Good Preschools in Waltham/Watertown/Newton/Belmont? (Cambridge: 2014, day care)

[Stockholmaren]

I was wondering if you have any recommendations for a preschool in the Waltham/Watertown/Newton/Belmont area. At the moment our 1.5 year daughter attends a day-care that is good at baby-sitting, but we would like something that is a little more engaging for her where she has the opportunity to learn but still focused on play.

Neither one of us are familiar with the US school system, but it seems like she could start preschool in September 2014 when she is 3 and would she then go for two years until kindergarten starts? As I assume that there is an application process and that it would be an advantage to apply early, we are just looking to get an early start so if you have any tips and recommendations I would greatly appreciate it.

[SoFresh99]

You are not starting too soon, now is the right time to start. You can go to the open houses normally run in January and settle where you want to apply. My son attends the Drumlin Farm preschool which is a farm-based outdoor program that we love. We live in Waltham but families come from as far as Cambridge in addition to the metrowest.

If you find some place you really love the normal application time for fall 2014 will be January 2014 but some places will fill up in fall of 2013, so touring now will get you all set to apply fall of 2013 for fall 2014. Mornings fill up faster than afternoon programs and if you really need a daycare preschool (with hours that support working parents) rather than just a preschool the choices are more limited and competitive.

[kingeorge]

Do you need day care or preschool?

[MikePRU]

My wife and I were recently struggling with the same decision. Do we leave our son daycare where he spends the entire day or put him in preschool where he would only be there half the day? As my son is only two and will still get two years of pre-school we elected to leave him in daycare.

[Stockholmaren]

At this point we are leaning to transitioning to a preschool from a daycare. It seems like several preschools start with more structure for a few hours a day and then they have after-school care which would fit us well since we are both working.
Some of the places that we are looking at are the Lemberg Center at Brandeis University, Walnut Park Montessori (but seems to perhaps have cut the extended care hours), and other similar places, but if you have any tips I would be happy to hear them.

[kingeorge]

The Kendall School and Adventures Preschool in Belmont should have what you need.