Opinions About Different Preschools in Attleboro Area

hi
as a former resident of attleboro, and a mom of 5. i can tell you the gd n bad ab lot of places. my kids attended markman. i really enjoyed it. their ages ranged so ther was something for each. thier preschool section is on 152. i agree with prior post, elc at thacher is nice but there might be a list now. I can speak highly of rainbow kids in norton, expanding horizons in noton, the wheaton colege preschool that prior post mentioned.( i took an all day class from marge werner,it was great) (sorry for the typos holding my 2 mo old)

i hope this helps a bit.
B.

Hi,
I send my daughter to the Elizabeth Amen preschool which is part of Wheaton College in Norton. (You don't have to be a Norton resident.) I love it there. The preschool is part of the psychology department. There is one teacher and two college students in each classroom. The preschool has a princple of learning social interaction through play. It is not academically based, which is what we wanted. I think kids get enough academics through the rest of their school years, we were more concerned that our kids learn the values and skills of interacting with others.
Admittance is done by lottery. I believe, if I remember correctly, you should call on October 1st or which ever day Monday falls on to be put into the lottery. Definitely call though to be sure I've got that right. The phone # is ###-###-####. The director's name is Marge Werner. I'm not sure how often someone is there during the summer, but I believe you can leave a message.
I think that your child has to be 3 years old by the beginning of Sept. to be admitted.
My husband and I have been so thrilled with the school - I can't say enough good things about it!
Good luck on your search!

Are you actually in Attleboro? My son goes to the Early Learning Center at Thacher Elementary in Attleboro and I love it. You have to be a resident of town.
My reasons for picking: as a teacher in the system I felt very comfortable because I knew some people in the building, by putting him in the public schools I felt like he was getting familiar with the way things are done in the public schools (being exposed to a regular school size school building, walking quietly in the halls, school curriculum, etc.), I found them to have an adequate balance of fun and academics (I am not all about the academic push at this age, I think kids need to be kids first), I loved that he would be a peer model and with students with special needs because I think it helps to develop patience and empathy as well as just being a great experience.
An added bonus I discovered -- my son ended up needing a little bit of speech help and since his teacher is a special education teacher she picked up on it right away and got him tested and into services. If there is any chance of needing help, public schools are the way to go.
Another added bonus -- the kids have been exposed to lots of great experiences like concerts and assemblies by being part of the "big kid school."
This program is only half day and it is by lottery. It is available for kids 2 years 9 months and up. If your child is diagnosed with special needs they are free and do not have to be part of the lottery. For peer models there is a sliding fee scale based on income. Screenings/lottery is held in February/March each year.

Many towns have similar programs so if you are not in Attleboro, check out your town to see what they offer.

Good luck. Last year when I was going through this same thing I was totally overwhelmed. I suggest talking to people as much as possible about what schools their kids are at, visiting schoosl, etc. Also, there is an early childhood council here in town (I forget the name) and they do a big preschool fair every Spring where all the schools come to one place for meeting and comparing.

Good luck!
E.

My son went to For Pete's Sake in South Attleboro behind St. Teresa's Church. I loved that school, teachers and the whole program. They book up fast I think new students have registration in Feb for the 2009-2010 school year. They have full day programs and half day programs am & pm classes. They even do after hour daycare if you have an emergency and can't be there on time to pick up.

My friend's sister owns Scribbles. I don't know anything about the school, but I know they have a nice family and she seems to be a "good person."

Hi,

My kids all go to/went to Animal Crackers, in North Attleboro. Of course, I'm biased, but I do think it's one of the best schools in the area. They do so much with the children, and truly care about each and every one. I can't say enough about it. The director is a professor at Simmons college, and has amazing curriculum guidelines, that focus on different developmental areas. If you visit, I think you will be very impressed.

They do have long waiting lists each year, but if you call the school in Sept/Oct. of the year before you are planning to enroll your child, you should be fine. Miss MaryAnn will have you come in with your child for a tour, and then you can fill out all the forms. If your name is on the list by October, you will most likely get in for the next year, but you might not get your first choice of days/times for the first year. After that, you get priority for your returning child and any siblings. We had to do one year of afternoon preschool for our oldest daughter, and after that we got our first choices.

Good luck! The school is located on Landry Ave in North Attleboro.

I also live in Attleboro. My kids have been at ScribbleTime in North Attleboro since my son was 2 (and then my daughter started when she was 11 weeks). I have nothing but high praise for them - they are incredible and my kids have thrived in that environment. Its not too late - my son (who was shy and reserved) was in a home daycare before and it was amazing how well he adapted to the center setting. In fact, I am keeping my son there for their kindergarten program instead of pulling him out and putting him in public or Catholic school. They have full time, part time - they really work with your needs. I don't know what their openings look like now, but if you want to talk more about them please email me at ____@____.com you are interested, you can also tell them I recommended them to you.

I also am curious about the preschools in Attleboro I've heard mixed reviews about a few of them.

It really depends on where you want to go. Most schools will register for the 2008-2009 school year this January, so you are smart to start looking for information now. There is usually a night at the North Attleboro High School in the fall where all of the preschools from the surrounding towns come and set up booths. You can talk with the representatives get an idea of the school and find out more information then. You can also start calling for tours of the schools you may be interested in this fall.

My son goes to Inch By Inch on 123 in Attleboro and we absolutely love it there. The teachers are wonderful, there's a full gym for activities all winter long and they plan great activities in the fall and spring. I'd be happy to tell you more about the school if you are interested.

Good luck with your search.
K.