Application

Our application includes questions for both prospective student/s and their adult/s. Once completed, applications are reviewed by members of Heartwood ALC’s Admissions Working Group, which includes current facilitators, community adults, and kids who have volunteered for the role. Please ensure your answers are fit to be reviewed by our group of community stakeholders. If you have concerns or admissions-related information that you would like only facilitators to know of, please email admin@heartwoodalc.org separately from this application form.

Alongside your application, we ask that families submit a tuition offer. Your offer will then be reviewed by members of our Finance Working Group, which includes current administrating facilitators, community board members, and advisors who have volunteered for the role. Tuition is based on a tier system that corresponds to family income. By trusting families to be generous and reasonable, we increase our accessibility. You will be redirected to our tuition calculator and submission form after you complete the next pages of this application.

Our application has several pages, so please remain in your browser window to be directed to each next page. We look forward to reading your answers below!

The first section of this form, titled “Student Profile - Student Insights” requires input from your student. The sections following are for parent(s)/caregiver(s)/guardian(s) to complete.

Today's Date

YYYY

Student's Name

First Name

Last Name

What is your student's preferred name?

What does your student like to be called?

Student's Pronouns

Student's Date of Birth

YYYY

How did you hear about Heartwood?

STUDENT PROFILE - Student insights

This section is meant to be completed by the student. If necessary or appropriate, the parent/guardian may read and/or type in the information for the student

What did you like most about your last school?

It's ok if your "last school" was/ is homeschool. That counts too.

What didn't you like about your last school?

It's ok if your "last school" was/ is homeschool. That counts too.

What are some things you want to learn about, skills you want to practice, or activities you want to participate in this school year at Heartwood?

What are you good at?

List three of your favorite things to do/ experience/ enjoy?

What is hard for you?

This can be a hobby, an academic subject, a personal goal, an emotional experience, or anything at all

What do you want to get better at?

Same concept as above.

How do you want to grow personally?

Physically? Mentally? Emotionally? Spiritually? Socially? Be a better listener? Learn to regulate your emotions more confidently? Understand your self-worth? Be on time more often? Take care of your body in certain ways?

What do you think Heartwood can give to you?

For instance, what do you want to get out of your time at Heartwood? How might the school contribute to your growth? How might the school support you in being the best version of yourself?

What do you think you can give to Heartwood?

For instance, how do you think you might make the school better?

Student Agreements

An Agile Learning Center is a place where students of all ages are allowed to direct and schedule their learning and activities. Students also participate in shaping the cultural norms of the school environment. Being an Agile learner comes with certain responsibilities. I understand that I am expected to:

Participate in mandatory meetings

Clean up my messes

Assist at afternoon cleanups

Use shared resources mindfully

Honor community agreements that emerge from Change-Up meetings

Respect and care for myself and other community members

Respect others’ learning activities

Be accountable for helping solve conflicts

Honor the dignity of each community member

STUDENT PROFILE - Parent/ Guardian/ Caregiver Insights

This section is intended to be completed by the parent(s) / guardian(s) and/or caregiver(s) of the student

Describe your child(ren)'s prior schooling. Include names, dates, schools attended and reason for leaving.

Describe your child’s personality.

Tell us about your child’s interests.

What do you consider to be your student's greatest area(s) of strength?

What do you consider to be your student's greatest area(s) of need?

Is there anything else you would like us to know about your student?

FAMILY REFLECTIONS - Parent/ Guardian/ Caregiver Insights

At Heartwood, we value self-reflection and growth as essential components in nurturing a community of care. We aim to consider how our thoughts and belief systems inform our actions. As a school founded on the belief that children are people (counter to popularized models of power/ socialization), we aim to acknowledge that many of our belief systems stem from our relationships with power and privilege in greater society. Through interrogating our relationships with power, we aim to grow in knowing ourselves, identifying our needs, and communicating our requests and boundaries of care. All of this enhances our ability to be accountable participants in a community of care. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions below. They emerge from the values statement above and are purposefully open-ended. They are meant as an opportunity to learn more about your family and to spark conversations between the school and your family on these topics.

What examples of community, care, and liberatory practice inspire your family?

What practices help you navigate situations where you or someone else are upset?

What do you do in your family to connect and to reflect?

Deschooling involves unlearning ways of engaging with kids and each other in which we focus on domination and control, usually from a place of fear. What does your deschooling journey include these days?

Remember, applicants need to fill out both the application and the tuition offer form. If you haven’t yet made a tuition offer, you can do so on this page.