St. Andrew’s Pre-School

My 3.5 year old LOVES preschool thanks to the care and love that the Teachers and Director provide at St. Andrews! He has learned so much with all of their help!

St. Andrews has been a wonderful experience for my son. He absolutely loves his time there and we plan to keep him there and send our other two children there when they are old enough. St. Andrews cultivates a beautiful nurturing environment and are very loving with each child. I am grateful that we found such a perfect fit. I also appreciate how long each of their teachers have worked there — some have been there for more than 25 years. I think that really says something about the school. I looked at a few other local preschools and liked them just fine but when I showed up and took a tour of St. Andrews, the staff was so detailed and informative and kind that I knew it was the right fit. I encourage anyone who is interested to take a tour.

Can I please give 6 stars?! St. Andrew’s was the perfect preschool for both our children. We have two girls, two years apart and they couldn’t be more different. The excellent teaching staff gave them both a spectacular experience. They offered a wide array of play-​based learning opportunities. The girls had so much fun with what they were doing that they didn’t know it was «learning». The director Nancy Thebault offered parents monthly teas to keep us informed and offer timely tips for parents of preschoolers. All around, an exceptional little school!

St. Andrews came highly recommended by a friend who said she «wanted to have more children just so she could send them to St. Andrews». My little guy is in his second year and we have been so happy with the school. The teachers are all long term, experienced and work well together. The environment is play based and focuses on socialization, large and small motor and creativity. They provide such a positive atmosphere and are great about giving feedback on your child’s challenges and successes. The basic hours are 9 – 12:30 but there are options to come early or stay a little longer most days. The children sing, read, learn letters, numbers, months, days and make lots of art projects. There are a good number of family events for those who want to be involved. St. Andrews is a wonderful preschool with an amazing group of teachers and director where every child is truly made to feel special.

My daughter is 3, and she doesn’t have alot of experience with other children — and definitely prefers adults. She still has separation anxiety. We, as parents, were excited to give her a new social experience through preschool, and hoped it would pave a way for her to view school positively in the future.
Last year, I researched a bunch of schools and decided on a different preschool in the area. It was large, but with small ratios, and had a very natural «hippy» type philosophy. When we started, it couldn’t have been more of a disaster for my daughter. She was lost, needed some modeling and encouragement for how to behave around the other kids, crying each day she went, and starting bad behavior (whining/​uncooperative) at home on those days as well. After a month, I decided it just wasn’t a good fit, but still felt preschool would good for her social development.
Instead of just touring schools to make a change, I decided to go and observe. (Turns out you learn alot more observing for hours than you do on a tour — even the ratios some schools claim to have are different than what they say on a tour — look out!) I learned that there are some GREAT schools in our area, and I am most impressed with St. Andrews and so thankful for their program.
Moving our daughter to their program has been such a positive decision for our household. I think the proof is most obvious in her current behavior. She now views school as a «safe» place and with each visit she is more and more enthusiastic. Her behavior when she comes home on preschool days is happy and she enjoys telling me about the activities/​snacks she had while at school. She seems overall more peaceful — and also more willing to learn about the other children. (Something she had ZERO interest in before.)
About the school: They have small ratios (Our class is 11: 2). Nancy is an amazing director. She communicates very effectively with the parents, and I believe that she genuinely cares for each and every student in the program. The entire staff (especially Cindy and Rachel who I have had experience watching) are very caring to the children, provide a safe and structured routine allowing the children to learn how to cooperate with others around them as well as enjoy creative playtime. They know how to get down on the level of the child when speaking. These people have been doing this along time (20 plus years) and it shows. I love that they care for the family as a whole and provide parenting classes (Redirecting Childrens Behavior /​CPR) to parents if they want it at no charge. You know when you drop your child off that they will be positively disciplined in a loving environment where the adults really work to make sure that your child feels like part of the group and is allowed to explore through play at the same time (and learning new concepts without even realizing it!).
I would feel completely comfortable recommending this school to any of my friends.

We came to St. Andrews Preschool after starting another preschool and finding it wasn’t the right fit for us. From my first interaction with the director, Nancy, I wanted to be part of this school. My eldest son went through the program and the Kinderboost program, and my youngest son is now enrolled. The teachers are awesome, the program is great, and we just love this preschool.