When covid started, my wife and I were kind of in trouble. Our daycare closed in 3 weeks. We had to find temporary assistance, but we needed long term availability. Not a place where our kids don't sit in front of a TV all day. As a husband, a father of 2 girls (in 2026 ages 8 and 10), a business owner and someone who has no close family, we had to work fast. We looked around at the local schools, daycares, other facilities, but no one was accepting new kids, or both ages (3 and 5). Then we found Woodland Country Day School. Amazingly, I grew up 2 towns over and never heard of this "Gem in the Woods" as they call it. The school and faculty had a nice vibe to it, when we did our initial walkthrough. We ended up signing up, and we were excited and worried as we never heard of this school, though being 15 minutes away for 20 years. About half way through our first year, our "worries" turn into gratefulness. We were able to relax as we got to know a lot of staff and parents. After enrolling our girls into their summer camp program for the first time, we knew this was more than just a place to be. Though still skeptical.As the years passed, we continued enrolling our kids into the school and summer care programs. With time, we find ourselves drifting further into the school atmosphere where we do things to benefit everyone, not just ourselves. My wife is on the PA Committee and I have been enjoying my time helping out on the Buildings and Grounds Committee.Our kids enjoy being a part of the drama plays and always feel included. The biggest thing that I thought, even this school couldn’t fix, is our kids being very shy. It took years, and every teacher has put effort into it, but it has paid off. 1 of the girls isn’t really shy, and the other has grown a huge amount. I don’t think this is training, or persistence of the teachers, that is helping my kids. I truly believe, it is the family atmosphere doing 75% of the work. When you have some teachers who are parents of students, staff who have 20 years at the school, and a dedication to everyone; It’s hard to think that our kids could be anywhere else. Signed, Grateful parent for the past 6 years.