Preschool/Schools

We’re used to reading (and panicking) about the record number of young kids in the city and the competition for spots at both nursery and ongoing schools. And you’re probably aware of the waiting lists for public school kindergarten classes in Manhattan this year. So it’s refreshing to hear about a new school that’s opening.

Bilingual Buds, a Mandarin Chinese immersion preschool (and primary school), is coming to the UWS. The program is for kids from Mandarin-speaking as well as non-Mandarin-speaking households. Classes will be taught by native speakers, and preschoolers will spend most of the day learning math, science, language arts, art and music in Mandarin. They’ll also study many of these subjects in English. Bilingual Buds’ NY outpost opens this fall for preschool and Mommy & Me classes. The school will eventually expand to include kindergarten through third grade. Hey, there are benefits to learning to speak the most common language in the world.

These Buds are for you.

Bilingual Buds, 180 Riverside Blvd. (at 68th St.), 212-787-8088.

For more information on the school and upcoming events Bilingual Buds is hosting this summer, visit bilingualbudsnyc.com.

After 17 hours (that’s consecutive time) on the UB message boards, you’ve finally got a handle on the city’s preschool situation. Sort of.

Find out the ABCs and the inside scoop. At the end of the month, MoonSoup hosts a workshop on everything from applications to choosing the right school for your child. Patti Wollman, founding director of the Nursery at the JCC Manhattan will share her insights and expertise on the process, as well as preschool alternatives.

And then it’s back to the boards.

When: Thurs. 7/31, 6:30-7:30pm; $30 (RSVP required).
Where: MoonSoup, 1059 Second Ave. (bet. 55th & 56th), 212-319-3222.

The crazy competition for spots in Spain’s top schools has couples getting divorced in order to take advantage of an admissions system that favors single parents’ tots. And you thought New Yorkers had it bad.

Well, it’s still not ideal in the Big Apple. But local school consultants like Robin Aronow, Ph.D., help guide parents through the anxiety-riddled process. A social worker by training, she informs clients about important application and testing deadlines (no coaching!), helps them come up with a realistic school list (both private and public), and teaches them how to best advocate for their children.

This month, Aronow will host two workshops called “Life After Nursery School” ($65 each, $100 for both) on the ins and outs of applications and admissions. Hey, anything to get an edge.

Private School Workshop
When: Wed. 5/21, 6:30-8:30pm.
Where: Ansche Chesed, 251 West 100th St. at West End Ave.

Public School Workshop
When: Wed. 5/28, 6:30-8:30pm.
Where: Ansche Chesed, 251 West 100th St. at West End Ave.

For more information, visit schoolsearchnyc.com.