Preschool Info
Oct 2nd, 2008 by Maria
Updated on April 10, 2009
Preschool Open House season starts up in the fall and we will start posting open house dates then. Meanwhile, here are some links to well regarded preschool programs in the area as well as some additional resources.
Lesley Ellis School (in Arlington)
Fayerweather Street School (starts at age 4)
Shady Hill (Lower School starts at age 4)
Cambridge Friends School (starts at age 4)
Watertown Cooperative Nursery School
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For those early on in the process, see this post from Keegan to jump start your thought process on choosing a school.
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The following programs - either beloved by your bloggers or highly recommended by families we know - do not hold fall open houses, but you can contact them for further info or to schedule a tour:
Botanic Gardens Children’s Center
Cambridgeport Childrens Center (”Tot Lot”)
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The City of Cambridge also offers a limited number of preschool spots at six of our elementary schools. For more on that, contacts are listed here
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Some other useful organizations:
Cambridge Center for Families
There is also a great PDF available on MIT’s HR website, which you can download even if you do not work at MIT (characteristic community spirit there - thanks MIT!). Go here and click on “Cambridge Childcare Centers.”
So helpful! I was just in the process of searching for all the the open house dates. Thanks for posting. (I had also managed to come across the MIT listing - what a find that was!)
For those of you looking into preschools in Cambridge, also consider Special Start. It is an inclusionary program run by the Office of Special Education for Cambridge Public Schools. They have classrooms in various schools around the city with half of the students, “special needs” and half, “typical learners.”
The special needs students are assigned to classrooms and the typical learners win spots through a lottery system. Applications are typically published in early spring, and assignments to a particular classroom come shortly thereafter. (Your child must be 3yo by or before August 31 of the year they will be attending preschool in order to apply). The cost of admission for all students is FREE!
Both of my daughters were assigned to the Special Start classroom at the Kennedy-Longfellow School and I feel blessed that they were each able to get a spot.
The curriculum is equally as nuturing and educational as you’d see in any other preschool in the city. There are around 15 children, (give or take 3) and 3 adults, (1 lead teacher and 2 assistants, depending on the needs of the students), per classroom. They start each day with a morning meeting, have choice time, have a snack, go out to the park, do more activities and finish up in time to leave by 12:15. I bring home a bag full of crafts that my daughter proudly made every other week. The kids also particpate in cooking projects every Thursday, making everything from french toast to banana muffins to chocolate chip cookies.
Although each classroom may be differently run, as there are different teachers leading each one, they have certain invaluable lessons in common. My daughters have come away with a basic respect for their peers, no matter what their ability or how they look. They do not descriminate when it comes to identifing who among their classmates are also their friends. And, they have a high level of tolerance for other childrens’ behaviors that many kids their age find disruptive.
When my older daughter started Junior Kindergarten last year she made friends quickly and seemed unfazed by the obvious difficulties some of her classmates were having with school. I wholeheartedly believe that I owe her preparedness to her experience the year before in Special Start.
In short, Special Start is an amazing program that deserves a second look from any parent considering preschool in Cambridge. I would recommend it without hesitation.
Our family is very happy at Bigelow Cooperative (www.bigelowcoop.org). Bigelow open house was January 27th, I wish I have come accross this website earlier to advertise!
Bigelow is currently accepting applications for September 2009.
Thank you for this great list of preschools!
My daughter went to Pine Village Preschool, a Spanish Immersion preschool that has just opened a new location in Porter Square this year. She loved it! http://www.mybilingualpreschool.com/
Hi,
My daughter is only 2.5 years old, but I’m already wondering about Preschools and K. She was born in September and from what I understand, CPS do not accept students unless they turn a certain age by August 31st. I know other districts will do testing (to see if the child can start “early” or if they should wait) if a child is born within 30 days of their cut-off date, but I am unsure about the rules and policies in Cambridge.
If anyone knows the answer to this question you’d save me a ton of reasearch.
Thanks!
Does anyone have any comments and/or recommendations about the Cambridge YMCA preschool? I’m thinking of sending my son, who’s 4, to the Y for preschool starting in September. Thanks!