In Charlotte, there are a lot of choices in terms of child care and we visited and interviewed many different schools when we found out we were expecting our first daughter. From the minute we walked through the door we felt the love and warmth of the Cranfield family, so much more than the other schools. The entire staff was so helpful in walking us through their programs and was so sensitive to how scary this process can be for first-time parents. Their dedication to the care and direction of children was evident from our first meeting. We realized immediately that Cranfield offered the perfect blend of the love and nurturing with structure and curriculum – which was exactly what we were looking for.

Our daughter Rayley started at Cranfield Academy when she was 14 weeks old and has thrived from the very beginning. She is now about to transition into the older toddler room and as with each time she moves up to a new classroom, we are so sad to leave her current teachers – we don’t think there can be anyone nicer – until we meet the teachers in the next room. The attention she receives from each teacher has helped her develop a vast vocabulary and interpersonal skills that we would have never expected from a 20 month old! (Although we are a little biased!) We owe a lot of this to our friends at Cranfield and their wonderful teachers.

The art projects, activities and singing programs have the kids constantly on the go! She is always bringing home a new drawing, trying to teach us a new song or talking about her friends at school. It brings a smile to our faces every evening as we see how much she is learning and changing every day.

For working parents, the guilt that sometimes accompanies dropping off your child everyday is eased by the staff at Cranfield. It is truly as though we are leaving our daughter with a family member! We take comfort in knowing that her every need is taken care of – and she will be loved and supported in everything she does. The staff invests in each child’s life; understands their needs and wants; likes and dislikes; quirks and personalities and cares for them as if their own.

We can’t imagine how different our lives would be without the Cranfield family and value the time and dedication the staff and teachers have in caring for our sweet Rayley. We are so thankful for everyday she spends there.

With our thanks,

Amber and Josh

Dear Laura and Todd,

Thank you! We have always realized how fortunate we were to have found Cranfield Academy. Now that our little Caroline has started kindergarten, we are even more grateful!

When Wes and I first started visiting centers, Cranfield Academy was our first visit. This will sound corny but when we first walked through the door, I looked at Wes and said, "This is it, this is where our kids HAVE to go." Wes looked at me like I was crazy and said, "We haven't even talked to anyone yet." As our meeting ended, Wes had the same strong feeling.

Caroline started Cranfield when she was 16 weeks old and as new parents it was quite traumatic! From the first day, everyone was extremely supportive and made us feel like family. Even on Caroline's first day, we always felt like she was safe, loved, and well cared for. How lucky were we that we could drop off our child and not have to worry all day? As Caroline graduated to each new classroom, we watched her grow and were amazed how much she was learning. Every teacher was just as amazing and loving as the ones we just left. There was never a time when Caroline wasn't being appropriatley challenged or loved by her teachers. We were suprised how beneficial Spanish, Soccer Pals, Computer Tots, Gymtastics, and all of the other classes were to her development. Caroline's experience at Cranfield made her the wonderful little princess she is today.

As we began our enrollment process for kindergarten, we realized how ready Caroline was. During an orientation three months before she started school, the kindergarten teachers met with all new parents. They provided all kinds of literature and activities that parents should do over the summer to get our little ones ready for school. As Wes and I listened, we looked at each other and smiled. We realized that Caroline had been doing all of these things for some time. This was not because we were that fabulous as parents, but rather the dedication of the teachers and the curriclulum that Cranfield provided. Caroline was beyond ready for kindergarten and all we needed to do was get her excited for her next adventure! We are seeing the same growth in Jack and again, we are so grateful he is there.

Thank you for providing exceptional care, development, and dedication to our children. We are eternally thankful and lucky to be part of the Cranfield family!

Sincerely,

Kathleen & Wes

We are a Cranfield family. We have been since my oldest son was 2 months old. My husband and I both have demanding careers. When we were looking for a place to take care of our first born son, we asked everyone we knew for a suggestion. We were fairly new to Charlotte, and Cranfield Academy was often mentioned. I had some friends that already had children there and others who had heard that it was great school. We visited a couple of preschools in the area and then visited Cranfield Academy last. We were sold the minute we couldn’t access the doors without a security code. The teachers were so kind, the environment was clean, and the children were happy. My oldest son is finishing his last year at Cranfield, and I have mixed emotions. I am sad that he will leave his friends and his teachers that he TRULY loves his Cranfield family. Above all, I know he is prepared for the next step. He is well behaved, well adjusted, and he thinks learning is fun. So I know he is prepared to leave for kindergarten, even though I am not ready for him to leave Cranfield Academy. I am thankful that my daughter is younger, so I can still be a Cranfield mom.

Mary Blake Gillis- Carman and Nate Gillis (December 7, 2009 through February 1, 2010)

I don’t think I ever imagined how hard it would be for me to leave my daughter at daycare after fifteen weeks at home with her.  It was so much more difficult than anyone could have prepared me for, and there were many tears shed!  I think that is why it is so critical to know and trust your child’s caregivers and hope that they will show your children all the love and affection that they would show their own children.  Fortunately, Nate and I have found this at Cranfield Academy.  Yes, it is a wonderful facility with an ample selection of “toys” for the infants (anything from swings, to jumperoos and bouncy seats…and this is all a nice bonus), and I have heard all the raving reviews regarding the classes for the older children, but for my daughter who is currently 5 months old- we needed nurturing, caring and loving teachers who want to spend their days with Mary Blake as much as we do.

I am always fascinated when I walk into the room and see how well all these little babies interact with each other. I know this is due to loving tachers doing a superb job at showing each child the individual attention they need and ensuring that they know how best to “play” together…which might be sitting in a circle (in their Bumbos) with their own toys and just watching each other. Mary Blake loves to talk so she is probably telling them all a “story!”  I cannot stress enough how nice it is to know that I can call 1, 5 or 10 times a day to check on Mary Blake; her teachers never make me feel like I am burden and always fill me on her fun activities and what she is currently doing.  Everyday, Mary Blake brings home an information sheet that list her day’s activities which of course tells me all the important facts of when she ate and slept, but Nate and I always look at her “Fun Activities for the Day.”  We want to know what toys she played with or if she loved playing peek-a-boo that day.  It has become a sharing process between her teachers and us, and we are constantly informing each other of her new favorites and what she currently loves to do. 

What stands out the most to me over Mary Blake’s last 8 weeks at Cranfield, was the call I received from one of her teachers when she stayed home from daycare sick.  I had called early in the morning to give the director a heads up that Mary Blake would be out that day.  In the early afternoon I had a call from Kristin wanting to know how Mary Blake was feeling.  I knew at that point, that Mary Blake was receiving the love and attention that she needs from her teachers on a daily basis because they missed her, and they were ready for her to get well and return to school.  I cannot stress enough how vital it is to find teachers that you trust and feel comfortable leaving your child with each day.  Needless to say, as much as I would love to spend every day with my daughter, I know she is in good hands and fortunately there are no more tears shed when she is dropped off each day!  Thank you, Cranfield. 

Carman and Nate Gillis

Relocating to Charlotte

When my wife and I found out we were moving to Charlotte a year and a half ago, many thoughts swirled around our heads. There seemed to be so many important decisions that needed to be made in such a short amount of time. One of our biggest concerns was finding exceptional child care for our seven month old, which would not only provide him with the attention he deserved, but would also help him develop socially and stimulate his desire to learn. While soliciting fellow co-workers for recommendations on child care, one facility was mentioned time and time again – Cranfield Academy.

We made an appointment to stop by and speak with Kathy and tour the facility. From the moment we walked in and met some of the staff, our concerns seemed to subside. The first thing that was obvious was how focused the staff were in the children in their care, and the pride the Cranfield staff took in knowing they have the best teachers in town. The enrollment process was simple and we left feeling that we made the right choice in entrusting Cranfield Academy to help us mold our child’s development.

Our son has now been there for over a year and half and absolutely loves going to school each morning. He loves all the activities Cranfield offers, as well as his teachers and the many friends he has made. Neither my wife nor I can believe how he’s grown emotionally, socially and academically over this short time. We can see first hand how Cranfield has helped him develop into a bright, inquisitive toddler. His vocabulary is ever-growing, as is his independence. The teachers and administrative staff genuinely care for him, which allows us to not worry about his well being when we’re at work. They are always willing to listen to our thoughts and collaborate with us on how to get through the challenges of having a two year old. Along the way the Cranfield staff has given us many tips that new parents such as ourselves greatly value.

We now have a baby girl who’s only weeks old, but look forward to her experiencing life at Cranfield as well. The other day we brought her in to “show off”, as proud parents have a habit of doing. She seemed already to be inducted into the Cranfield family. We are very grateful to Cranfield for everything they do. Both my wife and I couldn’t imagine our children spending their time anywhere else.

Many thanks,

Matt and Aimee

Cranfield Academy Teachers

Although we have many wonderful well educated and caring teachers, we wanted to allow some of our staff to “speak for themselves” and share their Cranfield Academy experiences.

Kristin, Lead Teacher Certified
I began working part-time at Cranfield in the Infant suite. I had the unique experience of not only being a teacher at Cranfield, but also the mother of a child at Cranfield. One of the reasons that I really wanted to work here was that I felt like it was the best environment for my daughter that I could possibly provide during the hours that I had to be away from her. My daughter started out in the 2 year old class and is now thriving in the Threes and Fours Preschool class. What I like about Cranfield as a parent is the creative activities that come home on a regular basis, the security my daughter feels each day, the way the Academy is so clean and welcoming, and the supportive teachers that I work with, especially our director, Kathy. I began working full-time this October and now work in the Older Infants.

Dawn, BS in Elementary Education
When I started working at Cranfield I was hired as a part-time substitute. I later learned that this is how Cranfield hires their teachers, so that new teachers get the chance to work in every classroom and meet all the other teachers. It was a great way to really learn the “Cranfield way” and provided me with not only a great support system of highly knowledgeable teachers, but also many friendships within the building! I was warmly welcomed by all. Being able to float from one class to another also gave me a chance to get to know all of the Cranfield children. It was so much fun working in the different classes and seeing how each set of teachers interacted with their children. After four months of substituting I was thrilled to be offered a full-time position in the Infant Suite. Kathy, our Director, has a natural instinct of knowing exactly where a teacher would fit in best.

Dawn and Kristin
We started our full-time positions concurrently and now work together with the Older Infants. We have combined educational experience of over 30 years. We share the same philosophies about education and love being able to spend time with the children. It was a great bonus to both of us that we not only enjoy the opportunity to care for “our babies” but we really enjoy working with each other! We both believe that complete teacher-parent communication is very important in the life of an infant. We want our parents to know exactly what their child did each day. It is such an honor to be entrusted with a parent’s greatest gift; their child, and we treat them as if they were our own.