Admissions
Events
| Thu Sep 09 @02:30PM - 08:30PM Day At The Park - 1st Circle Meeting |
| Fri Sep 10 @08:00AM - 08:00PM Camping Trip |
| Sat Sep 11 @08:00AM - 08:00PM Camping Trip |
| Mon Sep 13 @09:00AM - 04:00PM FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL |
Admissions
The admissions process for the Village Free School is designed in a way to allow for maximum flexibility for the school and families, and to support a gradual intake into the program. It is our goal to make sure every family who becomes involved in our program feels confident and comfortable in their educational choices.
In the Admissions tab in the main menu, you will find more specific information, including an overview of the process, programs, and the online application.
Admissions Overview
Step One: Get clear about what it is you want for your life, and your child's life.
We would never recommend rushing into something as important as the choice of who to trust with your kids. If you know what you are looking for, or are feeling like giving something new a good hard try, and our school looks like it might be a good fit, then you should come for a visit.
Step Two: Visit.
Come to one of our regular Free School 101 Events, or one of our special events, and ask to be shown around. If you would like to set up a time to come see the school and get oriented to what we do, then you can always give us a call and see if someone might be available to give you a tour.
Step Three: Apply.
You can use the online form under the admissions tab of the main menu, or pick up a paper copy from the school office.
Step Four: Interview.
After receiving your application, our admission coordinator will determine if we have the space and resources to offer your family an interview. The interview is your chance to ask as many questions of the staff as you can, so that you can get as clearest a picture as possible of what our school is all about. We hope you would use this interview to determine for yourself whether or not you think the school is a good fit for your family, and the staff will do their best to do the same. At the time of the interview we collect a $50.00 interview fee.
Step Five: Experience Days.
If the staff and your family have determined that the school seems like a good fit, and want to go forward, then we will offer three free experience days so that your student and the staff may get a chance to see what a few days feel like. At the end of the third day we hope your family will check in and decide once again if you want to commit, and the staff will do the same.
Step Six: Conditional Enrollment.
If the staff and your family are excited to move forward after experience days, then we will offer you a five week conditional enrollment period that ends with a family conference as the last official check in point of the admissions process. If after five weeks everything still feels right, then full and continuous enrollment is offered. From that point, your student is fully enrolled.
Before conditional enrollment is offered, we ask families to complete the tuition and enrollment contract, and submit a $300.00 tuition pre-pay that acts as a security deposit towards continued enrollment through to the end of the school year.
Afterschool
Families in our school and in the surrounding community need safe, affordable, fun, and engaging after school experiences for their children.
The After School Program offers students a chance to get their after-school energy out, get help with homework if they need it, learn new and fun games, and make use of their creative energies. We believe an after-school program should offer a structured, but not rigid, place for winding down after school, and has all of the following to offer:
Our program runs from 3:00pm to 6:00pm every weekday, except on seasonal breaks, holidays, and during the summer. We have two dedicated staff for our group of five to fifteen after-school participants. Nutritious snacks are available to students who require a bit to eat, all it takes is a small walk down to the kitchen.
The After School staff are given the autonomy to determine what schedule and activities to engage in each day, and are committed to providing opportunities for students to move their bodies, be creative, get homework finished, and relax.
The after school program is open to all children of our surrounding community, not just to students of the Village Free School.
Apply
Attend Free School 101
We want to do a better job of telling our story to the larger Portland community. Free School 101 is one effort to do just that.
On Monday, August 30 at 5:00pm, we are inviting folks to join us for one-hour to hear about the VFS.
Guests will learn about our programs, our impact, and our vision. We hope folks will leave knowing more about us and better able to decide how and if they might join in our efforts. Don't worry - you won't be asked for money, or pressured to enroll. This is purely an effort to reach out and invite the community to learn more about the school.
Can VFS students get a diploma? Can they get into college?
VFS does not offer an accredited Oregon Diploma. Instead we work one on one with our oldest students to help them achieve their goals whether they intend to go to college, take an apprenticeship or internship, start their own business, or have something else in mind. Students from schools like ours as well as hundreds of homeschoolers have attended universities and colleges by following alternate admissions requirements. We support interested students with attending the universities of their choice which can include preparing for the SAT, co-enrolling in some community college, preparing for an interview with an admisisons officer, and/or completing a GED. We also offer our students narrative transcripts and letters of recommendation where merited.
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