1. How do I get on the wait list?
We are excited that you are considering The Olive Tree as a preschool for your family. In order to better serve our prospective parents, we have created a process so your family can learn more about our school prior to enrollment.
Step 1. Fill out the Open House/ Information Session form here: Open House RSVP
Step 2. Attend an Open House/ Information Session in October or February of each year.
You can meet our staff, ask questions, and take notice of our environment, documentation, and materials available for inspiration.
Step 3. Schedule a classroom observation tour.
During the Open House, we will schedule a classroom observation tour. Observations are scheduled at 9:00 AM at The Olive Tree, for 20 minute duration, so you can observe the classroom in action. Follow-up questions are welcome.
Step 4. Wait list forms are located here:http://olivetlc.com/enrollment/wait-list/
We ask that you fill out the form online, submit your $75 non-refundable wait list fee to The Olive Tree, and we will contact you as soon as we have an opening. Open Enrollment starts on February 1st of every year. Our school is very small with only 49 students and an estimate of 15-18 openings per year. You are more than welcome to submit your wait list form and fees prior to the open house or classroom observation.
2. How do you determine who is enrolled?
Priority placement is given to siblings, first choice school determination, overall needs of the classroom, and the placement of the family on the wait list queue.
3. How long is your wait list?
We receive close to a thousand requests per year for our enrollment into our school of 49 students. Thank you so much for your interest, Austin! Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity for all the requests! Our wait list can fluctuate between three months or three years. Our highest enrollment periods are February 1st, August 15th, and December 1st.
4. What if I am offered a spot and have to turn it down?
Sometimes our enrollment will occur during the semester or at the end of the semester due to unforeseeable events. If a spot opens in our school and a family turns it down, we will put your wait list at the end of the queue, and contact when you another spot opens up. We cannot predict when spots open up but we try our best.
5. Do you offer a scholarship?
All of our costs are directly proportionate to meeting the highest quality education experience for all our community. Keeping that in mind, we do try to offer tuition assistance, if we are a first choice school for parents, and OTLC teachers are given priority tuition assistance. At this time, our scholarship program is full until 2014.
6. What schools do students graduate into?
Our students graduate into several local public and private elementary schools from North to Far South Austin. Michelle Mattalino is available to assist you with Kindergarten transitions, finding the perfect school fit for your family, and continuing assistance as you journey into your child’s primary education world.
7. How do I know a preschool is the right fit for my family?
Finding the right preschool experience is an arduous task for all parents, especially since wait list demands that parents start looking when their child is an infant and school is more an idea than a reality. We totally understand the conundrum. If your child is under two years old, I suggest picking the school that meets your family’s ideals first. What kind of classroom experience do you want your child to have? What kind of support will your family have at that school? What elementary programs does the preschool feed into? Does the time schedule and cost match your family needs? What is the location and drive going to be? Do you agree with the Director’s vision and mission for the school? What are your family’s educational and social-emotional goals for your child?
Not every school is a perfect match for each family but once you find yours, make sure to keep in contact with that school, attend the events, and check in quarterly with the school to confirm your desire to enroll. We wish you good luck on your journey and newest family addition!