Norwood Park Preschool

My daughter went to Norwood Park Preschool for 1.5 years, from when she was 2.5 to almost 4 years old (Jan 2017 - June 2018).
It's been a great experience for her - she frequently chatters about her school friends and teachers with excitement. I especially love that the kids spent a bunch of time outside in the park, both for free play and guided exploration/lessons, as well as all the occasions that they do arts/crafts - making turtles from recycled materials, or mobiles from branches and yarn, etc.
The teachers and supporting staff are young, energetic and very calm when setting expectations and enforcing guidelines with the kids. (They also all speak Spanish fluently, which has been great for our spanish speaking diplomatic families, whose kids experience a gentler language transition to english).

I think the school has some space for improvement in the area of administrative organization.
Part of the school operations are run by the School Board - an annually elected board from the school's parents. So the effectiveness of operations depends on how available and engaged the parent volunteers are, as well as the strength of their organization and leadership skills.

So sometimes, the school operations are just good enough - a lot of things get organized and done, but many at the very last moment.

For 2018-2019 academic year, the school board is composed of some powerhouse individuals - I expect them to bring a lot of energy, initiative and leadership to their work. :)

We've had our daughter here for a year and she loves it. So do we. It's a small, casual school with great community--all the parents know each other and are involved. There is no bureaucracy or red tape. Maribel is great with the kids as she is with the parents. And we love that it's set right in the middle of a huge park so the kids get a lot of outdoor time. Just a happy place to be.

Our boys went here and we loved the warmth and attentiveness of the staff. Couldn't have have asked for a better community for our family. The bucolic setting of the park and time spent outside was a huge bonus!

The environment is very nurturing. Each day, my daughter learns so much, while being provided with the perfect balance of structure and independence. There is nothing like the incomparable warmth of the teachers and staff to whom we confidently entrust our child every day. We have now enrolled our youngest (2 yo). I would definitely recommend you check the Preschool out for yourself. It is also a wonderful place to meet new families and make great friendships.

Nurturing, wonderful school in a beautiful location - 19 acres of park, providing a perfect setting for outdoor play and exploration. The teachers are fantastic and the small class sizes allow for lots of individual attention. Our children are incredibly happy here!