Independent preschool, ages 1 to 5 Sample preschool
A small preschool where the day is built around play
Three small classrooms grouped by age, and a garden we use every day. Book a 30-minute tour to see the rooms and meet the teachers.
- Mon to Fri7:30 am to 6:00 pm
- 12 months to 5 yearsThree rooms by age
- 2, 3 or 5 daysA week, fixed days
Today in FinchesSample
- Free play: clay and blocks
- Garden and sandpit
- Lunch: lentil pasta
- Rest
Classrooms
Three rooms, grouped by age
Children move up in September, or sooner when a teacher and you agree they're ready. Each room has its own door to the garden.
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Wrens
12 to 24 months
A calm room for new walkers, with low shelves, a soft climbing corner and a sleep room next door with its own cots.
- Naps on each child's own schedule
- Sleeps, meals and diaper changes written down for you
Group size: Up to 8 children, 3 teachers Sample
Tour the Wrens room -
Finches
2 to 3 years
Big enough to run, small enough to feel like home. Paint easel, home corner, sand and water table, and help with potty training when your child is ready.
- Rest after lunch on their own mat
- Potty training at their pace
- Outside twice a day
Group size: Up to 12 children, 3 teachers Sample
Tour the Finches room -
Firecrests
3 to 5 years (pre-K)
Our oldest group. Longer projects, cooking, a garden bed to look after, and practice with the everyday things kindergarten asks of them.
- A group project each month, from seed planting to a shop
- Quiet rest or books after lunch
Group size: Up to 16 children, 2 teachers Sample
Tour the Firecrests room
Our day
What a day looks like in Finches and Firecrests
The times stay the same every day, so children know what comes next. Sample schedule
In the Wrens room
Toddlers keep the nap and meal times they have at home, and the day bends around them. Teachers write down each sleep, meal and diaper change, and you see the list at pick-up.
Doors openAround now
Breakfast until 8:30 for children who arrive early.
Free play indoorsAround now
Blocks, the paint easel, puzzles, the home corner. Children choose where to start.
Morning circleAround now
A song, who's here today and what's set out for the morning.
SnackAround now
Fruit, crackers or yogurt, at the small tables.
OutsideAround now
Garden, sandpit, bikes and the climbing frame. We go out in most weather, so pack spare clothes.
Story and wash handsAround now
One teacher reads while the others set up for lunch.
LunchAround now
A hot lunch from our kitchen. Teachers sit and eat with the children.
RestAround now
Sleep for those who need it. Books and quiet puzzles for those who don't.
Afternoon snackAround now
Then projects: art, music, cooking or the garden beds.
Quiet play and pick-upAround now
Teachers tell you how the day went at the door.
CloseAround now
Last pick-up. A late fee applies after 6:05 pm.
How we teach
Play-based learning, and what that means here
Most of the day is play that teachers have thought about. There are no worksheets for the under-fours and no screens in the rooms.
The pre-K year
In Firecrests, the oldest children practise what kindergarten will ask of them: holding a pencil, writing their name, sitting through a longer story and looking after their own things.
Children choose what to play with
Each morning the teachers set out a few things to try: clay, a marble run, a pretend shop. Children pick, and they can stay with one thing for as long as it holds them.
Teachers play alongside
They sit on the floor, ask what's being built, give words for what children are doing and help when two people want the same truck.
Outside every morning and afternoon
We only stay in for lightning, ice or very high heat. Rain suits and boots live on hooks by the garden door.
Books and songs every day
Circle each morning and a story before lunch. The reading corner has board books for the Wrens and longer picture books for the older rooms.
Meals & naps
Food from our kitchen and a proper rest
Meals
Breakfast for early arrivals, a morning snack, a hot lunch and an afternoon snack, all included in tuition. Our cook plans a four-week menu and posts it by the front door.
Children drink milk or water. Tell us about allergies on the enrolment form and the kitchen plans a swap for every meal.
Naps
Wrens sleep in their own cots in a darkened room next to their classroom, whenever they need to. Finches and Firecrests rest on mats after lunch, with a sheet and blanket from home.
Children who don't fall asleep get up after 30 minutes for books and puzzles. We never wake a sleeping child unless you ask us to.
Teachers
The people your child will see every day
Each room has a lead teacher who stays with that room all year, plus assistant teachers who know the children by name.
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Rosa Delgado
Director
Gives the tours, keeps the waitlist and covers the rooms at lunchtime.
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Kenji Mori
Wrens room lead
Ten years with toddlers. Keeps the nap chart and the sand tray.
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Abby Hollis
Finches room lead
Runs the paint easel most afternoons and the potty-training chart.
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Tunde Bakare
Firecrests room lead
Teaches the pre-K group and looks after the garden beds with them.
Sample profiles These are fictional people created for this concept site.
Tuition
Monthly tuition by room and days a week
You pay the same each month, due on the 1st. Meals, snacks and art materials are included. Sample prices
| Room | 2 days | 3 days | 5 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wrens12 to 24 months | $780 | $1,090 | $1,640 |
| Finches2 to 3 years | $720 | $1,000 | $1,520 |
| Firecrests3 to 5 years (pre-K) | $660 | $930 | $1,390 |
Included
Breakfast, lunch and two snacks, art and craft materials, sunscreen, and a daily note about meals, sleep and play.
Bring from home
Diapers and wipes if your child uses them, spare clothes, a sun hat, a water bottle and a sheet and blanket for rest.
Tours & waitlist
How to get a place
Most families tour first and join the waitlist the same week. Places are offered in order of start date, with brothers and sisters first. Sample policy
Book a tour
Thirty minutes with Rosa on a Tuesday or Thursday. Bring your child if you like; the garden is usually the favourite part.
Join the waitlist
It's free. We ask for your child's birth date, the days you need and the month you'd like to start.
We offer a place
By email, as soon as one opens on your days. You have seven days to accept with the registration fee and first month.
Settling in
Two short visits in the classroom with you, then a half day, before the first full day.
Book a tour
Come and see the rooms
Pick a time and we'll email to confirm. This is a demo form, so nothing is sent. Concept
- Address
- 118 Linnet Avenue Sample address
- Hours
- Mon to Fri, 7:30 am to 6:00 pm
- Tours
- Tue and Thu, 9:30 am. Thu, 4:15 pm
- Phone
- (555) 014-2286
Does my child need to be potty trained?
No. Bring diapers and wipes, and the Finches teachers will start potty training with you when your child shows they're ready.
What happens when my child is sick?
Keep them home with a fever, vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours. If they get sick here, we call you to pick them up within an hour. Tuition stays the same for sick days. This is a sample policy.
What should we bring?
Two sets of spare clothes, a water bottle, a sun hat, a crib sheet and small blanket for rest, and diapers if your child uses them. Label everything.
How do you handle allergies?
Tell us on the enrolment form. Each room keeps a list of the children's allergies by the kitchen door, and the cook plans swaps for every meal on the menu.
Can we change our days later?
Yes, with a month's notice, if the room has space on the days you want.
When are you closed?
Federal holidays, two training days a year and the week between Christmas and New Year. The calendar for the year goes out in August. Sample calendar.