FAQs

Q:  What ages are eligible to attend the Children's House

A: Students must be 3 years old before they can attend the Children's House preschool program. Occasionally children are able to start school mid-year if they will turn 3 during the course of the year. Please contact the Children's House Director to inquire about mid-year availability. Children who will turn 5 on or before August 31, 2022, cannot be admitted to Willow Oak through the preschool program and by law must apply for kindergarten admission through our Charter School lottery. Our Charter lottery was held on March 1, 2022, for the 2022-23 school year. All applications received after Feb. 18, 2022, are added to the bottom of the grade-level waitlist in the order received. 


Q: Do children need to be fully out of diapers in order to be eligible to attend the Children’s House? 

A: Yes. Children need to be able to take care of their toileting needs with minimal to no assistance. 


Q: How many classrooms are at the Children’s House? 

A: We have three multi-age classrooms made up of both preschoolers and public kindergarteners. Each class serves 25 children ranging in age from 3 to 6 years old. A fourth classroom serves our full-day preschoolers in the afternoons. Our student-teacher ratio is approximately 13:1. 


Q: What does the typical day look like for a half-day preschooler? A full-day preschooler?

A: All Children's House students participate in a work cycle, circle time, snack, and outdoor recess each day. After half-day preschoolers are dismissed, full-day preschoolers are dismissed to another classroom to eat lunch with their class and then get ready for nap/rest time followed by some additional outdoor/free play. Kindergarteners remain in their classrooms after lunch for an additional work cycle as well as enrichment activities such as PE, Spanish, art, and music.


Q: What time is drop off & pick up? 

A: Drop off for all Children's House students is 8:10am - 8:30am. Half-day preschoolers are picked up between 11:45am and noon, and full-day students are picked up between 3:00pm and 3:20pm Kindegarten dismissal is 3:20pm-3:40pm


Q: Do you offer an extended day and/or afterschool? 

A:  Yes! Families can add on before- and/or after-school care for an additional fee. Before-school care begins at 7:30am and after school runs until 6:00pm. More details can be found here.


Q: Are you open year-round? 

A: No. The Children's House preschool follows the same calendar as the public Charter school. We operate from late August until early June, with breaks in the Fall, Winter, and Spring, as well as occasional days off for teacher workdays or holidays. Our current school calendar can be viewed here.


Q: Do students have outdoor time everyday?      

A: Yes! Weather permitting, children spend time on the playground each day. Each class also has its own outdoor learning environment that is an extension of the classroom where students currently eat lunch except during inclement weather.


Q: Do students who attend Willow Oak Montessori Children’s House preschool receive priority in the Willow Oak Montessori Charter School lottery? 

A: As required by law, no priority is given to Children’s House students in the K-8 Public Charter School lottery. 


If you have any additional questions, please contact us at info@willowoakmontessori.org