Here you'll find answers to the questions families ask most, covering our program, our community, and how to join. If you don't see what you're looking for, our Admissions Team is always happy to help.
Pine Street School is an independent, multilingual school in Lower Manhattan serving students from Nursery 1s through Grade 8. The program combines Montessori principles in the early years, the International Baccalaureate framework from Preschool through Middle School, and sustained language learning throughout the school journey.
The program begins with Montessori principles in Nursery and Preschool. The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme begins in Preschool 3 and continues through Grade 5, followed by the Middle Years Programme framework in Grades 6 through 8. Multilingual learning continues throughout the school journey.
The International Baccalaureate is an internationally recognized approach to education built around inquiry, conceptual understanding, and connections across disciplines. Students build knowledge and skills within individual subjects while learning to apply them to broader questions and meaningful contexts.
Montessori principles are strongest in Nursery and Preschool. Beginning in Preschool 3, Montessori-inspired materials and opportunities for independent work continue alongside the IB Primary Years Programme.
Language learning is woven throughout the school day rather than limited to an occasional class. Nursery students hear English, Spanish, and Mandarin; Preschool through Grade 5 students follow a Spanish-English or Mandarin-English pathway; and Middle School students continue Spanish or Mandarin, with advanced German also available.
Pine Street School's Nursery program serves Ones and Twos in a Montessori-based, trilingual environment with English, Spanish, and Mandarin. Children build trust, communication, movement, independence, and confidence through relationships, routines, play, and purposeful activity.
Preschool combines the IB Primary Years Programme, Montessori-inspired learning, and daily bilingual immersion in either Spanish and English or Mandarin and English.
Elementary School includes Kindergarten through Grade 5.
Pine Street School Middle School serves Grades 6 through 8 at 156 William Street in Lower Manhattan.
Focused preparation begins in Grade 7, while the underlying skills, including research, writing, public speaking, reflection, organization, and time management, develop throughout Middle School.
Begin by confirming the appropriate grade and visiting Pine Street School. Applications and required admissions steps are managed through Ravenna, and the Admissions Team is available to guide families through the process.
Families determine the appropriate grade, visit Pine Street School, submit an application through Ravenna, complete the age-appropriate student visit, upload required documents, and, for applicants age 2 through Grade 8, complete a parent or guardian meeting.
Tours and Open Houses are scheduled through Ravenna. The Tours & Events page links directly to the currently available admissions events.
Grade placement is based on a child's age as of September 1 of the entry year.
For Priority Admissions, the preliminary Ravenna application is due November 1, 2026, and the checklist must be complete by November 20, 2026. For Regular Admissions, the preliminary application is due December 4, 2026, and the checklist must be complete by January 8, 2027.
Tuition varies by program and grade. The Tuition page lists the current annual rate for Half-Day Nursery, full-day Nursery, Preschool, Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and Grades 1 through 8.
Yes. Need-based financial aid is available to qualifying families across Pine Street School's programs, from Nursery through Grade 8, subject to available funds.
Pine Street School welcomes students beginning at approximately 12 months in Nursery 1 through Grade 8. Families should use the current Age Cutoffs page to confirm the date-of-birth range for a specific entry year.
It is both, at different stages of the program. Montessori provides the early childhood foundation, and the International Baccalaureate begins in Preschool 3 and continues through Elementary and Middle School.
Pine Street School is authorized to offer the Primary Years Programme from Preschool 3 through Grade 5. The Middle School is an MYP Candidate School following the Middle Years Programme framework in Grades 6 through 8 while pursuing authorization.
Montessori principles shape the early childhood years. Beginning in Preschool 3, the IB Primary Years Programme is introduced and continues through Grade 5, building on the independence, concentration, and responsibility children developed through Montessori.
Students begin with English, Spanish, and Mandarin in Nursery. From Preschool 3 through Grade 5, families choose Spanish-English or Mandarin-English. Middle School students continue Spanish or Mandarin, and students with prior German experience may pursue advanced German.
Nursery Ones welcomes children beginning at 12 months and focuses on security, trust, movement, and early communication. Nursery Twos supports growing independence, sustained exploration, and a wider range of social and practical experiences.
Preschool 3 introduces the IB Primary Years Programme alongside Montessori-inspired learning and a chosen bilingual pathway. Junior Kindergarten builds on those foundations with greater independence, collaboration, early literacy and mathematical thinking, and more confident expression of ideas.
Kindergarten through Grade 5 follows the IB Primary Years Programme, with strong foundations in literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, languages, visual art, music, drama, and Physical Education.
Middle School follows the IB Middle Years Programme framework. Pine Street School is an MYP Candidate School pursuing authorization.
Yes. Beginning in Grade 7, students receive dedicated preparation based on the admissions tests relevant to the high schools they are considering, including the ISEE, SSAT, and SHSAT.
Ravenna is Pine Street School's secure admissions platform. Families use it to register for admissions events, submit an application, complete the personalized checklist, schedule required visits or meetings, upload supporting materials, and receive admissions decisions.
Yes. A non-refundable $100 application fee is due when the Ravenna application is submitted.
A school tour offers a smaller opportunity to see classrooms in action and meet school leaders. An Open House is a broader family event that may include teachers, current parents, student ambassadors, and classroom exploration.
Use the date-of-birth chart on the Age Cutoffs page to match your child's birthday with the appropriate Nursery, Preschool, Elementary, or Middle School entry point for the current admissions year.
Priority Admissions is the earlier application and decision round, while Regular Admissions follows later in the cycle. Both rounds are completed through Ravenna and have separate application, checklist, notification, and enrollment dates.
Tuition includes books and classroom materials, educational technology used in the academic program, school-day field trips and transportation, lunch and snacks, Grades 4 through 8 co-curricular programs and teams, and Middle School high school placement and test-preparation services.
Financial aid is need-based and is awarded toward tuition. It is not a merit scholarship.
Pine Street School has two campuses in Lower Manhattan. Nursery 1 through Grade 3 is located at 25 Pine Street, and Grades 4 through 8 are located nearby at 156 William Street.
Montessori helps young children develop independence, concentration, purposeful choice, and responsibility for their own learning. Those foundations support the transition into the IB, where students ask increasingly complex questions, make connections across subjects, and apply what they know.
The Primary Years Programme guides learning from Preschool 3 through Grade 5. Students build knowledge and skills in literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, languages, the arts, and other disciplines while exploring larger ideas through transdisciplinary Units of Inquiry.
A prepared environment is a calm, orderly classroom designed so children can make choices, explore independently, repeat meaningful work, and build concentration. Materials, routines, and spaces are intentionally selected to support development.
No. Students may join the Spanish or Mandarin pathway at any grade level with or without previous experience. Instruction is differentiated for beginners, continuing learners, heritage speakers, and fluent speakers.
No. English, Spanish, and Mandarin are introduced consistently and naturally, with each teacher speaking one language throughout the day. Children begin by listening, recognizing sounds and patterns, and forming associations through routines, songs, stories, play, and conversation.
The IB Primary Years Programme begins in Preschool 3 at Pine Street School.
Students build literacy through reading, writing, discussion, vocabulary, and work across genres and subjects. Mathematics develops fluency, reasoning, and flexibility through direct instruction, investigation, and real-world problem-solving.
Students study Language and Literature, Language Acquisition, Individuals and Societies, Sciences, Mathematics, Design, Visual and Performing Arts, and Physical and Health Education.
Students build strong writing skills throughout the curriculum. Grade 7 includes focused persuasive writing, and Grade 8 includes application essay work that helps students organize ideas, support them with evidence, and write in a clear individual voice.
Families applying for the following school year should begin in the fall and follow the current Priority or Regular Admissions timeline. Applications submitted after the published deadlines may be considered if space remains available.
Children ages 2 through 4 participate in a play-based classroom visit. Kindergarten through Grade 3 applicants spend a half day in class with a grade-level assessment. Grades 4 through 8 applicants spend a full day that includes classes, a student interview, and academic and language assessments.
Children are welcome at the Open Houses listed on the Tours & Events page. Regular school tours are for adults only.
The Admissions Team is happy to discuss placement with families during the admissions process when a child's birthday falls close to a cutoff.
Priority Admissions decisions are released December 2, 2026. Regular Admissions decisions are released February 1, 2027 for Kindergarten, February 8 for Grades 1 through 8, and February 22 for Nursery 1 through Junior Kindergarten.
Yes. Lunch and snacks provided through Pine Street School's dining program are included in tuition.
Financial aid is based on demonstrated financial need. Pine Street School considers the information families provide through Clarity, including household income, expenses, assets, liabilities, household size, and other relevant circumstances, then makes the final award decision using its own policies and available resources.
Pine Street School is the only multilingual school in New York City offering a progression from Montessori early childhood to the International Baccalaureate. The program also combines intentionally small classes, sustained language immersion, and learning that extends into New York City and beyond.
The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme begins in Preschool 3 and continues through Grade 5. Students then move into the Middle Years Programme framework for Grades 6 through 8.
In Grades 6 through 8, students follow the Middle Years Programme framework. They study individual subjects in greater depth while continuing inquiry, interdisciplinary learning, research, reflection, global contexts, and increasingly independent work.
Practical Life includes purposeful everyday activities such as pouring, wiping, spooning, sweeping, washing, buttoning, and caring for the classroom. These experiences build coordination, concentration, independence, responsibility, and confidence.
No. Families do not need to speak the target language at home for a child to participate in Pine Street School's language program.
Nursery serves the Ones and Twos age groups, beginning at approximately 12 months. Families should use the current Age Cutoffs page to confirm the exact date-of-birth range for their entry year.
Each classroom follows either a Spanish-English or Mandarin-English pathway. One teacher uses English and another uses the target language consistently, with both languages woven into routines, play, inquiry, mathematics, stories, the arts, and conversation.
Students receive 90 minutes of daily instruction in their target language and use it for communication, inquiry, self-expression, and academic learning.
The day begins with MYP Core and continues with academic subjects, electives, Design, language acquisition, Physical Education, lunch, recess, and, on designated days, team sports or a stewardship block. The published schedule ends with dismissal at 3:40 p.m.
Debates, discussions, presentations, and other public-speaking experiences build confidence over time. Each Grade 8 student also participates in two mock interviews during the fall application season.
Yes. Visiting is a key step and the best way to see classrooms, meet members of the community, and understand how the program may fit your child. Tours and Open Houses are scheduled through Ravenna.
Requirements vary by age and grade and appear in the applicant's Ravenna checklist. Depending on grade, families may need to submit school records, teacher recommendations, transcripts, a recent graded writing sample, and recent standardized testing results.
Yes. Visiting is an early and important step in the admissions process, and families can register for tours and Open Houses through Ravenna before applying.
Yes. Applications received after the published deadlines may be considered on a rolling basis as space permits.
School-day field trips, local learning experiences, and related transportation are included in tuition.
No. Clarity is the platform Pine Street School uses to collect and help assess financial information. Pine Street School makes the final financial aid decision.
Pine Street School is an authorized IB World School for the Primary Years Programme and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The Middle School is an MYP Candidate School following the Middle Years Programme framework, and Pine Street School is also recognized as an Apple Distinguished School.
Students investigate meaningful questions, gather information, test ideas, consider different perspectives, make connections across subjects, and communicate what they have learned. Teachers provide direct instruction when students need specific knowledge or skills, then create opportunities to apply that learning.
No. Teachers provide direct instruction where it is needed, then give students opportunities to investigate, discuss, design, create, present, and reflect so they can apply and extend what they have learned.
For young children, work and play are closely connected. Children learn through movement, repetition, exploration, relationships, joy, and purposeful activity, while teachers observe and introduce experiences that support development.
Mandarin is used in consistent, meaningful contexts throughout the school day. Students develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing through conversation, routines, inquiry, academic learning, stories, projects, and age-appropriate language study.
Both ideas overlap at this age. Young children learn through movement, repetition, exploration, relationships, play, and purposeful Montessori activity, while teachers observe closely and introduce materials and experiences that support development.
The IB gives children a framework for asking questions, investigating ideas, and making connections across subjects. Montessori-inspired materials and work periods give them time to choose, repeat, explore, concentrate, and become more independent.
A typical day includes inquiry-driven learning, literacy, mathematics, science and social studies connections, daily target-language instruction, and specialist classes such as art, music, drama, and Physical Education.
MYP Core is a daily morning block centered on mentorship, connection, organization, social-emotional support, and community. It may include advisory and life skills, flex time, service learning, health education, grade-level meetings, mixed-age workshops, or school gatherings.
Families receive guidance on school selection, application planning, admissions timelines, and communication with high schools through Pine Street School's Middle School team and its partnership with Smart City Kids. Support includes workshops, family sessions, coffee chats, and open office hours.
Grade placement is based on a child's age as of September 1 of the entry year. Families should use the current Age Cutoffs page and can discuss close-to-cutoff birthdays with the Admissions Team.
These steps become available in Ravenna after the application is submitted.
A visit gives families the opportunity to see classrooms, meet school leaders or educators, and experience the Pine Street School community firsthand. It also helps families understand how inquiry, language learning, and close teacher-student relationships appear in daily school life.
Families have one week from the date of their offer to submit the signed financial agreement and non-refundable deposit. Priority Admissions families must also meet the published December 14 confirmation date.
Yes. Co-curricular programs and teams for Grades 4 through 8 are included in tuition.
Applying for financial aid does not change how Pine Street School assesses whether the program is the right educational fit for a child. Financial aid and admissions are reviewed through separate processes.
Pine Street School reports a 4:1 school-wide student-to-faculty ratio. This is a school-wide figure rather than a stated classroom ratio.
Pine Street School offers an academically rigorous program grounded in the internationally recognized International Baccalaureate framework. Students build strong subject knowledge in literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, languages, and the arts through direct instruction and increasingly challenging work. They are also expected to connect and apply that knowledge across disciplines.
For example, in the PYP Marketplace Unit of Inquiry, students calculate costs, set prices, manage budgets, make change, and track earnings in mathematics; write advertisements, product descriptions, and persuasive sales pitches in literacy; examine how markets work in social studies; and create products, logos, packaging, and displays through art and design.
In Middle School, this transdisciplinary foundation develops into more advanced interdisciplinary research and problem-solving through the MYP. Students analyze evidence, communicate their reasoning, and take increasing responsibility for complex, independent work.
This preparation is reflected in Pine Street School’s inaugural Grade 8 class, in which every student was admitted to their first-choice high school. Families can learn more about our high school preparation and placement outcomes.
Transdisciplinary learning means students build knowledge and skills within individual subjects, then connect and apply them through a shared Unit of Inquiry.
For example, in Pine Street School’s Marketplace Unit of Inquiry, students apply mathematics to calculate costs, set prices, manage budgets, make change, and track earnings; literacy to write advertisements, product descriptions, signs, and persuasive sales pitches; social studies to examine how markets function; and art and design to create products, logos, packaging, and displays.
The unit culminates in a student-run marketplace, where students explain their products and manage real transactions.
Grace and Courtesy are part of daily classroom life. Children practice kindness, empathy, respect for others, responsibility, and care for their shared environment through routines and everyday interactions.
Kindergarten through Grade 5 students receive 90 minutes of daily target-language instruction, approximately one-third of the school day. They use Spanish or Mandarin for communication, inquiry, self-expression, and academic learning.
The day follows a gentle, predictable rhythm that includes warm arrivals, morning meeting, individual and small-group experiences, uninterrupted work and exploration, Practical Life, music and movement, meals, rest, play, and peaceful transitions.
The day balances active learning, social interaction, and quiet reflection. Children move through arrival routines, morning meeting, a Montessori-inspired work cycle, inquiry, art or music, Physical Education, outdoor exploration, family-style lunch, rest, and closing activities.
MAP Growth begins in Kindergarten, Avant STAMP begins in Grade 3 to measure target-language proficiency, and the ERB Comprehensive Testing Program is added in Grades 4 and 5. Teachers review these results alongside classroom work and other evidence of learning.
Yes. Each student is matched with a Teacher Advisor who monitors academic progress, provides social-emotional check-ins, supports goal-setting and reflection, and communicates with families.
Yes. Pine Street School begins welcoming admissions representatives in the spring of Grade 6 and continues through Grade 7. In Grade 8, students hear directly from high schools, ask questions, compare programs, and build informed school lists.
The process is designed to help Pine Street School and each family understand whether the program is a strong mutual fit. The school gets to know applicants through the completed application, age-appropriate classroom or play visits, assessments where applicable, supporting materials, and a parent or guardian conversation.
Yes. For applicants age 2 through Grade 8, the final step is a parent or guardian meeting scheduled through Ravenna. The conversation helps the school learn more about the child and family and gives families an opportunity to ask remaining questions.
Yes. Middle School tuition includes high school placement support and test-preparation services.
First submit the Pine Street School application through Ravenna and indicate that your family plans to apply for financial aid. Then create or access a Clarity account, select Pine Street School, complete the financial aid application, and provide any requested supporting documentation by the applicable deadline.
Families describe Pine Street School as warm, inclusive, and globally minded. The community represents approximately 50 nationalities, teachers know students well, and every parent and caregiver is automatically part of the Parent Teacher Association.
Pine Street School uses multiple measures to understand what students know, how they think, and how well they can apply their learning. Teachers consider observations, conversations, written work, projects, presentations, performance tasks, rubrics, reading records, and student reflection.
Beginning in Kindergarten, students take MAP Growth, an adaptive, untimed assessment that measures progress in core academic areas and allows teachers to view growth in relation to national norms. Avant STAMP begins in Grade 3 to measure target-language proficiency, and the ERB Comprehensive Testing Program begins in Grade 4 to assess academic achievement and reasoning.
In Middle School, students are also assessed against clear, subject-specific MYP criteria and receive an Attitude and Application grade. Teachers review these results alongside daily classroom evidence so no single test defines a student’s progress.
The IB Learner Profile describes qualities students develop throughout their education, including being inquirers, thinkers, communicators, knowledgeable, principled, open-minded, caring, balanced, reflective, and willing to take thoughtful risks.
