Local Preschools Among Nearly 20 Meeting Families at Oct. 10 Preschool Fair

Families can meet representatives of nearly 20 preschools, including Pasadena’s Hastings Ranch Nursery School and The Waverly School, on Saturday, Oct. 10, at The Family Room’s Pasadena-Area Preschool Fair in San Marino, the organizer said.

“Preschool searching can be overwhelming,” said Karen Stoteraux, owner and founder of The Family Room, a parenting resource fair organizing the event.

The free fair is in its fourth year. It lets families compare options side by side rather than trying to remember details from multiple tours, The Family Room said in a press release. For many families, finding a preschool means hours of research and tours, the organization said.

The fair will run from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at 2130 Huntington Drive, according to the organizer. Families can talk directly with school representatives about their programs, philosophy, teachers, schedules and admissions process, The Family Room said. They can also ask about teacher-to-child ratios, outdoor time, potty-training requirements, tuition and enrollment, the organizer said.

Other preschools taking part include Magnolia Community Preschool, A Child’s Garden School, Brella, The Gooden School and Blossom Montessori, according to The Family Room. The organizer also lists St. Marks School, Clairbourn School, Hart Preschool, Altadena Nursery School, Oneonta Cooperative Nursery and Cottage Co-Op Preschool. Walden School, Enchanted Castle Montessori, Phoenix Global Green School and Pasadena’s Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary School are also on its list.

Families are asked to register and will receive The Family Room Preschool Fair Guide before the event, the organization said. The guide helps parents identify what matters most to their family and provides questions to ask when evaluating schools, according to The Family Room. It also offers a simple framework for comparing options, the organizer said.

The fair is designed for families at every stage, from parents just beginning to think about preschool to those actively touring, applying or trying to make a decision, the organizer said. Families can discover schools they may not have considered and start narrowing down their options, according to The Family Room.

“It is immensely helpful for parents to meet several schools in one morning, have real conversations, get their questions answered, and walk away with a much clearer picture of their options,” Stoteraux said.

The Family Room is a parenting resource center. It supports families from pregnancy through the preschool years, the organization said. Its programs include prenatal classes, Parent & Me, Toddler & Me, dad groups, yoga, music, support groups and playgroups, according to The Family Room.

NEED TO KNOW

Event: Pasadena-Area Preschool Fair. When: Saturday, Oct. 10. Time: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Cost: Free; registration requested. Where: The Family Room, 2130 Huntington Drive, San Marino. For more, call 626-234-2106 or visit https://familyroomcenter.com/pages/preschool-fair