Finding the Perfect Preschool

When I had my first baby, I had planned on homeschooling him at least until elementary. I felt that schools demanded way too much energy from young children. From waking up early, to long hours spent on the road, to hours spent on homework...

Also, I wanted to shelter my child from all the negative influence that being in a school could potentially bring. I didn't want my child to be bullied or become a bully. I also did not want my child to be rude, materialistic, or conceited the way some school-age children are.  Worse, I did not want my son to feel neglected, unheard or swallowed up in a system where there are simply too many students competing for a teacher's attention.

More importantly, I was operating on the notion that I am my child's best teacher. Nobody could possibly care for my son's welfare as much as I do. And nobody would be as invested in my son's future happiness as I would be. Therefore, I am the best possible teacher my child would ever have.

Then I had baby number 2. Childcare duties suddenly grew exponentially, and reality slowly dawned upon me. I cannot possibly raise my kids, continue working AND teach them everything all at the same time. Maybe sending kids to school WASN'T such a bad idea.

I grew up at a time when we started school at age 4. Then I started hearing about kids going to school as early as 2. So the summer before my son turned 2, I started asking around. Since he would be spending most of his waking hours in the school that we would eventually choose, it was a big decision to make. I wanted a school that we could trust with our son's education. And since he was just shy of turning 2, it was important that we find a place where he can be happy.

One of the schools that were highly recommended by many Filipino-Chinese families was Yu Ming School. One family heaped high praises on Yu Ming for being a very values-oriented school. Another commended it for having an excellent Mandarin program. Still another family recommended it for having good, experienced teachers who are really good with their children. Though I wasn't aware of it at that time, those three things ARE my top considerations for picking a preschool to send my son to. I was definitely intrigued. I called to inquire and schedule a school visit.

Located at the corner of Lee and Ideal Streets in Addition Hills, Mandaluyong City, Yu Ming is easily accessible from Shaw Blvd. or Greenhills. This is a definite plus since that meant travel time for us would be an easy 15-20 minutes. Though centrally located, the street itself is relatively quiet which makes for a safe and hassle-free drop-off and pick-up.

Upon entering the school, one is greeted by a spacious, grassy yet shady quadrangle on the right. Surrounding the beautiful grounds is a single-story row of classrooms. No stairs meant fewer accidents, if at all. The place was very inviting and looked very child-friendly and appropriate.

At the back of the school is yet another grassy area, this one shaded by an old Mango tree. A slide, two swing sets and a basketball hoop complete the picture-perfect playground.

The playground was empty on the day that we visited. But it wasn't difficult to imagine the fun that kids have there - playing with the swings, stomping on fallen leaves, chasing butterflies, watching a beetle, or simply running around. The grounds are airy, cool and breezy, shaded by the big trees even in the hot noontime sun. Needless to say, my husband and I fell in love with the place. Having been a city dweller all my life, I even felt a pang of envy why I was not able to attend preschool in such a nice environment.

We were met by Teacher Leah Montes, the school directress. She gave us a tour of the school, of the different classrooms, and gave us a brief background. The school had small and very manageable classes, an average of 5 to 10 students per class with 1 teacher and 1 aide. Mandarin is taught starting at the Nursery level. Parents are welcome to stay in school while their children are in class if they wish, but the kids are usually fully-adjusted by the end of the second week. Weekly progress reports are given, and a more thorough write-up given at the end of each term. PTCs are scheduled 3x a year, but parents are welcome to confer with their child's teachers at any time - usually during drop-offs or pick-up. Upon 'graduation', most kids would eventually go to Xavier, ICA, Saint Jude, Ateneo, La Salle or Poveda.

Towards the end of our meeting, I casually expressed my concern that kids were going to school a little too early. She explained to me that at age 2, it's really more a 'Toddler Playgroup' than a formal class. Classes are held only 4x a week because the kids needed a longer rest period during weekends. They already had a number of enrollees my son's age, BUT, she also assured me that there was NO HARM in waiting some more if I felt we were not ready to send our child to school just yet. We could wait until he was 2-1/2 or even 3. I deeply appreciated her sincere and honest advice. In todays's world where everything is about closing the sale NOW, Teacher Leah was advocating NOT to secure our enrollment, bur for us to do what was best for our family. And from that point on I knew Yu Ming was a school I could trust, that they would put my child's best interests above all else.

5 months later, I felt that my son was getting restless at home and needed to be exposed to new experiences and learn new things. At this point, we knew exactly where to go and who to talk to.

Yu Ming School is now known as Bright and Cheerful Preschool
15 Ideal Street, Mandaluyong City
717-0498 / 717-0499
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bright-and-Cheerful-Preschool/184260021610298