Choosing Preschool Programs: Bright Path Calgary Review

07/29/2015

As a mother of a two and a half year old daughter, it amazes me how quickly the time is flying by. It’s hard to believe not that long ago, I cradled my beautiful baby girl in my arms and dreamed big dreams of all the things I would do with her, what I would teach her and how I would guide her to become a strong, smart, independent woman. The only problem is that I didn’t anticipate everything would happen so fast. It has been a whirlwind and while many days I dream about finding my own ‘quiet’ time, I wouldn’t trade a second of this motherhood journey for anything in the world!

As we continue on that journey, the next major milestone for us is finding the right preschool and school for her. It’s daunting all of the options are as well as how many there are both good and bad. We’ve toured 4 preschools so far to see what the spaces are like, some we really liked and some weren’t so fantastic. With a background in education, I have a clear idea of the educational program I’d like my daughter to be involved in, as every parent will have an idea what works for their children.

I would never tell you where to send your child, but what I will do is suggest that you do shop around and see what you like and don’t like. Figure out what type of learning centre you think your child will thrive in and what will fit their needs.

Right now we are hunting for preschool options for either later this year or when my girl turns 3 in January so we have a bit of time. And if there’s one thing I’ve noticed there seems to be a wait list everywhere so I suggest you start looking early! Especially the good places, they tend to fill up quickly.

Depending on where you live in Calgary one option you may want to explore is Bright Path. They have centres all around Calgary, some that offer child care, some that only offer educational programs and some that also offer recreational programs. We live in the SW so we toured Brite Studios in Springborough and I thought it might help some of you that are in the SW area to learn more about their programs. The centre director is Alejandra Zornosa Nairn and she was fantastic in answering all my questions.

Here is our discussion that we had, I hope this helps those of you who are interested in attending in this area. If you are looking at a Bright Path Centre, they’re all different so make sure to see what programs and services they offer in your area.

Brite Studios
#148, 30 Springborough Blvd SW,
Calgary, T3H 0N9
Canada

Phone: (403) 242 1414
Fax: (403) 242 1616
Email: info@britestudios.ca

What types of programs do you run?

Preschool programs. Half day option, full day option. before and after care option, full day Kindergarten program offering Spanish and French language , un-parented 2 hr program for toddlers as young as 26 months old. The preschool program offers an introduction of Spanish & French language in some and not all of the preschool classes. Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Acro dance classes for children from 3 years old up to 12 years old. Karate classes for children 4.5 years old to 12 years old, reading program for 3-5 years old and Adult zumba and ballroom dance classes.

What separates you from the rest of the Bright Path locations/centres?

We are one of the only locations that offers Montessori based preschool programs. In addition, our recreational program is one of the biggest in the city that any of the other Brightpath locations have at the moment; plus our preschoolers have the opportunity to be transfer to and from recreational classes during the day or after class. Giving families the option to not have to travel to take their children to extracurricular activities. It is all in one location.

How are you different from other preschools in the Calgary area?

The diversity or programs we offer. Language programs, academic and open ended activities for the children. Access to extracurricular activities within the centre. Full day Kindergarten. Children entering in the Wondertime program have the opportunity to stay in the program until they are ready to go to grade 1.

What is your curriculum based on? How do you incorporate Montessori and how much of your class time is Montessori?

Our curriculum is based on the Montessori method. Reggio component is part of our program as well. Both these methods are incorporated in the class by integrating nature based activities-Reggio- within the Montessori materials and learning. The children learn with the Montessori materials and activities for half the time they are in class. Approx. 2 hrs for the full day children and 1hr.15min for the half day children.
nature based experiences are covered during the rest of the time of class.

What are the various types of languages you offer in your programs?

English, French & Spanish.

What is the requirement for your teachers in the classroom?

Early Childhood Education’ at least level 2 plus one or two years of experience in a Montessori environment,and Montessori training. Bachelors of education plus Montessori teaching experience for the Kindergarten educators.

How many classrooms/teachers do you have in Brite Studios?

We have 5 preschool classrooms, one Kindergarten and one toddler classroom. Two rooms are for recreational programs. 14-15 staff members in the school plus one director and one assistant director.
5 recreational staff members.

Do you have any suggestions for young parents whose children are not of school age, but they want to start ‘teaching’ their children? Any activities you recommend?

Mom & me classes, mommy groups to start socializing the children with others. Teaching children basic chores at home, cleaning up after, picking up crumbs with small broom, check out parenting websites for activities to do at home with the children. Read to the children, sing songs, allow messy activities at home, play dough, painting, cooking.

Anything else you think is relevant to know?

I feel we offer a well rounded program with many different options for families. We are located in a central part of the SW of Calgary with easy access to public transit and close to two main streets leading to downtown Calgary.

If you want to check out Brite Studios here is the website details:

http://britestudios.ca

They were super helpful so if you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to contact them directly or the centre director at: msalejandra@britestudios.ca

Happy Hunting!