First English Lutheran Child Development Center

This school is as good as it gets. I have three children and didn’t find this gem until I was in need for child three. Oh how I wish I had found it 13 years earlier in order to bypass all the pre-​school drama that came before First English! The teachers are so amazing and caring towards the children. The kids feel so comfortable and loved every bit of the day. Somehow the director is able to find childcare providers who are as close to perfect as I’ve ever seen. My daughter actually begs to stay longer than when I pick her up at the end of the day. The campus is so convenient to downtown, west and east Austin. The play based curriculum is the best I’ve seen, and the kids seem to be learning much of the social emotional things that are so important to survive in this world. I never want to leave! Once my daughter graduates, I may just have another baby so we can start back up at First English again!

I meant to write this years ago! My daughter just finished at FELCDC in August and has recently started Kindergarten. I seriously think about First English all the time because we really loved our time there. It is such a great school with great staff and a great director in Shannon. The teachers communicate well with the parents and the kids really enjoy being there. My daughter would miss her friends, school and teachers on the weekends. Now that we are expecting another and i’m trying to find a new place for infant care I really value our time at First English because it was so comforting to be there. I knew that my daughter was well taken care of so I had not a care in the world while I was at work. I would seriously look no further if you need child care. By the way, they have a wonderfully sweet and caring woman there named Jennifer who prepares and cooks all of the meals for the school so breakfast and lunch is provided. I really can’t say enough great things about this place!

My daughter has been at this school for two weeks now, and this place blows the last two places she has been at out of the water! Everything I felt was lacking at those places, they have covered here. The biggest one: communication. I receive the weekly school lesson, so I know what my child is working on, and can help her with outside of school. This is in addition to a daily letter informing me precisely what all the kids did each day. They also have a bulletin outside of the classroom so I know if my child napped. They have extra curricular programs, are flexible with payment (can split into two payments), down to earth wonderful people (haven’t met a person yet I didn’t think was qualified, or didn’t have a shining personality), they allowed for my child to come in prior to her enrollment to get used to the place, and they serve my kiddo healthy food everyday! I so wish I would have found this place earlier. At both previous places my kiddo cried for months during drop off. Here: 2 days (granted I know she is a little older and experienced now) — but she genuinely seems to like this place as much as I do. As this place is so amazing– it might be hard to get in (I didn’t even mention the awesome teacher to student ratio, or low turn over because they are so good to their employees (unheard of in this field). So yeah– shout out to FELCDC. Thanks for giving me some peace of mind.

I wish First English included more grades because I simply love this place! You won’t find another pre-​school with more loving teachers and staff. The chef, Jennifer, cooks organic meals everyday. My son was extremely shy and First English teachers helped him come out of his shell. The curriculum is child centered and parents are involved every step of the way. Every concern is addressed. They even helped potty train my toddler! You can drop off your child as early as 7:30 and they close at 6, which is extremely convenient. I highly recommend First English for anyone looking for top quality
day care!

We have two children at FEL and we could not be happier. The director, Shannon, does a wonderful job of finding fantastic teachers, both the lead teachers and the afternoon assistants (who are often UT students). My kids both love going to school each day and adore the adults who care for them. They are also learning a ton — language and literacy, math, social skills. They are going to be well equipped for elementary school. But the kids don’t realize how much they’re learning — they think they’re just having fun.
Communication is excellent. We get regular email updates from the lead teachers. Conferences are held regularly. The afternoon assistants are terrific about providing a full report at the end of the day.
The best aspect may be the family atmosphere. All the children know their classmates’ parents. There are regular class gatherings where all the families get together outside school. The parents are friends as much as the children are! Because all the children eat breakfast and lunch together and play outside in two groups, they know virtually all of the other children.
FEL offers a number of extracurriculars — music, soccer, tumbling, and chapel. All of those teachers are as incredible as the full time staff. Many students participate, but the teachers are great about making sure the kids who do not go to those classes don’t feel left out.
FEL feels like an extension of our home and our family.

My daughter went to First English for three years, since she was 18 months old. We absolutely loved the school. We had to move away for new jobs and have been missing First English ever since. We loved the teachers and the entire community. Everybody knows each other and the teachers are extremely nurturing. My daughter also learned a lot during the three years, even though it is a play based school. First English has been among what we miss most about Austin!

I have a son who attended First English and another son who is still currently enrolled there. Things I love about FELCDC is the staff, the director does a good job retaining quality teachers. The board members really advocate for competitive pay and good health benefits to retain and attract the best teachers. Second the food, they offer an in house cook that prepares healthy food for the children throughout the day. Third the planning and curriculum that the teachers provide. Teachers do a great job with implementing themes week to week to help with language development. Books, songs and toys in the room revolve around specific themes, which the children love. Toys and books get switched out very frequently to keep children engaged and excited to walk into the room each morning rather than seeing the same old stuff week to week on the shelves.
Central Austin does not have a lot of choices when it comes to Child development centers that cater to two working parents that can not do a 9 – 2 preschool day. I compared this facility to Child’s Day and Open Door and felt that they had the best program, not to mention a cook, an awesome playground and great location for parents who live or work central.

We started my daughter there at 2 years old, and have been there through two kids now.
Highlights:
— a nice balance between play based learning, and exposure to academics (my daughter was reading when she entered Kinder, but my personal focus is on play for kids, which she got plenty of)
— fresh made food! no need to pack a lunch. the school has a chef (yes, a chef) that bakes and creates healthy and delicious foods. and, the best news, you can eat with your kiddo at lunch for just a few dollars.
— teachers who communicate very well with parents, and regularly — emails home, conferences regularly, etc.
— teachers who are well trained, open to discussions with parents, and supportive and kind.
— a director who is very present, who knows all the parents, and who is also a strong communicator
At one point, we left in an attempt to save money. FEL offers only full-​time enrollment, and I work part-​time. I switched both kids to part-​time days at two different centers (due to their ages). It was awful. I didn’t get to know any of the parents, the director was never around, I had no idea what was happening ever. Obviously, within a few months we moved back and have been there since.
I cannot say enough good things about this school. It’s been our home for many years, and I joke all the time with the director and staff about how I’m going to bawl on our last day…

My 3-​year old son has attended First English Lutheran CDC since the admittance age of eighteen months old. We simply adore this small school and feel that the teachers, aides, staff and parents make this school feel more like a family. Weekly curricular updates as well as a loving, patient and child-​centered learning environment make this school one of (if not THE) best in Austin. I cannot imagine my son getting a better education in this critical time of his life (and brain development) than through the efforts of FELCDC.

My daughter has been a student here for three years and we absolutely love it! The teachers are excellent. They work extremely hard to provide enriching and stimulating activities everyday. This is a full time program that offers so much more than what you imagine a daycare to be. It is not babysitting. My daughter recently constructed a pulley system on the playground, built a rocket for the dramatic play area, wrote a book about things she loves, and put on a play of Little Red Riding Hood. The preschool classes document each child’s year in amazing portfolios that I will keep forever. I feel so fortunate FE was part of my daughter’s early childhood.

Our son has been going to the First Lutheran CDC for a little more than a year now. We love it here and our son does too. There are great teachers here, loving as well as professional. There are some great touches in this child care center, quite distinct from other centers. Kids from all classes eat together, in a large inviting fellowship hall; the classrooms are choc-​full of books and these are rotated regularly; there is a wonderful playground outside which is thankfully shady enough for the Austin weather. The center staff strike you as genuinely caring for the kids and keep the parents well informed of the progress of their children. The person who prepares the kids’ meals (Jennifer) is wonderful — she makes much of the food from scratch and tailors it to students’ meal preferences (our son does not have meat). The head of the center, Shannon, is a great leader and keeps the center running smoothly and with well appreciated touches of affection.