PRESCHOOL
The genius of play!
WELCOME Hello! We appreciate your interest in Harker Preschool, and we invite you to come take a closer look at this remarkable place. There are a lot of ingredients in the “special sauce” that makes Harker an extraordinary setting for young children to learn and grow. Our incredible support network of teachers, assistants and specialists are completely invested in the children, and you’ll find them willing partners in providing your child with a warm, engaging, developmentally appropriate preschool experience. We are especially proud that our program combines intentional play opportunities with teacher-guided learning in a way we believe is “genius!” We understand the importance of academic, social, emotional and physical development and our teachers thoughtfully design each day with all four in mind. We are looking forward to meeting you and showing you all the wonderful things happening at Harker Preschool.
Whendy Carter
PRESCHOOL DIRECTOR
Joan Chatterton
ASSISTANT PRESCHOOL DIRECTOR
“ We never dreamed that our preschool daughter would create, explore, hypothesize and enjoy such a wealth of projects.” - Katrina Ryan & Bill Jeffers
HARKER PRESCHOOL Inspired Learning At Harker Preschool, you will find an innovative and immersive experience unlike any other program. Our highly educated and experienced teachers have built a challenging and developmentally appropriate curriculum using a blend of the best practices from a variety of early childhood education philosophies and pedagogies. Our formula is unique because we layer everything with the desire to ignite in young children a fervent love of learning.
Exciting Exploration Every minute of the day is a teaching moment at our preschool. Large, light-filled classrooms are thoughtfully arranged with beautiful furniture, blocks, easels, and a wide variety of materials. Our expansive yards are designed with open fields of grass, sunken sand areas, garden beds, playhouses and mud kitchens, to encourage exploration and conversation. Every activity and prop is an intentional part of our students’ environment, developed by their teachers to enhance key skills that set them up for success in kindergarten and beyond. Our approach takes into careful consideration the way children process information and build that information into knowledge.
Warm Community All Harker campuses are like small neighborhoods, and our preschool is specifically designed to be a safe, warm and welcoming place for our youngest learners. Preschool faculty, staff and parents work together to create a school environment that nurtures the children, enriches the family and supports optimal growth and development. Teaching early learners is the passion and expertise of our teaching team and children quickly realize this is a place where they can ask and explore and challenge themselves. Our teachers view children as capable learners and guide them through rich experiences at a pace that respects their age and individual needs.
Teaching early learners is the passion and expertise of our talented teaching team. And children view our school as a place where their imaginations come alive, complete with cottage classrooms and a working farm. What they don’t realize is that every activity and prop is an intentional part of their environment, developed by their teachers to enhance key skills that set them up for success in kindergarten, lower school and beyond.
PRESCHOOL
by the numbers
107
2,547
Library books
Big blue blocks in the front yard
6
4
Chickens and bunnies on the farm
8
Acre campus
Specialty teachers
The Harker School l 4525 Union Ave., San Jose, CA 95124 l 408.553.5700 l preschool@harker.org l preschool.harker.org
ADMISSION INFORMATION l PRESCHOOL
We look forward to meeting you! Hello! Thank you for your interest in our school. We’re delighted to share Harker with you! Please join us at one of our admission events to meet our teachers and parents, see our children in action, and learn what makes Harker such a vibrant and dynamic community. We welcome your questions and are happy to help you any way we can. See you soon!
admission events
Whendy Carter P R E S C HO O L D IRE C TOR
GETTING TO KNOW US You are invited to attend our informational events to see the campus, meet our teachers and directors and learn about our preschool program and services. Please RSVP online for one of the following events.
OPEN HOUSES Preschool program. The whole family is welcome at these events. Tours are held 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 12 · Sat., Jan. 7
Adults-only tours for our prospective preschool parents to see the school in action.
Thurs., Jan. 12 · Fri., Jan. 20 · Thurs. Jan. 26
Preschool: 3- & 4-Year-Olds and Transitional Kindergarten 3- and 4-year-olds: Children turn 3 or 4 by December 1, 2017 Transitional Kindergarten (TK): Children born between July 1 and December 1, 2017. TK families have three options: you may apply for TK only, kindergarten only or TK/K.
information & key dates
TK is bridge between preschool and our traditional kindergarten program for children with late birthdays. A modified curriculum is used to further develop social and cognitive skills, and better prepare children for success in their future years of schooling.
TK ONLY Families only interested in TK: follow the preschool procedures below TK OR K Families interested in either TK or kindergarten (will accept either placement): follow the kindergarten admission procedures
KINDERGARTEN ONLY Families interested in kindergarten only: follow the kindergarten admission procedures
STEP 1 Submit an inquiry and create an account in Ravenna, our online application system. STEP 2 Register online for admission events.
MID-SEPTEMBER TO OCTOBER
STEP 3 Submit preschool application – biographical information and application fee ($100)
OCTOBER-JANUARY
due January 26, 2017
STEP 4 Submit preschool application supporting documents due, February 2, 2017
FEBRUARY
• Photo • Family questionnaire Your application is considered complete and will be reviewed by the admission committee when all supporting documents in addition to step 3 are received. Incomplete applications will be moved to second round consideration after February 2, 2017.
STEP 5 Register for playdates or classroom visit: 3-year-old applicant playdates will be
scheduled during the week of Feb. 13, once your application is complete. 4-year-old applicant playdates will be scheduled individually based on space availability. Transitional Kindergarten classroom visits are scheduled for January 21, 2017. All TK applicants must attend a classroom visit.
Decision notifications available to applicants: March 17, 2017 after 5 p.m. Tuition deposit ($2,500) upon acceptance: March 24, 2017 by 12 p.m.
MARCH
Tuition balance due: June 15, 2017
JUNE
• Preschool tuition for the current 2016-17 academic year is $26,996 for full day and $19,023 for half day. Tuition for the 2017-18 school year is determined in February.
tuition & fees
• Annual giving is a vital source of support for the Harker programs, materials and opportunities that allow students to experience an exceptional education. Parent participation at a level consistent with your ability is a key component of community involvement.
annual giving
The Harker School does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, religion or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational or admissions policies, financial aid distribution or other school programs.
The Harker School l 4525 Union Ave., San Jose, CA 95124 l 408.553.5700 l preschool@harker.org l preschool.harker.org
PRESCHOOL
Eligibility, Campus and Extras eligibility
2016-17 schedule
campus
Harker Preschool will accept children from 3-5 years of age based on a December 1 cutoff date. Children will be placed in groups based on their age in relation to that school year.
August 24, 2016 - June 8, 2017 Monday - Friday Full Day 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Half Day 8:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. (3-year-old option only) Campus open 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Extended care available.
We designed the Harker Preschool campus as a little village with rich opportunities for real-life learning in developmentally appropriate spaces. Our campus is fully enclosed and secure to keep your child safe. With lots of trees and flowers planted around campus, your child will enjoy the natural beauty and feel at home at Harker Preschool. Across 8 acres of land – devoted only to preschool and transitional kindergarten students – our campus features include spacious classrooms and a working farm with vegetables, chickens and rabbits. Our 3- and 4-year-old students enjoy learning in our charming, light-filled cottage classrooms that sit around a central lawn. TK students use three rooms in their own wing of the campus. All of our classrooms have spaces for small and large group activities, individual play opportunities, child-directed play inside and out, rest time and more. With an abundance of inviting materials and thoughtful teachers nearby, our students have access to all of the resources they need for learning. Each cottage has access to developmentally appropriate front and back yard play spaces as well as a large central lawn, abundant trees and flowers, and plenty of hardscapes for ball bouncing, tricycle riding and wagon continued on back
3-year-old cottages (two classes of 24) • 3 years old by Dec. 1, 2017 • Potty trained preferred. Full compliance not required
4-year-old cottages (two classes of 24) • 4 years old by Dec. 1, 2017
Transitional Kindergarten (one class of 24) • 5 years old between July 1 and Dec. 1, 2017
While enrollment to kindergarten is not guaranteed to preschool students, they do receive special consideration, along with sibling and alumni families. Kindergarteneligible children from our preschool (5 years old by Dec. 1) will be required to reapply and follow the standard kindergarten application process.
PRESCHOOL
pulling. Each space is filled with natural materials and sensory experiences such as sand, water rocks, tree stumps, large wooden building blocks, playhouses, traditional play structures and more! These materials and spaces are all arranged to encourage activity, curiosity and participation in outdoor learning and play.
extended care
Extended care is offered in the mornings (times) and afternoons (times) for an additional fee. Our teachers and teaching assistants organize a wide variety of activities both indoors and outside. Our extended care program features: • qualified, caring specialists and teachers’ assistants • independent, small group and large group activities, including structured and free play time • abundant resources to explore and play with, including building blocks, books, musical instruments • delicious and nutritious breakfast and snack options.
lunch & snacks
summer program
Our preschool food program, available for an additional fee, features fresh and seasonal foods that support healthy eating habits. At lunch, learning continues – children practice eating etiquette and engage in mealtime conversations with friends, teachers and assistants. The fun and learning don’t stop during the summer at Harker’s preschool. Our summer program, located at our expansive preschool campus, features exciting specialty classes like art, music & movement, and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) in addition to rich classroom experiences. Harker’s Summer Program registration opens mid-January.
The Harker School l 4525 Union Ave., San Jose, CA 95124 l 408.553.5700 l preschool@harker.org l preschool.harker.org