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San Francisco, CA
Calvary Nursery School
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Parents at this school would recommend this school to other parents. |
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Review this preschool |
neighborhood: Pacific Heights · Telephone: (415) 346-4715
Home-School Connection
| OVERALL RATING (4.3) | 
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| Conducts an open house at start of school year |
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| Conducts a parent-teacher meeting at start of school year |
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| Conducts regular parent teacher conferences |
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| Provides summary of child’s learning at end of year |
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| Provides guidance on developmental goals for the following year |
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| Provides guidance on best Kindergarten and elementary schools |
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Director's Comments
Open communication by email, phone, etc with teacher & director. Weekly notes sent home by teachers as a report on classroom activities. Twice a year progress reports. Once a year conference. We do not recommend specific schools for children. We help parents navigate through the process and advocate for them.
Separation
| OVERALL RATING (4.6) |
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Beginning of the year separation is handled through:
- Pre-entry meetings with parents at school
- Extra staff dedicated to handle separation
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Director's Comments
We ask that parents not come in until child is acclimated. Our teachers work to console, distract, and bond with children right away. Parents know that they cannot come in.
Parents' Comments
Parent #1
Parents can come in any time and are as involved as they want to be here. There are many parents who cannot be involved at all due to a heavy work schedule and others are very visible.
Parent #2
The school is play based, so specific developmental guidelines are not given out. However, at the parent-teacher conference a few months into the school year, the teacher does provide an evaluation of your child's development in terms of fine and gross motor skills, ability to complete tasks, sociability, and so on. Children have one visit to school with the parent a few days before the school year begins to ease the separation. Then the school encourages parents to leave the children at the door on the first day and not sit in the classroom. However, Calvary very actively works with the parents to make this transition as smooth as possible and will make bend its rules when necessary. Once separation issues are resolved, parents are welcomed into the classroom and encouraged to be involved in the daily life of the school if they wish to be.
Parent #3
Regarding separation, Calvary does not allow parents in the classroom for the first few weeks of school so that children may bond with teachers. Teachers are the ones who console, not parents, so the bond is established right away and so that the school starts to seem like a community. Seems to work. Helps that the kids are in small groups of ten - they get to know their little group very quickly.
Parent #4
Our Calvary teacher really connected with both our child and the parents. She invited us to participate in classroom activities. She was always available for discussions via phone, email or in person. She wrote a very touching and detailed end-of-year evaluation that we will always treasure.
Parent #5
One of the ways that Calvary makes me feel connected to my child's preschool experience is through its regular newsletters which are sent home each Friday. The teacher writes up a weekly recap explaining the concepts introduced and supporting activities presented. Frequently these recaps contain specific examples of how a particular child responded to an activity. These provide such wonderful insights into the childrens' imaginations and curiousities. And, without these newsletters, it would be very difficult to get these details out of your three or four year old! Additionally, the Director writes a newsletter on a monthly basis which provides the broader picture of school themes and concepts being introduced. Calvary maintains on open door policy once the children have 'settled in' which is usually after two weeks of school. Though I don't drop in all that often, it is nice to feel welcomed at any time.
Parent #6
I have one story about the separation process. My youngest (of 5 kids) who is a summer birthday, had a very rough start in the Fall of his first year of preschool. He was barely 3 years old, barely potty-trained, always been under the care of the entire family, and then thrusted into the pre-school scene. Each day at drop off was a scene of crying and hanging on to Mommy. Daddy took over the dropping off and so did the babysitter. Still, the crying continued. After several heart-to-heart talks with our Director, who by the way have known the older siblings, she assured me numerous times over to not to give up. After almost 6 weeks, we did it. It took a lot of perserverance and loving patience on all our parts, and now my son is a happy well-adjusted soon-to-be kindergartener who, by the way, will be the youngest in his entering class. He's come a long way, but if it hadn't been for Calvary, I'd have held him back to his detriment.
Parent #7
You can be as active or as inactive a parent as you want. There is a parent coffee at the beginning of the year where you are allowed to sign up for any activities/celebrations you would like to participate in. This includes bringing food, drinks, or decorations, heading up committees, or just helping out. With the preschool separation, Calvary does not allow parents in the school for the first few weeks. They find this helps the child let go and bond with his/her classmates and teachers.
Parent #8
For the first 2 weeks no parents are allowed at school. This gives the kids time to adjust. I feel this is great, tough at first but overall a much quicker and easier adjustment for everyone!
Parent #9
The school discourages drop-ins during the first two weeks to help the kids bond with the teachers. Seems to work. Otherwise very open.
Parent Community
| COHESIVENESS RATING (4.3) |
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Parents:
- Hold social events at the school to build community
- Are able to visit the school anytime we want
- Volunteer in the classroom
- Receive newsletters
- Hold social events outside of the school (with and/or without children)
- Encourage play dates out of school
- Shares information on matter related to our children (e.g. babysitter lists, pediatricians, extracurriculuar classes, etc.)
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Parents' Comments
Parent #1
We are not required but encouraged to make an end of the year donation to the school.
Parent #2
We have hosted a party for the school in our home.
Parent #3
Are invited to participate or volunteer for all holiday and special events at the school.
Parent #4
Calvary is extremely inviting of parents to participate in the classroom: Mother's Cooking, Dad's Reading, Holiday parties, and any projects that the parents would like to share with the kids.
Parent #5
Parents support the teachers by reading, cooking or leading various seasonal activities in the classroom. Evening parent and teacher gatherings, holiday parties, special lunches to honor the teachers - these are just a few of the many, many parent led activities at Calvary. Community is a critical component to its success; the stronger the ties are between teachers, parents and students, the better the atmosphere for the Calvary students. The feeling is that you are part of a big, happy family that has at its heart the children's best interest. The school schedule lends itself to afternoon play dates since school dismisses by 12 noon. These play dates provide more intimate social options for the nursery school students and result in stronger social skills.
Parent #6
Cooking, host parties at homes, coffees, Halloween pumpkin patch, read in classes, etc.
Parent #7
One of my favorites is 'Mom's Night Out' - sponsored by one of the six 'classes' and held at one of those mom's houses. Nonchild event. Sponsoring class brings drinks and food. Lots of fun - anywhere from 30% to 75% of the moms show up on any given time. The Calvary Parent community has an association which is great at rounding up whatever the school needs. Holds a parent tea at the beginning of the year where it signs parents up to volunteer at the school throughout the year. Parent volunteers hold every holiday party - lots of them. Also serve as historians, email coordinators, phone tree coordinators, etc. Calvary only fundraises when it needs money for a specific project - no fundraising in 2004/2005. Was great to be able to expend efforts on voluteering for career week or at the Thanksgiving feast for example - spending time with the kids vs. working on a fundraising event. Best thing about Calvary community is how everyone pitches in - when a family is in need due to an illness or death or other family stress, everyone rallies and you feel so cared for.
Parent #8
We have an active Parents Association at Calvary. A Parent Coffee is held in the beginning of the year offering a chance for sign-ups for activities requiring volunteers. There is the annual Parent Cocktail party at the beginning of the year and the annual Family Picnic at year end. In addition, there is Mom's Night out coordinator who schedules monthly nights at various homes with assigned hosts (section parents groups). All this is coordinated by the Association President who sends frequent communication via notes (and now via email distribution too).
Parent #9
The parents take charge of holiday festivities by bringing the necessary food and related items. Also, moms cook and dads read for the children.
Modes of Communication Between School and Home
- Notes
- Phone Calls
- Voice Mail
- Special Meetings
- Two or More Regular Conferences
- Drop-Off
- Pick-Up
- Regular newsletter/printed updates circulated to the whole school
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Parents' Comments
Parent #1
The communication is amazing - the teachers and director have an 'open door'.
Parent #2
One regular conference a year - happy to talk as often as you need though.
Parent #3
The sections at Calvary are often small enough that communication between parents and that primary teacher is very easy. Besides the teachers weekly newsletter (summarizes the week's activities within the group), the Director has a monthly Notes that communicates information about the whole school community.
Parent #4
Detailed write ups on your child at the end of the year.
Parent #5
Many opportunities to volunteer and see the school in action
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