Carlsbad, CA
Aspirations

Discipline

OVERALL RATING (4.0)

Parents at this school, on average, believe that conflicts between children:
...are handled extraordinarily well in a way that not only gives me confidence in the safety of my child but also reassures me that my child (and his/her peers) are learning the early skills needed to socialize effectively with one another

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Parents' Notes on Discipline, Health and Safety

Parent #1
As of July 2008, the school is only a few months old and they will be adding more to the playground area. The art room is fabulous and the children's artwork is documented throughout the hallways. The atmosphere seems very peaceful both on the playground and in the classrooms. Everything seems so much more calm than other schools we have attended.

Parent #2
I like how there is an actual office staff member who sits in a front inner office that buzzes you in the building, it is an added safety measure, no one cn follow someone else in with her there!

Parent #3
An altercation with another child was handled extremely well and a plan was put into place with the other family to prevent such a situation again. The children were shadowed daily to assure harmony in the days that followed. Regarding the classrooms, they are very clean and kept sanitized frequently. Well stocked with the needed supplies for exploring, learning, and experiencing nature....Very pleased with the classrooms!!!

Parent #4
As our son will be a kindergardner, they allowed him to be in the pre-k program this summer before school begins. He loved coming and eased into his new school incredibly well.

Parent #5
As our son will be a kindergardner,he was in the Junior Kindergarden program this summer before school begins. He loved coming and eased into his new school incredibly well.

Parent #6
I fell in love with his teacher and her classroom, it feels like a home, all feels calm here every time I pick him up. The teachers are all so nice to us when we come, they share details of his day, and that is important to our family, to feel like we know what he did all day.

Parent #7
The teachers in several rooms were sanitizing toys from the day and we were glad to observe that. Our last school felt nice inside, but we looked closly and saw lots of dirt and evidence of neglectful housekeeping.

Parent #8
School is new so everything still in very good shape

Parent #9
The school is newly opened and the parents together with management are panning new additions. The facility actually has a sick room to allow children to wait confrotably for pick up. The art studio is simply inspiring.

Parent #10
Hopefully the outdoor play equipment will be expanded.

Parent #11
There is no outside play structure and the teachers just talk to each other the entire time they are outside together! Terrible!

Parent #12
They never clean the rugs or toys! I put a blue star sequence on the rug to see if it would be cleaned up the next day, and it stayed there all week! I thought a new clean school would be cleaner & nicer, but I was wrong. My child has been sick 4 times in 4 months.

Parent #13
I have found this school to be extrememly clean and tidy. I always see teachers washing something down - toys, counters, etc. There is just about no way to completely prevent the spread of germs at these ages! As for discipline, some of the kids I see have not been taught respect for others and I think this really starts at home. I realize that boys will be boys and that kids are exploring their boundaries, but it seems like it's always the same kids who "test the limits". I think the staff handles them as well as they can and sometimes a parent probably really does need to come and pick them up! I work full-time too so I realize it's a hassle sometimes, but.....


Parent #14
There was a boy in our son's classroom that had difficult behavior. In a classroom of 12 toddlers with 2 teachers, with most of the classroom being on the young end (ages range from 18 months-3 yrs), it was nearly impossible for the teachers to contain the boy without ignoring the rest of the kids. My son got hit & bit in the process. Discipline was one on one time with a teacher, which left 11 other kids with one teacher.
Kids are continually sent to the school with green mucousy noses. The school is a daycare for alot of parents so they can't afford to stay at home with their child unless their child is really sick. Well, my child was only there for a 1/2 day program so my child was stuck with at least 2-3 other kids who regularly had mucous coming out of their nose & coughing really bad, wet coughs all over the place. The school used diluted bleach to clean things (which I wasn't thrilled with since the kids put a lot of toys in their mouths).

Parent #15
The outside play yard is nice because it does not have that bright plastic crap I see at all other schools.

Parent #16
How can it be anything other than perfect still, it's been open one year. They have janitors (a whole crew) come in NIGHTLY and things are routinely sanitized. My children are never ill, other than a cold in the winter, we're glad they're aware of sanitization practices and follow them.

Parent #17
They have been claiming they are going to enhance their outdoor yard since my daughter started, but it has stayed the same. The kids get bored and hurt themselves finding ways to keep amused. Good luck getting a teacher to engage them!

Health

OVERALL RATING (4.6)
Temperature and overall air circulation is comfortable
Healthy and nutritious snacks are provided
Toys and furniture are cleaned regularly

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Safety

OVERALL RATING (4.2)
Screen and identify all visitors
Parents may not bring sick children to school where they may infect others

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Montessori? Waldorf? Play-based?

What school type is right for your child? Is one model better than another? What does the research say?

View an example from the Savvy Source guide to learn more.

Trace around your child's foot, with shoe on, on a piece of white construction paper or card stock. Have child cut out the shoe print and add a spooky face. Glue it to a popsicle stick and you have a ghost stick puppet!

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