Questions
What families ask us
What ages and hours do the primary classes have?
The primary classes are for children aged 3 to 5. Mornings run from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and the school day ends at 3:15 p.m. A child's first year usually begins with three mornings or five.
How does a tour work?
A tour is a weekday morning. You sit at the edge of a working room, talk with the guide and the head of school, and walk through to see the elementary. It takes about an hour, and children are welcome to come along.
What sets tuition?
The schedule a family chooses and the child's year in the room. We go through the figures at a tour.
How is a place held, and how does the waitlist work?
A place is held when we receive the signed agreement and the first month's tuition. If a room is full, we keep a waitlist in the order families applied and send offers by email and a phone call as places open.
Are the primary classes licensed, and how many adults are in a room?
The primary classes are part of the school, which runs them under state rule rather than a child care center license. The school's notice is at the foot of every page, and each age has a set number of adults to children.
What is a work cycle?
A long stretch of the morning, with no bells, in which children choose their work from the shelves and stay with it as long as it holds them. The guide gives short lessons to one or two children at a time.
Why are the ages mixed?
Three, four and five-year-olds share a room, and so every child is sometimes the youngest and sometimes the oldest. Younger children watch what older ones do, and older ones learn by showing.
Do children need to use the toilet on their own?
The primary room asks children to use the toilet by themselves, because the room is set up for independence and an adult cannot always be at a child's side. If your child is still learning, tell us at the tour and we will talk it through together.
What happens on a hard day?
A guide stays close, says what she sees and helps the child find what they need: a quiet corner, a drink of water, something for their hands. We talk with the family at pickup.
What about photos?
We ask your written permission before we share any photo of your child, on this site, in newsletters or on social media, and you can change your answer at any time. We never put a child's name with a photo, and the photos on this site are examples until we replace them with our own.
Still have a question?
Ask us at a tour, or call the school.