The Siena School

The Siena School maintains high academic standards (using Common Core and National Standards as a framework) while emphasizing individualized instruction, with study skills and organizational strategies embedded across subjects. Literacy instruction is explicit and systematic, and the school emphasizes individualized, research-based multisensory teaching to build students’ critical thinking, problem-solving, and independence. Learning is also supported through experiential, hands-on opportunities (including curriculum-connected field trips) and the routine, integrated use of technology to accommodate students’ learning needs.

To apply to The Siena School (Silver Spring), families typically start by submitting an inquiry to schedule a discovery call and then scheduling an in-person or virtual tour before completing the school’s online application. (thesienaschool.org) A completed application packet includes a recent psycho-educational evaluation (within the last two years) with specified cognitive and achievement testing, two teacher evaluations, current school records/transcripts, and (if applicable) IEP/tutor reports and a financial-aid application, plus a non-refundable $112 application fee and required release forms. (thesienaschool.org) For the 2025-26 cycle, Siena lists an application deadline of January 16, 2026; a new-family financial-aid deadline of January 30, 2026; and a notification date of February 27, 2026, after which the school indicates it works with families on a rolling, space-available basis. (thesienaschool.org) After the admissions committee reviews a completed file, some applicants are invited to a two-day student visit that may include reading/writing/math assessments, and Siena may also request an optional parent interview; admissions decisions are communicated by email. (thesienaschool.org) If spaces are not available, Siena notes that post-deadline applications may be considered for remaining openings or placed in a “waiting pool” (waitlist), but the admissions pages do not describe any formal priority or preference categories. (thesienaschool.org)