The first step away from home
Preschool I at Mills is a small, deliberately calm room for two- and three-year-olds. The work looks like pouring, scooping, carrying, buttoning and tidying — and it is building the concentration everything else will be built on. Potty training is not required to start.
What is different about this room
- Potty training is not a condition of entryPlenty of schools make toilet independence a prerequisite. We do not. Children arrive at two ready for different things, and using that as a gate mostly measures the parents.
- Practical life comes firstPouring water, carrying a tray without spilling, doing up a coat. This is not busywork before the real curriculum — it is how a two-year-old builds a sustained attention span, and it transfers directly to reading and mathematics later.
- A gentle, structured separationThe first days are planned rather than endured. A predictable arrival routine, the same adults, the same shelf in the same place, and a room quiet enough that a new child can hear themselves think.
- Movement and language all morningToddlers learn with their hands and their whole bodies. Nothing about the room asks a two-year-old to sit still for a lesson they did not choose.
What this program costs
Published openly, because you should not have to fill in a form to find out whether a school is affordable.
Preschool I · ages 2–3
| Schedule | Morning 9:00–12:00 | Full day 9:00–2:30 | Extended full day 7:30–6:00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 days / week | $1,200 | $1,400 | $1,750 |
| 4 days / week | $1,150 | $1,325 | $1,600 |
| 3 days / week | $1,100 | $1,300 | $1,500 |
Monthly amounts, based on a 180-day school year. Pay in full for a 5% discount or in ten installments. A $200 enrollment fee applies to new students. See every fee →
What parents ask about toddler
- Does my child need to be potty trained to start?No. Potty training is not required for the toddler program. Children join at two with very different levels of independence, and we work with families on toileting the same way we work on everything else — at the child’s pace, consistently, without making it the center of their day.
- My child has never been away from me. Is two too young?Only you can answer that for your family. What we can tell you is that the toddler room is designed for exactly this transition: a predictable routine, familiar adults, and a settling-in period rather than a first full day thrown in at the deep end. Come and watch a morning drop-off before you decide.
- How long is the day?Morning (9:00 am to 12:00 pm), full day (9:00 am to 2:30 pm) or extended full day (7:30 am to 6:00 pm), three, four or five days a week. Many toddler families start with mornings and lengthen the day later.
- What does the toddler program cost?Preschool I runs from $1,100 to $1,750 a month depending on the number of days and the length of the day. Every rate is published on the tuition page — no inquiry form required.
Come and watch a morning
A Montessori room at 10 am tells you more in twenty minutes than any website can. Tours run during the school day, year-round.
Call or request a tour
Call the school office at 650-616-9000, or request a time online and we will find a morning that suits you.
Apply when you are ready
Complete the enrollment application with the $200 new-student fee. Enrollment is open year-round, subject to availability.
Agree a start date
We settle on a schedule that fits your week and your child begins the settling-in the classroom is designed for.
When our son was there for his first week, they would call and let me know if he was not transitioning well. They offered different methods to help him feel comfortable and safe. The staff was extremely patient and understanding with his needs. I would leave with him crying and come back to him crying for a week. It was tough, but they assured me this was normal and walked me through reassuring him.
A parentFolsom, CAFrom the reviews the school publishes on its own siteCome see a morning at Mills
Tours run during the school day, year-round, by appointment.