Enrollment Forms/Policy

ENROLLMENT

AVAILABLE PROGRAMS

Happy Flower Montessori Academy offers a variety of academic programs, namely, a Half-day Program, a Full-day Program, and an extended-day Program, during which Montessori activities are performed. The Half-day Programs and the two- or three-day programs are specifically designed for parents of toddlers who believe the child will not benefit from a longer stay in the school. The Montessori programs are scheduled as follows:

SPECIAL PROGRAMS AND FEES

academic program is complemented with an Extended-day Program to facilitate the schedule requirements of working parents. These programs are scheduled as follows:

INSUFFICIENT FUNDS

There is a $35.00 charge for any check returned to HFMA without payment. After two returned checks, payment must be made via money order or a cashier’s check only, and no personal checks will be accepted for the rest of the academic year.

As per the program days the child is registered, students in the Extended Day Program can attend school during winter and Spring breaks, and during parents-teacher conference and in-service days, free of charge. Students not enrolled in the Extended Day Program can attend the school during these days by request to the main school office with at least one month in advance and upon paying an additional fee (daily fee, according to your child’s program). Keep in mind the number of vacancies during winter and spring breaks, and during parent-teacher conferences and in-service days is limited, and allocated on a first-come / first-served basis.

LATE PAYMENTS/REFUNDED

The annual operation of the school counts on the tuition of all the students registered at HFMA. Therefore we must have 15 days advanced written notice in order for you to withdraw your child from our program. Parents/Guardians are financially responsible for paying the tuition and fees incurred until the completion of these FIFTEEN days. Furthermore, the school will withhold the student’s transcript until any and all balance is paid in full.

WAIT-LISTING

Parents of children new to HFMA can place their child’s name on the school waiting list at any time by filling out a registration form and paying a nonrefundable, partial registration fee of $50. When a vacancy in the desired program becomes available, the parents will be invited to register the child, at which time the remaining registration fee is paid.

ENROLLMENT

The following forms, found in the Registration Packet, must be on file at the school before a child is allowed to attend classes, all BLANKS MUST BE COMPLETED:

1. Information Card.
2. Tuition Agreement Form.
3. Student Health and Personal History Form.
4. Parent Directory/Picture/Transportation/Water Activities Authorization Form.
5. Release Authorization Form.
6. Emergency Medical Authorization Form.
7. Immunization and Health Statement Forms (T.B. testing or immunization is not required). We do require all state-mandated immunizations.
8. Parent Handbook Acknowledgement Form.
9. Enrollment Form.
10. Vision and Hearing Screening for children turning 4 years old by September 1^st .

ACADEMIC YEAR TUITION

Enrolment at HFMA is considered a contractual obligation for the entire academic year, i.e., ten calendar months from August through May. Three tuition plans covering the academic year are made available by HFMA to interested parents:

• Tuition A: the yearly tuition is paid in a single payment made by August 1st of the academic year for which your child is enrolling. *
• Tuition B: the yearly tuition is paid semi-annually in two equal installments; the first installment is due by August 1st, and the second is due by January 1st of the academic year for which your child is enrolling. *
• Tuition C: the yearly tuition is paid monthly, in ten equal installments; every installment is due by the 1st of the month, beginning August 1st and finishing May 1st of the academic year for which your child is registering. *
• Tuition D: the tuition fee is structured to accommodate the convenience of our parents, allowing for weekly payments in four equal installments. Each installment is required to be settled by Monday morning before 9 a.m. This payment system ensures flexibility for parents, regardless of their child’s weekly or monthly attendance. The monthly tuition remains constant, offering predictability and ease of financial planning. *

Option for Tuition A, Tuition B or Tuition C must be made upon enrollment and it cannot be changed during the academic year. Specific values of academic tuition and other fees are found in the tuition and fees schedule provided by the school. *Tuition A and B discount will only be given if student attends school the total duration of tuition stipulation, either the entire year or semester. Please note that semester tuition is not prorated.

A per- day late charge of $15 is assessed after 12:00 pm(noon) on the 5th of the month in which tuition is due. After five (5) days of accruing late charge, the child will be considered withdrawn from the school, and his/her position will be vacated and made available to another child.

The school, for tax purposes, provides an end-of-year summary payment statement; the statement must be requested to the school by filling out a form available in the main office by March 31st. Requests made after March 31st may not be honored prior to the personal federal income Tax Day, April 15th.

SUPPLY FEES

Supply fees are due twice a year, respectively, for the academic fall and spring semesters. The first (fall) supply fee is due by August 1st, and the second (spring) supply fee is due by January 1st of the academic year in which your child is currently enrolled or at the time of enrollment. All supply fees are nonrefundable. Those enrolling during the academic year will have the supply fee pro-rated on a monthly basis (over ten months). Specific values of supply fees are found in the tuition and fees schedule provided by the school. Summer supply fees will be added to invoices and billed during each summer session.

PROGRAM CHANGES

If you need to change your children’s program at any time, we require that you complete a Program Change Requests Form, available at the front office. It is our desire to accommodate all change requests within 30 days, depending upon classroom availability. Tuition will still be due on the first of the month at the original rate. Late fees will still apply for past-due payments. Any price adjustments due to program changes will be billed or credited to your account accordingly.

Occasional changes, such as adding a day outside your normal schedule or adding after-school care for a day, maybe accommodated as classroom availability and staffing allow. Such changes will be billed at a premium rate as detailed in the Tuition and Fees Schedule, please refer to this schedule for further information.

ABSENCES

During the academic school year, we don’t permit unpaid vacation. Any absence from school must still be paid at your children’s normal tuition rate . There will be no exceptions to this policy during the school year. During the summer, you can enroll your child in one, both, or neither summer sessions. You will not be charged tuition while your child is out. We will permit one consecutive week of vacation, tuition-free, during an enrolled summer month, with a 30-day written notice.

If you choose to take vacation during the academic year, you will be required to either continue to pay your child’s full tuition rate or withdraw your child with a 15-day written notice and re-enroll upon your return. Re-enrollment will require payment of the registration fee listed on the tuition and fees schedule and is contingent upon classroom availability. We cannot guarantee a space in the school or in your child’s previous classroom, but we will make reasonable efforts to accommodate.

SUMMER SESSIONS

HFMA offers two independent and special Summer Sessions, respectively, a Summer I Session in June and a Summer II Session in July. Specific start and finish dates are indicated in the school calendar. Special registration forms and detailed information are made available to all HFMA children during the month of March.

Children currently attending HFMA will be given priority in registering for the summer session(s) of their choice by submitting a registration form by April 25th. Vacant positions for the summer sessions, if any, will be made available to children new to HFMA after April 25th by submitting a registration form and a nonrefundable deposit (to be applied to your invoice for summer tuition).

Each summer session carries a one-month tuition payment following Tuition C, as determined in the school tuition and fees schedule. Tuition is due by June 1s,t for the summer I Session, and by July 1st for the summer II Session. A per-day late charge of $15 is assessed after the fifth of the month in each session. After five (5) days of accruing late charges the child will be considered withdrawn from the particular summer session and his/her position will be made available to another child.

Each Summer Session is also assessed a supply fee. All supply fees are nonrefundable. Specific amounts for supply fees will be given to the parents together with the registration form for the Summer Sessions.

Field trips: During the summer sessions HFMA takes children to two field trips (children 3 years old or older only). The information for these trips are sent home along with a transportation release form. Children will only attend our field trips if we have the release form on file. Children not attending the trips will remain at school in another classroom.

STUDENT WITHDRAWAL

The HFMA Montessori program consists of four stems, namely, one-year Infant Montessori Program, followed by the Toddler Montessori Program then followed by one year of Pre-Primary, followed by three years of Primary Montessori Program. Full benefit from each program requires attendance through the entire program period. Parents must acknowledge that this long-time commitment is essential to achieving the school mission. Therefore, a student who is withdrawn from the school prior to completing a program will be devoid from a complete Montessori experience. Such an action, which could hinder the academic progress of the child, should be considered very carefully by the parents/guardian.

STUDENT DISMISSAL

All children are accepted on a provisional basis. The first eight (8) weeks of school are considered the normalization period. Most children adjust to the school environment during this period.

However, it is possible that a particular child may not adjust to the Montessori environment. It this occurs, and if in the judgment of the Director the child is not benefiting from the Montessori experience, and/or the child is disturbing the class, the parent may be asked to withdraw the child from the school. In this case, the annual tuition will be prorated and only the part covering the period of school year attended by the child will be retained by HFMA with the rest refunded to the parents/guardian.

Additionally, a child may be asked to withdraw from the school if, in the opinion of the Director, the policies and procedures of HFMA are consistently and continually disregarded. This includes, but it is not limited to, habitual tardiness and ignoring uniform standards. In this case, tuition is not refunded.