Apply now for the 2013–2014 school year!
Applications for enrollment in Woodbury Preschool are taken on an ongoing basis and enrollment is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Notification of new student placement begins on February 14, 2013. Students requesting placements in classes that are already at capacity will be placed on a waiting list. Applications for Woodbury Preschool will be accepted until all slots for the 2013–2014 school year are filled.
Download the Woodbury Preschool Application.
Download the Woodbury Preschool Brochure.
About the preschool
Woodbury Preschool at the National Museum of Play® is Reggio Emilia-inspired and is therefore responsive to the interests of the children in the class. This approach uses an "emergent" curriculum philosophy that encourages teachers and students to work together to plan the curriculum and create projects. Guided by teachers who facilitate their explorations, children delve deeply into topics that fascinate and stimulate learning.
Children at Woodbury Preschool learn and develop in playful activities set among the museum's hands-on exhibits. Small and large group activities involve art, music, cooperative games, movement, pre-reading, math, and other age-appropriate experiences.
The preschool is named in honor of the museum founder, Margaret Woodbury Strong, whose parents, John and Alice Woodbury, made the world Margaret's classroom and encouraged her to play outdoors in countless ways.
2013–2014 academic year information
School begins September 9, 2013, and ends June 5, 2014.
Days, times, ages, and fees
Tuesday and Thursday Three-year-old Program*
9–11:30 a.m., $1,824 per year.
Child must be three years old by December 1, 2013 to be eligible to enroll.
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday Four-year-old Program*
9–11:30 a.m., $2,599 per year.
Child must be four years old by December 1, 2013 to be eligible to enroll.
Tuesday and Thursday Mixed-age Program
1–3:30 p.m. $1,824 per year.
Child must be three years old by December 1, 2013 to be eligible to enroll.
Monday, Wednesday and Friday Mixed-age Program
1–3:30 p.m. $2,599 per year.
Child must be three years old by December 1, 2013 to be eligible to enroll.
* Early drop off at 8:30 a.m. for morning students is available for an additional yearly fee: $300 for Tuesday and Thursday students; $450 for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday students. Please call 585-263-2700 for more information.
Limited openings are still available for the 2012–2013 school year. Please call 585-263-2700 for more information.
Classroom setting
Class size
Small classes enable children to build confidence as they explore their world under the close supervision of early childhood teachers.
Homeroom
Specially designed classrooms serve as the children's homeroom. These colorful spaces, set apart from the museum galleries, provide a familiar, comfortable, and manageable environment for preschoolers.
Hands-on exploration
Supervised by their teachers, children also experience the colorful, imaginative museum environment including the museum's signature exhibits Reading Adventureland and Field of Play. If the weather permits, children enjoy experiences in a secure outdoor play space designed for the exclusive use of the preschool.
Parents' role
The preschool staff consider parents to be school partners and encourage classroom visits and parental involvement in class projects. Parents may arrange to observe their children through a two-way mirror in the classroom's observation area. A get-acquainted play date at the museum kicks off the program each year, and parent-teacher conferences are held regularly throughout the school year.
School closures
The preschool follows Rochester City School District school closures for holidays and inclement weather as announced on radio and television.
