FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

  • "What's the difference between preschool and daycare?"

    Daycare is a place to drop-off and go to work. Staff is generally a caregiver, and typically focused on supervision and safety alone. Documentation, education, and interaction are limited. Usually there’s little importance placed on the family and the parent community.

    Preschool is school. It is designed as a learning environment, staffed with professional teachers whose career path is directly connected to the experience of each child and family. With thoughtful materials, intentional curriculum, and purpose behind each decision, the focus is on education, whole-child development, and parent relationships. Preschools tend to be more of a whole-family experience.

  • "What is the child-to-teacher ratio at Piper?"

    Glad you asked. It ranges from 5:1 to 7:1. This doesn’t include our floaters that help out with breaks and the other 30 people who work with us. Trust us, your kid is covered.

  • "How old does my child need to be to attend Piper?"

    We offer Parent & Me and Enrichment classes from newborns through 24 months. Drop-off preschool programs start at 18 months and go through Pre-K/TK. And we have a few 18 year alums who hang around.

  • "How are snack and lunch handled?"

    We provide snacks throughout the day… mostly Twinkies, rock candy, root beer, and cubes of refined sugar. As for lunch, families can bring their own or order from our hot lunch meal service.

  • "Does my child need to be potty trained to attend?"

    Nope. Unless they’re in Pre-K… then, yep.

  • "What's your sick child policy?"

    Fever? Stay home. Weird rash on their hands, feet, or mouth? Stay home. Boogery face? Stay home. Coughs or new raspy voice? Record an album, but nope. Stay in the studio.

    If they get sick at school, we’ll call you immediately and require they be symptom free for 24 hours.

  • "How do you handle allergies?"

    As much as we love a good ol’ PB & J, we just can’t allow it. Other than being nut-free, all faculty are notified of all allergies throughout the school. For children with severe allergies, the campus Director will meet individually with the parent to ensure awareness and protocols.

  • "What extracurricular activities do you offer?"

    We have enrichment classes for all ages. Classes include yoga, music, messy art, gardening, dance, tinkering, science, and more. Classes for younger children are held in the morning. For children enrolled, they are offered right after school.

  • "What security measures do you take?"

    Each of our campuses have zero public access without notification. All doors remain locked from the inside. We have security staff at pick-up and drop-off, and have outfitted each location with security cameras, alarm system, and panic buttons. All children are checked in and out digitally with an approved list of parents and caregivers.

  • "Do you offer financial aid?"

    We sure do. Piper believes that a quality education should be available to all children. Since starting Piper in 2014, we’ve been able to allocate a large portion of our fundraising to scholarships. Each year, we’ve been able to help around 25% of our families with tuition assistance.

    Assistance is limited to available funds and our scholarship committee will review your application. All information is kept private.

  • "How many steps was Lynyrd Skynyrd given to get to the door?"

    Three Steps

  • "Do you use tech in the classrooms?"

    On your tour, you’ll notice that there is a screen in the Pre-K class. And yes, there’s lots of research about screen time. So let’s get this straight. There’s a big difference between video games and educational applications. Enter our Pre-K Team. We research, visit countries based on their unit of study, and even create films. Technology is here to stay, it’s our job to implement it in positive ways.

    With that said, teachers complete their own computer work outside of the classroom. From a child’s view, adults on a computer, even if it’s to do something for the classroom, can be perceived as a distraction from what’s most important… them. Our focus will always be the child’s interaction, thought, or idea they’d like to share.

  • "How do you handle conflict?"

    Words… and for those without words, we help them communicate. We want to empower children to resolve conflict themselves. This teaches compassion, empathy, and problem solving skills. Also helps in life… maybe even with picky eaters, those adamant about certain clothing, and even the ones with cute little tantrums.

  • "How can I be involved at Piper?"

    Piper is built around community. We have a community room dedicated to parents. We love when you stay. We love when you hang out and chat. While we don’t require it, but we encourage your participation in the classroom, too… within reason. This isn’t your chance to live in the classroom, but we want you to feel at home. We’ll work with you at whatever level you’d like… within reason.

  • "How long is the day at Piper?"

    Your choice. We’re open from 8am-5pm, with core programming hours from 9am-2pm and early-care and after-care available.

  • "How do I sign up? Let's gooooo."

    Well, we’d love to show you around before anything… that said, you can go your own way. Go your own waaaay.

    Schedule a Tour of Piper Preschool

    Book-A-Tour of Piper Preschool

    Apply to Piper Preschool

  • "What is your tuition?"

    Each campus varies a tad and is outlined on the campus pages. Click on your campus for more information.

    Santa Monica Tuition & Info

    Los Angeles (Pico/Robertson) Tuition & Info

    Orange County (Irvine) Tuition & Info

    Manhattan Beach Tuition & Info

  • "What does a typical day looks like?"

    Check out the Day-In-The-Life of a Piper Preschooler.

  • "Are staff trained in CPR and first aid?"

    Absolutely. You’ll have 2, possibly 3-4 staff per classroom trained and ready to assist in CPR and first aid.

  • "How do you communicate with parents?"

    If you’re around, stop by the office. In-person talks are always welcomed. We’re always an open-door campus… unless there’s a big important meeting going on, but we keep those short. Otherwise, we use a program called ProCare which will communicate with all the parents regarding everything Piper.

  • "Do you host events for parents?"

    Boy, do we. We’ll host playdates throughout the year, have speaking engagements with early education professionals, and a year-end party to celebrate the year at Piper. Additionally, through the year parents will host parties for the families. Some are for adults and some are for the whole family. We’re all about community, so these get-togethers are of the utmost importance to us.

  • "Do all the children get to go outside?"

    Ooph. We hate that this was even a question. Of course the kids get to go outside everyday. It’s SoCal. Sunlight is the best medicine for all matters of being a kid. They get dirty, they get wet, they get messy… just like they should.

  • "Is Admissions rolling or is there a deadline?"

    The short answer is that there’s a deadline. As we hire staff for our next year, we’re taking admissions into account. That said, people move, jobs change, and things happen. Contact your local campus for an up-to-date answer.

    Santa Monica
    310-451-4600

    Los Angeles
    310-201-4900

    Orange County
    949-570-4011

    Manhattan Beach
    310-844-1800

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