
Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a list of common questions. Should you have any questions, please contact our office at admissions@speyerschool.org.
-
Children who thrive at Speyer are generally inquisitive, observant, engaged, and thoughtful. They often love to read or write, build or sing, think and question. The range of personalities and interests is wide, but they tend to share a common desire to learn deeply and examine carefully, often enjoying sophisticated discussions with older children or adults.
As intellectually like-minded as they may be, Speyer students remain funny and energetic children who love to run, jump, skip and dance, daydream, draw and enjoy pretend play.
If you are considering applying for a higher grade, your child’s fit will be closely linked to his/her academic record and accomplishments, alongside a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively, with motivation and purpose. Our assessments are calibrated to the existing math and literacy levels of same-aged Speyer students and will provide us with additional data on academic fit.
-
Speyer’s main admissions entry points are Kindergarten and Sixth Grade. We do accept applications for all grades up to and including grade 7; however, enrollment availability varies based on each grade’s specific enrollment.
-
We have approximately 345 students.
-
Our faculty/student ratio is currently 5:1.
-
The Lower School day runs from 8:30 AM until 3:15 PM and the Middle School day runs from 8:45 AM until 3:15 PM. Afterschool programming begins at 3:30 PM.
-
Speyer offers an early notification option to the siblings of currently enrolled students, as well as to children of school staff and faculty. Families who are eligible for early notification should contact the admissions office in the summer or early in September of the application year and must follow all early notification dates.
If a family has more than one child, and each of those children is applying for entry to different grades, the family may receive notification for all applicants on the earliest notification date of the grades to which the children have applied. Reply dates will remain unchanged.
As a community-minded school, we appreciate the support and commitment that sibling families have to deepening their ties to Speyer. However, all siblings and other early notification candidates are evaluated individually, using the same criteria as regular applicant children, to determine their fit within our educational environment.
-
Transportation services are provided by the NYC DOE's Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT). It is a free service to New York City residents and transportation eligibility is based on a student’s grade level, walking distance between home and school, and existing accommodations based on a medical condition, housing status, or safety assessment. Eligible students may opt to receive bus service or a student OMNY card.
For bus service, Speyer's registrar works with the OPT and our families to coordinate bus routes and pick-up/drop-off times. It should be noted that Speyer's control over scheduling is limited and the school does not set the pick-up/drop-off times or design the bus routes. Routes and schedules may change from year-to-year; you can find a sample of our current bus stops/routes here.
Student OMNY cards are distributed by Speyer to eligible students at the beginning of each semester, and as needed during the school year. OMNY cards offer four free trips per day; 24/7 use (no time restrictions); year-round usage (even during the summer!); and tap technology.
-
Yes, Lower School courses are offered Monday through Friday in two sessions: the first session begins at 3:30 PM and ends at 4:30 PM, and the second session begins at 4:45 PM and ends at 5:45 PM. We also offer what we call General Afterschool, which meets during both sessions and is a great option for students who want to get ahead on their work, read independently, or enjoy choice time. For Middle School, there is an engaging selection of clubs, teams, and activities available to students Monday through Thursday, 3:30 PM–4:45 PM. In addition, Middle School Athletic practices and games take place during afterschool hours and are on a fall, winter, and spring schedule. A supervised Study Hall is also available every day for our Middle School students. You can read more about our INspeyerED Afterschool programming here and about Speyer Athletics here.
Join us to learn more about Speyer!
In-Person Events
Fall Tours
9:00 AM-10:30 AM
Thursday, September 25
Wednesday, October 1
Wednesday, October 8
Thursday, October 16
Thursday, October 23
Dragon Adventure
Saturday, October 25
9:00 AM-12:00 PM
A Meet and Learn: Speyer Spotlight Night
Thursday, October 30
6:00 PM-8:00 PM
Belonging at Speyer
Thursday, November 13
6:00 PM-8:00 PM
Virtual Events
Speyer Fireside Chats
6:00 PM-7:30 PM
Why K-8?
Monday, September 29
Speyer Alumni Panel
Thursday, November 6
Is My Child Gifted?
Thursday, December 4