A School Designed for Gifted Learners
Thank you for your interest in Tessellations School.
Tessellations is a school designed for students who demonstrate exceptional reasoning ability, deep intellectual curiosity, and a love of learning. Our program engages gifted learners through an advanced progressive curriculum grounded in inquiry, interdisciplinary exploration, and project-based learning.
The Tessellations curriculum challenges students through depth, complexity, and meaningful intellectual engagement. At Tessellations, rigor is defined not by speed, but by the depth of thought and originality students bring to their exploration of ideas. When students demonstrate readiness for more advanced work—particularly in areas such as mathematics—we provide thoughtful acceleration and differentiation. Progression is guided by holistic readiness and intellectual engagement so that students are both challenged and supported.
Learn More About the Tessellations Approach to Gifted Education
Giftedness is complex, and identifying students whose profiles align with the Tessellations program requires thoughtful and holistic evaluation. Gifted learners are not defined by a single metric. Instead, they are individuals whose advanced reasoning, curiosity, and intensity of thought invite a deeper form of education.
At Tessellations, our admissions process reflects widely recognized best practices in gifted education and seeks to understand each student in context as a whole person. Rather than relying on a single test or metric, research in gifted education recommends considering multiple indicators of student readiness. Consistent with guidance from the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), Tessellations considers multiple sources of information when assessing applicants. Families interested in learning more about gifted identification can review the NAGC position statement, “The Role of Assessments in Identifying Gifted Individuals”.
Research in gifted education has long recognized that gifted learners often demonstrate asynchronous development, meaning that intellectual abilities may develop unevenly across different areas of growth.
A student may demonstrate advanced reasoning or deep curiosity while still developing social, emotional, or executive functioning skills typical for their age.
Because of this complexity, Tessellations approaches admissions with the goal of understanding the whole learner, including both intellectual strengths and the broader context of their development.
Admissions decisions are based on multiple sources of information that help illuminate how a student thinks, learns, and engages intellectually.
Evidence considered in the admissions process may include:
- Cognitive assessments such as the WISC, when available or a qualitative evaluation interpreted by a trained gifted specialist
- Student observation or classroom visit
- Family and student conversation and partnership
- Evidence of intellectual curiosity, engagement, and reasoning ability
These sources allow the admissions team to develop a holistic understanding of each young person and determine whether the student is likely to thrive in the Tessellations program.
Tessellations seeks students who will thrive in a learning community grounded in our core values:
- Kind Hearts
- Integrity
- Open Minds
- Generosity
These values shape how students engage with ideas, one another, and the world around them.
Gifted education at Tessellations is therefore not only about intellectual ability. It is also about nurturing young people who will use their gifts thoughtfully and responsibly in service of others and the broader community.
Our goal is to identify students whose reasoning ability, curiosity, and love of learning will flourish within a school environment designed for gifted learners and dedicated to intellectual depth, human development, and meaningful engagement with ideas.
At Tessellations, we believe the purpose of gifted education is not simply to move faster, but to think more deeply.
How Our Admissions Process Works
Our admissions process is designed to help families and the school determine whether the Tessellations program is the right match for a student. Admissions decisions are made through holistic review, considering multiple sources of information together, to understand each student in context: how they think, what sparks their curiosity, and the environments in which they are most likely to thrive.
We invite you to explore the Tessellations approach to gifted education and learn more about our admissions process.
Families begin by completing the Inquiry Form through the admissions portal. This allows our admissions team to share important information about the school and upcoming admissions events.
We encourage families to learn about the Tessellations program through:
- Campus tours
- Information sessions
- Community events
- Open House
These experiences provide an opportunity to learn about the school’s philosophy, curriculum, and community.
The online application includes:
- Student Information Form
- Parent/guardian statements
- School records or transcripts
- Teacher/Principal recommendations (for applicable grades)
Applications are submitted through our admissions portal.
Most families submit cognitive assessments such as the WISC, which can offer insight into reasoning ability and patterns of thinking.
In some cases, the admissions process may also assess qualitative indicators of giftedness interpreted by a trained educator or gifted specialist.
These materials help the admissions team understand how a student thinks, learns, and engages intellectually.
Students who move forward in the process participate in an observation experience appropriate to their age.
This may include:
- Play-based observation for younger students
- Classroom visit or shadow day for older students
These experiences allow educators to observe curiosity, engagement, and learning behaviors in a classroom setting.
Admissions conversations provide more context about a student’s intellectual interests, learning experiences, response to new environments, and family alignment with the school.
The admissions team conducts a holistic review considering:
- Cognitive indicators
- Qualitative indicators of giftedness
- Student observation
- Academic readiness
- Family partnership and alignment with the school’s philosophy
Admissions decisions are communicated according to the admissions timeline.
Understanding how Tessellations approaches gifted education can help families determine whether their child will thrive in our program. If you believe your student may flourish in this environment, the next step is to explore the admissions process for your student’s grade level.
How to Apply
We are delighted that you are exploring Tessellations School for your family.
Our admissions process is designed to help families and the school determine whether Tessellations is the right learning environment for a student. We look forward to partnering with you as you explore our community and learn more about the Tessellations experience.
Tessellations serves gifted learners from Preschool (age 3) through 8th grade.
While our deadline has passed, we are happy to continue accepting applications for the 2026–27 school year as space allows. Please reach out to the Admissions Team (admissions@tessellations.school or call 408-372-6187) to inquire about availability.
Choose your grade:
Admissions FAQ
Tessellations seeks students who demonstrate exceptional reasoning ability, deep intellectual curiosity, and a love of learning. These qualities allow students to engage meaningfully with the depth and complexity of the Tessellations program.
Many families submit cognitive assessments, such as the WISC, when available, or a qualitative evaluation interpreted by a trained gifted specialist as part of the admissions process. These assessments can provide insight into reasoning ability and patterns of thinking.
Admissions decisions consider multiple sources of information and do not rely on any single measure.
At Tessellations, rigor is defined not by speed but by the depth, complexity, and originality of thought students bring to their exploration of ideas.
Students engage with challenging concepts, sustained inquiry, and interdisciplinary thinking.
The Tessellations curriculum is designed to engage students at an advanced level from the start. When students demonstrate readiness for more advanced work—particularly in areas such as mathematics—we provide meaningful acceleration and differentiation.
Progression is guided by holistic readiness and intellectual engagement.
Holistic review means that admissions decisions consider multiple sources of information together, including cognitive indicators, qualitative indicators of giftedness, observations of intellectual engagement, readiness for Tessellations’ inquiry-based program, and family alignment with the school’s philosophy.
The goal is to determine whether a student will thrive in the Tessellations learning environment.
Every school has its own philosophy and environment. Tessellations is particularly well suited for students who:
- Love ideas and intellectual exploration
- Enjoy asking meaningful questions
- Thrive in environments that emphasize depth and complexity
- Are curious about the world and eager to learn
- Bring kindness and openness to a learning community
Admissions Decisions
The student demonstrates strong alignment with the Tessellations program and is well positioned to thrive within the school’s advanced progressive inquiry-based learning environment.
The student demonstrates strong potential to thrive at Tessellations, with identified areas where the school and family will work together to support the student’s success.
The student demonstrates many qualities that align with the Tessellations program, but space limitations may prevent an immediate offer of admission.
After careful review, the admissions team has determined that the Tessellations program may not be the best match for the student at this time.