March 15, 2017 North Greenwich Nursery School students enjoy a visit with Speedy the turtle. Family Fun Day is on Saturday, March 31st will offer animal activities, touch a truck, family Zumba and more. Call (203) 869-7945 for more details.
Posted Feb. 10, 2011 Finding a good preschool is a challenge. You want your little one to receive the best age-appropriate education possible, but also to enjoy loving care and safety. Knowing what to look for will help you choose the best preschool. Start with the basics when beginning your search.
Nursery school classes must be kept small by law, so space is always an issue. Once an older sibling has attended a preschool, a younger sibling will usually be admitted, limiting the number of spaces available. Before kindergarten there are few public preschool options available. Mindy Citera, Director of Bet Torah Nursery School in Mount Kisco, says, “here in our Westchester communities, preschool registration usually begins an entire year before a child turns two, so often parents must anticipate what their child’s needs will be a year in advance.”
Childcare providers who look after children under eight must register with the Children’s Services and Skills Department in their state. This is an important first check. Either ask to actually see the nursery school's registration certificate or contact your local Children's Information Service. Mary Basso, Director of the Banksville Nursery School in Greenwich, Connecticut says that first and foremost, “The school should be licensed by the state and meet all health and safety standards.”
It’s important that the nursery school teachers have the relevant childcare certification. First aid and CPR are also essential to every teacher’s qualifications. The administrators of the school should hold degrees either in education or administration. Furthermore, at the very minimum, you should look for a nursery school that is able to meet the following ratios on all occasions (not including volunteers): for children age 0-2, there should be a maximum of 3 children per adult, for infants age 2-3, there should be a maximum of 4 children per adult, and for children age 3-5, there should be no more than 8 children for any one adult. Basso adds, “A low teacher-student ratio is important since it allows teachers to work with children individually so that each child’s specific needs are met. The program should be staffed by well trained teachers with a solid knowledge of how children develop and learn.”
It's vital that any nursery school you consider provides your child with a clean, and safe environment to learn and grow. The kitchen, bathrooms and play areas should be regularly cleaned and well maintained. Toys and equipment should all be in good condition and there should not be any visible hazards to your child's safety. Check to see that there is no way your child can inadvertently leave the building or unauthorized visitors enter the building.
Any good nursery school should have a structured curriculum with time for learning as well as play. Ideally, a school should dedicate time throughout the week for physical activity (if they have an outside 'run around' space all the better) individual as well as group learning, quiet time, and activities that allow children to develop and express their creativity. A three-year-old will require a different type of care than a younger child, so it's important to check whether a nursery school dedicates time to age-appropriate learning. Find out whether the staff looks after different age groups in different rooms or, at the very least, runs different activities to cater to the differing needs of different age groups. Karen Coombs, Director of Little Sparrows Nursery School in Armonk, says, “Children grow physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally, and the curriculum should encourage growth in each of these areas. The dual goals should be for the children to have fun, and to develop a desire to learn.”
Once you've discovered whether a nursery school meets the basic criteria, the next step is to look at the practicalities of sending your child to one. Obviously cost is a major factor. Much will depend on whether you opt for a state, community or privately run nursery school. While you want to get your little one the best care possible, it's important not to overstretch yourself financially. If necessary, see if the nursery school offers financial aid. (Con't on Column 3)
Local Preschools
Bet Torah Nursery School 60 Smith Ave. Mt. Kisco, NY 10549 (914) 666-7595 Bet Torah Nursery School
Local Preschools and Preschool Associations
Byram Hills Preschool Association P.O. Box 501 Armonk, NY 10504 www.bhpa.info.
"The Byram Hills Preschool Association's (BHPA) Winter Family Festival is a child friendly festival," says Co-Chair Marnie Levy. "It's a carnival for the kids in January when nothing else is going on. We have a clown, magician, face painting, balloon animals, raffles and performances that all raise money for the BHPA.
"We revamped the event this year. All the vendors and entertainment today were geared toward the kids. Everything was local and relevant to the children, with crafts, snacks and other things they would enjoy."
Ken Kristal, parent of Co-Chair Taryn Palatnek, said, "The kids, parents, and grandparents had a wonderful time. The weather cooperated: It was beautiful! The face painter Laura was tremendous. It all went to a good cause; I'm proud of the Co-Chairs. They did a great job."
Laura Craig of Irrelevant Elephant Art Studio face-painted the kids with magnificent masks of cats, butterflies and Spiderman. The entertainment included Armonk Center for Dance and the Byram Hills High School Choir. Little Sparrows Nursery School was also there providing educational information. Local businesses donated different gifts for the fundraising, including salon services from Cherlyn Salon North, several women’s boot camps and karate classes from Armonk Karate, and a gift certificate for dinner from Gavi Restaurant.
Parent Jessica DiMatteo said, "We loved it. It was fun to get out of the house to mingle with other parents. There was a wide variety of things for a variety of ages. My son is 18-months-old and he loved the balloon art, the face painting and the dancing."
Heather Conway, Director and founder of Armonk Center for Dance, said she received a phone call from the Membership Chair of the BHPA asking her dancers to be part of the festivities. She said, “Of course: Anything to help out the community.'"
The Armonk dancers performed different styles of jazz, tap and hip-hop. Heather added, "The fun part was to get all the kids up afterwards, as we included the children from the audience in the activity."
"It was a great family day; you can't ask for more," said parent Valerie Testa.
As every family left the festival at Coman Hill Elementary School, Marnie said, "Bye, hope you had a great time."
"My kids loved it," said parent Beth Blum. "They didn't want to leave."
"Today was a huge success," said Marnie. "There were a lot of people here, including over 200 families."
BHPA is a non-profit organization run by volunteers that began as the Wampus Elementary School PTA Board in 1965.
Last year's BHPA President Jen Amicucci said, "All the funds go back to the kids. The funds from our fundraisers subsidize our programs, including the School Orientation Sessions (S.O.S.) for the incoming kindergarten class. Starting in January, and once a month thereafter, the incoming kindergarten class will visit different classrooms at Coman Hill after school for about 45 minutes. They tour the building; it's a nice introduction and comfort zone for the kids coming into kindergarten. It culminates in May when the kids ride on the school bus." S.O.S. is a successful program exclusive to Byram Hills.
Enriching the Preschool Years for Byram Hills School district families through fun, educational and social opportunities. The
Byram Hills Preschool Association is a not-for-profit organization
established to benefit preschool age children, their parents and
caregivers. With over 300 member families throughout the Byram Hills
School District, we strive to provide an array of social, cultural and
educational activities for our members. In addition, through our
fund raising efforts, we offer donations to local community organizations
and programs that relate directly to preschoolers.
Preschoolers at North Greenwich Nursery School reach across the generations as they create hand-print gardens for an area nursing home. As part of the NGNS curriculum, children are encouraged to participate in community awareness activities and help others. NGNS offers programs for children from Armonk, Greenwich and neighboring communities. For further information about NGNS or to participate in additional NGNS community-minded activities, please visit at 606 Riversville Road, Greenwich or call 203-869-7945.
Choosing a Good Preschool (Con't)
The commute to and from nursery school is also important. Be sure to consider whether it is within a realistic distance.
While it's important to do all the research you can, the best way to get a feel for the level and standard of care at a nursery school is to visit it yourself. It's a good idea to drop in on a number of occasions at different times of the day, both with and without your child. While at first it's probably a good idea to arrange a time to visit so that you can have a proper chat with a nursery school teacher or administrator, there is no harm dropping in unannounced to see how things appear when they aren't expecting a visitor, for this will give you a better idea of the actual running of the school.
When I spoke with Jen Amicucci, the Byram Hills Preschool Association President, about her thoughts on choosing a preschool for her children, she said, “In my opinion, one of the most important factors in selecting a preschool is the demeanor of the staff, especially the director. You need to feel comfortable addressing any issues with the staff, so first impressions are very important.”
When you visit a nursery school, check to see that the staff is attentive to and interested in the children, and that the children themselves seem content and stimulated. Look also for evidence that constructive learning and play is being encouraged. If your child is with you, see how he or she reacts to the school - do they find it comforting or do they appear stressed beyond what would be expected in a new situation? Mary Hannigan, Director of the North Greenwich Nursery School, said, “Parents should try to visit a preschool while it is in session, to observe the environment and get a sense of the activities available to the children throughout the day. The parents should look for a warm, caring and supportive atmosphere, in which each preschooler is engaged in meaningful tasks that enhances learning, creativity, fine and gross motor skills, and socialization.”
By doing some checking, thinking about what is practical and going on your gut feeling, you should be able to find a good nursery school with a happy, interesting environment for your little one. It's a difficult decision, but by doing your homework you'll find a preschool that both you and your child are happy with.
