LAUREL CANYON—It’s the end of January. How are you doing on your New Year’s resolution list? I thought I was ahead of the game by thinking about enrolling kids in pre-school/nursery school or kindergarten just as spring was sneaking up on us. It’s still nine months or so before the beginning of the school year right?  Apparently the process for private schools and magnet schools started as early as last November.

There are those parents who will visit their local elementary school and enroll their almost 5-year-old. Job done. Here in the hills we do have some of the best elementary schools, so why not take advantage of the convenience and savings by sending your kid to public school? Once upon a time it might have been that easy.

Did you know that there is a program called LAUP, Los Angeles Universal Preschool, that’s aimed at 4-year-olds? Maybe by kindergarten you’re an old hand at picking schools.  My kids changed schools every three years, so I thought I’d seen them all.

If your kid will be 5 before December 2, kindergarten is in their future this fall, but the Los Angeles Unified School District says they are open to a case-by-case basis on whether you can enroll your child early.  Then you need to wrestle with the question, “Half day or full day?” Some kindergartens last four hours, while others are full days; they call it extended day kindergarten. Then you need to consider whether the public or private school has early morning drop off or after school daycare.

Then you jump to the public/private philosophical debate. Yes my local public grade school is good, but in middle and high school the class size affects the learning process. So should I backstop this by enrolling in private school right from the start?

To help parents I thought I’d share some experience. From the outside the schools all look alike. The admissions officer and the websites all have their patter down. You need to know how your child will respond to a particular school environment—especially, if they have some quirks which you know make them endearing to you, but may not be such a good fit for a particular school. I’d never enroll my kid in a school where parents cannot come on campus and look around. The formal tour is not enough. I recommend that you join Mom’s Club International momsclub.org/links.html when your kids are little. This is a group of formerly working moms who have taken time out from their careers to raise their toddlers. It’s good to have a network. Then you should consult the mom’s grapevine, and always stick to your instincts.

If you decide on a private school, your kids will be in the car with you for the drive to and fro. You will be setting up play dates all over town. You might find it more difficult to make real friends yourself, which is an important part of the process. On the flip side, they don’t tell you that at most public schools parents provide a lot of sweat equity. You need to be in the classroom as an aide, or you need to do substantial fundraising. It’s only a mostly free public education. If you want music and art classes, parents have to supplement that schools’ budget.

I made a list of kindergartens in or near the hills on the city and the valley sides as a starting point.

Lookout Mountain School

lookoutmountain@me.com

8514 Lookout Mountain Ave.

Laurel Canyon, CA 90046

The Oaks

323-850-3755

6817 Franklin Ave.

Hollywood, CA 90028

Multi-age grades 1+2. They have an extended day for kids in the full time program.  The tuition is $17,000.

Temple Israel The Bay-Nimoy Early Childhood Center

323-876-8330

7300 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90046

The Fountain Day School

323-654-8958   

1128 N. Orange Grove Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Sunnyside Preschool

818-763-7476

3646 Coldwater Canyon Ave.
Studio City, CA 91604

I guess for many, it’s a wait until the acceptance letters for kindergarten come in.

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