Since Sadie is a late ’09 baby she’ll qualify for school NEXT September and applications are due early next year. I’m looking forward to getting her out of the house and into programs with Kids but the only thing we know for sure is that I want her in an afternoon program so that I have some involvement in her education, I want to be there after school to pick her up.
We have two choices and ultimately it may come down to the school we get into. God forbid we don’t get into EITHER but that seems highly unlikely. Option #1 is a 3 day a week program that runs for 2.5 hours in either the morning or afternoon and is a very affordable at $250/month. This will be the hard one to get into since its cheap and even my rich neighbours love cheap. Option #2 is a full half day program running 5 days a week and is $700/month. Ultimately we’re talking a $15/day difference between the two programs and when you look at it that way neither is really that expensive.
The issue is with “free” childcare, should we be spending $450 more to send her to the half day program instead of part time. Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose of our arrangement? Also, Option #2 is Montessori and we’d likely want to keep her in the program for JK and SK as well. That’s an investment of $21,000 over 3 years when we could spend $2500 for the part time program and then send her to JK/SK for free at our local school. I suppose we could also send her to Montessori for just the pre-casa program and then switch to public school but that will mean she’ll have been to 3 schools by first grade (our schools do not have kindergarten in the same school as where she will attend first grade).
It’s a difficult decision. On one hand I want to say Sadie’s education is important (which it is) and we SHOULD be investing that extra money but at the same time $700 per month will add up if/when I’m on maternity leave next. Also, I fear I’m being drawn to the adorable uniforms at the Montessori and/or I’m being snobby and wanting to put Sadie in a program we can realistically afford moving forward (ie. when it jumps to 16K per year). I mean, if we only had one…… but……
Is anyone else looking into Nursery school or do you plan on keeping your current daycare provider right until elementary school? Thoughts, opinions?
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I have a couple thoughts. I spend just over $1400 for 2 kids in full day daycare which I love. So technically your half-day is the price of my full day with meals and special trips. I think Montessori is over-priced. I do not like it from our experience. I have found Riley has learned a lot more and had a better time at daycare. They are always doing fun activities where Montessori was same old, same old. With no dolls or toys!! Seriously.
ReplyDeleteI would do the 3 day a week pre-school. Switching to a jk/sk will not impact her from a 3 day program. It's like being signed up for activities--they switch teachers, etc. and they are fine. Riley has been to 2 daycares, 1 montessori school and starts jk this year. She is just fine with it. In fact, she is excited about jk because it's "big school."
We are using public school--our home school is a French immersion school thankfully. We would rather put extra money aside for university/college, activities and trips. I know some people are really set on private schools but I was educated through the public system and did just fine--in fact, I did really well. I am looking forward to the day when I can pay a little less and have a bit of extra money since over $1400/month is like an extra mortgage. This year I also have to pay $130/month for a bus service to take Riley between daycare and jk.
Just a note that daycares obviously range in prices. At our old one in Toronto, we would have had to pay $2300/month for 2 kids!! And montessori was $400 more a month. I don't find that we got a better daycare for that money--it was just location or "montessori" branding that made it more.
I eventually do want Sadie in the public system French Immersion school (which we can see from our house). I'm just annoyed that she has to go to a different school for JK/SK. I'm guessing this is a room saving issue since French is so popular. Our local Englis School (1 km away) is most likely half kindergarteners since it feeds 3 schools. (;
ReplyDeleteAnyway, IF she went into Montessori she's have French 3 years earlier.... but I think we are leaning towards the part time program instead.
The Montessori is pretty irresitable though, from the outside. It's an adorable school.
Yeah, it depends on the montessori. We did Blaisdale (chain of montessori) and it was awful. Also, they had French assistants in the room but Riley only learned "bonjour", "aurevoir" and a French verse they'd say before meal times. Hardly real French. French Immersion doesn't start until grade 1 which I think is silly--it should be immediately. The younger the better.
ReplyDeleteWe have a Montessori program fairly close by, although it's not as convenient as keeping him where he is- his daycare goes through pre-school so he's going to be there until he's about 5. We love it, so we're sticking with it.
ReplyDeleteThe Montessori school seems way over priced. If it were us, we'd go with the half day (cheaper) program. Remember, you still have to be able to pay your morgage and bills and extra $700/month is A LOT!!
ReplyDeleteWe put Erik in nursery school (but holy hell, it was much cheaper than what you're talking about), but we only did it because Kim was off on mat leave so he was home. Otherwise we would have left him in daycare until he started school. Ian will likely not go to nursery school. Our daycare teaches them a lot especially at the toddler/pre-school level so I don't think nursery school is all that different.
ReplyDeleteErik was also a late-year baby and started school when he was 3. By then he'd been with a babysitter for a year, daycare (3 different rooms with several different teachers over the years), home with Kim for a year, nursery school, back to daycare. He seems to go with the flow and the changes never bothered him much.
French Immersion starts in SK here. They have to go to a different school for JK.
First, what is JK/SK? Is that Canadian? :) Chunk is in fulltime daycare and his school goes from infant through pre-k, so he will most likely stay there until he reaches kindergarden, at which time he will go to a public school. I too have looked at Montessori and although I do like some of the programs and locally their food/snack choices are better, he will stay where he is because in the end we are super happy with the care and activities. We currently pay $800 a month for him, so I am honestly SO LOOKING FORWARD to public school! I think in the end, you need to figure out what is the best fit for your family, what you will be happy with and what is reasonable. Free childcare is definitely something to consider and I would JUMP at it.
ReplyDeleteOur school district (some don't) has both Junior and Senior Kondergarten which are commonly referred to as JK and SK. JK is optionally and I know a lot of people who skip it because it's a pain coordinating with daycare. The Montessor Casa program is the equivelant and actually goes all the way up to High School if we were willing to pay 20K/year. lol. Not happening.
ReplyDeleteStacey - One of the problems with Montessori is that a lot of schools use the name but do not necessarily follow the Casa program strictly. The two schools that I have looked into have French classes not just French teachers. One of the schools even had yoga class x per week. Craziness.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't even started thinking about nursery school! Or Pre-K...
ReplyDeleteHave you looked into Reggio Emilia? That is a very cool philosophy. I think when they are young less is more and that they don't need a lot of school time.
ReplyDeleteThe good public school programs here are done by lottery and are very hard to get into. Usually 200 people apply for 20 spots. Sucks for kids and families.
This one had all of the montessori tools but I just found the French part of it lame--wasn't really teaching anything. They had a teacher, French assistant and then 2 assistants. The casa room was 3-6 years and they were so set on independence that when Riley joined at 2 (turning 3), they wouldn't even help her in the bathroom if she had issues. I think Blaisdale is awful. I'm sure there are better ones out there. My wife was raised in Montessori and liked it but it's not for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for cheaper schooling. yay public schools. :)