Applying to the Lower School

List of 10 items.

• Step 1 Detail – Where do I start? How do I schedule a Tour?

  To learn more about St. Stephen's and St. Agnes Lower School, please complete the online Inquiry Form so we can mail you materials. To learn more about the Early Saints program, please contact Katherine Carbo at 703-212-2705.
  
  While the priority application deadline for the 2020-21 school year has passed, we are happy to continue to accept applications for admission. I encourage you to expedite the process completing all the necessary steps to be considered. We will process those applications in April 2020, pending any remaining available spaces at that time.
  
  Please also note that all events and tours for prospective parents have closed until the spring. Families who wish to visit campus prior to applying are invited to join us in April. Please complete our inquiry form to be invited to those events. Families who are applying for admission but have not seen the School will be able to tour when they come for their admission appointment once they have completed all other aspects of the application process.
  
  The best way to get to know us is by visiting our idyllic campus tucked in a quiet Alexandria neighborhood. Contact our Admission Office at 703-212-2705 to schedule your visit.
  
  Scroll below to see detailed instructions on how to make a My SSSAS account to begin the application process.
  
  

• Step 2 Detail – How do I schedule a Parent Interview?

  After you have completed a Tour, the next step is to schedule a Parent Interview with a member of the Lower School Admission Office. 
  
  You may schedule this interview through your My SSSAS portal, by emailing HStarek@sssas.org or by calling 703-212-2705.
  
  Scroll below to see detailed instructions on how to make a My SSSAS account to begin the application process.

• Step 3 Detail – How can I get started on my child's application?

  While the priority application deadline has passed, we are happy to continue to accept applications for admission. If applying for the 2020-21 school year, I encourage you to expedite the process completing all the necessary steps to be considered. 
  
  Start an application from your My SSSAS account that was established when you requested information or through the APPLY link. Once you are in your My SSSAS account you will be guided through the admission process via checklist prompts.
  
  We will process those applications in April 2020, pending any remaining available spaces at that time. Please also note that all events and tours for prospective parents have closed until the spring. Families who wish to visit campus prior to applying are invited to join us in April. Please complete our inquiry form to be invited to those events. Families who are applying for admission but have not seen the School will be able to tour when they come for their admission appointment once they have completed all other aspects of the application process.
  
  Hint: As with all online accounts, keep track of your secure log-in information so you can manage your application moving forward. If you have trouble remembering your log-in information, just click the Forgot Password link in the lower right corner of the log-in box.
  
  Please submit your completed application and $75 fee by January 15, 2020. After this date, call the Lower School Admission Office at 703-212-2705 for more information.
  
  

  January 15th is our priority deadline to submit your online application. We look forward to working with you to complete the process, including receiving testing, recommendations, and school records, and completing your appointment with the Admission Office.  Applications submitted by January 15th and completed in time for review by the Admission Committee will receive a first round admission decision on March 6th.

  
  

  For applications received after January 15th, the Admission Office will work closely with families to expedite the process and complete all steps of the application as soon as possible.  While a first round admission decision can not be guaranteed, a strong partnership between the applicant family and SSSAS may allow us to process your application in time to receive a decision on March 6th.  If all of the aspects of the application can not be completed in a timely manner, second round decisions will be made in early April, as space allows.

   

• Step 4 Detail – How and with whom do I schedule the individual aptitude test?

  Junior Kindergarten through grade 4 applicants must submit aptitude testing (Early Saints and grade 5 applicants do not need testing). Parents schedule this test directly with an independent examiner or a Testing Center. Test results are due to our office on January 15, 2020. It is best to schedule as soon as possible in the Fall because appointments are more readily available. Reference list below.
  
  The independent examiner you chose will send results directly to our office.
  
  Children under the age of 6, take the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-IV)
  Children age 6 and older, take the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition (WISC-V).
  
  Although we are unable to endorse any particular agency or individual, the following test sites provide admission testing for many area schools: 
  
  

  Andrea Armstrong, PsyD

  2104 Mount Vernon Ave.

  Alexandria, VA 22301

  703-249-9140

  
  Isabelle Blackwood-Ellis
  Psychological and Educational Associates
  7826 Eastern Ave., NW, Suite 325
  Washington, DC 20012
  202-726-6062 Ext. 4

   
  

  Georgetown Psychology Associates

  Offers testing in Georgetown, McLean, and Bethesda

  1321 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC 20007
  202-333-6251

  
  6862 Elm St., Ste. 230 

  McLean, VA 22101

  703-556-6655

  
  4915 Auburn Ave., Ste. 303 

  Bethesda, MD 20814

  301-652-5550
  
  

  Barbara B. Keller, Ph.D.

  Licensed Clinical Psychologist

  2016 Mt. Vernon Ave. #201

  Alexandria, VA 22301

  703-280-2931

  
  Dr. Karen Larson & Associates, LLC
  19415 Deerfield Avenue, Suite #308
  Lansdowne, VA 20176
  703-443-1599

  
  

  Traci R. Miller, Ph.D.
  Licensed Clinical Psychologist

  Offers testing on the SSSAS Lower School campus and in Alexandria

  2016 Mt. Vernon Ave. #201

  Alexandria, VA 22301
  703-967-5852
  
  

  The Center for Cognitive Therapy and Assessment

  300 North Washington St.

  Suite 304
  Falls Church, VA 22046
  703-618-0900

   

  Old Town Therapy for Kids
  1414 Prince Street
  Suite 312
  Alexandria, VA 22314
  703-618-0900
  
  

  Amy Fortney Parks, PhD-R

  WISE Mind Solutions

  2121 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite 230

  Alexandria, VA 22314

  844-947-3326
  
  

  Amy L. Wood, Ph.D.
  118 E Del Ray Avenue
  Alexandria, VA 22301
  703-348-6427 Ext. 117 

  
  If Your Child is Applying to Other Schools
  St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School has an agreement with the following schools to share standardized test results: Alexandria Country Day School, Beauvoir, Browne, Bullis, Burgundy Farm, Capitol Hill Day, Congressional, Flint Hill, Georgetown Day, Holton Arms, Langley, Maret, McLean, National Cathedral, National Presbyterian, Norwood, Potomac, St. Patrick's, Sandy Spring Friend's School, Sheridan, Sidwell Friends, Stone Ridge, Washington Episcopal, and Woods Academy.

• Step 5 Detail – Can you tell me more about the student Visit Day?

  After the completed application is received, parents will be invited by email to a specific date and time for their child's Visit Day. 
  

  • Early Saints will be invited to an individual readiness screening with a current teacher in January. Parents will be notified of the date and time later in Fall 2019.

  • JK-grade 1 will be invited to spend a Saturday morning in a classroom setting with other prospective students. This is an opportunity to work with teachers and interact informally in a classroom setting.

  • Grades 2-5 will be invited to spend a morning in a classroom of their current grade while school is in session. 

• Step 6 Detail – What are support documents and how do I get those submitted?

  Application materials such as Teacher Evaluation and Release of Records forms are available in your My SSSAS portal account.
  
  We recommend submitting both forms to your school after December 1, 2019, to ensure they are received by our office by January 15, 2020.  Forms may be submitted via our My SSSAS online portal, emailed to HStarek@sssas.org or may be mailed to 400 Fontaine St. Alexandria, VA 22302.
  
  

• Do you offer before and after school care?

  Yes, Extended Day Programs are available for students in Early Saints, JK and K through grade 5. We also offer optional Enrichment activities to Lower School students including those in Extended Day.
  
  Lower School options include a morning session from 7 to 8 a.m. and afternoon options until 6 p.m. A quiet time for rest and/or homework is a part of each day. Crafts, games, and outdoor play fill the extended day afternoon. Drop-in care is available on a limited, reservation-only basis. Fees are assessed based on hours required.

• How do kids get to SSSAS? Is there bus transportation to campus?

  Some families carpool or walk to school. And many students ride one of the many bus routes to and from school or our shuttle service. Our bus fleet at SSSAS provides service to the major jurisdictions: Alexandria, Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince William Counties in Virginia; Prince George’s County in Maryland; and the District of Columbia. The service picks students up from specific locations in their communities. Please contact us for detailed information.
  
  

  Morning and afternoon shuttles run between the three SSSAS campuses to reduce the need for families to drive between campuses. This is convenient for those who live near one campus, with children attending class on another campus, to avoid traffic congestion. Each campus has morning and afternoon departures to the other two campuses and the Braddock Road Metro. There is no charge for the shuttle service for SSSAS students.

• How much is tuition and is tuition assistance available?

  We are fully aware that an independent school education is a major investment. A number of options are available to help you meet the cost of our education.
  
  Visit the Tuition and Financial Assistance page for the most accurate and detailed information.
  

• What do I do if I have students applying to different campuses?

  If you have children who may be applying to different campuses, please contact the Admission Director for your oldest child.
  
  Middle and Upper School — Grades 6-12, Alicia Blanding
  Lower School — Early Saints, Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten-grade 5, Heather Starek