Praise for Preschools by the Bay

Irene Byrne is a savvy, knowledgeable expert and her preschool guide is an invaluable resource for parents.

––Little & Molligan, Inc., School Placement Specialists

As a preschool director with a background in early childhood education, Irene Byrne understands the importance of finding the right preschool for your child. Preschool admissions is time consuming and stressful, particularly in the Bay Area. Emphasizing childhood development, Preschools by the Bay is written purposefully to help you navigate the process. Thoughtful and well researched, this comprehensive book is the ultimate guide to help you make the best decision for both your child and family!

––Dawn Hartman, Parent

Finding the right preschool for your child in Los Angeles can be daunting and stressful. Irene Byrne will make the entire experience significantly easier. In her thoughtful and comprehensive new book, not only does she clearly and succinctly lay out information about many preschools in Los Angeles, but she also shares critical information about developmental growth and how it can pertain to your choices – in a very easy-to-read style. She includes descriptions of both small, new preschools (potentially hidden gems) and large, more established institutions. Her book is a unique, up-to-date guide that every parent should include on their ‘must buy’ list. Don’t proceed with the preschool process without it!

––Wendy Spero, Parent

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Preschools by the Bay

Irene Byrne, MA

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2012 by Irene Byrne

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012916179

Cover design: Nicholas Da Silva

Formatting and Layout: Phuong Le

Editing: Susan Marr

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This book is dedicated to the children of California with the hope that each one of them will be given the gift of a good education despite the obstacles that sometimes make that very difficult.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Author’s Note

Introduction

Preschool Application Timeline

How To Start Your Search and Set Up Your Research Materials Without Going Crazy!

Preschool Checklist

Licensing Requirements

Preschool Philosophies – Why do they matter?

Preschool Tours Do’s and Don’t’s

What To Look For on a Tour

Questions to ask on a Preschool Tour

Questions to ask Yourself after a Tour

So what is the N.A.E.Y.C.?

Ten Signs of a Great Preschool from N.A.E.Y.C.

Cost: Do the math!

Developmental Milestones: What should we look for?

The Importance of Keeping a Watchful Eye on Your Child’s Development

So What Is Early Intervention and Occupational Therapy?

What Does Speech and Language Development and Intervention Look Like?

Off You Go and Play!

Playdates: A whole new world for you!

Settling in to Preschool for All of You

Almost last but certainly not least – Potty Training!

The Kindergarten Search Process

Preschools SF

ABC’s Child Development Center

Alta Plaza Preschool

Associated Students Early Childhood Education Center, SFSU

Bright Horizon University Child Care at Mission Bay

Bright Horizons at 221 Maine

Bright Horizons at Letterman Digital Arts Child Care Center

Bright Horizons at 2nd Street

C5 Children’s School

Calvary Nursery School

Catholic Charities CYO Treasure Island Child Development Center

Cheryl Andersen Child Care Center, The

Children’s Day School

Chinese American International School

Community Preschool, The

Cornerstone Academy

Cow Hollow School

Crayon Box Preschool, The

Eureka Learning Center

Forest Hill Christian Church Preschool

FranDelJA Enrichment Center

Friends of St. Francis Childcare Center

Gates & Bridges Preschool

Glen Park Montessori Preschool

Glenridge Cooperative Nursery School

Haight Ashbury Community Nursery School

Happy Times Nursery School

Hearing & Speech Center of Northern California

Holy Family Day Home

JCCSF Brotherhood Way Preschool

JCCSF Helen Diller Family Preschool

JCCSF Rosenberg Early Childhood Center

Kangaroos - Glen Park, Noe Valley, and Sunset

Kids by the Bay-CCLC

La Piccola Scuola Italiana

Language in Action ¡HolaKids – Laurel Hill

Language in Action ¡HolaKids – Cow Hollow

Language in Action ¡HolaKids – Noe Valley

Laura Vicuna Pre-Kindergarten of Saints Peter and Paul School

Laurel Hill Nursery School

Learning Bridge Preschool

Little Bear School

Little Children’s Developmental Center

Little School, The

Little Star Preschool

Little Star Preschool Too

Lone Mountain Children’s Center

Marina Children’s Center

Marin Day School Fox Plaza Campus

Marin Day School Congregation Sherith Israel Campus

Marin Day School Fremont Street Campus

Marin Day School Hills Plaza Campus

Marin Day School Laurel Heights Campus

Marin Day School City Hall Campus

Marin Day School Spear Street Campus

Martha Hills Learning Center, Escuela Bilingue

Miraloma Cooperative Nursery School

Mission Kids

Mission YMCA Preschool

Montessori Children’s House of the West Coast

Mother Goose School

Nihonmachi Little Friends

Noe Valley Nursery School

One Fifty Parker Avenue School

Pacific Primary

Parkside Preschool & Kindergarten

Phoebe A. Hearst Preschool Learning Center

Potrero Kids - At Daniel Webster & On Third

Preschool, The

Presidio Knolls School

Presidio School

Rainbow Montessori of San Francisco

Russian Hill School

St. Anne Preschool

St. James Preschool

St. Paul Littlest Angel Preparatory Preschool

St. Philip Preschool

St. Thomas Apostle Preschool-PreK Learning Center

San Francisco School, The

Scandinavian School, The

Serra Preschool, The

South of Market Child Care, Inc.

Starlight Christian Preschool

Starlight Two Christian Preschool

Stratford School

Stretch the Imagination

Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center Preschool

Temple Emanu-El Preschool

Trevor Martin Montessori School

True Sunshine Preschool Center

Visitation Valley Community Center

Wind In The Willows

Preschool Marin

Bridge Point Academy

Bright Horizons at Marin Commons

DayCaring Preschool

Gan Isreal Preschool

Garden School, The

Golden Gate Academy

Golden Poppy Preschool and Infant Center

Greenwood School

Kids on the Hill Preschool

Kids Place

Language in Action ¡HolaKids!

Little School, The

Marin Day Schools Mill Valley Campus

Marin Day Schools Hillside Campus

Marin Day Schools MDS San Rafael Campus

Marin Horizon School

Marin Montessori School

Mill Valley Nursery School

Miss Sandie’s School

Montessori School of Novato

Novato Parents Nursery Cooperative

Oak View Nursery School

Rainbow Montessori of Marin

Ross Academy Montessori School

Ross Recreation Preschool

St. Francis Preschool

Saint Rita Pre-school

San Anselmo Montessori School

San Anselmo Preschool Center

San Domenico School

Santa Margarita Children’s Center

Sausalito Nursery School

Sparrow Creek Montessori School

Stretch the Imagination

T.L.C. Preschool

About the Author

Other Books By Irene Byrne

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Acknowledgments

Although my second preschool guide, Preschools L.A., was just published in April 2012, my team was all willing to jump onboard so that we could update Preschools by the Bay. Once again, Phuong Le, my friend and colleague, got to work on the database and organizing and updating school information. Susan Marr, another friend and colleague prepared to edit each entry and Nicholas Da Silva of http://www.zoolook.com fame shared updated words of wisdom and advice about the publishing and marketing process. A thank you across the miles to my friend and former Phoebe Hearst parent, Sara Jane Osborne, for double-checking each school entry for errors and typos. This book would not be in your hands without the entire team! A heartfelt thanks to all four of them.

I would also like to thank the preschool directors who took the time to respond to my numerous emails and for submitting their school information. As a preschool director myself I know and understand how busy life can get in a preschool. Thanks also to the parents who submitted their school reviews.

Lastly, I would like to thank my family for once again allowing me the time and space to complete this worthwhile project. I promise that I will wait a while before starting on something new. Although, I have to admit that I do have a project in mind, so stay tuned and check out my website from time to time. http://www.irenebyrne.com

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Author’s Note

This book is designed to get parents started on their search for the right preschool for their child. This process is a personal one and each family will approach it in their own unique way. It is the author’s wish that everyone will find some good pointers throughout the book. There is a lot of general information given about the search and then there is specific information about preschool programs. All licensed preschools were invited to submit their information free of charge. Those who did not submit information can be found by going to http://www.ccld.ca.gov.

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Introduction

Since the last edition of Preschools by the Bay, was published in 2010, I have given many preschool talks and presentations. At almost every session, I get questions about preschools in Marin and this prompted me to write this updated edition and not only includes some new information but to also include those wonderful preschools in Marin! All the licensed preschools in San Francisco and Marin were invited to submit the same detailed school information for this edition and those who sent their details are all included. Some were too busy to submit information and a few prefer not to advertise. I encourage you to look at a complete list of licensed preschools, by city or county, by going to http://www.ccld.ca.gov.

The preschool search can be somewhat daunting but if you follow my advice I promise that it will be easier. A wonderful thing about the bay area is that we have many wonderful preschool programs. This time again, I was delighted to find a few new gems and to read about the various programs offered. We have many high quality programs from which to choose and you should never be afraid to look at the schools that not everyone is talking about…This is about finding a preschool that is the right fit for your family! I have also been asked why I do not rate the preschools and the answer is simple. This is a subjective process and only you the parent/guardian can do that. However, I did ask each school to provide a parent review or two and this should help you with your decision-making when used with my thoughts on what to look for in a preschool.

It is important to first think about why and when you want to send your child to preschool. As an educator, I can tell you that preschool allows children the opportunity to build a strong social-emotional foundation before embarking upon the wonderful world of academics. As a parent, it also means that you may get a little time for yourself! All children need a quality preschool experience and will enter kindergarten confident and prepared if they get just that. However, I am aware of the rumors out there about preschool being the key to acceptance in to a good elementary school. That is not true. However, a quality program will leave your child ready for school. The bottom line is that children should have at least one and preferably two years of preschool. Some will have more due to the fact that their parents enrolled them earlier, often because of work. This does not mean they will be at an advantage when applying to kindergarten. It all boils down to individual readiness. At this point, I know some of you are thinking, how do I know what a quality preschool looks like and how will I know if my child is ready for kindergarten? Do not worry as all those questions are answered in this book!

Preschool is also an opportunity for your child to participate in a structured environment with other children. It is an opportunity to interact with not only other children but with other adults outside of the home environment. Happiness in life is about forming relationships with other people and preschool allows children to do just that. It really does boil down to the fact that a lot of what we need to learn in life began in the sand box or on the jungle gym or the time that other child got the truck you wanted to play with and you were told to wait your turn and maybe even use your words!!!

For now, I wish you luck with your search and encourage you to enjoy the process. This is the first step on the road to securing a wonderful education for your child. I am confident that you will you do a wonderful job. I can reached with questions or comments at preschoolfacts@gmail.com or through my website at http://www.irenebyrne.com

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Preschool Application Timeline

Start researching preschools, as you need to come up with a list of at least 7-10 to tour and visit – eighteen to twenty four months in advance.

Call to book tours and visits – eighteen to twenty four months in advance, particularly if date of application is taken in to account when admission staff is making decisions. Otherwise, it is safe to wait until the year before you wish to send your child to preschool. At that point, you have a much better idea of what you are looking for your child.

Tour preschools and come up with a final list of 5-7 to apply to – before the application deadlines which will vary for different schools.

Submit Applications and Fees – before their deadlines.

Follow up with a phone call or card to check that your application was received – one to two weeks after sending.

Send a short note indicating your interest in the various preschools – approximately a month before you expect to hear from them about their decisions.

Contact schools to accept/decline a spot or to remain on their waitlist – ASAP after receiving their letter.

Author’s Note: Please note that there are a few schools that want you to apply as soon as possible after the birth of your child. If you know this to be the case I encourage you to go ahead and apply if you like the school but you must visit and compare it to other programs when you are closer to choosing your final list of schools.

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How To Start Your Search And Set Up Your Research Materials Without Going Crazy!

To use a line from The Sound of Music, Let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start. Actually, the most helpful thing to do when you finish singing along is to buy a binder and insert some dividers. This way you can keep brochures and notes separate for each school. At the beginning, you assume that you will remember every last detail of every last program. Then one night you wake up in the middle of yet another nightmare where your child is the only child without a preschool and can’t remember if the ‘The Big Pink School House’ had the great jumpy room or was that ‘The Happiest Place to Be?’ By having your binder at the ready you can quickly check your notes and then go back to sleep. Hopefully, when you get back to dreamland there will be an acceptance letter and contract waiting for you. The imagination is a powerful tool!

What To Put In The Binder

School Brochure.

List of What You Want In A Preschool.

Your Original List of Pros and Cons for Each Preschool.

Handouts From Your Tour Once You Have Toured.

Notes From Your Tour (yes, it is perfectly acceptable to take notes and may score you points!).

Brochure from A Nice Spa To Visit After This Process.

N.B. As you eliminate schools remove their information from your binder. This way you stay organized instead of overwhelmed.

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Preschool Checklist

Create a list of prospective schools to investigate.

Browse the schools’ websites and collect basic information on each one.

Call to inquire about the application process. Always ask if date of application is important in the admission process. Is it first come first served?

Set up a tour date. Please note that if you have a partner who will be helping with the preschool decision, your partner should also take the tour.

Tour (take lots of notes and do not be afraid to ask questions).

Send thank you card (and box of chocolates, not really, but that would win me over!) to the person (usually the director) who gave the tour.

Submit application and fee (you wouldn’t believe how many people in their eagerness to apply that forget to include the check!) by the deadline given.

Call the school to confirm that they received your application (do not ask if they enjoyed the chocolates!).

A few weeks before decisions are made it is a good idea to send a short note indicating that you are very interested in the program for your child. Only do this to programs where you would take a spot if offered one. It is unethical to do it to every school!

If you are offered a spot at a school you love, please, please, accept it right away. Then contact all the schools to say that you have a spot for the fall and that they can take you off their list. This allows the wait-list to move for other families who may not have been as lucky as you.

Submit all the required paperwork on time.

Celebrate your successful navigation of this process and start researching kindergarten! (Don’t dare to do the latter without a waiting period of at least one year. I will be watching!)

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Licensing Requirements

The State Department of Social Services (DSS) licenses all the preschools that are included in this book. Community Care Licensing (CCL) is the agency directly responsible for issuing an initial license to a preschool program and performing periodic facility checks. Licensing is responsible for checking that core health and safety protection is in place for children being cared for outside of their home environment.

Who needs a license?

Small family child care homes serving 6-8 children depending on age range.

Large family child care homes serving 12-14 children depending on age range.

Childcare centers (preschools) serving numerous children and various ages. There are separate license categories for infant-care, school age care and mildly ill children.

What are the basic requirements for Child Care Centers to obtain a license?

Inspection by DSS to check general health and safety requirements;

Educational and training requirements for director and staff;

Indoor and outdoor space requirements;

Child to staff ratios that vary depending on the age of the children. Generally, one qualified teacher with up to twelve children age two to five years. When the group is larger there must be additional teachers;

A fire clearance and the development of an emergency plan;

Minimum nutrition requirements for meals and snacks;

The presence of an adult with CPR and first aid training at all times;

TB test clearance for all staff;

Record keeping, informing parents of their rights, properly documented files and an annual fee payment.

Along with this there are Title 22 requirements that a preschool/ childcare center must fulfill.

Once a preschool/child care center has been licensed they will have at least one unannounced random visit every five years. Licensing personnel will also investigate incident reports and any complaints that are filed by parents.

State Department of Social Services,

Community Care Licensing Division

801 Traeger Avenue, Suite 100

San Bruno, CA 94066-3037

(650) 266-8843

Community Care Licensing website http://www.ccld.ca.gov is where you can find a complete list of licensed preschools.

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Preschool Philosophies – Why do they matter?

When you are starting your search for that perfect preschool it is important that you familiarize yourself with some basic terms and phrases regarding philosophy. It is also important that you remember that even those with the same philosophy can be quite different in their actual approach.

Some Key Terms

Developmental/Play Based /Child Centered – educational approaches with play and activities appropriate for each child’s individual developmental level. There is an emphasis on children learning through their natural play. The child is seen as the one to initiate learning. The building of a strong social-emotional foundation is central to these philosophies.

Academic – a more structured and rigorous program with set academic goals in place. Kindergarten readiness is often stressed and activities are more teacher driven than child driven.

Montessori – an educational program developed by Dr. Maria Montessori with an individualized approach where play materials are designed to teach specific concepts. Children are viewed as individual learners and leaders but there is a set path of learning in place for each child.

Waldorf – a program based on the ideas of Rudolf Steiner. There is an emphasis on creative learning and developing the child both emotionally and physically. Children often stay with the same group of teachers and children for their time at the school.

Project Based – children in these programs are viewed as individual learners and spend lots of time working on projects with their teachers and peers and then following up with field trips to enhance the learning.

Reggio Emilia – based on the preschool approach developed in Reggio Emilia, Italy, the curriculum follows the interests of the students. The teachers then help to create projects and field trips to pursue and investigate these interests. All the work is documented for sharing with peers and parents. There is a strong emphasis on creativity in learning.

Please note that many preschool programs blend elements from different philosophies to create their curriculum. You as a parent need to choose the school that you see as the best match for your child and family. No one philosophy is superior to any other and it is all about finding a ‘good fit’ for your child.

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Preschool Tours Do’s and Don’t’s!

• Do arrive on time.

• Do not leave early unless it is an emergency and let the director know in advance.

• Do dress neatly.

• Do not dress like you are going out on the town.

• Do turn off your cell phone.

• Do not text/email during the tour.

• Do ask questions.

• Do not hog all the question and answer time.

• Do observe as long as expected in each classroom.

• Do not stay behind in a classroom when the tour moves on.

• Do interact with the other touring parents as you may learn something.

• Do not talk to other parents while the tour guide/director is talking.

• Do remember to thank the director for taking the time to give you a tour.

• Do apply if you like the school.

The Do list is pretty self-explanatory and the Don’t list contains things that have actually happened on tours that I have given!

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What to Look For on a Tour

Indoor EnvironmentA warm and inviting space.

Clean and safe furniture and equipment. This means no broken toys or furniture that may pose a hazard for the children.

All outlets should be safely plugged with plastic covers.

Different areas for different types of play: e.g. dramatic play area, blocks area, and art area.

Age appropriate materials within easy reach for the children.

Children who are engaged and happy in their environment.

Teachers who are supervising the children without crowding their play.

Teachers who are engaged with the children and their activities again without crowding their play.

Outdoor Environment

A safe and spacious outdoor play area.

A variety of outdoor play equipment: e.g. a jungle gym, slide, climbing net.

An area for outdoor art, manipulatives and reading (children sometimes want to sit and relax in the fresh air just like we do!).

Teachers who are supervising separate areas and not bunched together talking! (Personally, I favor the Zone Method of playground supervision. This means that teachers literally are assigned to different zones while supervising outdoor play.)

Special Note

You do not need a degree in early childhood education to help you evaluate a prospective preschool. What you do need is to remember what you yourself would do to set up a safe and fun play area for your child. Think health and safety first! All the rest is about designing an exciting and creative environment to stimulate development in all areas.

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Questions to ask on a Preschool Tour

1. What is the educational philosophy of the school and how is it incorporated in to the curriculum?

2. What are the educational qualifications of the staff? Does the school provide continuing professional development?

3. What is the group size and ratio of teachers to children in each classroom?

4. What is the average annual turnover of staff?

5. Describe a typical day.

6. What level of parental involvement is expected?

7. How is communication encouraged between teachers and parents?

8. What is the policy about conferences?

9. How does the school help children transition in to the program?

10. How is discipline handled?

11. How are ongoing behavioral issues dealt with?

12. What are the future plans for the school?

13. How do you help parents navigate the kindergarten process? What schools do your graduates attend?

14. May we have the contact information for a currently enrolled family to share their experience?

15. What is the application process and when is the deadline for applications?

16. Do you typically have more applicants than spaces available? What are you looking for in applicants?

17. How do you manage your waitlist/waitpool? What should we do if we are waitlisted?

18. What is the best way to stay in contact with you regarding the process?

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Questions to ask Yourself after a Tour

1. What were my initial impressions of the facility and the staff?

2. Did I feel welcome?

3. Did I get all the information that I needed?

4. Is this school a good fit philosophically for our family?

5. Will the curriculum approach work for my child?

6. Is this location convenient for us?

7. Can we afford the cost of the program? Should we apply for financial aid?

8. Are we, as parents, emotionally ready for the transition to preschool?

9. Is our child ready for preschool?

10. Does the school feel like a community of parents where we would be comfortable?

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So what is the N.A.E.Y.C.?

The National Association for the Education of Young Children was founded in the 1920’s. The organization came about due to the increase in the number of nursery school programs and the need to ensure high quality in these programs. During the 1950’s there was a dramatic rise in membership and in 1964 the organization became the N.A.E.Y.C. It introduced a voluntary accreditation system in the early 80’s. This system allowed programs to go through a multi-step process to evaluate the level of quality they were providing to the children and families that they served. This system was itself evaluated and revised to become a four-step process in 2006.

The Four-Step Process of Accreditation

Step 1: Enrollment in a self-study of the essential criteria for accreditation.

Step 2: Submission of an application with the understanding that the formal assessment must be completed within one year.

Step 3: Screening of submitted materials by the NAEYC Academy.

Step 4: Assessment by a trained NAEYC representative during a site visit, and after a period of review, informing the program of a decision: accredit, defer or deny.

N.A.E.Y.C. Standards for Accreditation:

Promoting positive relationships between children and teachers.

Implementing a curriculum that supports learning.

Teaching that supports curriculum goals.

Establishing a system of assessment for children’s learning.

Promoting the health of children.

Employing teachers who have a professional commitment.

Maintaining relationships with families.

Identifying community resources to support goals.

Maintaining a safe physical environment.

Having program management follow policies to maintain high-quality experiences for children, staff and families.

So why doesn’t every program jump at the chance to go through this accreditation?

This is a very good question. The main reasons are big ones, time and money. Two things we can all identify with in our own lives. Fees are paid based on the size of the program and as the program progresses through the four steps. During the accreditation, programs also pay an annual fee. This financial commitment along with the cost of consultants and improvement expenses is often prohibitive; particularly, to smaller programs. Also, there is the time commitment, as there is so much time required for both documentation and meetings. Many schools do not have the luxury of lots of professional development time. This may help explain why only 6% of early childhood programs in the United States are accredited. So while this is a wonderful idea, we have to hope that the process will become more streamlined and financially accessible in the future so that more schools can participate. We all want to do the best job possible for the children and families that we serve.

For additional information check out http://www.naeys.org

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Ten Signs of a Great Preschool from N.A.E.Y.C.

1. Children spend most of their time playing and working with materials or other children. They do not wander aimlessly and are not expected to sit quietly for long periods of time.

2. Children have access to various activities throughout the day. Look for assorted building blocks and other construction materials; props for pretend play; picture books; paints and other art materials; and table toys such as matching games, pegboards, and puzzles. Children should not all be doing the same thing at the same time.

3. Teachers work with individual children, small groups, and the whole group at different times during the day. They do not spend all their time with the whole group.

4. The classroom is decorated with children’s original artwork, their own writing with invented spelling, and stories dictated by children to teachers.

5. Children learn numbers and the alphabet in the context of their everyday experiences. The natural world of plants and animals and meaningful activities like cooking, taking attendance, or serving snack provide the basis for learning activities.

6. Children work on projects and have long periods of time (at least one hour) to play and explore. Worksheets are used little if at all.

7. Children have an opportunity to play outside every day. Outdoor play is never sacrificed for more instructional time.

8. Teachers read books to children individually or in small groups throughout the day, not just at group story time.

9. Curriculum is adapted for those who are ahead as well as those who need additional help. Teachers recognize the children’s different backgrounds and experiences mean that they do not learn things at the same time in the same way.

10. Children and their parents look forward to school. Parents feel secure about sending their child to the program. Children are happy to attend; they do not cry regularly or complain of feeling sick.

N.B. Also ask if the program is accredited by the NAEYC.

NAEYC accredited programs complete a rigorous self-study and external review to prove that they meet standards of excellence in early childhood education.

Reprinted with permission from the National Association