Early Childhood Development


What to Consider When Looking at Preschools in Minneapolis

Early Childhood Development | March 29, 2018
preschoolers raising their arm

Minneapolis is growing at a rate we haven’t experienced in nearly 100 years. According to a recent article in the Star Tribune, the city’s population is on pace to reach nearly 450,000 by the end of the decade.

For many young families, it’s not just the dynamic economy, award-winning restaurants, and variety of entertainment options that make Minneapolis a great place to live. For a city its size, Minneapolis has a strong reputation for family-friendly communities and nationally-renowned school districts.

With all the family-focused growth taking place in Minneapolis, we couldn’t be more excited about the three new academically-focused preschools The Gardner School opened last year in the Minneapolis areas of Eagan, Edina, and Minnetonka. If you’re a mom or dad who lives and works in the Minneapolis area, here are four things to consider when looking for preschools.

Proper Certifications

Early childhood education has been a priority for many Minnesota state legislators, including Governor Mark Dayton. It’s important for preschools to proactively prepare kids for Minnesota’s state grading program and the school readiness standards set by the state. It’s also important that staff and teachers are adequately trained with the proper certifications.

At the Gardner School, one of our core initiatives is to create a team of leaders who are knowledgeable about children’s education and knowing how to develop these leaders within our organization. Our Minneapolis preschool teachers are degreed and highly qualified, and our research-based curriculums combined with STEAM-focused learning is intentionally designed to help children grasp early literacy, language, math, and science concepts.

A Variety of Activities

Parents need to be certain that a preschool’s curriculum fits their needs and those of their children. A good curriculum includes a mix of individual and group activities, art and creativity, physical play, reading, and outdoor play.

Each of The Gardner School’s Minnesota campuses features indoor and outdoor play spaces built with a stimulating, creative, and educationally-engineered design. In addition, we offer a full suite of supplemental enrichment classes, along with our summer camp program, Camp Gardner.

A Safe Environment

A preschool’s environment should not only be well-constructed and well-kept, it should be safe, secure, and welcoming to children and families. The Gardner School’s Minneapolis-area preschools are built with your child in mind—from the security features to keep them safe to the indoor and outdoor play areas and equipment.

We want to do everything we can to make sure moms and dads know their child is cared for and safe. Each campus requires personal parent safety codes that must be used for entering and exiting the building, and our lobbies are equipped with TV monitors to allow parents to view their child’s classroom before leaving the building. Parents are also updated regularly throughout the day on their child’s activities through the PreciouStatus app.

Location

Location and convenience near home and work are among the top factors parents consider when choosing a preschool, especially during the snow-covered months of winter.

Because location is such an important factor for many Minneapolis parents, The Gardner School intentionally opened three new campuses in some of the city’s most family-friendly neighborhoods of EaganEdina, and Minnetonka.

Ready to see for yourself all The Gardner School has to offer? Schedule a visit at one of our Minneapolis-area schools today. To learn more about these locations, please visit the following sites:

exterior of minnetonka school building

Education

Introducing The Gardner School of Minnetonka

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