Looking for part time four year old preschool

[Anonymous]

Actually, all of the Audubon posts on here are just from me - one mom who is thrilled with the program and didn't know about it a year ago. Just trying to help others who might be in a similar situation - looking for a program that is not full time, yet is very enriching, nurturing, and emphasizes time in the great outdoors. No need to respond if you're not interested, and no need to attempt to criticize a program which you obviously know nothing about. I won't be responding any further to comments but just had to put that out there.

[Anonymous]

NP here, and I know quite a bit about the Audubon preschool. There's a reason why they have to troll for enrollment. ANS has wonderful camps and elementary-aged activities. Unfortunately, the preschool is a disaster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here, and I know quite a bit about the Audubon preschool. There's a reason why they have to troll for enrollment. ANS has wonderful camps and elementary-aged activities. Unfortunately, the preschool is a disaster.

Can you say a bit more? Give specifics?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here, and I know quite a bit about the Audubon preschool. There's a reason why they have to troll for enrollment. ANS has wonderful camps and elementary-aged activities. Unfortunately, the preschool is a disaster.

Can you say a bit more? Give specifics?

PP here who said Audubon is a disaster. Here's my advice: get to know the young woman who is the director and get very familiar with her philosophy. Ask how long the teachers have been teaching at the preschool, and what prior classroom experience (IF ANY) that each of them has. Ask about the curriculum in detail. Ask about the ability levels of kids, and how they manage groups that range from just-turned 3yo to well past 5yo. Ask how many of the children have ever been in any organized setting outside the home previously. Ask how many neighborhood families attend the school in a neighborhood packed with kids.

Bottom line: It is a fine mother's-day-out program for the attachment-parenting crowd - just not a well-run preschool. There are plenty of others in the BCC area.

And if you're not convinced, consider this: the Audubon summer camps sell out on the day that pre-registration opens (selectively, only to Audubon members, many of whom join solely to get early camp registration), some camps fill up within the first hour of early registration. Hundreds of kids, many of whom come back year after year. The preschool meanwhile goes begging each year to fill 30 slots. There's a reason for this disparity. It's too bad.

[Anonymous]

I've only heard great things about Audubon. True, it may be too outdoor focused for some but that is the point. To the PP who was unhappy, you have your age range wrong according to their current policy. Children enrolled are no younger than 3.5 when they enroll so there are no recently turned 3yos in the program. I was told this was because they are hiking outdoors for such a long period of time they need them all to be able to keep up.