Thank you for considering Silverwood School where learning and imagination are fostered; where children are challenged and cherished. Two important benefits of independent education are the ability of the school to focus on its mission and the opportunity for each family to seek the program best suited to their child’s needs and interests. Consider our mission, our program, and our community in relation to your child and your family. Visit our website and take a look at our Why Silverwood?, Newsletter Highlights,and Ed-Venturing sections for a sample of life at Silverwood. If what you see excites you, if you wish you could have attended a school like Silverwood, then this might be a great next educational step for you and your child.

Application – Call or e-mail the school office to receive an application packet. Your application form may be submitted as soon as it is complete and to be considered in the first round of the process no later than February 8th. Be sure to include your $50 non-refundable application fee. While the order of application submission will not affect the selection process, it is very helpful to receive your application materials early so we may begin the observations. Download a PDF version of our Application Form.
**After February 8th, applications will be considered as they are completed if space is still available or becomes available in a particular grade. Please call the office to check on spaces still available.

Records and recommendations – The teacher recommendation form included with the application packet is to be filled out by the student’s current teacher and can be completed as early as December. You must also request that your child’s school forward a copy of school records to Silverwood, beginning in January. Standardized or specialized testing results, if any testing or diagnostics have been done, are to be included.

Download a PDF version of our Teacher Recommendation Form.

Download a PDF version of our Request for a copy of School Records Form.

Observation/visit - A Silverwood teacher will observe applicants for first grade in their current kindergarten settings. Those applicants will also attend one of four, 30 minute, after-school “mini-lessons” so we can observe how they respond to our setting and to a new group of children. You may contact the office in January to choose an after-school mini-lesson date.

Applicants for second through sixth grade will come to Silverwood for a half-day visit during school. Our teachers will assess the students’ academic and social skills, curiosity and ability to work in a stimulating environment, and overall “fit” with the community of Silverwood. Visits and observations can be scheduled as early as January if we have received your completed application form, teacher recommendation, application fee and a copy of the student’s school records.

Deadlines and spaces available - Please have all your application materials submitted by February 8th . In some recent years, demand for first grade entry has exceeded available spaces by several students so first grade applicant families should be particularly sure to meet the stated deadlines.
A typical Silverwood class is made up of students from Montessori kindergartens as well as from a wide variety of other programs. Likewise, each class usually has siblings as well as families completely new to Silverwood. Please contact the office if you have any questions regarding deadlines, new applicants, or sibling applicants.
Silverwood will mail notification regarding acceptance, non-acceptance, or wait list status on March 8, 2007 Registrations forms will be sent with this notice and are to be completed and submitted with the non-refundable $700.00 enrollment deposit by April 1, 2008. A one-time per student building/technology fee of $300 is due by June 1.

To ensure the best possible match between student and school, we observe a trial period at the beginning of the school year. Enrollment is conditional for the first 30 school days. During this time either the family or Silverwood may choose to void the enrollment agreement and release the family from further financial obligation.

For first grade applicants we will occasionally defer an application by recommending an additional year of preparation. Reasons we might recommend an additional year of Kindergarten (or non-admission for older students):
Not academically prepared for grade-level work
Not emotionally/socially prepared for our program
Potential reasons for denying admission to, or continuance in, our program:
Unacceptable or unkind behavior (including hurtful language or actions)
Inability to demonstrate respect for peers or teachers
Special education needs beyond our school resources
Failure to meet the tuition payment schedule.

Silverwood School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation, in employment or in the administration of its educational program, admissions policies, financial aid program, or other school-administered programs.

FINANCING INDEPENDENT EDUCATION - Public schools are funded by State, District, and Federal taxes. For 2004-05 Central Kitsap School District spent $7,510 per student with an elementary ratio of from 22 to 28 pupils per teacher* (Bremerton spent $7,697 per student). These figures exclude building and property costs. Independent schools are just what the name implies – independent of affiliation with the state, the county, or other supporting institutions. Silverwood School derives all of its operating income from tuition and fund-raising (85% & 15% respectively for 2004-05). With a ratio of one teacher for every ten students (1/10.7 excluding assistants), your choice of Silverwood provides a significant advantage in adult to child attention. This is what your tuition pays for – a higher ratio of teachers who love teaching to students who love learning. Choosing independent education is a sign of parents who want to be involved in their school. Silverwood’s participation policy requires twelve hours of service per family per year, though most families’ actual commitment far exceeds this minimum.

Financial Aid - Silverwood School designates funds to assist families who would otherwise not be able to consider our program. We utilize the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (S.S.S.) in Princeton, NJ, to independently and discreetly determine a family’s financial need. To be considered for such assistance, please contact the school office and request a financial aid packet. The Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) should be completed as soon as possible. It can be mailed or completed online. Tuition Assistance funds are limited. Family requests will be considered confidentially. Silverwood’s Tuition Assistance Committee protects each family’s confidentiality and includes the Head of School and two community members who are not current Silverwood parents. Silverwood will review requests only after receipt of the report from SSS. For more information on SSS, visit their web site at http://www.sss.ets.org

Admissions decisions are made separately from financial aid decisions.

For any questions regarding admissions or the financial aid processes, please call or e-mail the school office.

Revised 1-04-08