Summer Fun School @CIE + 50% Off Promo

The Summer Fun School is back in action at the CIE Preschool. The first wave starts tomorrow and there's a 50% discount for the first 30 enrolees! Enrol your pre-schooler for SY 2012-2013 by tomorrow, April 18, 2012, and your tot gets to attend their summer school for FREE. See flyer below for more information and school's contact details:

Toddler Teachers (formerly Toddlers Unlimited)

To all mommies and daddies desperately seeking a preschool in Makati - have you dropped by Toddler Teachers yet? Be sure to stop by their new address at 120 Tordesillas Street, cor HV Dela Costa & Soliman St., Salcedo Village, Makati City (the official website still has the old address). I was very impressed by this school and wish I learned about it sooner.

The first thing to catch my eye were the facilities. The classrooms, toilets, and common areas  are spacious, bright, cheery, and well-equipped. The library alone is impressive! It's rare to see a preschool with it a separate room set up as a library (most would just have reading areas inside the classrooms). Rarer still to find one with a huge collection of well-organized books (I saw labels upon labels such as "Animals", "Counting", "Filipino", "Silly Stories", "Transportation", and many more). The cozy atmosphere and presence of couches makes it really inviting to the kids.

The staff is equally impressive. There are teachers, assistants, and helpers per class, making sure that the needs of each and every child is seen to. I was relieved that all the teachers had good diction!

Did I mention the preschool is recognized by DepEd? It also offers the Galileo Enrichment Program, which teaches English and Singapore math. If you're hunting for a preschool in Makati - this is definitely worth looking into! They are currently offering a summer program, with an option for 2x, 3x, or 5x a week.

Cambridge Development Center

We visited Cambridge Development Center in Salcedo Village, Makati today, and I must say - the facilities are quite impressive. The school is large, spacious, and well-maintained, with areas dedicated for play, class, books, audio/visual activities, etc. There are separate bathrooms for girls and boys. And yes, they do have a fire exit. ;)

They have their own mixed curriculum/methodology following Singapore and Montessori methods, among others. The fact that they have an activity time tailored to each child's skill level and time set aside for grooming lessons (putting on clothes, brushing one's teeth, etc.) was a big plus for me as well.

The only drawback for me - and this is more of a personal thing, really - is that I'm only looking for a toddler school this year. Three times a week, a couple of hours of play and learn to introduce my toddler to the school set up and help her interact with kids her age. Unfortunately, Cambridge only offers toddler class for 1.5 - 2.5 years old. At 2.7 years old, my daughter would be part of their Nursery 1 class - 5 times a week, 3 hours a day. Also, they do not allow parents/yayas inside the classroom. I feel that my child is not yet ready for this kind of schedule, nor do I feel the need to force her into it yet.

The school has an open-enrollment system wherein you can enroll anytime during the year. I'm definitely putting my child up for a trial class and will see later in the year if she's ready for actual schooling.

PRIMA Day School

Another progressive preschool within Makati is PRIMA Day School. I was very impressed by their school, which is located in Ascott Hotel, Glorietta. The school is divided into 3 rooms - the reception/waiting area, indoor playroom, and classroom. The indoor playroom is spacious, with two work tables; a mini library; a play kitchen area; boxes and shelves of toys (with musical instruments and blocks); and a small elevated space with a faux tree (for kids who like to run up and down stairs). There is also an outdoor playground.

My daughter immediately took to the place and its teachers, who were friendly and obviously used to dealing with children (not surprising given that PRIMA is also a day care center). My toddler, who is usually painfully shy, began to run around and even allowed me to leave her with the teachers for a little while (a first for us!). Upon sitting in on the Nursery class, I saw that the teachers meant business in the classroom, which bolstered my belief that they can prepare my daughter for the big schools. All in all a good experience for both me and my little girl.

KIDS in Day School

Another Makati-based preschool that has gained a lot of positive reviews throughout several mommy blogs is KIDS in Day School in San Antonio Village. The most notable comments were the teachers' ability to prepare their students for the big schools and help particularly shy students to come out of their shell and shine.  I've yet to visit the school myself, but the fact that nearly all their slots have been filled is testament to their popularity.

I did find one blog that mentioned that the  school does not have a fire exit. Again, I have not confirmed this firsthand as I've yet to visit them, but this is definitely one thing I'll be asking when I do drop by.

St. Therese Nursery and Kindergarten School

We ventured to the outskirts of Makati, near Sta. Ana, Manila, to check out a preschool that has gotten rave reviews on several blogs and has a reputation for getting their students into the big schools - St. Therese Nursery and Kindergarten School. The directress, Teacher Angel, is very accommodating and allows you to preview a class so long as you schedule beforehand. Summer school is ongoing so this is a good time to have a trial class.

The school itself is spacious with a large garden and play area and clean, well-maintained, air-conditioned classrooms. However, it is not a "play school" (no fancy cushioned rooms with slides and toddler gyms here!); rather, it is an actual preschool that prepares children for the big schools. Their teaching method is eclectic/traditional.

Unfortunately, my daughter still found the actual school set-up daunting and refused to have a trial class. I do have every intention of returning next year, though. I was impressed by the facilities and it is quite difficult to find a traditional preschool in the Makati area.

CIE Preschool Opens In Makati!

CIE is a British school from Cebu that has branched out to the Makati area. Their Makati preschool will start this coming school year. The preschool is located at 107 Palanca Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City, which is quite near the business district and Ayala Center malls, and walking distance from most condominiums in the area, including BSA, Shang Grand Tower, Prince Plaza, Greenbelt Madison, Residences, Rada Regency etc.

Because it is an international school, its school year starts in August and ends in June. You can opt to drop by on May 16 (I'll be doing this as well!), which marks the start of their summer classes, in order to see the facilities, teachers, and class schedule/structure first hand.

The tuition fee is actually not that high, given that it's an international school in a prime location and they do offer flexible payment schemes. They charge for their M-F classes the same rate that other preschools give for their 2 to 3x a week classes.

I'll have more to blog after my May 16 visit, but you can opt to call the school at 8880909 for any inquiries.

Gymboree Rates

I just found out (thankfully, before I enrolled my child) that the rates and payment schemes of Gymboree differ (significantly) depending on the branch/location. After visiting 4 different branches, I also found that they were not consistent in some areas. For example, some offer trial classes for free (except for art class), others charge P500 for preview of any class - deductible if you enroll, one branch I visited had a television set in their classroom and let the children watch videos (though I was assured that these were Gymboree videos and only meant to introduce the lesson for the day), another branch inserted snack time during a 1 hour class, etc.

If you are looking into enrolling your child in Gymboree - and I do recommend this after seeing the confidence and skills gained by my toddler after a few classes - it would be best to try out more than one branch in order to find one whose management style, teachers, and costs best suit you (and your baby!). Also, always attend a trial class first.

Brainy Beginners Preschool

I am also considering Brainy Beginners Preschool for my daughter. Located in Prince Plaza condominium in Legaspi Village, Makati City, it is very accessible - a mere stone throw's away from Greenbelt 5.

The school follows a progressive methodology that incorporates learning through play. What sets it apart from other schools is the personal flair injected by its proprietor and head teacher - Teacher Richie. Teacher Richie works with both the parents and child to ensure that the child is learning at a pace that he/she is comfortable with, while at the same time, in line with the goals and rules enforced by the parent. This entails adjusting the learning process for each student - a daunting and meticulous task, and one that most endears me to the school. Another interesting approach is the presence of all levels (Toddlers, Nursery, Kinder, etc.) in one big classroom. Each level is designated their own work tables to for their lessons, but are given also given time to interact with the whole class to further build their social skills.

While the facilities and equipment are not as impressive to look at as other schools in the area, it has everything a child needs to experience the same level of education, safety, and appropriate playtime - work tables for children, educational toys and materials, play area (separated from the classroom), play mats, wash area, and two bathrooms. There is also a waiting area that is separated from the main classroom with frosted glass, through which parents and companions can monitor their children without distracting them. The assistant teachers are all certified nurses, on-hand in case of emergencies (another plus for me!). Children can only leave the premises as directed by the parent (i.e., parents should advise the school beforehand as to who are the only ones allowed to pick up their child).

The tuition fee is considerably less than other schools in this prime location, especially since it offers daily classes (most charge an exorbitant fee for 2-3x a week). Teacher Richie is also quite open to whatever concerns you may have regarding payment schemes.

Do drop by Brainy Beginners if you are school hunting. I guarantee that you won't regret it. Teacher Richie and his staff are very accommodating to drop-in visitors. Any and all questions and concerns you have will be properly addressed. I find their school tour and views very enlightening - several points were raised that I had not considered during my initial search for a proper preschool and I was given a better view of the progressive approach.

Gymboree and Little Gym

While scouting for a toddler school to prepare my daughter for the "big schools", we were lucky enough to attend the open house of two well-known preschools for toddlers - Gymboree and Little Gym.

Gymboree's toddlers program is held 3 times a week. Each class is around 2-2.5 hours with snack time. The curriculum is a mix of their regular toddler classes covering music, art, play, and learning lab (teaches basic concepts of writing, numbers, alphabet, dates, weather, etc.). The whole class is expected to follow the given schedule for the day. The open house started with learning about the day of the week and the weather, followed by a short music session where they play instruments and follow the movements of their teacher. Next up was an art activity involving paints and crafts. After cleaning up and snack time, the children were given a counting exercise. The session ends with exploring colors and writing through a LeapFrog desk. The whole session is peppered with songs to keep the children engaged.

Little Gym follows a progressive or play-based approach. Their toddler class is held twice a week and lasts for 2.5 hours. The first part of the class is spent in their gym. This part was skipped during the open house so we were not able to experience it. During the trial session, the classroom was divided into 4 sections where tables, chairs, and materials were set up. The class started with snack time (we were informed that all classes start this way). Afterwards, the children were allowed to explore the room and choose the activity they wanted, involving art, colors, and counting. There were always one or two teachers close at hand to assist with the activity, but it's generally left to the parent and child to finish the task. The next activity was story time. The children were free to choose any book from the shelves and give it to a teacher to read to them. My daughter was on her second book when a teacher suddenly announced that it was time to pack up and proceed to the next project. The teacher who was reading to her just closed the book (halfway through it) with my toddler still looking up at her expectantly. This was the only major pitfall for me. After the reading session, all the children were called to gather together and listen to the story of the hungry caterpillar. Once done, the goodbye song was sung and the children got their customary stamps.

Both Gymboree and Little Gym are more focused on activities and play than actual worksheets, though Gymboree uses LeapFrog for writing exercises while Little Gym does claim to use worksheets from time to time for toddlers. The key difference between the two is that Little Gym offers a more relaxed environment where the children are free to explore at their own pace and pursue their interests. Gymboree is more energetic and attempts to engage the children to follow a structured schedule. While I do see the merit in giving children their age the freedom to learn at their own pace through play, I'm leaning more towards Gymboree in preparing my daughter for the bigger schools, especially since I favor the traditional approach. Since she was able to follow instructions and complete the activities during the Gymboree open house, I think she will be able to cope with their learning system.

With regards to the tuition fees, there is little to no difference between the two schools once all the miscellaneous fees are included (I honestly don't know why this is a separate matter for both schools). The additional edge Gymboree offers is unlimited gymplay for members enrolled in their preschool. Little Gym only allows the use of their gym during an actual class/session.