Frequently Asked Questions

ADMISSIONS FAQs

FARM FAQs




ADMISSIONS FAQs


Do you hold Open Houses?
We hold an evening Open House for prospective parents in the fall. Please remember that prospective parents are required to attend the Open House or one of our morning tours.
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Is the ERB required for admission?
We only require the ERB test for students applying to second grade and above. If families have arranged for their young children to take the ERB, however, we ask that they have a copy sent to us.
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Is financial aid available?
Manhattan Country School's tuition policy, known formally as the Family Commitment Plan, is derived from the principle that a family's financial commitment to the school should be in equitable proportion to its financial resources. It seeks to eliminate the categories of "scholarship" and "full tuition" students and families. Some families pay the maximum compulsory fee; others pay below that on a sliding scale basis. Tuitions provide 70% of the operating budget, compared to the 85% typical of most independent schools.

Because of our unique tuition system, the economic profile of our parent body is broadly diverse. The school believes that all families should consider themselves part of a community of families jointly engaged in the education of their children. During the admissions process, and annually thereafter, families submit a confidential financial worksheet to the school. Student fees are then set according to a sliding scale of 5-12% of gross income with a maximum compulsory fee, graduated by age level.
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What is the birthday cut-off for admission?
Applicants must be 4 years old by October 31 of the school year for which admission is sought.
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I have a 5-year-old. For which class should I apply?
Decisions regarding class placement are based on student and parent interviews and school reports. After the application process is complete, a placement decision can be made. There are 5-year-olds in both our 4-5s class and 5-6s class. Most openings for admission occur in the 4-5s year.
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What is the process for applying to the Upper School?
If you are applying to the Upper School (5th-7th grade years), your child will have an individual interview with the Upper School Director. The interview is contingent upon the receipt of current school reports and the ERB (ISEE) test scores.
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What is the student body make-up?
We are committed to enrolling a student body that has no racial or ethnic majority. Economic diversity is ensured through a sliding-scale tuition system. We welcome a diversity of families from across New York City and the surrounding counties.
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What is the teacher/student ratio and where do teachers generally receive their training?
Within the school, the ratio of teachers to students is one to nine. In the four youngest classes, the ratio is less -- often one to six. At the farm, the ratio is one to four. The composition of the school's teaching staff is approximately 30% male and 40% persons of color. Most head teachers have Masters degrees or are in the process of completing their graduate coursework. The school partners with teacher training programs, notably with Bank Street College of Education, Teachers College, New York University, and City College. Consequently, there are many student teachers working in our classrooms.
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How involved are parents in the school?
Parents are active participants, and every parent is an automatic member of the Parents’ Association. The social studies curriculum throughout the school often incorporates parents as an integral part of the curriculum. For example, the 4-5s make home visits; the 7-8s have an extensive family study for an entire semester; the 9-10s study America as a land of diversity and invite parents and other relatives to share their oral histories; the 6th grade interviews parents for their study of the Civil Rights Movement. In addition, teachers welcome opportunities to arrange for parents to visit the school and share stories and talents or accompany groups on class trips.

Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled three times during the school year. Parents and teachers may meet more often, as they see the need.

There are many opportunities for parents to come together to discuss common issues relating to education and the development of their children. Parents' Association meetings are well-attended and there are several committees which meet regularly. Meetings are scheduled with the needs of working parents in mind, and child care is usually provided. Parents are also involved in fundraising. They work together to organize events throughout the school year. Some classes are responsible for organizing one particular event, such as the annual Farm Festival, Farm Outing Day, or the book fair.
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Is there an after-school program?
Yes, we offer a weekday (Monday through Thursday) after-school program beginning with 4-year-olds; hours are 3:00 to 5:30pm, with pick-up until 6:00pm. Popular activities include cooking, improvisation and theater games, yoga, dance, basketball, and playgroup. An additional fee is required. Older students may also participate in sports teams and several clubs.
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How do students get to and from school?
Students come from all over the city and nearby areas. The majority of students either take public transportation or, in the case of lower school students, ride school buses provided by the NYC Department of Education, free of charge to families.
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FARM FAQs


How big is the farm?
The farm is about 160 acres -- about 50 acres of woodland and 110 of pastures and meadows. The farmhouse accommodates 23 children and a number of adults.
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What animals live at the farm?
Cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens are all raised on the farm. There are also farm cats. Many wild animals, such as rabbits, deer, bobcats, coyotes, and foxes, live in the woodlands.
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What is grown/produced there?
Lettuce, onions, potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, and beans are all grown here. We also produce hay and maple syrup, and cut firewood.
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What happens to the food grown on the farm?
Most of the food goes toward feeding students and teachers staying at the farm. At harvest time, food is preserved by freezing, canning, and other methods, to be used throughout the school year. Thanks to the greenhouse, fresh salads are now available throughout the year. Milk is processed at what authorities call "the smallest milk-pasteurization plant in New York State." Beef, pork, and eggs raised on the farm are served each week.
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How do I purchase farm products?
Farm products, including eggs and maple syrup, are seasonably available at the school (at 7 East 96th Street in Manhattan). Many food products are also available at the school’s Farm Festival in October.
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How often do students visit the farm?
Near the end of the school year, the 7-8s class comes to the farm for their first trip. The 8-9s and 9-10s visit the farm twice (in the spring and fall), and by the second trip of the year, the 9-10s stay for a full 5-day week. Starting in the fifth grade, classes come for three one-week trips a year, including a winter trip. All students are invited to visit with their families on the annual Farm Outing Day, held the Saturday after school ends for the year.
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What are the main areas of the farm curriculum?
The farm curriculum consists of farming, nature, textiles, and cooking. Students also learn about the culture and challenges of the Catskill region. For some classes, specific aspects of the farm curriculum may be tied to the city-based curriculum. For example, the 8-9s (who study Native Americans) may experiment with traditional Native American planting techniques, while the 7-8s (whose first research report is on mammals) investigate mammals that live in the mountains near the farm. Observing the stars in the country provides a different understanding of space for science students, while the fields at the farm may provide a good place to test rockets a class has built.
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What are the farm graduation requirements?
Seventh and eighth graders demonstrate their mastery of farm skills by doing barn chores on their own, cooking a meal and baking bread for their classmates, producing an original textile from the farm's wool, and participating in a "town meeting" about an environmental issue that affects nature and culture in the Catskills.
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What are farm chores that students do?
Although specific tasks vary with the seasons and, to some extent, with the age of the children, students engage in the full range of activities that it takes to operate a small farm (with the exception of operating the tractor). Students milk cows, feed the animals, and clean stalls. They plant, weed, water, and harvest the crops. They cook meals. They help maintain trails through the woodland. They tap maple trees and boil syrup. They card, spin, dye, and weave wool.
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Is there free time at the farm?
Farm trips include many opportunities for fun. Playing hide-and-seek, telling stories, quiet reading, hiking, and more are all essential elements of the farm experience.
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Who is the farm staff?
The staff consists of the farm director, 5 other teachers, and an intern. The students' classroom teacher also stays at the farm. The farm teachers are regular members of the Manhattan Country School faculty.
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How does the farm interact with the surrounding community?
Staff members all live locally, and most are very involved in cultural and other activities. The farm director has been actively involved in the implementation of the Catskill Watershed Corporation's Education Program, the assistant director is a member of the Roxbury School Board, and the program director helped organize a local food cooperative and plays on a historic baseball team. Students from the Roxbury and Margaretville Central Schools have visited the farm. Fourth grade students from RCS and 9-10s students from Manhattan Country School participate in an urban/rural exchange which culminates in each class visiting the other's school. The Catskill Folk Music Project introduces our students to one aspect of the region's culture.
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What is Farm Camp?
Farm camp is a 3-week summer program which is open to students in the fourth through the eighth grade. Parents whose children are old enough automatically receive information about Farm Camp. Please contact the school in February if you are interested in this program.
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May educators visit the farm for observation purposes?
Opportunities do exist; please contact Ginny Scheer, Farm Director, at or (607) 326-7049 for more information.
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May other schools visit the farm?
There are a limited number of weeks during which other schools may visit the farm. Most of these are filled with schools that have been coming for many years. However, if you are interested in arranging a visit, please contact the farm director.
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Will the farm staff visit other outdoor education programs and farms that would like to develop educational programs?
Members of the farm staff are available to visit other outdoor education programs and farms which would like to develop educational programs. Please contact the farm to discuss this possibility.
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Can alumni visit the farm?
Yes! The best plan is to contact Ginny Scheer, Farm Director, at or (607) 326-7049. There is an annual farm reunion, which provides a chance to stay overnight with other alumni and your family. Watch your mail for an announcement.
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How do I become a farm intern?
Contact Ginny Scheer, Farm Director, at or 607-326-7049.
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May parents visit the farm?
All students’ families are invited to visit the farm on Farm Outing Day, held the Saturday after the last day of school in June. If you wish to visit briefly at another time, please contact the farm.
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Can the farm be rented?
Manhattan Country School families may rent the farm for weekends or school vacations. Please contact Ginny Scheer, Farm Director, at or 607-326-7049 for more information about prices and availability.
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What is the mailing address of the farm?
Mail takes at least two full days to reach the farm and is welcome. The address is: [CHILD'S NAME] c/o Manhattan Country School Farm New Kingston Road Roxbury, N.Y. 12474
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How do I get to the farm?

1. Take the New York State Thruway (Interstate 87) north to exit 19 (Kingston).

2. After paying toll, there is a traffic circle. Take the first right (almost immediate) and get on Route 28 West. The sign says "Pine Hill".

3. Take Route 28 about 45 miles to Arkville, where you will encounter the first 35 mile per hour speed limit on this route.

4. In Arkville, take the second right turn after the railroad station. On the far corner of this turn there is an Army surplus store in a brown barn. Here you will see your first sign for the Plattekill Ski Center. You will be following these the rest of the way to the farm.

5. This road from Arkville is only a mile long. At the end, turn right onto Route 30.

6. Take Route 30 north for about six miles. Turn left onto Cold Spring Road. There is a sign for Ski Plattekill helping to locate this turn.

7. Continue to follow the signs for Plattekill. The first left turn, Carroll Hinkley Road, is not marked for Plattekill. After Carroll Hinkley Road, there will be two left turns. The first is a hairpin turn back to the left, just before a bunch of empty house trailers. The second is a four-corners in our valley.

8. About one-tenth of a mile past the second left, there is road to the left marked by a little white sign that says “Manhattan Country School Farm.” Turn here. (The signs for Plattekill Ski Center continue straight.) This is New Kingston Road.

9. The Manhattan Country School Farm driveway is the first left off this road. You will see a big red barn next to a big white farmhouse. Please park in areas designated by Farm staff.


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