Deciding on a Preschool
DD will be 4 in October and we have our Preschool program choices narrowed down to 4 options. Each has their own benefits, we have to enroll soon so she gets a spot held for her but can not decide! She has never been to daycare. We pay my sister to watch our kids and MIL watches them occasionally.
The tricky thing for us is that I want to go somewhere in our school district, so she is prepared for the K curriculum but we live in a town where the school districts are divided, and its a more rural area. We have neighbors who moved from a different town and complained on how their DD was totally unprepared for Kinder because she did preschool where they lived prior.
#1- Closest to home, about a 5 minute drive. At a church, but they do not teach regligion-strictly academics. The building is a converted ranch-style house that was probably the church parsonage. It has been totally updated and everyhing is nice and new. Recommended by co-workers of mine who are doctors-DD would be in class with their kids. However, it costs about $70/month more than the others.
#2- About a 10 minute drive. At a daycare but they have a preschool only program. Recommended by people in my neighborhood who are also elementary school teachers. The building is old and dingy but everyone raves about their program. Second most expensive program.
#3- About at 15 minute drive. Another church-style daycare. Recommended by a co-worker. They also have a 2 y.o. program that I can send DD#2 to and the cost for them combined would be as much as #1. Teachers are sweet older ladies who have taught at this specific preschool for 20+ years.
#4- About a 15 minute drive (Actually down the street from #3). Recommended by a group of mom's at DD's tumbling class. Another church-based program. Equivalent cost to #3 but they also have an early 3's and late 3's program- same with 4's since DD will be almost 4 when the school year starts. No 2's program.
We are leaning towards either 3 or 4 because of their cost. #1 would be great for distance but the cost is so high compared to others that we would have to cut gymnastics or dance in order to afford it.
Any suggestions?
Re: Deciding on a Preschool
You haven't said anything about their curriculum- what do they teach? are they child centered? play based? Montessori? what do they focus on? Are there any extra perks? Like field trips, music, etc. Do they go outside?
What are the class sizes like? What are the schedules like?
Honestly I don't think the drive is that big of a deal for any of them and also the building in my opinion isn't that big of a deal. But to make a decision, you need to look more at the meat and potatoes of the program- the curriculum, the way the teachers interact with the kids, the schedules, the programs (do they do art projects, sing alongs, etc), how do you connect with the directors and teachers, has LO had a chance to try any of the places for a few hours? How did he connect to the teachers?
A kiss he will never forget- Disney World 2014
Actually Driving IS a big deal for me because preschool is half day. So, say we do the morning session. If it starts at 8:30 am, I have to leave the house by 8:15 to make it on time barring no traffic. May have to leave as early as 8:00.
I have DD#2 that I would have to tote along so a 15-30 min drive there, drop off, drive home, drive to school and back once school is out. That's a minimum of 1 hour drive time each school day. 8am is early in this house because I work until 2am at least 3 nights/week, so to work 12 hours, drive home, sleep for about 4 hours before I have to get DD up and ready for school could be a nighmare if the drive is long. Stores/malls are not open yet and maybe a month or so of good weather where it is nice enough out at 9am to go to the park and play so we don't have to drive.
Afternoon sessions are out of the picture since I work afternoons and my schedule varies from week to week. There would be no one to pick her up because my sister is our babysitter and she has a small car with no back seat.
Most of their curriculum is the same. They have arts and crafts, sing, along with learning/writing letters, counting. They don't do field trips but they have special guests that come and visit (Police, firemen, zookepers). Their schedules mimic the local school district's, so breaks coincide with each other. #3 had an open house this past weekend and we fell in love with the teachers, they are the grandmotherly type and have been doing what they are doing for many years. However, it was on a Saturday so no classes being held to see them in action.
However, should I pick the one where the age groups are divided a little more? I only ask this because right now DD is in a tumbling class for 2-3 y.o. She is the oldest and is getting bored with her class. Because of this, her teacher has been having her come for the sessions with the 4-5 year olds and she does better there. I don't want her to go to preschool and have her be in a class with a bunch of kids that just turned 3 when she will almost be 4. This is the one thing that makes me want #4 more.
I have researched Montessori, and while I like the concept, there aren't any places realtively close to where we live that use this. I found one place and it was some lady advertising a Montessori school that she was running out of her home, it seemed shady to me. Where we used to live, there was a school right down the street.
Sorry, I didn't mean to discount driving- its just for me a difference of 5-10 minutes isn't that much. And to be out of the house by 8:00 just baffles me, considering I am out of the house by 6:!5. So I can see how with your schedule a driving time would be more important.
With all of that said, if the curriculums are similar I would go with more of your gut. When I picked our daycare center/ preschool I toured a bunch and there was one that I just knew was better. It was a total gut thing. I just knew.
I totally know what you mean about being the oldest. My LO is going to be 3 in June and he just moved up from toddler to preschool and IT. WAS. TIME. He was becoming so naughty because he just wasn't being challenged enough and although our center has 3 different toddler rooms they age through, when the kids were together you could sure tell he was ready to move up, there is a big difference between a 15 month old just entering toddler 1 and an almost 3 year old just about to leave. So, to me, having more rooms with more age break ups is a good thing. Our center has 3 preschool rooms. a young, a middle and an old. Young is for almost 3 - almost 4, middle is for 4 year olds, and older is for older 4's and young 5's who aren't in KG yet.
It sounds like option 3 and 4 are both good options, the one that is so much more, what are you getting for that money? Anything? A music class? or an extra staff? Or organic food? What do they have that would be worth the extra money that the others don't?
A kiss he will never forget- Disney World 2014
OP I agree w/ the gut- which once did the kids seem really happy in (or maybe there were no kids there since it is summer, that makes it harder) and which one did you feel most comfortable in, with regard to the setting & the teachers? If it is still all a tie, I don't think convenience is a bad thing to take into account. GL it is tough.