Lily's Garden is one of the best investments of my money. The teachers are caring and patient with my children, two boys (ages 4 and 2). The very first time I walked in the door, I was given an extensive tour of the school and the curriculum. I was very impressed that there were separate classrooms for each group of children and that there was good structure for learning. My kids love their teachers, and this is the type of school where students routinely say good morning to each other and to their teachers. The school is clean, and the teachers are always making great effort to keep it that way. Kids learn how to read and write, and by the time my older child was 3 years old, he could already read level 1 and level 2 books with ease. Because this school is so top-notch, remember to enroll early (~1 year in advance). I started both of my kids at age 2, and I signed them up when they turned 1. The tuition is reasonable, and additionally, there are many extra-curriculars you can sign up for. For the tuition, you get excellent instruction in reading, writing, math, science (once a week, I think), and Spanish (also once a week). You can drop off your kids as early as 7 a.m. (although the 1st 60 to 90 minutes is largely free-play), and you can pick up your kids no later than 6 p.m. The school provides one mid-morning snack, lunch, and one mid-afternoon snack. The menu is posted on the office bulletin board so that parents can see what their kids are eating. There are usually two recess times. The kids do get a nap time, on cots, and parents must provide blankets. The school teaches dental hygiene and allots time for kids to brush their teeth. Your children will get 1 to 2 pages of homework on Tues & Thurs after the first 6 months (at least, this is the way it has worked for my kids); one can complete these worksheets in a reasonable amount of time at home.
The extra-curricular offerings are phenomenal. For additional fees (for each extra-curricular), the school offers daily Chinese class, art class, and hip hop/dance class. My sons take the Chinese, which is ~1 hr every day (Mandarin is taught). In the first year, the curriculum involves a lot of songs and flash cards, to promote character recognition. In the years thereafter, the romanization is introduced, followed by characters (usually 1 or 2 new characters per week). There is always review of the old characters as well. By the end of the 2nd year in Chinese class, students start to learn phrases and sentences. Simplified Chinese is taught here. Chinese homework is typically Mon/Wed/Fri. Art class is usually once a week, and the price is waaaayyyy more reasonable than any art class you will pay in the community. I took my son to a community art class for a try-out, and at first they thought he was too young & wouldn't take him. However, once they saw what he was capable of, they were very impressed that he was already so far along -- and we owe it all to the fine instruction at Lily's! I have not enrolled my kids in dance, but I have seen the dance class practice. It appears that they learn Chinese dance, and hip hop is apparently new this year. Additionally, the school puts on an annual Christmas program, and all of the kids in the school learn a dance routine in the Fall. Saturday school is offered for ages 5 and up. It appears that Chinese, math, piano, art, and kung fu are currently offered. I cannot comment on what Saturday school is like yet, but I intend on signing my kids up for that when they transition to public school.
Finally, the school also offers other services. For an additional fee, some of the teachers can help with toilet training. Math tutoring in mental math is offered for students who can concentrate well, again at an additional but very reasonable cost. I can't say enough about how wonderful the teachers are here; they truly care about the kids and go the extra mile to teach.
Yes, the curriculum does sound intense, but there is plenty of time for fun. There are class parties for every major holiday and birthdays, down time in the late afternoon for story time, and Friday afternoon videos. If you are looking for a school that will catapult your kids to the head of the pack for kindergarten or 1st grade, then Lily's is the place. I have enjoyed getting to know the teachers here, as well as the other parents here. My kids feel safe, and they look forward to going to school. The teachers will give frequent updates on how my kids are doing. Whenever I have questions, the teachers spend a lot of time addressing my concerns. The customer service is definitely on par, and everyone always offers warm smiles. I cannot say anything but good things about Lily's Garden; in my mind, there are no cons. I am very happy that I chose Lily's Garden for my two boy, and I highly recommend this preschool to any parent looking for a caring environment with a solid academic curriculum. Thank you, Lily's! read more