Quick Links

Attend an Open House or one of the weekly tours

Return for further classroom observation

Schedule an individual assessment of the child

Thank you for your interest in Mulberry School

Below you will find an overview of our enrollment process. If at any point you have questions, please contact Kriss Hayward, Director of Admissions at 408.358.9080 or .

Mulberry School strives to maintain a diverse student body and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, gender, sexual orientation or national origin. Mulberry School is a non-profit and nonsectarian school.

Mulberry has developed a process for admission that allows parents adequate time to research Mulberry's philosophy, programs, and participation requirements, and that also allows the staff to get to know the prospective family. It is our hope that each child is placed in a program that will meet the child's social, emotional, academic, and physical needs.

1. Attend an Open House or one of the weekly tours (view calendar here)

In order to insure parents understand the Mulberry philosophy and all parent requirements, a tour is required of all families, including current preschool families interested in enrolling in Junior Kindergarten or Kindergarten.

2. Return for further classroom observation (optional but encouraged)

While the tours give a great overview, parent questions or uncertainties can often be addressed by spending a longer time observing in the classroom to get a real feel for the Mulberry magic. Parents may observe in several grades in one visit or return over several days.

3. Submit an application package

Admissions are year-round based on space availability. To be considered for enrollment in the current school year, submit an application to begin the assessment process or to be placed on the waitlist if a class is full.
For fall enrollment
- Current Families: By submitting an application in February of each year, current families receive priority enrollment for the following year.
- New Families: Applications for the following year can be submitted after October 1st. They will be processed in order of date received beginning March 1st.
Application Fees
An application fee must be submitted with each application to Mulberry School regardless of status (i.e., waiting list or opening in requested class) each school year. All application fees are non-refundable. Application fees are as follows: Toddler - $25 2, 3 or 4 day classes - $50 JK-5th grade - $100

The package includes the application, teacher information forms, parent questionnaire, and release forms. The information provided in these forms should allow for adequate initial screening of the applicant. Parents are encouraged to submit a copy of any assessments, tests, reports, or recommendations to aid in planning for the child's needs at Mulberry.

4. Schedule an individual assessment of the child.

Preschool:
- Admission is based on first-come, first-served. Children who are age exceptions are placed after all age eligible children have been placed and will be considered only after August 1st .
- Placement letters mailed in early April for the following fall start.
Junior Kindergarten or Kindergarten Play-Based Assessment:
- There is a $200 assessment fee for this process.
- Play-based assessments will occur the morning of Saturday, March 8, 2008
- Assessments will be added later in the spring as needed.
- Parent Conferences will be held on Tuesday, March 25, and Wednesday,
  March 26. Placement recommendations will be made at the conference
- For applications received after the play-based assessment has occurred, the same process will be followed as for 1st-5th below.
1st-5th grade (or JK/K in lieu of play-based assessment):
- There is a $200 assessment fee for this process.
- We will call to schedule two (or more) consecutive days for your child to visit.
- During the classroom visit, your child will be observed within the classroom by teachers and staff.
- The Reading Support Specialist will meet with your child one-on-one to give a short grade-level assessment.
- The Gesell Developmental Observation (link) may also be administered if further information is needed. Parents will be informed of this in advance
- Placement recommendations will be made by phone call shortly after the visit. An assessment report will be mailed within 10 days after the visit.

5. Attend a Parent Interview

A meeting may be required to ensure an appropriate match between family and Mulberry philosophy.

Additional Information

Placement Decisions

Placement considerations are as follows:
1. Child's developmental level
2. Previous teacher's recommendation
3. Overall classroom dynamics
4. Child's learning style
5. Class gender and age balance (when possible)
6. Friendships

It is our goal to place each child in the optimum environment for his or her learning.

New Student Preliminary Enrollment Period

A preliminary period of 2 months will be required prior to final acceptance for all new students.

Age-Exceptions

If a child is not within the appropriate age group for a class, but the parents feel that the child would be developmentally appropriate for the program, the parent can write a letter stating the reasons for the requested age exception to the Head of School. ( In the case of the Preschool Program, these letters will be considered after the later of August 1st or the date all age appropriate children have been placed.)

This acceptance will be a preliminary one, for the first two months, with the teacher closely observing and discussing the placement with the parents. If the teacher feels the placement is detrimental to either the child or the classroom community the age exception can be rescinded.
The procedures for placing an age-exception child must be followed for each subsequent year in which the child is an age exception.

Withdrawal

If a family needs to withdraw their child from Mulberry School before the school year ends, the family must submit 30-day advance written notice to the Director of Admissions. The child's prepaid tuition deposit will be applied to his or her last month of attendance. If a 30-day written notice is not provided, the entire prepaid tuition deposit will be forfeited. Tuition paid
before receipt of the 30-day written notice is not transferable, refundable or pro-ratable.

Tuition Deposit

Upon enrollment, all new families pay the last month's tuition within 15 days of acceptance in the requested class. For fall enrollment, preschool families pay the deposit by May 1st and elementary families pay the deposit by June 1st to hold their spot.

The tuition deposit will pay for the last month's tuition of the year or the last month if given 30 day notice during the year. Tuition payments are only for the child enrolled and are not transferable. If a family chooses to withdraw a child from the school after June 30th and before the beginning of school, the tuition deposit will not be refundable or transferable and cannot be pro-rated.