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Application Procedures
Parents may initiate the application process by calling (713) 802-1256 and asking to set up an appointment to visit the school. The appointment will be made at a time when classes are in session, so parents can see first-hand whether the program is appropriate for their child. Grandparents or professionals who may work with the child already, including their current teachers, are also invited to visit. If it seems useful to continue the application process after the visit, the next steps are initiated. |
| Parents are invited to submit records of previous assessments of their child, so the clinical staff may review them. Ordinarily, applicants have already been evaluated by one or more skilled professionals, and we prefer initially to rely on those results. After a child is admitted, professional staff continuously reassesses children’s progress through daily observations, weekly staff meetings and other formal and informal measures. |
| If desired by parents, The New School staff will consult with the child’s current or previous school, including observing the child in his current placement. |
| Parents are invited to bring their child for a visit with a teacher or director. No formal testing is done. This visit is an opportunity for the professional staff to observe the child informally and determine what classroom might be appropriate for meeting his or her particular needs. We do this after school hours to be respectful of our currently enrolled children and the applicant. |
| Parents wishing to do so may apply for financial assistance as part of their application. Scholarships are made available through the generosity of private donors. |
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Statement on Therapy
The New School In The Heights offers “wrap-around”, one-stop services to address your child’s educational, socio-emotional, developmental and psychological needs. Individual psychotherapy for students is not provided beyond that afforded by the therapeutic and educational environment of the classroom. “Parent Helper” meetings for parents (and/or other responsible caregivers) are included in the tuition. These are arranged at a mutually convenient time. |
| Some children do benefit from additional individual psychotherapy with a trained professional. If your child is already engaged with one or more “outside” therapists prior to enrolling in The New School In The Heights, our policy is to work with them as closely as possible. We strongly urge them to participate in our staff meetings and to observe often in the classrooms. The more closely they and we can work together, the more help we can be to your child. Generally, we recommend that a decision to add any sort of therapy be delayed for a few months until we have had a chance to know him or her better. |
| While individual therapies are not always recommended, our experience has shown that when they are, our staff who work in the building and observe your child daily are in a position to accumulate a broad range of data usable in therapy. When students have therapists who work outside the building, it is our policy to communicate frequently with them, including even daily faxes or emails to them—with parental consent, of course. |
| Upon request, the Clinical Director can provide a list of experienced and licensed professionals who complement The New School’s professional staff. |
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Policy Statement
The New School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, program and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. |
