Welcome to First Congo!

Amy McGaraghan

Love for young people drives everything at First Congo. The teachers just understand the childhood experience so well and they craft an environment that perfectly challenges and engages each child to learn through play. This developmentally just right environment, along with the teachers’ unconditional love, ignited a fiery love of learning in my young children. And as for me, I walked out of each of my parent volunteer days a better parent than I walked in.

Kevin Carlson

First Congo is a magical place to our two children (one current student, one alumnus). The teachers are the heart and soul of the school and they continually strive to keep the school special in so many ways by ensuring that each child is given a unique and meaningful experience during their time at school.

You can tell that each teacher is totally present in the moment as they interact with each child – the teachers listen more than they talk. Children are able to learn and grow in a supportive and positive environment that recognizes the learning power of mistakes. The school offers excellent parent education classes, which are helpful to thinking deeper about the parent that you want to be. The community is welcoming and friendly to newcomers. We are so grateful for having found First Congo.

Jen Gloss

All three of our boys have gone to preschool at First Congo — this is our 9th year there, and there will be a hole in my heart when our youngest graduates out this year.  It has been a magical experience, not just for my kids, but for me as well.  The warm and nurturing environment gives children space to grow and discover who they are.  The parent-participation days have given me the invaluable opportunity to know a different side of my kids — who they are at preschool, how they interact with teachers and peers.  The community of parents — supported by social gatherings, coffees, and educational events — has given me lifelong friends.  I’m tempted to have another kid just so I don’t have to say goodbye to First Congo! 🙂

Alex Herzick

First Congo has been such a fantastic experience for our son (and our family)!  It truly feels like a community, where all the kids have lots of aunties and uncles caring for them.  Our son has received so much love, attention, and gentle guidance from First Congo teachers, and he has truly benefited from it.  The staff loves what they do and it shows.  They let the kids be kids but work their magic in the background to stimulate learning, exploration, and conflict resolution.  He has turned into a great little problem solver and that is absolutely a product of the First Congo teaching philosophy.  Oh, and the facility is huge- lots of room to run!

Venessa Holtham

Our four year old came here for a year and we all found it an incredibly positive experience. Our boy is a big personality: bright, sensitive, funny, energetic, impulsive, quick to trigger and he remembers absolutely everything.  He instantly loved First Congo and couldn’t wait to get there. The mix of play, fun, diverse themes and learning within a set of gentle but clear boundaries appealed to him and he really progressed in a way we didn’t expect.  He loved all his teachers and he blossomed with each new term when the classes rotate.  The kindness and understanding shown by both teachers and parents alike to the children is lovely.  He even got into music – which he’d previously shown no interest in at all.

Our little one could be a handful and we learned a lot about how to redirect his frustration, what to expect from his age group (what’s perfectly normal and what can be worked on) and how to simply get on with your day in a productive and happy way. The parenting lessons were worthwhile and enjoyable – plus you actually learned something in a way you remembered and that was practical to implement.

Sally Loverro

My son was encouraged to explore and practice all of the “messy” activities from painting to drinking without a lid at snack time to jumping in rain puddles that I hesitate to allow at home. It was FUN, but also important experimentation to learn principles of cause and effect, the clean up process and even how to execute next time with less mess!

Sarah Reilly

I cannot not imagine a better preschool for my children then First Congo. If you want to foster a genuine love of learning, than this is the right place. The dedication, patience and caring of the teachers is unparalleled. We have loved watching our kids grow and develop at First Congo!

Marian Chan

It’s a blessing to our family that our son enrolled from the Nursery to Youngers (T/Th) and Olders (M/W/F) programs at First Congo. Teachers are loving and they understand and care about kids. My son is always happy going to school and plays with his friends. First Congo focuses at developing children’s social and emotional skills and they have done a superb job. It’s a great community and the director and teachers are professional and personal.