Welcome to the family!
As part of our commitment to creating deep, lasting relationships with the families and children who attend our program, we have a unique onboarding process. Please carefully read below to learn more.
First steps
You've already been pulled from our lottery pool. If you haven't already, please respond to our email with your exact enrollment date. Now it's time to let us know a bit more about your family! For each new student that joins our program, we ask for the Child Background Form linked below to be filled out; this helps us to get to know your child before enrollment so we can ask any questions we may need to before the first day.
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To fill out the background form, you'll use Brightwheel®, an app/website that we use daily for communication with enrolled families, lesson plans, billing, and more. If the child has more than one guardian, please be sure to add the other guardian there so we can easily invite them to use the app. Also, don't forget your login information!
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Once you have filled out the background form, we'll send you a deposit invoice using Brightwheel®. This invoice is equal to one month of tuition, and is held until your child's final month at El Sol, which guarantees that we receive the required amount of notice before you leave our program.
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A separate invoice will be issued prior to your child's first day, covering the prorated first month of tuition and fees as well as the enrollment fee, which helps us cover enrollment costs like our home visit.​​
Home visit
Prior to enrollment, each family gets a special visit from our staff. This home visit is a wonderful way to get to know you and your child a bit better, and to give your child the chance to have a familiar face or two on their first day! On our visit, we'll bring you a few helpful goodies including a tote bag, insulated lunchbox, shirts, and (if your child is already walking) a full body rain suit.
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We'll also bring printed copies of all our remaining enrollment paperwork to fill out together in the comfort of your home. We encourage you to review that paperwork online prior to our visit in case any questions arise from it. That can be done by following the Families page (linked at the bottom of every page of this website) and using the password immersion.
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As part of our visit, we'll create a transition plan for your child. This is an important part of our unique enrollment process, and it helps both you and your child feel more comfortable in what is invariably a big family transition period.
A copy of our suggested schedule is on the Families page linked above, but here's a quick overview: On day one, the new child and one or both guardians stays for one hour together, then everyone leaves before the new space gets too overwhelming. This gives you a chance to get to know your child's teachers and new peers, as well as giving your child a chance to get comfortable in the space while accompanied by a trusted adult. On day two, the child stays for 1-½ to 2 hours, with you leaving for most of that time before coming right back to pick them up.
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Throughout the first week, the child's days grow longer and they gain comfort and confidence in their new space. In the second week, the child is left for fuller days with the caveat that we ask them to be picked up well enough before closing time so as not to feel that they're one of the last children in the building.
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To schedule your visit, please use the calendar below to choose an appointment slot that works well for your family between now and your first day (we usually suggest the 1-2 weeks prior to the enrollment date). If there are no slots that work for your family, please reach out to the director Borja at borja@suntree.academy to make a different plan.