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My daughter and son-in-law plan a move to Oakland this summer, and they will be needing a preschool for their daughter who will turn 4 in May. My son-in-law is a stay-at-home dad (and a fabulous one!), so they do not need an extended day. My granddaughter is currently enjoying a two day a week mornings-only program. Anyone know of any schools with openings for a 4 year old next fall - preferably mornings only, 3 days a week? Charlotte gets lots of academic attention at home -- best would be a school that focuses on social and emotional development. Also, a good art program would be a bonus, but I know that this late, for the last year of preschool before kindergarten, finding a spot is going to be hard. Nice kid (if I do say so myself) and great dad. They also have a 2 year old boy, who presumably would follow if the family likes the school. Co-op ok. Charlotte's Nana
We've decided that our 2 1/2 year old could benefit from being in either preschool or a toddler program a few mornings a week (we prefer two days). We would like to start visiting schools as soon as possible. I realize that many places have extensive waiting lists, but we are looking for availability soon, so if your child's school has spaces left, please let me know! We are looking for something a few days a week, either co op or not. Cost is of importance. While her Grandparents will help us with the cost, we would like to find something for less than $350 per month if possible. Ideally, we would like to have her in preschool 2-3 days per week for about 4 hrs per day. A play based school with a good teacher/child ratio and a large outdoor area is preferred. We feel that Montessori may not be right for our child, but we are open to hear about yours if you are happy with your child's experience there. The school could be in Pinole, Richmond, Albany, El Cerrito or in Berkeley. Any advice or referrals are appreciated! THANKS~Anne
Hi, I live in the Laurel District of Oakland, and am interested in finding preschools relatively close to us (Say, from mid-San Leandro to Grand Lake to Montclair area) that will take children for 2 whole days a week. Most of the ones I've found so far have a 3 day minimum, and right now that costs more than I like and is more personal time than I need. Any suggestions? Jeanne
We recently posted looking for preschool options for the fall, for our two girls, aged 2 and 4. (We're from Cambridge, MA but are moving to Berkeley this summer.) Huge thanks to everyone who wrote in with recs for North Berkeley & Albany--now we're hoping for a few recs for the Rockridge area. We're looking for something part time (3-4 mornings a week); prefer something small, cozy, diverse, & play-based; some sort of ''enrichment'' offering would be a nice bonus (ie, music, yoga, dance, 2nd language, etc); and ideally some place that would take both girls. I know it's a tall order, and we're late to the game, but if anyone has any leads or suggestions (even if they don't fit all of the above), they would be very much appreciated. Thanks again!!! Jen
I am looking for recommendations for a small preschool, ie. less than 15 children, that takes part time families, and is located around the Berkeley area. I've checked the website but just wondering if anyone has any new recommendations. Thanks in advance. bh
I know of two excellent preschools who accept part-timers and have a max. of 15 kids. Both are located in or near El Cerrito so I'm not sure if these would work for you. Sadly, most of the smaller schools tend to be harder to get into as they have fewer spots and often younger siblings of the current students get priority. I would encourage you to call anyway because things can always change. Recommended:
Hi, I'm looking for a play based preschool and/or co-op where my high energy son could attend only 3 days a week(as opposed to 5). Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. bh
Recommendations received:
I am looking to enroll my 3 year old daughter in preschool two days (or perhaps a few 1/2 days) a week. (I am disabled and cannot afford anymore much for tuition) The preschools I've called so far do not favor part-timers and I do not wish to participate in a co-op.I would love for her to have the social experience of playing with kids here own age. If anyone can recommend a loving preschool in the Richmond/El Cerrito area, I would be most greatful. jane
Recommendations received:
I know that many co-ops have a part-time or more tradiational format. I would prefer to find a school that is not a co-op, though I realize I may end up compromising on that, especially if it means I get everything else on my wish list.
Also, I realize there is a page on the website that lists part- time preschools, but the ones listed there do not work for us for various reasons - some, on closer inspection, are more like day care (I think in those cases the schools have changed since the original post a couple of years ago); others require the child to be 2.9 on entry (my daughter will be 2 1/2 as of 9/1/2003); others are Jewish schools (our family is not); etc.
So, I'm looking for some new recommendations for part-time
preschools (a.k.a. ''traditional'' nursery schools). Ideally, I
am looking for a school that:
* is located in Oakland or Berkeley
* includes some ''academics,'' for lack of a better word
exposure to letters and numbers, learning about... who knows
maybe how plants grow, or something. At any rate, not just
playing
* has a nice outdoor play area (well, nice indoor one too :)
* has a low teacher turnover
* takes field trips (though I realize this may not be feasible
anymore with the new car seat laws)
* and, lastly, in the absolutely ideal world -- is a school
that includes French as part of the program (I know I won't get
that lucky, but it never hurts to ask...!)
Thanks so much to all for your help. Sarah
We will be looking for daycare for our (to be born) infant son in late February. He will be about 4 months old. We will be needing 3 days a week of care. We are certainly planning to explore nanny shares, but we are also wondering if anyone knows of home/family or center daycares that will a) take infants this young and b) accomodate a 3-day week schedule. We live in Oakland but work in Berkeley, so we are open to a variety of locales. Many, many thanks! Christy
I'm currently a stay-at-home mom with a 2 year old son. I've noticed that he has begun craving more social interaction with kids around his age, but don't want to put him in a part-time daycare situation yet (the typical minimum hours/commitment is more than I need at the moment). What I would love to find is a paid/supervised "playgroup" situation where I could drop him off a couple of times a week for 2-3 hours at a time. Ideally, others would be doing the same and my son would have the opportunity to see the same kids on a regular basis. Does anything like this exist, and if so, can anyone recommend one? thanks!
Recommendations received:
After conducting extensive research of 15+ nursery/preschools in the Oakland/Montclair/Piedmont area, I am in somewhat of a quandary. It seems that nearly every school I have investigated is a "full-time" program, bearing closer resemblance to day-care than to the type of 2 or 3 mornings a week program I have in mind. A few of the co-ops (Montclair Community and Peter Pan) seem to have more flexibility in this regard, but for me the time commitment with a co-op is not feasible. Does anyone know of a good "part-time" (mornings only, several days a week) program with an emphasis on socialization. Many thanks, Rebecca
There are a number of pre-schools that meet your description: Linda Beech and Highlands in Piedmont, Duck's Nest in Oakland on Peidmont Avenue and I believe Hearts Leap on College in Berkeley also offers this kind of program. Unless there has been a very recent change in the programs all of these are exactly what you are describing.
Last updated: Apr 29, 2009
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