I have a pandemic toddler that has only been at home with me, my husband and my parents (his…read moregrandparents). Needless to say, I was very cautious and nervous when selecting a preschool for when he turned 3. I looked at a lot of preschools in the Pleasanton area and finally decided on this one. If you're looking for a part time preschool you should definitely choose Gingerbread.
ADMISSION - they release sign ups I think sometime in April before the school year which starts in August and it's through the city of pleasanton sign up website. Set an alarm and do it right away, although I checked a few hours after it opened and there were spots so maybe it depends. Once you sign up for one quarter you get priority registration for the other quarters so you have a spot guaranteed.
CLASS SIZE - this information is for the 3 year old class. The class size was 22 but they expanded to 24. There is 1 teacher and 2 helpers. Overall it seems like a lot of kids but it didn't feel overwhelming and I feel like my son got the attention he needed.
ACADEMICS - Gingerbread is definitely play based. They have a lot of toys. However, they also try to incorporate learning letters and numbers and other concepts. They don't get through the alphabet before the school year ends but about halfway through they start doing a letter and number a week. Their schedule includes playtime outside, snack time, table time where they do the learning and arts/crafts and then play time with beginning and ending circle time.
Throughout the school year they have little presentations and special events where you can come see them perform a song and they also have lunch and plays where you can eat lunch in the yard with your kids and whomever else stays (no teachers).
I will say however, that it's probably much more play focused/based than learning. My son definitely learned during the school year but he does seem to be a bit behind compared to other kids his age. Could be a combination of the school and his personality but I'm guessing if he went to a more structures strictly academic school he would be ahead.
FACILITIES - their facilities are clean and no issues. I think they are run by the city of pleasanton, which is why it's so much cheaper so they have a regular bathroom with stalls and teachers cannot go inside the stalls with the kids. I was nervous since my son was potty trained but not used to going to the bathroom by himself. The teachers help the kids verbally by guiding them but they need to be able to get the stool or seat themselves, pull down pants, sit down, wipe, flush etc. by themselves. They take the kids at certain intervals. My son caught on pretty quickly and only had a few accidents, which was good.
Drop off the parents don't go inside, which is actually probably better for the kids in terms of separation anxiety. For pick up, you wait outside until they call your class and then you go inside to pick up. It's at that time you can talk to the teacher.
PRICE - the main reason I went with them is the price. It's probably 1/3 of what you pay at other schools and I would say for some of them the academic level/cleanliness etc. is the same if not better. You are only paying for 4 days a week and 3 hours with no food included. However, it's totally worth it in my opinion if you're looking for a part time preschool that will nurture your child and care for them.
CONS - a few cons to mention and why we are not re-enrolling our son next year. First, it's only 4 days. Now they do have a fifth day STEM option but they didn't have that when we enrolled so if you are fine with only a 4 day preschool then that's fine. As a working mom, I need that fifth day. It's also only 3 hours with no lunch. Again, seems short but for the first time transitioning into preschool it's fine.
They also don't have an app or other type of updates like pictures etc. So what he does at school feels like a black hole unless you ask your child or teacher everyday. They don't really communicate that much unless you are proactive. That being said, they are very open and nice if you want to meet after class is over and talk about your child's performance.
It's also not year round and they do have quite a number of days off.
So overall, if you're not too worried about not having a more full time or encompassing school with snacks or lunch provided, 5 days a week etc. then this is definitely a great option. I wish we could stay another year since they really care for your child and our teachers and helpers were great with our son's transition. He didn't have any problems adjusting and I know it's because of the staff and curriculum. However, as a working mom with a 10 month old, I need a more full time schedule and lunch included year round.
