There are three core programs offered at TSONS (Parent & Me, Transition, and the Nursery School) all of which require applications to be considered. The application for the Parent & Me and Transition programs is the same. There is a separate application for the Nursery School itself. These two applications can be downloaded from this page.
Tours
We are currently offering in-person tours of our school. Tours will be given in a small group setting on Tuesdays or Wednesday morning s at 9:30am and need to be scheduled in advance by contacting the school office. If you would like to speak to our admissions coordinator, April Schulte, or schedule a tour please contact the school office at (818) 787-6481 or [email protected].
Nursery School Applications
Applications for TSONS are accepted at any time before the enrollment process has been completed for that particular school year. Enrollment for the school year that begins each September starts in February and goes through May. If there are still spaces available in the summer, we will accept applications at that time. Please call the school office to comfirm availability if you are applying in the summer for the same school year.
There is a $100 application fee for the Nursery School application. This does not apply towards any other tuition or fees and does not guarantee admission into the Nursery School. All parents of children interested in attending TSONS must fill out an application for enrollment whether or not they are currently enrolled in a Parent and Me or Transition class. The earlier an application is received, the greater your chances of admission and of getting your preferred schedule.
Nursery School Enrollment
We give priority into the Nursery School to siblings and those children currently enrolled in our Parent & Me or Transition classes. We base those calls on the chronological order of the dates on their Nursery School application. To fill the remaining spots, we make calls primarily in chronological order of the dates on those applications from people not currently in any of our classes. Other factors are also taken into consideration, including the ages of the children and an attempt to balance the classes between boys and girls. This process begins early each calendar year.
It is usually towards the end of January that we send out a “Continued Interest” letter to everyone who has submitted an application for the Nursery School for that school year. We will consider “active” only those continued interest forms that are returned.
In early spring, we will begin to fill the first year nursery school spots with our siblings and current Parent & Me/Transition children.
When those children have been placed, we will begin to make calls to those people who have returned the “Continued Interest” letter. This phase can take us through April and sometimes May.
Some times, when life changes for people, an opening will even become available over the summer or shortly after the start of the school year. Calls will be made to fill any spot that exists at that time.
Nursery School Teacher Ratios and Daily Schedules
We have three teachers in each of our morning classrooms. In the Cottage class (children between the ages of 2.9 to about 3.3), we have up to 15 children per day for a teacher ratio of 1-5. In Room 2 (children between the ages of 3.4-3.8), we have up to 18 children per day for a ratio of 1-6. In our Pre-K classrooms (4 and 5 year olds), we have 21-22 children per day for a teacher ratio of 1-7.
In order to enroll as many children as possible and to keep our teacher ratios low, children offered a spot in the first year program (between the ages of 2.9 and 3.11) can come two or three mornings in the Cottage classroom and two, three or four mornings in Room 2. Children enrolled in a Pre-K class (our 4 and 5 year olds), can come three, four or five days a week. Therefore, there are many more children enrolled than our daily totals indicate.
Parent and Me/Transition Applications
Many children begin their school experience at TSONS in the Parent and Me Program. Parent and Me classes can begin with the 12-17 month age group and continues until children are eligible to be enrolled in the Nursery School the September that they are between 2 years 9 months and 3 years 11months. These classes are held one day a week for about an hour and fifteen minutes.
Transition classes are for those children who are between the ages of 2 years and 3 months through 2 years 8 months each September. These classes are held two days a week from 10:30am-12:00noon to begin the school year. For the second half of the school year, we move to a two hour day, then going from 10:30am to 12:30pm.
Parents may apply for Parent and Me or Transition classes at any time by submitting an application. There is an application fee of $45. This does not apply towards tuition, but helps cover the cost of administering the applicant pool. Children who are in the applicant pool will be contacted when a class is formed that is appropriate to their age, or at any time there is an opening for their age group. Submitting an application does not guarantee admission into the program.
Parent and Me/Transition Enrollment
Enrollment into the Parent & Me and Transition Program is based basically on the chronological order of dates of applications with priority given to siblings and any children already enrolled in a younger class. We also take into consideration the age of the child and attempt to balance the number of boys and girls. Calls are made to fill these classes after enrollment for the regular Nursery School program has been completed, usually in the spring.
If you are enrolled in a Parent & Me or Transition class, you know that you will have a spot in the Nursery School, however schedules (number of days and days of attendance) are determined based on the dates of the Nursery School application.