Showing posts sorted by relevance for query directors. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query directors. Sort by date Show all posts

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

How nice is PNP?

PNP is beyond anything I've ever seen.

* It has 4 full-time directors (as opposed to last daycare which went through 7 directors in less than 4 years)
* Included in the price are daily half-hour sessions in music, computers, art, library-time, and movement with their own dedicated rooms and teachers.
* There's an indoor gym for inclement weather.
* There's an outdoor water-play area with sprinkler installations for summertime play.
* Not one of the toys was broken.
* The front desk is always staffed.
* You can't get into the place without being buzzed in or getting your fingerprint scanned (no more codes that don't change often enough/are changed without letting parents know what the damned code is).
* You can't get OUT of the place without pushing a button that's out of most kids' reach (no more kids escaping and running loose in the parking lot - and yes, that really happened at the old place).
* All of the kids looked happy.
* The director who showed us around knew the name of EVERY kid she saw (as opposed to the newest director at the old place who consistently mis-said Muffin Man's name - if his name were Larry, she'd have called him Barry or Jerry).

And did I mention that all the kids looked happy?

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Muffin Man's World has Changed

Muffin Man started at a new daycare yesterday.

He'd been at his old one since he was 10 weeks old. His first teacher, Miss A., was so special. His second-to-last teacher there, Miss M., was also really wonderful. Other teachers who are no longer there made his every day a joy.

But there's the rub. Those teachers are no longer there. Miss M. is leaving soon too. Miss A. was making noises about not liking where the center is going.

The problem is they've had 5 directors in the time we've been there. And the current director is going on maternity leave next month. And her replacement isn't getting along with the teachers. And she's constantly forgetting the kids' names. The place is starting to come unglued and we're not willing to put MM through that again (the last time it happened, they lost two-thirds of their teachers and had to close the toddler room for lack of staff. MM was dividing his days amoung the crawling babies and the rambunctious two's and three's - a blended class also due to lack of staff.)

So we've moved MM to a different center. And it was hard on him yesterday, but today he came home really happy. Talking about the silly songs his teacher, Miss G., sang and the sign-language movements she did with the song (he particularly liked her rendition of "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer")

And we're loving the "what I did today" reports she sent home yesterday and today. They're very detailed (mostly xeroxed, but with hand-written notes specifically about our son) and very cheerful with snowflakes and snowmen in the margins. His old school wasn't too big on daily reports. Except in the very young classes.

There are other things about this new center we're not liking so much, but we've got him on a waiting list at Posh New Place (daycare designed by D1sn3y! Not really, but that's how it looks.)