Preschool_survey Compiled

Preschool Survey-- Dana Wood 1. Name, location, phone & contact info of the school Cornerstone Preschool (part of Christ UMC) located on Hwy. 92 across from SuperTarget Phone number 770-993-8755 Director: Jan Tamucci 2. What’s the schedule (days/times/ages, extended day)? Christopher (in the 4’s class) goes Monday through Thursday from 9:30-1:30 Olivia is in the 18-24 month old class and goes Mon and Wed from 9:30-1:30 3. Do the children bring their own lunch, or is lunch bunch available (& what’s the cost)? Both kids bring their own lunch, it’s automatically part of their day at no extra cost. 4. What’s the tuition cost and is it reasonable for what you get? Christopher is $225 and Olivia is $180. That is with a 10% discount on both kids tuition for having more than one child at the school. I do think it’s reasonable, but I don’t know if the higher price can be justified by what they are getting b/c I think many other schools are just as good for a lower price. My biggest reason for putting them there was that both kids would have the same hours. 5. Please rate the quality of instruction. The teachers in both of their classes are wonderful, kind, and I think good teachers. They have experience and seem to work well together. I was worried when I put Olivia in school since it was her first time, but after meeting her teachers all my worry went away. At barely 2 years old, I hear her repeating things I know she learned at school. Christopher’s teachers are working diligently with him on his writing, since that’s not his strong point. They are patient and build up his confidence, and I can see the result in his practice homework he brings home. 6. What are your likes & dislikes about the school/program/teacher, etc..? I have no complaints at all about the school, program or teachers in either class. I like how small the school is, it makes it feel personal. It also makes carpool very fast , which is nice. I don’t like the playground that the big kids use b/c it’s made of old wood and Christopher has come home with splinters more than once. They are currently fundraising for new equipment however. 7. Does your school have religious instruction and/or how much? For example: Do they have weekly chapel? Read bible stories in class? Say a blessing before snacks & lunch?

They do have a weekly chapel that all classes attend together. They do have a weekly Bible verse they discuss, but they do not have to memorize it. I’m actually not sure if they say a blessing before eating. 8. Will you re-enroll for the next school year and why? I will not enroll Christopher b/c he’s going into Kindergarten. I will sadly have to move Olivia but it’s more for scheduling reasons since our entire schedules will change due to Christopher. 9. Please give any other information you think would be helpful! Feel free to call me if you have any questions.

1. Name, location, phone & contact info of the school The Sunshine House 980 Wiley Bridge Road, Woodstock (770) 924-7847 2. What’s the schedule (days/times/ages, extended day)? For the Pre-K program times vary between 7:45am-2:15pm, 8am-2:30pm, or 8:15am2:45pm depending on which Pre-K class your child is in. For Preschool Ages, Toddlers, and Infants (3 year olds to 6 week olds) your child can be brought anytime between 6:30am to 6:30pm. 3. Do the children bring their own lunch, or is lunch bunch available (& what’s the cost)? This is the Georgia Pre-K program, so all that you pay is $20/week for food costs. Your child is given breakfast @ 8:30am, lunch @12:30pm, and a snack @ 2pm. 4. What’s the tuition cost and is it reasonable for what you get? There is an after school program that costs $60/week per child from the time they are finished with their Pre-K class until 6:30pm if needed. Also, if your child goes to an elementary school, there is a Sunshine bus that picks your child up from school and transports them to The Sunshine House for after school care. As for the preschool, toddler, and infant rates.. Costs vary depending which age/class your child is in. But for 3 year olds the cost is @ $172/week. Call for updated rates for other classrooms. The rates are very reasonable. They are the lowest and will always be the lowest in the Woodstock/Canton/Roswell areas. They do a survey every so often to check competitor’s rates and to make sure The Sunshine House rates are the cheapest and most affordable for families. The tuition includes all meals (breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack). 5. Please rate the quality of instruction.

Instructions in the classrooms are listed in each room so parents know what is going on for that week and upcoming things. There is an outline as to what the children are learning for each day, as well as recess times, and rest times. Everything is available and visual for all parents to see all of the time. As well as a posted menu for each month. In the Infants and Toddler classes sign language is being used to help open communication between the babies, parents, and teachers. In the 2’s and 3’s, there is some Spanish taught as well as sign language if needed for those who are behind in speech. Each classroom flows smoothly with their individual daily schedules, as well as their teachings, and playtimes. There is always a “home living” area, as well as a “science”, “puzzles”, “reading”, “arts/crafts”, etc. areas in every classroom. Napping mats are provided as well as sheets. 6. What are your likes & dislikes about the school/program/teacher, etc..? I pretty much like the “home” feeling that The Sunshine House provides, as well as the price. The programs are wonderful and I’ve seen a difference in the way my children listen, gained confidence in making friends, being more creative, and knowledgeable on certain things. It’s been a great experience for my family thus far. Things that I dislike are the personal issues that occur when my children are dealing with separation anxiety. But overall, it’s great to work on this at their young ages so when they go to elementary school it’s not so hard on them at that time. The teachers are great in helping those who have these issues from time to time, and my children always have a smile to greet me when I return to them. 7. Does your school have religious instruction and/or how much? For example: Do they have weekly chapel? Read bible stories in class? Say a blessing before snacks & lunch? There are no religious instruction at all. 8. Will you re-enroll for the next school year and why? I have already re-enrolled my youngest into the Pre-K program for the fall and will continue to use The Sunshine House for their after school program as well if needed. 9. Please give any other information you think would be helpful! The Sunshine House has been a positive experience overall. I am thankful that it’s so close to us and that my children are enjoying making new friends and learning.

Preschool Survey 1.

Name, location, phone & contact info of the school

Northbrook United Methodist Preschool 11225 Crabapple Rd. Roswell, GA 30075;

(770) 998-6667

http://www.northbrookumc.com 2.

What’s the schedule (days/times/ages, extended day)?

Ones Classes MW for 18 - 24 months (age as of Sept. 1, 2008) Tues for 18 - 24 months (age as of Sept. 1, 2008) Th for 12 - 18 months (age as of Sept. 1, 2008) F for 18 - 24 months (age as of Sept. 1, 2008) Twos Classes MW younger twos MW older twos TTh younger twos TTh older twos MWF twos for children who will turn 3 by Feb. 1, 2009 Threes Classes TTh 3s MWF 3s M-Th 3s TThF 3's (2 classes) Fours Classes MWF 4's M-Th 4's (2 classes) M-F 4's (2 classes) Kindergarten 1/2 day kindergarten (9:25 -12:25 M-F) 3. Do the children bring their own lunch, or is lunch bunch available (& what’s the cost)? I believe (?)that “Stay and Play” is Tuesdays and Wednesdays…from 12:25-1:25pm. Payment in advance for a package of “Stay and Play”…$8/day child stays. 4. What’s the tuition cost and is it reasonable for what you get? This school is a little higher priced than some other Preschools. It’s one of the only accredited schools and is quite impressive. It’s well worth the money and we are really pleased. Take a tour and you will see!

2009-10 Tuition and Fees One day per week 1 year olds

$110/month

Two days per week classes 1's and 2's

$210/month

Two days - 3 year olds

$215/month

Three days - 2 year olds class

$240/month

Three days - 3 year olds classes

$245/month

Three days - 4 year olds classes

$255/month

Four days - 3 year olds class

$285/month

Four days - 4 year olds class

$300/month

Five days per week - 4 year olds classes

$325/month

Five days per week kindergarten class

$360/month

Please note:



A non-refundable, non-transferable registration fee due at registration



Registration Fees - $100



May 2010 tuition collected at time of registration.



Tuition for Sept. 2009 collected by 5/1/09. (Non-refundable for 4's & Kdg.)



Tuition for February 2010 (for kindergarten only) collected by 6/1/09. (Non-refundable.)



Tuition for March 2010 (kindergarten only) collected by 7/1/09. (Non-refundable.)



Tuition for April 2010 (kindergarten only) collected by 8/1/09. (Non-refundable.)



One year olds - All children must be able to walk by 9/1/09.



3's - All children must be potty trained and independent in toileting by 9/1/09.

5. Please rate the quality of instruction. On a scale of 1-10… 9! 6.

What are your likes & dislikes about the school/program/teacher, etc..?

I like… that the classroom has many stations that are very intentionally designed for learning through hands on manipulation and experience. There is freedom in the 3 day 4 yr. old class to have time during the day for my son to choose which stations to go to. I also like the philosophy of the school and Christian education through songs, stories etc. They also have music, media, cooking day etc. In the 5 day class (maybe 4 day class too?) they have Spanish. Mitch and I went on a Montessori School tour prior to coming to this school and we saw several similarities in regards to the style and structure. They obviously don’t have the Montessori specific tools and the cost is less. The teachers are like family…very friendly, warm and welcoming environment. Very creative. The snacks are all nutritious and are to be from 2 different food groups. A couple times a year each parent brings snack for a week for all the kids in the class. There are 2 teachers and 18 kids in David’s 4 yr. old class. The room is very large and has a bathroom connected to it. The play ground has riding toys, climbing toys, hats, “house”, swings, sand & toys. It also has a covered area for hot days. They also have an indoor play area when it’s rainy. I don’t have any dislikes and I am picky.  7. Does your school have religious instruction and/or how much? For example: Do they have weekly chapel? Read bible stories in class? Say a blessing before snacks & lunch? Yes…chapel weekly, blessing before snack and lunch, teach biblical principles of how to treat others etc. 8. Will you re-enroll for the next school year and why? We are considering re-enrolling. The only reason we won’t is because of the drive which is 18 minutes from our home (Trickum and Hwy 92) 9.

Please give any other information you think would be helpful!

Feel free to call with specific questions. Everyone I know who has gone there (except for one person) has stayed. They love it. It comes highly recommended. IT’s worth taking a TOUR…see website listed above for the TOUR times and info. Registration for next year is coming up at the END of JAN

Preschool Survey 1. Name, location, phone & contact info of the school Child’s Play Early Learning Center 1208 Rose Creek Drive Woodstock, GA 30189 Director: Ms. Lisa

2. What’s the schedule (days/times/ages, extended day)? MTWTHF 4-5 yr. 9-1 pm $260

MTWTH 4-5 yr. 9-1 pm $220

MWF TTHF MWF TTHF MWF 4-5 yr. 4-5 yr. young 4’s young 4's 3 yr. 9-1 pm 9-1 pm 9-1 pm 9-1 pm 9-1 pm $190 $190 $190 $190 $190

TTHF MW TTH 3 yr. 3 yr. 3 yr. 9-1 pm 9-1 pm 9-1 pm $190 $160 $160

MWF 2-2 ½ yr. 9-1 pm $190

TTHF 2-2 ½ yr. 9-1 pm $190

MW 2-2 ½ yr. 9-1 pm $160

TTH 2-2 ½ yr. 9-1 pm $160

They offer extended care everyday for $6 per child/per day. Chapel is also available twice a month for free for children 3 and up. 3. Do the children bring their own lunch, or is lunch bunch available (& what’s the cost)? Children bring their lunch. 4. What’s the tuition cost and is it reasonable for what you get? 2 days -$160 3 days - $190 4 days - $220 5 days - $260 I think it is very reasonable for the amount of hours the children are in school. In addition to tuition, you have to send in a snack once a month. In August and January you pay a $40 activity fee as well as send in : 1 roll of paper towels, 1 box of wipes, I box of Clorox wipes and small cups for snack time. My only complaint about the tuition is that it seems to make more sense to increased tuition by a little to cover these costs instead of having parents turn the items in twice a year.

5. Please rate the quality of instruction. The instruction is very good. They do not have dittos – all work is hand made by the teachers/staff. I like the themed lessons each week. Many times the themes for the week coincide with what is going on at that time (i.e. winter theme in January). The curriculum covers all of the major skills necessary at each age – physical, gross and fine motor skills, as well as social and emotional development. The teachers are very caring and seem to go out of their way to individualize the activity for each child. The children go out to play everyday unless it rains or the temperature falls below 40 degrees outside. 6. What are your likes & dislikes about the school/program/teacher, etc..? I like that the school is small and that the teachers are very caring. The teachers know all kids by name (even if they are not your child’s teacher). The family activities the school has are fun and very cute. We thoroughly enjoyed them this past year. I also like that the school includes lunch time as part of their day as well as music once a week. I love that Lisa (the director) has an open door policy and that she is responsive to any complaints or concerns from the parents. I don’t really have any complaints about the school; however, I was concerned that Gabriel’s teacher this past year wasn’t allowing him to do enough of his own work. Some of his projects came home “perfect” which made me wonder how the activity time was being conducted by the teacher. I did go in and talk with both the director and the teacher about my concerns and some improvements were made. 7. Does your school have religious instruction and/or how much? For example: Do they have weekly chapel? Read bible stories in class? Say a blessing before snacks & lunch? No it is non-religious but they teach children about ALL relgious holidays and celbrations. Most of the parties are geared toward Christian holidays, though. Chapel is offered twice a month for children 3 and up and it is FREE. 8. Will you re-enroll for the next school year and why? Yes, we are happy with the school. I went in to meet his new teacher and was very pleased with her as well. 9. Please give any other information you think would be helpful!

Preschool Survey 1. Name, location, phone & contact info of the school Hillside Methodist, Towne Lake & TLC (Towne Lake Community), Towne Lake

2. What’s the schedule (days/times/ages, extended day)? 4-Year-Old preschool is 4 day’s a week, 4 hours a day (9-1). At Hillside, there are opportunities for extended learning for $10/day from 1-3.

3. Do the children bring their own lunch, or is lunch bunch available (& what’s the cost)? Bring own lunch. Peanut free at Hillside

4. What’s the tuition cost and is it reasonable for what you get? I payed $190 for 4-year-old and found it quite comparable to surrounding preschools.

5. Please rate the quality of instruction. Nathan’s teachers at both schools were totally awesome. Definitely 10 out of 10.

6. What are your likes & dislikes about the school/program/teacher, etc..? At Hillside, I liked that they went to specials every day (Mon – music, Tues – Spanish, WedScience, Thurs – chapel). For both schools, I liked that Nathan loved going to school, always. The car pool was great for me. They have great playground facilities. All teachers get background checks each year, and there are always 2 teachers per classroom. TLC is much smaller and you get to know the teachers and director at a more personal basis. Their security was tight. As for dislikes, I think their security was lacking at Hillside. People could enter the school without checking in. 7. Does your school have religious instruction and/or how much? For example: Do they have weekly chapel? Read bible stories in class? Say a blessing before snacks & lunch? Monthly chapel, bible verses per week, blessing before lunch.

8. Will you re-enroll for the next school year and why? I probably will enroll Daniel at Towne Lake Community School next year because they have a great 3-year-old program, but then move him to Hillside the next year for their special classes.

9. Please give any other information you think would be helpful! Upon interviewing schools, I learned a couple schools didn’t complete background checks on the teachers yearly, or some, none at all. As a previous elementary education teacher, I’d expect nothing less than an open-door-policy from the school. I would check with the director to see what their policy is. I really liked Towne Lake Community School when Nathan was 3 since they had video cameras in the classrooms with live feed into the director’s office. All camera feeds were recorded for 48 hours in case you had any questions/concerns about what happened in class. Also, the cameras added extra accountability for the teachers. I’d imagine it would be a great advantage when your child is at such a young age that they aren’t capable of communicating effectively about any concerns you have.

Preschool Survey 1. Name, location, phone & contact info of the school Child’s Play Early Learning Center on Sixes Rd (There are 3 locations – Towne Lake, Sixes, & Hickory Flat) 1358 Sixes Road, Canton, GA 30114 CPELCenter.com 678-494-0930 2. What’s the schedule (days/times/ages, extended day)? School hours are 9 – 1, with extended day available to 2:30 (@ $6/day) There are 2, 3, 4, & 5 day classes available depending on the child’s age 2-day for 2 year olds 2 or 3 day for 2 ½ - 3 year olds 3 day for young 4’s 3, 4, or 5 day for 4 – 5 yr olds (kindergarten bound) 3. Do the children bring their own lunch, or is lunch bunch available (& what’s the cost)? Kids bring lunch everyday – lunchtime is included in the normal school hours/schedule. 4. What’s the tuition cost and is it reasonable for what you get? Tuition is in 10 monthly installments (with a 5% discount if you pay for the year in full in advance – no refunds). Registration is an additional 1 month’s tuition. There’s also an activities fee of $80/year ($40 due in August, $40 due in Jan). 2-day $160 3-day $190 4-day $220 5-day $260 From what I’ve seen and heard, the tuition seems pretty well in line with local costs, if you keep in mind that it is a 4-hour school day (instead of the more common 3-hour day). The

learning materials/toys/activities/building/etc are all in excellent condition, up-to-date, and high quality. 5. Please rate the quality of instruction. The quality of instruction at Child’s Play is excellent. There is a school-wide curriculum that is used by all classes. The curriculum includes all the skills that the children need to learn to prepare for kindergarten, scaled to the appropriate age level and building on each other throughout the course of the school year and as the child progresses in the school. Almost all the ‘craft’ activities are based in learning the skill sets that the child needs (patterning, number/letter recognition, grapho-motor skills, etc). The skills learning takes place in 2week themed units (e.g. Eric Carle, Pirates, Dinosaurs, Dora, Wild West) which keeps it fun and interesting for the kids. Each class receives music instruction once a week from a separate (specialized) music teacher. The 4-5 year old classes also have a weekly Spanish class and learn sight words. The older kids practice handwriting each school day. 6. What are your likes & dislikes about the school/program/teacher, etc..? Most of what I really like about Child’s Play is listed above in the quality of instruction, which (as I said) is excellent. I also really like the schedule – having the extra hour included in the normal school day leaves me with plenty of time to run errands or do activities with Audrey without feeling rushed to get Spencer at pick-up. A few of the drawbacks are that the physical classroom size of some of the rooms seems crowded for the number of kids. Also, the student/teacher ratio is higher than I care for in some of the classes. For the 4 year old classes, there are up to 9 kids with 1 teacher and, for the 4-5 year old class, up to 10. One other drawback is that the kids sit outside their classrooms for ‘carpool’ time, and, depending on when you arrive or where you end up in line for pick-up, your child could spend 15+ minutes just sitting and waiting. It has gotten more efficient as the year has gone on, but it seems like there should be a way to do carpool that would allow the kids to be doing an activity (of some sort) during the waiting time. 7. Does your school have religious instruction and/or how much? For example: Do they have weekly chapel? Read bible stories in class? Say a blessing before snacks & lunch? The Sixes & Towne Lake locations of Child’s Play are non-religious. They do have culturally based holiday celebrations (e.g. Halloween Parade, Christmas Party, Easter Bunny Breakfast/Egg Hunt), but do not do any sort of religious instruction. They do emphasize being ‘good citizens’ and giving back to the community with food drives, toy drives (at Christmas), a program called “Pennies from Heaven” and other service project events throughout the school year.

8. Will you re-enroll for the next school year and why? Spencer is off to kindergarten next year, and so won’t re-enroll. I will not being enrolling Audrey for next year because I think that the 4-hour school day is too long for her at this point. If we are still living here when she is 3, I will enroll her. 9. Please give any other information you think would be helpful! Fall Registration for the 2009-2010 school year is February 3rd/4th for the Sixes location. (I think the 3rd is for students already enrolled and the 4th is for new students, but you should confirm that by calling the school). Also, there are still openings in some of the classes for the remainder of this school year (I’m not sure exactly which ages/days, but I know that they are not all full).

Preschool Survey 1. Name, location, phone & contact info of the school Timothy Lutheran Church Preschool, 556 Arnold Mill Rd, Woodstock (corner of Barnes and Arnold Mill) Director: Nancy Bulger 770.924.7995 2. What’s the schedule (days/times/ages, extended day)? All classes are 9:15-12:15, lunch bunch 12:15-1:15 ($4/day or 6 for $20) 4s: M-Th or T-Th 3s: M/W/F or T/Th 2s M/W or T/Th 18-24 month: T/Th I know there was word that they may extend the length of the days next year, but I am not sure what was decided. 3. Do the children bring their own lunch, or is lunch bunch available (& what’s the cost)? Lunch bunch is available, see cost above 4. What’s the tuition cost and is it reasonable for what you get? 4days: $160, 3days: $145 and 2days: $130

I think it is very reasonable for the service they provide for my children. I also get 10% discount for having multiple children enrolled. 5. Please rate the quality of instruction. Excellent. The staff is very caring and loving towards my children, while also encouraging not only academic growth but also social and spiritual growth. My children have thrived in this learning environment. 6. What are your likes & dislikes about the school/program/teacher, etc..? I like that it is a smaller preschool so my children get to know all the students there, not just the ones in their own classrooms. The teachers are very caring and loving making sure to help the children adapt to their surroundings away from their parents. I also like that it has academic basis, but still incorporates play and fun without the kids really knowing it (ie. There are very few “worksheets” that have come home from my kids). 7. Does your school have religious instruction and/or how much? For example: Do they have weekly chapel? Read bible stories in class? Say a blessing before snacks & lunch? TLC is very Christian based. Jesus is brought into many craft activities. They have a weekly chapel service, and also incorporate the bible story throughout the week. They say grace before snacks and lunch. 8. Will you re-enroll for the next school year and why? My oldest daughter will be ready for Kindergarten, but my middle daughter will be enrolled in the 4s class. 9. Please give any other information you think would be helpful! This is our 3rd year at Timothy and I have been very impressed with the school and the staff. I would definitely recommend sending your child here. I know that when I drop my girls off in the morning they are well taken care of by the staff. It is a small program, so you get to know not only the teacher your child has but also the other teachers in the building. Every class has two teachers in it regardless of the class size (ie. 12 to 2 ratio or 8 to 2 ratio). I think 12 is the biggest class size they have there. If you have any questions, please ask and I will share more of experiences with you. Thanks!! Kristin Freeman