C-ville moms (preschool question)

[essnce629]

As most of you know, we will be moving to C-ville in December for my bf to start law school (he'll be moving out in August, however). My boyfriend met a guy who is also starting law school there in the fall and has a 3 year old dd. This guy and his wife just recently visited there and went to go see 7 different preschools. Like us, he also needs a preschool with all day care, so that cut out a lot of the schools that only offer half day programs. The schools he visited are:

Canterbury School
KinderCare Learning Center
La Petite Ecole
Millstone of Ivy Preschool
Old Dominion Day School
U.Va. Child Development Center
Woodlands Day School Inc.

He wrote up a little paragraph about each one with his impressions, likes, and dislikes. From reading his thoughts on each school, I would like to look into these four schools further:

Millstone of Ivy Preschool(depending on where we end up living)
Old Dominion Day School
U.Va. Child Development Center
Woodlands Day School Inc.

My boyfriend is about to go and visit C-Ville for a week from June 3rd to June 10th. He is going to look for housing for us and possibly at preschools. The original plan was for all 3 of us to go, but we realized that it would be extremely expensive for all of us to fly out, rent a car for a week, stay in a hotel for a week, etc. So I reluctantly agreed to stay behind :(. Conner and I probably won't be able to fly out and visit until August when my bf already has an apartment for us and his car there. So my question is, does anyone have any experience with any of the four schools I'm interested in or know anyone who has a child at one of these schools? Do you know of any other preschools with all day care that we should look into. The guy said they didn't get a chance to visit 2 other schools (Four Seasons and another one), but he'd let us know more about them when they were able to finally see them.

***Latia
Birth and Postpartum Doula
http://www.socaldoula.com

Conner 8/19/03 (homebirthed water baby)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/aug2003angel
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_sapphire_24m.gif Self-weaned at 24 months!

[kedss]

hi Latia-

I worked at both Old Dominion and Woodlands please feel free to email me
off boards if you specific questions.

[octmom]

Kate would know better than me since she has worked in two of the schools, but my impression is that some are more daycare-ish and some are more pre-schoolish. I have heard very good things about Millstone of Ivy (pre-school only, no infant care, must be potty-trained). I've had friends whose kids went to Old Dominion and the UVa Center (actually part of the Children's World chain-- contracted out). They have liked both and have had kids there from infancy to school age. I don't know anything about Woodlands.

Le Petite Ecole was recently renamed the International School. It has a good reputation too, but AFAIK, they don't have a full-day program.

There are several Montessori schools (Frost, University, Pantops off the top of my head) and a few other full day programs. A new one is opening this fall-- Charlottesville Day School (at ACAC facilities). I have several friends sending their toddlers there at the end of August. They were impressed at an open house this winter.

HTH!

Jerilyn
DS, Sean 10/03
DD, Katie 3/06

"Baby makes days shorter, nights longer, home happier, and love stronger."

[pb&j]

Latia -

One of my good friends is sending her son to Charlottesville Day School in the fall. It's new, and pricey, but it's supposed to be really top-notch. I grew up with one of the women who founded it, and she and her staff have advanced degrees in early childhood education.

I've been on the waitlist for UVA Child Development Center/Children's world since I was pregnant the first time, and finally gave up. To be honest, while the day-to-day care may be good there, I have been really unimpressed with all of the dealings I have had with administrative staff. I can't even get a straight answer (or a phone call back) about whether or not I'm still on the wait list. I know they recently had a change of director.

The Department of Social Services has listings of all licensed day cares in Virginia, and also has records of inspections and violations online at http://www.dss.virginia.gov/facility/search/licensed.cgi Make sure to search both Charlottesville (independent city) and Albemarle (county).

Email or PM if you want more info about where I've got DS, I'd rather not post that info on a public board.

-Ry,
mom to Emma, stillborn 11/04/04
and Max, 01/05/06

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/32812.gif
http://b1.lilypie.com/aKGqm5/.png[/img] ([img)

[lizajane]

are you opposed to church preschools? i went to st mark's preschool (lutheren church) on ivy road. my mom worked with preschoolers until just last year and she said the children from that school were very impressive. she was just as impressed as she was when she enrolled us in the late 70s.

wish you were going with your guys to ch'ville! i will be there for the next week and could have seen you!!!

[essnce629]

>are you opposed to church preschools?

No, I'm definately not opposed to church preschools. Conner actually goes to a church preschool right now (episcopalian) three days a week. I looked into St. Mark's, but they only offer part-time care two or three days a week and only from 9am to noon. They only offer M-F care for 4 year olds, and even then it's only in the mornings. We need a place that offers all day care (from 9am to 5pm) Mondays through Friday, which a lot of church preschools don't seem to do. But if you know of any that do, feel free to let me know.

***Latia
Birth and Postpartum Doula
http://www.socaldoula.com

Conner 8/19/03 (homebirthed water baby)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/aug2003angel
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_sapphire_24m.gif Self-weaned at 24 months!

[essnce629]

I went on the Charlottesville Day School website and it looks like they are mostly a half-day program (9am to 12:30pm) but that they have on optional after care program from 12:30-5:30pm. I wonder how that works out with pricing and such. Would you have to pay an hourly rate after 12:30pm perhaps? Anyone know?

***Latia
Birth and Postpartum Doula
http://www.socaldoula.com

Conner 8/19/03 (homebirthed water baby)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/aug2003angel
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_sapphire_24m.gif Self-weaned at 24 months!

[essnce629]

>Le Petite Ecole was recently renamed the International School.
>It has a good reputation too, but AFAIK, they don't have a
>full-day program.

This sounds like an interesting school. I'm half Mexican and would love if Conner learned Spanish (I don't speak it because my mom was never taught Spanish as a child by her parents who are both fluent). Also, my bf, whose dad is originally from Belgium can understand and speak French a little, and even though I've begged him to speak to Conner in French he says "he doesn't know enough" to speak to him. But the guy my bf talked to who visited the school said "the facilities were cramped and had little natural light," (I guess it's located in the basement of a church) although they are still interested since the dad speaks French to his dd. They do have a half-day program as well, but their site says that they have an after-school program until 5:30 and you can choose for your child to be in a napping or non-napping room. Conner still takes a 2 hour nap every day and I definately think he still needs it!

***Latia
Birth and Postpartum Doula
http://www.socaldoula.com

Conner 8/19/03 (homebirthed water baby)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/aug2003angel
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_sapphire_24m.gif Self-weaned at 24 months!

[essnce629]

I have a question about vaccinations. Does anyone know the laws about vaccination exemptions in VA? Here in CA we have exemptions for medical, religious, and philisophical reasons. Conner is not vaccinated (well, he's had 3 shots total but I've decided against him getting any more at least for now). I just noticed a quote on the Old Dominion Day School site saying that "the center does not accept exemptions for immunizations." Obviousely this poses a problem and I have no plans to run out and get Conner vaccinated any time soon. So what are the actual laws regarding vaccinations in VA? Is there not a philisophical exemption like we have here? Conner is in preschool here and all I had to do was write a one sentence letter saying that "vaccines X, Y, and Z are against our beliefs" and sign it. I just stuck it in with all his other registration paperwork and no one ever mentioned a thing. Maybe it's different in VA?

Also, does anyone know anything about Park Street Christian Preschool?

***Latia
Birth and Postpartum Doula
http://www.socaldoula.com

Conner 8/19/03 (homebirthed water baby)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/aug2003angel
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_sapphire_24m.gif Self-weaned at 24 months!

[octmom]

I think that is how it works. My friends are paying for after-care.

Jerilyn
DS, Sean 10/03
DD, Katie 3/06

"Baby makes days shorter, nights longer, home happier, and love stronger."