December 1st Birthday Eligibility
In order to better meet the needs of families, PS1 Pluralistic School has an extended entry point for incoming kindergarten students of December 1st, meaning that children born by December 1st are eligible to apply for PS1’s kindergarten equivalent program.
PS1 remains uniquely qualified to expand its program eligibility in this way because of its commitment to multi-age grouping, with a two-year age range in all of our classes. Each child has their own unique way of moving through our four Clusters (Youngers, Bridge, Middles, and Olders) in their elementary school years.
Brain research over the past 40 years has categorically proven that a child’s development cannot be pinpointed or determined by birth date. Some children on the younger side can be perfectly suited to a K –1 program while older children may do better to wait a year before beginning at PS1. That is why we have such a thorough admissions process.
We know that some pre-schools have expanded their programs upward in recent years to include a DK or TK transitional kindergarten program before a child begins elementary school. Similarly, some elementary schools have adjusted their offerings to include a program where children can have a year in their school before they begin kindergarten. Our intentional route is different from both approaches. Students matriculate through PS1’s program in their own specific way so that each child gets to be an older student in their class at various points and one of the younger students at others. Their peer group changes every year to help them gain comfort and confidence in all situations.
Our “Portrait of a PS1 Graduate” is the result of a one-and-a-half year research project we performed to determine the salient characteristics of a PS1 graduate: Aware, Respectful, Expressive, Inquisitive, Collaborative, Problem-Solving, Connected, Proactive, and Prepared. That these same words have been used to describe PS1 graduates over almost five decades is heartwarming for us because it speaks to the consistency of our program in meeting the evolving needs of today’s students.
To inquire, contact our Admissions Office for more information!