St. David’s Preschool

This preschool was a wonderful experience for my children. I sent both my children here and they made friends for life and still talk about their old teachers to this day. We had a prior poor experience at a Montessori school (the director actually suggested that my THREE-​year-​old son should take ADHD medication) so I was on heightened alert when he started at St. David’s. We never ever had an issue with him there, and he thrived. My daughter similarly grew by leaps and bounds. The kids get messy, they play in the dirt, they learn about helping one another and the world around them. We’ve since moved away but will be visiting this summer and my daughter (who is still preschool age) will be back to attend while we’re here.

St. David’s Preschool has s new director with a strong passion for child development. Coupled together with the new Priest-​in-​Charge (who likewise shares a strong passion for children), and you can see and experience a great learning environment for your children.

Karen Garcia the new Director has brought fresh energy and enthusiasm to an already great preschool

We enrolled our daughter at St. David’s in September 2013 and we have really enjoyed the experience. I use «experience» because it is more than just a day care or preschool. Every month or so there are opportunities to get the families together whether it be a thanksgiving potluck, gardening weekend soliciting help from the families to plant and care for the plants, Mother’s Day breakfast and so on. I read other reviews and I must say I am surprised on the negative comments. My daughter transitioned from diapers to underwear recently and they were helpful. If you are looking for a strict curriculum with home work for a 3 year old I am not sure where you would find it or want it. They focus on learning things pertinent to their class/​age. My child has learned a great deal socially as well and the class sizes are smaller than other schools I interviewed. The teachers are incredibly caring and give plenty of attention to the kids while allowing them to interact amongst themselves. I would recommend this preschool to any parent.

Our daughter has attended St. David’s since November 2012. We couldn’t be happier with her experience. We had initially intended to send her to another preschool, but when our son got a spot at the Spanish Immersion school across the street from St. David’s we decided to check it out on a whim. I had both of my children with me and both we as impressed as I was. The kids immediately gravitated to the materials in the classrooms and the playground. Now that she has attended over a year and half and is as happy to go to school every morning as she was on her first day. Just looking at the classrooms makes me smile. They are decorated with kid art and accompanied by photos and explanations of what went on in each room. These are great conversation starters for asking the little ones how the day went. I must admit that at first knowing it wasn’t a traditional preschool like my son attended I was a bit worried that my daughter wouldn’t be ready for kindergarten, but with one more year to go, I am no longer worried. My daughter has shown a genuine interest in learning that is a direct reflection of the principals of Reggio Emilia, she dictates her learning. Another thing I like, is that she has a core group of friends that she has had since she started. These kids have traveled from classroom to classroom as a group and even though she might have made the transition sooner than some of her friends, she has many opportunities throughout the day to socialize with those friends. I also like the fact that several of her friends have older siblings who attend the same school as my older son and that she will be able to continue some of her friendships into elementary school.

St David’s offers the perfect blend of academics and play for our child to learn and interact well with other kids. The classrooms look beautiful, with plenty of curriculum to learn from, and a diverse system they use to teach the children. They also have a superb play area, the largest I’ve seen from visiting other schools in the area, and again the most diverse.
The teachers are incredible, so great to the kids, they pay so much attention to them, the kids love them.
I also think they collaborate and have a special program with the Lady of Madeleine private Catholic school, because my son took their entry test a few months ago, and he passed with flying colors. We also toured the private school and there are so many more similarities being added to The St. David’s curriculum, including Sciences and Gardening. They’ve added similar style classrooms like the Lady…, which I think is a plus, because the private school is amazing. I’m speculating here about the collaboration, but one thing I’m sure of, your kid would greatly benefit from choosing St David’s as your child’s first great school.

The main problem with this preschool is there is no one running the show. The «director» leaves at 2:00 and when she is there she is always in the office. The teachers are nice enough but they need supervision and they are not getting any.
My mistake! You don’t choose a preschool because it has a great playground.
When your child tells you they don’t want to go to school any more there is a reason. I have seen fighting in front of the teachers, bullying and hitting and the teachers are not paying ANY attention. NONE. It really kept me up at night until I finally took my child out.
The teachers are babysitters. There does not appear to be a curriculum and there are NO status updates on your child’s progress. For older children that’s fine, but for children who are at this crucial developmental stage in their lives, it’s important to know how they are progressing.
There is ZERO assistance with potty training. NONE. Every day during potty training, I received a bag full of one, two, or three soiled outfits. It made my job 50 times harder than necessary.
Even if you talk to them about concerns they appear to be listening attentively but absolutely NOTHING changes.
If I had to do over again, I would have done more research, asked better questions and taken my child out a lot sooner.

this prescool has a nice location and a nice playground but it is not what you may think it is. do your homework