After a tough year of struggling with the choice of sending my daughter to kindergarten or holdng her back a year (she has an August birthday, I have decided to hold her back.
My problem is finding a preschool that will get her ready for kindergarten and not be a daycare. My district (197) only has options for moms that are stay at home. I need to find a preschool with all day options since I work full-time.
I live in West St. Paul, but work in Savage. Anything in between would be fine.
Thanks for your help and advice!
I know of a private Lutheran school which has a full day school open to 5 year olds. It's in Eagan.
Bernie's Montessori in downtown Minneapolis might prove to be a WONDERFUL option for you. As far as I know, they offer 3, 4 and 5 day a week programs, have a fantastic educational aspect to their program -- along with full day care -- and also offer a kindergarten component build right into their curriculum. I sent both of my children there and absolutely loved it. If the downtown area would work for your commute, please let me know as I would be more than happy to share more information with you (or you could call the director directly...her name is Judy and she can be reached at###-###-####). Good luck.
Some of the YMCAs have preschool programs along with daycare. There is one in Eagan and one in Burnsville. I know every child is different, but we decided to wait a year to send our son with a July birthday to kindergarten and I think it was definitely the best decision for our son. You might want to change your terminology in front of your daughter. I didn't want our son to feel like we "held him back" from anything so we always told him we just "decided to wait a year." He's glad we did too. Good luck with the preschool search.
Primrose School of Savage is excellent. We have been going there for two years. They are open 6:30 to 6:30 so drop off and pick up is easy. Let me know if you want more information.
Hi T.,
Bloomington offers an Early Learners Academy right in the elementary school so the kids are in the school environment (have lunch in the cafeteria, recess, etc.), but focused on getting kids ready for Kindergarten. If you want to do any research, I would try this week, the school will be closed by the June 20th and won't open again until mid-August.
The program is offered at Ridgeview Elementary which is only a 9 month program and also at Poplar Bridge which I believe is 12 month program.
Not sure of the cost, but might be worth investigating so you can compare to other options and make a decision you think will work for your daughter.
My daughter has a August birthday too and I really really regret sending her to kindergarten barely being 5 so you've made a great choice.
As far as being ready for Kindergarten being that she'll be a bit older I wouldn't worry to much. If she knows classroom rules, how to follow simple tasks directions, write her name, letters, numbers she's ready to go. The part where my daughter suffered was maturity and only time can help with that.
My daughter went to Tiny Tots Preschool through school district 191 we went to the Savage location right off Hwy.13 behind Culvers in the Hamilton building. They do have traditional preschool where stay at home mom's bring their lil one's during the day but they also have a nighttime option. I think it's 1 or 2 days a week in the evenings. We tried that and it worked for us. I just packed her a bag lunch(dinner) and she got out around 7:30-8pm I think. This was a few years ago.
Otherwise Dist.191 has Project Kids which is daycare/preschool and I've heard it's a great program.
There are several Montessori pre-schools in St. Paul ~ you can look them up on Google or in Dex. Two are close to or in Highland Park. There might even be one in Savage. Check them out.
