What is the minimum age?

2 years and 8 months

What hours do you operate?

Monday-Friday. 8:30am-3pm. Please refer to the current year’s school calendar for additional closure dates.

Can we take a tour?

Please visit our admission process page for information.

What is your child to teacher ratio? How many children are in the classroom?

Generally, it’s 4 children to every 1 teacher. Sometimes we have an additional teacher or an interning teacher, and sometimes, a teacher is absent due to illnesses. We have up to 12 children on any given day and 3 teachers on campus. We have a garden teacher in our outdoor learning environment, a Montessori trained teacher in the classroom, and a lead director that floats in between the two spaces.

Do you offer a full time program or part time program?

We offer a 5 days/week program as well as a 2 or 3 days/week option. The part time program is very limited.

How long is the waitlist?

We accept students on a rolling admission basis. A rolling admission is an application option that allows you to apply within a window of time until all spots in the upcoming class have been filled.

Is this a year long program? Do you offer a summer program?

We are a year round program, so our classes take place throughout the summer as well. In between each semester/session (summer to fall, fall to spring, spring to summer), we close for 2 weeks for holiday breaks or for staff development days, in which the teachers take additional professional development workshops, redesign the classroom and activities to meet the needs of our current children, and any extensive school ground updates take place.

What is the transition like for new students?

New students are “phased in” to our program throughout the first few weeks of the applicable school session/term. The first day of school is open to all returning students and allows them to reconvene following a two week break. After the first day, we begin phasing in our new students individually, so as to allow for extra care and attention given to each new student. We stagger the "phase in" schedules starting from the oldest to youngest. This period generally consists of 3 short days or visits, but may be extended dependent on each individual child. The start date will be scheduled between the parents and teachers one month prior to starting. One parent and/or familiar adult must be readily available as the child phases in.

When does the application process begin for my child? Do you have a long wait list for your preschool program?

We accept applications on a rolling basis, but we encourage you to apply the year before you wish to enroll your child. We do require all preschool parents/guardians to attend a tour prior to their desired enrollment. We assess all applications every year to find families who will be the best fit for the spaces that we have available. All of our applications remain active for two years. Therefore, if you are not offered admission the first time around, you are more than welcome to reactive your application the following year. All we ask is that you update your existing application with any new information that will be helpful to our process.

What is the daily schedule?

The daily schedule listed below is a general schedule. Our day to day activities change, but is aligned with the Montessori curriculum and dependent on upcoming traditions and holidays.

Drop off: 8:30 - 8:45am

Lunch: 11:45am (We make lunch with the children every day. Please click here for an example)

Nap: 12:45pm-2:10pm

Enrichment Program: 2:10 - 2:40pm (We work with various local enrichment programs, such as gymnastics, music, and yoga. We have up to 2 programs scheduled each week throughout each term. This is included in your tuition, so there is no additional cost to you.)

Afternoon snack and tea: 2:30pm

Pick up: 2:45pm

Closes: 3pm

What is your Facebook and Instagram?

Facebook: liledensf

Instagram: liledensf