Dear Harbor Families,
If you are new to independent schools, understanding the enrollment/admissions cycle can be a bit daunting. In particular, you might be wondering why families are asked to re-enroll in February, when there are several more months of this school year ahead of us. Here’s a crash course on enrollment for you!

The timing is actually highly coordinated and based on a number of factors. As an accredited independent school, we are members of a network of independent schools in the DMV that agree on admissions notification dates (this year that date is in early March) so that families who are applying to more than one school can make decisions within an appropriate time frame. In making admissions decisions about new students, we need to know the number of spots available as well as the make-up of the classroom to ensure a well-balanced class community. In addition, schools need to know which students are returning for the following school year in order to make decisions about budgeting, staffing, and awarding financial aid. 

Throughout the fall and winter, our admissions office has held open houses, individual tours, student visits, and parent conversations to meet potential Harbor students. There are a lot of wonderful families who would love to join our community! In order to make admissions decisions by early March, we need your help to ensure that the re-enrollment process is complete by February 21st.

Next Friday, February 7th, re-enrollment will open for 2025-26. That morning from 9-10 AM, we invite all of you to a very special Open Classrooms experience, where you will visit your child’s classroom for the next school year. We hope you will enjoy this “sneak peek” into your child’s experience as they continue to grow through these important years of development, and enjoy learning a little about what next year has in store for them! (As Kindergarten is a pivotal year of learning, we will also offer a more in-depth look at the kindergarten program for interested families that morning following Open Classrooms.)

If you are still considering whether or not to re-enroll, please don’t hesitate to contact me or Andrea for a conversation. We would be happy to share more about the Harbor program and to help you understand the trajectory of learning for your individual child through the grades, as well as how our preschool through grade three program supports children’s  growth and development in unique and meaningful ways.

Thank you for your support in taking care of this time-sensitive task when re-enrollment opens next Friday! In the meantime, I look forward to seeing many of you at tonight’s community night at Shake Shack (yum!), and for Valentine’s Day Family Yoga on the 13th!

Warmly,

Leah Musico
Head of School