Admission Process

Our school’s mission is to provide a nurturing environment in which special needs students can thrive academically, socially and emotionally. Our program is open to all children from the Greater New York metropolitan area who have problems in learning, whether the etiology is neurological or emotional. We accept private and publicly funded students. Our small class size (8:1:1 and 12:1:1) assures a unique, individualized education for each child.

Application

To be considered for enrollment in The Child School/Legacy High School, a parent or guardian must submit a packet of application materials.  The admissions process is crucial to determining whether the program we have to offer is appropriate to the individual youngster's needs.  Do not send originals as we cannot return any documents. Mail only when the packet  is complete (faxed packets are not accepted). There is a $50.00 application fee.

To insure the best service we HIGHLY recommend that applicants call our Admissions Dept. prior to mailing materials. A brochure and application can also be requested by telephone: (212) 223-8794

It is imperative that, together, we follow these steps to insure that a correct decision is made as to the suitability of our program for your child’s unique requirements. Because we conduct rolling admissions the application process can be initiated at any time.

Open House Schedule

From November through May, weekly tours of the school are conducted by our Executive Director to introduce parents to our school’s unique programs and philosophy. Please call 212-223-8794 (Admissions) to schedule your visit.

 Review Process
 

Our admissions team of psychologists, teachers, speech and language therapists and administrators review the materials submitted to determine candidate’s learning style and level of academic, social, emotional and behavioral functioning. If it appears we have a program suited to an applicant’s needs, an appointment is arranged for the applicant to be interviewed. Our team of educators conducts a detailed diagnostic screening of each applicant. The parents will meet with the Admissions Director during this time. Our admissions team then meets to carefully consider the suitability of our program and whether an appropriate class grouping is available for each applicant. Parents and applicants are then interviewed by the Executive Director. Such intense scrutiny and care is taken by our team at this early stage so as to prevent, as much as possible, the devastating effects of a mismatch of our special students.

At the high school level, applicants are invited to spend time in our school to aid in the decision-making process.
 
Notification Procedure

As we are aware of each family’s anticipation of a swift answer, we make every effort to notify applicants as quickly as is feasible of a decision. If an applicant is accepted, parents must reserve their placement with an IEP with The Child School/Legacy High School designated as the student’s new school by the Department of Education or they have the option of paying privately for tuition.

Registration
 

Parents of newly accepted students must obtain an IEP with our school’s name prior to attending.   A Registration Meeting should be scheduled with our Admissions Director in order to receive additional details and forms required for attendance. Once enrolled, we conduct two special sessions for parents to get to know their new school better. A dinner event, held during the summer gives parents of newly enrolled students the chance to get to know one another and staff. A second tour, conducted during school hours in September gives parents the chance to see our facility while students are in class. This tour is guided by members of our Parent Association.