Ross Valley Nursery School: Tuition, Admissions and Reviews | Marin Private Schools

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Ross Valley Nursery School

Kentfield, California · Est. 1951

Learning through play, growing through community.

Ross Valley Nursery School offers preschool and pre-kindergarten classes to children ages two years, three months to five years old.

Ch. 1

The Story

Ross Valley Nursery School provides a play-based curriculum in a safe, nurturing, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate environment with passionate educators who specialize in early childhood development. It prioritizes the uniqueness of each child, in partnership with their families, so that all children can grow at their own pace, and build a strong foundation for their future education by fostering an early love of learning.

The school opened its doors as St. John's Nursery School at St. John's Episcopal Church in Ross on September 11, 1951. Five years later it moved to a summer cottage on Redwood Drive and changed its name to Ross Valley Nursery School. In 1968 the trustees purchased the current property, and the abandoned house on it was transformed into the exceptional facility it is today. With the assistance of parents, teachers, and friends, the school opened its doors at its current location on September 26, 1968.

Ross Valley Nursery School is a tight-knit community of educators, families, and local businesses with shared values. The parents of children attending the school elect Trustees to work with the Director to oversee and execute all school operations, aided on fundraising and social projects by parent volunteers in order to keep costs as low as possible and to help build meaningful community relationships.

Ch. 2

A School Day

Its whole-child learning curriculum balances quiet and active periods, and child and teacher directed activities, with an emphasis on independent work, cooperation, and acquisition of readiness skills.

9:00

Arrival

Arrival and quiet time open the Pre-K day.

10:00

Snack

Morning snack, then the first outside activities.

10:15

Outside

Outside activities, and outside again from 11:50 until lunch.

12:30

Lunch

Lunch, then inside and outside activities until 2:10.

2:10

Pickup

Story time, then departure at 2:30.

Ch. 3

Programs

Its Junior, Senior, and Pre-K classes are designed to meet the growing needs of each specific age group as well as each child's individual needs.

Juniors

For most children the Junior Program is their initial nursery school experience.

Ages2 years 3 months to 3 years

DaysTuesday and Thursday

Hours8:30 to 12:00

Class size18 to 24 children

Teachers4 or 5, plus the head teacher and the director

Seniors

Group play comes into its own in the Senior Program as the children build friendships and enjoy more involved play.

Ages3 years to 4 years

DaysMonday, Wednesday and Friday, with an optional fourth day on Tuesday or Thursday

Hours8:30 to 12:30; Wednesday to 12:45

Class size25 to 28 children

Teachers4 or 5, plus the head teacher and the director

Pre-Kindergarten

The Pre-Kindergarten Program builds upon the play-based focus of the Junior and Senior programs to prepare children for learning beyond Ross Valley Nursery School.

Ages4 years to 5 years

DaysMonday to Friday

Hours9:00 to 2:30; Wednesday to 1:00

Class size24 to 28 children

Teachers4 or 5, plus the head teacher and the director

Ch. 4

The Campus

Ross Valley Nursery School's thoughtfully designed facility reflects the school's philosophy of emphasizing self-esteem, dramatic play, creative expression, intellectual development, group relationships, and growth of physical abilities. An extensive classroom remodel in summer 2025 added two new classrooms and an art area, and the Secret Garden was redesigned in 2022 to include more planting areas, a tunnel entrance and musical instruments.

The interior features an art room, a blocks room, a library area, a piano, and plenty of spaces for pretend play. Outside there is a partially covered play space so that children can play outside most days of the year. The outdoor space includes a climbing structure, an extensive sand area with a waterfall, sinks for water play, a fleet of tricycles, a see-saw, a tire swing, and both grassy and soft-paved areas.

Ch. 5

Enrichment

Its play-based approach to early childhood education nurtures the whole child. The school thoughtfully supports social and emotional development, imaginative and dramatic play, creative expression, intellectual growth, collaborative relationships, and physical confidence.

ArtBlock buildingBook-makingCarpentryCookingDramatic playField tripsMusicSTEM

Ch. 6

Admissions

Families interested in applying to Ross Valley Nursery School are invited to complete the application and schedule a school tour.

i.

Tours

Tours take place at 9:30am on Wednesdays and Fridays, while school is in session.

ii.

Age to enroll

Children must be at least two years and three months old by September 1 of the year of entry.

iii.

Application

Applications are reviewed and filed in the order they are received, so the school encourages families to apply early. A $200 non-refundable application fee is required.

iv.

Priority

Priority placement is given to siblings of children who are currently attending or who have previously attended for two consecutive years, or who have completed their preschool education at the school.