Hallie and Travis

We have found a new school for Hallie for next fall and we couldn’t be more excited about it. All along I’ve felt that the place she is now is adequate but not exceptional. I was really feeling at a loss about finding a place I was excited about. I think I called every non-church preschool in Raleigh and several church programs as well. I found one great arts-based program but it was just too far to drive. My last hope was a Montessori program called “Children’s House.”

What a winner! I visited myself a few weeks ago and today the whole family went. It’s a tiny, parent-run school with just one class of 14 children and two teachers. They’ve been holding the last opening for us, and we’ll definitely take it. I talked on my first visit with the president of the parents’ group. She was great, had wonderful things to say about the school (she’s got her third child there now), and wouldn’t even let me apply until we’d all met and spent some time with Miss Gretel, the teacher. They want to make sure that it’s a good fit for student, teacher, and family. That says volumes to me about the caliber of the program.

Miss Gretel and Hallie got along famously. Miss Gretel worked with Hallie on several different activities with Montessori materials. Hallie caught on quickly, followed directions well, and was clearly interested in everything around her.

The only drawback is that the only slot open is a five-day-a-week slot. I would never have thought I’d consider sending her that many days at this age. But Miss Gretel says that the friendships are stronger and the learning more consistent and steady when the kids are there all week.

I’m still a little torn about how often we’ll send her. We’ll definitely sign her up for the full week program, with the option to drop to 3 days when another student increases to full time. This program is school, not playschool. Mostly I don’t want to take away all of Hallie’s playtime. If she keeps napping 2-3 hours every afternoon, I feel like I’ll never see her.

But Miss Gretel reminded me that a lot can change in Hallie’s schedule by the fall. And they do have outside time, dance and music time, and other less structured elements. If we decide we can swing the tuition, I’m guessing she’ll end up there 5 days a week before long, if not right from the start.

We feel like we’ve finally found a place that will stimulate and challenge Hallie and let her build on all the potential she’s shown us. I also love the fact that, like all Montessori programs, this is a multi-age class. There will be 3, 4, and 5 year olds learning together, learning from each other, and teaching each other. This set-up is also consistent with research that says a stable, long-term (more than a single year) relationship with a teacher is extremely valuable at this age.

This fall seems a long way off, but I know it will be here before we know it. I feel bad about bouncing Hallie around so many times, but it’s worth it to find the right place. I’ll leave her at Wakefield until we go to Italy in April. Then I’ll keep her at home over the summer and she can start fresh in the fall. We know she’s going to love it, and we are too!