I was a stay at home mom to my daughter for the first 3 years of her life and was very cautious to enroll her in a school when she turned 3 last year. I looked everywhere for a place that I thought would nurture, teach and love my daughter. I had extremely high expectations. When I toured many of the centers around town I found the children seemed in almost a trance-like state and the teachers were not very friendly. That all changed when I toured Esperanza.
On my first tour all the children looked happy, came up and talked to my daughter and I (BIG difference from the other centers!!). They immediately wanted her to come play with them on the playground while I talked to the teachers. Many of the teachers have been there for years (something I look for from my experience working at a daycare in high school years ago) and are some of the most loving people I've ever encountered. My daughter (and I) had a hard time adjusting to her new ""school"" routine but her teacher (Ms. Abril) made the transition amazing- I honestly can never thank Ms. Abril enough for the role she played in my daughter's life during that time. I was able to call and check in on her during the day and received ""real"" reports of how she was, what she was doing, etc. It went a long way to make me feel more comfortable.
She has now been at the school for a year- she moved up to her new class last August and her new teachers- Ms. Marilyn and Ms. Maria are also great and she adores them. She has learned so much since she has been enrolled. Every month I receive a calendar with what letters they are learning, math, science, crafts, concepts, etc.
The new building is amazing. Every classroom is clean and bright with anything you can imagine to learn and play with. Outside the playgrounds are divided by age and the garden/ bunnies/ chicken huts are a lot of fun for the kids as well.
It's also a comfort when I would say at least 95% of the staff there know who I am and who my daughter is. They great us by name every day, are always smiling and seem genuinely happy to be working there. (These are people beside my daughter's direct teachers- many just staff that we encounter in the halls)
Every summer they have water play in the mornings outside- great idea for hot summer weather! She loved this last year, and they are very diligent about sunscreen, bug repellant, etc.
I love that there is a PTA here and the parents are very involved in the school and the other families. Amazing school!
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