discover
discover Far Brook School
observe
when you discover Far Brook School, you will find a small, child-centered, arts-infused environment, children who are curious, diverse, and full of wonder, and creative, inspiring teachers. a place where children have the time and the space to play, to experiment, to question, to learn by doing, and to sing.
when you discover Far Brook School, you will learn that a simple theme is a powerful way to make complex connections. that a journey through great eras opens children to the world and helps them establish their connection to it. that even the youngest children can grasp a sophisticated math concept explored through a musical passage, a pattern in nature, a shape carved from a block of wood, or the measurement of their own shadow on the ground.
connect
explore
when you discover Far Brook School, you will find a safe place for children to grow and take risks. a place where students try many new things, discovering passions they may not have found anywhere else, because at Far Brook everyone participates in everything. you will witness children caring for plants and animals, for each other, and for people in cities and countries throughout the world.
when you discover Far Brook School, you will see that by the time children graduate from eighth grade, they have developed, year by year, and layer by layer, strong skills, excellent roots, confidence, passion, and compassion enabling them to thrive wherever their own path may lead.
shine
when you discover Far Brook School, you will have found a place where your child can be a small part of something big, and a big part of something small, all at the same time. a place where tradition binds us together, and a joyful spirit sets us apart.
ABOUT FAR BROOK
AFTER FAR BROOK
FOUNDED 1948
Far Brook’s graduates thrive in a variety of settings. Approximately 75% attend independent day schools, while the other 25% choose their local public high school or boarding school. In the last few years, our graduates have attended Delbarton, Gill St. Bernard’s, The Hudson School, Kent Place, Lawrenceville, Millbrook, Montclair-Kimberley Academy, Morristown-Beard, Mount St. Mary, Newark Academy, Northfield Mt. Hermon, Oratory Prep, Pingry, St. Andrew’s, and Seton Hall Prep, to name a few.
STRUCTURE Co-ed, Nursery through Grade 8 ENROLLMENT 230-240 STUDENT:TEACHER RATIO 6:1 CAMPUS 9 ½ acres including state-certified Schoolyard Wetlands Habitat SPECIALS Art, Dance, Drama, French, Music, Sports, Woodshop HOURS ½ Day Nursery 8am-noon Nursery-Grade 8 8am-3pm Nursery-Grade 3 8am-2pm on Fridays Early Morning Dropoff and Extended Care are available daily. AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM 3:15pm-4:30pm Daily Enrichment classes in arts, crafts, music, science, sports and more (Fees per class) TRANSPORTATION Bus service available; routes vary annually. Please call to inquire. FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO Farbrook.org
The impressive list of colleges our recent graduates have attended includes Bard, Brown, Bucknell, Carleton, Colby, Columbia, Dartmouth, Duke, Elon, Georgetown, Harvard, Haverford, Macalester, Mount Holyoke, NYU, Princeton, Skidmore, Stanford, Syracuse, Trinity, Washington University in St. Louis, Williams, University of Wisconsin, and Yale.
desire to touch the “Itlivesis ourof children so they may
“
live life wisely and with great joy. THE FAR BROOK STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
APPLYING For complete, updated information about Far Brook’s application process, tuition, and financial aid: www.farbrook.org/AdmissionsProcedures VISITING We’d love to have you visit. Sign up for an admissions event: www.farbrook.org/AdmissionsEvents FAR BROOK SCHOOL 52 Great Hills Road Short Hills, NJ 07078 973-379-3442 admissions@farbrook.org farbrook.org
Principal Photographers: Emma Banay, Alex Cena, Peter Chollick, Ann DeCamp, Stephen Giordano, Michael Gunselman, Emi Ithen, Helen Kaplus
Far Brook School
Admissions Procedures and Timeline For applicants for the 2017‐2018 School Year
Far Brook School seeks students from varied socio‐economic, racial, and religious backgrounds who are intellectually curious, serious about learning, self‐motivated, and disciplined. If you would like to pursue enrollment for the 2017‐2018 school year, please complete the following steps in the Admissions Process. 1. VISIT THE SCHOOL One of the best ways to determine whether Far Brook may be the right fit for your child is to visit. We invite you to choose from one of the Admissions Events detailed below and experience Far Brook for yourself. (Please note: applications may be obtained online but will only be activated if you have visited Far Brook, either this year or at an earlier date). “Morning at Far Brook” Morning Meeting, Nursery & Kindergarten presentations, campus tours, panel presentation, Q & A session Wednesday, October 26, 2016 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon All grades, registration required Small Group Tours Morning Meeting, campus tours, informal discussion with Head of School, Director of Admissions and Division Heads Friday, November 18, 2016 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. All grades, registration required Tuesday, November 29, 2016 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. All grades, registration required Friday, January 6, 2017 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. All grades, registration required Tuesday, January 10, 2017 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. All grades, registration required Thursday, January 19, 2017 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. All grades, registration required All events are parent/guardian only. Applicants visit the school as part of the admissions process. To register for an Admissions Event, please: a. Visit our website – farbrook.org, or b. Call the Admissions Office – 973‐379‐3442. 2. SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE Complete our online application, located in the “Admissions Procedures” section of our website at farbrook.org, along with the $100 application fee. Nursery applicants must be 3 or 4 years of age and Kindergarten applicants must be 5 years of age by September 1st of the year the child would be attending. Please note the application deadlines below: Application Deadline for N, K and Grade 1 December 30, 2016 Application Deadline for Grades 2‐7 January 31, 2017
3. ADMISSIONS TESTING Once your child’s application has been received, the Admissions Office will call you to schedule the appropriate screening or testing appointments: ▪ Nursery applicants are evaluated during playgroups (see Step 5: Applicant Visit) ▪ Kindergarten and Grade 1 applicants meet individually with a Learning Consultant for developmental screening (30‐45 minutes), and are also evaluated during playgroups. ▪ Applicants for Grades 2 through 7 are tested individually by a Learning Consultant (60‐90 minutes). Please note: the earlier that the application is submitted, the more flexibility you will have in scheduling the necessary appointments. 4. SUBMIT CONFIDENTIAL TEACHER INFORMATION REPORTS AND SCHOOL TRANSCRIPTS ▪ Confidential Teacher Information Reports are required for applicants to all grades. Age appropriate forms are found in the application packet. These Reports are to be filled out by the applicant’s current teacher and sent directly by the teacher(s) to Far Brook. ▪ Applicants for Grades 2 through 7 are also required to submit transcripts from their current school. The Release of Records form found in the application packet should be given to the current school requesting that student records be sent directly to Far Brook by the school. 5. APPLICANT VISIT ▪ Applicants for Nursery, Kindergarten and Grade 1 will be scheduled to attend a group screening with other applicants. Playgroups take place in January and February. ▪ Applicants for Grades 2 through 7 will be invited to spend either a full or half day at Far Brook with the class they would be joining. Visits are scheduled after the receipt of all required application materials. 6. PARENT MEETING All parents/guardians will have a meeting with the Director of Admissions or a Division Director. When possible, meetings are scheduled to coincide with student appointments. Meetings are not scheduled during playgroups. 7. NOTIFICATION Applicants who have submitted applications by the deadline will be notified of the Admissions Committee decision no later than March 15, 2017. Candidates in our waiting pool and late applicants may be offered spaces at anytime throughout the remainder of the school year and into the summer. 8. TUITION ASSISTANCE Far Brook uses Tuition and Data Services (TADS) to analyze a family’s financial information and evaluate each family’s specific needs. If you are interested in applying for tuition assistance, please check the box provided on the application. The deadline for Financial Aid applications is February 1st.
Far Brook School
2016‐2017 Calendar
Open House – Grades 1‐6 Orientation Day (Jr High students only) Open House – N & K First Day of School (Grades 1 – 8) First Day of School (Grades N & K) Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur NJAIS Professional Development Conference Thanksgiving Recess December Vacation Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Winter Vacation Professional Development Good Friday Spring Vacation Memorial Day Closing Day and Graduation
Tuesday, September 6 Tuesday, September 6 Wednesday, September 7 Wednesday, September 7 Thursday, September 8 Monday, October 3 Wednesday, October 12 Monday, October 24 Wednesday, November 23 Monday, November 28 Friday, December 16 Tuesday, January 3 Monday, January 16 Monday, February 20 Monday, February 27 Friday, March 24 Friday, April 14 Monday, April 17 Monday, April 24 Monday, May 29 Thursday, June 8
Afternoon 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM Morning Full Day Full Day School & Office Closed School & Office Closed School Closed for students Close at Noon Return Close at Noon Return School & Office Closed School Closed Return School Closed for students School & Office Closed School Closed Return School & Office Closed Close at Noon Graduation at 6 PM
Far Brook School
2016‐2017 Tuition and Activity Fees
GRADE LEVEL TUITION ACTIVITY FEE TOTAL Nursery 3s (Half Day) $14,900 $450 $15,350 Nursery 3s (Full Day) $21,500 $450 $21,950 Nursery 4s (Half Day) $16,900 $450 $17,350 Nursery 4s (Full Day) $23,500 $450 $23,950 Kindergarten $31,400 $450 $31,950 First Grade $32,850 $450 $33,000 Second Grade $32,850 $450 $33,000 Third Grade $32,850 $450 $33,000 Fourth Grade $34,500 $450 $34,950 Fifth Grade $34,500 $700 $35,200 Sixth Grade $35,550 $700 $36,250 Seventh Grade $36,550 $1,800 $38,350 Eighth Grade $36,550 $1,800 $38,350 Tuition Assistance is available for families who qualify. For more information, please contact the Admissions Office. For information about education loans, please contact the Business Office. Activities
For all grades, a fee of $450 is charged to cover the cost of classroom activities, local class trips, and a copy of the annual yearbook which is distributed at the end of the school year. Grades Five and Six are charged an additional $250 to cover team sports expenses. The Junior High students take two annual trips – one week in upstate New York and an additional four‐day trip to visit a city in Canada. The cost of these trips, classroom activities, team sports expenses, and a copy of the annual yearbook are included in the Seventh and Eighth grade activity fee.
Transportation
Far Brook School hires a private bus company to provide transportation for those families who wish to subscribe. This service is provided on a break‐even basis, fees being set to equal the costs Far Brook is charged by the bus company. Transportation fees and areas serviced vary each year depending on the number of families who sign up for this service. Usually, door‐to‐door service is provided. Under the present transportation laws of the State of New Jersey, students who reside in districts which provide public school bus transportation are entitled to either bus service (provided by their district) or a “payment in lieu of bus service”. For the 2015‐2016 school year, that “aid in lieu of transportation” amount was approximately $880.00. The School District of South Orange and Maplewood has elected to provide bus service for Kindergarten – Eighth Grade students. For more information, refer to the B6T application or contact the Business Office.
The Far Brook Fund
Far Brook, like other independent schools, must raise funds every year to help meet the operating costs in the current budget, as tuition alone does not cover the full cost of an independent school education. Far Brook depends upon contributions by current families, alumni families, alumni, grandparents, family foundations, businesses, and friends. Gifts to the Far Brook Fund primarily benefit teacher and administration salaries, retirement contributions, health benefits, professional development, and curricular initiatives. The amount that Far Brook must raise for the 2016‐2017 school year is $500,000. All families of current students are asked to participate with their best gift and many families are asked to consider joining Far Brook’s Giving Circles. Gifts to the 2015‐2016 Far Brook Fund totaled $515,315 and 85% of current families participated.
Other
After School Enrichment Programs, special tutoring, and private music lessons are available at additional cost.
Far Brook admits qualified students of any race, religion, gender, color, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, color, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission, financial aid, or other school‐administered programs.
Far Brook School
Tuition Assistance Procedures and Timeline For applicants for the 2017‐2018 School Year
Tuition Assistance At Far Brook, we strive to enroll students who will contribute to and benefit from the Far Brook School community. We are committed to having a student body that includes socio‐economic diversity. Each year we designate a portion of the operating budget, as well as income from endowed funds, to help eligible families defray some of the cost of a Far Brook education. In the 2015‐2016 school year, more than $1,044,780 was awarded to more than 19% of our students. Awards were granted in every grade level and ranged from $2,000 to almost $30,000. Eligibility for admission is determined without regard to financial need. Once a student has been admitted by the Admissions Committee, the family’s tuition assistance application is reviewed by the Financial Aid Committee and the amount of the award, if any, is determined. We maintain the philosophy that families should prioritize education over other discretionary expenses. We ask families to look to their own resources first and request the amount they are unable to pay after reasonable sacrifices have been made. Unfortunately, due to our limited budget, it is not possible to grant aid to all students who are accepted and demonstrate need. We maintain a waitlist for those students who qualify for admission and tuition aid, but who are not awarded assistance in the initial allocation of budgeted funds. Because financial situations may change from year to year, everyone who receives tuition assistance is required to re‐apply annually. If circumstances remain constant, families are generally awarded comparable grants from year to year.
The Process Far Brook uses TADS to analyze a family’s financial information and evaluate each family’s specific need. TADS is widely used by independent schools to provide an objective assessment of a family’s ability to pay tuition. A number of factors contribute to a family’s ability to pay tuition including: income, assets, general living and medical expenses, number of dependents, number of children in tuition charging schools and age of parents. Each case is evaluated individually and families in the same income range may have different overall financial circumstances and therefore receive different tuition assistance awards. To be considered for tuition assistance, the following steps must be completed by the deadlines indicated in the Financial Aid Calendar, next.
Financial Aid Calendar for the 2017‐2018 School Year
Indicate your interest in applying for financial aid on the application for admission. Complete the TADS Financial Aid Worksheet (example attached) to help you gather the necessary supporting documents you will need to complete the form.
By February 1, 2017 TADS's application for tuition assistance must be completed by all applicants according to the TADS instructions by February 1, 2017. Families should apply online at www.tads.com, or request a paper application by contacting TADS at 1‐800‐884‐8237. Once TADS receives your application, they will request supporting documentation. You will be required to submit these documents directly to TADS by the deadline provided. These documents may include, but are not limited to: a) Most recent W‐2 statements, b) Most recent pay stub(s), c) Most recent federal tax form(s), d) Most recent corporate tax return, if applicable, e) Documentation for all other sources of income, f) Any 1099s. On or about March 10, 2017 Families are notified of admissions decisions by e‐mail. Far Brook will e‐mail enrollment contracts and notification of the amount of aid awarded to applicants who have been admitted. By April 15, 2017 Mail a copy of your completed, signed 2016 tax forms, including schedules, directly to Far Brook School. Failure to do so will result in the loss of your financial aid award. Spring 2017
Far Brook School will notify eligible families on the Waitlist if any additional aid becomes available.
FAR BROOK SCHOOL Schools Attended After Far Brook Secondary Schools
Boarding Schools
We are delighted to share with you the list of secondary schools attended by Far Brook graduates in the past five years.
Independent Schools
Public High Schools
Delbarton School Fieldston School Gill St. Bernard’s Kent Place School Little Red/Elisabeth Irwin HS Montclair Kimberley Academy Morristown‐Beard School Mt. St. Mary Newark Academy Oak Knoll Oratory Prep Pingry School Rutgers Prep St. Vincent’s Seton Hall Prep Union Catholic Woodward Academy (GA)
Brearley (Kenilworth) Columbia High School East Orange STEM Academy Glen Ridge High School Hanover Park Regional High School Livingston High School Millburn High School Montclair High School Special Music HS (NYC) Watchung Hills Regional High School West Orange High School
Blair Academy Deerfield Academy Groton School The Kent School Lawrenceville School Millbrook Phillips Academy – Andover Salisbury School
Colleges & Universities
We hope that this selection of colleges attended by recent high school graduates who attended Far Brook gives additional insight into the preparedness and versatility of our students.
American University
Elon University
Princeton University
University of New Haven
Art Institute of Chicago
Franklin and Marshall
Reed College
University of Ottawa (CAN)
Bard College
Georgetown University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute*
University of Pennsylvania
Bates College
Georgia Institute of Technology
Rice University
University of Texas (Austin)
Bowdoin College
Gettysburg College
Ringling College of Art & Design
University of Vermont
Brandeis University
Hamilton College
Rutgers University
University of Wisconsin
Brown University
Haverford College
Santa Clara University
Utah State University
Bucknell University
Iona College
Savannah College of Art and Design
Vanderbilt University*
Carleton College
Kenyon College
School of Visual Arts
Villanova University*
Carnegie Mellon
Lafayette
Skidmore College
Washington & Lee University
Colby College
Lehigh University
St. Joseph’s University
Washington University in St. Louis*
College of the Holy Cross
Macalaster College
Stanford University
Western State
Colorado College*
Marist College
Syracuse University
College of William & Mary
Colorado University
Middlebury College
The College of New Jersey*
Williams College
Columbia University
Mount Holyoke
Union College
Yale University
Connecticut College
New York University
University of British Columbia
*Far Brook graduate(s) currently attend(s)
Cornell University
Northeastern
University of Chicago
Dartmouth College
Northwestern
University of Denver
Denison
Parsons School of Design*
University of Hawaii
Drew University
Penn State University
University of Miami
Duke University
Pomona College
University of Michigan
Far Brook School
Steps in the Application Process For the 2017‐2018 School Year APPLICANTS TO NURSERY
APPLICANTS TO K AND GRADE 1
APPLICANTS TO GRADES 2‐7
Friday, December 30, 2016
Friday, December 30, 2016
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
one
one
two
Transcripts
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‐‐
Testing
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Playgroup
Playgroup
Half or full day in classroom
Application Deadline Teacher Recommendation(s)
Student visit Parent Meeting Financial Aid application Deadline: February 1, 2017