School options for 3-year old in Arlington

[Anonymous]

Next September our DD will be 3 years old. She is home with a nanny now, and it feels like she is ready to go to some sort of school next summer.

We are new to the area, live in Ballston. Ideally we'd like to find a part-time pre-K of some sort for her, half days. What are our options? Are there huge waiting lists?

Any recommendations for pre-K schools around Ballston/Clarendon perhaps?

[Anonymous]

Most of the part time preschools have applications that are due each January. Many of them do have wait lists that don't roll over from year to year. My sons haven't been in preschool for 3 years, but they both went to Westover Baptist and loved it. They used to have a rolling wait list, but I am not sure if that still is true.

Other popular programs are Mt. Olivet, Trinity Presbyterian, and Faith Lutheran, Resurrection Lutheran. As you can see, most of them are church based.

[Anonymous]

Most of the half-day preschools in Arlington do not having rolling wait lists. You would apply this winter for a spot in Fall '15. Some options to look at in the Ballston/Clarendon area...Mt Olivet, Kinhaven, Faith Lutheran. A bit futher away...Early Years, Overlee, Trinity Presbyterian

[Anonymous]

I've also heard good things about the preschool at Temple Etz Hayim on Rte 50. You don't need to be Jewish to attend - I have Christian friends who've been very happy there.

[Anonymous]

Last Feb, Trinity had an in person lottery process. That's tough to get into, as is Mt Olivet. There's also St Charles preschool a couple blocks from Clarendon metro.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most of the part time preschools have applications that are due each January. Many of them do have wait lists that don't roll over from year to year. My sons haven't been in preschool for 3 years, but they both went to Westover Baptist and loved it. They used to have a rolling wait list, but I am not sure if that still is true.

Other popular programs are Mt. Olivet, Trinity Presbyterian, and Faith Lutheran, Resurrection Lutheran. As you can see, most of them are church based.

Lots of preschool programs are in churches in Arlington because they have the space (lots of big buildings with "educational wings"), but many of those schools are just leasing the space from the church and aren't religious or affiliated in any way. Children's International is in a UCC church and Funshine is in a Methodist church and neither are affiliated with the denomination (or even with the local congregation). The UU co-op, I think, is affiliated with the church.

[Anonymous]

OP here: thank you very much!

[Anonymous]

fyi...Mt. Olivet is church-affiliated. Mainly that means the kids go to chapel with the minister I think once a week and say grace at meals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:fyi...Mt. Olivet is church-affiliated. Mainly that means the kids go to chapel with the minister I think once a week and say grace at meals.

My kid is on the 3s there. They sit in the church once a month and the pastor talks to them. It's not a service. They do say grace: "thank you for the food we eat, thank you for the birds that sing, thank you god for everything".