I’ve been very happy to entrust the care of my son Ian to Mikhail Letavin and Natalia Letavina at Pelican Russian Immersion Daycare and Preschool since September of 2023. Mikhail and Natalia do a wonderful job of caring for Ian, giving him rich experiences and a safe, clean and home-like facility to play and learn. Ian enjoys homemade, from-scratch meals and snacks made by Natalia, and is flourishing under the curriculum set out at the school. We have greatly enjoyed participating in pageants and recitals organized at the school, and being a part of school life.

At a time when high-quality child care is difficult to find, I am so grateful to have Ian enrolled at Pelican, and for the school community Mikhail and Natalia have built. I can feel confident that my son has safe, loving and attentive caregivers while I am at work, and that he will enter kindergarten happy, confident and well-prepared.

– Emily Ranney (Verona, WI)

 

We have lived in multiple states with multiple children, and Pelican is without a doubt the best daycare or preschool we have used. All of the standard things are done very well, such as security, drop-off and pick up, and parent communication. But here are the reasons why we think that Pelican is truly amazing:

● The hours of operation are good for helping the parents get to work on time

● The daily routine is consistent and well thought-out (e.g. daily exercises)

● Our child actually naps everyday at preschool

● Language immersion is among the best you will see anywhere in the country

● The children’s performances are age-appropriate and educational

● The music and dance class every week is high quality (my sister was a near-professional ballet dancer, so I have seen many such classes)

● The teachers at Pelican are very good at redirecting and talking to our child, who often frustrates other teachers, relatives, and other care-givers

● We appreciate the subtle and early teaching of math and spatial concepts

● They get plenty of outdoor time

We have also just enrolled another, younger, child in Pelican.

– Thatcher Collins (Madison, WI)

 

We have been using Mikhail and Natalia’s services for over 6 years now, beginning with our older child (Aryeh) for daycare as well as Saturday school, and now continuing with our younger child (Thalia). Their services at Pelican daycare have been indispensable to our family. They consistently go above and beyond to provide excellent service and the best care possible.

We highly value their immersive education style: it has allowed our older child a foundation for being bilingual, a skill he continues to develop with their Saturday school. Their services promote physical activity, fresh air exercise, and a music incorporated program that has resonated with our children. They have developed friendships and many social skills throughout their education at Pelican.

The community that Pelican maintained has been extremely valuable to ourselves as well as others. When we started with their services we had just moved to the area; they helped us in getting oriented and I have witnessed countless others who have been helped immensely by their knowledge and generosity, including several immigrant families.

Our journey would be immeasurably harder without their help, knowledge, and expertise. We wholeheartedly value all the services they provide and hope they are able to continue their invaluable care into the future.

– Mike Mett & Maria Conforti (Madison, WI)

 

We have a daughter, age five, who has been attending Pelican since July 2022. We are sad that our time with Pelican is coming to an end as kindergarten begins this fall. However, due to a delightful experience, we plan to send our daughter to Pelican on Saturday mornings for art instruction.

We chose Pelican because we desired an in-home preschool with a family-like environment. We loved that Natalia and Mikhail would provide snacks as well as lunch. Moreover, we wanted to send our daughter to a preschool that would ensure children spent time playing outdoors. Pelican provided our daughter the opportunity to participate in dance instruction, for which I was pleasantly surprised at how much she learned. (Perhaps even more than formal classes outside of preschool.)

Natalia and Mikhail have created a welcoming environment. I appreciate how they display their students’ artwork as well as other decor that is kid-friendly. I often note during drop-off that students are exploring musical instruments. They expose the children to Russian poetry, music, and folktales. The programs they put on for families to enjoy are impressive! The children will perform dances, songs, and recitations. I have so enjoyed these.

For birthdays and Christmas, Natalia and Mikhail gift the children with presents. Only a special daycare would do such a thing. They put a lot of thought and effort into making the children feel comfortable and loved. I have been very pleased with how Natalia has fostered and encouraged our daughter’s artistic skills, thus our desire to have her under Natalia’s tutelage.

– Hillary Fleming (Madison, WI)

 

I can’t be happier with a choice of the childcare providers we made. Natalia and Mikhail are very sweet, keep us updated on everything our son did through out the day, what he ate, how long was his nap, what new Russian words he said. He even brought some crafts home. I highly recommend this establishment to anyone who doesn’t want to worry about well being of a child while you are away from him.

– Maria Berg (Madison, WI)

 

The providers are remarkable individuals with a genuine devotion to every child under their care. I feel comforted knowing that my kids are in a loving environment that only a parent or grandparent could provide. Natasha makes sure that the kids have the best of everything – from meeting a child’s emotional and intellectual needs through individualized attention, arts and learning, to providing healthy and delicious homemade meals, great toys geared towards imaginative play, comfortable, clean bedding and more – in short, no detail escapes careful consideration.

We truly love Pelican and so do our kids, for whom it is a home away from home.

– Marina Zilbergerts (Madison, WI)

 

I’m very proud to say my kid attend this day care. Natasha and Mikhail not only provide a home-like experience but they provide home cooked meals and the cultural experience.

– Vesta Shelatonova (Madison, WI)

 

Natalia and Mikhail are an amazing, all-around great couple with many talents for comprehensive child care. They are always cheerful and motivated! It has been incredible to watch our daughter grow, learn and develop while in their care. She went to Kindergarten well prepared thanks to Natalia’s school readiness curriculum. It brings such peace of mind as working parents to know your child is in good hands. I highly recommend!

– Irina Komarova (Verona, WI)

 

We are so lucky to have Natalia and Mikhail as daycare teachers for our daughter! I feel that Natasha is like an extra grandmother in our family and I can rely on her as such. My child had many important milestones reached because of the care she got at Pelican since early age. Her speech, reading and writing skills are excellent. Also, because we started taking math lessons from them in the last year, I see a big progress with her addition, subtraction and even multiplication and division skills (she turned 7 two months ago). Can’t recommend these people enough!

– Anastasiya Craig (Madison, WI)

 

My grandson attends Pelican and I often am the one to drop him off in the morning. I always feel that I’m leaving him in good hands. Mikhail and Natalia are warm and caring and so committed to what they do for the children in their care.

– Carla Berg (Madison, WI)

 

Воспитатели Пеликана проявляют искреннюю заботу и любовь к детям. Большее внимание уделяют разностороннему развитию детей. Это очень радует!

– Gulnara Seip Glowacki (Madison, WI)

 

Great family daycare!!! I echo all other reviewers on the curriculum and would like to highlight that additionally it’s like dropping off your child at grandparents: every child is sincerely loved and cared for. Kids get three course healthy lunch and unlimited healthy snacks throughout the day. Kids nap in real beds, not on the floor, not sleeping bags, not cots – little beds! Lots of outdoor time as well. Highly recommend this fully licensed daycare.

– Anita Ko (Monona, WI)

 

This is the Best daycare and after school care you can imagine! My daughter loves it and she has been there since she was 1.5 year old. Now she is 7 and, even though she is in regular school she still can’t wait to go for her after school enrichment classes. Truly family atmosphere; great enrichment opportunities! Sincerely recommend it it to everyone!

– Alena Holmes (Madison, WI)

 

Отличное заведение! Занятия на русском языке. Упор на математику! Детей отлично кормят (домашняя здоровая еда). Приятная домашняя атмосфера, как в гостях у бабушки. Несколько раз в году устраиваються праздники для детей и родителей. Пожилая пара, которая ведет детский сад – опытные преподаватели. Наш ребенок в восторге!

Excellent daycare! All classes are held in Russian language (no English spoken, therefore kids learn real fast). Emphasis is on math! Kids are fed healthy home cooked meals. Pleasant atmosphere – like visiting Grandparents. There are celebrations held several times a year for kids and parents. The older couple managing daycare is highly experienced. Our child loves it there!

– Julia Rudnitzky (Verona, WI)