Pine Village is a Spanish immersion daycare and preschool, with classes from infant to kindergarten. There are a number of locations (10 by now?) and my son went to two: Brighton (for a transition summer before the new school opened) and Newton Highlands, and we toured West Newton. We LOVE PINE VILLAGE! It's clean, organized, professional, and so warm (emotionally, but also on cold winter days, literally).
Spanish immersion. The teachers are native Spanish speakers but there are teachers who speak English (for kids who don't speak Spanish yet, and to talk to the parents who don't speak Spanish). The Directors are fluently bilingual and are around at dropoff and pickup if there is any linguistic confusion. (So no Spanish? No problem. Kids are supported in learning but are understood in English and parents can communicate.) My kid came in as a toddler knowing no Spanish and within a couple months he understood everything but responded in English, and now in preschool is expected to speak Spanish (with gentle prompting) given his abilities. There are Spanish books everywhere to read, or for teachers to read out loud.
The price is on the lower side of area daycare/preschool, based on about 13 other schools I looked at. Still not cheap exactly, but maybe licensed trained and educational child care shouldn't be cheap, right?
The 3 facilities I looked at are in different spaces, but all seem pretty nice and have access to play areas. The West Newton one is in a UU church basement near Mass Pike, and has a HUGE indoor space for winter running around. The Brighton one is in the bottom of a city block, with big windows, and a small playground/big field across the street, and a short walk away over a sky bridge is a huge glorious public water park with 2 big playgrounds, and Charles River walkways. (Pretty awesome especially in summer.) The Newton Highlands one is also in the basement of a church, in two large rooms, with a permanent smaller indoor play area and (depending on church uses eg play) access to the large empty room next door. There are two small fenced playgrounds and a short walk away is a big field. I'm told there are sprinklers for hot summer outdoor play. In addition they have group exercise classes, such as yoga or Zumba, which kids do according to interest & ability.
Pine Village has a dedicated curriculum quality rep, who goes between all the locations to ensure that quality of education stays high across the sites and that best practices are shared. They're ok with different locations having their own 'flavor' or feel, so long as the quality stays consistent.
They also really focus on emotional self regulation. Deep breathing like blowing up a balloon, and taking a time out to gather one's reserves when too emotional. read more