Overview

Admissions

Overview

Our admissions process begins during the first part of November each year. We encourage parents to contact the school beginning in late September to set up an appointment to visit the school.


Admissions Visit

During November and December, parents are invited to meet for 30 minutes with an admissions person, followed by a self-guided tour and classroom observation for The Chicken Coop and Class I. Visits for Class II and Class III occur in January and February. Click here for age requirements and class descriptions. Parents receive an application at the time of their visit.


Applications

Applications for Chicken Coop and Class I are due by December 15th. Applications for Class II and Class III are due by March 1st. There is a non-refundable $50.00 application fee.


Admissions Process

Decisions to accept new families and children are based on a variety of factors including a balance of boys and girls, birth date range, diversity of race, cultural backgrounds, socio-economic status, and different demographic communities. Acceptance letters are mailed at the end of January for Chicken Coop and Class I, and in mid-March for Class II and Class III.


Notice of Non-Discrimination

Apple Orchard School does not discriminate against children, teachers, or families on the basis of age, gender, race, color, sexual orientation, sexual identity, housing status, religion, cultural heritage, political beliefs, family status, or disability in the administration of its educational policies, employment practices, scholarship awards, or any other school sponsored program or activity.



Admissions

  • “I am thrilled that we have been able to find a preschool for our daughter that elevates play and concrete activities over academic concerns. You don’t pretend to do things, but you really do them. I love it that the kids pick vegetables, collect eggs, and cook snacks together. I think it’s nothing short of fabulous that the children got to watch ducks raised from eggs and set free on the pond.”

    Former Parent

  • “Apple Orchard is truly a model school, the best place on the planet to send your child to jumpstart his or her education.”

    Current Parent

  • “The grounds are like being in another, simpler world.  During a parent visit, taking a winter walk, I could see the joy in the children’s faces as they skipped, ran, got distracted, picked up a stick or rock, and then continued on their way.  How often do you see a child skip these days?  You do at AO!”

    Former Parent

  • “The staff is genuine, friendly, exceptionally knowledgeable, and competent.  They know your child’s habits, likes, dislikes, anything you can think of, and challenge them in a way that incorporates the natural world into the learning plan.”

    Former Parent

  • “All of our kids left AO with a deep appreciation for the outdoors and animals. This is a gift we could not have given them in any other pre-school setting.”

    Former Parent

  • “Apple Orchard is a magical place for our children as they learn without knowing they are learning! Friendships are formed which last a lifetime as our children develop a love for each other, their teachers and nature.”

    Current Parent

  • “All of our children have attended AO and completely embraced and loved every aspect of their experience. Combining the outdoors with traditional learning fosters an early school experience that has cultivated both academic growth and social development in our children.”

    Former Parent

  • “Apple Orchard helped to shape my children’s creative potential. Apple Orchard had such a significant impact on one of my children that he decided to come back as a teaching assistant for his senior project in high school.”

    Former Parent

  • “As educators ourselves, we wanted for our children not only committed and experienced teachers but also an educational philosophy that we could celebrate. Over our decade-long span at the school, we discovered some of the most accomplished educators we’ve ever met, deeply practiced with this age group, teaching through the richness of the surrounding environment.”

    Current Parent

  • “Apple Orchard was the most special experience we could have given our three young children. It is like no other pre-school around — Apple Orchard teachers and staff are nurturing beyond all expectations — from the beginning, it felt like an extension of our family.”

    Former Parent