FAQs

Where are you located?

We are located in beautiful Woodstock, Maryland, which is a few minutes away from Turf Valley, Waverly, West Friendship and the Ellicott City area in Howard County. From the Baltimore County direction, we are a few minutes away from Randallstown and Liberty Road.

Is your school open year round?
St. Alphonsus Preschool is open September – May for our regular school year.  We have limited summer camp availability for 3.5 – 6 year olds in June.

What are your classroom student to teacher ratios?

Our ratios vary by age group and are as follows:

Twos program:  10 students to 2 teachers

Threes program: 13 students to 2 teachers (10 students to 1 teacher at rest time)

Pre-K Fours – 15 students to 2 teachers (12 students to 1 teacher at rest time)

When does registration begin for next year?
January 1 is the beginning of our registration cycle for those new to the school.

What are your regular school hours?

Half day students attend from 8:50- 12:30 PM.  Full day students attend from 8:50- 3 PM.

Do you have Before and After Care Available?

Before Care runs from 8 AM – 8:50 AM when students are transitioned to their classroom teachers.  It is available on a limited, first come, first served basis and a student must enroll separately from the regular program.

After Care runs from 3:05 PM – 4:30 PM and is also available on a limited, first come, first served basis.  Students must be enrolled separately from the regular program.

Do you serve snack and lunch?

All half day and full day students have both a healthy snack and lunch at school.  Snacks such as: apple slices, bananas, carrots and dip, and pretzels are served daily along with milk and are included in your tuition fees.  Families pack their students lunches and bring in daily.  Students enrolled in our after care program also receive a snack as part of the daily fee.

Are you a nut free school?

Yes, we ask that all families adhere to packing tree nut and peanut free foods for lunches.  The snacks we serve are also all peanut and tree nut free.

Do you have to be Catholic to attend St. Al’s?

No, children do not need to be Catholic to attend our preschool.  We have children of all faiths who come to our school.

What does it mean to be a Catholic preschool?

We are an education ministry of St. Alphonsus Rodriguez Parish. We share Bible stories and songs, say Grace before each meal and celebrate holidays such as Christmas and Easter. The Pre-K class has weekly religion lessons, using the Seeds preschool curriculum which aligns lessons with Bible readings. You do not need to be Catholic to attend St. Al’s and we welcome children and families of all faith traditions.

Does my child have to be potty trained to enter your preschool?

Recognizing that all children reach developmental milestones at different times, we have a different expectations for each age group.  In our two year old/rising threes program, children do not need to be potty trained.  We have trained staff and diapering facilities here.  In our three year old program, we will work with families who do not have a child who is fully potty trained yet.  The expectation is that children entering Pre-K will be fully potty trained.

I would like to arrange a tour- whom do I contact?

Ms. Laura , our Enrollment Manager, will be happy to arrange a tour of our school. Please call (410) 461-2168 or email [email protected] to confirm a time to see our classrooms in action.