Communikids or Caterpillar Preschool

[Anonymous]

I was wondering, did the same folks start the Communikids Preschool and Caterpillar Preschool in Tenleytown? I.e. was it a co-op first and did it then split into two programs?

Are the programs equally good now? If you want French Immersion you'd have to go to the Caterpillar Preschool but if you want Spanish you can do either one, depending on if you're interested in half-day vs. full-day?

I haven't found that much parent feedback about the programs so I'd love to hear from current parents, especially of the Caterpillar Preschool, what their thoughts are. And how does the program compare to other preschools in DC?

[Anonymous]

I'd love some information on this subject as well. We're considering the Caterpillar School for our 2 year old because we like the idea of French immersion, but I know nothing of the school's reputation. Any parents of current students out there who can comment? Thanks very much!

[Anonymous]

We're considering the Caterpillar Preschool as well, and liked what we saw when we visited. I spoke to a few parents who have their kids enrolled right now and they really liked the program. Odd though that there is nothing DCUM about it... The parents also knew nothing of the issues (with the landlord/lease) the Caterpillar Co-Op had that I read about in some of the threads, I guess that is a good thing.

Communikids in Tenleytown doesn't offer French I think, in VA though they do.

[Anonymous]

Former Coop parent here. Communikids is a spin-off of the original Caterpillar Co-op, some former families started it. They used to do just afterschool classes and recently started a preschool. I don't know much about it to be honest. I do believe it is quite pricey though with no outside space.
The Caterpillar Co-op had to close because of problems with their space/landlord. The Co-op was an amazing place. Our children had the best time and learned a lot of Spanish. We are still friends with the teachers. All exceptional educators.
The church were the Co-op was located took over the name and classrooms and started their own program called the Caterpillar Preschool. All the Co-op families, teachers and administration left for other schools because they were not happy with the changes.
I am surprise the preschool is operating. I had heard they had not been able to get it off the ground. I do not know anything about their program.
Maybe this will help clarify the situation a little bit.

[Anonymous]

I'd also be interested in more information about Caterpillar preschool.

[Anonymous]

Bump - interested in recent caterpillar preschool experiences .

[Anonymous]

Bump

[Anonymous]

We're looking at both these schools for 2012 and would love any recent feedback on either. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I'm also interested.

[Anonymous]

Communikids constantly gets rave reviews by kids and parents. Kids thrive there in a dynamic, joyful and nurturing environment. Even if you are not a bilingual family, your child will be. It's fantastic.

[Anonymous]

My daughter is in the Spanish class at Caterpillar, and we've been very happy with the school so far. She's eager to go to school in the mornings and loves her teachers. The teacher-kid ratio is great--there are about ten kids in the class (and about the same in French) but since some only go two or three days a week, on any given day there are five or six kids, and two teachers. They have a little playground--nothing spectacular, but they do play outside every day.

I'm not sure why there's so little about Caterpillar on DCUM--maybe because it's so small? They're not great at self-promotion, and the facility is pretty modest compared with some of the other preschools in the neighborhood. But it's cheerful and friendly. We're so glad we found it!

[Anonymous]

My child is in the French class at Caterpillar and I fully agree with the PP -- we are extremely happy. My child is delighted to go to school in the mornings. The teachers are absolutely lovely, the teacher-student ratio is fantastic, the atmosphere is nurturing, and the administration is very responsive and down to earth. I agree that the facilities are modest, their playground is not spetacular, and their website is not the best around, but are perfectly adequate for what we need. A (somewhat hidden) gem !

[Anonymous]

We love Communikids. So does our daughter. It's a real "find" in terms of preschool ans Spanish immersion. They offer after school French, Chinese and Arabic in the Tenleytown area. Great staff. Very fun and nurturing. Love the mix of international parents you meet there as well. And yes, we have seen kids there from non Spanish speaking homes become bilingual. It happens gradually, so give it time. But they zip in and out of English and Spanish very easily. It's a beautiful and amazing thing to watch.

[Anonymous]

We are also considering the Caterpillar preschool - I'll see it this Friday at an open house. I'm excited about it, but would love any other info. people have. We looked at Communikids and loved it, but really only want a half-day program for our 3-year-old, which isn't an option at Communikids.

[Anonymous]

PP, I posted above about the Spanish class at Caterpillar. If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to try to answer them.