It’s that season again: Nursery and preschool registration, with several preschools having lotteries and registration deadlines this coming weekend, Jan. 9 and 10.
Here’s our preschool roundup. Please email villagegreennj@gmail.com with any preschools that we’ve missed!
Open Door Nursery School, Millburn
Registration for Open Door Nursery School will be this Saturday, January 10, for the 2015-2016 school year. The school is located at 432 Wyoming Avenue in Millburn. For the general public (those not currently at the school or siblings of alumni) doors open at 10:45 and the lottery will begin at 11 a.m. If you have any questions about the school, contact the director, Alethea Randazza, at (973) 376-9303.
The Nursery at Our Lady of Sorrows School
The Nursery at Our Lady of Sorrows School is located at 162 Academy Street in the completely renovated convent building of Our Lady of Sorrows Church. The Nursery provides year round affordable and loving child care for children 6 weeks to 3 years of age. A secure, password-protected, state-of-the-art parental webcam service allows parents to observe their own children via the web during the day or review the archived recordings at any other time. The Nursery also offer free commuter parking to parents and is convenient to the South Orange train station. For more information, visit here.
Prospect Nursery School, Maplewood
Registration for the 2015-2016 school year will take place between January 5 and January 9, 2015. All registrations will be considered at the same time – registration is not on a first come, first served basis. Applicants will be notified by email of the status of their enrollment by February 2015. Complete the 2015-16 Registration Form, and submit it with the $45 application fee. All application fees can be mailed to: Prospect Co-Op Nursery School, 646 Prospect Street, Maplewood, NJ 07040. Please contact the Registrar with any further questions about registration. To arrange a tour of the school, call (973) 763-8955 and leave a message.
Morrow Preschool, Maplewood
Public registration is open to all and will be held on Saturday, January 10 at 9 a.m. If you are unable to attend, please return the registration form, signed tuition policy and $250 non-refundable deposit to Morrow Preschool by January 9. Forms can be found on our website: https://morrowpreschool.org/home/forms. Email registrar@morrowpreschool.org for any additional questions. Morrow Preschool currently offers the following classes:
2½ Year-Old Classes (Child must turn 2 by March 15th)
9:00-11:30 AM, Tuesday and Friday
3-Year-Old Classes (Child must turn 3 by October 1st)
9:00-11:30 AM, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday
12:30-3:00 PM, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
12:30-3:00 PM, Monday through Thursday
4-Year-Old Classes (Child must turn 4 by October 1st)
9:00-11:30 AM, Monday through Thursday
12:30-3:00 PM, Monday through Thursday
Morrow currently offers a Pre-K 5’s class, more information can be found on the Pre-K 5s page.
South Mountain YMCA Early Childhood Learning Center, Maplewood
The South Mountain Y, at 10 West Parker in Maplewood, provides day care and early childhood education for children ages 6 weeks through 5 years. Classes are divided into INFANTS — full-week (6 weeks – 12 months), WADDLERS — full/Part-week (1 – 2 years), TODDLERS — full/part-week (2 – 3 years), and PRESCHOOL — full/part-week (3 – 5 years). For more information, visit here. To schedule a tour or for more information, contact Krys Jensen, Senior Director, at (973) 762-0860.
Weekday Preschool, South Orange
Weekday Preschool Open House is on Saturday, January 10 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00noon. Come see the classrooms, meet our teachers, and learn about our creative curriculum at 111 Irvington Avenue, South Orange. Weekday is a small cooperative preschool with classes for toddlers, 2 1/2, 3 and 4 year old children.
- Toddlers meet on Tuesdays from 9:15 to 10:45 for play, art and gym, 10 weeks, $100.
- The 2 1/2 year old class meets on Mondays and Thursdays, 2 days per week, $275/month.
- The 3s class, meets 3 days per week – Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday – for $325/month.
- The 4s pre-K class meets Monday through Friday, 5 days per week, $375/month.
All classes meet from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Extended day for 3s and 4s until 1:00 p.m., include Lunch Bunch and activities such as soccer, yoga, gymnastics, cooking, art and science. The 2s and 3s have the option of adding another day to the week upon request. A few new spaces available now. Contact Liz Lehrer 973.762.7879 or director@weekdaynurserycoop.org, for questions. See more on www.weekdaynurserycoop.org and Facebook “Weekday Nursery Coop.”
Golda Och Academy Pre-K Program
In the Golda Och Academy Pre-K program, children learn through a wide variety of exploratory play activities, led by energetic teachers specializing in early education. Our preschool staff uses art, music, and creative movement to stimulate learning at a level appropriate for this age. Using hands-on tools, such as blocks and puzzles, GOA preschoolers develop an early proficiency with logical thinking that will provide the foundation of future math and reading skills. Golda Och provides opportunities through planned activities, experiences and guided discovery for each child to grow in a number of dimensions – social, emotional, creative, moral, intellectual and spiritual. The teachers also employ play as a route to socialization and getting along in a group. Located at the Wilf Lower School Campus in West Orange, Golda Och Academy is a Jewish day school affiliated with the conservative movement. Visit www.goldaochacademy.org to set up a private tour of the newly renovated and expanded state-of-the-art facilities.
South Orange Country Day School
The South Orange Country Day School PreSchool Program is a multi-age program for children two and three years before Kindergarten. All children must be potty trained. If a child is potty trained, the school will consider admittance at 2 1/2 years old. The school recommends a five morning minimum attendance as children of this age look forward to the consistency of attending school every day, as well as seeing their friends everyday (however it is not mandatory). The school accommodates half and full day schedules (or a mix during the week).
The primary objectives of our preschool program:
- Social – can wait their turn in action and speech; can acknowledge behavior and actions; practice kindness and empathy
- Group – line up with a single auditory cue; participate in playground games (red light, green light); can make an independent choice of two activities
- Manners – appropriate use of Thank You and Please, can “hold their thought” when requiring attention from a teacher
- Reading Readiness – dramatize a multi-step poem/song; respond to multi-dimensional questions; interpret and use intonation appropriately, sequence two and three step actions; match three letter words with a control card; identify beginning sound and letter
- Mathematical Reasoning – identify and add on to patterns; compare groups of up to 5 and “make them the same” (add/subtract); rote count 1-10
For more information and to register, visit here.
Congregation Beth El, South Orange
Led by Director Sandy Sachs, the Thelma K. Reisman Preschool at Congregation Beth El on Irvington Avenue offers a wide range of activities and experiences for children to be nurtured physically, academically, socially and Jewishly. The school offers flexible programs of preschool education and enrichment for children ages eighteen months to five years old. The program exposes children to Jewish culture and traditions. All students participate at age appropriate levels. Children of all faiths and levels of observance are welcome. Find more about the program and fees as well as the registration form here.
Micky Fried Nursery School at Oheb Shalom
The Mickey Fried Nursery School offers programs for children ages two to five years old. A flexible, play-based program, the school offers a warm, creative environment where each child’s unique style of living and learning is valued and nurtured. In addition to the core morning program from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., Mickey Fried offers early morning drop off starting as early as 8 a.m., lunch bunch, and enrichment classes until 2:30 p.m. Beginning 9/15, Mickey Fried will offer an extended day program from 2:30 p.m. — 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Children of all faiths are welcome. Visit www.ohebshalom.org/
The Baird Preschool Program, South Orange
The Baird Preschool is a program for South Orange and Maplewood children 2 ½ through 5 years of age. The Baird Preschool is licensed by the State of New Jersey. While allowing for and encouraging positive social interaction, the children learn the basics of counting, alphabets, colors and shapes. A variety of motor coordination, music, dance and art activities are combined to develop both fine and gross motor skills, as well as rhythm and creativity. Introduction to computer skills are accomplished through the use of age appropriate games on each of the preschool computers. Although each day is planned, the children are allowed some time of their own to explore their favorite activities. The Baird Preschool is held on the second floor of The Baird, 5 Mead Street, in an area dedicated and outfitted for the needs of preschoolers. This program is open to all South Orange and Maplewood residents who are between the ages of 2 ½ and 5 years of age and are toilet trained. For the session which begins in the fall of each year, children must be:
- 2 on or before April 1st (same calendar year) for the 2½ years old program
- 3 on or before October 1st (same calendar year) for the 3 years old program
- 4 on or before October 1st (same calendar year) for the 4/5 years old program
For more information, visit southorange.org/TheBaird/preschool.asp.
The Iris Family Center for Early Childhood Education, South Orange
The Iris Family Center at Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel offers programs for children from birth – 24 months (with a caregiver) and drop off preschool for children ages 2-5 years. As a play-based, inclusive, individualized program, the Iris Family Center offers a wide variety of materials and activities to ignite and excite your child’s love for learning. The curriculum is based on the needs of each child and built from the interests of the group. Children are guided to develop fine and gross motor skills as well as pre-reading and pre-math skills. Social skills are honed and children are given the tools to cope with disappointment or mistakes. Regular hours are 9:00 a.m.-noon. The Iris Family Center also offers early drop off beginning at 8 a.m. as well as enrichment and extended hours until 3 p.m. For more information, visit here.
Le Parc Place Preschool, Maplewood
Le Parc Place Preschool at 195 Maplewood Avenue opened just last September and accepts applications for children ages 2-1/2 to 5 years. Le Parc Place also provides after-school care. For pricing and workshop information, visit leparcplace.com or call 973-615-1968.
JCC Metrowest, West Orange
The Sharon & Stephen Seiden Early Childhood Center at the JCC Metrowest has bright and airy classrooms, a library and teacher resource area, full kitchen and dedicated, covered dropoff and pickup area. The early childhood center provides part-time and full-time options for children 2-4 years, with:
- Professional Certified Staff
- Hands-on Emergent Learning
- Sports & Fitness Instruction
- Swimming Instruction (3s, 4s, & Kindergarten)
- Judaic programming
- Indoor/Outdoor Play
- Math
- Reading
- Science
- Art
- Music
- Computer Skills
- Social Skills
For more information on JCC Metrowest, visit here.
Millburn Township Public Schools
Millburn Township Public Schools Integrated Preschool Program is comprised of children with special needs as well as typically developing preschool children from the township. A general Preschool Curriculum is followed for all students. The District charges a nominal monthly fee of $300 for the comprehensive services that are provided for all regular education students attending the Integrated Preschool Program.
All preschool sessions are two-and-one-half-hour classes, Monday through Friday. The three-year-old program runs in the morning from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The program for four-year-olds is in the afternoon from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Regular education students must submit an application to be eligible for the Lottery. Applicants must be three-years of age on or before October 1, 2015, and fully toilet-trained as of the start of school in September. There are 16 openings this year at the three-year-old level. The four-year-old program is automatically populated with returning students from the previous three-year-old class. Applications for four-year-old students will be accepted solely for placement on a wait list. If an opening becomes available due to a student leaving the program, the wait list is utilized.
Applications will be available at the Millburn Education Center, 434 Millburn Avenue, Millburn, between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., from January 7 to February 13, 2014, or on the Millburn School District’s website at https://www.millburn.org/.
The deadline for applications is Friday, February 13, 2015. If you access the application online, please fax the completed form to 973-912-8450. The lottery drawing will be held Monday, February 23, 2015, at 11:00 a.m. at the Education Center’s Board Room. It is not necessary to attend the lottery drawing to be admitted. Lottery winners will be notified by mail. All three-year-old applicants not selected through the Lottery will be placed on a wait list.
If selected to participate in the program through the lottery, proof of residency in the township and an original birth certificate must be provided in order to be admitted. Students admitted to the Preschool Program must still register for Kindergarten at their home school when the student is five-years-old.
To obtain more detailed information about this program, parents can attend a “Preschool Information Meeting” on Wednesday, January 28, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. in the Preschool Section of South Mountain School.
Others:
KinderGan at the Maplewood Jewish Center — https://www.maplewoodjewishcenter.org/
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church/Preschool, Millburn, NJ, 973-376-3534
South Orange-Maplewood School District. Information on registration for all grade levels can be found here.
Adassa Early Child Education Center, 737 Irvington Avenue, Maplewood — https://www.adassadaycare.com/
La Petite Academy, 1529 Springfield Avenue, Maplewood — https://www.lapetite.com/
