Steppingstone Day School Inc at 7740 Vleigh Place, Flushing, Queens, New York.

Absolutely amazing. Truly. I wish we had found it earlier! My son attended pre-school here and it was such a fantastic experience. You get the feeling that every single member of staff loves the children. They all pitch in to collect the kids from the buses each morning, and they usher them in with patience and cheer; they seem to know all the kids personally, and it's astounding to watch. We were sold from the moment we took a tour, when the director took us into four classrooms and literally knew each child's name.

As for my own child's education: Incredible. He was in an integrated classroom, so there were children with differing abilities and needs. It meant there was extra teaching support - one main teacher and three aides (including a male, which was awesome) for 14 kids. They were incredibly patient and attentive and gentle, but they also didn't baby them. There was some tough love, which I totally appreciate, as their role was to help the children become independent. Pre-K is a key time for social integration, and they teach the kids routine and responsibility and how to work together. I'm so happy this happened in a classroom where every kid had different social readiness. My son learned patience, acceptance, and different ways to approach problems, as well as the standard curriculum. He thrived intellectually and socially, and when he struggled, the teacher went above and beyond to come up with solutions - some of which required extra effort on her part. She could have taken the lazy way out and shoved it back on us, or sent him to someone else, but she didn't.

The regular day (free for UPK) ends at 2:15, but there's aftercare until 5, for an additional $5 an hour. Bargain, especially compared to the insane costs of his previous daycares. There, they get to interact with even more children, and they have plenty of activities to keep them busy, as well as routines that keep them calm and well-mannered. One of the aftercare teachers took a shine to our lil genius, and spent extra one-on-one time with him when possible to encourage his abilities. It was incredible.

Another amazing thing about this school is its support of many of its families. There are occasional evening workshops, on topics like patient parenting, how to deal with tantrums, etc. Not only are the workshops free, the school provides babysitting, snacks, translators and even transport for those without cars. I don't know how they do it, but what a resource! There are also school psychologists and social workers if needed, and a staff member who is invaluable in navigating the mess that IEP and other Board of Ed special services bureaucracy can create. Not to mention all the other therapists who provide such services on site, the main draw for most families.

I would (and have) recommend this school for anyone and everyone. Total gem.