FAQ

My student(s) is/are placed on a waitlist at Registration. When do I find out if my student can enroll?

Students are admitted off of the waitlist on a rolling basis pending availability. We will continue to review waitlist enrollment after Registration closes up until the cancellation/refund deadline which is May 30. Waitlist spots do occasionally open up. However, an open spot is the result of someone dropping from the program which is hard to predict for each grade, class and year. Aftercare spots may open up until the start of the program.

If you need to make firm plans and are unable to remain on the waitlist, please let us know. There is no fee charged to remain on the waitlist. For more information on class size, please see additional FAQs below.

I enrolled one of my kids, but the sibling is waitlisted. What happens now?

We do our best to accommodate siblings and schedules as best as possible. However, waitlist spots are based on registration timestamps.

Should I enroll my child in a different grade if their grade is full?

We ask that your student enroll in the grade they will attend for the upcoming school year. Example: If your student completed kindergarten in the Spring and will attend 1st grade in the Fall, please enroll them in 1st grade.

Why isn’t Daruma a full-day program?

Since its inception, Daruma has been a half-day program based on volunteer commitments, staff preference and site logistics. The half-day program allows Daruma to recruit skilled, credentialed teachers who deliver to students a rich Nikkei cultural arts curriculum that Daruma has developed and honed over many years. We understand this may not fit the needs of every family, but we try our best to balance the abilities of our volunteer-run leadership and co-op format with the reality of busy families.  Aftercare is available on a limited basis to try to accommodate extra childcare hours at a reasonable fee.  Please consider helping and join our volunteer Board or make a donation to continue to grow and evolve the Daruma-no-Gakko program.