PHONE: (617) 354-7335
Community Rating
Based on 6 ratings
Community Rating by Year
Teacher quality
Parent involvement
Facilities & equipment
The Community Rating is the school’s average rating from its community members (e.g., parents, students, and school staff). The highest possible rating is five stars; the lowest is one star.
My son is in his second year at Bigelow and we have had a wonderful experience there. There are a couple of things that really stand out: During naptime, the teachers lie next to the kids on their mats, holding their hands, singing to them, whatever it takes to make them feel comfortable and safe. I love that sweetness and genuine caring that I've found in all of the teachers at Bigelow. I also love the community lunches. Parents cook a hot meal for the class (once every few weeks) and the kids all sit together and eat. It's a special place and my son has been so happy there.
My son attended Bigelow for three years, and this cooperative day care was everything our family had hoped for and more. The teaching staff is excellent-I could go on and on about the craft projects, free play philosophy, exposure to music, opportunities to cook and grow plants, learning about animals, and the periodic redecoration of classroom areas to mark the changing of the seasons/new classroom themes. The Bigelow community turned out to be an incredible resource. Most importantly, I never felt anxious about my child during the day while he was there. Great teachers, great peers.
As previous reviews have indicated, the state of Bigelow's current physical space is not ideal for a daycare center. It presents numerous challenges to the teachers and parent helpers. That said, if one spends a moment observing the children in the space it becomes obvious that the children love the space and are not being held back in any way by its shortcomings. This will only improve at the center's new home, where the space issues will be non-existant but the staff and teaching philosophy and community commitment will be unchanged. Bigelow has an unbelievable future. As a parent of a child who has almost three years left at Bigelow, I am looking forward with a lot of enthusiasm!
My daughter truly bloomed in the two preschool years she spent at Bigelow. The teaching staff is incredible--most have either a degree in early childhood education and/or have been with the school for upwards of fifteen years. Turnover--the bane of most preschools' existence--is a non-issue here. And it's only going to get better. The downside of Bigelow is the cramped physical space (It's in a church basement, and the church has been trying to get a new tenant for years) but the parents have identified a spacious new location and have recently secured the funding to renovate it. It *is* a parent cooperative, so the demands on parent time can seem onerous--but the up side is that it creates a true community to support the curriculum. It has beeen well over a year since my daughter moved on to kindergarten, but the parents we know from Bigelow still arrange play dates, pass around hand-me-downs, and care for one another's kids in a pinch. If you're just looking for a place to park your kid while you're at work, Bigelow is not for you. But if you have even a modicum of flexibility in your work schedule, come see what committed parents and great teachers can do together.
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