Play School 2026-2027 Update: Finalized Schedule

Looking Ahead to Next Year at Purposeful Play School

Over the past few days, I’ve spent a lot of time reading through your interest forms, running numbers, sketching schedules, and thinking deeply about what will best serve both the children in our care, the long-term sustainability of our little school, and my young family as well. I want to start by saying thank you — truly.

The response to our interest form was incredible. I am so honored by the trust so many of you expressed and by the excitement around what we’re building here. It means more to me than I can put into words. 🤍

That said, with such an overwhelmingly positive response, I also want to be honest and transparent: I will not be able to offer spots to everyone who expressed interest for next year. We have been so humbled by the response this year — with over 35 interest forms submitted and only 16 available spots, there will be an extensive waitlist of 20+ families. While we wish we could welcome everyone, maintaining a limited group size and intentional relationships is essential to the heart of Purposeful Play School. We are deeply grateful for the trust and interest from so many families.

As we look ahead to next year, there has been an exciting (and unexpected!) turn of events that I want to share openly and clearly.

An Exciting Shift

As many of you know, before staying home with my own children and eventually opening Purposeful Play School, I taught kindergarten up in Rexburg for many years. This year, several of our students who were planning to move on to kindergarten have chosen to remain in our program and complete their kindergarten year with us instead.

As you can imagine, I am personally thrilled about this. Watching these children continue to grow, learn, and deepen their relationships for another year together is such a gift.

Because of this, our classroom dynamic will naturally shift next year. This year, our group functioned primarily as a preschool / pre-kindergarten classroom. Next year, we will transition into a prodominently pre-kindergarten / kindergarten dynamic instead.

Our teaching philosophy will not change. Purposeful Play School will remain play-based, child-centered, and relationship-driven. What will change is the academic core integrated into the day for our school-age (kindergarten) learners. Their learning will meet kindergarten-level expectations while still being grounded in play, exploration, and meaningful work.

For our pre-kindergarten students, the experience will look very similar to this year with minimal changes — with the biggest difference being that they will continue as the younger members of the group rather than becoming the “big kids.”

Program Structure for the 2026-2027 School Year

Because of these shifts, our enrollment structure will look a bit different than originally anticipated.

For our pre-kindergarten students (4 year olds in September) next year, I strongly encourage three-day enrollment, as this consistency best supports a smooth and confident transition into kindergarten the following year which mainly consists of 5 days/week FULL DAY programs. With the 2026–2027 school year being the final year of Purposeful Play School before our family relocates for my husband’s work, I will not be able to offer the private kindergarten experience in the future, therefore maintaining continuity for children approaching kindergarten is especially important.

School days will be offered on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for all pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students, with three-day enrollment available to all families. With the exception of any three-year-olds joining the program, a part-time, two-day option (Tuesday/Thursday) may be available for preschool-aged learners (3 year olds in September) who are just beginning their school journey.

With several current students returning for another year, this also means that we will have significantly fewer open spots available for next year than we initially expected. While we had anticipated more openings as children moved on to kindergarten, we are so excited to continue growing alongside them for another year of learning together.

We have also decided to maintain our class size at 16 students and 2 adults for next year which allows us to stay true to our philosophy of purposeful, relationship-based learning without overextending the program.

Admissions & Priority Placement

Because interest exceeds available spots, enrollment will be offered in the following priority order:

1. Current families and siblings

2. PRE-KINDERGARTEN students from Ivy Wood Neighborhood families

3. Ivy Wood Neighborhood Families

A Note on the Pre-Kindergarten Priority

As I’ve continued reviewing interest forms and thoughtfully considering the overall dynamic of our group, I’ve made the decision to prioritize enrolling new pre-kindergarten students for the upcoming school year.

With our returning students primarily being pre-kindergarten and kindergarten-aged, and with next year being my final year teaching before our family relocates, it feels most supportive to focus on children who will be transitioning to kindergarten the following year. This allows us to provide continuity, stability, and a smoother transition for those learners.

While I deeply value preschool-aged children and their families, enrolling younger students who would then need to find a new program the following year does not feel like the best fit at this time. This decision was made with care, intention, and the well-being of the children at the center.

Thank you so much for your understanding and trust.

What Happens Next

• I will begin reaching out over the next couple of days to families who are being offered priority spots for next school year.

• Families who are offered a spot will have 72 hours to accept and submit the $75 non-refundable registration fee in order to secure their child’s place. This timeline is important out of respect for the many families waiting and allows the process to move forward smoothly.

• If a family chooses to decline a spot, I will continue working down the interest list until all 16 spots are filled.

• Once enrollment is complete, I will send out a final email with information about the waitlist for families who were unable to join during the first round of admissions.

Scheduling Notes

The final calendar will not be fully finalized until the first week of August, though I feel confident about the majority of the dates as they currently stand. Any updates or adjustments will be communicated clearly once everything is locked in.

In Closing

Thank you again for your thoughtful responses, your patience, and your enthusiasm. This community continues to remind me why this work matters so much. I’m incredibly grateful for your trust and excited about the year ahead.

Please keep an eye on your email over the next few days — I’ll be in touch soon.

With gratitude,
Ms. Kaleigh