Farm & Nature Discovery Pre School At the Center

Since I met the director Kristen, I always felt hesitant about sending my 3 year old daughter to school here. The 20+ page handbook alone for a preschool demonstrates an uptight and strict learning environment for children. Every second of their day is scheduled in 10 or 15 minute increments for the entire 2 hours that they are there. I wander why a 3 year old needs to switch from one activity to another so quickly, especially when their attention span is low at this age already?
During my daughter’s first week of school she came home with new behaviors that she never exhibited before, she was very anxious, was nervous before school every day and said that «she didn’t like the teacher or the farm school.» What was more unsettling was when I asked how she did on her first day, I was told by Kristen, «you need to pull aside and wait if you wanna speak with the teacher, just like the handbook says». Now of course I read the extensive handbook but what’s wrong with the teacher saying she was happy today or giving me a quick one sentence line? A friend of mine sends their child to an excellent preschool that does a similar pickup style and the teachers will always share a quick fun fact about the child during pickup.
The entire school portrays a strict and cold environment. I think at 3 and 4 years old children need more open play, time to socialize with other kids through open play, and more of a nurturing and caring environment since they are still young. This is my opinion of the farm and since switching my daughter back to her prior school (where she was at when she was 2), she is much happier. Children can only display their true feelings in a limited number of ways and I could definitely tell that this school had a very negative impact on my daughter. I’m glad that I could pick up on the signs in time. I expected better from this school, it has a great setting but is directed very poorly.

Our daughters attended preschool here. It was a great way to build a solid foundation for future success. The academics are strong, yet the children interact with nature every day. They spend time with the animals, go on nature walks, and learn something nature-​related as part of each academic lesson. Our girls are now in fourth grade. They still talk about their time here.

My 3 year old daughter started going here for preschool this year, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s a regular preschool with the same learning objectives of any preschool (if not more, I’m amazed with what she’s learned so far), but in a nature based learning environment. Weather permitting, they go outside every day for a nature walk and to explore something related to that day’s lesson.
My favorite thing about the school is how much they inform parents about their activities. Every month there is a calendar which is sent home with each day’s activity and lesson, which also details the theme for the month (December was «What Animals Do in the Winter» and this month is «The Wild West»). Each month’s calendar also details what character trait and sills they’ll be working on this month. According to this month’s calendar, January’s trait of the month that they’ll be talking about is fairness, and the «skills of the month» are measurement vocabulary, sorting, matching numbers to objects and lacing. The calendar also lists what letter sounds and numbers they’ll be working on that week. In addition to the calendar, at the end of each week a letter from the teacher is sent home with detailed information about what they did at school that week. They also do semester evaluations which are sent home to show what skills have been learned and which they need to work on.
I am amazed at how much my daughter has learned in a few short months, specifically numbers and letter sounds and big advances in being able to trace and learn how letters are written.
They also have special events which are really nice. They had a really fun Halloween party, a Grandparent’s Day Program, and a live Nativity that the kids did this year.
There are also a couple of cute little things that the class does. They have a class mascot (a stuffed animal) which the kids get to take turns taking home (my daughter was beyond excited to take him home). There’s also a schedule to bring snack to school, it works out to be roughly once every two months, and when they bring snack they get to be «Nature Helper» which is a big deal where they get to help the teacher and get special attention.
Something else I’d mention is that the school does a drive up drop off and pick up, which is really convenient for parents with small children since you don’t need to get out of the car. My daughter really likes this school, and so do I. The facility is gorgeous– my mother in law is a public school teacher and couldn’t believe how nice her classroom was. My daughter really loves the teachers too.
The tuition is less than I would have expected and is similar to what we paid for preschool at Sandbox last year.