Faqs
1. What are your hours of operation? Are you on a conventional school year calendar?
The school year runs from Mid-September to Mid-June, and the school day is from 9 am to 3 pm. Days off and holidays basically follow most conventional school calendars. We offer extended care, a before and after school program, for parents who qualify and for an additional fee. We also offer a Summer Camp to currently enrolled families.
2. What is your total enrollment?
Our total enrollment is right around 100 students every school year. It is usually evenly split between the Preschool and Elementary school. That balance keeps the community small enough that teachers know every child. Families often say the size makes the campus feel like a neighborhood rather than an institution.
3. What is the age range of children?
Our children generally start at age 3. They can stay through 11 years old. That means a child can begin in the preschool program and remain in the same community through the elementary years. Families do not have to search for a new school in the middle of childhood.
4. What is the teacher to child ratio?
Our teacher to child ratio is one of the best: 1 teacher to 4-7 children, depending on the age group. Low ratios mean a teacher can sit with a small group, follow a question, and notice when a child needs help with a friend. You can ask for the ratio in your child's specific age group.
5. What is your approach to education, teaching and learning?
The educational model we work with is child-directed. Learning is bound to a child's interest and grows from it. The program is rich with opportunities, both child-initiated and teacher-offered, but all are choices, and no curriculum plans are compulsory. Teachers support interests, create a rich learning and playing environment, and help with social and emotional development and friendship dynamics.
6. What happens when children leave Play Mountain Place and go into traditional schools? What is their transition like?
Almost all of our graduates transition into a traditional school where testing, taking notes, and homework are expected. Students bring sophistication in interpersonal relations, problem solving experience, and flexibility. Their desire to learn is still intact because they were trusted in their choices. Most adjust in a matter of months, and all students need some support. We help families prepare and search for a good fit.
What this looks like in practice
On a typical day, children arrive and move into play, indoors or outside. Teachers offer activities, but children choose what to join. Learning happens through projects, conversation, and the subjects a child's interest pulls in. A teacher might read with one child, mediate a disagreement between two others, and help a group plan a game. The pace stays steady, with time to finish what they start.
At home, you may notice your child naming a feeling instead of hitting, or asking a friend what they want to play. These are the small results of practice in a setting where adults listen and children help solve problems. Children who choose their work often keep choosing it. You can ask teachers how they share observations with families.
