Opinions on "northern" Rockville/Gaithersburg/Potomac preschools?

[Anonymous]

I think the time has come to shift my 3 year old from a FT nanny/PT, half-day nursery school set up to FT preschool. Our nanny is great and I appreciate the flexibility, but I think he needs more socialization and structure. He tends to be very active and would probably benefit from a place that offers a lot of outside time.

I know these places have been discussed extensively but would love feedback on:

- Goddard Rockville or Gaithersburg: the Rockville location is so close to us, so that alone is tempting, but it seems like there may be concerns around how it's run?
- Seneca Academy
- Butler Montessori
- The Harbor School
- Primary Montessori
- Norbeck Montessori

[Anonymous]

I have sent my kids to Seneca and find it to be a warm and loving preschool. Do they offer a full day 3s class or am I misunderstanding what hours you want?

[Anonymous]

Surprised you've heard bad things about Rockville Goddard - we know people who sent their kids there within the last three years who were very happy.

[Anonymous]

You should probably first decide if you want a Montessori or non-Montessori. A 3 year old would be in a class with 4, 5, and 6 year olds, sometimes close to 30 kids in a classroom. Imaginary/pretend play is not encouraged/not even really allowed in the classroom. The kids can learn a ton of math and language if they are focused and self-motivated. But I've also seen kids spend three years wandering around the classroom and learning very little. Some kids love it but I've also seen kids be miserable in that kind of environment. IME the first year as a 3 year old can be very hard because there are so many kids who are so much older.

I don't think Primary is actually accredited and is known as a very hardcore/very heavy on academics. Butler has fantastic outdoor play areas and as an accredited AMI school has to strictly adhere to Montessori guidelines (which you may or may not like). Seneca is an IB school (inquiry-based, play emphasis) with nice outdoor spaces. I don't know anything about Harbor or Norbeck.

[Anonymous]

If you're relying on preschool as childcare while you work full-time make sure to check the calendar carefully. Some preschools with full day programs are closed for several/many weeks per year and shorter summer hours which can make things very difficult unless you have backup care options.

[Anonymous]

Epworth
Rockville Nursery School

[Anonymous]

Hi! Butler Montessori has a great primary program. However, I believe they are on a waitlist now. Also, most of the students who start at Butler continue through to the Elementary and Middle School programs. So if you're just looking for preschool and then want to transition to public school, perhaps it isn't the best option. I hope you find a good fit!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you're relying on preschool as childcare while you work full-time make sure to check the calendar carefully. Some preschools with full day programs are closed for several/many weeks per year and shorter summer hours which can make things very difficult unless you have backup care options.

100% this. You need to look at the calendar 1st thing. There are a lot of preschools in this area that pretty much are an absolute no go for working parents. Some are closed for nearly a month during the winter holidays. Like this person mentioned-they are most of the time not full year and there will be weeks between school and summer camp either at the end or beginning. The random days closed too. It’s absurd as a working parent and it just won’t work.

[Anonymous]

Pp here. Also, I forgot to mention-the first 3 schools you mentioned are definitely ones that fall in to the closed all the time category. So keep that in mind. Never looked into the other 2.