“We would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to your staff for the attention they have shown our son, Alexander, these past two years.  We think highly of your program and are pleased with the varied activities Alexander has experienced during his preschool years.

Our family is grateful to Mrs. Jessen for her dedication to Alexander and his class.  She is the ideal preschool teacher in that she has never shown her students anything less than a genuine interest in and enthusiasm for their growth as learners.  Mrs. Jessen is sincere, consistent, and profoundly kind---everything a role model for children should be.

Our daughter will begin your three year old program next fall and our twin daughters will attend a few years later.  We are confident that Junior Village will give them as positive an introduction as the one received by Alexander.” 

 The Cernak Family  2003

 “Our son, Nick Smith, was recently tested for Kindergarten readiness at Chesterbrook Academy.  Nick scored in the 90th percentile and exceeded their requirements for entry.  Quite a few of Chesterbrook’s four year olds did not meet the Kindergarten requirements.

Since a large portion of the test is reading readiness, we are of the opinion that Nick’s experiences at Junior Village are primary drivers of his positive test results.  We believe that Nick has responded to your excellent curriculum and caring teachers.

We wanted to recognize the influence that Junior Village has had on Nick and on us.  Thank you again, and keep up the good work.”

 Paula Scholfield/Daniel Smith, 2001.

 “As a mother of three school and pre-school age children, and an educator as well, I whole-heartedly recommend and endorse the management and staff of Junior Village.  I am pleased to recommend Junior Village for many reasons but chief among them are the Center’s dedication to creating an environment that enhances learning and its ability to provide a curriculum that challenges and encourages while being fun.

Over the course of the last six years, one or more of my children have attended Junior Village, participating in  both the full and part-time, preschool and after school programs.  When my first child reached age 4, I researched and interviewed several area preschools and found Junior Village provided the most well-rounded curriculum.  At Junior Village, the staff promotes social interaction, play time, learning time, and study time.  In particular, I credit Junior Village’s management and staff on their Early Reading Program which literally comes alive.  Both of my school age children are quick to credit the teachers and programs at Junior Village for giving them a “great start.”

The great start offered by Junior Village translates into a great beginning in the public schools.  My children’s kindergarten teacher said it best when she noted to both me and my husband that the children were very well prepared for starting school.

Junior Village invites family, extended family, and friends to the many holiday and other family oriented programs throughout the year.  This lets the entire learning experience, including their music instruction and art work, bring joy to all those people who are so proud of their children.  In sum, Junior Village has provided a safe, fun, educational and stimulating experience for my children.  I will always be grateful to the teachers, staff, and management for giving us so much.” 

Joyce D. Klouda

 “My two children have been participating in the Junior Village Summer Adventure Club for the past six years.  The programs and their staff have compiled themes and activities that have been not only entertaining for the children, but educational as well.  They go to great extents to have themes that engage childrens’ interests; i.e., “Knights of the Roundtable”, “Baseball, Hot Dogs and Apple Pie”; “The Rock & Roll ‘50’s”; etc.

Their careful selection of camp counselors has been a real asset to Junior Village.  The counselors are conscientious in their display of high qualities---serving as positive role models for the children they work with.  On different occasions I have approached the staff with miscellaneous questions and they have always been willing to take the time to answer them, despite being busy with their jobs.

The field trips and outings have provided a wealth of experiences that my children will always remember.  The clubhouse is equipped with the newest computer and video gear.  The wide variety of clubhouse games such as pool, foosball, basketball toss, and air hockey have provided hours of fun, combined with an opportunity for building childrens’ social, sportsmanship, and cooperative skills.

Junior Village has been a very positive influence in my children’s lives.  By this letter, I would like to extend my thanks for the high quality center they have provided to our community, my family, and each child who has been fortunate enough to experience the wonderful programs that they offer.” 

Janet B. Davis

 “We would like to inform you that Jacob Pikula’s last day at Junior Village will be today.  There we said it.  Just looking at it, the sentence is fairly short and simple.  As a matter of fact, we’ve put it off for the past few weeks, not wanting to face this day.

Tomorrow, Jake will be starting kindergarten.  As with our other two children, A.J. and Sammie, we’ve gone through the whole range of emotions leading up to this event, including excitement, fear, and anxiety.  And, of course, we’ve asked ourselves that age-old question, “Do you think he’s ready?” over and over.  This letter is to thank you for your role in making our answer “YES” to that question a little bit easier.

Even though this is the third time in six years that we have had our children leave the Junior Village full day program, this is by far the toughest. . . .

. . . Now our baby goes off to school.  When Jake’s new kindergarten teacher invariably asks us where he learned to share, raise his hand before speaking, respect the kids around him, and clean up  after himself, we will not hesitate to tell her about Junior Village.  And, just like with our other children, she’ll probably just smile and nod, aware of your organization’s reputation and knowing Jake has been well prepared for his upcoming school career.

To all the teachers and other staff members -- our deepest thanks.  Thank you for taking our children and protecting them, nourishing them, loving them, teaching them, and allowing them to become the great kids they are today. . . . .Please go home tonight knowing  that your efforts are greatly appreciated.  The peace of mind you have brought to us both, knowing that our children were in your care while we worked, can never be repaid.  The role you played in their development can never be overlooked.  All three of our children, and the joy they bring to us, are a testament to all of you individually, and to Junior Village as a whole.” 

 Dave and Juli Pikula

The above are merely a small portion of the many compliments and testimonials we have received from grateful parents throughout the years, these being among the more recent.  Others were given to us verbally via our parent/teachers conferences, meetings, etc.    Additionally, these compliments and recommendations are not merely limited to our Junior Village facilities.  They also come from our Peter Pan Preschool locations in Downers Grove, Bolingbrook, and Oak Lawn.   We are very humbled and grateful for these many compliments about our program and we receive most of our enrollment because of this “word of mouth” communication with others.  teachers can readily identify the  positive difference between  those children coming from our