Home-School Connection

OVERALL RATING (4.4)

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

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)

Beginning of the year separation is handled through:
- Pre-entry meetings with parents at school
- Extra staff dedicated to handle separation

Director's and Parents' Comments

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.

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.

Discipline

OVERALL RATING (4.9)
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

Overview

Director's Description of Approach Toward Discipline

Director's Response to a Sample Discipline Scenario

Description of how teachers handle the following scenario: Child A and Child B are good friends and usually play together. One day, Child A decides to play with Child C and tells Child B, 'I don't want to play with you today. I'm playing with Child C instead.'

We understand first and foremost that learning how to be in a social setting is part of a school's responsibility. We think about potential conflicts and feel responsible for getting in front of them. We set up our environment with good/plentiful choices and nurturing staff to facilitate play. If behavior escalates, we remove a child and redirect.

Parents' Notes on Discipline, Health and Safety

Parent #1
The director is great at saying 'Your child looks under the weather - better not come in today.' I don't have to sign in to come in. Don't know how they handle strangers. School does share facilities with the church nursery school - part of what keeps costs low - amazing how well set up the nursery school is - things do get a little messed up sometimes on Sundays.

Parent #2
The children love rooftop playground with it's climbing structure, tricycles, sand box, and other opportunities for creative play. All that and a view!

Parent #3
Calvary celebrates many holidays and every birthday. As a result, the snacks are not always healthy since they are provided by the parents. This has not been an issue with us since we make sure our son always eats a healthy breakfast.

Parent #4
I think Calvary is one of the few, if not the only, preschool which does NOT have annual fundraisers. In the six years and with three of my kids who attended there, they had one fundraiser and that was to add a pre-K class and classroom. Needless to say, they had no problems raising the money. It's nice not to be hit up for money at the preschool level, when, unfortunately that's what bombards parents at elementary school for years after.

Parent #5
The teachers at Calvary are great at getting the kids to get along. My son had a problem with one kid (who was hitting him) at the beginning of the year and ended the year really liking him. Not only did they stop the hitting, but the helped my son stick up for himself and stop the hitting on his own.

Parent #6
To actually enter the building you have to be buzzed in by security that see you from a mounted camera. Once you get to the pre-school, if the teachers didn't recognize you, you would be confronted. Children that are misbehaving are sent home if they do not improve their behavior after a few warnings. The parents are informed at pick up about the problem.

Parent #7
Some of the outside play equipment could be updated or reconditioned. The carpet in the main space needs to be cleaned more often.
But a nice, light, fun space indoors and out.

Extended Care

Notes on Schedule and Extended Care

Notes

Nursery School is $6,000/year. Pre-K is $9,000/year.

Ages 3-5-5 have class everyday from 8:45 a.m.-11:45 a.m.
Ages 5-6 (Pre-K) have class from 8:30a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Application Process

Admissions Process

Director's Comments

Parents who are not discouraged and are kindly persistent usually prevail off our waitlist. Typically we look to fill unplanned vacancies in the summer. Attending our summer program allows the teachers to get to know a child and more likelihood that a well known child will get in.