For nearly 10 years, Lamorinda Moms Club has organized an annual preschool fair designed to help local parents find the perfect preschool for their child. The event is open to LMC members as well as the general community.

The 2007 fair was held Thursday, November 15 from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Oakwood Athletic Club in Lafayette.  There were representatives from over 30 preschools to discuss their programs and answer questions!

 For the list of the 2007 participating preschools including valuable information about each school, click here (PDF format).

Just starting to think about preschool options? See a list of questions to think about.

Community Outreach Project
In conjunction with the annual LMC Preschool Fair, our Community Outreach Committee gathered donations for the Bay Area Crisis Nursery (BACN).  The purpose of the Bay Area Crisis Nursery is to prevent abuse and neglect of children by providing support to families who are in crisis. The primary service is providing a warm, loving, homelike environment for children birth through five years of age by offering 24-hour residential care.  Services are free, confidential and voluntary. The Nursery and the Nursery office are both in need of donations. To see what is needed and for more information on how to donate, please visit our Community Outreach page.

2007 Preschool Fair Participating Preschools

Questions to think About

• Is the preschool accredited?  When did the preschool last go through the accreditation process?
• How is the preschool organized (one room, multiple rooms, centers)?
• Is extended care available?
• Does the preschool have lunch bunch, drop off or reduced participation programs?
• What is the process for dropping off and picking up a child?
• What is the admission policy?  When are admission decisions made?
• Is toilet training required?
• What happens if my child has separation anxiety?
• When will I know if my child is ready for preschool?
• How does the preschool discipline children?  How does the preschool resolve conflicts between children?

• What is the preschool’s philosophy?
• Describe the preschool’s typical daily schedule
• Is the preschool’s program more structured vs. more open play?
• What is the curriculum for a given month?
• What does the outdoor play yard look like?  Is there an outside curriculum?
• Are there any field trips?
• What are the strengths of the preschool?  Areas of development?

• What is the student-to-teacher ratio?  What are the class sizes?
• What is the background of the teachers?  What type of training do they have?
• Do the teachers specialize in any areas, e.g., art, music or science?
• What is the teacher turnover rate?

• How does the preschool let parents know what the students are learning?
• How does the preschool educate parents about the stages of child development?
• Are there parent / teacher meetings to discuss a child’s progress?
• How are parents involved in the preschool?  Do parents get to/have to work at the preschool?

For a list of the 2006 participating preschools including valuable information about each school, click here (PDF format). 

To learn more about the philosophies of various preschools, read the meeting recap notes from the November 2006 Monthly Meeting: Preschool Panel. Just starting to think about preschool options? See a list of questions to think about.

Interested in supporting next year’s preschool fair? Please contact us.