Find out about the different options for school and some upcoming preschool registration dates as well as the dates for the area spring consignment sales!

One of the hardest decisions for some families is where to place your children for school. There are options outside of your assigned public school, if you want another option for non-traditional learning, for language immersion, for Christian education and more. We looked at six preschools alone when deciding where to put our twins five years ago before deciding on First School downtown, which included Kindermusik in their tuition and they attended from Moms Morning Out to Pre-K. It was a fantastic choice for us as we are now on our third child attending and our fifth year at the school. With that, now is the time to look for preschools and beyond is now.

There are numerous open houses for preschools and private schools starting this month (and this is in no means is a complete list). Mark your calendars especially for the preschool applications because you know there is usually a waiting list with a few of the schools!

First School preschool at First Presbyterian Church on Ann Street downtown will begin accepting applications on Monday, Feb. 5. St. Ann Catholic School will begin registration on Jan. 29. Hay Street UMC Preschool open registration will begin in February. Fayetteville Christian School will have an open house on Feb. 1 at 9 a.m. Berean Baptist Academy will have an open house on Feb. 9 at 1 p.m. Fayetteville Academy will have an open house on Feb. 15 at 6:30 p.m. Reilly Road Presbyterian Church Christian Preschool will open registration in March St. Andrews Academy will open registration on March 2 at 9:30 a.m. Fayetteville First UMC Preschool will open registration on March 6 Northwood Temple Academy and Freedom Christian Academy have had their open houses, but ongoing tours and applications can be given on request. A few preschools have already opened registration for 2018-2019 including Haymount UMC Preschool, St. John’s Preschool, First Impressions Academy, Holy Trinity Preschool, Highland Learning Center at Highland Presbyterian Church and St. Patrick Catholic School. If you are interested, head to their websites or school offices to apply! Starting in kindergarten, there are choices as well. Maybe your child learns a different way and an art-based education would work better for them. Perhaps a year round open would be better for your child. Along with our public school system, which truly hosts some gem schools, there are schools of choice, public charter schools and private schools all with unique features.

The schools of choice are within the Cumberland County public school system and there are select schools through the county ranging from elementary to high school that offer programs from Montessori, year-round and language immersion (Mandarin Chinese and Spanish to boot!) to classical studies and early college. Applications are online and open through February at http://choice.ccs.k12.nc.us/. The notifications come in early summer and some of these programs are worth looking into in this area if you are able to provide transportation to and from school.

We also have public charter schools in this area. The charter schools are not fee-based, are open to all students and do not have entrance requirements. They operate independently through separate boards of directors and have admission lotteries/applications on their individual websites. Alpha Academy on Raeford Road has been operating since 2005, is K-9th grade and hosts a STEM program. The two newest are The Capitol Encore Academy and Anderson Creek Academy. Capitol Encore is downtown in the former Capitol building on Hay Street and is art-based. The Anderson Creek Academy is deep in Harnett County and prioritizes academic success. You do need to provide transportation and uniforms. All three charter schools are now accepting applications for admission on their websites.

For parents wanting their children to attend private school, there are some fantastic options in our area. After touring other options, we decided on Northwood Temple Academy based on location and overall feel for our kindergarteners; however, we spent weeks looking at facilities, meeting teachers, looking over curriculum and pouring over the information given. It was a stressful time picking something as simple as kindergarten so if you are in those shoes right now, I get it. We had strong recommendations from friends for other schools as well so tour them all and apply early if you are interested.

With all of the schools, remember to ask if they offer transportation (a few above do), what their requirements are for uniforms (some require specific brands or monogrammed logos), what does tuition NOT cover (uniforms are a given, but school supplies and field trips can also add up quickly), how they handle different allergies, if that applies to you (are they peanut-free? How do they clean their cafeteria tables? What do you need to do to have medications on hand?), what sports are offered and what grades can participate (some above do not have any) and what “extras” are offered including art, languages, etc.

Also, if you are interested in private school, but are looking at tuition rates with panic, there are scholarships and financial aid available through the state with the North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship program (www.ncseaa.edu/osg.htm) and through individual school admission offices. They also usually have sibling discounts. If you are interested in a school, talk to them and find out your options for aid and for payment plans.

If you have any questions on schools in this area, let me know. I am not an expert by any means, but we did do our research when looking at schools. There is a strong homeschooling community here too, which I did not mention above, but if you are interested in homeschooling, I can help get you those local resources. Email me at faymomonthego@gmail.com.

Consignment Sales Announce Dates and Open Registration

Spring is almost here, which means our local spring consignment sales are announcing dates and opening registration for you to do some spring cleaning for those sizes your children have outgrown and the toys that they do not touch anymore allowing you to make some money for summer fun!

The Take Two Kidsignment Spring and Summer Sale, hosted by the Triangle Parents of Multiples, will be held on Saturday, Feb. 24 from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 8701 Falls of Neuse Road in Raleigh. It is out of town, but with all of the twin and triplet moms consigning, there is always a good selection especially with sibling matches and double strollers.

Hugs and Kisses Children’s Consignment Sale registration is open for consignors with their public sale dates being March 7-9. This sale is a big one and is held twice a year at the Crown. They usually have great outdoor equipment and strollers with opportunities to shop early and volunteer as well.

The Twice is Nice Spring Sale, hosted by the Northwood Temple MOPS, is the longest running sale in Fayetteville and is held at the Northwood Life Center on Andover Road (off Ramsey Street). Registration is now open for consignors and this is a great sale for clothes from newborn to juniors. The quality is a definite plus. More coming up about this sale because they will be announcing the charity that this sale will benefit shortly – there is a reason they dub this one “The Sale with Heart!” On the Horizon

Are you looking for a place or idea for a little girl’s birthday party in this area? Need some ideas for Valentine’s Day for your children and a date night? I’ll be writing about that and more so stay tuned!

A stay at home mom of four, we are always on the go! If it’s out there, we want to know about it and try it. Drop a line to faymomonthego@gmail.com with questions or tips, and I’ll get back to you. There’s so much to do here – and I want you to know about it all! Like Mom on the Go on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fayareamom for more or visit fayareamom.com.