Burke Family
It’s a crazy world we live in right now; sheltering in place, social distancing, working from home, all things that if you would have told me at the beginning of the year we would be doing, I would have laughed. But here we are, as a world, living this new life that may never go back to “normal.” I’ve spoken with friends and family and they ask how we’ve adjusted to this new way of life and my general response is, “Not much has changed.” Working in healthcare I have been an essential employee and our doors have stayed open. We owe maintaining our normalcy to Ardent. Throughout this entire pandemic they have kept us up to date on all aspects of closing/staying open, the steps they are taking to have a clean disinfected campus, maintaining the rules set in place by the governor, all while keeping the children healthy and safe. They truly care, not only for my children, but for me, my husband and our well-being. Ardent is a fantastic daycare, hands down the best! I look forward the years ahead, watching my children learn and grow at Ardent.
Fletcher Family
My oldest son started Ardent (previously Covenant Classical) at just 3 months old. My husband and I had looked at many of the childcare centers here in the Huntsville area. We wanted our son to be in a Christian environment that would reinforce what we believe and teach in our home. We chose Ardent.
Five years and two sons later, we still love being a part of the Ardent family.
I say family because much like our family the teachers and administrative staff experience and celebrate many of our children’s milestones with us. From crawling to walking, or in my oldest son’s case crawling to running. From the experiences of saying their first words, to being potty trained, to learning to read, Ardent has been an important part of our children’s development.
My boys have had wonderful teachers that have nurtured them and allowed them to grow socially, academically, and spiritually. It’s such a wonderful feeling when your child tells you that they want to go to school because they want to see their teachers and their friends.
One of the things we love the most about Ardent is the attentiveness and kindness of the staff. Over the years we have had our share of rough drop-offs and pick-ups. We’ve had mornings where snacks have been dropped and water bottles broken in the parking lot, tantrums brought on by schedule changes, and tears of frustration. On each of these occasions there has always been someone to step in and help. Whether it’s providing a needed distraction, speaking a kind and encouraging word, or giving some extra TLC, someone has always been there to meet our need. We are so appreciative of the care that we receive.
We are so grateful to have found such wonderful child care in a loving environment where Christian principles are taught, academics and character development are a priority, and kindness is lived out.
Creel Family
As first time parents, when we found out we were having a baby, we asked around for advice on where to send our baby to daycare and EVERYONE told us about Ardent. We had so many friends bringing their kids and each one raved about it! We started bringing Elliott when he was 3 months old. Since we were first time parents, we were so nervous to leave our brand new baby with anyone, but the teachers and staff did such an amazing job at quelling any fears, calming a brand new mom, and even helping answer all the crazy first time mom questions. We quickly realized that we weren't leaving him with just anyone, we were leaving him with family. Each teacher and staff member as Elliott has moved up has only reaffirmed this. We are a family at Ardent. The staff and teachers know us by name. They celebrate with us on large milestones and extend a helping hand and listening ear through the rough moments. Each person genuinely cares. During Hurricane Maria, the administration always asked me how my family was doing in Puerto Rico and expressed genuine concern and even offered help. I don't think you could find that anywhere else. Even now, as Elliott reaches the age of two, we still ask teachers and staff for advice and we all celebrate when something great happens! There is no way we could find another place that cares nearly as much about Ellliott or our family. We notice such a difference when Elliott is at daycare. He learns so much that we could never teach him. When he returned back after quarantine, we could see such a change in him! He was so happy to be there with his friends and his teachers learning new things and of course seeing his favorite teachers. We are always so impressed and thankful when Elliott says or does something we know only his teachers have taught him. We are so excited for the Ardent family to expand into the new space. Since both Adam and I work on the arsenal, we absolutely can't wait to have an even more convenient location! It will truly be an amazing and blessed place with upgrades for the kids and the teachers and staff. And most of all, the new facility is being built with love that you just can't find anywhere else.
Flurry Family
At five months pregnant, my husband and I toured the school and loved it immediately. It was cheery, secure, and clean. The teachers and staff were so friendly as well. Our Daughter started classes at 8 weeks old and from day one it's been wonderful. We had initially toured the Ardent-Valleydale location because of its proximity to both our offices but even after Covid transitioned my husband's job to a WFH position and my job moved to downtown Birmingham, we've continued to keep our daughter at Ardent-Valleydale because we (and she!) love it so much. With every new classroom, I'm amazed by what she has learned. We're so grateful for this school! When we're not working and schooling, we like to travel, visit the McWane Center, and play putt-putt at The Backyard.
Temple Family
Our first and only little Munchkin Nikole is everything to us, so when we were searching for a daycare/preschool for her to attend, we knew it needed to be the best. We were blessed to find Ardent in December of 2019, and enrolled her immediately. Our sweet girl was slightly behind other children her age, but was very determined to catch up. The WONDERFUL teachers and Administrators took the time to work one on one with Nikole, to really help her excel quickly. When the COVID-19 pandemic came to light, we were both extremely nervous about sending her to school. But leave it to Ardent to take every extra step necessary to ensure our sweet girl was as safe as possible. As my husband and I are both Essential workers outside of the home, and have no family assistance close by, we struggled with the fear of not having anywhere for our girl to go. We are so BLESSED to have found Ardent and would choose to send any future children we have there as well. Our sweet girl is now AHEAD of kids her age and has excelled quickly with all the help offered to her. When dropping her off to school daily, she bolts and runs into the school to find her classroom, ready to start her day with some of her favorite people as she yells to Mommy, ``We are home``! On weekends and days off, we enjoy Jeep riding in the Mountains, and spending time with friends. We see Ardent as a second home, and all the staff as extended family. Thank you all for treating our sweet beautiful girl as your own.
Whitlock Family
I am so grateful for Ardent providing care for my daughter during the COVID-19 pandemic. I work at St. Vincent’s Orthopedics, PC and being able to work full time has been vital to our family financially. Ardent Preschool and Daycare has gone above and beyond for their kids of essential care workers as well as children who are unable to attend right now. Having her continue her education and learning during these unprecedented times is truly appreciable as I know I certainly could not provide it to that level! Knowing the lengths of precautionary care, social distancing, hard work and sanitizing they are doing makes me feel completely comfortable with their care for my daughter. Ardent has given me an opportunity to still care for our patients, all while knowing my daughter is safe and secure with the utmost of care. Ardent has also kept me from using PTO that is vital for those inevitable sick days and from using FMLA which would only give us a portion of my pay. They have played a vital role for our family during these times and we are so blessed to have such a wonderful daycare for our daughter!
Kocurek Family
Ardent Preschool has been a lifesaver for our family during the recent Covid-19 restrictions. I’m employed in a front line healthcare position at UAB Hospital and Ardent being there for my children has enabled me to continue to care for others. My children have been attending Ardent since 2018 and I have always felt they are in a safe, loving, Christ centered environment. I would not hesitate to recommend Ardent to anyone looking for a high quality environment where their children will be fiercely loved and taken care of.
Jackson Family
Our family has been truly happy with the care our children have received while at Ardent Preschool and Daycare, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was such a sigh of relief finding out that Ardent was certified to remain open which not only allowed me to continue working but also allowed our children to continue learning. We were concerned about the risk of continuing to send our kids to school but my husband was able to communicate those concerns to the staff. The result was a host of precautions the staff at Ardent are taking on a daily basis to ensure the safety of the families in their care. There is hand sanitizer available each day. Temperatures are taken upon entering and exiting. I ALWAYS see someone cleaning and due to the reduced number of students, social distancing is not an issue. I have found that through all this, they are still able to continue special moments such as themed weeks, Mother’s Day treats and gifts, and a warm smile during a tough time. We are happy to send our little ones to Ardent!
Fain Family
We are so thankful for Ardent remaining open during the first few months of the COVID outbreak. I work in the hospital and my husband has been busier than ever working from home. We were able to resume child care worry-free with the dedication to cleanliness at the facilities. Despite some temporary location and teaching changes, I felt so comfortable with the loving and competent staff at both the Trace Crossings and Patchwork Farms locations. I am SO impressed with how everything has been handled by the administration, and truly appreciate their commitment to the kids and keeping them healthy! Love you all!”
The Fain family (Bill, Katie, Carter, & Cooper)
Votava Family
We have a young family consisting of an 11 year old, an 18 month old and a 3 month old. Both myself and my husband Nick have full-time jobs, as well as my part-time responsibilities through our church. My husband is a kind and generous man, particularly with his time. He works for the state spending his time helping people with disabilities keep and maintain employment. While fulfilling, it’s a demanding job-especially after COVID-19 began to spread. I had just come back from maternity leave to a backlog at my own job with insurance claims. When the virus shut down the state, we were suddenly faced with taking care of a young family and trying to do our jobs to the best of our abilities. I don’t know how we would have done it without Ardent. Thanks to their dedication and sacrifice, we were allowed to focus on continuing our efforts to help our community. My husband was able to go to the office to support the other counselors with their caseload and handle the state’s ever changing mandates. I was able not only get back into my own job, but go to my church during the day to help with broadcasting live and pre-recorded services to our congregation. I am so grateful and thankful for Ardent’s presence in our lives both before and after COVID, but I know that their service has affected more than our small family. Thank you on behalf of all of us!!!
Coleman Family
As essential personnel during the quarantine, childcare was a necessity and not easy to come by - we are so thankful that Ardent was willing to serve their families during this time to allow us to continue our service to our community. We want to thank the personnel at Ardent Preschool for your responsiveness, attention to detail, cleanliness, and support during the Covid-19 shutdown. We cannot imagine how we would have coped without knowing that our children are in a safe place every day. They come home singing and talking about Jesus and other Biblical principles they learned at school. The lessons learned at Ardent, as well as the warmth and respect that they are shown, has enabled our girls to be outgoing, independent, and respectful of others. We are so proud of them and thankful to Ardent's staff, teachers, and directors for their continued help and guidance over the years - and especially the continued support over the recent months.
Martin Family
The word thankful is what initially comes to mind when our family thinks about Ardent, but that isn’t a strong enough word. Like everyone, life for us over the last two months has been a whirlwind of change and uncertainty. Being a veterinarian (Nicole) and in electrical utility construction (Rhett), our jobs did not slow down because of COVID. As all parents can agree, having a place that you trust with your children is essential under normal circumstances and even more so in times like these. We didn’t use Ardent prior to COVID19 and had found a place that we were very happy with; however, the state mandated closures put an abrupt end to that. When we received the notification that Ardent had been granted the opportunity to open for essential workers, we knew we had to consider it. We knew of Ardent and their stellar reputation prior to this, but we had no idea how our kids would handle the transition. From the first minute of the first day we knew we had made the right call. From the level of communication, friendliness of staff, and cleanliness of the facilities, everything was second to none. After day 1, our 4 year old couldn’t stop talking about how “great” her first day was. The relief we felt after hearing that, and hearing it every day since, was an amazing feeling that we will be forever grateful. We thank Ardent for giving Nicole the ability to continue diagnosing and treating sick animals, while Rhett has been able to continue construction on industrial plants. We always wondered why everyone who went there had an Ardent sticker on their car. Now we know, it’s a special place.
Franks Family
Our first and only child, Vinny, has been attending Ardent Daycare and Preschool since he was 7 weeks old. He is currently 7 months old. Of course, with it being our first child, we were very particular about where he would spend his days away from us. We could not be happier with our choice in Ardent Daycare. From the first moment we walked through their doors, we felt a sense of welcoming and security. We needed Vinny to be in an atmosphere that promoted love and learning and THAT.IS.ARDENT. The staff knows us all by name, and doesn't hesitate to greet us and inquire about our day/weekend. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, Ardent has went the extra mile to assure a clean and safe environment by adjusting to a ``contactless`` checkin/checkout process, taking temps at both checkin/checkout, and adjusting hours to give staff adequate time to clean and disinfect rooms for the following day. With his Father and myself both working essential jobs, we needed Vinny to continue with daycare. Ardent took extensive steps in order to stay in business and provide care for the children of essential workers. It has truly been a blessing. We have not had one hiccup in our daily routine and not one doubt that we were making the right decision with continuing daycare throughout the pandemic. Thank you Ardent for providing us with peace of mind and love for our little man, Vinny.
Kuntz Family
We joined the Ardent family on the first day the Patchwork Farms location opened, and we have been so incredibly pleased with the quality of care Micah has received. He loves his teachers! I love them, too, and I really appreciate how clean the facility always is, how many outdoor play options there are (especially the covered porch play for rainy days), and how large and open the classrooms are. What I love most about Ardent is the exceptional communication and organization. That's part of why I felt confident in sending Micah back to school. I knew they would have a plan in place, communicate it clearly, and follow it closely -- and they have! So much in life is uncertain these days, but I am 100% certain Micah is well cared for at Ardent.
Upton Family
Over the past few months, during these unprecedented times, it has been such a blessing that Ardent has remained opened for those who are still having to report to work. Their efforts and safeguards to ensure a healthy environment for our children is astounding. I cannot count the numerous times I witnessed staff wiping down door handles, bathrooms and sanitizing the hallways. In the classrooms, the teachers were constantly cleaning the tables, chairs and toys while still providing a loving and structured academic environment. In addition to all their diligent sanitizing, the staff also checked temperatures throughout the day and emphasized the importance of washing hands.
Since Ardent remained opened during this time of uncertainty, my daughter’s routine and schedule thankfully was not impacted. She was able not only to continue to learn but was also introduced to new friends. Words cannot express the thanks that my family has for the wonderful staff at Ardent, and we are so grateful for the selfless service and commendable care and support throughout this pandemic.
Anderson Family
We’re the Anderson family. John, Shelby, Emma (20 months) and we’re excited to welcome a baby boy to our family this September! When we’re not cheering on the Alabama Crimson Tide in the fall, we’re spending our summer visiting friends and family at Lake Lanier and the beach. We really enjoy being around water!
When going back to work after having Emma we were looking for a local full time daycare that was both Christ and educational centered. After touring Ardent Preschool we knew this was the place for us. Emma really thrives in this environment, it’s amazing how fast she learns and picks up on new things each month! The teachers here are amazing. I don’t know how they are able to keep a room full of toddlers all quiet and happy but they do and make it look easy!
