In-home Preschools

A few weeks back I attended an introduction morning during one of the Free2Feed events that had several preschool teachers and employees come and talk to our group about local preschools in the area. I am only going to share the mom and pop preschools as in ran from home by individuals because those are a lot harder to find on your own. You can easily find information on the other stuff, and maybe I will share my notes about those another day.

My little guy in Preschool this year. This pose is funny.

It was very informational.

It also inspired me to turn my dream job into a reality.

You see, I have always wanted to run my own business. The business that I had been researching for most of the year was for an indoor playground and cafe here in St. George. But it just didn't seem possible.

I do, for the record, believe if done correctly by someone with deeper pockets than me, that it would be a very successful business venture. That's what my market research, business and financial research revealed.

The thing is, I didn't believe it was the right business for me as an individual or sole proprietor. And I really wanted to focus on something that I can do right now and not just dream about for years to come.

And, several people and close friends, have suggested and prodded me toward doing preschool in my home. But it didn't hit me square between the eyes, until it hit me square between the eyes, that hey, I could do this.

Sorting colors and shapes and counting at Little Patch of Heaven Montessori

So, I have saught out the how to and followed the red tape, crossed my t's and dotted my i's. The name of my preschool will be Kids at Play Preschool. I will start out with 4 students to keep it easy and more one on one attention, very personal while figuring out this first year of curriculum. We will be cooking and crafting every week though, and I can guarantee fun!

Without further ado, I will now provide a list of competition. But seeing as how some are located out in other areas were other people live, I don't really consider it competition as much as a choice! 
Also, some of these preschools did not present at the Free2Feed event, they are just other ones that I know about.

Sorting and counting the animals

In no particular order:

• Little Patch of Heaven Montessori. This school is run by Miss JaNae Huntington. She does not have a social media page or website. She is strictly word of mouth and fills ups quickly! Nevertheless, she might have a spot for you if you tell her Melissa Daams recommended it. She usually runs a summer camp but chose not to this summer 2017 for personal reasons. But, I will provide you a phone number you may text if you really want to try and get in. She is located in Santa Clara, UT and has a farm style environment chickens, garden and rural area. My son went to her last year and loved it. He was in a class with 9 other kids and one helper in addition to the owner/teacher.  I will say that Montessori style is not for everyone, but my little guy enjoyed it and even thrived in the environment. For the younger group 3-4 years, it's two days a week Tuesday and Friday. For the older group it's three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. The cost is $115 for the two day program and $175 for the three day program. Also I believe there is a music element in the three day program. Text 4 3 5  6 3 2  9 3 7 2 
• Little Lions Preschool. This school is ran in the home of Brittany, a mother of two and former elementary school teacher in this district. She has been teaching preschool for four years. Her programs runs twice a week: Monday and Wednesday for 2.5 hours and costs $85 per month. Her school is located in Washington City, Utah north of the I-15 in the Green Springs area. Her website is www.lil-lions.com  She presented at the Free2Feed event and if I recall correctly, she had 8 students in her group. And here was an interested tidbit, they were all boys this last year. I bet she is hoping to get some more girls next semester! At the time of the event, she still had open space available for the 2017/2018 school year.
• Mulberry Street Preschool. This school is ran by Rachael Smith, a certified educator and mother of two young boys. She runs two programs. Early Learning 3-4 years old Monday and Wednesdays from 9:00-11:00, the tuition is $65 per month. And Kindergarten Readiness ages 4-5 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00-11:30 and the tuition is $80. She has a small student to teacher ration but I am not sure what that number is. She plans on doing monthly field trips with the students. She can be found at mulberrystreetplayschool.weebly.com  I do remember that she said the name comes from a Dr. Suess story. She was really personable. I liked her. Her school is located in Washington City, UT in Washington Fields just south of the river but north of the new Lin's grocery store. If I weren't teaching preschool myself, I would have tried to get my son in with her :)
• ABC Academy. This school is ran by Sarah Kerr. I heard about it through word of mouth. She originally started out doing preschool in her home and upgraded to using a dance facility. Actually, a little girl I babysat last school year went here so I often dropped or picked her up. And I was impressed by how close it was to my house 😁 and just the professionalism but still friendliness. The registration for the 2017/2018 school year is as far as I know full. But it was so popular that she added a second class in the afternoon and that's how I got in. I was crossing my fingers and so thankful! It's a full three hour block! I feel like I can actually get something done before pick up which is so valuable to me as a part time crafter/painter 😊  The days are two days a week Tuesday and Thursdays or three days a week Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It was usually just mornings but now it's also afternoons. It's possible you could still get placement in that afternoon class! Here is the website: www.abcacademysg.com So, you can see from the website that the afternoon class isn't listed but I am telling you there is one. So call Sarah and see if you can get in for the 2017-2018 school year. Good luck!

Last day of preschool, outside water fun.