Home-School Connection

OVERALL RATING (4.0)

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

During the morning and afternoon, the staff is necessarily focused on supervision of the children and our opportunities to talk with parents are limited. If you need to speak to your childâ??s teacher you can let the teacher know during drop-off or pick-up and arrange a time to call you back later. You can also leave a message on the main voice mail line. Regular parent-teacher conferences are scheduled twice yearly: November and May. The teachers will provide you with a detailed written report on your childâ??s development at school in the areas of: Personal and Social Development; Language and Literacy; Cognitive/Mathematical/Scientific Thinking; Art and Music; and Physical Development. We strongly encourage both parents of each child to attend conferences, as critical information about developmental milestones, classroom behavior, and kindergarten readiness is discussed. It is the staff's wish to maintain a dialogue with you about your child's progress throughout the year, outside of parent-teacher conferences. In this way both parents and staff may hold a clearer picture of the childâ??s experience at Parker School. If the teachers notice any concerning behavior, she/he will let parents know as soon as possible. Additionally, we can be more helpful to your child if we know if there is a particular situation she/he is experiencing (parent out of town, death of a pet, etc.). We will call you if we see changes and feel that we would benefit from a clearer understand of the childâ??s home life, and to also share our observations with you. Our school also hosts a quarterly Parent Education Series, in which we help build our community's knowledge on relevant topics.

Separation

OVERALL RATING (4.8)

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

Director's and Parents' Comments

Director's Comments

We create space for parents to remain at school, in an unobstructive manner, as long as the (child's) separation requires. We allow for transitional objects to help children become comfortable in their new environment and remain flexible with expectations. Teachers will help develop an individualized plan with parents, based on their child's unique situation, for a gradual separation. If it is the case, teachers will politely let parents know when their child does not require their presence anymore.

Parent #1
*

Parent #2
150 Parker makes it easy for families to be involved as much as they want or as little as they want. Our family has been able to do just that very comfortably. The faculty is very appropriate in the way they handle separation. The school did not formerly advise us on kindergartens/elementary schools as we will continue at the school another year.

Parent #3
Re: 'My son/daughter's preschool had an initial parent-teacher meeting about my son/daughter's individual characteristics' This was not offered by the school, but we requested one (due to a medical issue) and the teachers were very receptive and seemed happy to schedule the meeting.

Parent #4
As a board member at 150 Parker, I'm concerned that your questions imply a lack of understanding of our 'play-based' yet developmentally-oriented preschool. Some of the questions are worded as though a 'play-based' program ignores developmental goals and skill acquisition. For example, 'this is a play-based preschool that does not believe in developmental goals at this age.' That statement betrays a misunderstanding of most play-based programs of which I'm aware. The acquisition of a variety of social and academic skills is central to most play-based programs! Please don't create a false dichotomy between preschools, i.e., those in which kids play but don't learn anything, and those in which kids study and learn. This would be a tremendous disservice to parents. Does the group of parents who have organized this survey and website include parents with a background in early childhood education??

Parent #5
Parker does not give specific learning goals as they truly believe that every child at this age develops at their own pace. However, they give excellent write-ups at their twice-annual parent/teacher meetings covering specific topics (ie-mathmatical skills, social skills, development, art and music, etc.). They do not 'rate' the students within a specific scale but discuss specifically how your child is showing development in these areas and if there are any areas of weakness showing early.

Parent #6
In regards to the cohesiveness and activity level of parents, I found there to be a big difference from one class to the next. The kindergarten class had involved parents. The AM class had some involved parents and the PM class parents seemed removed. There are a few key players and that is about it. One of the best things about Parker in my opinion is the facility and how the teachers really take advantage of it. The playground has a 'backyard' feeling rather than an asphalt rooftop or parking lot. It shows what they make a priority. It is always neat but not sterile. The teachers believe in having fun but playing by the rules. Respect for each other is a key lesson here.

Parent #7
* Parker School is a play-based, developmental nursery school, but the teachers are great about giving general information about developmental readiness, especially with regard to 'what's next' next year; however, they do not focus on specific skills (i.e., writing name perfectly) until the pre-K program. For my kids, this was a phenomenal, HAPPY way to learn -- no stress or feeling of 'I can't do that & so-and-so can!' * Involvement and activity level of parents seems to fluctuate by class, often depending on the number of working moms. My children's classes have had REALLY super-involved parent groups, but I've seen another class that did not -- great people w/ great kids, but just not as motivated to spend tons of time or energy on the school. Parker (like all schools, I would think) is definitely a place where you get more out of it as a family if you are more involved; I think your kids also sense the involvement and care about their school more if you as a parent seem to care...it's definitely not just a 'drop the kid off and forget about it' kind of place...NOT 'day care' at all. Most parents do have at least one stay-at-home member (some dads, mostly moms) & that (positively, I think) affects the 'involved' and 'caring' vibe of the place...you constantly see parents coming and going, being involved in the classroom -- most kids know the other kids' parents, which makes for a cool sense of community. (Also makes it much more fun for the parents, too! A key component of your happiness at a school is making it your social scene too!)

Parent #8
Regarding the kindergarten process...school is adamant that it is a family decision. They will not decide for you which school is best, but wants us to come to our own decision based on our research. School does hold a kindergarten process evening to discuss the process in detail and has parents who have gone through the process share their insights and experiences.

Parent #9
My child went to the summer session at Parker before the school year and she felt right at home during the separation process in the fall. For fundraising, parents are asked to make donations, but not required to. There is a parent education class offered on child nutrition.

Parent #10
Written summaries of your child's learning are provided twice a year at parent-teacher conferences. General guidance on developmental goals is provided if asked, but this is not part of the curriculum. For the separation process at the beginning of the year, both my children had an easy time. Parents can stay as long as they like in the classroom to ease the transition.

Parent #11
There was only one parent/teacher conference during the school year

Parent #12
With regard to the Kindergarten application process, 150 Parker has a deliberate policy to not 'provide guidance on which kindergarten and elementary schools are best for my child.' This is because the director feels that only the family can know which school best fits the child and the family. She does work to secure a slot, however, in whichever school(s) is your first choice(s).

Parent #13
150 Parker has a detailed, very informative website that is available only to parents. Weekly updates are posted on what's happening in the classroom and at the school in general. There is also a bulletin board where information is shared by parents on any number of topics. 150 Parker has much communication between the director/ board/ parents. Every year parents are asked to fill out questionnaires about the school and anonymously voice their concerns.

Parent #14
The teachers actually give us a daily report on our son's behaviour. They always try to keep us posted on his development and progress.

Discipline

OVERALL RATING (4.2)
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

As one scholar of early childhood education stated, "Nursery school is a human relations laboratory." Group socialization is a critical part of our program, and our teachers are skilled in guiding children through positive interactions with their peers. Children at Parker School are taught methods of observation of other people's feelings that will serve them for the rest of their lives.

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.'

Teachers will not simply demand that a child apologize for hitting another child; they will give the child tools to be able to assess how their actions affected their friend and made their friend feel, why their friend might feel that way because of what they did, and what they can do to make their friend feel better. Planting these seeds of empathy is critical to each child's ability to go on to successful school, work and life experiences.

Parents' Notes on Discipline, Health and Safety

Parent #1
The school is a beautiful, comforting, and nurturing place to be. The fact that the school is well cared for sends a great message to the children. When children have a difficult time following the rules in a particular area inside or out, that area is 'closed' to them. This system appears to be effective.

Parent #2
Parker has a wonderful outdoor space with a garden, which is a real treasure in the city. The nursery building was renovated last summer and the kitchen, the summer before. Discipline always seems to be delivered calmly and rationally, I have never feared for the safety of my child for any reason.

Parent #3
It is great.

Parent #4
Parker just did a total renovation in the past three years, so both buildings (AM/PM nursery and K) were totally remodeled, new bathrooms, new kitchen (great for the Kindergarteners to learn cooking and baking) and outstanding outdoor area w/ super-fun climbing structure, riding area and sand pit. The school used to have pet bunnies, but the general feeling was that small children and bunnies didn't mix well, so the bunnies found new homes. (Parker does periodically bring in farm and wild animals for the kids to see, so they are exposed to animals.)

Parent #5
150 Parker School has undergone a major renovation. The kitchen is completely new and the kids conduct many cooking classes there. The outdoor facility is one of the best in SF. They have pet rabbits, a beautiful new play structure, and plenty of room to run around with little garden areas to plant flowers.

Parent #6
Director is considering renovating the grounds. They are discussing replacing the playhouse.

Parent #7
In kindergarten room there is full-blown kitchen; preschool has hotplate, etc.

Parent #8
The whole school inside and out has been remodeled in the last 3 years.

Parent #9
Parker School was recently renovated and is really lovely. The kitchen has built in features that allow the children to cook with a great deal of independence.

Extended Care

Notes on Schedule and Extended Care

Notes

AM care is available for children in the AM Nursery and Transitional Kindergarten beginning at 7:30am.

Lunch program is available for children from 12pm-1pm for $1949/year.

Extended Childcare from 12pm-6pm is available to children in the AM Nursery or Transitional Kindergarten for $10,248/ year.

PM Childcare is available from 4pm-6pm for $3573/ year.

Children in the PM Nursery during their second year at Parker School, are not able to participate in the childcare program due to limited space on campus. Therefore, children in their second year are only able to be on site from 12pm-6pm. While this can be difficult logistically for working parents, many families have worked together to provide creative solutions for families needing morning care for their children, or have worked with the Director to find a solution on campus.

Application Process

Admissions Process