Rusch Community Park — Attraction in Citrus Heights

Review of Rusch Park Preschool My child filled a large portfolio book with art and crafts over the two summer adventure camps and preschool with Ms. Kathy Jay. The staff are very nice and they take great care of the kids. This is a great opportunity for anyone on a budget who wants to get a head start for their children. This school led to my child making their first friend and invitations to several birthday parties which was a great head start for an only-child. The swimming pool and optional swim classes for a little extra money really put this already affordable deal over the top.

My only critical feedback is that they have a lot of undocumented rules/expectations for the parents and one teacher's assistant who is quite young has a tendency to come across a bit bossy and rude. I thought it was just me until my mother-in-law, who often picked up my child also brought them up. They're quite young and deal with 3 - 4 year olds every day so I told myself to cut them some slack and I suspect you might have to do the same but here is the breakdown...

Over the past year, I was approached on several occasions by this individual with comments like "We'd like the parents to do this instead of that". No "Hi, How are you doing today?" lead-in to the conversation. Just right into the undocumented "rules" delivered in a tone as if I should've just known better. I watched this individual repeat these same "undocumented rules" over and over with other parents.

I couldn't help but ask myself why they don't provide a print out of these expectations ahead of time?

Drop off expectations. Pick up expectations. Field trip expectations. Watching your children swim expectations.

None of this was written down and I always had to ask a lot of questions. Please make a print out of parent expectations for each of the scenarios you have and you'll save everyone a bit of grief and/or hard feelings, including yourselves.

All this said, I would still give the program 5 stars and highly recommend Ms. Kathy...

Great park with plenty of activity options. I grew up close to this park and my son did also. I've always felt safe there. And I've never worried about my son's safety there either. I have not observed any gang presence like many other parks. So there is a small group of homeless people that accumulate during the day,but they are very respectful and keep to themselves. They don't leave garbage everywhere and I've even observed them having a small bible study on more than one ocation.completly harmless group. It looks like a few of them actually work during the weekdays and I've considered approaching them to see if I could hire a landscaper. I'll bet they would value and cherish a job more then the average person.as goes for Park staff they seem friendly enough but standoffish which is fine I guess the one bad thing that I can point out about the park is that they close the bathrooms awfully early and at the bathrooms that are present or not always open you have to walk really far to get to a bathroom that is open and accessible and sometimes that's not easy with my broken spine I walk on the trails for my physical therapy but I don't walk far and walking to the bathroom it's just too much for me when there's bathrooms available much closer but again it is a great Park and my review is kind of lengthy but it's close to the home where I grew up so I figured it deserves a good review thank you and I hope you have time to read this in...

I've been coming to this park my entire life. In that time I've learned to swim at Rusch park. I learned to ride a bike at Rusch park. I learned karate at Rusch park. I learned how to throw a curve ball (poorly) at Rusch park. I learned how to defend the pick and roll at Rusch park. My daughters have their birthday parties at Rusch Park, in addition to all the things I experienced there. I take my dog for a walk there several times a week. Between the facilities and the park itself, there is something for everyone here. There are 2 things that keep me from giving it a 5 star review. 1- Highly aggressive homeless people who inhabit the park. I don't have an answer as to how we end homelessness. It is a problem that a country that prides itself as the best in the world should've solved by now. I realize these people are the same as you and I and need help. I just don't appreciate obviously intoxicated people, homeless or otherwise, urinating in public within eye sight of my kids and their friends while screaming profanity and gibberish. I also realize this is a matter that is largely out of the park's hands and should be handled by law enforcement, but it reflects in my score nonetheless.

2- I feel like there's enough room for a dog park on the grounds. A huge number of people just let their dogs run free off the leash, which as a responsible owner of a small dog angers me to no end. I feel like more can be done...