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Parent Answers to "How did you choose a preschool in Bellevue?"
Viewing 1 answer
I went to a few open house events, talked to everyone I could find, and tried to find something that really got me excited. They all seemed just fine, but nothing really grabbed me.
My sister gave my favorite advice: "The best preschool is the one closest to your house! You only have 2-3 hours, don't spend half of it driving!" As it turned out, after looking everywhere for something better, we sent both our kids to the nearest preschool. Phantom Lake Integrated Preschool serves all the special needs kids in the district. Their inclusive model requires "typically developing peers" in order to be effective, so they accept kids 3 and up. A few things I loved about this program:
Diversity! My children each spent 3 years there (they have fall birthdays) and got to know children at all levels of ability and with a wide range of temperaments. They learned effective communication patterns and problem-solving that they never would have learned elsewhere.
Small classes: the most we ever had was 14 kids in a class, led by a teacher with a Master's in Special Ed assisted by two para-educators and occasionally an intern.
Cost: tuition was about half that of a private preschool.
Academics: because it's in the public school system, the teachers know exactly what is needed for Kindergarten. The kids also have weekly music and PE classes, so it's very much like kindergarten. Transition to all-day K was absolutely seamless.
Consistency: the program is 4 days a week, which initially scared me. It was easy to form a routine around school, and that was a benefit to us all.
Convenience: drive-through dropoff. I really appreciated this when I had a baby in the car!
This program is one of the hidden gems in our community, where there are plenty of flashier options. It's worth a look.
My sister gave my favorite advice: "The best preschool is the one closest to your house! You only have 2-3 hours, don't spend half of it driving!" As it turned out, after looking everywhere for something better, we sent both our kids to the nearest preschool. Phantom Lake Integrated Preschool serves all the special needs kids in the district. Their inclusive model requires "typically developing peers" in order to be effective, so they accept kids 3 and up. A few things I loved about this program:
Diversity! My children each spent 3 years there (they have fall birthdays) and got to know children at all levels of ability and with a wide range of temperaments. They learned effective communication patterns and problem-solving that they never would have learned elsewhere.
Small classes: the most we ever had was 14 kids in a class, led by a teacher with a Master's in Special Ed assisted by two para-educators and occasionally an intern.
Cost: tuition was about half that of a private preschool.
Academics: because it's in the public school system, the teachers know exactly what is needed for Kindergarten. The kids also have weekly music and PE classes, so it's very much like kindergarten. Transition to all-day K was absolutely seamless.
Consistency: the program is 4 days a week, which initially scared me. It was easy to form a routine around school, and that was a benefit to us all.
Convenience: drive-through dropoff. I really appreciated this when I had a baby in the car!
This program is one of the hidden gems in our community, where there are plenty of flashier options. It's worth a look.
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