Here
are some frequently asked questions about Enrollment and Billing at Adventure
Time:
When
are you open?
Adventure Time Extended Day Care hours of operation for your school are
listed in the tuition schedule available in our classrooms. All programs
operate Monday through Friday. Our regular program follows the holiday schedule
of the School District, however, we offer holiday care on an hourly basis
at selected school sites during most of the school holidays. We are closed
on: Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas
Eve Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve Day, New Year's Day, President's
Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day. We are open all other
weekdays 12 months per year.
What
hours may I enroll my child? Is
there a minimum number of hours?
Children may enroll either before school, after school, or both. Before
school enrollment must begin on the hour, half-hour, or quarter-hour (for
tuition purposes). After school attendance begins when school is dismissed
and must end on the hour, half-hour, or quarter-hour. Minimum enrollment
is five hours per week per child. A child's schedule must be the same each
week.
How
much is tuition?
Tuition amounts are listed on the tuition schedule available in our classrooms.
The amounts listed on the tuition schedule are listed in hours per week
for convenience in computing monthly amounts. There is a 20% discount for
families with two or more siblings enrolled.
Why
is the monthly tuition the same each month even though some months have
more school days than others? Do we pay for holidays?
You pay only for the approximately 180 days school is open during the school
year in your regular monthly tuition. Non-school days are not included in
the regular monthly tuition. Each month, you are paying for the average
number of school days in a billing period rather than the actual number
of school days in a particular billing period. While some billing periods
have fewer teaching days than others, such as months with holidays, others
have more teaching days. Each billing period you are actually paying for
approximately 18.95 school days (the average per month over the school year).
Holidays or other non-school days are not computed in the regular monthly
tuition. Holiday or non-school day tuition is separate. Please see our tuition
schedule for holiday or non-school day tuition amounts for those children
who attend on any or all of these days.
Why
is holiday tuition not included in the regular monthly tuition?
The regular monthly tuition is computed based on the number of hours per
week and the specific schedule that you have signed-up for on school days.
If a child attends on a holiday, his or her schedule on that day is usually
different than his or her schedule on a school day. In many cases, children
attend only on school days and do not take advantage of our holiday operations.
Therefore, regular monthly tuition is based only on the days school is in
session during the school year.
When is tuition due?
For convenience in budgeting, tuition for the school year is payable in
nine installments. Payments are due in advance on the first day of each
month. Exceptions: By the first day of school, tuitions for the first day
through September 30 is due. Also, the tuition due on May 1 is one and one-half
month`s tuition for the period May 1 through the last day of school in June.
If tuition is not received within five days after the due date, a $15.00
late payment fee will be charged. Monthly tuition in Adventure Time is based
on the number of school days in the school year (approximately 180). If
a child attends on holidays, tuition for these days is additional.
Where
do I pay my tuition? Will I be billed?
Please mail your tuition check to: Adventure Time, P.O. Box 5009, Berkeley,
CA 94705-0009 or leave your tuition payment in the locked drop box on our
Parent Bulletin Board in our classroom. A statement will be sent to you
around the 20th of each month for the next billing period. Monthly statements
are sent as a reminder. As there are occasionally delays in the mail, we
cannot be responsible for the successful delivery of your statements by
the postal service. It is the responsibility of parents to make tuition
payments on time regardless of whether they receive their statements. If
you are unsure of the amount you owe and you do not receive your statement,
please pay the amount you believe you owe and enclose a note with your payment
requesting the correct amount or call our office at: 510-658-7412 to request
the correct amount. Please allow plenty of time for your check to reach
us by mail.
Why
is there so little time between the date statements are mailed (on the 20th)
and the date payments are due (on the 1th)?
To insure that statements are accurate and as up-to-date as possible, we
like to record all payments and miscellaneous charges before statement are
prepared.
May
I change my child's schedule during the school year?
A schedule change may be requested in writing on a schedule change form
at any time during the school year and will be granted as long as space
is available. If the number of hours in child`s schedule is reduced, the
corresponding reduction in tuition will take effect at the beginning of
the next billing period (the 1st of the month). Increases in a child schedule
will be reflected in tuition on the date the change occurs. To change your
child's schedule, please fill out a "Schedule Change" form.
Do
I need to sign my child in and out of the program?
Yes. When your child is dropped-off or picked-up, please sign him/her in
and out on the sheet on our Parent Bulletin Board. Children enrolled in
the before school program should be escorted by a parent or responsible
adult in the morning. We are not responsible for children who are enrolled
before school until they enter our room in the morning.
May
my child walk home from Adventure Time?
Yes. If you would like your child to walk home from Adventure Time, he or
she is twelve years or older, and you feel that your child is old enough
and responsible enough to walk home safely, please complete a "Walk
Home Permission" form and return it to us to keep in your child's file.
If you or another adult over 18 years of age does not come into the classroom
to pick up your child, we need to have this form completed.
What
happens if one of my tuition checks is returned to you unpaid by the bank?
Any check returned to us by the bank for insufficient funds will be subject
to a $10.00 charge (for the first bad check). If we receive a second bad
check from a family, we will charge a $20.00 service charge and require
that they pay future tuition by cashier's check, money order, or cash. All
checks returned from the bank must be replaced by cashier's check, money
order, or cash.
In
an emergency, is it possible for my child to stay at Adventure Time additional
time beyond his/her regular schedule?
Yes. We have a drop-in service which is available to families enrolled in
our program. In unexpected situations your child may stay in our program
extra time (at additional cost). Please complete a "Drop-In Request"
form and leave it in the manila envelope on the Parent Bulletin Board in
our classroom. We will add drop-in charges to your monthly statement. Please
refer to our tuition schedule available in our classroom for drop-in rates.
If
my child is absent, do I get credit for the unused time?
No. We are unable to give you credit, either in time or money, for days
your child does not attend his or her scheduled time in our program. Adventure
Time is operated by a non-profit organization, and our budgeting requires
a consistent income from month-to-month. Since we cannot fill your child's
space when he or she is absent, we need to charge you for this time. We
are unable to "trade" absent time for other hours because this
would cause problems for teachers in keeping attendance and could result
in over-enrollment at times.
If
my child is going to be absent, do I need to call Adventure Time?
Yes. If your child is going to be absent, please let us know sometime before
his or her scheduled arrival.
Is
it possible to withdraw my child from Adventure Time during the school year?
Yes. To withdraw from Adventure Time between the first day of the school
year and April30, please complete an Enrollment Discontinued form. Tuition
obligation will extend through the last day of enrollment. Due to our stuffing
commitments, tuition for May 1st to the end of the school year cannot be
refunded. If a child withdaws from Adventure Time after April 30, our parent
agreement requires that tuition be paid through the end of the school year.
What
happens if I pick my child up after closing time?
We ask that you provide the name and phone number of another person authorized
to pick up your child in the event that you are unable to do so by closing
time. Our lease with the School District and our insurance carrier both
specify that we are not to have children in our programs after closing time.
If a child is picked up after closing, there is a $10.00 charge for each
fifteen minute interval after closing. During the school year, this charge
will be added to your account and must be paid by the due date on your statement.
How
do I enroll my child(ren) in Adventure Time?
A child must first be enrolled in the elementary school where Adventure
Time is located before he or she may enroll in the Adventure Time program.
To enroll, please send your Enrollment Application, a $25 application fee,
and one-and-one-half month's tuition to our office at: Post Office 5009,
Berkeley, CA 94705, or leave your application and check in the locked box
in our classroom. To determine tuition amount, please see our tuition schedule
available in our classroom. If you are unsure of the exact amount, please
pay the amount you believe to be correct, and this payment will appear on
your first statement along with the correct monthly tuition. If you are
enrolling after school begins in the fall, please complete an enrollment
packet in addition to the Enrollment Application. All forms must be completed
and a month-and-one-half's tuition paid before the first day of attendance.
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