Mission Viejo/Ladera Ranch Preschools/Pediatricians?? (Orange, Laguna Niguel: renting, insurance, preschool)

[ldonati7]

We will be relocating to OC in May/June and are about 95% settled on MV/LR area. My middle child will be starting pre-k in the Fall. I know at least back here in Connecticut all of the good programs fill up around this time of year - and many of them don't even advertise (all word of mouth) as they don't have to! So, unfortunately I will have to enroll sight unseen.

Can anyone recommend one that they have personal experience with - most likely not a Montessori program? Or, likewise, any that they would NOT recommend?

I'm also looking for recommendations for pediatricians as I will have an infant that will need fairly immediate well-child appointments.

Thanks for any help!

[meletonmc]

As far as schools, I really had a good experience with Rancho Capistrano Christian School. They're probably 5 - 10 minutes from Ladera, but it's well worth checking out. The teachers are very kind, but academic achievement is still really important. The campus is very beautiful!

As far as pediatricians. We really like Dr. Dyer. I think that she is at Coastal Kids in Laguna Niguel at Crown Valley just on the other side of the 5 Fwy. Due to insurance, we now go to Dr. Truong (Bristol Park) who is also very good. He is very patient and kind. Most important, he seems to have really good assessment skills and common sense.

I would also tend to recommend Ladera over Mission Viejo for the most part. We have lived in both, and both are great. PM me if you have further questions.

[missionhome]

For prekindergarten, my kids went to Mission Viejo Christian School. It was a great place full of love and care and gave my kids that extra boost for starting kindergarten. We then sent them to Stoneybrooke Christian School for elementary and middle school and then public high school where they currently are. I recommend both schools, though it has been years since I have been with Mission Viejo Christian.
I don't like our pediatrician so I'm looking to switch also, so I can't help with that.

[jstark]

I imagine you will also be needing a dentist who does pediactric dentistry / ortho. The absolute, hands down best dentist in Orange County is Dr. Guthrie in Mission Viejo. He is one the corner of La Paz and Margurite and his practice is called Garden Plaza Dental Care. He is my dentist and I fly my family across the country to see him when we have a dental need. We no longer live in CA but I wouldn't let anyone else touch my teeth! Best of luck!

[ldonati7]

Thanks for the replies - I will definitely take a look at them. And, yes, I do need a pediatric dentist too (just wasn't as high on my list) so thanks very much - he must be good if you fly to see him!!

[socal359]

I highly recomend Southern Orange County Pediatrics association SOCPA/Dr. Chew is awesome, They have an office in Ladera.

[5FLgirls]

I also go to Dr. Dyer's practice (Coastal Kids - #949-448-8821) and they're great. I moved here with an infant and three other children under the age of 5 six months ago and they fit me in immediately and have been great ever since. Each doctor in the practice is really good. They're in a good location right off Crown Valley Rd, too. My kids go to school in Aliso Viejo (St. Mary and All Angels School). I've been very very happy with the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs so far. It's a non-denominational Christian school that follows the International Baccalaureate program. You might also want to check into some of the private schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, too. Good Luck. Moving is stressful, especially with kids. If you do end up in Ladera, you might want to look into Pacific Preschool. I've heard that their programs are good and the building is practically new. You can get a pretty good feel for schools just by talking to them over the phone, mapping them according to where you're moving to and looking at web sites. If you have further questions, feel free to PM me -- I've just gone through this moving to Laguna Niguel from Florida. And school preference is your ultimate dilemma. I got a lot of recommendations about Rancho Capistrano when I first moved here. Everyone I talked to was very nice and their school has a beautiful location. Negatives were that their preschool was dark and their campus (buildings) appeared run down. My husband walked out of the tour and sat in our car--he didn't like their buildings but appreciated their academics. I really liked Monarch Bay Montessori (which is at the end of Crown Valley/PCH) but they didn't have a spot for my children since I waited too long (end of June) to try to enroll them. GOOD LUCK!

[themommytree]

We have just recently come out with a preschool tour guide for Orange County, CA. You can check out our parenting website and read more about the book at http://www.themommytree.com.