(sorry, this post is kind of long, but please read)
I have a sweet 16.5 month old dd that I have to be away from roughly 15 hours a week since I am in school. Other than spending time with dh and my mom, this will be the first time she is away from me
.
After much, much, delibration, we have decided that dd would do better in a M preschool/daycare than with a sitter or at-home daycare. There are two montessori preschools in our area that are open and we can not decide which one is best. They both have different strengths and weaknesses. I would love your opinion about these two programs.
Montessori #1 is AMI affliated (seeking accrediation)
- has only been open for a few months (hence, they have open spaces).
- takes children 18 months and above, but will take dd now (she turns 17 months at the end of Jan.).
- has beautiful open windows and classroom space
- has 3 bathrooms with tiny toliets and a large child-sized vanity with 4 sinks which the kids can have their water play at.
- has beautiful wooden & natural material toys and manipulatives
- has a small playground
- since it is so new, it doesn't have many extra curricular activities set up yet like field trips, guest musicians, school parties, etc. (not sure if this is M or not). but are open to suggestions and want to build on these for the future.
- really wants dd for 5 half days, but at this age I think it is too much. They are begrudgingly willing to take her for 3 days - 9 am to noon.
- have a drop your daughter off and leave mentality when it comes to acclimatizing dd to school. They welcome phone calls every 30 minutes if that makes me feel better though.
Montessori #2 is AMS affliated
- has an opening (luckily) because a student's family moved over the holiday break (father's job - it was unexpected).
- has been open for 20 years.
- takes children at 12 months in their early toddlers program (12-24 months), they also have an older toddlers program (24-36 months) that they want to put dd in after she gets used to the school.
- has a beautiful 'country' feel, but the actual toddler classrooms are a little run down.
- the bathroom is tiny with a large toliet and wobbly stool - not inviting for potty learners. also a little run down.
- has plastic toys (although montessori-like). actually the young toddlers room has very little toys or manipulatives, but the older toddlers room has lots of plastic trays, bowls, utensils, etc. along with other M-like manipulatives.
- have a large, very inviting playground, with lots of grass in the summer and trees, etc.
- has lots of fun programs, like a music teacher who comes every Tuesday. they also do lots of fun school wide events like celebrate chinese new year with dragon dancers and other special chinese cultural guests - parents bring chinese food to celebrate too
.
- has an option for 3 half days for their toddlers.
- wants to establish a playdate with me and dd to visit the classroom for a couple of hours the week before she starts school. also they have a 2 week trial period.
Although both school directresses were great, we really like the professionalism of the one from M #1. DD also loves the classroom at M#1 a lot. When she first saw it, she got down and started to quietly and happily play with some of the toys and kids (the directress allowed her to interact for 20 minutes to give us a feel of the classroom). M#1 school has a mixed class of toddlers from 18-36 months. I really liked some of the activities they were working on (so did dd) like cutting fruit, serving them to others, and water play.
I LOVE the extra-curricular activities at M#2 school. I also love the homey/family feel with other families (one neighbor has a son and daughter there and is very happy with them). To me and dd though, the young toddler classroom itself was not very inviting at all. They didn't have many engaging toys, just balls, a couple of baby dolls, a soft stacker, and things like that. DD was not really into them. She was more excited about the activities in the older toddler room though, but it was not the same enthusiam as she had at the M #1 school. Although we've visited this school 4 times, I still don't have a sense of how the class is run since we can't be in the room when it is in session (they don't want us to disturb the kids). It's hard to get a sense of activities from watching in the window. Oh, my dd loves the playground and squealed when she saw it.
There might be other things to consider, I just don't know what else to write. My gut (which is usually pretty vocal) keeps changing it's mind. I very much appreciate any input from all of you knowledgable M parents.
TIA!
I have a sweet 16.5 month old dd that I have to be away from roughly 15 hours a week since I am in school. Other than spending time with dh and my mom, this will be the first time she is away from me
.After much, much, delibration, we have decided that dd would do better in a M preschool/daycare than with a sitter or at-home daycare. There are two montessori preschools in our area that are open and we can not decide which one is best. They both have different strengths and weaknesses. I would love your opinion about these two programs.
Montessori #1 is AMI affliated (seeking accrediation)
- has only been open for a few months (hence, they have open spaces).
- takes children 18 months and above, but will take dd now (she turns 17 months at the end of Jan.).
- has beautiful open windows and classroom space
- has 3 bathrooms with tiny toliets and a large child-sized vanity with 4 sinks which the kids can have their water play at.
- has beautiful wooden & natural material toys and manipulatives
- has a small playground
- since it is so new, it doesn't have many extra curricular activities set up yet like field trips, guest musicians, school parties, etc. (not sure if this is M or not). but are open to suggestions and want to build on these for the future.
- really wants dd for 5 half days, but at this age I think it is too much. They are begrudgingly willing to take her for 3 days - 9 am to noon.
- have a drop your daughter off and leave mentality when it comes to acclimatizing dd to school. They welcome phone calls every 30 minutes if that makes me feel better though.
Montessori #2 is AMS affliated
- has an opening (luckily) because a student's family moved over the holiday break (father's job - it was unexpected).
- has been open for 20 years.
- takes children at 12 months in their early toddlers program (12-24 months), they also have an older toddlers program (24-36 months) that they want to put dd in after she gets used to the school.
- has a beautiful 'country' feel, but the actual toddler classrooms are a little run down.
- the bathroom is tiny with a large toliet and wobbly stool - not inviting for potty learners. also a little run down.
- has plastic toys (although montessori-like). actually the young toddlers room has very little toys or manipulatives, but the older toddlers room has lots of plastic trays, bowls, utensils, etc. along with other M-like manipulatives.
- have a large, very inviting playground, with lots of grass in the summer and trees, etc.
- has lots of fun programs, like a music teacher who comes every Tuesday. they also do lots of fun school wide events like celebrate chinese new year with dragon dancers and other special chinese cultural guests - parents bring chinese food to celebrate too
.- has an option for 3 half days for their toddlers.
- wants to establish a playdate with me and dd to visit the classroom for a couple of hours the week before she starts school. also they have a 2 week trial period.
Although both school directresses were great, we really like the professionalism of the one from M #1. DD also loves the classroom at M#1 a lot. When she first saw it, she got down and started to quietly and happily play with some of the toys and kids (the directress allowed her to interact for 20 minutes to give us a feel of the classroom). M#1 school has a mixed class of toddlers from 18-36 months. I really liked some of the activities they were working on (so did dd) like cutting fruit, serving them to others, and water play.
I LOVE the extra-curricular activities at M#2 school. I also love the homey/family feel with other families (one neighbor has a son and daughter there and is very happy with them). To me and dd though, the young toddler classroom itself was not very inviting at all. They didn't have many engaging toys, just balls, a couple of baby dolls, a soft stacker, and things like that. DD was not really into them. She was more excited about the activities in the older toddler room though, but it was not the same enthusiam as she had at the M #1 school. Although we've visited this school 4 times, I still don't have a sense of how the class is run since we can't be in the room when it is in session (they don't want us to disturb the kids). It's hard to get a sense of activities from watching in the window. Oh, my dd loves the playground and squealed when she saw it.
There might be other things to consider, I just don't know what else to write. My gut (which is usually pretty vocal) keeps changing it's mind. I very much appreciate any input from all of you knowledgable M parents.
TIA!
any opinions? please, we have to make a decision soon.
