Good Preschools with Half-day Programs
Can anyone recommend a quality preschool which has a morning and/or afternoon program for 3 to 5 year olds? Looking for a preschool setting with a staff of teachers, rather than a co-op primarily dependent on parent volunteers. Thank you!
Oct 31, 2024
Parent Replies
I can not recommend Berkeley Rose Waldorf School enough! My kids have been going there for 3-4 years now, and they love it (and so do we!). It’s located off Piedmont Avenue on Ridgeway in Oakland. Their nursery program (about 2years 9 months to 4 years) is 8:30-12:30 and their pre-K/K program is 8:15-1pm. Both programs also offer aftercare until 5.
When my kids were in nursery I started them on a 3-day/week schedule then slowly upped it to 5 days a week. Now they go full time. The flexibility with respect to the schedule is really a bonus (since they offer 3, 4, and 5 days programs, with or without aftercare). I hope this helps!
Berkeley Rose Waldorf School! (Which just moved from Berkeley to Oakland near Piedmont Ave.) I have two children at the school - nursery and kindergarten. Both nursery and kinder offer half-day programs with extended care until 5pm. My older child started when she was 3 and my younger started at 2.9. We've been overwhelmingly happy with the school; it's an extremely nurturing and enriching environment with an incredibly competent and devoted staff.
I hope you fid a good fit!
Alex
At the time my child was there (10 years ago), Albany Preschool was staffed by teachers, with a couple of parent helpers. But teachers are in charge. And if you are in the afternoon program, there was no requirement for parent participation in the classroom. My child really loved it there.
I'm not sure where you are located, but Broadway Children's School in Oakland (near the lake) has half day programs. https://www.broadwaychildrensschool.org/preschool/
Not sure your location, but I have LOVED Monteverde, which is in the Elmwood district of Berkeley. The teachers are AMAZING, my child has learned so much during her time there, and has truly become a caring thoughtful child partly because of her experience there. They have half day options, as well as partial week options (so, 12:30/3:30/5:30 pick ups, and 3/4/5 day week options). The parent community is lovely too, and there are lots of opportunities to hang out outside of the school.
My daughter just graduated from My Own Montessori last spring and we loved it. Highly qualified, warm teachers. Engaging learning environment, ability to be indoors and outdoors throughout the day, wonderful curriculums. They're located in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland, on College Ave.
Kids can enroll starting at 2 years, 8 months old. The morning program for younger kids is from 8:45am-12:45pm. Kids can be picked up then or stay for nap time. Children 4+ are "afternooners" and are at school from 8:45am-2:45pm. It was the perfect mixture of preschool education and fun time with young friends.
Our kids both attended the preschool program at Wildcat Canyon Community School in El Sobrante (you didn't say where you were located).
It's Waldorf-aligned with Waldorf-trained teachers, no academics, a lot of outdoor time. The school is on a 90-acre campus and the preschool and kindergarten kids spend a significant portion of their week out in the woods. Preschoolers also make buns, fold laundry, chop veggies, and paint and draw. The teachers are lovely, gentle, and patient. While it won't work for every child (because nothing does), if you're in the neighborhood I'd definitely recommend checking it out.
Check out Little Village Preschool in Albany. They offer a lot of flexibility in schedule options- half day, 3/4 day, or full day, and you can go 2-5 days a week. My child attended there and had a great experience!