GENERAL
Who is eligible to enroll?
All of our classes, including non-academic
subjects, are designed with gifted and high-achieving students in mind. Because of this, we require all of our new
students to obtain a recommendation from their current teacher. We strongly
suggest that prior to enrolling you discuss our program with your child's
teacher to determine if it is appropriate.
My child is gifted and has a learning
disability. Is this program
appropriate?
For all new students, we require a
recommendation from their current teacher. We strongly suggest that prior to
enrolling you discuss our program with your child's teacher to determine if it
is appropriate.
We have successfully integrated many gifted
students with learning disabilities in the past. However, we hold all students to the same academic
standards, and we cannot guarantee that any individual teacher or staff member
will have knowledge about how to work with any specific disability. Our teachers set the standards of
behavior in their classroom, and all students are expected to conform to their
teacher's rules. Because of this,
the level of structure and standards of behavior can vary from teacher to
teacher and from class to class.
You should consider each class description
carefully, including the "Special Skills Required" at the end of
each, to help determine whether that class is appropriate for your child.
Do I have to be a member to sign up for
classes?
Yes, we are a membership-based nonprofit
organization.
Where do your teachers come from?
Most of our teachers are full-time teachers
at schools in the area. Some are people with special talents or knowledge who
enjoy teaching in the summer. As a precaution, we do run background checks on
all of our new teachers.
Can I visit the campus prior to class
start?
We only rent classroom space at the school.
We cannot offer any visits to the school prior to the start of Session 1.
PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE SCHOOL. You are welcome to visit us any time during
our program dates and hours, but please do not disturb the teachers,
activities, classrooms, or janitorial or other school staff.
How do I get in contact with GCA?
You can call the GCA answering machine at
(818) 782-2306. Please note that the machine has a long message with answers to
some common questions. If you must leave a message, please be patient, this is
a very busy time of year and calls are usually made on weekends. Replies can
take up to 3 weeks. For a faster response you can Fax us at (818) 782-2326
or e-mail us at GiftedCA@aol.com. Both give us the ability to reply during
nighttime and weekends and will generally come quicker than a phone message.
When you get your registration packet it will include a cell phone number for
emergency contact with the GCA staff at the school. DO NOT CONTACT THE
SCHOOL! They are not involved with
our program other than providing us classroom space.
CLASS SELECTION
How should I choose classes?
Have your child look at the schedule of classes
for his/her grade as of September this year. Be sure to look at the session(s)
and periods you wish your child to attend. Then look at the class descriptions
for each class that interests your child. It is important that your child tries
to find classes that meet his or her interests to ensure an enjoyable time for
all.
How do you determine the grade of the
students?
We go by the grade the child will be going
into as of September of this year. So if your child is in 2nd grade and will be
in 3rd grade in September, then your child should choose classes in the 3rd-5th
schedule of classes.
Can my child take a class that is offered
for an older grade group?
No. There are no exceptions to this rule. Our
classes already have a wide range in ages and abilities and we feel it is best
that children do not join classes that are intended for a higher grade.
Can my child go into a class that is
offered for a younger grade?
This is not commonly approved. We will only approve
this on a case-by-case basis with very special circumstances.
My child only wants to attend one period
of a two-period class; can he or she do that?
No. We have very few classes that are
two-period classes, but they are scheduled that way because of the time needed
to complete the project(s). All students are required to be signed up for both
periods the class is offered in the same session.
REGISTRATION
What do I need to send to complete
registration?
You need to send the Registration Form, the
Conditions Of Enrollment And Emergency Forms, Membership Form, and our students
who are in K through 6th grade must have a Recommendation Form on file. Also
remember to include a payment for at least half of the total fees. (PayPal
registrations must be paid in full.) Please be sure that all forms are filled
out completely and accurately and signed where applicable. We highly recommend
that you have second and third choices for all periods your child will attend.
Where do I send my registration?
Please send all registrations to GCA, 13418
Debby St., Valley Glen CA 91401. You can also hand deliver your registrations
to the same address and place them in the large white box on the porch. Any
hand-delivered registrations will be processed with the same day's mail. PayPal
registrations will be processed on the day we recieve confirmation of payment
from PayPal. We will accept on site registration if space is available on the
first day of the session. DO NOT CONTACT THE SCHOOL.
Should I mail my application with special
handling?
When you decide how to send your application,
please consider that there is often no one at the Debby Street address during
normal delivery times and we are not able to go to the post
office/FedEx/UPS/etc. to pick up. We recommend that you do NOT send anything using a method that requires a
signature, as there could be significant delays before delivery would occur or
your paperwork might be returned if the carrier cannot reach us.
What happens if my child's first choice is
full?
We will first try to place your child in
their second choice, or if that is not available, the third choice. If none of
your child's choices are available or if there is no second or third choice
listed we will try to contact you via phone and/or e-mail. It is important to
list additional choices because our classes can fill up and close while we are
trying to contact you.
Is there any way to get my child into a
full class?
No. There is a strict limit of 20 students
per class to give each student quality time to experience all that we offer.
All of our classes are filled on a first-come-first-served basis with parent
reps given priority in complete registrations received the same day.
If your child does not get in his or her first choice, they will be enrolled in
their second choice and put on the waiting list for the first choice class. If
the second choice is also full, your child is also placed on that waiting list
and enrolled in the third choice class. If an opening comes up, the people on
the waiting list will be contacted in the order their registrations were
received until any available spaces are filled.
Is there anyway to know which classes are
full?
We try to maintain a list of full classes on
our website and try to update it within a day or so of a class filling. Please
remember that we can receive many applications in a day and no one can
guarantee that there will be space in a class when your application is
processed.
Can my child take only one class?
Yes, but you will be required to pay the half
day costs for the two weeks because we cannot fill the space in the period that
your child will not be attending.
Can my child take one week in a session?
Yes, but you must pay for the entire
session. Please keep in mind when
registering that some classes rely heavily on group projects or activities, and
these can be significantly impacted by the loss of a group member for half of
the session.
When will I know what classes my child
will be in?
You will receive a postcard or e-mail shortly
after we process your application letting you know that your application was
received, but it will not include a class schedule. We will be giving out class
schedules as well as other important paperwork at our Summer Picnic in mid to
late June. Details about the picnic will accompany your registration
confirmation. For those who do not attend, we will mail a class confirmation
the following Monday.
FEES
Because I don't know what classes my child
will get into, what supply fees should I pay?
Please pay the supply fees for your child's
first choice. We will credit or bill you as needed for the balance if your
child gets into his/her second or third choice.
If my child changes classes, will the
supply fee be credited to the new class?
You can only get credit for the supply fee
for the original class if you change before the class confirmation has been
sent or in the event of a class cancellation. After class confirmations have
been sent, if you wish to switch classes you will be responsible for the new
supply fee and will receive no credit for the supply fee paid for the class you
are leaving. This is also true if, after classes have started, your child is
offered a space in a class for which he or she was on the waiting list.
Do I have to pay membership fees for each
child?
No. Membership fees are per family and last
from June 1st to May 31st each year (except lifetime membership).
Can I make payments on summer fees?
If paying by check or money order, yes; but
anyone not paying in full will have a $10 processing fee added to their
balance, which must be paid no later than June 1st. If paying by PayPal, no;
PayPal registrations must be paid in full.
Is there a scholarship program?
Yes, We have a limited scholarship program
for those who are in need. The scholarship can cover no more than half of the
class fees and does not include membership, supply, or insurance fees. If you
are interested, please send your registration forms with a letter explaining
your need and a payment for half of the other applicable fees if possible. Our
board will review all requests in June. We will contact you to let you know the
board's decision and what money you owe. Please remember that we are a
nonprofit organization and our scholarship money is limited and comes mostly from
donations from our members.
AT THE CAMPUS
Is there any Before Care?
Yes and no.
We have an independent contractor who--for a
separate fee--provides care beginning at 8:00 am. Arrangements are made directly with the service, and you pay
them directly. Please see the flyer for details.
If you do not take advantage of the service, students
are not to be left on campus more than 5 minutes before class start or 8:55 am
for morning and full day students. Afternoon students are not to be left before
12:15. Parents of morning and full day students are asked to walk their
children to their first period class.
Is there After Care?
Yes, We have supervised After Care until 5pm
for afternoon and full day students and 1pm for morning students. All students must
be picked up before this time. If you are late there is a $2 per minute fee
due when you pick up your child.
Can you help me find a carpool?
We have a carpool form. The carpool form
should be sent directly to the carpool coordinator, whose address is on the
form, and NOT to the Debby Street office. Please fill out the form
completely. We will do our best to match you with others in your area, and then
you will be responsible to make the calls and carpool arrangements. We cannot
guarantee carpool matches.
What are parent reps?
Parent reps are volunteers that help with
taking roll, setting up snacks, assisting with supervision during snacks and
lunch, as well as occasionally assisting teachers when needed. This helps keeps
our costs down. Anyone signing up to be a PR will get priority registration for
the day their application is received. Some days are busier than others, but
extra hands and eyes are always welcome. Please list the best day(s) on the
registration form to help with scheduling.
Will your snacks meet my child's special
dietary needs?
We cannot guarantee that we can accommodate
special diets (i.e., kosher foods or food allergies). If your child requires a
special diet then we suggest that you pack a snack for them each day.