FAQs
What are your school hours?
School begins for everyone at 8:15 am. Half-day (toddler/preschool) students begin dismissal at 11:15 am. All-day Lower School students begin dismissal at 3:15 pm. Upper School students are dismissed at 3:30 pm. To allow for more faculty collaboration time, we have one-hour late starts every Thursday. Arrival will be exactly one hour later, from 9:00 to 9:15 am, with classes starting at 9:15 am. Complimentary Before Hour care for children preschool through 5th grade is available from 8:00 to 9:00 am on these days.
What is rolling admissions?
We offer rolling admission to Lower School students (Toddler through Grade 6), which means we accept applications at any time of the year; there are no deadlines to adhere to when applying and your accepted child may start on a mutually agreeable date. Decisions can be sent as quickly as within a few weeks of applying. For Upper School (grades 7-12), we welcome an appointment to discuss our program anytime, but we prefer to start students at the beginning of a school year. Sometimes we do allow for a semester (January) start, but we rarely start any student mid-semester. Processing can take several weeks, so it's best to apply well before the start of the semester.
What is your application deadline?
We have no formal application deadline, however families are encouraged to apply by March 1 for the following school year. This ensures time to prepare for the coming school year and allows for participation in and influence on programs and athletics, chosen each spring. Tuition Assistance is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Do you have age/birthday requirements for your classes?
The Toddler program accepts children age 18 months old to 3 years. The Preschool/Kindergarten program accepts children 3 to 6 years of age. The parents, teachers, and the Head of School will decide appropriate placement together depending on the development of the child and the time of year of the birthday. Students may enter Kindergarten if they are 5 before the end of the previous school year. Students turning 5 the summer before kindergarten are subject to a discussion between teachers, parents, and the Head of School.
Is there transportation to the school?
We do not offer official transportation through the school, but we can help connect you with other school families in your area. We do suggest an amount so that parents offering to drive and parents needing the carpool know what is expected. We suggest $50/month for one-way carpool and $100/month for round-trip.
Are prospective students subject to admissions testing?
We require the last two years of grades and testing during the application process, and teachers may do placement work with prospective students when they visit, but we do not perform or require any specific admissions testing.
Do you require a certain GPA for acceptance?
Each institution’s grades represent different standards and assessments. We do not require a certain GPA, but we will do extensive analysis of all GPA’s to understand the meaning of each grade and have a strong sense of your child’s individual strengths, weaknesses, and abilities. We are not interested in one dimension of your child, but whether our entire environment is a good fit with your whole child.
Do you accept atypical learners/students with learning disabilities?
Yes. We believe that every student learns in a unique way and that every student exceeds our expectations when their activities are meaningful and relevant. This philosophy, combined with our small student-teacher ratio creates an environment where many atypical learners and some students with mild learning disabilities might thrive. We do have a Learning Support Program. We are very careful to work with prospective parents to make sure that we are the right fit for students with greater needs.
Is there a dress code?
Yes, students must look modest and neat. There are more stringent guidelines for Upper Schoolers (7th-12th grade). Details are available in our student-parent handbook.