Wise Owl Academy

★ruby jangra

I genuinely hope this review is not removed, because parents deserve to know the reality before trusting this daycare with their children. Despite living in a town known for excellent schools and daycares, I made the mistake of driving nearly an hour to enroll my child here, mainly to give him some exposure to Indian culture. This was my child’s first daycare experience, and I deeply regret this decision. From the very beginning, my child was unhappy. I initially assumed it was just an adjustment phase, but things did not improve with time. Some of the teachers—especially the lead teacher—spoke in a loud, harsh, and at times intimidating tone. This is completely unacceptable when dealing with toddlers. No child should feel uncomfortable in what is supposed to be a nurturing environment. My child has eczema and very sensitive skin, and I had clearly requested gentle handling. Despite that, the staff continued to be rough during diaper changes, which caused redness and discomfort. This shows a serious lack of care and attention to basic parental instructions. Communication at this daycare is extremely poor. Concerns are either ignored or met with dismissive and sometimes rude responses. At one point, instead of addressing a valid concern, I was told that I “don’t trust them,” which is highly unprofessional. Hygiene and organization are also major concerns. The facility often felt unclean, with little to no visible sanitization. Children of different age groups are frequently grouped together in large numbers, creating a chaotic environment and increasing the spread of illness. My child was falling sick very frequently. When I raised a concern about sick children being allowed at daycare, the response from the director was shocking. I was told: “We have many first responder parents who have no option but to send their kids. Not everyone is as privileged as you to afford a nanny.” This response was completely inappropriate and unprofessional. While I understand that working parents may have constraints, that does not justify exposing healthy children (and their families) to illness. I expected a responsible and policy-driven response—not a personal and dismissive remark. Another major concern was screen time. My toddler was made to watch shows like Tom and Jerry, without any communication or consent. When questioned, I was told these were “educational videos,” which is frankly unacceptable. This reflects a lack of proper engagement and definitely insufficient staffing. There also appears to be constant staff turnover. It is very difficult to know who is consistently responsible for your child. Stability and trained caregivers are critical in a childcare setting, and this lack of consistency is alarming. Based on my experience, I seriously question the level of training and qualifications of the staff. Parents are also not allowed inside the facility, which is concerning. Drop-offs and pick-ups happen outside, and there is no transparency into what goes on inside. Given the lack of cleanliness I observed, this raises further red flags. What confirmed our decision to leave was the drastic difference after moving our child to another daycare. Within just three days, the change in my child has been incredible. He is now happy, excited to go to school, actively playing with other children, and has built a positive bond with his teacher. He doesn’t even want to leave at pickup time, which speaks volumes. The new daycare communicates regularly, listens to concerns, provides updates, and even schedules structured parent meetings—something we never experienced here. The contrast clearly highlights what was missing. I also have documented communication that reflects the tone and responses from the staff when concerns were raised. This experience has been extremely disappointing. I would strongly urge parents to carefully evaluate this daycare before making a decision. Transparency, hygiene, communication, and respectful behavior are the bare minimum you should expect—and unfortunately, those were lacking here.

★★★★★Dipti K

We absolutely loved our experience at Wise Owl Academy. My child learned so much in a short time, especially the numbers, and grew more confident each day. It was heartwarming to see her make friends with everyone so quickly. The environment felt warm, safe, and nurturing. A heartfelt thank you to Aparna for creating such a positive and loving environment for the children!

★★★★★Natália Dias Barroso

I can’t express enough how amazing Wise Owl is. Our oldest son started there at two and a half years old and stayed until kindergarten. After that, our youngest began attending, and he absolutely loves everything about it. Aparna and the entire staff are incredible with the children, and the kids truly love being there. The activities and teaching methods have played a huge role in their growth and development. We are so grateful for everything Wise Owl has done for our family.

★★★★★Chandra D. L. Waring

My children have attended Wise Owl Academy for over a year and a half and it’s a wonderful daycare/school! The teachers are caring, accommodating, and child-centered and the director, Aparna, is always available to talk with parents and enjoys getting to know each family. The school is clean, nicely decorated (i.e., bright colors, animals, abc rugs), and has an on-site playground that my kids love. I have been pleasantly surprised at how much my children are learning and more importantly, how excited they are to share what they’ve learned. The curriculum is structured and shared with parents via an app (with pics and videos) and a weekly via a newsletter. The school culture is fun and festive; they have many themed days (i.e., pajama day, Christmas-themed days) and they welcome pizza parties and/or goodie bags for birthdays. The families that attend are friendly and inclusive; my children have been invited to several birthday parties and playgroups. The students, teachers, and staff at Wise Owl are racially and ethnically diverse and their curriculum teaches children to be proud global citizens. I highly recommend Wise Owl Academy to prospective parents!

★★★★★Hannah T

We have had a great experience with Wise Owl! My son is 2 years old now and all the staff have been very kind and I feel good leaving him in their care. Nicole had him as a baby and did a great job taking care of him and communicating with us. When he moved up to the next class he became very attached to Kim and was constantly saying her name at home and even asked for her on the weekend. Kim did a great job of working with us and giving our son some extra help when he developed separation anxiety after we returned from a vacation. The staff really love the kids and my son is always happy going here!