Frequently Asked Questions

The play-based philosophy means child-centered and teacher-supported learning where children are encouraged to explore the world around them with hands-on activities and play. Play-based learning supports child development in all areas: language/communication, cognitive, social, emotional, and physical. Play-based learning allows children to bring their own interests and skill levels into their own learning experience and, with the support of teachers/adults, the experience can be enhanced and expanded to best meet the needs of each individual child. Research has shown that children learn best through active, first-hand experiences and play is the best medium to facilitate learning experiences.

Enrollment options:

Half-day: 8:30 am – 12:30 pm, 3 or 5 mornings a week

Full day: 8 am – 6 pm, Monday through Friday

Afternoon Only: 12:30 pm – 6 pm, 3, 4 or 5 afternoons a week

The School Year Session runs mid-August to early June. The optional Summer Session runs early June to the end of July. We follow the Albany Unified School District calendar for breaks and holidays. Information on the Summer Session is released in April.

At APS we use redirection to deal with behavioral issues. We do not use time outs. Children are offered choices and the adults/teachers follow through with what is expected with the choice the child has made. We believe that expectations on children’s behavior should be made clear to each child. They are offered choices – all acceptable – to solve the problem. When needed, the child is reminded of what their choices were and we ask them to take ownership of their behavior, redirecting them to another activity or area of play if needed. Example: “It looks like you have chosen to continue to throw sand, so now you need to leave the sandbox area. Would you like to ride a bike or play at the water table?”

Children that may need extra help will often spend one-on-one time with a teacher as they try to problem-solve together to turn the behavior around. If a child feels they need alone time, we have many areas throughout the school that allow for children to have their own private down time to regroup.

Albany Preschool is a two- year program for children prior to entering transitional kindergarten or kindergarten. The preschool follows the same age cutoff date as the Albany Unified School District in order for children to start kindergarten upon graduating from Albany Preschool. Children must turn 3 years old by December 2 of the school year they wish to apply for. For the Summer Camp program, children must turn 3 years old by September 1 of that year.

COVID-19 tours update:  We are doing outdoor visits by appointment weekdays at 11:15 am or 3:15 pm. The visit will be at the South Yard fence, where you will be able to talk with our Director and see the school in action. Our program is currently outside due to COVID, with the exception of snack time, lunch and afternoon nap. A video tour and photos of the inside and North Yard, which isn’t visible from the street, is available here. We are also scheduling after-hours tours of these spaces for families interested in enrolling in the current school year. Please email several possible tour dates and the following information to info@albanypreschool.org:

• Parents’ names:
• Contact phone number:
• Child(ren)’s name(s):
• Child(ren)’s birth date(s):

We will contact you to confirm your tour date(s) or work to find a time for you to visit.
If you have any questions, please email info@albanypreschool.org.