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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the school’s NAME? Seattle Area German American School or SAGA School for short
Where are the school’s LOCATIONs?
The address of our Seattle location is:
SAGA School at University Heights Center
The address of our Eastside location is SAGA School
at Community Church of Issaquah
Our school's mailing address is: SAGA
School at University Heights Center
When did the school OPEN? Our first class started
September 7, 2005 at
our Issaquah location.
The Seattle location was opened a year later in September 2006. What GRADES does the school offer? We offer Preschool in Issaquah and Preschool and Kindergarten in Seattle. Additional grades and hours will be added as the student population grows and the long-term goal is to offer a complete education. What is the SCHEDULE at SAGA School? The
academic school year is 10 months (September - June). Will you be offering FULL DAY PRESCHOOL or EXTENDED CARE in the future? We would definitively like to, but currently, due to
licensing restrictions, we can only offer 4 hours per day. To what extent is the SAGA School GERMAN-IMMERSION? Preschool classes are conducted entirely in German. In Kindergarten, some English is introduced to develop reading and writing skills in both English and German. What
are the benefits of
a BILINGUAL EDUCATION?
Multiple
studies have shown the following benefits of bilingualism:
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. Sprechstunde (office hours) are
held weekly by all the teachers to allow for on-going opportunities for
consultation between parents and teachers.
Sprechstunde is by appointment.
A monthly 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 10 hours per school year for each child
enrolled in the school.
Parent hours serve several important purposes:
What happens if
parent hours are not completed by June 30th?
Parent hours are a vital part
of SAGA School and as such are valued highly.
A fee of $25/hour will be assessed to each family
for any of the 10 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? Preschool entry is once a year in September. Our preference is that children be 3 years old on or before August 31 for September entry. However, we make every effort to accommodate students who fall near the cut-off date at the teachers' and the SAGA School Board's discretion. We strive for a multi-age classroom with a balance of all ages and developmental levels that serves all children, exceptions for children who fall near the cut-off date will take these factors in to consideration.
What AGE can children begin Kindergarten? In accordance with the Washington State public school standards, children should be age 5 by August 31. If you are interested in testing early into Kindergarten,
please check your local public school system for information.
Do they have to be TOILET TRAINED? 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? No, the SAGA School is for kids of all language abilities.
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 the daily life since we live in a predominantly English language environment. Depending on the child’s home language(s) background slight to large individual variations in initial bilingual competence will balance quickly and the school will provide guidance in effective strategies for individual family needs. |
