Nursery School
Nursery School in Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Community
In Orlando, many parents start work early near Sand Lake Road, Dr. Phillips Boulevard, or the theme park corridor. Ladybird Academy of Dr Phillips has been a nursery school for Orlando families in ZIP 32819 since 2013, and our doors open at 6:30 AM to fit those early starts. Our programs cover infants, toddlers, and Pre-K, with early math, story time, VPK, and safe drop-off built into the day.
Dr. Phillips is a dual-income area where most homes are owner-occupied. Many families here plan on two to five years with one school. If that is your plan too, check our credentials closely. We hold Florida Gold Seal Quality Care, awarded by the Florida Department of Children and Families, and we’re also A.P.P.L.E. and N.E.C.P.A. accredited.
See how we approach your child’s dayLicensed, Accredited, Gold Seal
How Nursery School Works for Dr. Phillips and Southwest Orlando Families
The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) licenses and inspects child care centers in Orange County. Gold Seal status sits on top of that license. A center must hold DCF licensure before it can earn Gold Seal Quality Care.
Two state programs shape how many families enroll. Florida VPK (Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten) is state-funded pre-K for eligible 4-year-olds, and we offer it during the school year only. School Readiness, which many Orlando parents still call 4C, helps qualifying working families with care. Both programs run through the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County.
Work schedules here are rarely 9 to 5. The Dr. Phillips corridor includes Sand Lake Road, Restaurant Row, the I-4 interchange, and Universal Orlando, and those jobs bring early starts, late finishes, and shifts that change week to week. Our weekday hours of 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM are built around that reality.
- Serving families since 2013
- Doors open 6:30 AM
- ZIP code 32819
- Quality Gold Seal
Families in the area tend to fall into two main groups:
- Established, owner-occupied households in ZIP 32819
- Families moving in from the Northeast and Midwest
If you’re new to Orlando, you may not have local parents to ask for advice yet. Without that network, you’ll likely lean on Google reviews, Gold Seal status, and what a school’s website tells you.
Weather matters too. Central Florida is warm all year, with afternoon thunderstorms in summer and hurricane season from June through November. Because Orlando has no cold season that pauses outdoor time, children need shaded outdoor play and good indoor rooms every month.
Saxon Math
Early Math Skills Through Saxon Math in Dr. Phillips Pre-K Classrooms
Our Pre-K classrooms use Saxon Math to teach early math skills through a structured program.
Saxon Math builds skills in short daily steps. Children work on counting, patterns, shapes, and number sense, meaning a feel for what numbers mean and how they compare. Each step comes with hands-on practice, so children handle objects while they learn the idea.
The payoff shows up later. Your child can arrive at Orange County Public Schools kindergarten already used to a math routine, and for VPK families in ZIP 32819, early math is a big part of kindergarten readiness. You can follow along through real-time updates in the parent app.
Four Rooms on Site
Enrichment Activities From Ballet to the Science Lab for Dr. Phillips Kids
Enrichment activities at Ladybird Academy of Dr Phillips happens in dedicated rooms on site. A full day with us should hold more than supervision, so our building has rooms set aside for art, science, reading, and technology.
Our on-site learning spaces include:
Children also take part in ballet and dance, soccer, cooking activities, and social studies. Our language learning classes include sign language for infants and toddlers and conversational Spanish from age 2.
The indoor rooms matter most on summer afternoons. When Central Florida storms push play inside, enrichment keeps going in the Art Studio, Library, and Playtown.
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Art Studio for painting, drawing, and hands-on projects
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Science Lab for science activities and simple experiments
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Library for books and reading time
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Computer Lab for early technology skills
A Local Parent Circle
Family Engagement Events for Parents New to Orlando
Family engagement events at our school give new parents a way to meet other families in the Dr. Phillips community. Many families in Dr. Phillips and MetroWest moved here without a local network of other parents. We hold family events through the year, including preschool graduation, and these gatherings help you build the circle of local parents you’d normally lean on for advice.
Family engagement is also checked by an outside group. N.E.C.P.A. accreditation assesses parent-community relationships, along with how adults interact with children, so our ties with families are part of that review.
Between events, you stay connected every day. You get:
- Live parent camera access to classrooms
- Real-time app updates
- Direct messaging with your child’s teacher
Our open-door policy also lets you visit anytime during operating hours, with no notice needed.
Open 6:30 to 6:30
6:30 AM to 6:30 PM Hours and Safe Pick Up for Sand Lake Road and Theme Park Workers
Ladybird Academy of Dr Phillips is open weekdays from 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM for parents on hospitality, restaurant, and corporate schedules. If you work along Sand Lake Road, International Drive, or the theme park corridor, safe pickup and drop-off can help make your daily routine easier. Before-school drop-off starts at 6:30 AM. We also offer flexible scheduling. We’re the closest daycare to Universal Studios Orlando. Our school is 2.6 miles away (about 13 minutes).
Long hours only help you if drop-off and pick-up are just as dependable. Our safety steps at drop-off and pick-up include:
Water Days and Shade
Sensory Play With Water Days and Shaded Play for Central Florida Heat
Sensory play activities give infants and toddlers at our school hands-on time with textures, water, sound, and movement. If you’re watching your child’s early developmental milestones, this is where many of them show up. Our creative play centers and Playtown, our dramatic play room, add pretend play to the mix, where children act out daily life with friends.
Orlando’s heat shapes how we set up outdoor play. Our facility has a water play area and shaded playground equipment on a playground with safety surfacing. During summer camp, Mondays are water days. With no cold season here, outdoor sensory play stays part of the routine all 12 months.
Sensory work builds fine motor skills, which are the small hand movements used for grasping and later for writing. It also builds focus and calm self-regulation, meaning a child’s ability to settle their own feelings. Those skills support social-emotional learning.
Abeka Phonics
Story Time Sessions in the Library on Rainy Orlando Afternoons
Story time sessions at Ladybird Academy of Dr Phillips builds early literacy, with our on-site Library close at hand.
Our story time sessions sit alongside the Abeka curriculum, which teaches reading through phonics. Phonics means matching letters to the sounds they make, and a story read aloud lets children hear those sounds in real words. Story time helps your child build listening skills, new vocabulary, and early links between letters and sounds, all of which carry into kindergarten.
Full-Day Toddler Classes
Toddler Care and Potty Training Support for Two-Career Households Near Universal
Toddler care at our school gives dual-income families in ZIP 32819 full-time care close to jobs in the tourism and hospitality corridor. Our toddler classes run full-day only.
A toddler’s day here includes:
- Toddler classes with hands-on learning
- Potty training support
- Outdoor and playground activities
- Breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack, cooked on site by our own cook
Steady faces matter at this age, and they help keep potty training consistent between home and class. Parents mention our infant room teachers by name in reviews. Our long-tenured team includes Brittany (10 years), Hind (7 years), and Solangel, Moraima, and Jomarie (5 years each). All staff meet or exceed Florida state credential requirements, and all staff are CPR/First Aid certified. Caregivers stay with the same age group all day, and ratios are maintained at all times.
Ms. Yliana Gomez
Director
Our director, Ms. Yliana Gomez, has more than 15 years in child care. Ms. Gomez holds a National CDA credential from the Council of Professional Recognition in Washington, D.C., as well as the Florida Director Credential.
New to Florida
Florida VPK and School Readiness (Formerly 4C) Explained for Families Moving to Orlando
Florida VPK is state-funded pre-K for 4-year-olds, which surprises many families moving from states without a universal pre-K program. Here’s how it works.
Your child must live in Florida and turn 4 on or before September 1. At Ladybird Academy of Dr Phillips, VPK is offered during the school year.
Getting started takes two steps:
Get a VPK Certificate of Eligibility from the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County.
Enroll with your VPK provider.
School Readiness is a separate program. Locally it was formerly known as 4C. School Readiness helps eligible working families with care costs, and it also runs through the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County. We accept School Readiness.
Our Step Up Program, transition to kindergarten work, and kindergarten readiness focus close out the Pre-K year. Then comes preschool graduation.
Also Included
Additional Nursery School Services We Handle
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Infant care from 6 weeks and infant feeding with consistent infant room teachers
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Full-time child care and full-day preschool
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Preschool curriculum, Pre-K classroom, and early childhood education
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After school care, homework help, and child supervision for Palm Lake and Bay Meadows Elementary students
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Kids summer camp, week-long summer camp, and field trips, including Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake
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Outdoor play activities and playground activities
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Creative play sessions and creative play centers
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Behavioral support in child care
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Snack and meals service
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Preschool transportation
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Preschool enrollment and child care enrollment
Southwest Orlando
Where We Work Across Orlando
Ladybird Academy of Dr Phillips serves families across southwest Orlando from our home base on Daisy Street.
Our home neighborhood is Dr. Phillips (ZIP 32819), with oak-lined streets and families making multi-year enrollment choices. Families in nearby Bay Hill can find structured Pre-K and kindergarten readiness close to home. For families in Williamsburg and the Turkey Lake area, Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake is one of our summer camp field trip stops.
Hospitality and restaurant workers around Sand Lake and Restaurant Row rely on our 6:30 AM drop-off and 6:30 PM pickup. In MetroWest, many relocating families from the Northeast and Midwest compare Gold Seal status and accreditation before touring.
- Dr. Phillips
- Bay Hill
- Williamsburg
- Turkey Lake
- Sand Lake
- MetroWest
Ladybird Academy of Dr Phillips | 6809 Daisy St, Orlando, FL 32819 | (407) 412-6908
Hours: Monday–Friday 6:30 AM–6:30 PM. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What Dr. Phillips parents ask us about licensing, VPK, School Readiness, staff screening, the school bus and storm days.
Still have questions?
Our team is happy to help. Call during school hours or send us an email.
(407) 412-6908 drphillips@ladybirdacademy.comThe Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) licenses and inspects nursery schools and child care centers in Orange County. DCF also awards Gold Seal Quality Care. A center must be licensed first to earn Gold Seal status, and Ladybird Academy of Dr Phillips holds that recognition.
Your child is eligible for Florida VPK if your child lives in Florida and turns 4 on or before September 1. You get a Certificate of Eligibility from the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County, then enroll with a provider. At our school, VPK runs during the school year.
School Readiness is the same program that was formerly known locally as 4C in Orange County. School Readiness helps eligible working families with care costs through the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County. Ladybird Academy of Dr Phillips accepts School Readiness.
Florida requires nursery school staff to pass Level 2 background screening and complete DCF-required introductory child care training. At our school, all teachers meet or exceed Florida state credential requirements, and all staff are CPR/First Aid certified.
Our before and after school bus serves Palm Lake Elementary and Bay Meadows Elementary, both Orange County Public Schools. These are the only two schools on the route. After school, children get homework help, snacks, and outdoor fitness.
Our nursery school moves play indoors to the Library, Playtown, and art room when summer storms or hurricane season (June through November) keep children inside. You get updates through the parent app and can message your child’s teacher directly.
Schedule a Tour
Come See Where Their Adventure Begins
Walk the classrooms, meet our team and bring every question on your list. You’ll know quickly whether Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips feels right for your family.
- See the classroom for your child’s age
- Meet the teachers and our director team
- Learn how check-in, cameras and daily updates work
Prefer to talk? Call (407) 412-6908
Thank you!
Your tour request is on its way. Our team will contact you soon to confirm a time. Need us sooner? Call (407) 412-6908.
