Enrollment for 2007-2008

Thank you for your interest in Miraloma Cooperative Nursery School. Enrollment for the 2007-2008 school year is currently full.

The application process for enrollment in the 2008-2009 school year begins September 4th, 2007. Although we enroll year round, most students start attending the co-op between June and September. The number of available spaces for new families varies from year to year, depending on the number of graduating children. In addition, continuing and alumni families in good standing with the school receive priority for enrollment. The average number of families at Miraloma is approximately 55.

Applications for enrollment of the following types of children for the 2008-2009 school year are due no later than Friday, February 22nd, 2008, namely:

Siblings of currently enrolled children;
Siblings of children who have previously graduated from Miraloma, and whose families are in good standing with the school.

Listed below, you'll find the answers to many frequently asked questions about the school's enrollment process. If you need further information about Miraloma, or if you'd like to receive a school brochure, please email miraloma.cooperative@gmail.com or call the school and ask for the enrollment coordinator if you do not have email access or for emergencies only.

Eligibility

When is my child eligible to attend Miraloma?

Your child must be at least 2 years 9 months of age and fully toilet-trained before attending Miraloma. (We enroll children up to 6 years of age.) Our program runs year-round and new children may start at any time of year as openings allow, but most start at the co-op between June and September.

Miraloma Preview

What is a Miraloma Preview?

The Miraloma Preview is an important informational session about the school for all prospective families. This session is a great opportunity for parents to see the school, gather more information about our application and enrollment processes, find out what it means to be part of a cooperative, learn about member responsibilities, and determine if Miraloma is the right school for their families.

A parent must attend a Miraloma Preview prior to scheduling a school tour. Please note that these informational sessions are for parents only, as we'd like to accommodate as many families as possible and our meeting space is limited.

When are your Miraloma Previews scheduled?
Parents interested in learning more about Miraloma are invited to attend a Preview. The next previews will take place from 10am to noon on Saturday October 20, 2007 and Saturday January 12, 2008.

How can I register to attend a Miraloma Preview?

Registration for Miraloma Previews will begin September 4th 2007.

To be eligible to register for a preview, your child must be at least 2 years 9 months old by the beginning of September 2008 (i.e., the start of the 2008-2009 school year).

To register, please send an email on or after September 4th 2007 to miraloma.cooperative@gmail.com.

Please include the following information in your email:

parent name(s)
mailing address
phone number
email address
name of child(ren), gender
child(ren)'s date of birth

Please note that the Miraloma Preview sessions are for parents only, as we'd like to accommodate as many families as possible and our meeting space is limited. Registration will be first come, first served; the previews are limited. If there is no space available for you to attend a Miraloma Preview, you will be put on a wait list and contacted if space becomes available for either session.

At the preview sessions, we will be asking interested parents to book their individual school tours with us; please bring your calendars. Children are invited to join their parents on school tours.

School Tours

I am interested in touring Miraloma. Can I schedule a tour at anytime?
Parents must first attend a Miraloma Preview to schedule a tour of the school. Our Enrollment Assistant will be available at both preview sessions to schedule tours for interested families on a first come, first served basis. Tours will be scheduled two to three times per week from December through March. Parents and children will tour with the morning or afternoon Program Director during school hours. If all tour dates become booked, you will be put on a wait list for tours and contacted if there are any cancellations.

Should I tour the morning or the afternoon program?
Prospective families are encouraged to tour both programs. This is a great opportunity to get a sense of the rhythms of each program and to see your child in each setting. Additionally, while space may not be available in one program, there may be space available in the other.

Can I bring my child on the school tour?
Yes. In fact, you must bring your child to the tour. Your child must be at least 2.3 years old to tour or eligible to start 6 months from the time they tour. Each tour lasts approximately 30 minutes and provides time for you to meet with the Program Director and see the school in action with your child.

Applications

Where can I get an application?
Parents will receive an application from the Program Director at the end of their school tour. Parents must submit the completed application with a $25 non-refundable application fee.

How are admission decisions made?
Our goal is to ensure both the morning and afternoon programs are balanced for age, gender, and diversity. At the discretion of the Program Director, the following applicants are given preference during the applications process:

Siblings of currently enrolled children;
Siblings of children who have previously graduated from Miraloma, and whose families are in good standing with the school.

Children of former Miraloma students receive special consideration during the applications process.

If we're a returning alumni family, how do we apply?
Alumni families in good standing receive priority, along with continuing families. Please contact the Program Director at the school for our application. Applications for enrollment of the following types of children for the 2008-2009 school year are due no later than Friday, February 22nd, 2008, namely:

Siblings of currently enrolled children;
Siblings of children who have previously graduated from Miraloma, and whose families are in good standing with the school.

Decision Letters

When will I know if my child has been accepted to the school?
Families will be notified of their enrollment status in April. Acceptance letters will be mailed with an enrollment confirmation form; turndown letters will be mailed with a wait pool information card.

Wait Pool/Wait List

What happens if my family's application is turned down?
It is not unusual for Miraloma to have a greater number of applicants than available openings. Families who are not accepted into Miraloma in the first round will be placed in an unranked waiting pool. If an opening becomes available after April, we pull applications from the wait pool based on program balance (i.e., age, gender, diversity).

My child will be ready for preschool in two years. Can I put my name on a waiting list now?
Miraloma does not maintain a waiting list for enrollment. We encourage families interested in the co-op to contact us in the year prior to the one in which their children are eligible for enrollment (e.g., if you would like to enroll your child for the 2009-2010 school year, contact us to register for a Miraloma Preview in September 2008.

Enrollment