The holiday season was here and gone in a flash, and now it is time for 2019. January is our pre-school issue, so this month I want to focus on preschool options for the military. Our area offers quite a few options for the little ones. Since state education does not start until transitional kindergarten (for those who make the cut off) and kindergarten for all others, preschool is a great option to get their little minds thinking and to give parents a short break.
We are so lucky to have multiple bases here in Monterey including Naval Support Activity Monterey, Presidio of Monterey/Defense Language Institute and U.S Coast Guard Station Monterey. The Army and Navy both operate child/youth program including pre-school.
The Army operates its program out of Fort Ord at the Child Development Center and Porter Youth Center. Their preschool/transitional kindergarten program is called Strong Beginnings and meets every day of the week from 8:30-11:30 am. Cost is based on income. For more information, call (831) 242-7765.
The Navy CYP pre-school program at La Mesa is for children 3-5 years of age. Preference is given to working spouses and student spouses. Cost is based on income. For more information, call 831-656-2734.
The City of Monterey Recreation Department has several offerings for pre-school, including three, four and five-day options at three different locations. The program is open to potty-trained children 3-5 years of age. The city extends the local Monterey resident discount to all military, whether they have a Monterey address or not. Registration is on a first call, first serve basis. Visit www.monterey.org/rec for more information.
Teddy Bear Preschool is conveniently located near the Naval Postgraduate School and offers a 10% discount to military. They also allow you to split your payment to be paid in line with military paydays. They accept ages 2-5 for their programs. Visit www.teddybearpreschool.net for more information.
The Pacific Grove Community Center Preschool offers a child-centered education program for potty-trained children ranging from 3-5 years of age. There is a two-day option, and a three-day option and they do provide a discounted rate for the military. For more information, call 831-648-5733.
Santa Catalina offers a pre-kindergarten program for children who are four years of age by July 15. They offer a generous tuition assistance program available to families who apply. Visit www.santacatalina.org/lower-school/admission for more information and to apply.
In addition to these great pre-school options, don’t forget that the Army and the Navy both offer School Liaison Officers (SLOs) to help with your transition and to find the right fit for your children. Elaine Vrolyks is the School Liaison Officer for the Army, and she is located in General Stilwell Community Center at 4260 Gigling Road. She can be reached at (831) 242-6904 or Elaine.L.Vrolyks.naf@mail.mil. The Navy SLO is Cheryl G. McCloud, Ph.D. and is located at Naval Postgraduate School. She can be reached at 831-656-1008, and her email is cgmcclou@nps.edu.
I hope your January brings you new adventures and your homes are filled with peace after the busy holiday season! Until next time!