Being a parent is a tough job. Rewarding, but challenging. If you’re like me, you are constantly questioning one thing or the next. One aspect of parenting I found particularly challenging when my children were younger was preschool. Do you send them to preschool or not? If you do, where do you send them? Is it worth the money? Will they treat my kid well? If you don’t, will they be educationally ready for Kindergarten? Will they interact with other kids well or follow the daily school routine? Ugh! So many questions, right?
Take a deep breath, and let me give you a little insight in to Bona Vista’s FREE half-day Keys for Kids preschool for 3-4 year olds. Oh, you picked up on that? I said it is FREE – thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation of Howard County – and we currently have openings!
So, what’s the catch? There’s only two – the household (of 4) income has to be $48,500 or less, and you have to live in Howard County. That’s it. You don’t have to be on Medicaid. You don’t have to receive any
government assistance. Your child doesn’t have to have any developmental delays. Your child doesn’t have to be potty trained. You come in to Bona Vista, 1220 E. Laguna, tell them you would like to fill out the application for the FREE half-day preschool for your 3- or 4-year-old and voila! You’re on your way.
Now, sometimes you hear that “you get what you pay for.” And, since this program is free… it must not be very good. I can’t wait to tell you how wrong that cliché is, so I’m going to create a Top 10 list (in no particular order) of reasons why Bona Vista Programs Keys for Kids preschool is well worth the money (even though you’re not spending any because I told you the program is FREE!)
10. We have a safe and secure environment. Bona Vista is a locked facility, so only people we allow in are coming in, and no children are getting out without their guardian. Even our play grounds are secured!
9. We provide healthy snacks and encourage kiddos to try new things! Sometimes they even make their own snacks because eating something you’ve made makes it taste that much better.
8. Our half-day preschool teachers have, combined, nearly 40 years teaching experience. They are well-qualified, creative, positive role models (not just teachers) for your children.
7. We help with potty training! We know it takes consistency when you’re trying to potty train at home, and we are here to help you!
6. We have in-house therapists. If you ever had a question about your child’s development (speech, physical, etc), an evaluation could be requested. We have therapists in the building who can observe your child in their classroom setting and pass their findings along to your child’s teacher to help you both decide the best course of action.
5. We encourage inclusion in the classroom meaning there could be children with developmental delays in the same classroom with children without delays. We serve ALL children – with or without disabilities – and think it’s very important to foster acceptance at a young age.
4. We have an in-house nurse. She’s great at bandaging up boo boos, and gives the best stickers!
3. Our teachers plan their curriculum well in advance so they are able to have community involvement (having an orchard come visit or having police/fire/etc. bring their vehicles, etc.), plan the best hands-on activities or figure out the best method to learning for each lesson.
2. ISTAR. You’ve heard of ISTEP for school-aged children. This is similar, but for younger kids. Testing provided at the beginning, middle and end of the school year allows parents to know how their children have developed and what areas they may still need to work on before starting Kindergarten.
1. Our preschool programs are State and Nationally-accredited. That means we have gone through every audit. Filled out every piece of paperwork. Passed every site evaluation. Turned over every piece of required documentation. Put in the time, effort and energy to make sure our preschool meets the highest expectations and standards for the children who attend because that’s what they deserve.
Still not convinced? Call 765-457-8273 to set up a tour to see for yourself! We know once you’re here you will see the solid academic foundation being poured into the lives of the children in our preschool programs, and become a part of the Bona Vista family!
Until next time…keep a good view on life!
-AB