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Earn money for the SAGA School through everyday purchases. Information here! Frequently Asked Questions
The Seattle Area German American School or SAGA School for short. The SAGA School is located at:
SAGA School Our school's mailing address is the same address. The school originally opened in Issaquah (2004) and then in 2006 in Seattle. What grades does the school offer? We currently offer Preschool (30 months - 5 years), Pre-K (4 - 5 years), Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. The current goal of the school is to offer programming through elementary school. What is the schedule at SAGA School?
The academic school year is 10 months (September – June). We try to follow the
Seattle Public Schools calendar as much as possible. What is the current tuition and payment schedule? Tuition is due the 10th of the month. Tuition is based on annual costs per child and is paid in 10 monthly installments from September through June regardless of when holidays, vacations or absences occur. No refunds are offered for missed days. The sibling discount is 10% for the second sibling. Our tax ID number is 20-2607873. Payment options include cash or check. Receipts for payment will be sent by email, upon request sent to the treasurer@sagaschool.org. Preschool and Pre-K tuition 2019/20:
Kindergarten - Fifth Grade tuition 2019/20:
10% Sibling discount applies to second child attending SAGA After School German Program 2019/2:
For the 2020-21 tuition rates, please visit the Admissions page. Is there any type of scholarship or financial aid available? The SAGA School is proud to offer financial aid through the FAST program. More details on SAGA's Financial Aid webpage. Will you be offering full-day preschool or extended care in the future? SAGA currently provides a Parent Coop Before and Aftercare program as a solution for extended care. For more details, contact parentcoop@sagaschool.org. To what extent is the SAGA School German-immersion? Our teachers strive for 100% total German immersion at all grade levels and only speak English in the rare case that a child who does not speak much German is in distress. In first grade and above, students take English as a subject. What are the benefits of a bilingual education?
What type of behavioral guidance is provided in the classroom? We at the SAGA School believe that discipline is about teaching and learning. This includes rules and consequences that children can understand and accept. Teachers use the "re-direct" method when encountering possible problematic situations. They teach the children techniques to solve their own problems. Please note that the SAGA School does not practice corporal punishment. In what ways are parent/guardians informed about what happens in the classroom? Teachers work with parent/guardians to assess the student's experience at the SAGA School. Scheduled biannual conferences give opportunities to share observations and perspectives of the child's development. Parent/Guardians are welcome to share their ideas or concerns with the teachers or the SAGA School Board at any time. A weekly and quarterly email newsletter is sent to update families on school and classroom related news. Is the school a non-profit organization? The SAGA School is a Washington State nonprofit corporation organized under section 501c3 of the IRS code. Is parent involvement required? Yes, the SAGA School asks each family to contribute 20 hours per school year for each child enrolled in the school. Parent hours serve several important purposes:
What counts as a parent hour task? There are lots of opportunities for parents to contribute both during school hours and at other times during the week and year. Non-school hour tasks include things such as:
Parents are also encouraged to contribute during school hours. Depending on when during the school day parents are present, teachers may request assistance with tasks such as:
What happens if parent hours are not completed by June 30th? Parent hours are a vital part of SAGA and as such are valued highly. A fee of $25/hour will be assessed to each family for any of the 20 hours not completed. Families will be asked to remit this fee before the beginning of the following school year. For families unable to fulfill the time expectation, a financial contribution to the school at a rate of $25/hour may be substituted. What age can children begin preschool or Pre-K? Preschool entry is once a year in September. Our preference is that preschool children be 30 months old and pre-K students be 4 years old on or before August 31st for September entry. We strive for a multi-age classroom with a balance of all ages and developmental levels. What age can children begin kindergarten? In accordance with the Washington State public school standards, children should be age 5 by August 31st. If you are interested in testing early into Kindergarten, please check your local public school system for information. Do children have to be toilet-trained to enter the preschool program? Toilet training is desirable; however we will work with you to accommodate your child's needs. Is the SAGA School only for children who already speak German? Previous exposure to the German language is not required for preschool students. Previous German is highly recommended for students enrolled in Kindergarten and required for students Grade 1 or higher. Do the parents have to speak German as well? Hopefully, a good share of our students will come from families where no German is spoken at home. As with other immersion programs, parents can learn along with their children and get involved with the school community groups for exposure. With immersion in German, will my child's English suffer? No, for several reasons: even though our school is committed to total German Immersion, the English language is still a large component of a child's daily life since we live in a predominantly English language environment. Additionally, it is common for English speaking children to interact with each other using English. |
