“I can't say enough good things. This is preschool as it should be. Every kid should be so lucky."
- Stephanie Smith, mother of Owen

Fiddleheads is currently enrolling in our early childhood program for the 2024-25 school year!

To enroll in our after school program for 9-12 year olds go here. To enroll in our summer program for 3-6 year olds go here.

If you would like to be on the enrollment mail list for the 2025-26 school year, please contact Jessica.

Clothing and Gear

​We will spend 2-4 hours outside every day. We require that children arrive every day ready to play outside for the duration. Children will need to be prepared with appropriate clothing in order to be comfortable and healthy. Dressing your child appropriately for outdoor school every day is possibly the most important thing that you can do to ensure their happiness and success in this or any outdoor program. Here is a suggested list of items (If obtaining any of these items is a barrier please connect with Jessica and we will find a solution):

Rubber boots

Insulated rubber boots

Insulated and waterproof winter boots

Wool socks or fleece boot liners (extra pairs)

Long underwear (wool or synthetic fiber, cotton doesn’t count)

Rain pants or rain suit

Raincoat or rain suit

Water resistant or waterproof winter coat

Water resistant or waterproof rainpants

Wool or fleece hat (plus extra)

Neckwarmer or balaclava

Waterproof or wool gloves and mittens (extra pairs)

Layered clothing (long sleeve shirt, sweatshirt or sweater, light jacket, rainproof outer shell)

Safety

There is a lot of free explore and playtime at Fiddleheads, but we make sure that it is all done as safely as possible. Safety, physical and emotional, is the Number One priority at Fiddleheads. We accomplish this through constant awareness and supervision.

In the woods we have set boundaries. We make sure all the students are aware of the boundaries and monitor to make sure that free play is safe and fun for every student.

When we go on walks in the woods, students are instructed to stay between the teachers. One teacher leads the hike, one is the caboose.

Walking outside of the school grounds or the rec park, our safety measures are heightened if we walk along the streets. We use a belted rope to stay together in traffic areas.

When offsite the in forest, staff will have supply wagons stocked with snacks, water, first aid kits, and emergency clothing. All teachers are first aid and cpr certified.

To Enroll

Please contact Jessica to attend an open house or to request a meeting or enrollment forms.

Children must be three years old by the beginning of the school year and fully potty trained to attend.

School hours are 9am -1pm Monday through Thursday. We offer aftercare until 4:00 pm for a limited number of students.

You may enroll on a Monday through Thursday schedule, or a Monday/Tuesday or a Wednesday/Thursday schedule.

Please inquire about the possibility of aftercare if you are interested.

There will no more than 11 children total enrolled with 2 or 3 staff members. This is twice the teacher child ratio required by the state of VT. (They say 10:1, we about 5:1)

We will always do our best to accommodate allergies. There are dogs, cats, bees, chickens and rabbits that live on site.

We will provide a healthy, vegetarian snack, and we require that children bring their own lunch.

We will follow the BRSU school year schedule for vacations and snow days with a few exceptions.

Annual Tuition
(all prices include materials, no additional fees)

Fiddleheads does accept income based subsidies. Vermont families making up to $160K annually may qualify. We recommend applying. Contact Sunrise Family Resource Center in Bennington to inquire.

4 day a week tuition will be $9800, which works out to a monthly payment of $980/month from August through May.

Tuition for a 2 day a week program is $5800 which includes the deposit and is a monthly payment of $580 from September through May.

Aftercare is $9.50 an hour and is available to a small number of students per day from 1:00 until 4:00. Aftercare families must commit to a regular schedule and regular monthly payments for the school year.

A $500 deposit is required upon enrollment to hold your child's place for the year. Deposits are partially refundable until May 1st 2024.