All People’s School/Aquatic Park or Step One?

Lucky you!  Step One has an amazing yard, big hillside and a cool water feature that my child loved.  My child went to Step One, started in the 2’s program and 2 years in the preschool program.  I loved how committed the teachers were, they really understood my child and always kept her so interested in learning.  She would come home so happy, exhausted and eager to share all about her day, she became especially interested in Mae Jemison.  Hope this is helpful. 

I cannot say enough good things about Step One. My older daughter attended for 3 years (one year in the 2's program and two years in the mixed-age preschool) and my son is now in his second year in the preschool class. I honestly can not think of a single negative thing to say other than the tuition cost being a bit high - but even with that, I feel the kids get SO much out of the program, and the teachers are just wonderful, that it's worth every penny. We have absolutely loved all the teachers; they are all so warm, genuinely caring, thoughtful and loving toward each student. They take time to know each kid and will work with you to address any challenges or questions you have. My kids have both bonded really closely with more than one teacher during their time, which is so sweet to see. They also have found activities and new friends that allow them to grow and develop in new ways, all supported by the amazing staff. I love the way that the curriculum follows what the kids are interested in. In one classroom recently they set up a play hair salon for a few days because the kids in that particular class were showing interest in doing fun and creative things with their hair. So cute! The outdoor space at Step One is truly magical and one of my favorite parts of the school. The hillside, although it may look small at first glance, has SO many play areas and nooks and crannies to stimulate the kids imagination and creativity (a tiny pond and waterfall?!) - it goes so far beyond any other preschool playground I've seen. The food they serve for snacks is nutritious and nourishing and introduced my kids to new tastes and textures.

Post-covid, Step One also does some really nice community events to allow parents to get to know each other. Some of the teachers also do monthly weekend childcare events at school for a pretty reasonable cost, usually something like 4-7pm on a Saturday, to allow parents to have a date night. We ALWAYS take advantage of these and our kids absolutely love it.

Hope this helps and good luck making your decision!

We loved Step One and wish we could have stayed forever. We are still close friends with Step One families- it's a true community. Their teachers have been there long term, which I think says a lot about them as an institution and every teacher we had was so special. The facilities are beautiful, and yes, the outdoor time and space is amazing. 

APS is amazing. My kids are now 11 and 14 so my information is dated. But I recognize (and totally love and respect) about 1/3 of the staff on the current website, which is amazing retention for a preschool, especially through Covid. It's also telling that a decade out, we think and talk about what APS taught the entire family pretty regularly. Our kids came home exhausted, filthy, and happy pretty much every day. APS gave them an exceptional degree of autonomy to pursue their interests, as quirky and out of the ordinary as they might be. Sometimes entire classes take on extended projects based on the kids' interests. Teachers also taught and modeled empathy better than any teaching or camp environment I've ever seen. Both elementary and middle school staff have specifically noted both of my kids' exceptional willingness to work with anyone, including difficult and unpopular peers, which I credit right back to APS. And even though they give the kids a lot of space to be crazy on the yard and do their own thing, staff were also super observant, catching details like the fact that one of my kids was hesitant about jumping and so we should check her depth perception in case she needed glasses. Finally, the school goes out of its way to build a staff and community that is a total mix by race, national origin, gender identity, religion, family structure, and to a good degree financial status. It's an amazing baseline for kids' comfort level with the world around them.

Step One. My oldest child has been there for two years and we will be sending our youngest there as well. I wish there was a Step One - Two - Three - Four - and beyond. 

I can only speak to APS. It was the best few years of our family’s life so far. And that was pre and during the pandemic! Our kiddo is now in third grade and, like the other APS family shared, time and time again we see the deep and meaningful impact APS had on our child 3+ years later. My husband and I repeatedly credit APS for teaching us how to be the best people and parents we can be for our child, each other and our community. APS teachers and staff build honest connections with all the little buddies at school and nurture who they all are as people. They get to explore their interests and develop healthy ways to be with one another from a very early age - what more could we ask for!? I wholeheartedly endorse APS and hope that you get the chance to join such a special community.