First English Lutheran Child Development Center
| Address: | 3001 Whitis Ave, Austin, TX 78705, USA |
| Phone: | +1 512-478-5424 |
| Site: | firstenglishcdc.org |
| Rating: | 4.9 |
Location
Photos 1
Reviews 5
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Christa Coulston
A quality school, the kind where you can make it through the day without worrying about your little one(s), is not as easy find. And if you manage to find one, it seems impossible to get in. After two seriously disappointing attempts, in which my small child was injured both times (including coming home with over a hundred fire ant bites, with absolutely no word from anyone at the school), I found this place. A non-profit, with a goal not to make money off people, but to enrich and nourish children. I wish I would have found FELCDC sooner, for soo many reasons. Everything the previous schools were lacking, this place has covered. I know accidents and injuries happen. And I know if they happen at First English, it will be appropriately handled, and then promptly communicated. The communication at this school is phenomenal. They release a weekly school lesson, so you know what your child is working on. This is in addition to a daily bulletin informing parents what the class did each day, and which child napped. If you have a younger child, they also keep track of what your kids eat, soiled diapers ect... They have extra-curricular programs (my daughter loved the tumbling and gymnastics classes!), are flexible with payment (can split into two payments), a huge shaded playground with so many different things to stimulate their minds and wear their little bodies out, a low student to teacher ratio with at least two teachers per class, a play-based curriculum that allows children to develop holistically through hands-on exploration and creativity, down to earth wonderful people (I made it a regular occurrence to go into the cafeteria and say good morning to their charismatic chef, Jennifer!) They have low turnover for the industry (I havent met a person yet I didnt think was qualified, or didnt have a shining personality), they allow your child to come in prior to their official start date to get used to the place, and they serve healthy scratch-made food made by a professional chef-every day!! My daughter thrived here. She loved the staff, her classmates, and just being there. At the previous schools, my daughter cried every morning during drop off. Here: she cried for me for 2 days during drop-off. And I love how the staff handled it. They comforted her, and soothed her, which was certainly not what occurred at the previous places (she was literally taken forcefully out of my arms at the first school she attended). She genuinely loves this place as much as I do. In fact, we still stop in just to say hello to everyone. They have classes for kids from 18 months to 5 years old. I wouldnt consider putting my child in pre-k elsewhere. By the time you pay for the tuition (unless your income qualifies you for free tuition), all the meals (that come included at FELCDC), childcare on the days the AISD is closed (think the entire Thanksgiving week!), and any after-school care you have to obtain (if you need childcare after 3:00), public pre-k isnt even a cost effective choice. Not to mention all the other things your child wont be getting (the more individualized attention, less restrictive environment, delicious healthy food, familiar faces, and endless opportunities for self-expression and creativity). I really am a huge fan of this place. Its made what it is by the beautiful hearts running the place.
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Tanya Sabharwal
My daughter has been going to FEL-CDC for about 1.5 years now and we absolutely love the place and our experience has been awesome. The director of the school Shannon Ball is a very friendly and welcoming lady & does a great job in hiring best teachers for the school. Both lead teachers and assistants teachers are very caring,loving and make kids feel almost at home and like a family. My daughter has learnt a lot and acquired lot of skills since she started FEL be it art & crafts, language, literacy, math, social and communication. They also provide breakfast, lunch and snack and their on-site cook Jennifer really does a great job in preparing these meals. School also offers good extracurricular activities such as music, tumbling, chapel and soccer. Communication between teachers and parents is really good be it getting the update of your childs day from afternoon assistant when you pick up or regular email updates from lead teachers. Lead teachers set up good lesson plan for each week and sent to parents ahead. There are parent-teacher conferences every semester where in you get to know your childs overall development and goals ahead. There is so much of a family environment where kids know most of other kids parents and vice versa and also there are family gatherings where parents get a chance to meet, talk and know each other. FEL feels like an extended family! I am so glad I found FEL for my daughter and recommend it to anyone looking for a nice, friendly, stress-free learning place/preschool for their kid in downtown/UT area.
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Elizabeth Bangs
We have two children at FEL and we could not be happier. The director, Shannon, does a wonderful job of finding fantastic teachers, both the lead teachers and the afternoon assistants (who are often UT students). My kids both love going to school each day and adore the adults who care for them. They are also learning a ton -- language and literacy, math, social skills. They are going to be well equipped for elementary school. But the kids dont realize how much theyre learning -- they think theyre just having fun. Communication is excellent. We get regular email updates from the lead teachers. Conferences are held regularly. The afternoon assistants are terrific about providing a full report at the end of the day. The best aspect may be the family atmosphere. All the children know their classmates parents. There are regular class gatherings where all the families get together outside school. The parents are friends as much as the children are! Because all the children eat breakfast and lunch together and play outside in two groups, they know virtually all of the other children. FEL offers a number of extracurriculars -- music, soccer, tumbling, and chapel. All of those teachers are as incredible as the full time staff. Many students participate, but the teachers are great about making sure the kids who do not go to those classes dont feel left out. FEL feels like an extension of our home and our family.
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Anonymous User
We have been part of the First English family for 4 years, and our girls have absolutely loved their time there. Our older child, now in Kindergarten, comes back to pick up her sister in the afternoons and I think the greatest testament to the fabulous teachers is how much they still care about her and want to know what she is doing and whether she is happy in her new school. Small enough that all of the teachers know every child, whether in their class or not, within a week of their start. They are nurturing, focus a great deal on sensory experiences and art and music, and have a fabulous playground that is much, much more than a playscape. Finally, the food - both delicious and nutritious. Whole grain and organic whenever possible, as little out of a can or a box as can be - they eat what their friends are eating and so have a very varied diet while at school.
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Anonymous User
Where else can you find a full day preschool program in a homey, nurturing central Austin environment AND have all your meals taken care of by a fabulous on-site chef? Our twins have begun their 3rd year at First English and we couldnt be happier. The staff is amazing and the school definitely benefits from the talent pool at nearby UT. They offer fun enrichment programs like tumbling, dance, soccer, and music. The vibe is definitely Austin and nothing like the alternatives in the area with either the big instutition feel or the chains. The size of the school, around 60 kids total starting at 18 months, is just the right size to keep it interesting for the kids and yet still allow all the kids to all know each other. First English is definitely a close-knit, special community in Austin. We will always treasure it!