Anonymous
05/08/2018 17:42
Subject: Estrellitas
We enrolled our son for the Fall. Although he hasn’t started we got a really good vibe from the Director and staff we met on the tour. The classroom was spacious and beautiful and they are one of the few AMS member schools in the area that takes toddlers.
I haven’t read one negative about the school in all of my digging but would also love any feedback from current families.
I haven’t read one negative about the school in all of my digging but would also love any feedback from current families.
Anonymous
05/07/2018 20:30
Subject: Estrellitas
Bumping for any other recent feedback on Estrellitas! Any current or recent parents who have thoughts? Thank you!
Anonymous
04/12/2018 13:49
Subject: Re:Estrellitas
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We love it! But I know you want constructive feedback so here it goes, positives and negatives:
Positives: The staff are really caring and they seem to love their jobs and the kids, and that's something that was lacking in all the other daycare centers we visited. That really is the most important thing for us at this stage. They also take the kids outside a lot for walks to the playground, around the neighborhood, and to the side of the building where they have an outdoor play area. Now that the weather has changed especially, I want my DC to have a lot of time outdoors, not cooped up inside. That said, most of the rooms are spacious with a lot of toys and Montessori-style activities for them to get into. There are family-engagement events all the time and they really encourage you to be a part of the community. Our DC also loves the new music teacher that comes I think once a week (plays the guitar and sings to the kids).
Downsides: They don't really have a curriculum, it's definitely a daycare as opposed to a "school," so when our DC is older and academics becomes important we'll probably consider switching. I also agree with the PP who said many of the parents are bilingual, which makes it easy for them to communicate with the caregivers. If you don't speak Spanish you might find it difficult to have meaningful conversations about your child because their English is very basic. It's a Spanish immersion daycare so they of course speak exclusively in Spanish to the kids, which is a positive for us, but if that's not something you want then it's something to note. Also, they often switch in other staff to help out when one of the primary staffers isn't there, which seems to happen at various points in the day, so you may see someone you don't know in the room or changing diapers, etc. Some people may not like that.
Happy to answer any specific questions for you.
"so when our DC is older and academics becomes important we'll probably consider switching" LOL. Do you mean to kindergarten? Seriously people, what kind of academics do 3 and 4 year old children really need?
Some people are looking for more than daycare for their children at 3 and 4. They're looking for a a learning environment that's building foundational skills. Maybe not "academics" per say, but more than many daycare centers provide. Some people will say their DCs are getting that at Estrellitas and that's great. We didn't feel that way, so we moved DC someplace else. We also felt there was a lack of control in the group. Lots of incidents of biting and hitting (by 1-2 kids in particular) that were never addressed. Perhaps it was the large montessori-style class sizes without enough teachers to manage it.
Anonymous
04/12/2018 11:36
Subject: Re:Estrellitas
Anonymous wrote:We love it! But I know you want constructive feedback so here it goes, positives and negatives:
Positives: The staff are really caring and they seem to love their jobs and the kids, and that's something that was lacking in all the other daycare centers we visited. That really is the most important thing for us at this stage. They also take the kids outside a lot for walks to the playground, around the neighborhood, and to the side of the building where they have an outdoor play area. Now that the weather has changed especially, I want my DC to have a lot of time outdoors, not cooped up inside. That said, most of the rooms are spacious with a lot of toys and Montessori-style activities for them to get into. There are family-engagement events all the time and they really encourage you to be a part of the community. Our DC also loves the new music teacher that comes I think once a week (plays the guitar and sings to the kids).
Downsides: They don't really have a curriculum, it's definitely a daycare as opposed to a "school," so when our DC is older and academics becomes important we'll probably consider switching. I also agree with the PP who said many of the parents are bilingual, which makes it easy for them to communicate with the caregivers. If you don't speak Spanish you might find it difficult to have meaningful conversations about your child because their English is very basic. It's a Spanish immersion daycare so they of course speak exclusively in Spanish to the kids, which is a positive for us, but if that's not something you want then it's something to note. Also, they often switch in other staff to help out when one of the primary staffers isn't there, which seems to happen at various points in the day, so you may see someone you don't know in the room or changing diapers, etc. Some people may not like that.
Happy to answer any specific questions for you.
"so when our DC is older and academics becomes important we'll probably consider switching" LOL. Do you mean to kindergarten? Seriously people, what kind of academics do 3 and 4 year old children really need?
Anonymous
04/10/2018 13:50
Subject: Re:Estrellitas
Does anyone have recent feedback on Estrellitas? I am considering it for my 2 year old son. We are waitlisted at a few area Montessori programs and were looking at this as an option.
Anonymous
06/11/2015 12:29
Subject: Re:Estrellitas
I can't imagine they'd take kids part-time when they have a waitlist for full-time enrollment.
Anonymous
06/11/2015 11:00
Subject: Re:Estrellitas
I know they're not taking more part times due to the number of families applying and those in their wait list. Hopefully they reconsider for next year!
Anonymous
06/10/2015 18:29
Subject: Estrellitas
Does anyone know if they have part time options?
Anonymous
06/10/2015 14:39
Subject: Estrellitas
We've been there about a year, and our child is now 3. He's got a firm grasp of the alphabet and can count to 100 in two languages. There is a schedule, but they also have a lot of time outside. All of the daytime "play" is centered around specific kid-chosen activities, Montessori-Style, where each activity has a purpose. They are still really little, so I don't know how much more academic rigor you would really want for the under 4 set.
What I like best about that is that it has made my son pretty independent and really confident, oh, and bilingual. He talks about his "friends" (his words) from school constantly. The parent community is fantastic, and very engaged. We actually decided to keep our kid here instead of going to our PreK3 IB that we got into.
I believe that there is already a waitlist for this fall, but you would want to call to find out for certain.
What I like best about that is that it has made my son pretty independent and really confident, oh, and bilingual. He talks about his "friends" (his words) from school constantly. The parent community is fantastic, and very engaged. We actually decided to keep our kid here instead of going to our PreK3 IB that we got into.
I believe that there is already a waitlist for this fall, but you would want to call to find out for certain.
Anonymous
06/10/2015 14:16
Subject: Re:Estrellitas
I'm investigating Estrellitas as an option for my toddler beginning this fall. Does anyone know how likely it is for a spot to be available?
Also, concerned about the previous poster mentioning that the curriculum isn't that strong. My son's current daycare ages out at 2 and I was looking for something that would be more academic starting for ages 2 and 3. (He'll be almost four by the time he starts DCPS PreK3.) Anyone else have experience they'd like to share?
Also, concerned about the previous poster mentioning that the curriculum isn't that strong. My son's current daycare ages out at 2 and I was looking for something that would be more academic starting for ages 2 and 3. (He'll be almost four by the time he starts DCPS PreK3.) Anyone else have experience they'd like to share?
Anonymous
05/14/2015 20:55
Subject: Re:Estrellitas
You have to call them to get the details on rates, I think it may be different based on the age of your child (what room he'll be in). Hours are typical I think?
Anonymous
05/12/2015 14:16
Subject: Re:Estrellitas
The website is really bare bones. What are their rates? I'm looking for a slot for my 3 year old. Also, what are the hours of operation?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Anonymous
05/11/2015 10:02
Subject: Re:Estrellitas
We love it! But I know you want constructive feedback so here it goes, positives and negatives:
Positives: The staff are really caring and they seem to love their jobs and the kids, and that's something that was lacking in all the other daycare centers we visited. That really is the most important thing for us at this stage. They also take the kids outside a lot for walks to the playground, around the neighborhood, and to the side of the building where they have an outdoor play area. Now that the weather has changed especially, I want my DC to have a lot of time outdoors, not cooped up inside. That said, most of the rooms are spacious with a lot of toys and Montessori-style activities for them to get into. There are family-engagement events all the time and they really encourage you to be a part of the community. Our DC also loves the new music teacher that comes I think once a week (plays the guitar and sings to the kids).
Downsides: They don't really have a curriculum, it's definitely a daycare as opposed to a "school," so when our DC is older and academics becomes important we'll probably consider switching. I also agree with the PP who said many of the parents are bilingual, which makes it easy for them to communicate with the caregivers. If you don't speak Spanish you might find it difficult to have meaningful conversations about your child because their English is very basic. It's a Spanish immersion daycare so they of course speak exclusively in Spanish to the kids, which is a positive for us, but if that's not something you want then it's something to note. Also, they often switch in other staff to help out when one of the primary staffers isn't there, which seems to happen at various points in the day, so you may see someone you don't know in the room or changing diapers, etc. Some people may not like that.
Happy to answer any specific questions for you.
Positives: The staff are really caring and they seem to love their jobs and the kids, and that's something that was lacking in all the other daycare centers we visited. That really is the most important thing for us at this stage. They also take the kids outside a lot for walks to the playground, around the neighborhood, and to the side of the building where they have an outdoor play area. Now that the weather has changed especially, I want my DC to have a lot of time outdoors, not cooped up inside. That said, most of the rooms are spacious with a lot of toys and Montessori-style activities for them to get into. There are family-engagement events all the time and they really encourage you to be a part of the community. Our DC also loves the new music teacher that comes I think once a week (plays the guitar and sings to the kids).
Downsides: They don't really have a curriculum, it's definitely a daycare as opposed to a "school," so when our DC is older and academics becomes important we'll probably consider switching. I also agree with the PP who said many of the parents are bilingual, which makes it easy for them to communicate with the caregivers. If you don't speak Spanish you might find it difficult to have meaningful conversations about your child because their English is very basic. It's a Spanish immersion daycare so they of course speak exclusively in Spanish to the kids, which is a positive for us, but if that's not something you want then it's something to note. Also, they often switch in other staff to help out when one of the primary staffers isn't there, which seems to happen at various points in the day, so you may see someone you don't know in the room or changing diapers, etc. Some people may not like that.
Happy to answer any specific questions for you.
Anonymous
05/08/2015 15:50
Subject: Estrellitas
Love it. We have our toddler there, and will be sending our new kid there as well. Very friendly parents, which is great. They encourage communication among the families, and that seems to be a bit rare, in my experience.
Also, we (the parents) are not bilingual, but our 3 year old now is. Lots of the parents are bilingual, but there are others who are not. It's just a really caring environment, and we are happy to be there.
Also, we (the parents) are not bilingual, but our 3 year old now is. Lots of the parents are bilingual, but there are others who are not. It's just a really caring environment, and we are happy to be there.
Anonymous
05/08/2015 15:28
Subject: Estrellitas
Anyone have a review of Estrellitas? Thinking of starting my toddler there in the Fall but would love to see additional reviews. Thanks!!