Smart Start Academy

Love Smart Start. My son loves his school, his teachers and all the activities provided there. I couldn't be happier with SSA. great!
We had a very bad experience with his previous school where he would cry every single day when dropped off and he was learning bad habits.
At SSA though he asks to see his teacher even on the weekends. He has been learning so much and so fast, we are very pleased with the school.

We have been at SSA in downtown Jersey City for 7 months and our son LOVES it. The teachers care deeply about the students and help so much with his development. They've helped with his transitions at each step - solids, walking, sippy cups, etc. I trust the school completely. At times the management can seem disorganized, but it doesn't bother me as much since what's most important is their care for my child. I can't wait for the new location to open!

My son was a student at the downtown JC Smart Star. We had ups and downs with the school throughout the year he was there..In summary, they market very well, have good facilities and care about your children, however there is very limited developmental opportunities and a lot of considerations to be had once they start, which I've laid out below. I don't have enough space to write a comprehensive review so here are the watch-outs
- Our child was in an accident with one of the pieces of furniture and they didn't change anything after the first time, and the same accident happened again, which they then added additional safety for that piece of furniture.. They gave us the reason of it being 'NJ certified' furniture as to why they didn't want to change it after it was shown to be dangerous the first time after the injury..
- Poor communication, resulting in delayed responses and making it difficult to plan accordingly.
- There are an excessive amount of days off that are taken by the school, especially compared to other options.
- There is a very large turnover of staff and only a few main staff members actually stay on for an extended period of time
- Very cheap financially. We gave a month and a half notice that we were going to change schools, and because we didn't technically give them 2 months notice as per their policy they still held on to our deposit.
- The staff if paid poorly (which we learned from one of them who is now a waitress at a restaurant in the neighborhood) and when they're closed they say it's for staff training, but they do not get paid for the time they are closed
- There is a very weak program for the children when they hit age of 2. There is very little for the child to do to still develop
- Parent / Teacher session was not very informative and only told us things we already knew. We stopped going after the 1st.
- No focus on potty training, no natural sun that comes in the rooms & small spaces
- Read other reviews on FB/yelp!

Finding a preschool/daycare that met our needs at a reasonable price was difficult until I went to an open house at Smart Start Academy. This center is beautifully decorated and well light, the small teacher and child ratio is great, and the teachers are very understanding and nurturing. My son loves going to school and is learning so much! As a parent it feels great to know that my son is being well taken care of and is having fun. I highly recommend this academy for parents that are looking for a professional, loving, and creative environment for their children. Thank you Ms. Cesia and Staff!

My son is in the one in Hoboken.. Love it! Very clean! Very professional! Teachers all went to college! Not just day care certifications! Far from those other places that are crowded with 2 many kids.. Food is Organic- fresh- and the directors have proved that they are involved and truly care for their kids.. My child now talks and is way smarter! Go smart start HOBOKEN!

Our son has been attending this school for nearly a month now and we can definitely say we are very satisfied with the quality of service and instruction for our son. The space is large with multiple levels and an outdoor play area. Very clean with quality food choices. Constructive learning activities including reading stories drawing and more. Highly transparent they use the daily connect app and update with pictures and activities throughout the day. We know what he is doing in real time which is fantastic.

Back in Sept, she was a timid, quiet girl. Today she socializes very well, interacts/plays very well with others, understands rules, knows hers letters and numbers, writes her name, knows a couple Spanish words and uses many non 3yr words like necassary, fabulous, negotiate, amazing, seriously, outrageous and more in her daily conversations. She has become such a funny character because she always incorporates her daily teachings at home. I am very pleased with Ms Cesia and the staff at Smart Start and have no complaints about this school. The staff is kind and knowledgeable .This location is new so everything is nice and clean, freshly painted and spotless. They do lots of crafts and projects, always something daily to bring home. I totally recommend this pre-school to anyone. Hope this helps anyone looking for a pre-school , I know its hard with so many places to choose from but this place is great and very affordable,compared to the others in the area, since they are still having their Grand Opening sale.Good Luck

When Smart Start opened up two blocks away from our house, I couldn't believe our luck. The school was spotless, well-organized, and full of all the learning centers and activities necessary for young minds and imaginations.

My daughter tells me how much she loves her teachers. She can't wait to get up and go to school each morning.

I can't say enough about good things about the staff. They are kind and patient. Miss Cesi the Director is extremely accessible and responsive. The communication with parents is excellent. When my husband's schedule changed unexpectedly, they immediately stepped in and were able to accommodate our need for more hours. My daughter has also had some set-backs with potty training, and Miss Cesi and the staff have been so great with working with her to help get her back on track.

This place is a little unknown gem, but I have a feeling it won't be for long. I'm just happy that I got in on the ground floor!

When we started looking for a daycare last year for our then 1 year old son in downtown Jersey City, were were extremely lucky, that SSA was just opening a brand new location on Newark Ave.
Six months later and we all could not be happier. The downtown SSA director Ms. Linda has always been most responsive and accommodating and the teachers in the toddler classroom are a gem, they made our son feeling comfortable from the very start and the transition was very easy. Our son loves his school, his teachers and his friends. He has blossomed into an independent, caring and social toddler. The school looks great, the classrooms are spotless, very well equipped, they serve 3 healthy balanced and varied organic meals a day, including dinner. They are open late with no additional extra charges which is a blessing for full time working parents. They offer much more than any other daycare in the area for a very comparable price. I highly recommend them!

The staff, the school, the technology and reporting tools, the curriculum...all of these things have surpassed my expectations