By D.J. Duckworth

These days, Wendy still runs the Epiphany Community Nursery School, but 74th St. Magic is run by someone else in the family. Can you guess who? After years of acting as a mix of hard-working apprentice and appreciative co-pilot, Evan Levey now oversees much of Magic—and his joy and passion for the job is as evident as his mom’s has always been.

“I love kids myself, and, because I grew up here, I’ve never had any doubt about the importance of what we do,” says Evan. “We’re not solving world peace, but we have a place where kids can go that’s fun, clean, safe—where they’ll learn a few things and where we’ll be able to help them, not just physically or emotionally or intellectually, but in all ways.”

“It’s worked out really well,” Wendy adds. “Not only does he have my full confidence and trust, but, even more importantly, he gets along well with kids, parents, the staff—he really gets it.”

Epiphany Community Nursery School and 74th St. Magic are both housed in a cheery and colorful low-rise building on East 74th Street between York Avenue and the East River, where the signature big red awning pops out like a hug for all the children who treat the place as their home away from home. When I visited 74th St. Magic in the early fall, Evan proudly toured me around the facility—from their popular children’s gym to the expansive roof-top play space—and also made sure I had time to sit in on some classes. That’s where the real magic happens, of course. In a Double Time class, which combines time in the gym and classroom, I was duly impressed by the determined little kids, in their pint-sized chairs and tiny smocks, painting versions of fall leaves that would soon be placed along the walls of the room. There was a mix of the overly enthusiastic (moving gobs of paint around like they were spreading butter) and the overly cautious (looking as if they’re scared of what will happen once the brush hits the paper).

But the thing that most impressed me about the class was how organized and orderly it was. While most of the students worked on their art projects, others were busy playing with toys and blocks and even doing some make-believe cooking. There was an overall feeling of fun being had by everyone. At the same time, the children were so well-behaved for their age that I kept wondering, What kind of magic fairy dust had been sprinkled on them?

Evan and Wendy, however, had a more tangible explanation. Early on in her career as an educator of young children, Wendy found that the single most effective way to help students learn and grow was the process of “sequencing.” The basic idea, as they described it, is that to teach a young child any task—whether it’s applying paint to paper or walking on a balance beam—you must break it down into a sequence of age-appropriate steps so that the child is more likely to enjoy the process and master it. Sequencing is the backbone of every class at 74th St. Magic, underpinning what happens in a particular day as well as across an entire semester.

“It’s a very intuitive approach for kids,” Evan says. “There’s always a beginning, a middle, and an end to every class. And there are steps that enable to you to progress. If you want to learn how to jump on the trampoline, you first have to learn how to climb up there, and then you have to learn how to do a seat drop. It’s granular but it’s also grand.”

Of course, the typical parent is less interested in the nitty gritty of the education process than in whether their children seem like they’re having fun and learning as they grow. Beyond that, parents want options and flexibility and lots of early enrichment. To that end, the “magic” part of 74th St. Magic stands for Music Art Gymnastics Instruction Center. Those are the pillars of the program for infants through kindergarten-age kids, with some gymnastics classes extending through the tween years. Parents can enroll their children in individual semester classes, combo classes, or the “alternative preschool” track, which has been newly classified under the rubrics of Mini MAP (ages 2.3 to 3.5) and MAP (ages 3.5 to 5 years).

Though 74th St. Magic is administered separately from Epiphany Community Nursery School, it certainly helps that Magic can devise the MAP and Mini MAP curriculum based on classes at Epiphany. In fact, a big bonus for Magic kids is that some of their classes are taught by favorite teachers from the nursery school.

Since moving into their present home in 1996, the nursery school has grown to teach 160 families while Magic serves about 800 children a year. In addition, the Leveys also offer a summer day camp and a varied menu of birthday parties ranging from their staple Gymnastic Party to Kitchen Wizardry.

Evan officially joined the team in 2004 when he was just 22 years old. These days, he functions as Magic’s Director of Operations—less involved in the day-to-day goings on in the classrooms than in the overall health of the brand, making sure that Magic delivers for families as it did when his mom was at the helm.

“One of the great things about Evan being here is that it gives a current vision to what we’re doing,” Wendy says. “It enables us to evaluate not only what we’ve done but also what we should do. So we have all these great and popular classes in place, but, at the same time, we’re always mindful of being current with technology, child development, and the changing needs and interests of parents.”

If enrollment is the ultimate indicator of success, then Evan is doing really well. 74th St. Magic has never been busier. But if the well-being of children is the true barometer, then Evan’s doing even better. I heard it in the voices of those little artists who concluded their class time with a rousing rendition of “The Wheels on the Bus.” And I saw it in their happy faces as they bounced and tumbled around the gym.

Over the years, Wendy Levey has helped lead thousands of little kids to the big kid world of kindergarten and beyond. Her son, Evan, clearly took many of her lessons to heart.

By Sarah Greene
Learn the facts about nursery school admissions in the city.

1. Mark Your Calendars
Call it Black Tuesday. The Tuesday after Labor Day is when a number of private nursery schools give out their applications. Miss it and you won’t be able to get an application to those schools for the year, so do your research in the prior months. And for that special Tuesday itself, we recommend starting at 9 a.m. and recruiting a trustworthy family member or friend to help you work the phones and computers, keeping in mind that the popular nursery schools may give out their applications by noon. “Staying organized and on top of those dates and deadlines is really critical,” explained Roxana Reid, educational consultant and founder of Smart City Kids.

Special Tip: Find out beforehand whether a school distributes applications online or over the phone. Also, schools that nominally distribute applications throughout the fall may stop once they’ve given out the number they can handle—a good reason to reach out to them sooner rather than later.

2. Do Your Research
Even before parents read about, talk about or visit any schools, Gabriella Rowe, head of the Mandell School, recommends coming up with “Must Have,” “Would Be Great But Not Critical” and “Who Cares?” lists to differentiate the qualities you’re looking for in your child’s education. The lists may evolve, but they’re a good way to remember what’s truly important to you as you go through the process. Consider buying Victoria Goldman’s The Manhattan Directory of Private Nursery Schools. Likewise, the Parents League (parentsleague.org) offers a schools guide, personal consulting and seminars. If you seek additional advisory services, organizations like Smart City Kids (smartcitykids.com) offer private sessions and small group workshops. It’s recommended that parents contact approximately 10 schools to get eight applications.

3. Weigh Private and Public
Tuition at some New York City private nursery schools can range between $20,000 and $30,000 per year. For that reason, many families use public Pre-K programs, which are free but only offered the year before kindergarten. Unlike with kindergarten, the city doesn’t guarantee you a spot in Pre-K. (Visit the Department of Education website, schools.nyc.gov, for more information.) A number of children’s activity centers offer “preschool alternative” programs, which don’t have elaborate admissions but offer similar activities.

4. Learn Educational Philosophies
When considering nursery schools, factors like location, tuition and general reputation are typical starting points. But parents should also be mindful of a school’s educational philosophy and how that plays out in the classroom. “If people stay focused on the goals and philosophy of the school and go with their gut as far as feeling comfortable in a particular setting, I believe they’ll end up at the right place,” said Sharon Shorofsky Mack, director of education at the JCP Downtown.

5. Bond With the School Director
Ask yourself: Is this someone whose opinion and instincts I trust? Since she is the leader of the school community, you may need to have a close and cooperative relationship with her, especially if any emotional or developmental challenges come to the fore, which is quite common in the nursery school years.

6. Write a First-Choice Letter
Because of the competition for limited spots, many parents feel compelled to send a “first-choice letter” to their most desired school. This basically acknowledges that if a specific school were to select your child, you would accept the given slot. Other parents prefer to phrase the letter in less binding terms, noting particular reasons a certain school is a good match for them. While ISAAGNY (The Independent School Admission Association of Greater New York) officially discourages first-choice letters, the truth is that many schools enjoy hearing positive feedback.

Special Tip: If you’re concerned that the school you favor may not appreciate a letter, we strongly encourage you to use the school tour to get clarification on whether they would prefer to hear from you near the end of the admissions season.

7. Be Yourself
It’s impossible to completely avoid the hype surrounding nursery school admissions in the city. But try not to be alarmed by stories of a dozen rejection letters. Most of all, focus on schools that feel like a truly good fit for your family and your child.

For information on schools and admissions in New York City, visit newyorkfamily.com.

2. Suddenly This Summer
Alas, applying is not as easy as walking into a local school and asking for an application. Anything but. You need to do your research to both understand the system and to figure out what schools you want to apply to, and that needs to be done over the summer because—now get out your calendar—the Tuesday after Labor Day is the day when most of the nursery schools accept requests for applications. Some schools only accept application requests on that day; some by phone, others by Internet. When the day comes, it is wise to have some kind of command post—and a plan of priorities for the day. Some schools run out of applications as early as noon! Over the summer, join the Parents League (parentsleague.org), read its literature (they also offer consulting sessions for no additional cost), read school websites, buy Victoria Goldman’s The Manhattan Directory of Private Nursery Schools and, of course, ask around among friends and acquaintances, while keeping in mind that no one has the last word.

3. Create a Safety Net
In the fall, you’ll start taking group tours of the schools to decide where to apply. Here are two important guidelines to follow:

1. Don’t limit your list to only highly sought-after schools; include a few schools you like that don’t have an elite, prestigious profile.

2. Schools belonging to churches or synagogues give priority to their members, so unless you have a preference for religious affiliation, it’s best to apply to at least eight unaffiliated schools.

4. How Will You Know?

Some issues that parents typically consider are:

Location: A nursery school near your home is A LOT easier to get to. *The School Director: The school reflects her values, her expertise, her personality. Do you like her? Is she wise? Dedicated? Compassionate?

The School’s Educational Approach: There are various nursery paradigms ranging from play-based approaches to ones that emphasize academics. Find your preference.

School Facilities: Do you like them? How’s their outdoor space?

The Private School Factor: If you’re considering applying to independent schools you’ll want a nursery school directory experienced in helping guide families through the private school admissions process. But don’t believe the hype that your child must attend a certain nursery school to get into a certain private school.

5. But He’s Only Two
It can be strange and upsetting to separate from your child at two-years-old, but parents on the front lines feel it usually works out fine—and the fact is that there are many more available slots in twos programs than there are in threes programs. Still, many child development specialists argue that two is a time for bonding between a child and his parent or caregiver, and chances are you are still likely to find a spot at three if you apply widely. Meanwhile, at two you could look around for a preschool alternative class.

6. Final Notes
It’s okay for a child to act like a child during admissions playgroups; it’s not okay for a parent to act like one. Don’t be apologetic if your child does something childlike. Just be a doting and patient parent. Stick to what they ask for in the application! Treat individual parent interviews like job interviews: try to be your best self, do some research, ask relevant questions. It’s wise to take the process seriously, but not do-or-die seriously. It is just nursery school, and anyway, the best thing you can offer your child at any age is quality time with you.

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Nursery school is the place where parents begin to sort out the various educational options available to them, says Roxana Reid, director of Smart City Kids (smartcitykids.com), a private and public educational advising service for nursery through 12th grade. Information from friends and chatter from the park bench can sometimes confuse matters, as people tend to draw from their own perspective, which may not be applicable to every parent.

“They’re sort of celebrating their own school community,” Reid says of information a parent may get from friends and acquaintances. “And it’s very difficult to discern whether it’s the right fit for you. I think an educational advisor helps to clarify that.”

Reid recommends that parents start the application process a year ahead of when their child would enroll. Most programs start with 2s, but some have very specific cutoff dates—2 years and 4 months, for example—so parents should check birthday requirements for programs that may interest them. That also means thinking about what kind of options might be appropriate for a child a year from now.

While many families get into their top choice schools without a consultant, others find that working one-on-one with someone who has firsthand experience with the process provides much-needed support.

“The first thing, and the hardest thing, is making that list and deciding what schools work best,” says Victoria Goldman, a private admissions consultant and author of The Manhattan Family Guide to Private Schools and Selective Schools (victoriagoldman.net). Consultants like Goldman, who are already familiar with the city’s schools and what they’re looking for in potential students, can help you locate the school that is the best match for your child. A consultant can also help you narrow down your list based on values, budget and overall parenting philosophy.

Admissions guidance is not limited to private school applications. Robin Aronow of School Search NYC (schoolsearchnyc.com) believes it is important for families to know what their public school options are while considering their list of top schools.

“I believe in the public school system,” Aronow says, “and even if a family has their heart set on a private school, it is not a given.”

Some private nursery schools now charge more than $20,000 per year, while ongoing schools commonly cost upwards of $30,000 per year.

The founders of PEAS (Private Education Advisory Service; nypeas.com), Jennifer Brozost and Vimmi Shroff, are former admissions officers at a top New York City private school. Brozost says that while the admissions process for nursery schools typically begins a year before a child is enrolled, parents should consider preparing up to six months before then. This leaves plenty of time to walk through every step of the process, from compiling a detailed list of schools to writing admissions essays to preparing for interviews.

In addition to assisting parents through the admissions process, some companies also offer assistance in helping prepare for admissions tests.

“Parents come to us needing some guidance on how to prepare their child to do well in an interview and also to do well in the exams,” says Harley Evans, founder of Manhattan Edge (manhattanedgeeducation.com), which focuses on both public and private schools. Aside from offering tutoring assistance, “We also help decide, by doing an assessment on the child, the type of program that will be the right fit [for him or her].”

It’s also important to note that just because you’re working with a consultant, that doesn’t mean you’ll get in, says Tammy Koen, co-founder of Cherry Tree Consultants (cherrytreesconsulant.com).

“Someone might think that it guarantees they have an ace in the hole,” Koen says. “But no one can promise that.”

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