Frequently Asked Questions

For questions on online classes, please visit our Online Teaching Guide

About SchoolNova

About our Teachers

About our Program

Registration

Admission and Enrollment

Tuition

Attendance and Homework

About SchoolNova:

Q: What is the age range of students at SchoolNova?

A: Our students range from 3 to 18 years old.

Q: Does SchoolNova offer online classes?

A: Yes, in the 2022-23 school year, SchoolNova at Stony Brook offers both - a full in-person program and select online courses.

Q: What are your hours of operation?

A: In-person classes run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sundays. Online courses can be scheduled on any day of the week (see the Schedule)

Q: What is SchoolNova's class size?

A: We try to maintain a class size of 5-15 students depending on the age of the students and the nature of the course.

Q: Where and when are the classes held?

A: In-person classes are held on campus of Stony Brook University on Sundays. Online courses use a ZOOM application.

The program is year-round, starting in mid-September until the end of May. The length of the school year varies slightly from year to year - between 28 and 30 weeks.

Q: What subjects do you offer?

A: Currently, we offer 14 subjects – Math, Sciences, including Earth and Physical Science, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Sciences, and Topics in Biology, and language classes including Advanced English, Russian, French, and Spanish. We also offer visual art classes for ages 6 to 16 and enrichment classes for Russian-speaking and English-speaking children ages 3 to 5. Each subject we offer has restrictions on the ages of students. The age range for each class can be found in the Schedule and the class description. For more information, please check Schedule.

Q: Do you offer different levels of difficulty for any subject?

A: Yes, we do. SchoolNova offers 11 levels of mathematics (from level 0 to 10), five levels of Physics (from 0 to 4), ten levels of the Russian language for heritage speakers, six levels of French (beginners to advanced), five levels of Spanish (beginners to advanced), etc.

Q: Do you participate in academic competitions?

A: Yes. Our school participates in:

Find out more about academic competitions SchoolNova participates in here.

Q: How can I reach/contact SchoolNova?

A: The easiest way to contact SchoolNova staff is by email:

Our voicemail service can be reached at (631) 606-0585  - Please allow up to 5 days for your call to be returned.

About our Teachers:

Q: Who are SchoolNova's instructors?

A: Most of our instructors have advanced degrees (Ph.D.), university-level teaching experience, and extensive research experience.

We are an enrichment education program that supplements a school curriculum. New York State does not require teacher certification for this type of program. However, we do require a high level of education and professionalism from our teachers.

Q: Where can I find information about the teachers?

A: Each teacher posts a brief biography and their teaching philosophy on SchoolNova's website here.

About the Program:

Q: How many different courses can I take?

A: Each student may sign up for any number of in-person courses they can fit within a "school day". 

The in-person "school day" consists of 6 single periods going from 9:15 am to 3 pm on Sundays. Class duration ranges from 45 to 90 minutes (single to double period). Most online classes take place on weekdays. Students, who attend an online part of our program, may also choose as many classes as fit their schedule and correspond to their age.

However, if your children decide to take many classes, we recommend making sure they have enough time to handle multiple homework assignments. Aside from the time in the classroom, students should expect to spend 1 – 3 hours per week for each class home assignment, depending on the subject and the course level. Since our classes meet only once a week, doing homework is essential for making good progress.

Q: If I am taking in-person classes on Sundays, Am I allowed to take online classes?

A: Local students who attend in-person classes on Sundays may also be enrolled in online classes and clubs.

Q: How quickly do classes fill up?

A: That varies from course to course. Math classes for elementary school students (levels 0 to 6) fill up the fastest. We place students in classes on a "first-come, first-served" basis.

Q: A class I'd like to take is full. Do you have a waitlist?

A: Yes, we do! When the class fills, you will automatically be given the option to join the waitlist. If during the first two weeks of school, space becomes available in the class, people will be invited off the waitlist and into the class. Invitations are sent to those who registered and joined the waitlist first.

Q: What is the class drop policy?

A: Any course may be dropped anytime within 10 days from the beginning of the school year for a full refund of the course tuition, enrollment deposit and admin fees. The registration fee is NOT refundable. No fees are refunded after the above-stated drop date. Tuition for the courses is collected quarterly (10+10+10(9) weeks). If a class is dropped in the middle of a quarter, the tuition for that quarter will not be refunded.

Q: Can I join the program mid-year?

A: In most cases - NO. We do not accept new students after the first two weeks of classes. However, you can join some courses at any time. For example, you can join foreign language classes if there are spots available and if your language proficiency level corresponds to students' proficiency of the level you want to join. (your child has taken classes before or is a heritage speaker).

Q: Do you allow parents to be present inside the classroom?

A: In general, we do. Parents are welcome to observe a class with the teacher's permission if they sit in the back of the classroom. The teacher of each particular class has a right to decide what is best for the class atmosphere and may ask the parents to leave the classroom. While present in the classroom, parents may not interrupt the class in any way, including exiting and entering the room or talking on the phone. Interruptions will result in the parent losing the privilege to be in the classroom during the lesson.

 The 2022-23 school year: SchoolNova will follow the Stony Brook University guidelines regarding the presence of parents inside the classrooms based on COVID-related regulations.

Registration:

Q: How do I register my child for SchoolNova at Stony Brook?

A: SchoolNova offers two types of registration:

  • Priority Registration for returning students and their siblings and
  • Regular Registration for new students. Returning families are the families who already have SchoolNova's online account. All returning students must be re-registered every year to reactivate their accounts and sign all the forms. If the account has not been reactivated, the student will not be considered a current student and will not be placed into classes. New families should open an online account, complete a registration form for each child, and sign all necessary forms.

The registration form is available here: https://schoolnova.org/nova/registration. Returning families should follow the Priority Registration option. New families should use the Regular registration option and follow the instructions provided there.

Q: When does Registration open?

A:  Priority Registration for returning students usually opens between July 1 and July 31, and Regular Registration for new students opens on or around August 1. All new students are placed into the classes on a “first-come, first-served” basis. The exact dates of the registration opening will be posted in the announcements on the Home Page of this site.

Q: How will I know whether my registration form was received?

A: Once a student's registration is processed, a computer-generated confirmation email is sent to the parents/guardians with the child's name. If there is a problem with the registration or if more information is needed to process the registration, parents/guardians will be notified. If you do not receive a confirmation email within two days of submitting a registration form, please email the administration at info@schoolnova.org to request that another confirmation be sent. 

Q: What forms do I have to fill out?

A: As a part of the registration process, you are asked to read and acknowledge your consent to the following: 

REMINDER: applications will not be considered without payment of the registration fee.

Admission and Enrollment:

Q: What is the admission process?

A: The Admission process begins with the re-enrollment of the returning students. Re-enrollment informs the school of available openings in each level for each subject. Those openings will be filled by new students on a “first-come, first-served” basis. Once capacity is reached, additional applicants will be placed on the Waiting List in order the applications were received. As spaces become available during the first week of the school year, the school will take a new student from the waiting list. After the drop-out/add-on period, most classes will stop accepting new students (math, physics, chemistry, biology, and some foreign languages classes). In some cases, classes may be canceled due to insufficient enrollment.

Q: How will I find out about the placement level of my child in each subject?

A: Returning students are placed in classes based on academic performance and the teacher's recommendations.

New students' placement:

  • Math classes - based on the results of a placement test administered 1-2 weeks before the beginning of the school year (September)
  • Language classes - based on the information provided by parents as an initial placement. Teachers may move students to a different level within the first three weeks of student attendance.
  • Science and IT classes - based on age requirements and teacher’s recommendation.
  • Art classes - based on age-group recommendation.

Q: Do you have a drop-out/add-on period for classes?

A: A drop-out/add-on period begins on the first day of classes and ends at 11:59 pm on Tuesday - 10 days after the first day of classes

Q: How to drop classes?

A: Students can drop out of a class by simply removing the class from their schedule  - doing it within the first 10 days of a school year, a “trial period”, will not incur a tuition charge.  If a student remains in that class after the first two sessions, a student will be charged for all attended classes. If a student drops a program in the middle of the quarter, money paid for this quarter will NOT be returned. If a student drops the program after the current quarter is complete, he or she will NOT be charged for the remaining quarter(s). However, the enrollment deposit will not be returned. SchoolNova doesn't charge any withdrawal fee.

Q: How to add classes?

A: You may inquire about adding a class by sending your request to info@schoolnova.org. Most schedule updates can only be made within the first 10 days of a school year. An exception might be made for adding a Language or an Art class contingent on teachers’ and principal’s approval.

Tuition:

Q: How much does it cost to attend SchoolNova?

A: Our tuition has remained the same since 2015. Recognizing the economic challenges that many families face due to COVID-19, SchoolNova's Board of Directors decided to freeze the tuition rate for another year. In the 2020-2021 school year, the cost of attending SchoolNova at Stony Brook remained unchanged. In February 2021, SchoolNova's Board of Directors made a difficult decision to make a modest increase to the tuition rates for the upcoming two or three years. In 2022-23 the tuition rate has not been changed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q: Do you have a registration fee?

A: Yes. A $50 Registration Fee is a one-time non-refundable fee required to be paid at the time of a new student's Registration. This fee is waived for returning students reactivating their family account for an upcoming school year during the Priority Registration. The registration fee assures your child a place in our program. If, for any reason, you withdraw your child, that fee is non-refundable.

Q: Are there any other fees?

A: Yes. See the following:

  • Administration fee: Per family (Non-Refundable after the first 10 days of the school year). This fee is $35 for families with one child and $50 for families with two or more children. The fee is non-refundable and is required to be paid by all returning and new students along with the 1st tuition payment. This fee covers administrative and processing costs, onsite assistance, and informational service.
  •  Late fee: $30 – $60 – $90: If a payment of tuition and fees is not received within a week after the due date, late fees will be incurred. A $30 late fee will be assessed on all outstanding balances left unpaid after a seven-day grace period (the time required to receive checks which were mailed to the school's PO box BEFORE the deadline). Payments received beyond three weeks of an official deadline will incur an additional $60 late fee ($90 total). Payments made beyond four weeks of the official deadline will incur an additional fee of $90, bringing the total late fees to $180. The Payment Calendar for 2021-2022 can be found here:
  • Material Fee: Material Fee: Per Student (Non-Refundable): This fee will only be charged for classes requiring printed homework and classwork assignments, buying books, educational materials, and art supplies. Each class/subject has a different material fee carefully calculated based on previous years' spending. Fees should be paid in full for the entire year during the 1st tuition collection. Some teachers collect additional material fees for specific courses. The teachers will notify you if this is the case.

Q: What kind of discounts does SchoolNova have?

A: SchoolNova offers the following tuition discounts:

  • Sibling discount: If a family has two children, a 10% sibling discount is taken off tuition for the second child (the student enrolled in the highest grade level within SchoolNova is considered the first child). For families with three or more children, each child gets a 10% discount. For the discount to apply, all children must be legal dependents of the same parent(s).
  • Multiple classes discount: If your child takes three or more classes, a 10% discount will be applied to all classes.

Both discounts can be combined. SchoolNova also offers tuition assistance through scholarships for eligible families (needbase). For more information, please, email director@schoolnova.org.

Q: If my child is absent, do I still have to pay?

A: Yes. We are committed to providing the highest quality of services. To accomplish this goal, it is essential that the school maintains financial stability. Staffing and other operational expenses are determined each semester depending on student enrollment for the duration of the whole semester. If a child is absent for a day, the operational costs cannot be adjusted accordingly. Therefore, we cannot provide a discount for the missed class. Refund after the first week of classes is considered on a case-by-case basis.

Q: Is there a payment schedule, and what are the options?

A: SchoolNova offers two payment options:

  • One-time Payment: A single one-time payment — tuition is paid once for the entire academic year (28 – 30 days of classes) and is due by the end of the 3rd week of the 1st quarter. There is no enrollment deposit with this option.
  • Pay-by-Quarter Plan: Our school offers families the option of paying the tuition in three installments over the year. Three payments plan — tuition is paid for each quarter separately and is due by the end of the 3rd week of each quarter. 

Enrollment deposit: Per family. The enrollment deposit for both returning and new students should be paid along with the 1st tuition payment (2nd week of the 1st quarter). The deposit is held and applied towards the final quarter's tuition. It is not returned to students who drop out of SchoolNova classes before the end of the year. The enrollment deposit is $75 for families with one child, $150 - with two children, and $225 - with three or more children.

Payment Calendar: All due dates and deadlines will be posted on our website calendar at: www.schoolnova.org/nova/calendar

Q: What kind of payments do you accept?

A: You can pay your bill online using Zelle App or your bank online/mobile payment system. We also accept personal checks, cash payments or payments made through our website via PayPal. Please see this page for details.

Q: Will we get a reimbursement if a class is cancelled?

A: In the event that a class is cancelled at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances, every attempt will be made to schedule a make-up class. If this is not possible, we will issue a refund for the cancelled class.

Attendance and Homework:

Q: If my child missed school, how can we get homework for the next class?

A: Most homework assignments will be posted on the school's website by Wednesday morning of the following week. You don't need a password or an account to view and print the homework.

Q: What is your Homework policy?

A: We have our classes once a week, therefore the homework is a very important part of our teaching process. We require that each student do the homework on time and hand it over to the teacher at the beginning of each class. One of the criteria for being transferred to the next level is submitting more than 80% of the homework assignments during the year.

Q: Do you expect parents to be involved in helping their children do homework?

A: Our program is highly intensive; we cover a great deal of material quickly, and we depend on the parents to help their children with homework. Parents are expected to cooperate as much as possible with the teachers to help the children reach their educational goals. All teachers’ emails are posted on the school website and parents are welcome to contact them directly.

Q: What is your Attendance policy?

A: Students are expected to attend all classes they signed up for. The main criteria for being transferred to the next level is attending more than 80% of all classes.

(C) SchoolNova 2005-2022