Toddlers

 

Our toddler group is based in the top floor of our newer building at 1436 Main Street and is a small group of only ten children ages 12 to 36 months old, with a student to teacher ratio of five to one.  Just as with our other programs, the philosophy is based primarily on principles of Democratic Education, Humane Education, and Reggio Emilia.  See below for more details or attend one of our Information Sessions to tour the school and ask questions.

 

Age Groupings Flow of the Day Tuition Rates
Registration Paperwork Calendar & Handbook Tuition Assistance

 

Age Groupings
The toddlers will all be in one age group, but will have opportunities throughout the day to interact with older children from the other age groups.  This mixed-age environment allows children to have opportunities to learn from older children and mentor younger children, creating a family-like atmosphere.

 

The toddlers will have one advisor teacher, who will be the parents' first point of contact for questions and concerns about their child. However, we do have a co-teaching environment which allows all teachers and children to get to know one another. Again this helps us to feel much like a family, where teachers constantly model cooperative communication.

 

Toddlers may attend half-days or full-days for any consistent number of days each week, with a minimum of two half-days, and a maximum of 24 hours per week.  Children must be walking in order to enroll, and will be able to stay in the Toddler age group up to age 3.

 

Flow of the Day

These times are flexible and change as needed, depending on the group’s interests and the flow of the particular day, but this can give you an idea of what a day is like:

 

~8:00 (about 1 hour) Free Play - For those children arriving early, this is a time for free play with others or individually or small group work with a teacher.

 

~8:50-9:20 (about 30 minutes) Children Arrive and We Greet Each Other - We offer a fairly long drop-off window because we understand that it is very difficult to arrive exactly on time with small children.  We also want to have ample opportunity to welcome each child individually and ensure a smooth transition.  We will work with you to find a consistent drop-off routine that works for you and your child.

 

~9:30 (10-30 minutes) Morning Meeting - This is a special time of day where we gather in small groups to have a chance to talk and listen to one another.  We often sing songs, read books, share about our weekends, discuss ideas for the day, or just chat about an interesting topic.  We ask that parents make every effort to arrive prior to meeting, as it can feel awkward for children to try to say goodbye mid-meeting.

 

~10:00 (10-30 minutes) Snack Time - We provide a healthy snack, usually fruits or vegetables and a grain, which we try to rotate.  The teachers and children enjoy coming together to chat with one another as we continue to further our plans for the day.

 

~10:20 (1-2 hours) Unscheduled Time - The greatest gift we can give the children is this large block of unscheduled time, during which anything can happen.  Teachers set out provocations, children and teachers host offerings, children create their own activities using the rich materials in the environment, visitors and community members share their talents and expertise, and spontaneous events occur (from caterpillar sightings to dance parties).  Because we do not have a rigid structure, we are able to thoroughly enjoy this time and delve deeply into whatever we may be doing in that moment.

 

~11:35 (5-10 minutes) Clean Up - We work together as a community clean up from our morning activities.  Children are expected to help, but the focus is on participating in some way so that everyone feels involved rather than overwhelmed.

 

~11:45 (5-30 minutes) Lunch Time - This is one of the children's favorite times of day as they at last get to crack open their beloved lunch boxes to see what treasures have been packed inside.  We all enjoy sitting down together as a community to enjoy a meal.

 

~12:30 (5-45 minutes) Quiet or Outside Time - We all generally go outside after lunch, which is where you will usually find your child for half-day pick-up. This is a great time to do a quick check-in with a teacher about the day, to spend a moment playing with your child in the sandbox, or to catch up with another parent. 

 

~1:00 (1-3 hours) Nap or Still Time - Children that stay all day will either take a nap or have Still Time, depending on their needs.  Most Toddlers will likely need a nap, but we like to work with parents to determine if the child still seems to require a nap or is ready to be awake all day.  Those children that do not nap can choose a quiet activity for a period of Still Time.  This allows us all to take a moment to slow down and relax after a busy morning.

 

~2:30 (10-30 minutes) Snack Time - As children wake up from nap or wrap up their afternoon work they will have the opportunity to reconvene for an afternoon snack.

 

~3:00 (1 hour) Free Play & Cleanup - Most children will leave at this time, but those who remain will be able to play freely and will have opportunities to help teachers clean up for the day.  

 

Tuition Rates

Tuition Rates for next fall (2012-2013)
Registration Fee

For 2012-2013 there is a $190 registration fee for new families (this also covers a required parent orientation class) or a $165 registration fee per child per year for returning families.  Fees will be pro-rated for students entering mid-year.  There is also a one-time $200 Parent Education Fee for each new family, which includes a Communication Skills Workshop.

 

 

Regular Tuition
Tuition is calculated for the entire year and is divided into three equal trimester payments. The tuition rates are as follows:

 

Trimester Price 2012-2013

2 Days

3 Days

4 Days

5 Days

Half Days

9am-12:30pm

$878

$1,317

$1,757

$2,195

Full Days

9am-3pm

$1,504

$2,256

$3,008

  n/a

 

 

Add-On Hours
The payment for Add-On Hours works exactly as the tuition does – it will need to be pre-paid in three equal trimester payments. The Add-On rates are as follows:

 

Trimester Price 2012-2013

1 Day

2 Days

3 Days

4 Days

5 Days

8am-9am

$125

$250

$374

$499

$624

3pm-4pm

$125

$250

$374

  n/a

  n/a

 

Sibling Discounts
Any siblings (after the first child is enrolled) will receive a 5% discount on Tuition and Add-On Hours.

 

Drop-In
The rate for drop-ins (days or times other than your regular schedule) is hourly, at $10/hour, and payment will be required ahead of time or on the day of. Families that are not already registered will need to allow for extra time on the first visit to fill out the required paperwork (health status forms must be filled out prior to first visit).

 

Tuition Rates for the current year (2011-2012)

Registration Fee

For 2011-2012 there is a $190 registration fee for new families (this also covers a required parent orientation class) or a $165 registration fee per child per year for returning families.  For 2010-2011 the registration fees are $175 for new and $150 for returning, which will be pro-rated for students entering mid-year.

 

Regular Tuition
Tuition is calculated for the entire year and is divided into three equal trimester payments. The tuition rates are as follows:

 

Trimester Price 2011-2012

2 Days

3 Days

4 Days

5 Days

Half Days

9am-12:30pm

$844

$1,266

$1,689

$2,111

Full Days

9am-3pm

$1,446

$2,169

 $2,892

 n/a

 

Add-On Hours
After hours may or may not be offered for Toddlers, depending on interest.  The payment for Add-On Hours works exactly as the tuition does – it will need to be pre-paid in three equal trimester payments. The Add-On rates are as follows:

 

Trimester Price 2011-2012

1 Day

2 Days

3 Days

4 Days

5 Days

8am-9am

$120

$240

$360

$480

$600

3pm-4pm

$120

$240

$360

 n/a

 n/a

 

Sibling Discounts
Any siblings (after the first child is enrolled) will receive a 5% discount on Tuition and Add-On Hours.

 

Drop-In
The rate for drop-ins (days or times other than your regular schedule) is hourly, at $9.50/hour, and payment will be required ahead of time or on the day of. Families that are not already registered will need to allow for extra time on the first visit to fill out the required paperwork (health status forms must be filled out prior to first visit).

 

Registration Paperwork

Reservations
After attending an information session, and upon receiving an offer to enroll, you may reserve a space for your child by filling out our Payment Contract for 2011-2012 and providing us with the registration fee and the first trimester's payment.

 

Registration Paperwork
In addition to the payment contract (above), you will need to fill out the following paperwork prior to their start date in order to complete your child's registration:

Here are some additional documents you might also find helpful:

School Calendar & Family Handbook
Our school calendar shows the holidays and teacher workdays for the year.

2011-2012 School Calendar


Our family handbook contains detailed information on the school's policies and practices. We hope this will help answer any questions regarding billing, medications, emergencies, etc.

2011-2012 Family Handbook 

 

Tuition Assistance

We are excited to be able to offer some tuition assistance for the Toddlers for the 2012 calendar year! Tuition Assistance will be awarded until funds are exhausted. You will need to reapply for assistance each year, however if awarded assistance, we will make every effort to award the same amount of tuition assistance each year, assuming your financial situation does not change.

To apply, you must do the following:

  • Attend an Information Session
  • Complete this Tuition Assistance Application, which contains a Family Information Sheet, a Personal Statement, and a Tuition Assistance Agreement, and return it to The Patchwork School.
  • Complete the FACTS application. You’ll need the school’s zip code, which is 80027, and you will need to pay the processing fee by credit card. If the application fee presents a hardship for your family, please speak to a director about a processing fee voucher. You can also apply by completing a paper application, which you can obtain by downloading it from the above website, or from a school director. Please note that if a voucher is used for the processing fee, a paper application will need to be completed. The data from the FACTS application will be returned to The Patchwork School, along with the FACTS “Calculated Need” document, detailing your estimated family contribution.

Every Tuition Assistance applicant must complete and return all documents in order for the Board of Directors to fairly evaluate each application. All final Tuition Assistance awards are confidential. If you have any questions regarding the tuition assistance process, please feel free to contact us.