© 2008 Stratford School, Inc.
|  | | Q. | When can I schedule a campus tour?
| | A. | To schedule a tour, please visit the Campus page of the school you're interested in and fill out our online tour request form, or call the campus to speak directly to our staff.
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| Q. | When can I enroll my child?
| | A. | Enrollments are accepted during the school year based on space availability. Preschool children must be at least two years and nine months old by their first day of class. Children entering Kindergarten must be 5 years old by December 2.
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| Q. | What is the enrollment process like?
| | A. | After exploring our website, we invite you to schedule a tour of a Stratford campus. You may call us or complete our online Schedule a Tour form, and a member of our administrative team will call you to arrange a convenient time. You may also download an application form for the campus you wish, and return it to the campus office with a check for the $75 non-refundable application fee. Upon receipt and acceptance of your application, we will provide an enrollment package based on space availability. Please see our Admissions page or call our school office for more information.
New Student Assessment:
For kindergarten, elementary, and middle school grades, Stratford
assesses all new students to confirm grade level readiness prior
to acceptance. The test includes sections in reading, writing, and math.
TB Skin Test Note:
Stratford School requires written evidence of a TB Mantoux (PPD) skin test for all new preschool and pre-kindergarten students. New kindergarten students must present written evidence of a TB Mantoux (PPD) skin test given within eighteen months prior to first school entrance or transfer. New 1st through 8th grade students transferring to Stratford from outside the County must present written evidence of a TB Mantoux (PPD) skin test given within six months prior to Stratford School entrance.
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| Q. | How does Stratford encourage parental involvement?
| | A. | The best way for parents to be involved is by demonstrating a genuine enthusiasm for what your children are learning in school. Simply asking your children what they learned each day gives them an opportunity to be a teacher themselves and helps reinforce what they are learning in school.
Stratford also provides opportunities for parents to volunteer at events such as spring and winter programs, special celebration days, career days and field trips. Stratford views parents as partners in the educational process, and as such, has formed a Stratford Parent Committee at each campus. These committees host special events throughout the year, welcome new families, and help to build a stronger Stratford School Community. |
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| Q. | Does my child have to be toilet trained prior to entering preschool or pre-kindergarten?
| | A. | Yes. While we understand accidents happen, these should be minimal. We provide frequent bathroom breaks to the children throughout the day.
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| Q. | How often does Stratford conduct student assessments?
| | A. | Preschool and Pre-kindergarten: Stratford formally assesses students four times during the school year. The assessments are one-on-one between teacher and student. Our assessments provide you with an overview of your child's development in key areas including academic, physical, fine and gross motor development, and social skills. Parent/teacher conferences are scheduled twice during the school year with additional conferences as needed.
Elementary and Middle School: Students in the elementary school receive weekly vocabulary and spelling assessments and weekly recitation (public speaking). All other subjects are assessed by unit, such as history/geography, math, etc. We also administer SAT and TASA tests in the spring. Parents will have the opportunity to conference with teachers twice per year, once in the fall and once in the spring. Additional conferences may be scheduled as requested. |
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| Q. | What is Stratford's homework policy?
| | A. | At Stratford, we believe homework is an essential part of the
educational process for our primary and middle school students. It reinforces the learning that occurs
during school, and fosters individual responsibility. We recognize,
however, that children need time to participate in non-academic
activities as part of their healthy growth and development.
Average Homework Time by Grade Level:
- Preschool and Pre-kindergarten: None
- Kindergarten and First Grade: 30 minutes
- Second and Third Grade: 45 minutes
- Fourth and Fifth Grade: 60 minutes
- Sixth through Eighth Grade: 90 - 120 minutes
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| Q. | What is Stratford's 2010/2011 school year calendar?
| | A. | The first day of the 2010/2011 school year for most students is Monday, August 30, 2010 (Monday through Friday, and Monday/Wednesday/Friday half-day and full day students). The first day of school for Tuesday/Thursday half and full-day students is Tuesday, August 31, 2010. The final day of school is Friday, June 10, 2011. School is in session on weekdays, except certain holidays and seasonal breaks. After the school year concludes, there will be a summer program.
Observed holidays for the 2010/2011 school year include:
- Labor Day: September 6, 2010
- Columbus Day: October 11, 2010
- Thanksgiving: November 25 and 26, 2010
- Winter Break: December 20 through December 31, 2011
- Martin Luther King Day: January 17, 2011
- Presidents’ Day: February 21, 2011
- Spring Break: April 18 through April 22, 2011; The exception is our Danville Campus April 4 through April 8, 2011
- Memorial Day: May 30, 2011
Stratford's calendar is subject to change. Please check with your campus for current schedule.
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| Q. | May I visit my child during school hours?
| | A. | Yes. Parents may visit Stratford anytime during regular school hours. We view your child's education as a partnership between the school and
family, and want our parents to feel comfortable with the educational
experience. All visitors must first register in the school office to obtain a visitor’s pass. During visits, parents should be respectful of class routines and programmed activities.
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| Q. | Do Stratford students go on field trips?
| | A. | Elementary students go on two field trips during the school year, one in the fall and the other in the spring. Field trips for each grade relate to the curriculum for that grade level. More extensive field trips are arranged for our Middle School students. All sixth graders go camping at Campbell's Science Camp; seventh graders head to the Yosemite Institute; and eight graders visit Washington D.C.
In addition, there is one field trip during the summer program for elementary and middle school students. Preschool and pre-kindergarten students do not have field trips during the regular school year or summer program.
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| Q. | Will my child wear a uniform to Stratford?
| | A. | Preschool and pre-kindergarten students do not wear a uniform.
Stratford requires elementary and middle school students to wear uniforms. For elementary and middle school girls, the uniform consists of a blue houndstooth jumper (kindergarten - 3rd grade) or navy blue houndstooth skirt (4th - 8th grade) with a white or burgundy blouse, or navy blue pants (kindergarten - 8th grade) with a white or burgundy blouse. For elementary and middle school boys, the uniform is navy blue pants and a white or burgundy collared shirt. The middle school students also have a required physical education uniform.
Additional information on Stratford’s uniform policy, including logo requirements, is available at the school offices and included in the parent handbook, which is provided to parents of enrolled students at the beginning of the school year.
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| Q. | Does Stratford offer before and after-school extended care for students?
| | A. | Yes. At all campuses except Danville, Stratford offers an extended care option for students in both half-day and full school day programs. At Middle School, after-school activities are included in the cost of tuition.
Extended care enables parents to drop off their children as early as 7:00 AM and pick them up as late as 6:00 PM on school days during the regular school year. The program includes indoor and outdoor play, quiet study time, and fun classroom games and activities. Please visit our Tuition page for details on extended care rates.
During certain school holidays and breaks when school is not ordinarily in session, Stratford offers a child care program at select campuses. This program is similar to extended care and enables parents to drop off their children as early as 8:00 AM and pick them up as late as 6:00 PM. More information on this program is available at the school office. |
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| Q. | Does Stratford offer after-school clubs on campus?
| | A. | Yes. Stratford School offers several after-school clubs that complement the curriculum. Please contact the campus office for a current club schedule or visit the Extended Care & Clubs page for more information.
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| Q. | What options does Stratford offer students for lunch?
| | A. | Full day preschool, prekindergarten, elementary, and middle school students may either bring their lunch to school or take advantage of Stratford's lunch program. Stratford has partnered with Choicelunch for our lunch service. Choicelunch is a Certified Bay Area Green Business, and locally owned for more than 15 years.
Choicelunch provides children with the benefits of a well-balanced meal using kid-tested recipes that have been crafted with nutrition in mind. Stratford parents may visit Choicelunch for more information about their use of local and organic produce, all-natural beef, as well as nutritional and allergen information on all of their entrees. Parents may order lunch online as late as 9:00 AM on the prior school day. |
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