Kalina Preschool & Kindergarten

When we relocated to the Chicago area we were in search of a daycare/​school similar to the one we just had. We interviewed several schools before deciding on Kalina. We were impressed with the staff, how cheerful & colorful and clean the facility was, and how happy the children were. During the initial tour they explained in detail the rules, the focus of learning, lunch menu, and introduced us to all the teachers.
We’ve been so impressed with how much our child has learned, the re-​enforcement of manners, and development of her personality. I strongly agree with many others who have stated & noticed the teachers, as well as the Director, do a lot for the kids and do care deeply for them. I would strongly recommend Kalina.

Kalina is a great school. I remember taking my tour there: you need to take your shoes off, when I got home, my socks were still white. That means they keep the place clean and keeping it clean means they care. My daughter was well taken care of; the politeness, courtesy, and analytical thinking I instilled at home was mirrored at the school. The teachers care very much for the kids and the turn-​over is nonexistent. The director’s desk is part of the classroom; she doesn’t hide in an office, in fact there isn’t even a barrier between her desk and the kids. She’s right there and knows what’s going on all the time.
We ended up moving to the suburbs and I needed to screen 7 schools in order to find something even remotely on par with Kalina.
Great place and great people.

We love Kalina, and if we hadn’t moved 6 miles west, our 3-​year old son would still be enrolled. The center is small and the size allows the teachers to be very hands-​on and personalized with their attention. There are 2 classrooms, divided by age and each room has at least 2 teachers. The center director also floats throughout the school. The teachers are all seasoned and have been at Kalina for several years at minimum. No young teachers who look like they’re barely out of high school.
The curriculum focuses on a different topic every week, such as sports, the Olympics, diversity, people at work, the ocean, transportation, etc. While some of these topics sound very advanced, the teachers do a great job of doing activities that the kids can grasp around the theme. My husband and I were amazed that our son was able to talk about «kids around the world» during the diversity week. He came home with art projects every week that he could talk about, relating to the theme. The daily routine also starts with circle time, stretches and deep breathing, and songs. Our son was counting up into the 20s by the time we had to change schools. He also improved his letter recognition very rapidly. He would come home singing songs and doing little dances. It was clear that he was learning so much!
Lunch is cooked on-​site and is healthy – though serving soup and salad at every meal was strange to us at first, after a couple of months, our son was eating the soup and tried the salad a few times. There is a menu posted on the bulletin board, but it seemed like the actual meal served would be different from what was posted. Such as what was listed for Wednesday was served on Monday – this was fine, but it made my cooking at home around what he ate at school a little disjointed.
Socially, Kalina teaches the kids a lot while also emphasizing manners and discipline. Nothing too harsh, but hitting, talking back, or throwing things is not tolerated. Time-​outs and disappointed looks are the methods used. Stickers and praise are showered when kids are good. I know this might sound harsh, but believe me, it isn’t. My son was 2 and a half when he started and his manners and listening skills greatly improved while at Kalina – the staff definitely instill a code of discipline that is strict, but not harsh. We felt that he was learning better manners from school than at home! He even started wanting to set the table at home for meals because that is the reward for the kids who have been very good in the morning – they get to help set the table for lunch. Awesome.
Kids do not have to be potty-​trained to start at Kalina but it is definitely encouraged. When my son was enrolled, we were not ready to potty-​train. The center director was very direct that he was old enough but we resisted because we felt he was not ready. His teachers were very flexible and worked with him and us to start the training when he was ready, deflecting the director’s insistence.
Kalina is located right across from Horner Park and the teachers take the kids there to play when the weather permits. They also have an enclosed outdoor play space with toys and park-​like play structures. They also will go to the neighborhood school’s park or walk through the neighborhood. Parents are asked to sign a field trip form for permission for these outings. The teachers keep a good eye on the kids while they’re outside the center.
The center is also very affordable. For full-​time, 5-​days a week for a 2 year old, we were paying $ 220 a week.
We were extremely pleased with the quality of care and education that our son was receiving at Kalina. After we moved, we kept him there for 2 months and kept driving him back and forth because we loved the school so much. With winter coming, we knew we couldn’t keep up with the commute. It just made no sense to keep driving to our old neighborhood after we had moved away! We miss Kalina and would highly recommend Kalina to any parent looking for a great place for their child.

This is such a great center! :) I love it!!! All the teachers are great. My son was at Saint Vincent Depaul Center but I moved him here to be closer to my home. He has learned soo much more hear in 4 months than he did for 2 ½ years at Depaul. They are very hands on. It is a small center but it great! I love that I found this place. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a daycare center.

We put my son in this school just before he turned 2. HE was then the youngest child in the class. They have done an excellent job of potty training. Above that his social skills are above average. They have done a excellent job with teaching his letter recognition and counting. Mariella is the young lady that teaches my son for the most part. She is second to none. She is able to maintain a very healthy balance of fun education and discipline. i HIGHLY recommend this day care.