Underhill Center

Our experience with UCS has been fabulous. I've been impressed with their thoughtful approach to education and the values of kindness and respect that have been further cultured in the children that attend. I was nervous about the transition from Poker Hill Preschool to a public school (mostly because PHS is magic) but those fears were unfounded and our child has been thriving with her studies. The curriculum, though a bit repetitive at times for the child who "gets it" and is ready to move on, has fostered a deep understanding of sentence structure, word composition, and math concepts. As dual working parents, we appreciated the limited to no busy work for her to bring home. The classes are sizeable but not unmanageable and many of the teachers have the support of an aide. The principal (Jenn Cote) handles any and all parent comments and concerns with respect and dignity. Any note I sent to her was taken seriously and never brushed off. Issues with classmates are brought to me immediately by the teacher/guidance counselor or her and I was never finding out about altercations or issues from my child first. I have heard of some of the struggles that exist in other schools in Chittenden County with overcrowding and limited resources but have not felt that here - our child has received a fantastic, personalized education with educators and support staff who truly love what they do and care about the children. We'll be sad when our child moves to middle school after this year and can only hope for a similar experience!