.

The Parent/Child Program is for children who are born between April 1, 2006 and September 30, 2006. The program meets one day a week for 90 minutes, with child and parent attending together. During the first half of class, parents have an opportunity to observe and participate with their child in the classroom setting. In the second half of the class, parents and the CDS Education Director join in discussions about discipline strategies, education theories and models, and research on developmental issues while the children have a snack and activities with the teachers.

The Part Day Preschool Program meets either in the morning or the afternoon. A typical day includes our curriculum activities, snack, enrichment activities and supervised outdoor play.

• Twos Program – Children must be born between October 1, 2005 and March 31, 2006.
  The two-year old program meets three days a week for 2 1/2 hours each day. While other programs might meet in the morning or afternoon, this program meets only in the mornings. Children in this program are introduced to the concept of “school,” a safe and nurturing place to play with other young children. Much of the emphasis is on developing social skills, getting along with other children, and becoming a member of a group. The children learn primarily through exploration and play. Teachers introduce children to hands-on, concrete activities to develop their senses and awareness of the indoor and outdoor environments. In addition to classroom activities with lots of manipulatives, sensory materials, games and stories, the children have music and library time outside of the classroom.
• Threes Program – Children must be three before September 30, 2008 . The three-year old program meets four days a week for 3 hours each day, either in the morning or the afternoon. Children of this age continue to master their social skills by becoming more actively involved in cooperative and dramatic play, helping to establish rules, and working together in a number of different small groups. They learn about science and math concepts as they explore, experiment and make discoveries with many different types of materials. Teachers serve as facilitators in expanding children's language and teaching them to classify materials and use them in a variety of ways. Language and literature play a major role in the threes curriculum as they are introduced to stories through storytelling, flannel board stories, and puppets. Puppetry plays an important role in fostering friendships and reinforcing language and strategies to help children resolve conflicts. Vocabulary is growing at a fast pace and teachers provide children with a rich variety of new vocabulary related to the curriculum concepts.
• Fours Program – Children must be four before September 30, 2008. This program meets 4 days a week for 3 1/2 hours/day or 5 days a week for 3 hours/day. The focus of this program is on developing problem-solving and critical thinking skills and expanding knowledge in areas of interest to the children. Language and pre-literacy skills are fostered by introducing children to word walls, consonant sounds, and literacy games. These pre- reading children also learn about authors and artists and begin the creative writing process. Handwriting becomes more of a focal point and we use Handwriting Without Tears system. Children begin to work more independently and manage their own projects. Their knowledge of the environment is expanded through our rich science curriculum reflective of our expansive grounds. They learn to make predictions and test their ideas. Enrichment experiences with the music teacher, movement teacher, art studio teacher, and science teacher add to complement the creative curriculum offered in the classroom.

The Full Day Kindergarten - This program meets for seven hours a day Monday through Thursday and five hours on Friday. Children must be five by September 30, 2008. The kindergarten day includes two snacks, hot catered lunch, a required quiet time, enrichment activities, and supervised outdoor play. The kindergarten program includes instruction in language arts and reading, math, social studies, art, science, physical education, and music. The classes have excellent teacher to child ratios and children receive much attention both individually and in small groups. Children are responsible for tracking their center time choices and completing their tasks. Curriculum content is designed for maximum hands-on experiences by the children and engagement with the teachers and the entire class. Children's creative problem solving, analytical thinking, and cooperative learning are key to the kindergarten experience. Children's skills and abilities are assessed and monitored throughout the year in order to design a curriculum that meets individual children's needs and interests. One of our major goals is to continue to encourage the children's love of learning and joy they experience throughout all parts of their time at Country Day School.

CDS reserves the right to add change, or delete programs depending on parental interest and available classroom space.

( Please see the application forms for rates.)

Submission of registration form and non-refundable registration fee do not guarantee enrollment or class choice.

For kindergarten applicants: if demand by current CDS students exceeds capacity, CDS implements a lottery process to fill spaces.

A 10% discount is offered on the lesser tuition when two or more children from the same family are enrolled.

Tuition assistance is available. Please request Tuition Assistance forms from the Bookkeeper (703) 356-9173. Applications and supporting documentation must be received no later than January 15, 2008. Applicants must re-apply each year to continue to receive assistance.

Tuition payments may be made annually, bi-annually or monthly. (Tuition excludes approximately two weeks in December and one week in the spring when Country Day School is closed).

For all contracts, the first installment is due upon return of the signed contract, ensures placement at CDS, applies toward your tuition and is non-refundable. If you choose a monthly contract, the remaining nine installments are due the first of each month, September 2008- May 2009.

If Country Day School cannot offer an age-appropriate program to an applicant, the application fee will be returned. Otherwise the application fee is non-refundable.

The Country Day School is an equal opportunity school that practices a non-discriminatory policy in the implementation of its programs, admissions and hiring practices. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or nation of origin in the administration of its policies and procedures.

CDS Admission Office Phone : (703) 356-9149

lhallahan@countryday.org

Returning CDS students/families:

Submit application form and $100 application fee before November 30, 2007 to take advantage of our priority early enrollment. Contracts will be mailed to returning students and families in early February 2008.

Applicants new to Country Day School:

Call the Admissions Office to schedule an Open House tour in October.

Submit application and $100 application fee in the fall of 2007.

After December 1, 2007, call Admissions Office (703-356-9149) for space availability before submitting application.

Placements for children new to CDS will begin after all of our returning students and families are placed.

CDS will continue to place students in classes until a program is full.

Applications received after a program is full will be placed on a waiting list.

Applicants will be notified of their enrollment status in February and March 2008.

Country Day School

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1036,
Great Falls , Virginia 22066

Street Address: 6418 Georgetown Pike
McLean , Virginia 22101

Admissions Office: (703) 356-9149

lhallahan@countryday.org