Sewall Child Development Center

Sewall has been an absolute catalyst for speech development in my now 3 year old and is a wonderful program for ALL children. My child is on the cusp of being a great learner and having some specific needs. After being at Sewell for a few months, she nearly tested out of being recognized as special needs and is on a productive path with marked goals. We are continuing with the Sewell preschool program, now at the Fairview location and look forward to 2016. Thank you to Kara, everyone in Otters Classroom, especially Ms. Tonia, Paige, H, Marilyn and everyone else. My daughter (who once struggled with eye gaze) is talking everyday in sentences about how she loves her teachers and friends. The Fillmore location is also SO fabulous, I wish she could stay. Thank you Sewell.

I flat out do not agree with the 1 star reviews. Our 3 year old daughter is on the Autism Spectrum, and started at Sewall in September. She absolutely loves it, and has progressed so much due to the care and attention she receives from her teachers. She loves going there every morning, and is always happy when we pick her up. We get good, consistent feedback from the staff there, and they genuinely seem happy to see our daughter each day. Also, the new location at 10^th and Fillmore is so nice!
The 1 star reviews for this place are not accurate at all in our experience, so please be sure to give these guys a try.

I took my daughter here 4 years ago to get evaluated. I loved that they fully diagnosed her unlike other places we’ve been. So when it was time to do it again I called here. Their wait list is much shorter then Children’s. I arrived early as anyone should. More then half who was doing the evaluation wasn’t even here yet. Her appt started at 830am yet we didn’t get started until 9am. Still there were people running late. As I sat in the waiting area for my daughter the staff were very inappropriate. This is front office staff with children coming and going. They were discussing another person’s new bf and how they’d take him home. That is not something you should be talking about. Then they proceeded to gossip the whole time. A kid started yelling in another room and one of the staff up front stated «I’d smack that kid». Then started talking about how their mother was growing up. After some time again a staff member confronted another staff member about not informing her of something. This is just completely unprofessional in my eyes. This is a place of children and none of these ladies are acting like there are kids around.

Worked at one of their off sites. I was a lead teacher and never been part of an organization that was so disorganized with staff and parents. The admin was ok with this, I was told «this is the Sewall culture» and told many times that I was to much of a perfectionist. Um asking for supplies, therapist to be there during required times is not being a perfectionist, I would say its making sure staff is held accountable and supporting the needs of the children.
Talked MANY times with administration and team leaders about lack of staff support, qualified support. Not given classroom funding so I wasn’t sure where all the money from all the fundraisers were going. The schools long term staff were really burnt out, looked burnt out and on edge. The front desk person/​payroll person was the worst person to have at the front desk answering calls and greeting guest. Her bad attitude was not very welcoming for parents and staff.
I was in love with the schools philosophy and goal when I first started but am sad to say that this school really turned out to be a disappointment. Their reputation is the only thing keeping them afloat. If I had children I would never enroll them at Sewall. I suggest if you are considering go in unexpected and see for yourself.
good questions to ask are…
staff and child ratio
classroom funding monthly
therapist documentation and proof that they are actually working with your child

I had high expectations for Sewell. I originally met with staff at the Vine Street location to discuss their inclusive program. Though my son is typical, I liked the idea of him growing and learning with kids that were not and mixed with other typically progressing children.
I was told that the class rooms at Vine Street were full for the time we needed him in school and that he would be able to attend in the classroom at St. Johns Cathedral just down the road.
At first he seemed to love school and was super excited to be there everyday. He made friends and chattered about them all the time. And then he come home stating that Kendrell hit him and he cried. Or that Kendrell had smacked him in the face. I called and left two messages about this with his teachers and didn’t hear back. Then I called the administrator at Vine Street to complain, and of course I got a call from a teacher. Who saw nothing, knew nothing and heard nothing. But I was assured they’d watch out for it and take care of it.
They didn’t.
Then I called again… NOTHING.
I thought it was normal kid behavior or toddlers just doing things they do —
He continued to tell us about kids hitting and pushing and other things going on. Eventually he started to tell us he was scared to go to school. He would cry and become a wreck on the way to school. He’s not a whiner, and had loved going before — he’s quite adventurous. So this was not normal. He ended up missing 3 weeks of school because of this.
I decided to take a day off and sit in the class to see what was going on. I was appalled. Within 20 minutes I saw my son violently pushed by one child 3 times in a row. Not a kid shove, but a malicious shove — and repeatedly even as the teacher told the other child to stop. My 3 year old didn’t fight back or push back, but asked the other kid to stop. Then another child hit him and this same child went up to another little boy who was kneeling on the ground and harshly pushed this child’s head into a bookcase. The other kid had done nothing to provoke it.
Two other kids also hit or pushed other children during this time. The teachers did the right things AFTER the incidents occurred, but did nothing to prevent or teach these kids from doing these things in the first place. I pulled him out of school early that day and we have not returned.
I refrained from telling the teachers exactly what I thought of them — I wouldn’t have been nice. Once I calmed down, I left a message for Sewall’s CEO — Heidi Heissenbuttel and was assured by her that she would take care of this. Meet with the teachers and call me back to discuss what was being done. NOTHING again. I’m hardly surprised. I even waited 6 weeks for her to call back. NADA.
This school is out to look good, not out to take care of your children. I expect for toddlers to hit each other at times. It would be weird if they didn’t. I expect some aggressive behavior. But I don’t expect that my child should be hit often enough that he becomes panicked to go to school and terrified of seeing certain kids. I also expect that a childcare professional should know how to take measures to not only deal with the situations as they arise, but take responsibility for them, inform the parents and learn how to prevent them with each individual instigator.
This school is wholly unprofessional, but has a great reputation within Denver — but when I did deep their reputation stems from great marketing and being out there to fund raise within the community. NOT in taking care of the actual kids their system is hurting and not in dealing with the parents.
I would 1000% NOT RECOMMEND this school to anyone.