When we started our preschool search, we narrowed down our choices to 5 facilities that best…read morematched our needs. Some we really wanted to like and send our kids to (including the preschool my wife went to and the preschool at the church she grew up in). At the end of all those tours, it was obvious to us that Meadowlark and its staff was, by far, the best fit for our family.
We have a friend that is a kindergarten teacher. Before we started our search, she advised us her most successful children are ones who have the social skills required to deal with the demands of kindergarten. Kids who know how to share, wait their turn, understand the teacher-student relationship, and can listen to 3 step instructions and follow them, etc. So that is really what we were looking for in a school for our children.
I think our oldest child summed it up perfectly.... When picking them up from their first day of school, we asked them what was their favorite part of the day. They responded, "All of it!" That refrain remained constant and consistent throughout our time at Meadowlark as we had both of our children attend in 2017-2018, 2018-2019, and 2021-2022 academic years.
We liked that Meadowlark has structure but is never overly regimented. It put us at ease knowing we can drop in at any time and observe (We never felt any requirement to at Meadowlark, but the red flags went up immediately for several programs that wouldn't allow parents to drop in). We loved being able to volunteer in the classroom and see first hand our children interacting with their school friends. We loved the fact that parents/guardians could stay for story-time. It was also very important to us that Meadowlark shared a campus with the Mauzy school and they would be able to play and interact with the children in both programs. These memorable times supported our children as they embraced the critically important human and character-building qualities of inclusiveness and compassion.
It was amazing that every day when we picked our oldest up from school and asked them what they did that day, they would respond "Played with my friends." Yet despite the fact that all they did was "play" every day, they came home knowing things they didn't know how to do the day before. For example, while waiting in line for the trampoline, they would count twenty jumps, then it was the next person's turn. Overnight, they went from knowing 1-12 to 1-20!
When it was time to send our youngest to preschool, we had no question in our mind we would be sending them to Meadowlark. The pandemic made it a little different experience as when our oldest attended. We were no longer able to stay for storytime and Meadowlark students were not allowed to interact with Mauzy school students (in support of all at the time current health and safety protocols). But other than that, my youngest got to experience the same amazing educational environment my oldest enjoyed.
Giovana is an incredible director. She and the staff are incredible advocates for their students and Giovana constantly provides calm, steadfast, and tremendous leadership in an everpresent caring and compassionate manner. She is always asking how things are going. She is offering guidance on parenting issues we might not know how to handle. She and the staff take time on evenings to present workshops for parents and caregivers on hot topics (curriculum, discipline, etc). She solicits feedback a couple of times a year and takes all feedback seriously. Back in 2018, someone asked for an electronic payment option and she immediately investigated several options and implemented an electronic payment option within days.
The unexpected bonus is the community that we built over the years at Meadowlark. As Meadowlark families, we bonded over coffee meetups after drop-off, Parent's Nights Out, playdates, field trips to the symphony, hikes, picnics, and even an overnight camping trip on Mount Diablo. As you get to know the other families, you will see that Meadowlark brings together an amazing community of like-minded people; people who are child-focused, inclusive, kind, and supportive. I can honestly say we have gotten to know families who will be life-long friends.
I get emotional thinking about the fact that I won't have a child attending Meadowlark anymore. But we move forward knowing this school not only prepared both our children exceptionally well for kindergarten but also supported us as parents in the difficult task of raising respectable, kind, and incredibly capable little human beings. For that, we will be forever grateful.
