Admissions

Early Childhood Programs

Why Early Childhood at Trevor?

Private Nursery, Pre-K, and Kindergarten Programs in Manhattan

Trevor Day School’s private Nursery, Pre-K, and Kindergarten programs encourage children to create, collaborate, and engage with new ideas. When Trevor students ask “Why?” we engage their natural curiosity and empower them to seek creative solutions through hands-on and inquiry-driven learning.

Nursery, Pre-K, and Kindergarten are foundational first steps within an independent school setting and a N–12 Trevor education. Two expert teachers in every classroom provide a nurturing setting in which students encounter foundational academic experiences. Additional enriching experiences in art, music, physical education, library, and Spanish are a part of every week, as is outdoor play and trips to Central Park—right in our backyard.

Early Childhood Environment

Trevor's early childhood classrooms utilize dynamic, play-based curricula that spark wonder in children. Students explore language arts through poems, songs, and alphabet books; they study math basics through exercises involving number recognition, counting, and identifying patterns; and they explore science and technology through hands-on activities that engage their senses and natural curiosities.

Half-day and full-day Nursery options are available for children ages 2.8. Then, starting at age 4, full-day Pre-K is offered. An extended day program offers a range of classes, such as karate and dance, until 6:30 pm. Visit our nursery and pre-kindergarten curriculum pages for more information on the skills and habits of mind that early learners develop at Trevor.

Advancing to Kindergarten

While play remains a vital and frequent part of every Trevor Kindergartener’s day, the Kindergarten curriculum responds to the many ways that children learn and grow. For instance, students have an increasing sense of cause and effect, and multi-step directions are integrated into the day more frequently. More and more, students use language to problem solve and are beginning to use a variety of strategies in both reading and writing—integral to the daily curriculum. Students also begin to take on more responsibility while negotiating roles in social settings; so worktime stations are a great opportunity to practice those skills. At every turn, increasing confidence, curiosity, independence, and love of learning are developing in our Kindergarteners!

Visit our Kindergarten curriculum page to learn more.

Independent Lower School Setting

Trevor’s private early childhood programs are integrated into the ongoing N–12 school. Trevor West is our Lower School campus, located at West 88th Street and Central Park West, in Manhattan. The newly-renovated building for students in Nursery through 5th grade features state-of-the-art classrooms, an outdoor terrace, a library and book nook, a cafeteria, an auditorium, a full-sized gymnasium, and Trevor’s signature Common Room.

Admissions

Applicants to the Nursery program must turn 2.8 by August 31st of the year they hope to enter Trevor; applicants to Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten must turn 4 or 5, respectively, by August 31st of the year they hope to enter.

The half-day Nursery program runs from 8:15–11:30 am. All full-day programs run from 8:15 am–2:55 pm. Extended-day options are available for all programs until 6:00 pm.

Please contact the Lower School Admissions team at 212.426.3355 or [email protected] for more information. Ready to apply to our Lower School? Visit our applications procedures page or read our steps to apply!
Ambitious academics.  Engaged students.  Balanced lives.

List of 2 items.

  • Nursery - 5

    1 W 88th St. 212.426.3300

  • 6 - 12

    312 E 95th St. 212.426.3360