Preschools
I took the kids with me to visit a preschool today. It's the fourth one I've contacted and the third one I've visited. They've all been really, really different and I'm no closer to knowing what I want than I've ever been, so I'm going to talk about each of the schools and sort of blather my thoughts and impressions here.
Corvallis Waldorf School: The preschool is part of a larger school that I believe goes up to eighth grade. If we enrolled Raine in the preschool, I can imagine we would also have her in the kindergarten class. Beyond that I'm not sure. It is a beautiful campus with a very warm nurturing atmosphere. Both the preschool teachers had a warm calm energy that I imagine the kids would respond very well to. School isn't in session right now, so while I got to talk to the teachers I didn't really see them in action. There seems to be a strong naturalist focus, with outdoor play emphasized and circle time based on the seasons. It was just a very wholesome place, with teachers that seemed well aware of the emotional needs of the child. There was definitely a focus on preschool as a transition to normal school, teaching things like sharing and participation in group activities. There also seems to be an emphasis on story telling and creative play which Raine already really enjoys. Logistically the preschool program runs 3 or 4 days a week for 4 hours a day. It starts at 8:30 and the campus is across town (approximately a 15 minute drive) The biggest drawbacks are the price and the early start time--I do also have concerns that if we start Raine at a private school, she won't ever want to leave. On the up side, I really like the attitude or feel of this school. I'm also absurdly excited about that fact that the preschool teacher is black. Corvallis is pretty appallingly white, and I would like for Raine to have some positive experiences with people of color ingrained early.
Corvallis Montessori School: This preschool is also part of a larger school that goes up to age 12. If we enrolled Raine in the preschool, I'm sure we would stay at least until she was ready to switch classrooms, at age six. The classrooms are mixed ages 2 1/2 to 6 at the "primary" level, and then 6 to 9 and 9 to 12 at the "elementary" level. I'm really digging the mixed ages in the classroom, and the Montessori method sounds really really good on the surface. It's all hands on, self directed learning and I really think Raine would love it and learn a ton as well. They are also not in session right now, so I got to visit an administrator and a classroom, but I didn't get to see it in action. I got to look at some of the pre-math tools that they have in the classroom, and they were really neat. My brain was very excited by the Montessori school, though my heart was left a little cold. Part of that is the logistics of the school. It's five days a week, starting at 8:30am and it's also on the other side of town. Sessions are three hours a day of solid "work" which means they don't have a snack period or go outside in that time--it seems a little intense for a preschooler and breakfast is going to be crucial--more so than at the Waldorf school which has a hearty snack around 9:30. Class size is 24 students with one guide and one assistant--with the mixed ages it turns out to be about 7 or 8 kids of each age in the classroom.
Sandcastle Preschool: I've spoken to the director but have not actually visited the facilities. It gives me the feel of a typical preschool. Class size is 12 student with one teacher and one aide. The school itself has three classes, segregated by age. The day goes something like: free play, arts and crafts, snack, outdoor time. Sessions are 2 or 3 days a week, 9 to 11:30. They work a little bit on things like helping the kids spell their names, but the focus is again more on learning how to get along in a classroom and really how to function without mom. The logistics of this one really appeal (starting a little later is such a nice thought) but otherwise it's nothing special.
Seedlings Playschool: This is the one we visited today. It is closer to our house than CoHo, and that's saying something. Sessions are 2 to 5 days a week, 8 am to 12:30pm--though drop off anytime between 8 and 9 is fine, and I imagine picking your kid up early to have lunch at home would also be just fine. It's a cute little school, run out of the owner's home, with just the one class. It's day also goes: free play/art, circle time, snack, outside, lunch. The atmosphere is very relaxed and unstructured--if I were running a playschool, this is very much the way I would run it. If I were looking for a place for my 2 year old to go while I worked, this would be the place. I don't know that it's rigorous or challenging enough for Raine. I think she would enjoy going there, but would enjoy staying home about as much, and aside from learning to be without mom, I'm just not sure what she would get out of it.
This list would not be complete without talking about our local public elementary school, since some of these preschools would, I think, lead into naturally going there, or naturally continuing on at the attached school. We live within walking distance of Lincoln Elementary which is a K through 8th grade school. It is, by all accounts, a very good school. It has a Spanish immersion program that I have heard really really good things about. The class sizes aren't huge, and diversity will be less of an issue than at the private schools. I haven't visited the classrooms, but Raine has already enjoyed playing on it's playground. I'm not a huge fan of public education, mostly because I think it tends to take a one-size-fits-none approach to learning, and I don't like the narrow age range in large classes or the often adversarial relationship the teacher has with the kids--mostly school is pretty much nothing like life after school and it is bizarre that we have our children spend so many formative years in such an unnatural environment. That said the local elementary is really a fine option (my kids will certainly learn more there than homeschooling with my lazy butt) especially for the price and I don't know that public ed is bad for kids. This doesn't directly influence my thoughts about preschool, but it is one more thing to keep in mind.
I have also talked to a friend of ours who is going to school for graphic design about doing art and such with Raine a few hours a week. Raine has also expressed a great deal of interest in taking dance classes, which will give her experience in a group of her peers, without mom. The advantage of this arrangement is flexibility and being able to set our own schedule. The big disadvantage is that neither I nor my friend are early education specialists, so Raine might not be challenged and stretched in all the ways she could be.
For the past two years we've been going to story time at the library nearly every week, and while Raine still enjoys it, she's not as excited about it as she used to be, and I think part of that is sheer boredom. She knows the motions to the wheels on the bus and she's just no longer interested in doing it. I really don't think she gets challenged enough at home either, especially since a good portion of my energy is spent chasing after Mica these days. Raine is great at entertaining herself (she even got herself a snack this morning while I put Mica down for a nap) but her play sometimes tends toward the destructive simply because she hasn't got enough constructive things to do. So I do think preschool would be good for her social and cognitive development. But waking a three year old up to go to school also seems needlessly cruel. If she was a naturally early riser, it would be a totally different story, but as it is, the idea of getting her (and Mica, poor guy) out the door in time to get to school by 8:30 just fills me with dread. The price of preschool is also daunting. We don't live paycheck to paycheck, or really anything close to that but it is another significant expense, which makes me want to choose very carefully and wisely. And of course, most schools (preschools included) start up for the fall in just a couple of short weeks, so I not only need to choose well, I also need to choose soon. I really just don't know what we'll end up doing.
Corvallis Waldorf School: The preschool is part of a larger school that I believe goes up to eighth grade. If we enrolled Raine in the preschool, I can imagine we would also have her in the kindergarten class. Beyond that I'm not sure. It is a beautiful campus with a very warm nurturing atmosphere. Both the preschool teachers had a warm calm energy that I imagine the kids would respond very well to. School isn't in session right now, so while I got to talk to the teachers I didn't really see them in action. There seems to be a strong naturalist focus, with outdoor play emphasized and circle time based on the seasons. It was just a very wholesome place, with teachers that seemed well aware of the emotional needs of the child. There was definitely a focus on preschool as a transition to normal school, teaching things like sharing and participation in group activities. There also seems to be an emphasis on story telling and creative play which Raine already really enjoys. Logistically the preschool program runs 3 or 4 days a week for 4 hours a day. It starts at 8:30 and the campus is across town (approximately a 15 minute drive) The biggest drawbacks are the price and the early start time--I do also have concerns that if we start Raine at a private school, she won't ever want to leave. On the up side, I really like the attitude or feel of this school. I'm also absurdly excited about that fact that the preschool teacher is black. Corvallis is pretty appallingly white, and I would like for Raine to have some positive experiences with people of color ingrained early.
Corvallis Montessori School: This preschool is also part of a larger school that goes up to age 12. If we enrolled Raine in the preschool, I'm sure we would stay at least until she was ready to switch classrooms, at age six. The classrooms are mixed ages 2 1/2 to 6 at the "primary" level, and then 6 to 9 and 9 to 12 at the "elementary" level. I'm really digging the mixed ages in the classroom, and the Montessori method sounds really really good on the surface. It's all hands on, self directed learning and I really think Raine would love it and learn a ton as well. They are also not in session right now, so I got to visit an administrator and a classroom, but I didn't get to see it in action. I got to look at some of the pre-math tools that they have in the classroom, and they were really neat. My brain was very excited by the Montessori school, though my heart was left a little cold. Part of that is the logistics of the school. It's five days a week, starting at 8:30am and it's also on the other side of town. Sessions are three hours a day of solid "work" which means they don't have a snack period or go outside in that time--it seems a little intense for a preschooler and breakfast is going to be crucial--more so than at the Waldorf school which has a hearty snack around 9:30. Class size is 24 students with one guide and one assistant--with the mixed ages it turns out to be about 7 or 8 kids of each age in the classroom.
Sandcastle Preschool: I've spoken to the director but have not actually visited the facilities. It gives me the feel of a typical preschool. Class size is 12 student with one teacher and one aide. The school itself has three classes, segregated by age. The day goes something like: free play, arts and crafts, snack, outdoor time. Sessions are 2 or 3 days a week, 9 to 11:30. They work a little bit on things like helping the kids spell their names, but the focus is again more on learning how to get along in a classroom and really how to function without mom. The logistics of this one really appeal (starting a little later is such a nice thought) but otherwise it's nothing special.
Seedlings Playschool: This is the one we visited today. It is closer to our house than CoHo, and that's saying something. Sessions are 2 to 5 days a week, 8 am to 12:30pm--though drop off anytime between 8 and 9 is fine, and I imagine picking your kid up early to have lunch at home would also be just fine. It's a cute little school, run out of the owner's home, with just the one class. It's day also goes: free play/art, circle time, snack, outside, lunch. The atmosphere is very relaxed and unstructured--if I were running a playschool, this is very much the way I would run it. If I were looking for a place for my 2 year old to go while I worked, this would be the place. I don't know that it's rigorous or challenging enough for Raine. I think she would enjoy going there, but would enjoy staying home about as much, and aside from learning to be without mom, I'm just not sure what she would get out of it.
This list would not be complete without talking about our local public elementary school, since some of these preschools would, I think, lead into naturally going there, or naturally continuing on at the attached school. We live within walking distance of Lincoln Elementary which is a K through 8th grade school. It is, by all accounts, a very good school. It has a Spanish immersion program that I have heard really really good things about. The class sizes aren't huge, and diversity will be less of an issue than at the private schools. I haven't visited the classrooms, but Raine has already enjoyed playing on it's playground. I'm not a huge fan of public education, mostly because I think it tends to take a one-size-fits-none approach to learning, and I don't like the narrow age range in large classes or the often adversarial relationship the teacher has with the kids--mostly school is pretty much nothing like life after school and it is bizarre that we have our children spend so many formative years in such an unnatural environment. That said the local elementary is really a fine option (my kids will certainly learn more there than homeschooling with my lazy butt) especially for the price and I don't know that public ed is bad for kids. This doesn't directly influence my thoughts about preschool, but it is one more thing to keep in mind.
I have also talked to a friend of ours who is going to school for graphic design about doing art and such with Raine a few hours a week. Raine has also expressed a great deal of interest in taking dance classes, which will give her experience in a group of her peers, without mom. The advantage of this arrangement is flexibility and being able to set our own schedule. The big disadvantage is that neither I nor my friend are early education specialists, so Raine might not be challenged and stretched in all the ways she could be.
For the past two years we've been going to story time at the library nearly every week, and while Raine still enjoys it, she's not as excited about it as she used to be, and I think part of that is sheer boredom. She knows the motions to the wheels on the bus and she's just no longer interested in doing it. I really don't think she gets challenged enough at home either, especially since a good portion of my energy is spent chasing after Mica these days. Raine is great at entertaining herself (she even got herself a snack this morning while I put Mica down for a nap) but her play sometimes tends toward the destructive simply because she hasn't got enough constructive things to do. So I do think preschool would be good for her social and cognitive development. But waking a three year old up to go to school also seems needlessly cruel. If she was a naturally early riser, it would be a totally different story, but as it is, the idea of getting her (and Mica, poor guy) out the door in time to get to school by 8:30 just fills me with dread. The price of preschool is also daunting. We don't live paycheck to paycheck, or really anything close to that but it is another significant expense, which makes me want to choose very carefully and wisely. And of course, most schools (preschools included) start up for the fall in just a couple of short weeks, so I not only need to choose well, I also need to choose soon. I really just don't know what we'll end up doing.