I drove by Carr Middle School and was shocked by the progress being made!  I was expecting another remake of the current elementary school “model,” but Carr looks very different.  For more scoop on Carr Middle School, click here. 

Check out these pictures I took through the car window on Nov. 9, 2008:

Carr Middle School, Montgomery, AL

Carr Middle School, Montgomery, AL

Carr Middle School, Montgomery, AL

If you are looking for a home in the Carr Middle School zone, let Coley Real Estate help you.  Call us at the number at the top of the screen and put us to work!

If you’re serious about having a little “me” time, begin mapping about a plan for preschoolers before the holidays.  These schools, like the public and private schools in Montgomery, register in January. Slots fill up quickly, so it helps to be informed!

Here are a few preschool suggestions for families in East Montogmery.  The schools I have included are not daycare centers, rather “mothers’ morning out” programs.   I’ve heard good things about all of these through word of mouth, and have had kids in two of these schools.  (For a more extensive list of area preschools, click here.)  

 Frazer Mother’s Morning Out and Kindergarten:  Frazer UMC  on Atlanta Highway has an old and respected program that serves infants 6 weeks old through kindergarten.  It is a huge program – meaning lots of kids – but has a lot of former “students” returning with their children.  That speaks well of any school!  I’ve heard a lot of praise from parents about the kindergarten.  Their hours are a little different from most MMO’s in town: 8:30-11:30am, so that’s a consideration.  Frazer registers in January and the phone number is  (334) 279-0271.

Memorial Presbyterian Mother’s Day Out:  Memorial Presbyterian Church is located on Bell Road, just down from Frazer UMC.  It’s a sweet, small program (75 kids) ages 9 months to 4 years, and it’s been serving families for 8 years.  If you like a smaller program (no carpool line, low student to teacher ratio) – try Memorial.  Their hours are 9:00am-1:00pm, and registration begins in January.  Call Nan at (334) 274-1018.

Saint James Christian Preschool:  Located on the campus of Saint James UMC at the corner of Vaughn and Ryan Roads, I would call this a middle-size preschool.  (I would guess there are probably closer to 100-150 children enrolled?)  This school also has a strong reputation as a Christ-centered program, and serves a diverse population.  St. James has classes for infants-K5, and the hours are 9:00am-1:00pm.  Call Leah at (334)277-3412. Registration is in January.

Vaughn Forest Church Preschool:  Vaughn Forest Baptist Church is located on Vaughn Road near the Deer Creek subdivision.  It is also a middle size preschool, offering classes for children ages 18 months through kindergarten.  This church itself is large church and contiues to grow (lots of new facilities are currently being built). Their website is extremely helpful, with downloadable forms and discussion of curriculum for each age group, tuition, calendar, etc.  Hours are consistent with most other MMOs, 9:00am-1:00pm.  Call Mary-Jane at (334)279-5433. 

If you have experience with any of these schools, or have others to recommend, please don’t hesitate to comment below and help us out.  If you are looking to make the River Region your home, Coley Real Estate would love to help you make the transistion.  If we can be of service, call us at the phone number at the top of this page.

Heads up! School registration and open houses in  Montgomery, AL begin in January! Go ahead and get your game plan before the holidays and be ready to make informed decisions about where to send your child – of any age – to school next year (2009-2010).

In Montgomery, you have a few school considerations:  public school, private school, magnet school, or if you have young children and are military, on-base schooling.  If you are like us, we just didn’t know and had to tour them all.  Here’s the most basic list of options:

1) Public school:  Like everywhere else, if you are going the Montgomery Public School (MPS) route, you need to live in the school zone of your preference.  The most basic place to start is the MPS website, or MPS office (334) 223-6700.  I’ve written about a few of the public schools in East Montgomery, specifically, so check them out as well:  Blount Elementary School, Halcyon Elementary School, Carr Middle School.  There is no deadline for registration, but a child must turn 5 on or before September 2 to enter kindergarten, and 6 on or before September to enter 1st grade.

2) Magnet School:  MPS offers 9 different magnet schools with 10 different magnet programs.  These include the arts, accelerated academics, technology, math, science, and international studies.  Click here for more specific information on the individual schools and the application process.  There’s not much to do before the application is released on the website in January, and they’d like you to wait and take the group tours offered shortly thereafter.  I did find that people in the specific schools were very helpful and easy to work with if you need to tour at another time.  If you’ve never heard about Montgomery’s magnet program, check out this article, America’s Top Schools: #56 Right Here in Montgomery. 

3) Private School:  Whew!  There’s a lot going on here.  For a complete listing of private elementary and high schools in Montgomery County, click here.  There are many reasons for choosing a private school – religious, academic, athletic, geographic, etc. – and there are options all over the spectrum in Montgomery.  Same deal applies here as the magnet program – registration and open houses begin in January. If you know a school or schools you’d like to see, go ahead and “get on the list” so you’ll be notified about dates and times for applications, tour, and interviews.  Some private schools require a tour before applying.

The private schools work together with MPS to schedule open houses and make enrollment decisions during the same months to help families make timely decisions.  Families usually find out around spring break if they have gotten into these programs.

4)  Maxwell Elementary School:  This school is located at Maxwell AFB for families in the military.  It accepts eligible dependent children 4 yrs old through 6th grade living in permanent government housing on Maxwell AFB, Maxwell Heights and Gunter Annex.  For more information about Maxwell Elementary, click here.

This post is meant to be a launching point in the decision making process.  If you need help looking for a home with school considerations in mind, call us at the number above. A Realtor with personal experience in the housing/school market in Montgomery is a tremendous asset.

We came prepared (video games, books, snacks), but it took only 13 minutes to cast our vote for President this morning.  Turnout at St. James Methodist Church in East Montgomery was steady, but the line moved quickly.  Neighbors from Deer Creek, Glynwood, Wynlakes, Wyndridge, and Eastern Forest were treated to homemade cookies and bottled water as they exited the building.

We were prepared to “stick it out” as our patriotic duty and civic lesson for our kids, but there was hardly enough time to delve into the division of powers lecture.  In. Out. Done.

Oh – don’t forget to go by Starbucks for free coffee for voters.  And check out the video I shot below: