Ellen Boniuk Early Childhood School Admissions
Investing in Your Child’s Future
We understand that sending a child to Ellen Boniuk Early Childhood School is a significant commitment for a family. EBECS has a number of options available to help make a quality preschool education attainable for every family. We will attempt to meet the demonstrated need of families who wish to attend our school, subject to budget considerations.
We’re proud that the Ellen Boniuk School, Bertha Alyce School and the J Camp programs are beneficiaries of community support at our annual Children’s Scholarship Ball. Proceeds from the Ball benefit the Irvin Kaplan Children’s Scholarship Fund. Each year more than 300 children are the recipients of the proceeds of this event – children of all religious and ethnic backgrounds in need of financial assistance for infant care, preschool, summer camp and special needs programs.
The Ellen Boniuk Early Childhood School welcomes students of diverse backgrounds, and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation or religion.
Schedule a tour today to learn about the school and the variety of opportunities available to families to become a part of the EBECS community.
Learn More About Admissions
Merfish Family Infant Care Program
The Merfish Family Infant Care Program focuses on providing a caring, safe, and stimulating environment for students beginning at 6-weeks-old. Teachers and staff focus on physical, social, and emotional development, cognitive skills, and language development with our youngest students. Our infants participate in weekly Shabbat programming, music, active play with CATCH, which is the Coordinated Approach to Children’s Health, and much more. EBS teachers and staff work in partnership with parents to ensure a comfortability with current classroom schedules, activities and ensuring students work towards meeting developmental milestones.
Young Toddler & Toddler
EBS’s Young Toddler (starting at 18 months) and Toddler (2-years-old) programs focus on establishing self-control, trust, building on language skills, separation from parents and caregivers and continuing to learn how to interact with peers. Through a variety of activities including music, movement, Shabbat and CATCH, these students’ days are busy learning and moving in the classroom and surrounding areas.
Preschool
The Preschool program encourages students ages 3 to 4-years-old to build initiative and confidence through classroom activities and involvement. Activities created by teachers and staff promote problem-solving, critical thinking and creative play, just to name a few important skills. Students enjoy art, writing, science, sensory and discovery, Judaic programming and much more.
PK-4
Our goal is to prepare students for the transition to kindergarten during their time in PK-4. Handwriting, letters, numbers, and social and emotional development are a sample of what our students focus on. Through child-initiated topics which can include gardening and outdoor learning, travel, the human body – our teachers aid in molding minds for the future and skills which students will carry with them to elementary school.
A $200 non-refundable registration fee for the 2023-2024 school year.
A non-refundable $400 tuition deposit. (This will be credited to your May 2024 payment.)
EBS and the J has a need-based scholarship program which you may apply for through the FACTS system. Please note: There is a $40 application fee. We do our best to meet the needs of all our families but are often limited both by the amount of money raised for scholarships and by the number of families seeking assistance. Scholarship applications are due by February 5, 2023. Applications received after the February 17, 2023, deadline will be considered on a rolling basis, but awards will be limited based on whether there are any remaining funds available in the scholarship program. All registration fees will be delayed until notification of your scholarship status has been received. At that time, if a family chooses to move forward with their registration, the registration fees will need to be paid to hold their spot.
The Marvin Barish Right Start provides tuition vouchers towards the cost of a Jewish early childhood education. Families enrolling their first child in a Jewish early childhood program for the first time are eligible to receive a voucher ranging from $1,000 to $2,000. Marvin Barish Right Start™ is a gift to families from the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston thanks to the generosity of the Marvin Barish Early Childhood Endowment, which is held at the Houston Jewish Community Foundation, and other local donors. Click here for more information or to apply.
We follow the Texas Department of State Health Services for immunization requirements. Please click here to learn more about the required vaccine schedule. Children must have up-to-date immunization records and health appraisal forms to attend school. Children are not allowed at school without both forms in their file. If a child is on a delayed vaccination schedule, we must have written documentation of the dates the vaccines will be administered, and our Medical Committee will decide about your child’s acceptance into EBS. If a child has a medical exemption, we must receive a letter completed by a doctor with their Professional License Number. EBS does not accept religious or personal exemption.