Summary

Contact Info

Bright Horizons - Allston
39 Brighton Ave.
Allston , MA 02134
www.brighthorizons.com

Tel: (617) 789-4323
Fax: (617) 787-7636

Director: Debra Davis
brtn@brighthorizons.com

General Approach to Learning

Play-based

Play-based with some structure

Predominantly teacher-led instruction

Montessori

Waldorf

Co-op

Reggio-Emilia

Application Information

Applications accepted

While child is in utero, upon birth, after a phone conversation with the appropriate person at the school, after a face-to-face meeting at the school

Deadline for applications

Rolling

Key Statistics

Age cutoff for enrollment

2 years

Extended day

Yes

School year

Year round program

Kindergarten Placement

Kindergartens that preschoolers from this school are now attending

Advent School, Boston University School

Parent Ratings

Parents at this school would recommend this school to other parents.

Quality of teaching

Development of social skills and work habits

Home-school connection

Parent community

Discipline

Facilities

Health

Safety

Handling of separation

Survey Information

Number of parents surveyed: 1

Savvy Source survey: Yes

Parents who send their child to this preschool also like the following preschools:

Advent School, The

General Info

Transportation and Drop-off Policies

Transportation

- Located close to public transportation

- Parents bring their children to and from school

Dropoff Procedure

- Parents walk their child into the classroom

Late Pickup Policy: Parents are charged $1 per minute for late pick-up. Teachers will call parents to ask whereabouts. If parents cannot be reached, teachers will call people on that child’s emergency pick-up list.

Features of the Preschool

Affiliated with a religious institution

No

Some experience serving children with special needs	Yes
• Through observation and interaction, teachers look at each child individually and work closely with his parents to make appropriate developmental decisions. Teacher will also work with parents to locate outside resources if necessary and work with those resources to assure the child is getting everything he needs to be a successful learner.

Accreditation, Membership & Awards

Accreditation by the National Association of Young Children

Yes

Facilities

CONDITION OF FACILITIES RATING (4.0)

Building, bathrooms, hallway

Classroom equipment and furniture

Outside play equipment

Facilities Include:

Classrooms (with bathroom attached)

Classrooms (with kitchenette attached)

Music room

Art room

Library

Playground

School Philosophy & Day in the Life

School Philosophy and Mission

The Bright Horizons Family Solutions mission is to provide innovative programs that help children, families, and employers work together to be their very best. We are committed to providing the highest-quality child care, early education, and work/life solutions in the world.
Bright Horizons Family Solutions centers approach each and every day with goals to promote a lifelong love of learning:
Preparation for Success in Life
- Approaching life as an invitation to learn
- Becoming a confident and competent lifelong learner
- Becoming a confident and competent user of technology
- Developing emotional intelligence: personal power and social skills
Preparation for Academic Excellence
- Developing the social and cognitive skills necessary for school success
- Achieving excellence in language and literacy
- Developing an engaged, reflective, inquisitive mind and appreciation of science
- Achieving excellence in logical/mathematical understanding A Rich and Rewarding Childhood
- Happy days
- Wonderful relationships
- A World of experience
We aspire to do this so successfully that we make a difference in the lives of children and families and in the communities where we live and work.

Typical Day-In-The-Life At This School

9:00 a.m.- circle time with daily calendar, songs, stories etc.
9:30 a.m.- learning centers, special projects, snack
10:30 a.m. – outside time, enrichment programs
12:00 p.m. – lunch
1:00 – rest time
3:00 p.m.- special projects, learning centers, snack
4:00 p.m.- outside time

Curriculum & Teaching Approach

General Approach to Learning

Play-based

Play-based with some structure

Predominantly teacher-led instruction

Montessori

Waldorf

Co-op

Reggio-Emilia

Savvy Source's Comments

The World at Their Fingertips Education for Bright Horizons, based on a rich tradition of early childhood education theory and practice empowers children to become confident, successful, lifelong learners and secure, caring people. We help children see the world as an invitation to learn, grow, and live fully by seeing possibilities within their reach. We help children approach school and academics with skills, confidence and a drive to succeed. Children are active learners who learn best from activities they plan and carry out themselves. However, teachers at Bright Horizons Family Solutions provide the environment and experiences from which children learn. Based on observed skills and emerging ideas of the group and individuals, they create experiences appropriate for each child, ask stimulating questions, provide challenges, and help children find new answers and new opportunities. Teaching also involves helping children achieve the confidence and self-discipline to increasingly develop more sophisticated social and intellectual skills and knowledge that will prepare them for success in school.

Social Skills & Work Habits

OVERALL RATING (5.0)

This school has increased my child's:

Ability to listen and follow directions

Ability to sit still for longer periods of time

Ability to be a part of a group of children

Self-sufficiency and independence

Awareness of others’ feelings

Cooperation with other children

Curriculum and Teaching Approach


Language					YES
Oral language	-	-		-	n/a
Nursery rhymes, poems, songs	-	-		-	n/a
Storybook reading	-		-	-	n/a
Emerging literacy skills	-		-	-	n/a

Cognitive Development					n/a
Math and number sense		-	-	-	YES
Time & space	-		-	-	YES
Sci. reasoning/physical world	-		-	-	YES
Music	-		-	-	YES

Visual arts	-		-	-	-
Physical activity		-	-	-	YES

Other subjects taught	Some Bright Horizons centers offer foreign language.				n/a

Quality of Teaching

Teachers Are:

OVERALL RATING: (4.8)

Full of energy and seemingly happy in job

Patient and affectionate with children

Talks with children and listens carefully when they are talking with him/her

Praises children for accomplishments and good behavior

Provides feedback on what my child does during the day

Shares insights on my child that are helpful and accurate

Identifies my child’s strengths and weaknesses

If necessary, provides additional support to my child during pickup and drop-off

Resolves disputes quickly, calmly and fairly in a manner that allows children to learn from the dispute

Notices children who are not on task and/or engaging with other children appropriately and quickly reengages them

Manages the energy level of the children so that all children feel safe and able to learn

Provides additional support to a child when s/he is clearly failing in her/his efforts

Strikes the proper balance between active and quiet play for children

Director's Comments on Individualized Teaching

Individualized Teaching

Description of how teachers work with children who are
"behind," "excelling" or "different" from the majority of students

Home School Connection

Home-School Connection

OVERALL RATING (3.8)

Conducts an open house at start of school year

Conducts a parent-teacher meeting at start of school year

Conducts regular parent teacher conferences

Provides summary of child’s learning at end of year

Provides guidance on developmental goals for the following year

Provides guidance on best Kindergarten and elementary schools

Savvy Source's Comments

Bright Horizons offers a variety of school-home connection materials. One is www.brighthorizons.com/growing. This is a site where parents can find resources, information, and programs designed to help their child grow, learn, and discover. From cultivating a love of books or channeling their child’s natural curiosity into scientific inquiry to discovering valuable parenting tips and ideas, this parent resource Web site was designed with parents and families in mind. Our program for learning, The World at Their Fingertips, also has a World at Home component. The World at Home provides a database of activities for infants through school age children to do at home with parents, many that naturally flow from everyday life. The activities cover the curriculum spectrum - language, science, math, social skills and so on. Parents can draw off of this database to extend what is happening in the classrooms. They may also submit activity ideas to share with all of our faculty and families around the world. Bright Horizons has also teamed up with The Learning Network to offer Bright Horizons EarlyLearner, a wonderful online child development support service. Bright Horizons EarlyLearner allows parents and teachers to track each child's development and create an online portfolio. A portfolio includes parent-teacher Child Observation Records that map the child's growth and a journal to record experiences and insights from parents and teachers. Bright Horizons EarlyLearner also includes: • information about development • classroom activities targeted to the child's development • tips for parents and teachers • opportunities to question experts Bright Horizons EarlyLearner is integrated into The World at Their Fingertips approach to parent conferences and tracking development: a partnership approach designed to create a shared point of view on the child's development and goals for success. Children in our infant and toddler programs also receive daily notes sharing some of the day’s highpoints as well as information on meals and diaper changes. Each child (infant through preschool) also receives a journal chronicling their time at the center. Journals are an interactive communication tool for parents and teachers to record highlights of both center and home life. Bright Horizons has an open door policy so parents can visit any time. Annual parent teacher conferences are also conducted for each child in the center.

Separation

OVERALL RATING (5.0)

Beginning of the year separation is handled through:
- Extra staff dedicated to handle separation

Drop-in Policy

- During school parents are welcomed as the school has an open door policy

General Parent Education

-This preschool does not conduct parent education classes

-This preschool does not connect parents with services and activities that can help you help your child develop better at home

Parent Community

COHESIVENESS RATING (4.0)

Parents:

- Hold social events at the school to build community

- Are able to visit the school anytime we want

- Go on field trips

- Receive newsletters

- Hold social events outside of the school (with and/or without children)

- Encourage play dates out of school

Modes of Communication Between School and Home

- Special Meetings

- Drop-Off

- Pick-Up

- Regular newsletter/printed updates circulated to the whole school

Discipline, Health and Safety

Discipline

OVERALL RATING (5.0)
Parents' Opinions
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

Parents' Notes on Discipline, Health and Safety

Parents' Comments

Parent #1
New playground built in 2006.

Health

OVERALL RATING (5.0)

Temperature and overall air circulation is comfortable

Healthy and nutritious snacks are provided

Toys and furniture are cleaned regularly

Food Allergies

Medications

- We keep their medication on hand at all times

- Medication is only administered by the center with a doctor’s note and completed medicine authorization form.

Safety

OVERALL RATING (3.5)

Screen and identify all visitors

Parents may not bring sick children to school where they may infect others

Ages, Schedule & Tuition

Ages, Class Size, Days & Tuition

Ages	Class Size	Days	Tuition
From 3 years to 5 years			$744/Month
From 3 years to 5 years			$942/Month
From 3 years to 5 years			$999/Month
From 3 years to 5 years			$1290/Month
From 3 years to 5 years			$1019/Month
From 3 years to 5 years			$1368/Month
From 3 years to 5 years			$658/Month
From 3 years to 5 years			$698/Month
From 3 years to 5 years			$520/Month

Extended Care

- This school does have extended care

Notes on Schedule and Extended Care

Notes

Annual Registration Fees - $100
Re-registration Fees - $75
Late Fees - $1/minute
Drop-In Rate (2 hr minimum) - $10
Late Payment Fees (Daily) - $5
Extra Hours (2 hr minimum) - $10

Calendar Year

School Year

Year round program

Application & Admissions

Application Process

Applications are accepted: While child is in utero, upon birth, after a phone conversation with the appropriate person at the school, after a face-to-face meeting at the school

Parent visits tours are: Recommended, but not mandatory

Child interview process: None, but children are welcome at center visits

Parent interview process: Parents are not interviewed, but are encouraged to visit the center and speak with someone on the administrative team.

Deadline for applications: Rolling

Application fee: $100

Admissions Process

Acceptance criteria: Mostly a first come basis, though some centers may have priority access for certain groups based on place of employment or siblings

Notification occurs: Immediately

Parents must submit deposit within the following timeframe of receiving notification of acceptance: In order to reserve a spot for the desired start date, a parent must pay the registration fee as soon as possible.

Financial aid is not available.

Age/Child Requirements

Child must be 2 years to enroll.

Child does not need to be potty trained to enroll.

Kindergarten Placement & Tips

Kindergarten Placement

Kindergartens that preschoolers from this school are now attending

Advent School, Boston University School

Parents' Admission Tips

Advice from Parents to Prospective Parents on Admissions

Parent #1
started looking early into many options, was persistent when we found a first choice - calling often