Application Process

Parent Observation

girl1The application process starts with a parent observation. We require that parents complete a parent observation of the school before submitting an application for their child. If you are interested in initiating the application process, please call the school at 703.634.2537 or visit our online calendar here and schedule an appointment to observe. The observation in the classroom usually lasts about 15-20 minutes followed by an opportunity to have all of your questions answered by an administrator. Please do not bring your child to this initial observation.

Application

At the parent observation, you will receive our application. This document must be completed in its entirety and returned to the school office. Applications for the upcoming school year are received on a rolling basis beginning in January for our Toddler and Children’s House applicants.  The application fee of $150 must be submitted with the application in order for the application to be processed.

Child Visit

After the application is received and processed, a visit for your child will be scheduled. This visit typically consists of a 30 minute visit for you and your child in one of our classrooms. Your child will be invited to engage in Montessori activities and this is an opportunity for parents to observe their child in the Montessori environment. This visit is not an interview of the child and does not include any testing. It is a way to familiarize the child with the school and for both the parents and the school to ensure THE WOODS is the best fit for your child.

**Applicants to our Toddler program are usually too young to benefit from a child visit at the time of application unless they are applying for an immediate opening.  Instead, we encourage parents to observe closely and take advantage of the Home Visits offered by our Toddler teachers over the summer as well as attend the Back to School Open House right before school starts so the class is fresh in the child’s mind.

Acceptance

Upon completion of the child visit and/or receipt of the application, you will be notified of your child’s acceptance. In keeping with the Montessori philosophy, THE WOODS believes all children are equally capable of success and we strive to give every child a chance. However, all children develop at different rates and it may be possible that some children are ready at a younger age than others.

To reserve your child’s space, a $500 enrollment fee must be submitted upon receipt of the acceptance letter. Your child’s space cannot be guaranteed without this payment which must be made through our electronic payment system, FACTS.

Wait List

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all spaces are filled. When the school reaches full capacity, families will have the opportunity to be included on the waitlist. The wait lists for the Full Day and Half Day programs are separate.

To be included on the waitlist, parents should still submit the application document. The full application fee is still required. If a space becomes available in the program of your choice, the school will notify you and you will be given the opportunity to complete the application process.

Please keep in mind that in order to keep focused on the children currently attending THE WOODS, the school does not offer school visits to prospective families when the school has no availability. Prospective families will be contacted to visit, if and when, there is a space for which to apply.

If a space does not become available by January, all waitlisted families are given first priority to register for the upcoming school year at that time. Families who do not register for the following school year are removed from the waitlist and wait lists do not carry over from year to year.