FAQ

When will Three Chairs open?
We are currently in the renovation process to make this our dream school!  We will welcome our first cohort come September 2027.

How does the application process work?
Please sign up for a coffee meet-up with Sophia and a tour of our school-in-progress. After our meeting, you will recieve an application and we can begin the enrollment process. We will operate on a rolling admissions basis until our schoolhouse fills for our September 2027 startdate.

Do you offer half-day programming?
All children at Three Chairs attend school 5 full days a week in order to build a strong sense of community and routine. Terrabimbi, our optional after care program, is available from 3-5 pm.  

How many children attend Three Chairs?
We keep our schoolhouse intentionally small, with only 16 children and three teachers.

Why mixed age?
Children understand one another better than we understand them. A mixed age classroom allows for an interchange of ideas that can’t happen between adults and small children. A three year old taking interest in what a five year old is practicing is not so far outside their realm of possibilities, and can feel tangible inspiration. They have an intuition of each other’s needs and capabilities, and will offer support for each other when necessary. Children at Three Chairs stay in the same classroom for three years, each year embodying a new role–starting as an “absorber,” the youngest children in the room, all the way through a “mentor,” the oldest children in the room who even give lessons to the younger ones. Each new step allows children to unpack a new aspect of their capabilities! 

What does the kindergarten year at Three Chairs look like?

Personalized lessons based on teacher observations continue through their kindergarten year, with an added emphasis on accountability. Children collaborate on writing their individualized weekly work plans, and ensure they are practicing daily, personally-challenging academic work as they prepare to enter first grade. The kindergarten year is a beautiful balance of continued self-exploration as well as honing necessary executive functioning tools, early literacy, and a secure understanding of math operations, as they prepare for first grade.