What do the parents of children currently enrolled at West Des Moines Christian Preschool think?

Hi Helen,

I wanted to tell you how much our family has enjoyed having Garrett and Jakey at West Des Moines Christian for the last three years. It has been wonderful to see how much my two sons have grown with the program.

My youngest son started preschool with Mrs. M and Mrs. Kennedy last year. He started out with fears of the unknown, but his fears were taken away by their affection, patience, and understanding.

My older son, Garrett, met children during his pre-K year that he still cherishes having in his life. Another bonus for me is the other mothers that I met that year. We still take time in our busy lives to connect.

The education program balances fun and learning. It enables the children to have a fun, safe, and relaxed experience. Over the years, I have enjoyed watching the teachers and staff embrace their fun side which makes the children enjoy going to school. I also have enjoyed the variety of activities that change monthly to keep the children interested.

Thank you - Christine Burger

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Helen:

I just wanted to send you a note …

My husband and I want to thank you for the experiences that our child has at West Des Moines Christian Church Preschool! Yesterday, we were visiting with her after school, and asked her what her favorite part of the day was, and to our surprise it wasn't treat time, or playtime, her response was "learning new things". 

As parents, we are often stumped by her questions… in the last few months she has wanted to know more about the solar system, animals and their habitats, what foods are healthy, and many more topics that make us thankful for quick answers on the internet! Each week there is something new for her to investigate and explore.

We appreciate the attention and concern the teachers have for all of the kids. It is evident from day to day interaction and conferences that they truly know the children, their abilities, and their needs. Abbie has had Mrs. M., Mrs. Faber and Mrs. Riley, and now is in Mrs. Dickmeyer and Mrs. Burgesses' class…she has truly enjoyed each room. In fact, many days, we have to wait for their current students to leave, so we can say "hello" to former teachers. 

We feel that Abbie is prepared to handle kindergarten both academically and socially, mostly due to the experiences and attention she has received at preschool. 

We look forward to bringing our new child to orientation in 2010!

Fondly,

Rich and Maggie Davitt

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My wife and I currently have our third child attending West Des Moines Preschool. Our experience has been outstanding and we could not image our children attending pre-school any where else. From the Administration staff to the teachers, everyone there has exceeded our expectations. Every school day our child comes home with a smile on his face and is eager to talk about what he learned. Our previous children that attended here would be sad on the days they didn't have school. As parents, our greatest memory of this school will always be the Christmas program. The true meaning of Christmas in today's society seems to be forgotten in the shuffle of all the merchandise marketing. In Public School settings, many children are forbidden to wish someone a "Merry Christmas." That is not the case at West Des Moines Christian Church Preschool. The beliefs and magic of Christmas are sung in the words of the children during the program and have provided lifetime of memories for our family. We are down to our last few opportunities for our child to perform in this program and years from now we will talk about how much we miss this 'annual' treat.

Our children are loved at this school and we never had to worry about them as they ran inside the building each school day. We highly recommend this school to anyone looking for the best place around to send their children to pre-school.

Thanks,

Mike Whitsell and family
West Des Moines, Iowa

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Already it is the first week of October, and everything is just as it should be at West Des Moines Christian Church Preschool.  Classrooms are buzzing with activity.  Children are busy learning about everything from bears to apples to learning special “spooky” songs for the Halloween parade.  What an exciting time of year!

For me and my family, this is the 6th consecutive year at the West Des Moines Christian Church preschool.  Time just flies and I can hardly believe that my third son, Jack, is spending his last year at this wonderful school. 

When it was time to start looking for a preschool for my oldest son, Harrison, I didn’t really know what to look for.  We were fairly new to the area and in addition to having Harrison, we also had an infant son, Will.  So, for me, at that time, I was looking for anything that could help make my life easier.  I am embarrassed to say, I choose the WDMCCPS solely because I could pull right up to the curb and drop off Harrison without having to get Will and myself out of the van. 

While dropping off kids right at the curb is definitely a great thing, the West Des Moines Christian Church Preschool is SO MUCH MORE than that.  My family has been blessed to have found a preschool where each day the children are greeted with the warmest of smiles and hugs.  My children have had tremendous preschool experiences and it is because of the truly remarkable teachers and staff that work so hard to make the WDMCCPS a warm and loving place to be.  Even today, my third and first grade boys often recall found memories of specific events or activities that they were a part of at the preschool.

In addition to having children at the WDMCCPS, I have also been a parent representative on the preschool committee for the past five years.  Being involved in this way has given me the opportunity to get to know the staff members on a more personal level.  The dedication and commitment these individuals have towards our children is incredible. The teachers and teacher assistants are constantly looking for new ideas and ways to make lessons even more engaging and fun for the children.  Many of the staff members, who are already very busy people, take continuing educations courses because of their desire to provide the very best preschool experience possible.  

Thank goodness the West Des Moines Christian Preschool is more than just a convenient place to drop your kids off at the curb!!  Wonderful things happen the minute your children walk through those doors!

Lastly, the children are working very hard right now preparing for a special event.  The preschool “Open House”, is Thursday, October, 12th, 2006 and is something you won’t want to miss.  Please join other preschool parents and their children that evening to celebrate all the wonderful things that our children get to do and learn at the West Des Moines Christian Church Preschool.

Susan
(a current WDMCCPreschool parent)

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"Our family has been blessed to have discovered the West Des Moines Christian Preschool. Our oldest daughter Isabella is in her third year and our youngest daughter Caroline has just started her first year. Our children have learned about sharing, making friends and about respecting other people. Preschool is something our children look forward to each day. They are always asking excitedly, "Do I have school tomorrow?" They are eager to learn and to interact with the other children. When they come home I am always anxious to ask them about their day at school and every day brings new answers and imaginative ideas. They try to replicate the classroom experience at home as they are eager to do crafts, learn new things or simply spend time reading books as a family. Our children are greeted with smiles and sent home with hugs as they leave for the day. As a parent, there is nothing better than knowing my children will be safe, loved and inspired with activities that allow their minds to grow. I know that West Des Moines Christian Church Preschool has provided our children with a great foundation to be happy and successful in this world. "

Josh
(a current WDMCCPreschool parent)

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"My son Tommy is three years old and so excited that he is finally old enough for preschool.  Since my older son also attended the school for two years, I was confident that it was the perfect place for Tommy to begin his school experience.  The staff is so attentive and caring.  Even when he was having a rough morning, Mrs. Biller and Mrs. M. were right there to help ease him into the classroom and make him feel comfortable.  From the drop off when he is greeted with enthusiasm and love to the hugs from Mrs. M. on his way out the door, I know that he is in a safe and nurturing environment.  Tommy talks about the books, toys, music, and playground so much that I know he is allowed to explore his environment at his own pace.  He has so much fun “playing” at preschool that he doesn’t even realize all of the learning that is taking place.  What a wonderful attitude for him to have at this stage of his educational career!  I know that the preschool staff will continue to foster this love of learning that complements his own inquisitiveness.  I am confident that Tommy’s preschool experience will provide the skills he needs to be able to transition into a full day kindergarten program just as it did for my older son."

Courtney
(a current WDMCCPreschool parent)

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If you would like to contribute to the "Parents Perspective" we would love to hear from you! Please email Helen @ preschool@wdmcc.org