The Hills School and Atelier

During our second week of attendance, I arrived to pick up my 2-​year old son to find him outside alone, unattended and unaccounted for, at the drinking fountain. I calmly walked into his classroom and tried to find out how long he had been outside. The teacher seemed surprised he had even escaped the classroom and no one seemed to know how it happened. When my husband spoke with the director, Nola Enge, shortly thereafter, she said that she would send out an email to the parents to remind them to close doors behind them and watch out for children trying to get out of classrooms (when did this become the parents responsibility?). Also, when asked about how the school could assure us this would not happen again, Ms. Enge said that she would have to look into the matter and call us back. Almost a month went by before my husband received a call back. Very little assurances were given (it would take time to install cameras and gates, and it would take a fundraiser). Suffice it to say Ms. Enge’s response was less than acceptable. She then attempted to add insult to injury and charge us for the tuition for the 7 days my son attended The Hills (she later retracted her position on this).

Truly an amazing school. The teachers love the kids as if they were there own. I would highly, highly recomend this school. If you have any specific questions do not hesitate to call me direct! Tom Foss 602−329−1899 or email me at

I am not one to post reviews but I believe there are many parents that live near this area that should have the opportunity to feel good and happy throughout the day that their child is safe, being cared for with love and feel good knowing that their child is happy and having fun while at school.
The Hills School is every parents dream and the best The East Valley has to offer for parents who want their children happy and empowered to think independently and become our future leaders. I searched for months for just the right school and tried two different pre-​schools which both resulted in my son being sad, upset and not eating his dinner at nights along with him having issues falling asleep at night. When I learned about The Hills School from a new neighbor I met — I automatically had my reservations — but now I realize the referral was THE BEST REFERRAL I EVER RECEIVED IN MY LIFE! I love my son very much and I just wanted him to be happy and be allowed to grow and explore without being forced into a robotic follow along and do as others do routine — he is only 2, so there will be plenty of time for him to be a follower. I just want the best for my son and I want him to learn, explore, laugh, play and enjoy the early years of his life. The Hills School does just that and more, the teachers are above and beyond EXCEPTIONAL and make you truly feel like a family member, versus feeling like just another parent.
The HIlls School empowers your child to learn and explore through play and does not believe in making any child participate in anything they do not feel comfortable being a part of. For instance if your child is not tired — they will not be forced to sleep or be forced to lay down — a child who has the energy and desire to want to continue to play and engage mentally to learn should be allowed to do so and not be forced or subject to being held in place on the floor to sleep.
In addition, my son was considered a late talker and after being with the school for just a lil over a month he is now counting to 10 out loud and becoming more and more engaging verbally.
The schools location is in a beautiful neighborhood in Arcadia and is on the grounds of the United Church of Christ. The school offers a non-​doctrinal education program.
By far, the most wonderful school in the East Valley.

My child has attended this preschool for the last three years. The first 2 years were great but, this last 2011 – 2012 year the church hired a new director Dr. Enge. She began the year reassuring the parent’s that the school was to remain the same. However as of Feb 6^th 2012 Dr. Enge announced that she was changing the school to an Emilio Reggio based school. I felt deceived by this sudden announcement. What was worse was that the teachers didn’t have the supplies or training to implement this teaching method.
In my opinion Dr. Enge is not able to professionally handle and resolve any type of conflict. Also her inability to communicate was demonstrated in the way she treated parents throughout the year. She never made an attempt to «get to know» the kids throughout the year. She was never warm or welcoming to my child. She didn’t even offer words of congratulations to the PreK children at their graduation.
The basic classroom supplies like paper and paint became very scarce throughout the year and a long list of needed supplies was emailed to the parents. However, as the supplies became scarce the school hired an additional staff member to decorate and create an art room, which was rarely utilized by the PreK. Because of this I feel my money was not being spent on the supplies needed in the classroom for my child but being set aside for other uses.
A very unsettling trend that went on throughout the year was the lack of discipline and boundaries given to children who consistently caused disturbances or bullied other children. The same children behaved badly throughout the year & were never taught how to better deal with their frustrations or aggression. Allowing this to continue throughout the school year was not only unfair and unsafe at times to the other children, but doing a great disservice to the misbehaving children with the undesirable behavior.

We love The Hills! My youngest has been with Ms. Becky for 2 years now and she is like another member of the family. My daughter has been able to explore her interests in a safe and secure environment where she can feel good knowing that her teachers care about her and her needs. We only have one more year at The Hills and it will be so sad to move on to kindergarten, but we know that she will be prepared for the next step in life.

OUr son just finished his first year, in the 3’s class. At first I thought 3 was way too young, but being the only child, I knew he needed interaction with his peers. Our son wasn’t talking at «the average age» so we were doing speech therapy for a few months when we decided on The Hills. He learned more in two weeks at school then he did in three months at therapy! Our family adores all the teachers, and the schools transformation is outstanding! If you want your child to be an independent thinker, and be prepared for what ever the world throws at them, The Hilss is the school for you. I thank my lucky stars every day we have found such a strong supportive community right in our own neighborhood!