NY schools

[bambiandthumper]

Hi everyone, just joined in the hope you can provide me with some advice!

DH's job is moving us to New York around May/June next year, so we need to find schools for our 3 year old twins (DS and DD) to start at in September. I understand that they will need Kindergarten places, and that it is crazy competitive over there.
At the moment the DT's are in the Nursery section of a central London Girls Prep (the Pre-Prep section is Co-ed), DD was going to stay on and DS would leave at 7+ with the rest of the boys. What I think I am trying to say is that we are happy with Single Sex, though I guess Co-Ed would be good from a practical sense!
We will be living in Manhattan (looking at the Upper East Side and Tribeca), and will go Independent. In the New Year we will pop over to have a proper look at apartments and schools, but I wanted to get any opinions anyone had on the schools we are considering (thus far), and if we had left any off:

Girls:
Spence
Chapin
Nightengale Bamford
Convent of the Sacred Heart

Boys:
Collegiate
St Bernards
Buckley

CoEd:
Dalton

We will also need to get DD2's (6 months) name down for a nursery at some point, so any recomendation's there would be most welcome!

[alarkaspree]

Bambi my children go to this school in the financial district. They are very very happy there.

It's a relatively new school so they are still expanding. So entry is not nearly so competitive as the older private schools. But although there are a number of Upper East Side families there it obviously wouldn't be the most convenient option for you if that's where you plan to live. Worth a look if you like Tribeca though.

I don't really know much about other Manhattan private schools I'm afraid, because the timing of our move meant that we were too late for the normal application timetable and we only looked at schools that had spaces. We have friends with kids at PS 89 and 234 who are all happy, they are crowded though and you almost certainly wouldn't get a pre-K (reception age) place.

[bambiandthumper]

I think if we end up on the UES the DC's go will go to school up there as it is far easier travel wise. Also I think it would be nice if we can continue to walk to school, but that isn't a deciding factor.

Alarkaspree, that is very useful as if we do find we love Tribeca I would have no idea where to start looking at schools!

We are visiting in early Feb, so I will definitely pm you if we decide Tribeca is the way to go.

[user1473871631]

Advice on Pre K system in New York schools
Has anyone applied for the Pre K system? My son is 4.5 years old. Does it only apply to the State sector and does it mean the education is completely free?
Thanks!

[mathanxiety]

schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/PreK/default.htm

You're better off posting a new thread of your own as the original is really old and not many will bother reading through when they notice that..