Frequently Asked Questions

Please visit our Admissions Process page for a step-by-step breakdown of our preschool admissions process.

The deadline to apply for the 2025-26 school year is January 9, 2025. Click here for more important admissions dates.

At The Washington Market School, it is important for parents to get to know our school and our community. As such, we require parents to participate in a school visit, which includes a group interview for parents only. During the school visit, parents will have opportunities to meet with different members of The Washington Market School team and community. Parents will also have the opportunity to observe the rich, thoughtful teaching and learning in our beautiful classrooms.

We believe that formally interviewing and assessing children at this age is not informative. Our curriculum is thoughtfully designed and our teachers are highly trained to skillfully meet children where they are, which means our children are considered “ready” simply by virtue of joining our community. 

There are countless benefits to focusing on conversation and connection rather than formal interviews and testing. To us, the most important benefit is that prospective parents gain an authentic understanding of The Washington Market School experience and how truly special it is to be a part of our community.

The enrollment team will host a number of virtual information sessions during the admissions season. No application is required and registration is available here. 

We invite applicant families to gain a deeper understanding of our school's educational philosophy, culture, and community by attending additional optional admissions events. Registration for these optional events will be available in the Admissions Portal.

As a nonprofit organization, we value all forms of diversity in our community. Every year, we raise and award funds for our Tuition Assistance Program. Families apply for Tuition Assistance via Clarity Financial Aid. 

We do our best to accommodate every sibling and legacy applicant, but might not always be able to offer your first choice of session. Upon submitting an application, you will be contacted with next steps in the admissions process for connected families, including information about the Early Notification option. Any Sibling/Legacy applications submitted after November 27 will be considered with our General Application pool.

Every family with a child who is eligible to apply and submits a completed application form by the deadline will be invited for a school visit and considered for admission. Admission to the school is not dependent on when you submit an application or when you visit, as long as both are completed within the deadlines.

The Washington Market School does not require either of these items. However, any additional information sent to the Enrollment Office will be added to your file.

2025-2026 school year:

For our Half Day Program (AM or PM) and for our Full Day 2s Program, children must be 2 years old by November 30, 2025*

*Please note that children turning 2 between September 15 and November 30 who are accepted to the ‘Fall-In 2s’ Program will join the classroom once they have turned 2, with tuition prorated based on their start date.

For our Full Day Program for 3s-5s, children must be 3 years old by September 15, 2025. 

Yes, you will be required to complete a new application form as well as a school visit. We look forward to getting to know your family better. 

You can find our most up to date tuition information here. Tuition rates are subject to change from year to year.

Please contact our Enrollment Office by email at admissions@wms-nyc.org or by phone at 212-233-2176. Due to the large number of inquiries we receive during the admissions season, please allow us a few days to respond. We look forward to hearing from you.

Please visit our Programs Page.

Check out our Curriculum Page, which includes example daily schedules.
 

The Afternoon Session is a mirror of our Morning Session. Children who are enrolled in the afternoon will have the very same experience as children who are enrolled in the morning, including time in our beautiful studio classes, the playful gym and our interactive lab room. Learn more about our Afternoon Session here.

Our combined Montessori/Reggio approach is thoughtfully designed to encompass different types of learners. When children are this young, we cannot predict just how they will learn. The Montessori methodology provides a carefully curated, structured environment; and our Reggio-inspired approach allows children to explore with more open-ended and creative provocations. Learning how to navigate a thoughtful blend of both philosophies allows our children to engage deeply in their learning and prepares them for the multitude of environments that lie ahead in school and life. 

We complement this approach with diverse teams of three teachers in every classroom, a robust studio program, and a keen focus on social emotional, as well as more academic, learning. 

We are deeply invested in partnering with our parents. We host two formal parent teacher conferences for every child each year, in addition to daily touch points with teachers during drop off and pick up. Each day, the teachers upload a “Daily Post” to our WMS app. This gives a quick glimpse of each day. Additionally, we send out a school wide bulletin each Sunday with important upcoming dates, as well as a bi-weekly newsletter with longer form information.

The Washington Market School hosts a variety of parent education events with expert guest speakers. We also offer regular Mug & Muffin gatherings where parents come to discuss everyday concerns with our educational leaders and one another. 

Parents are invited to actively participate in classroom celebrations: holidays, birthdays and special events, as well as school-wide events like our Book Fair, Gala and Art Show. We know that you, as parents, need good friends and a strong community just as your children do, and we are pleased to provide a number of opportunities to nurture these relationships.
 

Each child’s transition to school is unique to them. Our caring, experienced teachers and Site Directors are here to support the needs of each individual child. Learn more here.

If your child is starting in the 2s or Half Day 3s program, they do not need to be potty trained. All other children are required to be potty trained before the first day of school.