Learning Stages is open 6:30am to 6:30pm. They take babies and kids up to age 5 (pre-k). Tuition includes lunch, morning snack, and afternoon snack. There is an option for breakfast that you can sign up for.
The staff is always friendly, kind, and accommodating. They really care about children and their parents. Kids are encouraged to learn without undue pressure. Frankly, I was impressed that my 4 year old has learned to read many words and can write many letters already. I also appreciate how the teachers encourage good values and social skills. And they have a daily communication folder where the teacher lets parents know how their kid did that day, how much they ate and napped, etc. In the summer, they try to bring in fun activities like puppet shows, petting zoo animals, and sprinklers for the kids to run through. My daughter likes to look at the photos of her and her friends posted on the hallway wall and tell us about the activities they had done. Even better is if those photos were available for download.
The school offers a variety of resources for parents, such as free parenting classes and a lending library. And just about every month, there are special programs for parents to join such as parties, Thanksgiving lunch, and student performances. Most parents go, so your kid will probably give you a guilt trip if you don't take off work to attend. It's also a good time to check out the frenemy your kid is always talking about and to contextualize the kiddie drama that goes on during the day. Or you can use the classroom webcam to check in on your kid (they actually give you instructions for logging in).
You can pay weekly or monthly. However you have to pay for the entire week. There is no option to have your kid there for just few days a week. They emphasize learning and try to make it like school which kids have to go to every day (to which my kid responds as any kid responds when they have to wake up for school every morning). There are options for additional activities such as soccer or ballet class. However, you have to pay extra for those. Otherwise your child cannot attend. So your kid may give you a guilt trip on that too. At least mine does.
Lastly, I must mention that the playground outside has a black tar gravel of some kind. It has ruined all of my kid's pink, white, beige, and red pants. The only pants we can buy now are jeans and black pants.
Overall, a great option for full-time working parents. Not a good option for parents who need just a few days off from taking care of their kids. It's sort of an all or nothing deal. read more