Have you chosen a preschool yet for this coming fall? Were you aware that numerous preschools already have a wait list for new attendees? When sifting through the names of all the programs offered in Fishers, do you wonder “how do I pick one?” We mostly know the rules for choosing a preschool for our child such as looking for student/teacher ratio, cleanliness, and those sorts of situations. However, are you aware that there are several different formats of preschools? These varying formats are great, as it seems there is a school to meet most everyone’s needs.
The first school that I will mention is located at 12550 Brooks School Road in Fishers, Indiana, on the corner of Brooks School Road and 126th Street. Come take a tour of New Hope Presbyterian Preschool and Parents Day Out (PDO). This school offers a program that you can build on so it meets your needs as they change. It offers a PDO program for ages 15-23 months once a week from 9:15-1:15. The parent brings the child’s lunch, and the child learns to play and interact with others while the parent can go enjoy some down time by running errands or having a cup of coffee with a friend. The child does not have to be potty trained for this program.
This school also offers a preschool program for ages 2-preK. Your child does not need to be potty trained for the 2s class but does for any higher classes. A unique feature of this school is it offers both morning and afternoon classes for your child. Each class is 2.5 hours long (9:15-11:45 and 12:30-3:00) with the option to extend the day with Lunch Bunch, where your child eats in a staffed room with other children. Once in the 3s and up programs, you can add to your child’s day by picking an enrichment class for your child to attend. This is a very budget-friendly way to pick and choose your child’s learning path and work around naps – if you should be so lucky to have a child that still naps! If you would like more information on New Hope, contact Karen Sutcliffe at 317-598-8485 or go to newhopefishers.org and click on the preschool tab on the site.
Next up is a preschool called Geist Christian Preschool. This school has two campuses. The north campus is located at 12756 Promise Road (where Promise Road meets 126th Street), and the south campus is located at 8550 Mudcreek Road in Indianapolis, Indiana. They offer a Child’s Day Out program for ages 18 months-3 years. This can be chosen as a once-a-week or a twice-a-week program. Your child does not need to be potty trained for this program.
This preschool offers a preschool-preK program for children ages 3-5 years. The child must be potty trained for these levels of the program. The hours for this program are set from 9:30—1:30. You choose if you send your child two or three times a week. Also offered at this school are before-hours care and after-hours care which could come in handy at times. For more information on this preschool, call 317-578-4591.
The last preschool I will highlight is a co-op school. Fishers Pointe Cooperative Preschool is located at 1399 Greenfield Avenue, Noblesville, Indiana, and is inside the Noblesville First Church of the Nazarene. Yes, I know their address is Noblesville, but they are very close to Fishers; and the format is so unique that I had to highlight it. A co-op school offers a more gradual transition from home to school as the parents are involved in the child’s school experience. Families are assigned jobs to keep the school operating efficiently. However, a parent’s main responsibility is to help in the classroom a couple times a month. This is a great option for parents who want to be actively involved in their children’s learning. Your assigned job could be working on the board of directors to making play-doh. Classes are offered Monday through Friday mornings. For more information, call and leave a message at 317-721-3727 or log onto fisherspointecoop.org and read about how the school can help you or your little one adjust to separation.
I highlighted three very different preschools. Although they differ, they believe our children’s education is important. For a more thorough list of preschools in the area, go to the Fishers Community Newsletter Facebook page and look under the notes section. If there is a school you would like to add, please private message the Fishers Community Newsletter and it will be added.
