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admissions
APPLICATION PROCESS We encourage you to learn more about Park Day School before applying. To receive an information packet about the school: • use the online request form (we will mail an information packet to you) • you can call us at (510) 653-0317 X120 The information meeting and school tour Each fall, applying parents are encouraged to come to our campus to learn more about us in a first-hand way. Parents can attend an Open House and/or register to attend an information meeting and tour of the school. At the meeting, we present our history, our educational philosophy and answer questions. The tour takes you through classrooms and is led by the school's Director and Assistant Director, and the Lower School and Middle School Program Coordinators. If you are interested in the current 2012-2013 school year, please contact the school to inquire about the process. There are still openings scattered throughout the grades. We are happy to arrange a meeting and tour for you if there are openings in the grade your student would be joining. To schedule an appointment on our campus, please call the Admissions Office at 510.653-0317 X120 to speak with Jane Angeles. If you complete an on-line request form, in addition to having the information packet sent to you, you will be contacted by the Admissions Office. Attend an Open House and/or a House Party Park Day has the following series of Open Houses and House Parties. Parents do not need to register in advance to attend an Open House, yet do need to RSVP for attendance at a House Party. These are open to the public. OPEN HOUSES: Sunday January 13 2:00 - 4:00 Middle School - Parents and students welcome HOUSE PARTIES:Parents are hosting a series of gatherings, some planned according to grade cluster to provide another opportunity to meet other parents with children around the age of your child. The Families with Children of Color parent group at Park Day is hosting gatherings to focus on questions more specific to this particular affinity group, and there is a house party bringing together LGBTQ parents. You do not need to have an application on file with the school in order to attend a house party. Please RSVP to Flo Hodes, Assistant Head of School and Director of Admissions: flo.hodes@parkdayschool.org and location information will be sent to you. Families with Children of Color: Saturday November 10 Friday December 7 Friday February 8 LGBTQ Families Friday December 14 Entering K or First Grade Wednesday December 5 Friday February 1 Entering 2nd - 5th Grade Thursday December 6 Entering 6th - 8th Grade Tuesday December 11 Social gathering for all parents Thursday January 10 Receive an Application Packet At the time of the information meeting and tour, parents pick up an application packet to continue with the process. Application packets are also available at the Open Houses. The packet will include the following: • an application for admission • an assessment form to be completed by the child's current teacher • a release form for the school records from the child's current school, where applicable • information about tuition assistance The deadline for the application and all accompanying documents is dependent upon the date of the parent visit to the school. This information will be included in the application packet that is received by the parent. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian of the applicant to ensure that all necessary application papers are on file with the admissions office by the specific deadline date. The school will stay in contact with each family during the admissions season as it begins to process paperwork. The kindergarten teacher recommendation form will be included in the application packet and is to be filled out by the child's current pre-school teacher. Children who have been in a home day care situation can have the form completed by an adult who has worked with her or him. The teacher recommendation form is also available on line through the website of the East Bay Independent Schools Association (www.ebisaca.org). There is a separate recommendation form for students applying to grades 1 - 8 that is included in the application packet. This is to be completed by the student's current teacher. As with the kindergarten recommendation form, this form is available on line at www.ebisaca.org. The recommendation forms are confidential. Once completed by the applicant's current teacher(s), they are to be sent directly to Park Day School by mail or by fax (510.653-0637). Tuition Assistance Program & Application Process Each year, Park Day School funds are allocated for the purpose of awarding tuition assistance. Park Day School is committed to being a socio-economically diverse community and to achieve that, the school maintains a strong tuition assistance program. The school uses the services of SSS (School and Student Services of the National Association of Independent Schools) for evaluation of a family's financial need. Specific guidelines for applying for tuition assistance are included in the application packet. All documentation and forms that complete the tuition assistance application must be submitted directly to SSS no later than February 1, 2013. Applications and documents must be complete and on time in order to receive consideration by Park Day School. Schedule the Student's Visit to the School Once a completed application packet is received by the Admissions Office, parents will be contacted to arrange an appointment for the student's visit to the school. Children entering kindergarten, first grade, or second grade are scheduled to spend 90 minutes in small group sessions one day during the week. Students entering grades 3 - 5 are scheduled to spend a full day integrated into a classroom program. Park Day School does not administer a standardized test as part of the application process; rather, there is an assessment of applicants in the areas of reading, math, and writing fluency. Children are expected to participate in on-going classroom activities and discussions, and are welcomed into the social group of the class for that day. The younger children have the opportunity for games and various activities that allow the teachers to observe, and there is one-on-one time with each applicant. Students applying for 6th grade will come to the school campus for their assessment sessions the morning of Saturday February 9, 2013. These applicants are also encouraged to arrange for a week-day classroom and site visit. Applicants for 7th and 8th grade will be scheduled to spend a full school day at Park Day for assessment. They will join other students at their current grade level. Notification of Admissions Decisions (Friday March 8, 2013) As a member of the East Bay Independent Schools Association (EBISA), Park Day School agrees to notify parents about admissions decisions on the same date as all other member schools. Notification to all families who have applied to the school is made by US mail. Families who have applied for tuition assistance receive information about the assistance award at the same time. Park Day School makes every effort to contact the families to whom we are offering spaces for the upcoming school year. The school wants to be sure that all questions that remain can be asked - and answered - as families arrive at a decision. All EBISA schools honor a quiet week beginning on the Notification Date (see above). During this week, families who will have received an offer to enroll their student in Park Day will not receive any phone calls or solicitations from the admissions office or anyone representing Park Day School other than one phone call to be sure the admissions packet has been received by the family. Our admissions office is always able to receive and return phone calls and emails, and we are eager to answer questions or concerns as families grapple with making important decisions for their children. Acceptance and Completion of Enrollment Contract (Friday March 15, 2013) To accept a placement in Park Day School, a parent must sign and submit the enrollment contract no later than 9:00 AM on the morning of Friday March 15, 2013, one week following admissions notification (see above). Along with the contract, a non-refundable deposit of 10% of the annual tuition obligation must be submitted by cash or check. Students are admitted on the basis of academic and social skills, developmental readiness, and teacher recommendations. |
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