FAQ

A.

MCDS enrolls children capable of realizing success in a comprehensive and challenging school program. There is a wide range of ability levels in all areas of school life, supporting the school’s goal of creating an environment that reflects the richness and variety of the community at large. Beyond this, the school strives for diversity in its enrollment and to maintain a balance in the classroom of gender and geography (Marin and San Francisco).

A.

Kindergarten siblings of concurrently enrolled families, who demonstrate the capacity to be successful in our program and whose families have supported the school as actively as individual circumstances permit, will receive special consideration in the admission process. They follow the same application procedure as do all applicants, although kindergarten families are given the courtesy of early notification. The deadline for sibling applications is November 3, 2006.

A.

Our goal is to enroll 54 children in kindergarten with 50 percent boys/girls and SF/Marin. Vacancies in grades other than kindergarten and sixth are dependent upon attrition. Enrollment increases in sixth grade and we look forward to welcoming 16-18 new students each year in this grade, since we move from self-contained classrooms to a departmental structure and increase the number of advisor sections.

A.

The ratio changes from year to year and from grade to grade depending on attrition and the number of qualified applicants. Typically, there are more applications than places in school. Parents are encouraged to visit and apply to several schools.

A.

The school prefers that children be five by September 1st in the year they enroll. However, there is no absolute cut-off date. We have a developmental program that is appropriate for a range of children. Ours is not the kind of kindergarten that makes waiting an extra year an automatic benefit.

A.

Parents may apply only during the year prior to that in which their child would enter MCDS. A wait list is not kept from year to year.

A.

The commute typically becomes a pleasant daily ritual—a time of conversation and camaraderie with friends. The range of riding time for S.F. bus students is 25-50 minutes, which is less than that for many carpools.

A.

No. Transportation and safety experts have yet to reach a consensus on this after much study. Unlike the use of seat belts in cars, their use on buses carrying children is thought in some instances to increase rather than decrease danger. This policy is reviewed regularly. However, each child is protected by the very high, heavily padded seat back in front of him/her. Additionally, the steel structure, bulk and mass of buses provides protection greater than that provided by cars.

All MCDS buses meet strict safety and repair requirements. They are inspected regularly by State safety officials and daily by the drivers.

A.

We look at individual children, each with unique needs, for enrichment as well as for support in any given area. We have several Student Support Services specialists who help teachers meet these needs. In addition, in the upper grades there is a Transitions Program designed to meet the needs of students with learning differences. Throughout the school, all students receive personal attention.

A.

Teachers share common curricular goals and objectives though their teaching styles differ somewhat. The teachers and specialists have written a sequential curriculum and academic standards to guide the course of study from kindergarten through eighth grade. Teachers review and adjust these documents frequently. Within the curriculum, teachers are encouraged to develop multiple teaching strategies to meet the needs of a diverse group of learners.

MCDS students are deliberately given a measure of freedom and responsibility that is a very important attribute of their educational environment. The school seeks to help students become responsible and self-monitoring.

A.

Every teacher serves on a subject-area committee to examine and revise curriculum on an ongoing basis. Educational experts are consulted; faculty and administrators do research; and the school’s excellent Professional Development program enables teachers to become students themselves in the educational field.

A.

There is a part-time support teacher in each kindergarten, first grade and second grade classroom. In addition, we have one full-time support teacher for each third and fourth grade level. The fifth grades share a specialist to support their work in science. We are continually weighing the pros and cons of a variety of models that would provide additional support while maintaining our commitment to small class size.

A.

Homework: Homework in kindergarten and first grade is very occasional and “topic” oriented; for example: “Bring in an apple;” “Talk to a parent about the field trip;” “Count the leaves on a plant;” etc. We encourage parents to read with children and to engage them in interesting events or weekend activities. In second grade, students read daily. In Middle School homework may take 30-90 minutes, but assignments vary with grade level and teacher and the time of year. Children are also asked to do free reading every night. Teachers stay alert to the impact on home life. Since Upper School curriculum involves many long-term projects, students’ actual load varies but averages per subject per night (5 subjects) are as follows: 6th grade, 20-30 minutes; 7th grade, 30 minutes; 8th grade, 40 minutes.

Grading: In grades K-5 parents receive assessment of their child’s growth through parent/teacher conferences and written reports. In grades 6-8 letter grades supplement parent/teacher conferences and written reports.

Discipline: Respect for people, property and ideas is the guide for behavior at MCDS. Students are asked to take appropriate responsibility for their actions. The child’s teacher is the initiator of any disciplinary action. Each case that arises is treated individually. There is, however, a clear policy with regard to substance abuse. Specific rules and guidelines are written in the Lower, Middle and Upper School Handbooks.

A.

MCDS offers indexed tuition based on a family’s ability to pay. Because the school is determined to make an MCDS education accessible to families from a wide range of economic backgrounds, the school offers a wide range of tuitions. For the 2006-07 academic year, tuitions range from $500-$22,945. The school encourages families to request information if they think they may be eligible for tuition below the top of the index (contact Ann Borden at 415-927-5910 or aborden@mcds.org). Please see the indexed tuition brochure included in the application packet for details.

A.

Tuition pays for approximately 70 percent of the cost of educating each student. The difference is realized through various fundraising activities, fees for special programs and endowment income. Tuition includes the cost of instruction, books and educational materials, lunch, outdoor education, laboratory fees, field trips and yearbooks. It does not include the cost of optional items such as bus transportation, accident insurance, special after-school activities or the after-school program.

A.

MCDS expects that all parents will participate in volunteer activities and will contribute to various fundraising projects to the degree that family schedules and circumstances permit. Parents are expected to participate in all grade levels, K-8.

A.

The majority of MCDS students go to local independent schools in both Marin and San Francisco: The Branson School, Drew, Lick-Wilmerding, Marin Academy, Marin Catholic, St. Ignatius, University High, Urban and The Bay School, for example. A small percentage go to boarding schools. Some students prefer to attend public high schools, such as Redwood in Marin and Lowell in San Francisco.