Why does Tenacre choose to remain an elementary school?

Tenacre is firmly committed to elementary education. While adolescence is an exciting time in a young person’s life, it is also a complex one. We believe that postponing exposure to a middle school environment provides our students ample opportunity to fully develop their individual academic skills and enhance their personal growth in a setting geared specifically towards younger children. Our 6th Graders learn to take a meaningful leadership role at school and to serve as models for the younger children, as the oldest students at Tenacre.

What are the major admission entry points at Tenacre School?

Tenacre enrolls 18 students in Pre-Kindergarten, and adds 4 additional children in Kindergarten to make a class of 22. We add additional students in both Grades 1 and 4 resulting in classes of 24 children in Grades 1-3, and 26 children in Grades 4-6

Additional spaces are potentially created by attrition in all grades each year.

What criteria does Tenacre use to evaluate children?

Tenacre seeks to enroll students and who are eager learners, who exhibit strength, or promise of strength, in a variety of areas. We hope to identify families, not children alone, to whom our philosophy of nurturing and challenging each child every day is as meaningful as it is to our school. Past academic record, social development and prospects for growth are considered in the admission process, as is the overall composition of each class, including gender, age, diversity and skills.

Does Tenacre have a Sibling Acceptance policy?

Tenacre is a family school that gives preference to applications from current siblings and children of faculty (in the Pre-Kindergarten year only), but does not guarantee a place for them. In terms of both readiness and behavior, siblings must meet the same criteria as non-siblings; our overall goal is for children to have a successful experience at Tenacre.

Who will I meet when I come to Tenacre?

Your visit will include meetings with the Director of Admissions and, in the case of families with Pre-Kindergarten and/or Kindergarten applicants, the Head of School. Families whose children are applying solely to Grades 1 - 6 will meet with our Head of School on the Saturday Admission Day in February. We will be pleased to show you our school and have you observe some of our teachers and students in action.

When Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten applicants come for their play groups, parents will have a chance to meet, talk with and ask questions of a current Tenacre parent. Parents of Grades 1 through Grade 6 will have that same opportunity on Admission Saturday in February.

We feel it is important that both you and your child take the time to get to know us. Taking the time to become familiar with Tenacre is the best way to ensure that there is a good match between our approach to education and your needs and expectations for your child’s education.

Who will my child meet when they visit Tenacre?

Your child will meet different people depending upon the particular grade they are applying for. Children applying for Grades 1 through 6 attend a Saturday Admission Morning in early February. They will join other applicants for the same grade in a classroom, and work on reading, writing and math activities with a teacher from their current grade, and one from the grade to which they are applying. They will also go to a gym class and have a tour of the campus with one of our current 6th Graders.

Children applying to Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten visit us twice. One visit is with our Learning Specialist, Dr. Karen McDonald, who will do some readiness activities with your child. The second visit is a small play group visit which lasts about an hour. These visits take place on January 3, 4,and 7, plus February 4 & 6, 2008. During this visit your child will meet our Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers and other faculty members, participate in individual and group activities and join a circle time for a story.

What if my child is nervous about his/her visits?

We recognize that it is not unusual for children to feel uncomfortable in a strange environment. Older children worry about fitting in; younger ones may be reluctant to part from the grown-up who brought them. We want your child’s visit(s) to Tenacre to be fun and informative, whatever their age. Our teachers are experienced at making children feel at home, and want to get to know your child as completely as possible.

If your three or four-year old has trouble separating from you during a visit, we will try to reschedule for another day. Having once visited, your son or daughter may feel more comfortable the next time. On the other hand, they may still need you to get them "started” on an activity. That’s fine.

Will I get feedback about my child’s visit?

Because we are a small school, our Admission Office is not able to give written feedback about each visit. We will, however, be happy to have a brief telephone conversation.

Does Tenacre have a wait list?

Yes. When there are more qualified applicants than spaces, a waiting list of acceptable candidates is established for each grade. However, not all children are waitlisted.