How big is Little Village?
Currently there are 40 children enrolled in Morning School and 6 children in Afternoon School. That is typically 43 or 44 families, just depending on the number of siblings enrolled.
What age are the children at Little Village?
Our Morning School is for children 2.5 to 5 years old (some may turn 6 during their last year). Afternoon School is designed for children 3.5 to 5 years old. Our Toddler Program is for toddlers the year before they start Preschool. In some cases, if there are additional openings, toddlers can start as young as 18 months.
How old does my child have to be to start school?
In order to begin Morning School, your child needs to be at least 2.5 years old by September 30th. For Afternoon School, we look for children who are at least 3.5 years old (and potty-trained) on their start date.
When does LVNS close for breaks and holidays?
We follow LAUSD’s schedule for major holiday breaks and three-day weekends, and we also take the day off after Thanksgiving. We have four major breaks a year: WINTER BREAK (roughly 2.5 weeks, mid-December through New Year), SPRING BREAK (1 week, prior to Easter standard), EARLY SUMMER (2 weeks, late June through 4th of July holiday), LATE SUMMER (roughly 2.5 weeks, mid-August through Labor Day).
Is your Program all day?
Little Village is a five-day-a-week program. Our Morning School begins with drop-off at 8:45 AM and pick-up at 12:30 PM. Children in Morning School have the option to stay until 3:30 PM (space permitting) in what we call "Extended Day". Our Afternoon School is from 12:30 to 3:30 PM every day.
How flexible are the hours?
For Morning School, you may not drop your children off earlier than 8:45 AM. For Afternoon School, no earlier than 12:30 PM. We’re all preschool parents; we know it’s hard to be on time every day, so we don’t have fines for being late. We do, however, strongly encourage being on time, and we all do our best. This is because the children crave routine, and look forward to their usual activities of free play, snack, rug time, and all the rest. Some kids, especially the younger ones, are still very egocentric developmentally and can get confused that the school can go on without them. They might not understand why they missed snack, or music time, or whatever fun things happen here on that particular day.
Do I have to send my child all five days?
No, you do not have to send your child for all five days. However, tuition is the same whether your child attends one day or five days. Some families have started their children coming less than five days, but what we find is that the children really want to be at school with their friends every day. Most children do best with an unchanged daily routine, therefore, five mornings per week is consistent and allows for an easier separation between child and parent.
Does my child have to be potty trained?
For Morning School, we highly encourage all children to be potty trained, but it is not required. For Afternoon School, children must be potty trained.
LVNS is a Co-op. What does that mean?
A Co-op means that the parents of the children who are attending are the owners the nursery school. Each family has parent responsibilities that they need to fulfill.
How much work do parents have to do?
Every family in Morning School needs to complete one workday per month per child (Parents of twins or have siblings attending do two workdays) in addition to holding a job in the school. A workday is from 8:45 AM to 12:30 PM and is a really great way to be involved in your child's preschool experience. Afternoon School families are not required to complete monthly workdays or hold a job. There are other assorted parent responsibilities for both Morning and Afternoon School. When you come on the tour we will go into detail so you know what to expect.
Can my Nanny do my workday?
We ask that it be one of the parenting partners that does the monthly workday, not a Nanny.
Do parents teach at LVNS?
Nope. Parents are welcome in the classroom for any and all enrichment activities, but LVNS has a full teaching staff. So teachers teach and parents are helpers/worker bees.
How does LVNS handle separation?
In our Yellow Group (kids 2.5 to 3.5 years old), children are introduced to the classroom four at a time. The first week of September, four children begin, the next week four more are added, the next week four more, etc. By the end of the month all fifteen children have started. During that time, mom or dad or other primary caregiver is here during the phasing in, and he or she sits quietly in the back of the Yellow Group’s classroom while the child gets acclimated. When the child wanders to mom or dad for help with something, the teachers guide him back to the rest of the class and help him with our special LVNS conflict resolution skills. Usually by the end of a few days, the parent is sent out to run errands but keep the cell phone on in case of a major problem. By the end of a week, most children have phased in successfully (it’s quite another story for the parents!), and mom and dad can leave for the full class day until pick up time. Some children may need as little as a day, and some as much as a month or so, but the process very rarely goes beyond that. By the end of September, our complete Yellow Group is here!
Our Blue Group, Red Group, and Afternoon School children all begin school during the first week after Labor Day. Parents are generally not needed for any separation transition for these older children, however we will work with you if your child needs a little extra help getting acclimated. (NOTE: It is extremely rare for any new children start in our Blue or Red Group, as the classes are filled with children who attended the year before in the Yellow or Blue Groups. Your best chances for admission to LVNS are through the Yellow Group or Afternoon School.)
What kind of communication/documentation do teachers provide with regard to my child’s progress?
Our teachers are available for meetings with parents as needed throughout the year as issues come up for you. We ask that you please keep your teachers informed if there are issues at home that could affect your child at school (such as sibling rivalry, a new baby, an impending move, parental stress with work or family, etc). The teachers can always provide some great insight into how to handle certain situations, and where to best meet your little gal or guy on their particular developmental level. In addition to any informal meetings needed, there are 2 formal conferences each year, where the teachers for your child’s group provide one-on-one time to go over a written evaluation documenting the child’s small and large motor skills, social skills, writing, reading comprehension, speech, and much more. We also get to enjoy looking at our child’s writing and drawing journal, and their binder containing art samples, photos with friends, writing samples, and beyond. Those binders and journals are not only ways to document a child’s progress over the year, but they are sent home at the end of each year as a special keepsake for your child. Don’t be surprised if they want to read their Little Village binder as their bedtime story for several weeks after receiving it!
Does LVNS have field trips?
Yes. We typically reserve our field trips for later in the school year. Some recent trips have included Santa Monica Aquarium, California Science Center, the Zimmer Children's Museum, a behind-the-scenes look at a pizza parlor, a marionette show, and a rock concert for kids. We also perform our annual holiday sing-along at a local senior center. In addition to these enriching outings, we also have special guests come to the school. Recently, we've had visits from a petting zoo, the reptile people, and the aquarium.
Do teachers visit their students at home?
Yes. A special part of the beginning of each school year is the in-home visit. Children from Morning and Afternoon School are visited by their teachers for one hour on a date scheduled between parents and teachers. The children love to show their teachers all their special toys, where their room is, introducing them to pets, throwing a ball around with them, whatever! This is a wonderful way to reinforce the strong bond between child and teacher. Our teachers can do their daily jobs even better when they understand dynamics of each family’s household, and the children know they can trust our teachers to understand them and guide them in a genuine and caring way, not from some abstract authoritarian rule. And no, our home visits are not a test of our housekeeping strengths or weaknesses!
What is your "Afternoon School"?
Our Afternoon School is from 12:30 to 3:30 PM, Monday to Friday. After the Morning School day is over, this smaller group of children gathers for a story and quiet time. Then they have an enrichment theme for each day of the week (cooking, science, arts and crafts, music and movement). Afternoon School then continues with both indoor and outdoor activities, as well as a snack time. Our Afternoon School is for children who are at least 3.5 years old and potty-trained when starting. Please contact our registrars or director with questions, or to reserve a spot on one of our tours for Afternoon School applicants.
What is your Toddler Program?
Our parent-and-me Toddler Program is an opportunity for parents and toddlers to come together one morning each week in a warm and inviting nursery school setting. The goal is for your child to begin socializing with his or her peers, share, communicate verbally, and follow simple instructions and an easy routine in order to become more self-sufficient. The two-hour sessions are intended to give toddlers the opportunity to play freely, express themselves through art and music and begin to interact with one another in a secure, stimulating environment. For parents, it is an opportunity to spend some time with their child, make new friends, and explore a wide gamut of parenting and child development issues. (PLEASE NOTE: Participation in our Toddler Program does not guarantee enrollment in our regular school program.)
Does the school have a parking lot?
No, we do not have a parking lot. Most parents park on the street and walk their children in and out of school; however, parking in this neighborhood/business district can be tricky - especially if you have another child or baby in the car. For this reason, we offer a carpool line in the alley behind the school at the beginning and end of the school day. We have strict safety rules for using the carpool line. One being that parents must stay in their vehicles while teachers escort the children to and from school property.
How can I find out more about your school?
The easiest and best way for you to find out all about Little Village is to come on a tour. Our tours are held twice a month in the mornings. Most tours begin at 9:30 AM and finish by 11:00 AM. We offer occasional tours at 1 PM. It is the one time at LVNS we do ask that it be parents-only. Dates and times are subject to change, so please check our tour schedule for the most current tour dates.
How can I find out about applying to other preschools in the area?
We recommend the book “Coping With Preschool Panic” by Michelle Nita. It is available on her web site, www.preschoolguide.com, and at Children's Book World on Pico.
