a safe, stable and fun environment to thrive in.
— Location. Great location for anyone near downtown.
— Hours. Perfect for working professional parents.
— No church/​religious affiliations. A rarity on the island.
Cons:
— Cost. It is still cheaper than daycare/​preschool of most metropolitan areas. The cost is made up with amount of days open as well as in the materials the kids have access to. There will always be a world of Toyotas and Lexus. You get what you pay.
— Lacking intense foreign language program. My little one does get exposed to tremendous amount of cultural activities. If little one learns Pidgin, that is great. It is part of this island’s culture.
Ultimately, it is the parents’ involvement that will help the little ones be good citizens of the world. It really doesn’t matter what school your child attends. You will get the child that you put the effort to help grow. This school will help your child grow when you are not available.

For the amount of tuition, this place is horrible. I had my daughter in the downtown facility for just about a month — until I found someone who watches kids in their home. This place HAS WAY TOO MUCH GOING ON… The facility although clean, is dark and lends itself more to a cattle ranch. Kids are walking around being restrained by gated doors, and the infant room — where they BAND your baby for naps is not something that I have EVER seen before in my life. Why they feel the need to TIE down an infants arms is beyond me — this is NOT my idea of infant swaddling.
My daughter went there for two weeks and caught a cold during the second week, another reason why cattle call day cares are not the preferred choice for infant care. If you work downtown the location can be convenient, but I would recommend a place where your child can truly be loved instead of ‘watched’.

I’ve been sending my daughter here for a couple months now, and love it! The staff members are great! Andee, Mr. Rob, and Ms. Noe really made our experience here feel very comfortable and welcomed. I also love how the staff really tend to the children when they’re sad and crying, and how they give you a little report card everyday about how the day went.

truly disturbing experience. I think everyone wants to send their child to the cole academy simply because of the name. but do you really want to send you precious child to a dark and filthy hell hole? AND pay $ 12something to nearly 1,700 a month? you would think that, with the amount of money you put into a school, they would know anything at all about hygiene. those puzzle mats they use for the children’s play area was almost black with dirt. the teachers didn’t mind me walking into the classrooms with my shoes on where little hands and feet touch when babies crawl around. I don’t think they sweep, Swiffer or mop the floors. if they do, its not very often. there is a light smell of urine where ever you go. I just cant believe that they want to make me pay 3400 for the first month (security deposit + first month) to send my baby to that nasty place.
NO THANKS!!!
so much better schools out there for like, a grand less!

Cole academy is the single best private child care available. With multiple locations, they are available to fit the needs of all working parents. Full time care is available or 25 hours is considered part time with the choice of hours you want your child to participate in the programs. There is also a drop in rate available for those who aren’t ready to commit.
All mommies want to feel that their child is well taken care of and educated while away from them, not just to disappear in the masses! Cole academy works with each child and always has scheduled educational activities for them to enjoy.
My son Cole started as a 1 year old in the wobbler class for simple socialization, and now he will be going until he’s ready for kindergarten. You definitely get what you pay for at this place. The price may feel a bit steep at the beginning, but well worth it. When Cole turned 2, he started learning multiple languages, including sign language at this wonderful place. He also counts to 10 clearly and knows many things other children learn at 6 years old in kindergarten. The directors Andee and Nadine are excellent coordinators and go above and beyond for each family. They work hard to place the child in the correct class for their personal growth.
The school provides organic milk and snacks for all the children. For lunch you can choose to pack or order quality organic lunches that are delivered to the school each day for a small fee. They have cots for them to nap on daily, and teach them to use the bathroom and wash their hands in the most adorable little toilets and sinks!
Outside has a great play structure that they play on multiple times during the day to get their energy out. The facility opens @7:30am– 6 pm.
Children as young as 6 weeks old can start at Cole academy with intimate care featuring a ratio of 1 adult to 2 babies, well below the state mandated ratio. Some days I come in to drop off my child and find the directors holding a sleeping baby while multi tasking on the computer. This warms my heart knowing that child was given as much love and care that the mother would be giving if she wasn’t at work.
I’ve never spoken to any family who wasn’t extremely happy with their experience at Cole academy!

Can’t believe I never left a review! My son went to Cole Academy downtown from age 3 – 5 (when he started kindergarten). Yes, it’s expensive but you get what you pay for. The teachers are very engaged, class size is small and the kids all seem happy to be there. The downtown location does have a small outdoor playground area, but you are right downtown so that should be expected. When he was interviewing for kindergarten the schools all took one look at «Cole Academy» for preschool and all had good words for where he would place. He was already reading and knew simple math before K. We moved off island, he is now in 3^rd grade (4^th grade reading 6^th grade math) and I totally credit his preschool education for this. If you can afford it, go to Cole, you won’t regret it. And yes, that is my son on the pictures on their web page. :-)

Went here for a tour. Was not impressed at all. Maybe my expectations were too high because of how high the tuition is. It was $ 1,600 a month or $ 1,200 for 3 days a week. I’m okay with paying that as long as I’m getting what I pay for.
As soon as I walked in the place wreaked of pee. The more i walked around I noticed it was so dirty. I got there while the kids were having lunch and they seemed a little too quiet. Not a single peep out of them. Were they afraid to talk? We’re they afraid of the teachers? My final straw was when couple of the teachers were talking heavy pidgin to the kids. I understand this is Hawaii. But I’m not going to pay $ 1,600 for my daughter to learn pidgin. The playground area is really small and the teacher watching them didn’t seem like she enjoyed it. She was just standing around while they play… No interaction at all. I got more of a daycare vibe than a preschool vibe.
This is all based off of a tour, so I don’t know everything that goes on. This is just my first impressions.
I heard that the other Cole Academy locations are better.
I went on many other preschool tours and they were a lot better!
Thank god my daughter got in to Unity Preschool. It’s clean. The kids take off their shoes before entering. Everything is disinfected regularly. The teachers love their job and they have an actual philosophy and curriculum to follow. The kids have a structured schedule and love being there! You can go to their Unilocal page to see my review :)

My child has attended Cole for about 1 ½ years. We are very happy with the staff there. The staff are knowledgeable and caring. They also send home detailed notes about our child’s day. The management is also very professional and responsive to any concerns or questions. We never worry about our child when we are at work.
The downside of Cole is the price, but in comparison to the competition, you get what you pay for. Besides the great staff, a big plus to Cole is that they are rarely closed. The longest amount of time they are closed is usually a few days before Christmas. Other than that, they are open (even for many holidays).