Selecting The Right Preschool For Your Child: Observation Is The Key

January 27, 2016 - Hingham, MA – Preschool enrollment season is well underway on the south shore, and with so many wonderful options to consider in our area, selecting the right preschool for your child can seem like an overwhelming process. Related to the “college application process” by many new parents, preschool application deadlines, attending open houses and information gathering seems to take up a lot of time and energy – not to mention the stress of evaluating which school will be the right fit for their children.

One of the most critical elements in selecting a child’s first school experience comes down to a parent’s intuition and whether or not a parent can imagine their child thriving in a particular classroom environment. While much information can be gleaned from visiting school websites, pouring over marketing materials, visiting open houses and meeting with Admissions Directors, there is no better way to truly gain a sense of the school, and the classroom, than by simply observing the students, and teachers, “in action”.

Old Colony Montessori School (OCMS) Admissions Director, Courtney Palek, is passionate about providing prospective parents the opportunity to, not only learn about the curriculum and pedagogy, but to truly experience a “day in the life” of the experience a child would have in the classroom environment. “Selecting a school for your child is very much about the emotional response you, as a parent, feels in a particular environment. The only way to gain a sense of confidence, conviction and connection to a particular school and learning approach is to spend time at, and have access to, the school, the classrooms and the staff,” says Palek. “At Old Colony Montessori School, we absolutely encourage prospective parents – and their children - to get to know our school, our curriculum, and our staff well before the official enrollment process begins. We take pride in our dedication to helping new families through the application and enrollment process. We understand that this is a very big decision for parents and they deserve to have all of the information possible to make the right choice for their child”.

Having the opportunity to complete an in-classroom observation, receive a private tour, engage in personalized, thorough discussions about curriculum and educational approach, and have the child, themselves, participate in student visiting days can help to demystify, and clarify, the preschool enrollment process for many families. Most preschools will now offer the opportunity to participate in-classroom observations (many by request only).

As available space for Fall 2016 is filling up quickly in many area preschools, OCMS is offering prospective parents the opportunity to participate in this important and helpful “in-classroom” observation experience on Tuesday, February 9th at 9:00am and 10:00am. Space is limited and RSVP’s are required.

OCMS, located at 247 Gardner Street in Hingham, offers 2, 3 and 5-day Children’s House morning programs for children beginning at age 2.9 (two years, nine moths old). OCMS also offers full day Children’s House programs and an Elementary program up though 3rd grade.

To reserve your in-classroom observation on February 9, 2016, please contact Courtney Palek, Admissions Director at OCMS, at 781.749.3698 or via email at courtneypalek@gmail.com.

For more information regarding the 2, 3 and 5-day programs offered at OCMS, please call the school directly at 781.749.3698 or visit www.oldcolonymontessori.org.