BV
Brian Valencia
Apr 28, 2021
A chief marker of a school's success might be whether or not its students enjoy attending. My toddler son *adores* going to "school" (day care) at Bright Horizons at Tufts Medical Center (BHTMC). And I have some good reasons to understand why.
The children operate on a regular schedule (designed to cultivate and reinforce self-sufficiency), reflective of the regularity with which the entire center seems to operate. From check-in to check-out, BHTMC appears to be a fairly well-oiled machine, with lots of room for daily improvisation. Highlights from the day are documented in the My Bright Day smart phone app, including photographic snapshots of scheduled activities and freeform playtime, so there is never any wonder what the little dude has been up to all day.
As one might expect of an urban day care location, the clientele (and staff) is culturally diverse, and that diversity is smartly reflected in the activities and classroom materials. So far, Black History Month and Women's History month have been integrated into the curriculum—and there has been, too, at the center of several activities, a celebration of the family, in all its many possible guises. The commonality of difference is an important value.
Beyond the efficient organization and general feel-good spirit about the BHTMC, our son appears to learning: He demonstrates at home what he has done at school, and, conversely, what our son learns at home seems to be reinforced at Bright Horizons. His vocabulary, sensory awareness, and physical coordination, in particular, have all grown, we suspect, due to his daily encounters at BHTMC with art, music, yoga, "science," story time, etc.
At the start of each day (following the daily COVID check), he bolts inside, and leaves each day with the glow of nine hours happily spent. I can only imagine that my son would, at this point offer: What is there not to recommend?