Parents

Parent Participation

Parents are vital to the success of the school and have many opportunities to be involved in their child's learning. Some of the various ways parents participate at Apple Orchard School are:


  • Parent Substitutes: Parents are encouraged to sign up as parent substitutes. Parent substitutes may assist in the classrooms whenever a teacher has a planned absence or professional day.
  • Parent Class Evenings: Parents and staff plan and coordinate these evenings in October. At the Parent Class Evenings, parents learn more about what happens during their child's typical school day.
  • Parent Workshops: Informal workshops are offered throughout the year. The focus is on the challenges and difficulties that concern families with young and older children. In these groups, parents discuss issues such as sibling rivalry, discipline, effects from divorce, loss, toilet training, local area schools, and a range of other topics.
  • Expert Speakers: At various times throughout the year, Apple Orchard School welcomes speakers who are experts in areas such as parent education, childhood development, child psychology, and more. These educational events are a great resource for parents, teachers and alumni.
  • Volunteer Help: Parents are an important part of our two major fundraising events that support scholarships and teacher development. We welcome all parents to help with Scholarship Fair planning. For more information, please visit our Scholarship Fair page.

To volunteer, contact your child's teacher or stop by the Silo office!



Parent Participation

  • “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