Posts in Early Childhood

Under normal circumstances, the new school year starts with our summer term, the day after Memorial Day, near the end of May or beginning of June depending on the calendar. This is the beginning of our 12-month option. Our fall term and 10-month option begins in August and closely follows the Arlington ISD school calendar, though, we usually begin a week before AISD.

We are open for the 2020-2021 school year! The first day of school was August 10 and the last day will be May 28. We have added an additional 2 weeks to the school year to try to offset possible future stay-at-home orders. 

Our ratios vary by program and have changed for the 2020-21 school year due to COVID-19:

   -- Infant – 1:4 (2 teachers for 8 students)

   -- Toddler – 1:7 (2 teachers for 14 students)

   -- Early Childhood – 1:10 (2 teachers to 20 students)

   -- Elementary – 1:10 (2 teacher to 20 students)

While these are the minimum ratios, we have an additional teacher available for each of the Infant, Toddler, and Early Childhood classrooms throughout the day. Elementary students also participate in Enrichment classes with Enrichment Specialist teachers.

All families provide their own healthy lunch options for their children.

Parents provide snacks and lunch for children enrolled in the Infant program.

A few times each year, families with students enrolled in the Toddler and Early Childhood programs will receive a list of groceries to purchase to bring for the classroom snack. As part of the Practical Life work in class, students will prepare snack each day.

Lower Elementary students will be assigned a day each month to bring the classroom snack. Upper Elementary students will bring snacks for themselves each day.

The nap schedule for infants is individualized and based on an infant’s age and need.

Toddlers and 2.5 to 3-year old Early Childhood students take a nap in the afternoon, after lunch.

Early Childhood students who are 4-years old are asked to rest for at least 30 minutes each day, with some still needing a full nap and others only resting their bodies for a short time.

Early Childhood students who are 5-years old do not nap and take part in special enrichment classes or work in the afternoon.

Parents of children with diagnosed allergies or asthma are required to provide the school with an individualized health care plan, signed by the child’s medical provider. A list of children with medically documented food allergies is posted in every classroom throughout the school, and a list of the classroom allergens is posted outside of each room. 

TMA was established as a parent cooperative and, as such, requires parental involvement. Not only does community service help to build stronger bonds between community members, but it also provides excellent modeling for the volunteerism that we wish to instill in our students.

Parents pay a Community Service Fee of $300 each year, $150 for the fall term and $150 for the spring term. If one or more members of your family volunteer at TMA for 5 hours each semester or 10 hours for the year, you will be refunded the entirety of the Community Service Fee, or you may contribute it to the Scholarship Fund.

Several forms of communication are used to meet the needs of our community. These include email, texting, phone calls, Microsoft Teams, written documentation, parent/teacher conferences, a parent portal on our website, a closed Facebook group, and Bloomz, a photo/video sharing app so parents can catch glimpses of the work their children are completing.

We produce a weekly e-newsletter to keep parents informed about school-wide activities and events which is available via email, text, our closed Facebook group, the parent portal, and through Bloomz.

For infants, in additional to daily, in-person communication, teachers and parents complete a daily form so both parties know when diapers were changed, meals/snacks were eaten, and naps were taken.  

Injuries will be promptly treated by a staff member and parents will be notified either by telephone or through a copy of a completed Accident/Incident Report form. Parents will receive a short report which documents how, when, and where and accident or incident occurred. 

For the Lower School, the new school year starts the day after Memorial Day, near the end of May or beginning of June depending on the calendar. Our Upper School begins in August and closely follows the Arlington ISD school calendar, though, we usually begin a week before AISD.

Our ratios vary by program and have been lowered due to COVID-19:

  -- Infant – 1:4 (2 teachers for 8 students)

  -- Toddler – 1:7 (2 teachers for 14 students)

  -- Early Childhood – 1:10 (2 teachers to 20 students)

  -- Elementary – 1:10 (2 teacher to 20 students)

While these are the minimum ratios, we have an additional teacher available for each of the Infant, Toddler, and Early Childhood classrooms throughout the day. Elementary students also participate in Enrichment classes with Enrichment Specialist teachers.

All families provide their own healthy lunch options for their children.

Parents provide snacks and lunch for children enrolled in the Infant program.

A few times each year, families with students enrolled in the Toddler and Early Childhood programs will receive a list of groceries to purchase to bring for the classroom snack. As part of the Practical Life work in class, students will prepare snack each day.

Lower Elementary students will be assigned a day each month to bring the classroom snack. Upper Elementary students will bring snacks for themselves each day.

The nap schedule for infants is individualized and based on an infant’s age and need.

Toddlers and 2.5 to 3-year old Early Childhood students take a nap in the afternoon, after lunch.

Early Childhood students who are 4-years old are asked to rest for at least 30 minutes each day, with some still needing a full nap and others only resting their bodies for a short time.

Early Childhood students who are 5-years old do not nap and take part in special enrichment classes or work in the afternoon.

Parents of children with diagnosed allergies or asthma are required to provide the school with an individualized health care plan, signed by the child’s medical provider. A list of children with medically documented food allergies is posted in every classroom throughout the school, and a list of the classroom allergens is posted outside of each room. 

TMA was established as a parent cooperative and, as such, requires parental involvement. Not only does community service help to build stronger bonds between community members, but it also provides excellent modeling for the volunteerism that we wish to instill in our students.

Parents pay a Community Service Fee of $300 each year, $150 for the fall term and $150 for the spring term. If one or more members of your family volunteer at TMA for 5 hours each semester or 10 hours for the year, you will be refunded the entirety of the Community Service Fee, or you may contribute it to the Scholarship Fund.

Several forms of communication are used to meet the needs of our community. These include email, texting, phone calls, Microsoft Teams, written documentation, parent/teacher conferences, a parent portal on our website, a closed Facebook group, and Bloomz, a photo/video sharing app so parents can catch glimpses of the work their children are completing.

We produce a weekly e-newsletter to keep parents informed about school-wide activities and events which is available via email, text, our closed Facebook group, the parent portal, and through Bloomz.

For infants, in additional to daily, in-person communication, teachers and parents complete a daily form so both parties know when diapers were changed, meals/snacks were eaten, and naps were taken.  

Injuries will be promptly treated by a staff member and parents will be notified either by telephone or through a copy of a completed Accident/Incident Report form. Parents will receive a short report which documents how, when, and where and accident or incident occurred. 

Yes. Our enrollment contracts cover an entire school year. If you are admitted after the beginning of a school year, your tuition is pro-rated based on when you enroll. There is a 3-week trial for students enrolled in our Lower School.

For the Lower School, the new school year starts the day after Memorial Day, near the end of May or beginning of June depending on the calendar. Our Upper School begins in August and closely follows the Arlington ISD school calendar, though, we usually begin a week before AISD.

Our ratios vary by program:

  -- Infant – 1:4 (2 teachers for 8 students)

  -- Toddler – 1:8 (2 teachers for 16 students)

  -- Early Childhood – 1:12 (2 teachers to 24 students)

  -- Elementary – 1:18 (1 teacher for up to 18 students)

While these are the minimum ratios, we have an additional teacher available for each of the Infant, Toddler, and Early Childhood classrooms throughout the day. Elementary students also participate in Enrichment classes with Enrichment Specialist teachers.

All families provide their own healthy lunch options for their children.

Parents provide snacks and lunch for children enrolled in the Infant program.

A few times each year, families with students enrolled in the Toddler and Early Childhood programs will receive a list of groceries to purchase to bring for the classroom snack. As part of the Practical Life work in class, students will prepare snack each day.

Elementary students will bring snacks for themselves each day.

The nap schedule for infants is individualized and based on an infant’s age and need.

Toddlers and 2.5 to 3-year old Early Childhood students take a nap in the afternoon, after lunch.

Early Childhood students who are 4-years old are asked to rest for at least 30 minutes each day, with some still needing a full nap and others only resting their bodies for a short time.

Early Childhood students who are 5-years old are asked to rest for at least 30 minutes a day and take part in special enrichment classes or work in the afternoon.

Parents of children with diagnosed allergies or asthma are required to provide the school with an individualized health care plan, signed by the child’s medical provider. A list of children with medically documented food allergies is posted in every classroom throughout the school, and a list of the classroom allergens is posted outside of each room. 

TMA was established as a parent cooperative and, as such, requires parental involvement. Not only does community service help to build stronger bonds between community members, but it also provides excellent modeling for the volunteerism that we wish to instill in our students.

Parents pay a Community Service Fee of $300 each year, $150 for the fall term and $150 for the spring term. If one or more members of your family volunteer at TMA for 5 hours each semester or 10 hours for the year, you will be refunded the entirety of the Community Service Fee, or you may contribute it to the Scholarship Fund.

Several forms of communication are used to meet the needs of our community. These include email, texting, phone calls, Microsoft Teams, written documentation, parent/teacher conferences, a parent portal on our website, a closed Facebook group, and Bloomz, a photo/video sharing app so parents can catch glimpses of the work their children are completing.

We produce a weekly e-newsletter to keep parents informed about school-wide activities and events which is available via email, text, our closed Facebook group, the parent portal, and through Bloomz.

For infants, in additional to daily, in-person communication, teachers and parents complete a daily form so both parties know when diapers were changed, meals/snacks were eaten, and naps were taken.  

Injuries will be promptly treated by a staff member and parents will be notified either by telephone or through a copy of a completed Accident/Incident Report form. Parents will receive a short report which documents how, when, and where and accident or incident occurred. 

Yes. Our enrollment contracts cover an entire year, offering options for a traditional school year of 10 months or a year-round, 12-month option. If you are admitted after the beginning of a school year, your tuition is pro-rated based on when you enroll. There is a 3-week trial for students enrolled in our Lower School.

Each new school year begins in August and closely follows the Arlington ISD school calendar. We offer enrollment throughout the school year on a space-available basis, with tuition being pro-rated for those who start later in the year.

Our ratios vary by program:

  -- Infant – 1:4 (2 teachers for 8 students)

  -- Toddler – 1:8 (2 teachers for 16 students)

  -- Early Childhood – 1:12 (2 teachers to 24 students)

  -- Elementary – 1:18 (1 teacher for up to 18 students)

While these are the minimum ratios, we have an additional teacher available for each of the Infant, Toddler, and Early Childhood classrooms throughout the day. Elementary students also participate in Enrichment classes with Enrichment Specialist teachers.

All families provide their own healthy lunch options for their children.

Parents provide snacks and lunch for children enrolled in the Infant program.

A few times each year, families with students enrolled in the Toddler and Early Childhood programs will receive a list of groceries to purchase to bring for the classroom snack. As part of the Practical Life work in class, students will prepare snack each day.

Elementary students will bring snacks for themselves each day.

The nap schedule for infants is individualized and based on an infant’s age and need.

Toddlers and 3- and 4-year-old Early Childhood students take a nap in the afternoon, after lunch.

Early Childhood students who are 5-years-old take part in special enrichment classes and have another work cycle in the afternoon.

Parents of children with diagnosed allergies or asthma are required to provide the school with an individualized health care plan, signed by the child’s medical provider. A list of children with medically documented food allergies is posted in every classroom throughout the school, and a list of the classroom allergens is posted outside of each room. 

TMA was established as a parent cooperative and, as such, requires parental involvement. Not only does community service help to build stronger bonds between community members, but it also provides excellent modeling for the volunteerism that we wish to instill in our students.

Parents pay a Community Service Fee of $300 each year, $150 for the fall term and $150 for the spring term. If one or more members of your family volunteer at TMA for 5 hours each semester or 10 hours for the year, you will be refunded the entirety of the Community Service Fee, or you may contribute it to the Scholarship Fund.

Several forms of communication are used to meet the needs of our community. These include email, texting, phone calls, written documentation, parent/teacher conferences, a parent portal on our website, a closed Facebook group, and Bloomz, a photo/video sharing app so parents can catch glimpses of the work their children are completing.

We produce a weekly e-newsletter to keep parents informed about school-wide activities and events which is available via email, text, our closed Facebook group, the parent portal, and through Bloomz.

For infants, in additional to daily, in-person communication, teachers record when diapers were changed, meals/snacks were eaten, and naps were taken in the Bloomz app.

Injuries will be promptly treated by a staff member and parents will be notified either by telephone or through a copy of a completed Accident/Incident Report form. Parents will receive a short report which documents how, when, and where and accident or incident occurred.