Questions about: the Mom Scene in W. Mt. Airy, commute, schools... - Page 4 - PhillyBlog

ojhdmominphilly · #31 (**permalink**) 11-15-2006, 12:22 PM

I've put together the following info on nursery schools in the Mt. Airy area. I'd like to get address information, websites, and phone numbers for all of them (and perhaps those I'm missing). Does anyone have the missing information, or have corrections for me? Other information regarding part-time programs, tuition, and feedback on the centers would be wonderful too. Thanks!

Unitarian Church/Mt. Airy co-op; 6503 Lincoln Dr. (Is this right?); 215-844-5770; website?
Is the Unitarian Church nursery school the same as the Mt. Airy nursery school co-op?

All About Kidz; Green + Horter St.; (215) 843-0188; website??

Pooh Corner ???

Summit Presbyterian Church nursery school; Greene St. and Westview; website and phone??

Childspace; Gtown Ave and Mt. Pleasant, website and phone?

Preschool Plus; 224 East Gowen Avenue; 215-248-4455.
http://www.preschoolplus.org/

Germantown Montessori; 6767 GERMANTOWN AVENUE; 215-849-4896; http://www.gms6767.zoomshare.com/

Cuddles-n-Care; (215) 242-3568; http://www.cuddles-n-care.com/

KenCrest day care; ??Midvale ave; 215 848 4865; website??

azion · #32 (**permalink**) 11-15-2006, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ojhdmominphilly

Thanks to everyone who replied and those who give others great advice on other threads. My husband and I are officially in settlement on a house in West Mt. Airy and will be moving in sometime in March! We're really looking forward to it.

Congrats!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ojhdmominphilly

I've now turned my attention to trying to find a good nursery school for our son (now 16 months). We need something very part-time, a half-day program would be ideal. A place near to a train stop would be great too. I know the Big Backyard is great, but I think the child needs to be at least 3. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Thanks!

All About Kidz (Green + Horter Sts.) is practically across the street from Upsal on the R8 line.

We use it for our daughter, + have no complaints,
-Z

stranac · #33 (**permalink**) 11-16-2006, 04:53 PM

"Childspace; Gtown Ave and Mt. Pleasant, website and phone?"

phone: 215 248 3080
e-mail:ChildspaceMtAiry@aol.com

ojhdmominphilly · #34 (**permalink**) 11-17-2006, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stranac

"Childspace; Gtown Ave and Mt. Pleasant, website and phone?"

phone: 215 248 3080
e-mail:ChildspaceMtAiry@aol.com

Thank you so much for the information. I am hoping to check out a few places this afternoon.

keeptab · #35 (**permalink**) 03-15-2007, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azion

A lesson in self-fulfilling prophecy, if you will:

Public schools, very often, turn out to be as good as the parents who live in their catchments want them to be. In other words, if parents living around a given school both care about education *and* want their local public school to be good, then sending their kids to that school will make it better, since the best way to improve a school is to load it with kids whose parents give a rat's ass about education.

On the other hand, if most of the kids attending a school- no matter how rich, what color, etc. they are- come from families where the parents don't care about education or aren't involved in their kids' education, then the school is likely to be poor.

If, for instance, every family w/high school-age kids living in the appropriate catchment decided to make Germantown High an excellent school, they could achieve this goal by sending their kids there.

The challenge, of course, is the chicken-and-egg problem: do the aforementioned families wait until a school is good to send their kids there, or take the initiative to send their kids there to make it good.

Something to consider,
-Z

that's an oldie but goodie.............GOOD POINT!

:w oot:

keeptab · #36 (**permalink**) 03-15-2007, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susand

I am not going to shout you down but just add a different view to the poster who said:

The bad:
* It's racially diverse, but just like in W. Philly, the institutions are not very diverse. So you might live next door to people of all races, but your kid's classmates all look pretty much like your kid with a few exceptions. I know Mt. Airy prides itself on diversity, so I may get shouted down on this one, but I do feel this pretty strongly.

You are right that the schools are less diverse than the community--but there is one very simple answer to that--white families should use the schools too!!!! I have had two kids at Henry--one who is now in college and went to Henry from kindergarten through 8th grade, the other is in 6th at Masterman after a great K-4 start at Henry. Quite simply it is a very solid school with some excellent programs, including a great music program, excellent theater, and good gifted support. Seven Henry kids from my son's class went to Masterman so you know the academics are good. Part of me wishes we had all stayed there. I see so many young families around W Mt. Airy--if you all want a neighborhood school, you have one. Just use it already!!! I get especially frustrated with the assumption that the charter schools are "better." In what way? Their test scores are lower, they don't have the range of music or sports or variety of programs that Henry has. They are smaller and perhaps more "cuddly" if that is really what matters most to you. But on objective academic measurements, Henry is a better school. Check out the scores on the Dept of Ed site--paayp.com--for yourself.

My children were both nurtured by the Henry community--and had the definite advantage of going to a school where most of the kids did NOT look just like them. Here's just a few of the experiences they had at Henry: Going on a whale watch, attending the Metropolitan Opera in NYC, helping build a mosaic mural at Penns Landin, singing in a fabulous production of West Side Story, winning art contests, playing in the NW Regional Orchestra, learning cello and trumpet (the cellist was prepared well enough to become principal cellist in Central's amazing orchestra as a sophomore), and on and on. Try it, go with friends--you'll like it!

how about THAT..........good perspective! Interestingly enough, I find the term "diversity" usually applies to people of color-non-white-who come into an all-white or mainly white situation for the same opportunities. As well, ithe same can and should be said in REVERSE.....white people can and SHOULD add "diversity" with their presence just as much as their non-white counterparts......that, as I'm starting to learn more and more is grossly and sorely NEEDED BADLY in Philadelphia public schools, even if that makes the good ones "good"....if that means whiter, so be it, if that is what mainly populates the area around the school....it's only fair and it makes sense! Example in the making- in University City - in another 5 or 7 yrs, when the helicopter and cop-attracting West Philly High gets raised and goes high-tech like the Microsoft school....like the Penn-Alexander school, once it becomes new again, see how white it becomes.....again, like it used to be......should it come to that, though? This all brings up so many interesting "diverse" thoughts......WWMA residents with school-age kids, give Henry a chance, after all....your tax dollars - and mine, way over here in u.city- PAY for it! From the outside looking in, it really doesn't seem all that bad.....when my pseudo-low budget "globetrekker" journey takes me beyond the blogs and perspectives right into the school I will see for myself and report my findings for other U. City and other potential transplants. Ciao!