Old Firehouse School: Tuition, Admissions and Reviews

Ch. 1

The Story

At Old Firehouse School we believe that the quality of one’s childhood predicts much about the quality of one’s future. Therefore, our goal is to give each child in our care a childhood rich in the kinds of experiences and relationships which optimally prepare them for their life’s journey.

Trust, autonomy and verbal skills are the core values of our toddler and two year old program, for we believe that each is necessary for the smooth development of the ego.

Our private preschools were founded in 1996 in Lafayette by Dr. Dorothy Stewart and her husband Bob Buhl. There are 5 campuses: OFS Mill Valley opened in 2004, OFS Walnut Creek opened in 2006, OFS San Rafael Fifth Avenue opened in 2022, and in September 2024, we opened yet another school: the wildlife/nature Bayview school in San Rafael.

We don’t require parent hours, but we do strongly recommend parents to attend all of the school functions, such as project presentations. Families are a big part of our community, and we want to build a partnership with families in order to better serve the children.

We have a primary caregiver model at Old Firehouse School. Children have one caregiver who develops a nurturing special relationship with the child and the child’s family.

Ch. 2

Programs

Our school is open year-round. We harness young children’s natural linguistic abilities through immersive, play-based learning. Our Reggio Emilia inspired project work lets groups of children choose a topic and investigate it in depth.

The Infant and Toddler Room

We encourage our toddlers to develop their independence while creating warm and nurturing relationships with them.

DaysLuna toddler room: 5 days per week.

Hoursfull day

Family participationWe engage parents through workshops and resources, guiding them to support their child's language development at home.

The 2s Room

Autonomy and verbal skills are the core values of our two-year-old program.

Hourshalf-day and full-day

Class size12 children

Teacherstwo teachers

3s classroom

For our three’s and fours we emphasize initiative, language and thinking skills and activities designed to encourage the development of rich imaginations.

Days2, 3, 4, or 5 days per week

Hourshalf-day and full-day

Teachersone primary English-speaking teacher and one primary Spanish-speaking teacher

4s

Initiative, language, and thinking skills guide our preschool program. English- and Spanish-speaking teachers co-lead a curriculum around children’s interests.

Days2, 3, 4, or 5 days per week

Ch. 3

Enrichment

At the Old Firehouse School we believe that young children are not developmentally ready to handle the fierce competitiveness in our world. For this reason, we are committed to providing our children with many non-competitive opportunities for self expression.

artmusicdramariding bicyclesmaking “sand pizza”building castles with blocks

Ch. 4

Admissions

Enrollment is ongoing. The school year begins mid-August, and we will continue to enroll throughout the year if availability exists.

i.

Tours

Open Houses are held in January, and tours are given throughout the year. Tours/Open Houses are usually 1-1 ½ hours long and are for adults only.

ii.

Age to enroll

2026-2027 school year: 2s classroom (born by Sept.2024); 3s classroom (born by Sept. 2023); 4s (born by Sept. 2022); TK (born by Sept 2021).

iii.

Application

Applications are given to families after a tour or Open House. Spaces are normally offered in March or as openings arise. The application fee is $60 for infant/toddler programs and $55 for 2s/preschool programs.

iv.

Priority

We give priority to families needing fulltime care (5 full days). We do give conditional priority to families with siblings enrolled here, but it is not a guarantee.

Apply online