What ages does Open House Nursery School serve?
Open House serves children aged 2.5 to 5 years. Children must have turned 2 by September 1 of the entering school year.
How many teachers are in each classroom?
All classrooms at Open House are lead by a certified early childhood educator and an experienced assistant teacher. In addition, Open House has several assistant teachers who provide additional support and usually hosts student teachers. While a minimum of two teachers are in each classroom, typically there are three. In the 2s classrooms, three adults is standard. Our 2s classrooms are capped at 10; 3s classrooms are capped at 15; and 4s classrooms are capped at 18.
Does my child have to be toilet-trained to attend Open House?
No. At Open House, our goal is to support a child’s individual developmental progress, and we are committed to respecting individual timeframes for achieving skills.
What is the admissions procedure at Open House?
In keeping with our progressive educational philosophy, Open House is an open door to young children and their families. No screening, interview, or formal application determines admission. All that is required is interest, as established by taking a tour, filling out a brief application form, and paying an application fee ($100). The application and application fee are due in January of the application year, and the school sends out contracts (enrollment offers) in February. If we have more applications than openings, we conduct a lottery. Please see our Applications & Tour page for more information.
How many spaces are available?
Even though siblings and children of alumni are given first preference, Open House usually has openings in every program, including the twos programs. We restrict the number of tours we give to the number of openings we expect, allowing for an estimated number of families who don’t apply or decline enrollment offers. If Open House is your first choice school and you have taken a tour, you have a strong chance of enrolling your child here.
How much is tuition?
Tuition at Open House is comparable to other BECDA nursery schools in the area and is driven by the costs of running the school. Open House Nursery School is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit institution, and our 990 can be found online. Tuition for the current year is here. Tuition for the following year is usually posted in late December and will be emailed to all who have toured the school. Open House offers some financial aid on a sliding scale basis.
How is discipline handled?
At Open House, discipline goes back to the root of the word discipulus: a student. Here, discipline is designed to help each child assume increasing amounts of emotional and social control with the support of caring adults. At Open House, discipline is guidance. Children imitate adults and do their best to live up to our expectations. Therefore, we model effective communications and create the expectation that all children are happy, safe, and successful in their endeavors, whatever they may be.
What is Open House doing to prevent Covid-19 outbreaks at school?
Following CDC and Department of Health guidelines, Open House has implemented a multi-layered approach to prevent outbreaks of Covid-19 and support the health and well-being of the Open House community. The Layered Covid Policies & Procedures and Covid Safety Plan are part of our Health & Safety guidelines which can be found here.
What does Open House do if there is a case of Covid in the school community?
Open House has developed a Decision Tree to help navigate these questions, which can be found here.
What activities will my child be doing at Open House?
Open House is a play-based program with thoughtful adult structure and guidance. Teachers plan activities that promote social, emotional, and cognitive development, as appropriate to each age group. In our safe, nonjudgmental, and joyful environment, children have ample time to choose activities that creatively express themselves.
Each day is divided among:
- Choice Time – 4-6 different age-appropriate activities, such as puzzles, reading, play-dough, drawing, water/sand table, Legos, and blocks.
- Meeting Time – more teacher-directed and often contains academic content such as exposure to letters and mathematical concepts.
- Unstructured Outdoor Time – on our enclosed rooftop playground, weather permitting.
- Class Jobs – to build individual responsibility and class community.
- Special visitors – art and music specialists and yoga teachers come once a week or every so often to mix things up.
Music and art are always part of the day as is a much needed and enjoyed snack, provided by the school. Children who stay until or after 1:00 will need to bring a lunch.
From 1 pm to 2:30 pm is naptime for 2s and 3s. Children in the 4s program have a 25 minute rest at 1 pm followed by arts enrichment and outdoor play until 3.
Are there afternoon, vacation, or summer programs?
Open House offers highly flexible scheduling so that families can create programs that suit their needs.
- Early Drop-off (8-9am) – Available as part of an 8-6 program or with voucher hours.
- Extended Day – An exciting afternoon program consisting of choice time, playground play, and fun special programming.
- Vacation Programs – During winter, February, and spring breaks, Open House will be open to currently enrolled children, 3-6 years old. Pre-registration is required. Children enrolled in Open House’s five-day, 8-6 program receive priority.
- Summer Programs – Water play and sun on the outside and air conditioning on the inside make Open House Summer a popular option. We usually offer four one-week sessions. Older children go on weekly field trips. Children enrolled in Open House’s five-day, 8-6 program receive priority enrollment.