I need some recommendations for preschools in the Deerfield area. We are Jewish, but it's not a necessity that the school is religious. Any advice? My little man is going to be three in March and he's really small for his age (22lbs) so I want to make sure the ratio for teacher:child is small. Thanks in advance.
Search the NAEYC's (National Association for the Education of Young Children) database at www.naeyc.org. This group has rigorous accreditation standards, which often include better staff:child ratios than what is required by the state.
I live in Highland Park, and send my 3 yr. old to B'nai Torah. It has very small classrooms w/ only 8-10 kids in a class. Also, I have heard amazing things about Deerfield Nursery School, as well as Moriah. You might also want to check out the JCC and Lutz. Good luck.
I highly recommend Deerfield Community Nursery School (http://www.deerfieldcommunitynurseryschool.com). This is my daughter's second year there (she is almost four). The school is NAEYC accredited, and the school has one of the lowest child to teacher ratios in the area. The staff is very wonderful and caring and will take the time to make sure that you and your child are comfortable with the new experience of him/her going off to school. The school has a parent-run board, so if you are interested you can get involved and have an influence over the school. The parents I have encountered through the school are extremely friendly, and I and my daughter have made some good friends though the school. While the school rents out space from the Methodist church at the corner of Rosemary Terrace and Deerfield Rd, it is not religiously-affiliated in any way. There are children of all faiths who attend the school.
The school has an Open House coming up Nov. 3 from 10AM-Noon where you can meet some of the staff, see the classrooms and meet some of the other families who have children at the school. My husband, daughter and I attended one of these while we were trying to decide where she should go for preschool, and we decided on the spot to sign her up. I can't say enough good things about the school.
Have you tried the Park District. They often have wonderful pre school programs?
