The Ivybrook Way in Estero, FL 

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Our son, is 4 years old . He is our one and only, and as parents it's our prerogative for us to raise him as the best version of himself that he can be.

Choosing a school for him has always been an important and serious decision. From birth, we designed a Montessori environment where his surroundings helped guide him to learn and play through his own choices, nourishing his absorbent mind. At different stages of the first few years they grow and learn all sorts of things that make them human, from dexterity to cognitive and emotional development.

We looked for a Montessori, Waldorf, or Reggio Emila school in Estero and thought we did the right thing by putting Jack's name on their waiting list by the time he was 1 year old -- but nothing ever came of getting in. All we heard were crickets.

As the years passed we were becoming a bit more nervous of where he'd go, as the schools we liked in Estero were at capacity and unresponsive. I even began to feel guilty, thinking we'd may just have to send him to a traditional school. I would find and research and scrutinize many in the area and found one that we toured all the way down in Bonita Springs. It was nice, the educators were pleasant, but it still felt like we were settling for second best.

One sunny weekend in March, the three of us took a drive to riverside park to enjoy some food trucks and fun at Bonita Fest! Jack was eager to get into the bounce house and as he dragged me and his Dad through the crowd we spotted a beautiful booth adorned in white and dark green with items strewn about the table that were familiar to me -- some little wooden tree branch disk, pictures of children playing with those light colored wooden toys, peering through binoculars, enjoying a sensory bin filled with sand and odds and ends. This was an education booth! This was Ivybrook!

A sweet, young lady with a New York accent stepped out and introduced herself to us. Her name was Nicolette and she and her husband, James, were bringing this academy to our very own backyard in Estero! Our prayers were answered! The school was so close to our home we would often drive by just to observe the progress on its build.

This is an exciting time for everyone involved. I am very happy and relieved for Estero parents to discover this school. Their teaching philosophies reflect the environment we already have at home and we feel confident in his safety and well-being here at Ivybrook. Just last week they invited the three of us on their private grand tour. The imaginative decor and design of each room was inspiring! Natural light, areas for discovery and creativity and exploration. Jack was loving it and we were beyond impressed.

As a family, we are excited to send our son here and we're looking forward to the amazing little boy he will bloom into. Thank you to the Stuckeys for bringing this beautiful academy to our village!

" - The Riopelle Family

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Our son is 3.

We recently moved to Estero from Miami and weren’t finding the right fit school for our son. I called pretty much every location in the area and were met with a lot of unanswered messages. That’s until I came across Ivybrook and the Stuckeys.

Nicolette has answered every email and phone call with care and compassion.

Last week we toured where we were all so impressed with everything they had to offer.

We hope to meet other families and continue to help Nathan foster a love for learning.

" - The Collado Family

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We are honestly so excited for our son, age 3, to start at Ivybrook. We had found there was a gap in the market for part time preschools in the Estero area and could not be happier that Nicolette and James decided to open Ivybrook here! It’s exactly what we were looking for in terms of a safe, enriching environment that helps foster creativity as well as critical thinking three mornings a week.

Our goal is to introduce Ruari to a classroom setting with fellow classmates to help enhance his ability to work with others, and help cultivate his critical thinking skills. I think Ivybrook will allow him the opportunity to do this in a warm and nurturing environment while encouraging creativity simultaneously.

I stay at home full-time with both our boys so didn’t need the full-time childcare aspect of a preschool. However, we know how beneficial a preschool setting can be in terms of enhancing social development and encouraging educational enrichment.

We wanted to find a place that would help facilitate this without a full day/full time commitment. Ivybrook opened up at the perfect time for us!

" - The Henry Family

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Our son is 3 years old and will be starting preschool at Ivybrook this school year. We chose Ivybrook specifically for the small classroom experience. We believe at this age, kids really thrive in a hands-on environment, and we were intrigued with Ivybrook's personalized approach to learning. We're excited to see our son get creative in art classes, grow his math skills, and begin learning Spanish this year. The half-day preschool seems perfect for his age for him to not only socialize, but also be learning with a structured schedule that should help him thrive. We really wanted to find a school that didn't feel like a daycare, and I believe we found that. We have had numerous meetings and chats with the owners, Nicolette and James, and their shared outlook is what really pushed us over the edge to commit to Ivybrook and make us think this will be the perfect fit for our child.

" - The Bernier Family