ASA meets once a week on Thursdays. The school year is from September to April. Fall Semester runs from the first week of September to the Thursday before Thanksgiving. Winter Semester is the first week of February to April. The break between Thanksgiving and the beginning of Winter Semester is called Winterim.
The Vision Retreat is held on the Thursday prior to the first day of Fall Semester. The Building Cleanup day and the End-of-the-Year Graduation and Celebration are after the last day of class.
Usually, no school is held the week of Fall Break and Spring Break. However, the Board can determine on a year by year basis to adjust the schedule based on the needs of the school.
The Board creates a school calendar for the upcoming year and shares it at the Spring Meeting and Fall Meeting. The following events are usually included on the school calendar:
Mentor Trainings
Park Days
Retreats
Registration
Tuition due dates
Parent Meetings
Leadership Meetings
Graduation and Banquet
Weeks without classes
A Google calendar with up-to-date dates is available in the Info Center on the website. The Board Secretary is responsible to update the calendar with information provided by committees.
Fees and class tuitions help facilitate the vision and mission of ASA. Without compromising the quality of the ASA experience, the Board and mentors make every effort to keep fees and class tuition as low as possible.
Other fees can be assessed by the Board if necessary.
Payments are made using the registration system or by mailing a check to the Bookkeeper.
Tuition amounts are listed on the website under each class description. Tuition varies based on the class and is approved by the Mentor Support Committee. Tuition is usually listed per semester. If deemed necessary, tuition for winter semester may be adjusted after fall semester has ended but before winter registration.
Tuition due dates are listed on the ASA Google calendar. Tuition can be paid anytime between the time a family registers and the add/drop deadline. Late fees begin to accrue after the add/drop deadline, which is usually the Monday following the second week of class.
Tuition is only paid through the registration system or by check.
Tuition for each class includes the amount requested by the teacher as well as an Operating Fee. The teacher-requested amount covers the cost of class materials and lesson activities. The Operating Fee helps cover the administrative costs of running ASA, similar to the Family Fee assessed at the beginning of each year. This split in fee structure ensures that each family shoulders the burden equally for part of the administrative cost and each student assumes the rest based on the number of classes they take.
MAC class tuition does not include the Operating Fee, since this would mean that mentors who need help with childcare would pay extra for the privilege of mentoring, which is not the intent of the fee.
ASA understands that it’s not always possible to foresee situations and adjustments to accounts are necessary. Fees are assessed because of the costs that are involved in making invoice changes.
Due dates for fees are announced at the Spring Meeting and posted on the ASA Google Calendar.
The Add/drop fee is added by the Registrar when making the account adjustment. The purpose of this fee is to acknowledge the additional time and cost associated with making account adjustments.
Requests for a payment plan are made through a system setup by the Bookkeeper.
The dates for each monthly payment are sent to the family by the Bookkeeper or Treasurer.
Registration is managed by the Registrar with oversight by the Tech Committee.
Registration for different aspects of ASA occurs three times during the school year.
Any outstanding account balances must be paid in full in order for a family to participate in the next registration period.
Following the Spring Meeting, registration is opened for families to claim their spot for the next ASA school year. The Family Fee and the Student Fees are paid at School Registration.
4.3.1.2 Fall Registration
Fall Registration usually takes place in August. During Fall Registration, students register for fall classes and the Vision Retreat. Every student must register for every class they attend, even if their parent is mentoring the class. Tuition and Vision Retreat costs may be paid when a family registers using the registration system or later by check. All money for Fall Semester is due by the Add/Drop deadline unless a payment plan is requested by the family and created by the Treasurer.
4.3.1.3 Winter Registration
Winter Registration takes place in January. During Winter Registration, students register for all winter classes, including the second half of full-year classes. Tuition may be paid when a family registers using the registration system or later by check. All money for Winter Semester is due by the Add/Drop deadline unless a payment plan is requested.
4.3.1.4 Other Registration
The registration system may be used at other times of the year to simplify purchasing items like shirts or yearbooks.
ASA uses a software called ASAP to run all registration. ASAP simplifies the process of collecting money, tracking waitlists, and managing accounts. ASA pays a small fee each time an invoice is processed, which is calculated by ASAP as a small percentage of the total amount of the invoice. A credit card processing fee is also charged if a family pays with a credit card. Both of these fees are deducted by ASAP before money is deposited in the ASA bank account.
Prior to the beginning of each registration period, the Registrar prepares the registration system for registration. Information for School Registration is coordinated by the Secretary as head of the Tech Committee. Class information is on the Class Information spreadsheet and is entered after it is approved by the Mentor Support Committee. Whenever possible, the registration system does not list class details but instead links to website information to avoid duplicating or creating conflicting information.
The Secretary oversees all communication related to registration instructions and dates that are sent to families prior to each registration period, but communication can be delegated to the Registrar.
The Registrar helps new families set up their registration account. All families should check their information (address, phone numbers, etc) each time they register.
During registration, the Registrar actively watches the registration system to make sure everything is working smoothly. The Registrar observes waitlist numbers and checks to make sure that families are registering correctly. She also sends out deadline reminders.
The Registrar ensures that the total number of families and students does not exceed the amount allowed by the ASA bylaws (see Article V.5). The Registrar communicates with the Family Support Committee how many additional spots are available for new families.
After Fall and Winter Registration ends, the Registrar sends a tentative class roster to each mentor. Rosters should be sent at least two weeks before classes begin to give teachers time to prepare classes and purchase materials. Rosters are also sent to the Facilities Committee so they can make cleaning assignments.
Most information for full-year classes stays the same for Winter Semester. However, the Mentor Support Committee still checks with mentors to see if any class information has changed (especially tuition) and then communicates any changes to the Registrar and the Webmaster.
For new classes beginning Winter Semester, mentors submit class information through the Class Information form on the website, which is then approved and posted using the same process as full-year classes.
After the Add/Drop period has ended, the Registrar contacts each mentor and confirms that all the students attending the class are the same as the students enrolled in the class. If there is a discrepancy, the Registrar communicates with parents and mentors and then adjusts the registration system. The Bookkeeper then makes sure that all tuition is paid.
No more than 75 students can be enrolled at ASA during each school year. ASA limits the number of students (and by extension families) that participate in ASA to preserve an atmosphere of excellence, scholarship and unity.
While the bylaws only stipulate a maximum number of students, the Board should always take into consideration the number of families that are being admitted since that number can vary depending on the number of children per family.
The Board may choose to admit fewer students if the ideal number of families is reached (usually between 40 and 42) because 75 students often stretches class sizes past the ideal. Fewer total students may actually be a better choice some years depending on how many classes students are taking and the overall load on certain age groups.
Because ASA often has more families interested in participating than it can accommodate, it uses waitlists to ensure that families and students are all given a fair chance to participate based on when they express interest.
4.3.6.1 ASA Waitlist
When a family is interested in joining ASA, they fill out the “Interested in ASA” form on the website which provides details about the family, students who may attend, and when the form was filled out. If a family leaves ASA and then wishes to come back, they must also fill out the ASA Waitlist.
The Family Support Committee manages the ASA Waitlist and communicates with interested families about what the next steps are to join ASA. This should include recognizing that the waitlist submission was received, informing families about the Spring Meeting and registration dates, and explaining the fees required to officially claim their spot at ASA.
Because often family needs or interest can change after a family puts their name on the waitlist, the survey that is sent out to all current members at the beginning of winter semester is also sent to waitlist members. Filling out this survey is required to maintain their spot on the waitlist, as well as providing all the information the Board needs to help a new family integrate into ASA.
4.3.6.2 Class Waitlists
In order to maintain a successful classroom experience, the Schedule Committee in consultation with the mentors may choose to limit the number of students allowed to take their class.
During Fall and Winter Registration, the registration system tracks who is interested in each class. When the class maximum is reached, students who try to register for the class are added to a Class Waitlist.
If a Class Waitlist exists, a student is trying to enroll in a full-year class Winter semester and is able to enroll in the class but bumps a student who was enrolled fall semester, the Registrar will move the new student to the Waitlist until a decision about increasing the class size is made.
If there are students on the waitlist after the registration period has ended, the Board and mentors counsel together whether or not to raise the maximum number of students allowed in the class considering classroom space, student ages, and quality of teaching. Final class sizes are determined by the Board.
If a class size is increased, the Registrar adjusts the registration system and informs the family.
4.3.7 Adding or Dropping a Class
The Add/Drop Deadline is usually the Monday after the second week of class.
A request through the “Account Adjustment” form on the website must be made in order for an Add/Drop to be processed.
The registrar adjusts accounts in ASAP, and the treasurer verifies the adjustments are accurate and contain the necessary information, including appropriate class additions and deductions. This is especially necessary when the treasurer is reconciling between ASAP, Quickbooks and the budget.
Any costs incurred prior to the add/drop request is not refunded. The student may also be in charge of acquiring their own supplies and should coordinate with the mentors before attending class.
An Add/Drop Fee per student (not class) is applied to each time the schedule is changed.
If a student wishes to drop all classes and leave ASA, they must inform the Registrar on the website.