Frequently Asked Questions
How many students are enrolled at Far Brook? In the 2009-2010 school year, there are 239 students enrolled at Far Brook School. -Go to top- What is the age requirement for Nursery and Kindergarten students? Nursery applicants must turn 4 and Kindergarten students must turn 5 by September 1 of the school year they will matriculate. -Go to top- How many students are admitted each year? Into what grades? Far Brook has two entry points, Nursery and Kindergarten. All other spaces are made available by attrition of current students. We admit approximately 30-40 students each year to Nursery, Kindergarten, and Grades One – Seven. -Go to top- What are the School's hours? School opens at 8:10 a.m. each day. School ends at 3:00 p.m. on Monday through Thursday. Fridays are early dismissal days with school ending at 2:00 p.m. -Go to top- Is before-care and after-care available? Students may be dropped off at 7:45 a.m. daily at no additional charge. Students who arrive at 7:45 a.m. are supervised until teachers are ready to receive students at 8:10 a.m. There are a variety of After-School Program classes from 3:15 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. (2:15 p.m. until 3:30 on Fridays) at an additional cost. -Go to top- Is bus service available? Far Brook contracts with a private bus company to provide school bus service for those families who wish to subscribe. The bus route, including towns served, is reconfigured annually by the Business Office based on the number and location of requests received. In addition, the Millburn Board of Education provides a courtesy bus to residents of Millburn/Short Hills who are in Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. -Go to top- Does Far Brook offer financial aid? Yes. Far Brook offers tuition assistance to families who demonstrate financial need. For the 2009-2010 school year, Far Brook awarded a range of partial to full tuition assistance packages to 12.6% of the student body. See Tuition Assistance for the Financial Aid Calendar for the 2010-2011 School Year and for further information. -Go to top- Is there a dress code at Far Brook? The environment at Far Brook is simple, natural, and rustic. Working with paint, clay, Play-Doh, and color markers is a daily experience for most children in Lower School. As such, clothing at Far Brook should be sensible, easily laundered, and functional. Children go from building to building over paved and graveled pathways every day. Sturdy, waterproof footwear is appropriate for our campus setting and varied terrain. All clothing should be such that younger children can dress and undress themselves independently. Prioritizing functionality, modesty, and safety will allow your child to be comfortably and appropriately dressed for school each day. -Go to top- Does Far Brook provide lunch to students? Far Brook does not have a lunch program. Students at Far Brook bring lunch from home and eat with their classmates in their classroom. The school provides a daily snack of apples and oranges as well as whole and skim milk. Our kitchen coordinator prepares a sandwich for any child who forgets to bring a lunch to school. It is the School’s view that parents are able to offer children the most healthy selections. We also find that the responsibility of bringing in and eventually making one’s own lunch helps to build organizational skills and independence. In an effort to limit refuse and to teach children to be environmentally responsible we encourage families to use lunch boxes or cloth bags and reusable containers. In light of the many nut allergies among the student body, nut products are not permitted. -Go to top- When was Far Brook founded? Is Far Brook a Quaker school? Far Brook was founded in 1948 by Winifred Moore, a visionary educator who felt that children are "capable of responses that are more profound than generally believed." With that strong belief, 61 years ago Mrs. Moore devised a curriculum that exposed children to the arts and to great works of literature with the conviction that even the youngest children could synthesize, appreciate, and enjoy complex language and concepts. The rich curriculum she devised has evolved over the years but the philosophy of Far Brook is unchanged. Children are exposed to the traditional classics at a young age and are given opportunities to react to them, interpret them, and recreate what they have learned in imaginative, creative, hands-on, and age-appropriate ways. Far Brook’s appreciation for simplicity and our daily Morning Meeting remind some of the Quaker tradition, however, Far Brook is not a Quaker school and has no religious affiliation. -Go to top- What foreign languages are offered? When does language instruction begin? French is the foreign language taught at Far Brook. A Lower School French teacher works with students in Nursery – Grade Three and an Upper School French teacher works with students in Grades Four – Eight. In addition to grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, students are exposed to the 58 countries throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas where French is spoken. Because we are a small school we concentrate on one language with an emphasis on how to learn a language. Every year, the Junior High takes a trip to Montréal or Québec to practice French and to experience a French-speaking city. -Go to top- How diverse is Far Brook's student body? Far Brook is a community comprised of families from many cultural, racial, and religious backgrounds as well as a range of socio-economic levels. Currently at Far Brook, 30% of students may be identified as having partial or full heritage from continents other than Europe and Australia. -Go to top- Does Far Brook offer interscholastic sports? Yes. Starting in Fifth Grade, all boys and girls participate on Far Brook’s interscholastic athletic teams. Boys play soccer in the fall and baseball in the spring and girls play field hockey in the fall and softball in the spring against a variety of independent schools. -Go to top- Where do students go after Far Brook? Does Far Brook assist families in making the transition? Far Brook students attend a range of highly regarded independent day schools, boarding schools, and public schools after Far Brook. In the past five years, students have attended the following schools: Independent Day Schools: Academy of Saint Elizabeth, Delbarton School, Gill St. Bernard’s School, The Hotchkiss School, Kent Place School, Montclair Kimberley Academy, Morristown-Beard School, Newark Academy, Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child, The Pingry School, Seton Hall Preparatory School, Villa Walsh Academy, Wardlaw-Hartridge School Boarding Schools: Deerfield Academy, Foxcroft School, Groton School, The Lawrenceville School, The Peddie School, Phillips Academy Andover, Phillips Exeter Academy, St. Andrew's School, The Williston-Northampton School Public Schools: Columbia High School (South Orange/Maplewood), Cranford High School, Elizabeth High School, Madison High School, Millburn High School, Montclair High School, Mountain Lakes High School, Orange High School, Summit High School, Union High School, West Orange High School Far Brook works with families beginning in the Seventh Grade to prepare students and guide parents through the high school selection process. Far Brook provides workshops for parents and students, practice entrance exams, interview workshops, and other support.-Go to top-  Print version of page
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