Testimonials

"CRV provides a good balance of teaching and organized fun. Snacks are healthy and teachers are interacting with the children, not baby-sitting. No T.V. (Yea!)... "

B. Corley Flotten, June 2006

"Generally the quality (esp. for the price) is high. The instructor/teachers are intelligent people who care about a friendly instructive atmosphere. My child hasn't had any academic troubles. He has however learned to focus on his tasks better. He made many good friends and likes all his teachers very much. He is rarely bored, I think, and that is great... "

M. Napiorkowska, June 2006

"I like the homework help. My child gets homework done everyday. She likes karate best."

S. Thigpen, June 2006

"Children's Rendez-Vous is in a convenient safe environment to complete homework and work on areas that need help. I have seen my child gain confidence and improve on his concentration. My child looks forward to attending CRV after school program. We are satisfied with the program. It works well for us... "

T. Day, June 2006

"Dear Mrs. C., words alone can not express my deepest gratitude for what you have done for all my children. Thank you for providing a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment for my children. We love and appreciate."

Mrs. Tsotesi, June 2006

"Class size, students to staff ratio, patience of staff, positive reinforcement of good behavior, gentle, firm correction of undesirable behavior. Can’t think of anything you could do differently to improve."

Ms. R. Lockett, June 2006

"Excellent staff, homework assistance, supervision. Extra activities: languages, karate, dance."

Ms. I. Washington, June 2006

"C. has an opportunity to play, finish her homework and complete a craft. Very friendly staff. Also you are open until 6:30pm-big help! She likes the karate, dance, crafts, the variety. It has been wonderful not to worry about getting C. from school to CRV-big relief! C has her homework done and she always talks about doing something interesting everyday."

Mrs. A. Santos, June 2006

"The homework help and the extra activities. It is well rounded, fun and academic."

Mrs. J. Ducasse, June 2006

“There is so much that I can say about Children's Rendezvous that I don't know where to begin. For starters, my son looks forward to attending afterschool there and he will at times ask me why did I pick him up so early! While at Children's Rendezvous, he feels as though he can be himself and come to Ms. C and her staff for help with his homework. He has maintained all A's and B's in his classes and I thank Ms. C and her staff for helping my son work to his highest potential. Even in afterschool, Ms. C and her staff do not settle for less. They encourage my son to work to his highest potential and do his best. When there were times when my son struggled in a subject area, they were there to guide him and focus on what he needed extra support on. I also like the way that the staff instills a love for reading in afterschool. Some chlidren are read to in small groups and children are engaged in individual reading time as well. Ms. C has also recommended other books for my son to read. She took the time to allow time for reflecting and discussion of what he thought about the book that he had read. My son also learned how to play chess at Children's Rendezvous! This is just an example of one of the many other activities that the children are engaged in, other than just homework! Earlier in my son's years at Children's Rendezvous, different languages were exposed to the children, like Japanese and Spanish. Ms. C has gone above and beyond in exposing my son to many cultural experiences. She invites him to field trips on days that they are out of school and I am working. She has had storytellers come in to engage the students in storytelling. The children are engage in the arts and crafts as well as science activities. My son has an opportunity to eat a nutritous snack before starting his homework. My son has had an opportunity to also attend an awesome Japanese play that her children were in. He had an opportunity to taste foods from a Japanese restaurant for the first time! HIs excitement about that experience made my day! When my son is dropped off at Children's Rendezvous, I feel comfortable and at ease. I know that he is in a warm, nurturing, and safe environment where he can be himself, interact with others, engage in hands-on activities, be challenged, and finally have time to take a break and be engaged in active gross motor activities. Children's Rendezvous is the best!”

Stephanie A., June 2010

“The individualized care at CRV has provided a quiet couch for my older child to curl up in and lose herself in a book, while my son constructs fanciful bridges to another world, learns chess from an older child, and plays more ball games than I knew existed. In good weather, they are outside under the trees and sky, and in winter they can race around in the large multipurpose room. Ms. C demands respect from the children and respects them in return, which creates an environment that is orderly without being rigid, gentle without being cloying, happy and creative without chaos. My children come home for diner calm, their homework completed, and with energy to spare. Our whole family has found true friends there.”

Karen D., June 2010

“I want to say thank you to Miss Catherine and her staff at CRV. We could not have made it through the school year without them. This was a challenging year . Starting kindergarten, at a new school along with a new after school program ,can be overwhelming for a 5 year old and his kindergarten mother. CRV helped us thru this challenging school year and we are looking forward to seeing them again next year for 1st grade.

I never worried about Noah being picked up on time. CRV is one of the FEW places in Hyde Park open until 6:30 which is a plus.”

Thanks Again...”

La Shawn E. June 2010

“My daughter has been attending CRV for 4 years. For convenience, I tried an in school program but I went back to CRV. I am extremely satisfied wth Mrs. C's afterschool program and activities. My daughter has had the opportunity to learn karate and chess. Most importantly, she receives help with her homework which takes the stress off of me having to help her with her homework when we get home. This has enable us to spend more quality time together in the evenings.

I highly recommend CRV. Mrs. C is like a mother to my daughter and I am not jealous at all! She picks my daughter up from school, gives her a snack, makes sure her homework is done, and weekly takes her to choir rehearsal.

My daughter and I are very satisfied with the services that CRV provides. Mrs. C and her staff are part of our extended family.

Thanks Mrs. C and the CRV staff!”

Valerie L., June 2010

“CRV provides excellent care for my child, and makes me feel comfortable that she is well cared for when I can't be with her. She receives caring support for her whole person - emotionally, socially and academically. The staff all do their best to be sure that she performs her best academically. But they are also concerned about her becoming the best person she can be. I have tried other after school programs, and they did not even come close to providing the level of service that we receive at CRV. Other after school programs just provide a place for the kids to run around minimally supervised. CRV provides true academic support from trained professionals, and a fun environment.”

Angie H., June 2010

“CRV is a great after school program. I like the small class size and the location which is nicely secured. I especially like the attention and encouragement that the staff provides to the kids while doing their homework. The staff is friendly and professional and they stress the importance of respecting others and playing fairly. My son loves it and even cries when it’s time to go or if he has to miss a day. I would definitely recommend it.”

LaShawn M., June 2010

"My husband and I could not be happier with the excellent after school care

that our two daughters received during their past two years at CRV. The

director, Catherine Celimene, and her wonderful staff, have partnered

closely with us to provide our daughters with comprehensive academic support as well as precious fun relaxing time with friends. For example, the girls always come home from CRV with their homework done, and done well. And,they often have done additional fun academic work like writing adventurous stories or reading books for pleasure. But they always still have time to play with their friends. We don't quite know how the CRV staff manages to pack so much in to after school, but we are forever grateful to them."

Elizabeth H., June 2010

“Children's Rendez-Vous has a great after program for the working parent with extended hours until 6:30PM. Mrs. Celimene is a caring and loving provider. She has a way of being stern and fair to each individual child. She takes the time to know each child and their families in order to provide the best service. She is willing to work with you so that you and your child are comfortable in her service. Mrs. Celimene makes sure that the homework is completed each afternoon. She provide plenty of creative play time whether the children are playing board games or receiving chess instruction. They enjoy the gym in the winter time and the outside play area when it is warm. They may be a little dirty when you pick them up, but all they will need is dinner and a bath when you get home.

My two oldest children were diagnosed with special needs. She provided my oldest son with extra time and one on one assistance that he needed to complete his homework. She worked with him on his difficult assignments and made sure that he was not discouraged. When my middle son was diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy, she made sure he had plenty of gross and fine motor skill activities. He enjoyed the play area, dodgeball outside and Legos and playdough in the classroom. When the sensory integration kicked in, she adjusted snacks to what he could eat.

Finally, she and the children enjoyed the seasonal art and crafts. From making Mother's Day cards to having an egg hunt, from making Christmas ornaments to end of the school year party and from making Thanksgiving turkeys to Father's Day cards. Children's Rendez-Vous is a great after school program.”

Pamela W., June 2010

"CRV has been a wonderful afterschool program for our daughter. She's made friends, benefitted from nearly one-on-one homework help and received kind care by Ms. Celimene and her staff. And programming on CPS days off has been a lifesaver for our family. Our daughter always has a fun place to go when school is out."

Meredith S., June 2010

“I have experienced the honor of enrolling my two daughters into Children’s Rendez-vous for the last four years. Catherine Celimene is a dedicated and enthusiastic mentor and manager for both the staff and students. My children have greatly enjoyed their time in her presence and I credit her and her staff with their academic accomplishments in school.

The staff members not only work with the children on their homework, but work with them on social skills and teamwork. My children speak fondly of “Mrs. C.” and of her tutors – even my daughter thanked Mrs. C for helping her learn to read. My other daughter was in need of special attention and Mrs. C was willing to work with us and her counselor to achieve a successful recovery. The student/staff ratio allows my children to have personal one-on-one attention, which builds their self-esteem.

It is a relief to me as a parent to know that I don’t have to worry about who is picking them up from school, if they will have their homework done before I pick them up and if they are enjoying themselves in the program. Over the last four years, I have enjoyed not having these concerns.

Catherine Celimene a professional, compassionate and dedicated person and hires like-minded individuals to work with her. I would highly recommend her to anyone who is looking for reliable after school care.”

Allison S., June 2010

My daughter has been attending Children’s Rendez-Vous for two years now and I could not be happier. Ms. Catherine Celimene (“Ms. C”) provides a safe and enriching program for children. I have peace of mind knowing that my daughter is safely transported from school to an after school program that is located in a secure environment where she is well taken care of. In addition, having my child receive assistance from trusted tutors with her daily homework while also being able to socialize with a diverse group of children from various backgrounds really makes this program unique.

As a single parent who works full-time and is unable to be with my child during those critical after school hours, I take comfort in knowing that my daughter is in good hands from the time school ends until I am able to see her in the evening.

And given the cost of the program at Children’s Rendez-Vous, I think you would be hard pressed to find a comparable program in Hyde Park, or most neighborhoods within Chicago. I am truly grateful to have found Children’s Rendez-Vous and I recommend it highly to any parent who is searching for quality, safe, yet affordable after school care.

Liz C. June 2010