My wife and I joined TTA because we felt it was a breathe of fresh air compared to other places out there. Thus far, the school has been amazing. My children's teachers are well educated and it's obvious that they are under good leadership. Anytime I've needed assistance everyone in the building is more than willing to help. In the morning I am greeted by any teacher there! For us- this is a family. It gives me great piece of mind to know that my children are being taught and well cared for.

Both of my children attend Tiny Turtle Academy (TTA) and are thriving there. My toddler smiles and hugs her teacher each morning. The curriculum for her is wonderful as it allows her to experience her colors and shapes and encourages her to learn in a friendly atmosphere with highly trained teachers. My three-year-old is also thriving and the curriculum meets her growing needs and challenges her well. In addition, the social aspect of the three-year-old curriculum is well thought-out so the students are not only learning, but understanding why they need to use their manners, how to interact with others, and encouraged to use their words to resolve problems.

Both of my children came from a daycare in the same area that started out well but went down hill quickly with continuous teacher and director turnover. At TTA, I have experienced no teacher turnover and the director takes a lot of pride in her work to ensure that only the most highly-qualified teachers are there. TTA is in its second year and has experienced growing pains that many daycares/preschools would normally experience. It is worth taking the tour and considering them for a daycare/preschool. I am so glad that we did.

Both of our children attended Tiny Turtle Academy and our youngest is still enrolled. Our oldest attended for 6 months prior to her joining Mount Prospect Kindergarten Public School. My wife and I are very thorough especially when it comes to our children and their well-being. We interviewed 3 area schools prior to enrolling our children at Tiny Turtle. After these interviews there was no doubt Tiny Turtle was the clear and obvious choice and that was before enrollment. Tiny Turtle has performed superbly and we are highly pleased with every element of operation and our children's growth. Our oldest made the transition to Kindergarten amazingly and was very well prepared. The only issue, she was sad to leave Tiny Turtle upon graduation; the teachers and friends she made. Lucky for her she is welcomed daily by her old friends and all the staff daily when she joins us in dropping off her little sister and then walking with us to Mt. Prospect. Our youngest is thriving. Reading, writing, language, self-reliance, attention span, manners, restroom training, eating, all advancing amazingly and really a pleasure to watch and enjoy. Teachers are well trained, engaging and offer us guidance and information when we ask and to keep us up to date on all current activities. The director is highly professional, reliable and has a great sense of humor which we find valuable in helping us to raise and grow our children. We recommend highly Tiny Turtle for all these reasons and more.

My child has been in this school for the camp and is now continuing with the school year. Here's what I found to be the pros and cons of the place -
1) its a bright, clean and uplifting environment. I like the decor and it always makes me feel better about leaving my child here
2) the staff - everyone seems to know my child, they are all friendly and helpful. My child has been comfortable with all the class teachers and assistants
3) the director - she is personable, intelligent and has her eye on all the aspects of running the school.

Cons - I thought that the curriculum is ambitious - at 20 months, I am happy if my child can just begin to color and place stickers on paper and in my opinion, trying to teach them the alphabets and numbers may be stretching it. However, my understanding is that several schools do this so the children absorb it better.

Overall, I see my child as being a bit more independent, able to follow simple instructions and do things. And I think the secure, warm and friendly environment of the TTA and its staff has a lot to do with this independence

My wife and I enrolled our son into TTA for the 2012 summer months and the 2012-2013 academic school year. We are extremely pleased with the overall learning environment and the enrichment programs that the school provides. Our toddler is always eager to arrive at school each day and never wants to leave upon pickup! The facility is clean, the teachers are friendly, and the director is absolutely amazing. I've already recommended the school to several of my colleagues!

Teachers are great, but the administration is seriously lacking. Last minute closures, poor invoicing procedures, and overall laziness undermine what the teachers can do with the children, b/c they're too busy making up for what the administration doesn't do. We're changing.

I was walking my dog one evening and it stopped to sniff around on this school's front lawn. Two employees of this school came out and complained that my dog was on their lawn. After some exchange of words, one of them started calling me names and cursing at me. I calmly asked him to not call me names and use foul language but that seemed to enrage him more. He went on to tell me that he will find out where I live and said "you don't know who I am and what I can do to you.". I was so shocked that someone from an early childhood development school in my own community would resort to threatening my life just because my dog was sniffing around in their front yard. I spoke to a manager at the school the next day about the incident. She was very nice and said the school actually welcome and encourage the parents to come visit the school with dogs. She assured me that all their employees have passed criminal background checks implying that I should not worry about her employee making good on his threat. She went on to say that her employees' "messaging was incorrect" and that she will "take care of it on her end". Now, I do not know if this employee is a teacher at the school or if he will have any direct contact with the children. I personally would think twice before sending my own children to this school knowing that someone whose first method of conflict resolution is to curse and threaten other people's life is working there.

I dont usually write reviews, but in this case I had to. Especially, after reading some of the negative inappropriate reviews below. My son goes to TTA and he absolutely loves it! and we do too. I can't wait for my baby to start attending TTA as well.
Ms. DeSa is amazing and so are all the teachers. The teachers take so much effort in putting together the class curriculum. My son has already started reading, In fact I'm afraid he might be bored when he goes to kindergarten later this year. They are already following the kindergarten curriculum in pre school! This is such a welcome addition to The Hills community.

As a children's author (Simon & Schuster), I visit a lot of schools and witness both the environment and the teacher interaction with the students--and I have never seen such a warm and engaging preschool environment. My child went to the school that was in the space previous to Tiny Turtle, and there has been an exponential improvement in her learning and her enthusiasm toward school. The rooms are light and airy, uncluttered, very clean and organized by subject so the kids move around during the day, which is so important to the learning style of young children. The director is a very impressive, intelligent and dedicated young woman who has run another very successful elementary program. Her philosophy toward open spaces, rotating, subject-driven classrooms, and a structured but not pressured learning style is refreshing. My child wants to go to school every day and stay as late as she can. She adores her teacher, her friends, and the director. I don't think there's a better preschool in the area. My child is thriving. Plus, she's already reading and loves doing her schoolwork. If you want your child to gain a lifelong love of learning, Tiny Turtle is the perfect early childhood environment.

My child absolutely ADORES Ms. DeSa as well as the rest of the teachers and assistants! In just one month my child has acquired so many more skills that can so easily be attributed to Ms. DeSa and the other teachers' dedication, nurturing, and commitment to teach! And the most important review of all -- my child looks forward to going to Tiny Turtle Academy every morning! My child is thriving at TTA, and after extensively researching, visiting, and interviewing over 12 daycare facilities in the area, I know that this is the BEST early childhood education facility in the area. The teachers' knowledge, background, philosophy, dedication, and compassion make all the difference for our children's foundation in learning - they inspire them to look forward to learning something new every day... I am 100% assured that my child is in wonderful care every day.

My son loves the school and his teacher. The staff and Ms. Desa are awsome!

I made a decision to enroll my child at TTA after seeing the director run a very successful aftercare program at the elementary school. I was very impressed with her dedication, compassion and how well she interacts with kids and parents. My decision to enroll my child was solidified after I went for the open house and was very impressed will all the rooms and zone driven methodology. Your child is not crammed in one room all day long and there are so many possibilities for them to learn and explore new things. My older child went to a preschool which had similar setup and thrived in that environment. My child has been at TTA for 3 weeks and loves going to school, the teachers are very warm and welcoming and I get constant updates about my child’s daily activities.
TTA has been open for a month so I would not discount it just yet.....so far they have exceeded my expectations in all areas.!!

Thank you Ms Desa and the teachers for doing a fabulous job! I can go to work in peace knowing that my child is in safe and trustworthy hands.

I have enrolled our kids into TTA at the beginning of the school year and WE (including the kids) absolutely LOVE IT!!! Like any child going to a new school our kids had a rough first week but we got atleast 5 calls a day from the teacher AND director giving us updates on the kids ex. they ate, slept, having fun etc. We were shocked by the second week our kids were looking forward to going to school in the morning and didn’t want to leave in the evening. While some teachers maybe young but they are extremely warm, caring and responsive to any concerns.
The reviews below seem more so as personal attacks than objective parental feedback. The director runs a very successful after care program at one of the elementary school in our township where our older kid is enrolled. So far she has exceeded our expectations in running TTA.

Not really such a believer in this daycare. Alot of mumbo jumbo, the director seems really inexperienced as well as the staff. Not impressed with all the different rooms. The staff is really young and I have to agree with the first review, I don't think I can trust the director, really shady:(

I've lived in the Hills for years and seen this daycare from Harmony to Ivy Leaf and now to Tiny Turtle Academy. I truly feel like when you walk into this daycare, you get a bad vibe. I feel as though most of the staff are lacking experience and there will be high turnover. As a believer that experience is the only teacher, I'd rate this as a poor daycare. On paper, it looks good when you speak with the director, but I get a feeling like I can't trust her as well. Personally, I am opting for a smaller daycare in the Gladstone area. Even though I'll have to travel, it's worth it to know my child is being cared for by experienced, caring teachers!