| Author |
Message |
    
Derek
Citizen
Username: Derek
Post Number: 22
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 11:54 am: |     |
Would anyone know anything about this preschool. Any feedback is welcome. |
J. Crohn
Citizen
Username: Jcrohn
Post Number: 846
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 10:43 pm: | |
We send our daughter there and have been quite pleased. Used to have our kids at South Mountain Nursery and Kindergarten, which we liked very much. But SMNK underwent some changes and we felt it best to move. Beth El turned out to be far less expensive for approximately the same number of hours, with very engaged/experienced teachers, lots of hands-on learning (including lots of art projects and cooking), and a lovely way of imparting Jewish culture and ritual. There are activities for families made available pretty much every month through the synagogue, and you kind of get dragged into most of them by your kids.
Interestingly (and happily, from our perspective), classes are not 100% Jewish, as people of other faiths are welcome and apparently have been enrolling at Beth El for years. Needless to say, you don't have to be a member to send your kid to the preschool.
I should mention that we were attracted initially by the fact that Beth El has a 3-day/week program for kindergarteners that provides either a morning or afternoon "addendum" to the public school K program. So, for instance, if your child is in public kindergarten in the morning, s/he could attend Beth El for another few hours in the afternoon to make it a full day (or vice versa).
We figured having our daughter in the preschool now would be a good way for her to have a sort of social anchor when she went on to Clinton next year.
One potential drawback at Beth El is the fact that the program hours are limited & not all parents can manage. I believe the longest possible day would be 8:00 to 2:30, so it's not ideal if one hasn't got additional care arrangements available. Also, if your child stays for lunch, be aware that they're peanut-free (due to the increased prevalence of peanut allergy) and they do keep kosher, so you'd be expected to send in a meatless lunch. (Nobody's very worried about rennet in your kid's string cheese or anything, though.)
The director's name is Sandy Sachs. There's an open house coming up, I believe. If you need phone numbers or more detailed info, you're welcome to private line me. |
stephanie steinberg
Citizen
Username: Suburbbound
Post Number: 4
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Monday, January 26, 2004 - 2:16 pm: | |
Derek - we met Sandy, the director, last week and had a tour - overall - we were very impressed - our only concern is what jcrohn mentioned - that the program ends at 2:30 (though you can bring child in at 8 a.m.). We see this as an issue as we both work in the city so somehow, we'd have to leave our car at the temple and have a sitter get there on her own to pick up our kid and the car! (the logistics of the suburbs are so overwhelming to me!). I would def. suggest you visit it - nice classrooms and outdoor space and some bike ridig space in the basement! Teachers seemed engaged and kids seemed to be having fun. Sandy has lots of experience in daycare/pre-school and was very knowledgeable... |
Lauren Morris
Citizen
Username: Lmorris
Post Number: 4
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 26, 2004 - 6:57 pm: | |
I have a 5th grader who went through the program and a current 3's child. I love the teachers and that the focus is not heavy academics. They learn all the stuff they need to know from the activities they do. They have good indoor space for large motor play in the freezing weather we've been having. My daughter loves to sing and they have a music person who comes in each week and the teacher in her class plays the piano and sings with them regularly too. She stays for lunch some days and enjoys the interactions with other kids and teachers, as well as the special extras that go with it. (Fridays, for example, the lunch kids make their own Challah to bring home)
If you need daycare the hours are not for you, but if not it's a wonderful program. |
Derek
Citizen
Username: Derek
Post Number: 24
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 26, 2004 - 9:23 pm: | |
Thanks for all of your posts. All of you have definitely sold us (me & my wife) on Beth El. Our deposit is in the mail.
Stephanie, that is kinda tough if you're working in the city. Do you have a friend or neighbor who can pick up your child rather than the sitter and bring your child to your home where the sitter will be waiting? (I know, this can be tough) |
stephanie steinberg
Citizen
Username: Suburbbound
Post Number: 5
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 - 9:39 am: | |
Hi, Derek - glad you are all set! Thanks so much for your suggestion and concern. We actually haven't yet moved to Maplewood - we are doing research re: childcare and unfortunately, we seem to have confronted a lot of hurdles in finding full-time care. I think we will need to hire a full or part-time sitter to supplement some kind of pre-school (we were trying to avoid this, but it doesn't seem workable otherwise). Seems like a lot to ask of a (new) friend or neighbor to pick our kid up - though we're open to sharing a sitter w/ another family, if folks do that here...we're still trying to figure it out...any suggestions are always welcome. Best, ss |
J. Crohn
Citizen
Username: Jcrohn
Post Number: 852
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 - 12:02 pm: | |
Stephanie,
If you're thinking of going the Beth El route, you might consider speaking to Sandy about your concerns over childcare arrangements. She may know of other parents in the school who are in similar straits and might be interested in working out carpool or shared care arrangements with you. Alternatively, she may have information about good sources of hired childcare. |
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