Admissions and Enrollment Process

I. Inquiry and Tour

After making an initial inquiry to the school, interested families may arrange for a tour by calling the school office. Tours are intended for parents only and are typically conducted Thursday mornings, starting at 8:45 am for the Grades program and 9:45 am for the Early Childhood program. A tour consists of an introduction by our Director of Administration or a member of our Enrollment staff, visiting each classroom for several minutes and quietly standing in the back to observe the class, followed by a brief talk by the tour leader.

After the tour, should parents have more questions, we offer an optional conversation with current Ithaca Waldorf School parents. In addition a library of materials on Waldorf education is available for your use.

II. Application

We must receive the following before an interview with the teacher will be arranged.  This includes:

Nursery/Kindergarten:

• Completed application
• Non-refundable application fee of $45

Grades:

• Completed application
• Non-refundable application fee of $45
• Completed Request for School Records
• Optional letter of reference for transfer students

Applications for tuition assistance for Kindergarten students age 5 and up may be requested from the School Office following submission of an application. Financial aid (Tuition Assistance) is made on the basis of need after a child has been accepted.

III. Interview

For our Nursery, Kindergarten, and Grades programs, once all of the above material has been received and reviewed, the class teacher will call the family to arrange an interview. The class teacher will meet both the child and parents. For the Grades program, the class teacher may request that s/he spend one day in the classroom. At this time another teacher may also interview the child.

IV. Enrollment Consideration is based upon:

1.  Our school’s suitability for his/her age, ability or special educational needs.
2.  Whether the acceptance of the applicant is compatible with the efficient education of the children already placed in the school.
3.  Whether we have the resources to meet his/her needs. Children who are not doing well in other schools may flourish in our school but there are learning and disciplinary problems that are beyond our scope. We aim to have a “healthy constellation” of pupils in each class. In some cases children may be accepted on a trial basis.  If a new child needs extra support in certain areas, recommendations will be made by the class teacher.

V. Enrollment

You will receive a letter notifying you of your child’s acceptance. At this time you will also receive a tuition contract. The signed contract must be returned within two weeks of receipt along with a $350 non-refundable enrollment deposit to reserve a place in the class. This is applied to the cost of the tuition for the year. The deposit must be paid before an applicant can be considered for Tuition Assistance. It is only refundable for Tuition Assistance applicants who are unable to attend school because of financial hardship.

Upon receipt of the contract and deposit, we will send you a Welcome Letter and the forms needed to complete the enrollment process, including permission and release forms, emergency card, and pick-up authorization. You will be required to submit a recent health certificate and immunization record or exemption statement.

For further information contact Erin Fitzgerald, Director of School Administration
607-273-5184