PARENT
Testimonials
Dear Ettie,
As parents sending our child to Kindergarten, we were naturally nervous about the change. But we wanted to take a moment to share how incredibly well Danny transitioned to his new school, teacher, and classmates—and it’s all thanks to Preschool of the Arts, your wonderful staff, and the dedication you put into your preschool.
The child we saw confidently walk into his new school was not the same little boy we dropped off at Preschool of the Arts four years ago. He has grown into a big boy who is self-assured and completely at ease navigating such a big transition on his own. He happily walked in, ate lunch with his friends, and eagerly participated in all the activities.
We are so grateful that we made the choice to send our children to Preschool of the Arts—it was the absolute best decision we could have made. Your school has nurtured them with such love, helping them feel secure and learn to be kind humans to themselves and their peers. The importance of those foundational years is clear, and we cannot express enough gratitude for you and the team at POTA.
We are looking forward to Mary Claire having the same amazing experience!
With all our love,
~ Kristina and Daniel Conley
Dear Ettie,
Words cannot describe how grateful we are for you and everyone at POTA. You and your staff welcomed Cyrus and our family without hesitation and truly are examples of the values and mindset that every educator and individual should have. Your willingness and the willingness of the staff to adapt so that Cyrus would be able to attend POTA without limitations has certainly allowed Cyrus to flourish and meet milestones beyond that which a child of his age with similar visual impairments would have been able to achieve. Had it not been for you and your staff’s hard work and determination to see that Cyrus receive the most during his time at POTA, without setting limitations on him, this would not have been possible. I commend all of you and wish everyone at POTA continued success.
My youngest child has attended POTA since age 2 and is now in PreK, and our family has had a wonderful experience each year. At POTA, every adult exudes love for every child, even if they don’t directly teach your child. There is a huge emphasis on kindness, on treating all friends with care, and on learning mindfulness and ways of regulating your sometimes big emotions. Academics are very important and taught in fun, developmentally appropriate ways, but are balanced out by so many other enriching activities. All of the visual arts, dance, sports, music, Spanish, the Little Chefs program, and much more greatly enhance the program. Though our family is not Jewish, we have appreciated that she has learned about another faith and that she has been able to take part in important rituals like Shabbat. POTA's facilities are beautiful, so well cared for, and added to each year. Communication from the teachers and director is superb. We have loved it here. Our daughter is excited for Kindergarten but very sad to leave her sweet school and friends. It is such a special, caring place!
~ Annie O'Donnell, mother of Georgia
From the moment we put our feet down in Naples we were on the search for the best preschool in the community that was going to give me peace of mind day in and day out . The moment I walked in the hallways I was embraced by open arms and could feel the love and creativity Ms. Ettie and her team were going to share with Hailey and myself. They have gone above and beyond to make us feel like a true part of something from juggling our hectic schedule to helping with our new transition. Not only has the school taught my daughter some of the best morals and lessons but they have afforded us the ability to make some of the best friends we could have the opportunity to make. We are blessed and fortunate to say this school and community is a part of our family! Thank you!
~ Alex Romeyn, mother of Hailey
We are so blessed to have Preschool of the Arts available for our children! When searching for a place to have your child spend their days and begin their educational journey, no where can begin to compare to what Preschool of the Arts offers! Ettie and the Staff are committed to offering the best of the best for their kids. They offer such wonderful and well rounded programs for the kids to keep their minds, hearts and bodies interested in learning. Our daughter can’t wait to go everyday to see her teachers and her friends! We know, as we pull away from the school in the morning, that our child is happy, safe, and thriving daily. We look forward to continuing our journey with Preschool of the Arts. We are so grateful for everything that they have offered for our children and our community!
~ Ashley and Adam Gerry, parents of Aniston
Thank you again for everything, but especially for making our daughter feel so honored and cherished while she's at school - it means the world to us. You have helped open her mind to explore new arenas of art, nature and religion - we feel very blessed to have found you and know we are where we're supposed to be!
~ Natalie and Scott Hogan, parents of Maryn and Avery
Having our daughter attend Preschool of the Arts is a joy. We are so thrilled to have found a school in which she can learn, grow and thrive based on the model and drive Director, Ettie Zaklos has achieved. The staff is always caring and pleasant, the exposure to a wide variety of activities is exciting, and the school itself is in excellent condition. The staff is trained to handle any situation with the most delicate responses and the children learn to model empathic behavior with each interaction. Ettie Zaklos is a consummate professional who always greets you with a caring comment each time you see her. We always look forward to hearing about our daughter’s daily activities and look forward to sending our younger daughter to PSA in the near future as well!
~ Tama and Justin Caldarone, parents of Sophia & Lila
Our family has enjoyed being a part of Summer of the Arts for two years. The already busy and stimulating schedule including water play and water slides, sports, indoor and outdoor art studios, cooking, playground, bounce house and Shabbat also features the types of extras that only this team of professionals is able to offer on top of a fun-filled day -- field trips (older kids), petting zoo, magician, yoga, tennis (older kids), costumes, and other surprises. And the availability of a delicious hot lunch everyday is a real plus for busy parents and for kids that are excited to try new things and share festive nutritious meals. It's a pleasure to enroll our children at this summer camp that teaches strong values and engages the children so masterfully in such fun activities.
~ Melanie and Dr. Stephen Schwartz, parents of Jessica, Reid, Oliver, and Eliza
We are the parents of two happy children who have thoroughly enjoyed their first year at Preschool of the Arts. The environment is a very safe, energetic, loving and nurturing one where each child is made to feel special. The teachers are genuinely interested in the wellbeing and enrichment of each and every child and take the time in getting to know each child and work with them individually, based on their needs. They also work hard at guiding the children through important life skills such as making friends, sharing and respect for others and developing their confidence.
The academics in Pre-K at Preschool of the Arts have been outstanding. Our daughter has learned to read this year. She will be entering Kindergarten fully prepared from an educational and emotional perspective. Through her dedication to the children of this community, Ettie Zaklos has created a superior preschool in Naples and we couldn't be more grateful to her and the amazing staff at Preschool of the Arts.
~ Melissa and Jarred Kaplan, parents of Kate, Emily,
and Annie
Our daughter has been shown so much love and kindness by all of the staff; it has truly been a remarkable experience for her. Each day when we drop her off for school, we know that she is in a caring, loving and warm environment. We leave there with a smile on our face. The preschool has helped her mature and learn so much about herself.
Preschool of the Arts has also offered a warm and welcoming environment for the rest of my family which is so greatly appreciated. When my older children or my parents pick my daughter up from school, they are always greeted with warm smiles and open arms. We have truly had a wonderful experience with the preschool and are very excited to have plenty more. Thank you for everything you have done to make our daughter's transition to preschool a positive experience.
~ Lauren Maxwell and family
As new parents to the Chabad of Naples Preschool of the Arts, Max was welcomed with open arms as he began his journey towards independence. The nurturing environment, combined with the skillful professionalism displayed by the staff, has truly had a positive effect on our son. We are so thankful to Preschool of the Arts for providing Max with an environment where he thrives and looks forward to going to school every day.
~ Rachel and Mitchell Kasoff, parents of Max
We love Preschool of the Arts and recommend it to everyone that we know! My 3 year old loves his teachers and all of his friends and he is always so excited to come to school. If it was up to him, he would go every day, all day long! My child in Kindergarten misses Preschool of the Arts so much and talks about his fond memories often. I feel that not only are my children in a safe, loving environment, but they are also learning and being stimulated by enrichment activities, such as literature, art, music, yoga, and more!
~ Julie and Dan Wasserman, parents of Jordan
