For the price of the school, I'm hoping the kids are reading the instructions from IKEA and putting the furniture together too :)

I would jump at the opportunity - I just need a kid to send them there!

I just wanted to write a quick recap here because so many parents have asked about our daughter?s experience at The Scandinavian School on Erie Street. We are vegetarians (though not vegan) and neither of us is of Scandinavian descent, nor do we speak Swedish. We really wondered whether this preschool would be a good fit for us.

Our daughter?s 3 ? years old and has attended the school for six months or so. If you?re not familiar with the concepts or are considering preschools, here?s what you need to know about Scandi School:

> Outdoor Time: 1 ? hours each day, regardless of weather. You?ll be given a gear list of items that must be kept there - boots, water repellent rain pants and jackets, down coats, hats, mittens, bathing suits, etc. Unless there?s a hurricane bearing down on JC that day, your child will be outside for a good, long while everyday ? and will probably be loving it, as ours does now. They can be found in Hamilton Park - in the open fields being activly directed in games - not left to climb on the gym equipment.
> Vegan/Organic Lunch Menu: will be emailed to you each week. The kids are also served snacks throughout the day ? Almond Milk, Wasa Bread with Almond Butter, Fruit, etc. We?d like to have a leftover bag of our daughter?s lunch for dinner each night ? she eats better at school than we do at work and at home.
> Classrooms: bathed in sunlight and outfitted with lots of cool art supplies and fresh mix of books in both English and Swedish. It is easily the cleanest place we visited and has a pleasant, Ikea-vibe to it.
> Weekly .PDF Reports: loaded with a recap of the lesson plans and packed with photos of your child interacting with the other students throughout the day. Last week?s was 20+ pages in length. It is truly a beautiful thing.
> Languages: the teaching staff (most hold Master?s degrees in Early Childhood Dev, I believe) are all multi lingual and speak, sing and teach in both Swedish and English interchangeably throughout the day.

We really, really like this school and are happy to learn that they will be moving to an even bigger location next door, as soon as new construction is complete. It smells amazing ? they infuse it with a calming peppermint essential oil. The mix of kids there reflects the communities along the Hudson River ? we were surprised to learn that some of the children travel from Weehawken, Hoboken, Manhattan, etc. each day ? many are not Scandinavian but, like us, were attracted to the values that the school represents.

They actually have openings now, I believe, with no wait list. You should call and take a tour if you?re interested.