Program Information

Programs

Parents Nursery School offers part time, play-based pre-school programs for children ages 3 to 5 and their families.

For the children, an opportunity...

• To experience a wide variety of developmentally appropriate activities
• To form friendships and develop social skills to foster friendships through play
• To develop a sense of self-esteem based on individual success in an atmosphere of acceptance and support
• To be with loving and caring adults

For families, an opportunity...

• To share your children's preschool experience
• To participate in constructive discussions on topics related to the class and the children
• To meet, share ideas, and play with other parents of preschool children
• To benefit from the guidance and experience of a professional preschool teacher

Our three main governing rules are:

• Keep it friendly
• Keep it safe
• You can't say "you can't play"

THREES and FOURS

Meets 3 mornings per week:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday from 9:15am-12:15pm or
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday from 9:15am-12:15pm
Child must be three years old by January 31st of the school year he/she is enrolled

FOURS and FIVES

Meets 4 mornings per week:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 9:15am-12:15pm
The Fours program is reserved for children who will be heading to kindergarten (or Young 5s) programs the following year.

SUMMER SCHOOL

Meets 3 mornings per week:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 9:15am-12:15pm.
This session is available only to students who were enrolled for the current (2009-2010) school year.
In 2010 the summer session will run from June 15-July 8. It will run T, W, Th for 4 weeks.
The cost for summer school is $200.

Schedule

The 2010-2011 school year will begin the first week of September and end early June. We use the Palo Alto Unified School District Calendar as a guideline for holidays and vacations. We offer two mixed aged programs.

Parent Participation Requirements

Parents Nursery School is a cooperative and relies on the active involvement of the families and expects families to fulfill their annual participation requirements.

• Work in the classroom one morning per week, under the direction of a credentialed teacher. Workday parents arrive at 9:00am to help the teachers in the day's preparation and stay until 12:45pm to assist with daily housekeeping and clean-up.
• Attend parent education classes (two to three evenings per month)
• Participate in two 6 hour maintenance days on a weekend (one per semester) to help with the general upkeep of our school
• Serve on the PNS board to help with the administrative part of running the school (sample jobs include food shopping, newsletter, fundraising, finance, etc.) A full list of jobs is available once your child is enrolled.
• Participate in about 10 hours for our Fall Carnival and Spring fundraising events.

Tuition & Scholarships

The school year consists of two semesters. Deposits and tuition are non-refundable. It is your responsibility to pay tuition by the posted deadlines.

Tuition for the school year is set in October by our Board. As if February 1, 2010, tuition per semester is $875 ($175 per month) for the 3 day program and $1,156 ($231 per month) for the 4 day program. Remember: this is only an estimate and tuition for next year may increase a little to cover higher costs.

We have limited partial scholarships available for families who have financial needs. Scholarships cover part of the cost of tuition and vary according to specific circumstances. To be eligible to apply for a scholarship, a separate confidential application must be filled out.

Registration

In November we begin accepting applications for the next school year. For the 2010-2011 school year we began accepting applications on Nov. 22, 2009. There is no application fee, but a non-refundable $100 deposit is due when a family accepts a spot in our program. The fee is applied towards tuition in the fall.

Please note that parents must schedule a private tour of our school or attend our Open House before we will confirm a spot in our program. Open House is held in February. During the Open House, interested families have a chance to view the school, ask questions, talk to teachers and parents, and complete an enrollment application. Children are placed in classes after the Open House. We are currently accepting applications for 2010-2011 school year. Our Open House will be held on Sunday, February 21 from 1 - 3pm.

Your child must be 3 years old by January 31st of the school year for which they are enrolled. We do not accept applications nor have waiting lists for future years. Your child must be three years old by January 31, 2011 to enroll for the 2010-2011 school year.

When space is available, it is possible to enroll in the current school year after it starts. If your are interested in attending PNS for the current school year, you should first schedule a school visit and then fill out an application. We will place your child on the waitlist and contact you when a space is available.

Visiting our school

We encourage interested families to spend a morning visiting our school. Children are welcome during the school visit. Parents must tour our school or attend the Open House before we will confirm a spot in our program. Please call (650) 856-1440 between 9:00am and 12:15pm Monday through Friday or contact our registrar to schedule an appointment.

Parents Nursery School, Palo Alto, CA - Established in 1943