Enrollment Admissions Process for New Families for 2025-2026
The Children’s Garden Preschool is pleased to offer enrollment opportunities for the 2025-2026 year to new families. Following the school’s in-house enrollment period for currently enrolled and alumni families, any remaining spaces for the coming year will be made available for new applicants. Please read over the contents of this information thoroughly. It is important to us that every family fully understands the enrollment process and financial commitment required and we encourage you to ask any questions that you may have about this information. Please contact us via email for any needs. Open House Day information about reservations is below.
Enrollment Admissions Process for New Families
All enrollment information in this document has been revised as of January 5, 2025 and is relevant to the coming school year. Please become familiar with the process detailed here and about the school’s Learning Philosophy before starting enrollment inquiries. Here are the steps, in order, for new families ready to begin the process:
1) Visit
Meeting you and your child at our school is a required first step for enrollment.
This is via open house day in March or for later enrollment, an individual family visit – We offer an in-person family visit to our indoor/outdoor Open House Day on Saturday, March 1st, 2024 with two visit times offered to make a family reservation – 9:30am to 11am OR 11:30am to 1pm. The visit is designed to inform and give insights about our Waldorf-inspired “living arts”, nature-based program to new families for next year – this helps ensure The Children’s Garden feels like a good fit for your child and your family. You will meet and engage with our teachers and be introduced to the school’s curriculum, while seeing our play garden, classrooms and a couple of short demos that gives you a little glimpse into part of the week’s activities. Reservations are required for the Open House Day and made by emailing the school. Note: If you are unable to attend the Open House Day, a limited number of visit times are available (March 3rd to 13th) before the Application Deadline on March 14th. If any space remains for the coming year after open enrollment closes on March 28th, 2025, a prospective family can still schedule an in-person visit and apply in late March, April or as late as summer as part of our rolling enrollment period.
2) Apply
Submit your child’s enrollment application form with the one-time application fee. Please take your time and be thorough with your application. What you share gives us more opportunity to get to know your child and your family. Applications may be completed and submitted after your visit to the school. You are welcome to obtain an application packet from us on Open House Day or print from the link below.
3) Parent Interview
A parent interview (by phone) with the director and senior teacher, Sally, is scheduled after the completed application and application fee are submitted. The interview covers some brief questions we have for parents as a follow up to the application. Any remaining questions parents may have can be answered during the parent interview.
4) Decision Letters
Following the parent interview, our teaching staff review and discuss each application. We send decision letters to parents via email, no later than March 21st.
2025-2026 School Year Enrollment Timeline for New Families
- Open House Day Family Visit MARCH 1st
- Application Deadline for New Families MARCH 14th
- Enrollment for 2025-2026 Finalized (with placement offered by) MARCH 21st
- Enrollment Fee and Parent Financial Contract Deadline by MARCH 28th
- Child Enrollment Forms and Parent Forms Deadline by APRIL 30th
2025-2026 Open Enrollment Application (new families)
In-Person Family Visit
A family reservation is required (and is limited in size to – one or both parents and your child). We have a good number of spaces for family reservations on Open House Dy – with two times to attend. We wish to create as much opportunity for new families to visit and spend some time with us. If the family reservation spots fill up, we’ll start a waitlist. Should there be any reservation cancellations for the open house day, we will contact waitlist folks quickly. Please contact us here to make a reservation and confirm we have space for you and your child to join us. NOTE: We kindly request your child’s name and date of birth and preferred time on March 1st (9:30am to 11am or 11:30am to 1pm) when reserving your space, along with and parent names of who will be attending with your child.
Rolling Enrollment (after March 28th)
If the school has space remaining after March 28th, placement for new families will be offered during rolling enrollment, up to January of each school year. Contact us here to inquire about later enrollment opportunities and to set up an initial call with the director. The in-person family visit can be scheduled soon after the initial phone call.
Waitlist Option
Following Open Enrollment if the school is full, a waitlist option is available to new families who have visited the school and submitted their application and application fee. The enrollment fee is not paid at this time, if this option is selected; the waitlist does not guarantee placement. The list is maintained and families are contacted in the order their child’s name is listed, if a space opens up. Should the school be able to offer placement, the family will be expected to pay their non-refundable enrollment fee (deposit) and turn in their completed Parent Financial Contract. The waitlist is limited to just three spots per class, due to the small size of our school. If this waitlist is full, family visits aren’t scheduled; nor are applications accepted.
Cancellation of Enrollment Policy
TCG requires that any cancellation of enrollment be received in writing, to the directors, and 30 days (minimum) before the planned final day of a child’s enrollment. Any failure to notify TCG as required would result in the family’s account being invoiced for an additional month of tuition.
Admission to The Children’s Garden Preschool is open to children regardless of race, creed, color or national origin.