Las Luciérnagas Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions:
Enrollment Process:
Tuition/other fees?
- What are the age groups that you serve? 2 - 5 years old (until Kindergarten entrance).
- What days are you open? Monday - Friday.
- For how many days can I enroll my child? We have either 4 (Monday - Thursday) or 5 (Monday - Friday) day options.
- What is your daily schedule? 8:30am-12pm for the 2020-21 school year; 8:30 - 3pm for the 2021-22 school year.
- Do you offer full day programing? We are currently a half-day program. In 2021-22 we will extend to a 6.5 hour day, 8:30 -3pm.
- Do you provide snack? Yes - we provide a healthy snack daily. We accommodate all food allergies.
- Do you provide lunch? No - for the 2020-21 school year. For 2021-22, children will bring their lunch to school.
- Does my child have to be potty trained? No - we meet families where they are at in the process.
- What is your ratio? We have a 4:1 ratio, with 2 teachers and 1 floating support staff (Head Teacher, Assistant Teacher, and Teacher’s Aide).
- What is the maximum daily enrollment? Our maximum daily enrollment is 12 children per day.
- What’s the school year calendar? We observe the SFUSD calendar August-May, with an extended month in June.
- What neighborhood are you located in? Mission district.
- How do you incorporate Spanish into the program? (How much Spanish do you speak to the children?) Our approach to Spanish learning is to progressively move towards conducting more and more routine interactions in Spanish during the course of the school year. In the beginning of the school year, instructional time is mostly led in English and followed with Spanish. Our goal is to move towards a fully bilingual program throughout the year, where children are not just hearing both languages but also interacting socially and learning in both languages. Transitions, meal time, songs and storytime are mainly led in Spanish. We use visual teaching aids, cognate words, and site words throughout the day. Additionally, teachers will intentionally utilize dual language teaching strategies such as parallel talk, self-talk and repetition to support all children in their language acquisition.
- How much movement do you incorporate into your daily schedule? Children have many opportunities to learn, grow and express themselves through movement in our indoor gross motor studio. We incorporate 5-15 minutes of structured activities during gym time, to support children with their body and space awareness. Older students (ages 3.5 and up) participate in a short group movement lesson 3 days per week, based on developmental movement concepts to build body awareness and gross motor skills.
- Do you have an outdoor space? Yes - we have daily playtime on our outdoor patio, weather permitting.
- Do you take the children off-site? Yes - we may have a neighborhood walk, or go to the neighborhood parks.
- Are there any fieldtrips? We will not be planning fieldtrips for the 2020-21 school year, due to Health and Safety protocols.
- What is the family-parent involvement? Partnering with families is central to LL’s pillars and overall success. We deeply value our relationships with families and know that this school/home partnership truly helps the children grow and develop. This year family partnership and communications will take on a new feel, as health and safety protocols will not allow parents to be physically present in the school. We feel open communication will be of paramount importance as we all work together to provide a high-quality learning environment while maintaining a safe and healthy environment. Parent commitments in the 2020-21 school year include attending Fall and Spring Parent-Teacher conferences, attending a minimum of 1 quarterly parent workshop, and completing feedback surveys.
Enrollment Process:
- What is the enrollment process? Attend one Open House plus 4 Project Commotion movement classes (currently, Open houses are virtual and movement class requirement is being waived), and fill out online application form ($50 fee). These steps do not need to be completed in any particular order, but must be completed before the child attends the program. We are waiving the movement class requirement in the 2020-21 school year, and adding an Intake Zoom meeting between Head Teacher and parent(s) and child.
- When can I begin enrollment for my child? If the program is not at capacity, we have rolling admissions. Families may apply at any time, check for space availability. For the coming school year, we give priority re-enrollment to current families and confirm their enrollment during the month of March, and then review new applications, offering spaces by start of April.
- Why do we have to attend classes before enrolling? The intention of the participation in PC Movement classes is for the child & family to get to know the space and staff in order to feel safe and confident when they start school. We find class participation greatly helps with the child's transition into the program. *Please note, this requirement is waived in 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years.
- If we have not yet attended the 4 required classes, can we still enroll? You can apply at any time and we will work with you to determine what dates you are available to attend movement classes in order to schedule a start date as soon as you have completed the classes.
- If there is a wait-list, how will I know about moving up in the wait-list? We will notify families on the wait-list as soon as a space becomes available.
Tuition/other fees?
- Is there a registration fee? Yes - $35 registration/insurance fee, due Annually.
- Is there an application fee? (What is the application fee?) Yes - $50, a one time fee to apply for space in Las Luciérnagas program.
- How much is monthly tuition? Tuition is based on how many days per week the child is enrolled. We provide tuition information to families at the Open House.
- Do you offer tuition assistance? Families who qualify for ELS Children’s Council Vouchers should apply through Children’s Council. Additionally, we have limited tuition assistance opportunities for families who fit income requirements. Please inquire in person.