Legal

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 9, 2026  ·  Last Updated: April 9, 2026

COPPA Notice: This website collects personal information about children under the age of 13 as part of an enrollment process directed at parents and guardians. We take the privacy of children very seriously and comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). We do not collect any information directly from children — all information is collected from parents and guardians.

1. Who We Are

The Discovery Atelier ("we," "our," or "us") is a private bilingual Montessori preschool located in Mooresville, North Carolina. We operate the website at this domain (the "Site") for the purpose of providing information about our programs and facilitating enrollment inquiries.

Contact Information:
The Discovery Atelier
Mooresville, NC (Lake Norman Area)
Email: thediscoveryatelier@gmail.com

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you use our enrollment application, waitlist form, or contact form, we collect the following categories of personal information from parents and guardians:

  • Parent/Guardian Identity: Full name, relationship to child
  • Contact Information: Email address, phone number, home address (street, city, state, ZIP, country)
  • Child Information: Child's full name, date of birth, gender — provided by you as a parent or guardian
  • Program Preferences: Selected program, extended care options, enrollment tier
  • Communications: Messages sent through our contact form

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Site, certain technical information may be collected automatically:

  • Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on the Site, referring URL
  • Device Information: Browser type, operating system, screen resolution
  • IP Address: Your internet protocol address (used for security and analytics purposes)

We do not currently use third-party analytics cookies (such as Google Analytics). If this changes, this Policy will be updated.

2.3 Google Fonts

Our Site loads fonts from Google Fonts (fonts.googleapis.com and fonts.gstatic.com). When your browser loads these fonts, Google may log your IP address. This is a technical request made by your browser; we do not control this data. Please refer to Google's Privacy Policy for more information.

2.4 Local Storage

Our Site uses your browser's local storage to temporarily save your in-progress enrollment application so you do not lose your work if you navigate away. This data is stored only in your browser and is cleared after you submit your application. We do not use tracking cookies for marketing or behavioral profiling.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • To process and respond to enrollment applications and waitlist registrations
  • To communicate with you about your application status, upcoming events, and program information
  • To send administrative communications related to enrollment, fees, and school operations
  • To send marketing and informational emails about The Discovery Atelier (you may opt out at any time)
  • To operate and improve our website
  • To comply with applicable law

4. Children's Privacy — COPPA Compliance

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires us to obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information about children under 13. Because our enrollment forms are directed at parents and guardians (not children), you are providing this information about your child. By completing and submitting our enrollment application, you confirm that:

  • You are the parent or legal guardian of the child named in the application
  • You consent to us collecting and using your child's name, date of birth, and gender for the purposes of enrollment processing
  • You have the right to review, correct, and request deletion of your child's information at any time (see Section 8)

We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13. If you believe a child has submitted personal information without parental consent, please contact us immediately at thediscoveryatelier@gmail.com and we will delete such information promptly.

We do not use children's personal information for marketing, advertising, or any purpose other than enrollment processing and school operations.

Children's personal information is never sold, rented, or shared with third parties for commercial purposes.

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

5.1 Service Providers

We use Airtable, Inc. as our database provider to store enrollment application data. Airtable acts as a data processor on our behalf and is prohibited from using your data for any purpose other than providing database services to us. Airtable's privacy policy is available at airtable.com/privacy.

5.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of The Discovery Atelier, our students, or the public.

5.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. You will be notified of any such change by a prominent notice on our Site.

6. Data Security — NC Identity Theft Protection Act Compliance

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your personal information, consistent with the North Carolina Identity Theft Protection Act (N.C.G.S. § 75-60 et seq.). These measures include:

  • Transmission of application data over encrypted HTTPS connections
  • Access controls limiting who can view enrollment data in Airtable
  • Secure disposal of records containing personal information when no longer needed
  • Airtable's enterprise-grade security infrastructure for stored data

However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6.1 Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach involving your unencrypted personal information, we will notify affected individuals and the North Carolina Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division in accordance with N.C.G.S. § 75-65, without unreasonable delay and no later than 30 days after discovery of the breach where notification is required by law.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal information for the following periods:

  • Waitlist registrations: Until the waitlist is closed or you request removal
  • Enrollment applications (not admitted): 1 year from the date of application
  • Enrolled students' records: For the duration of enrollment plus 3 years
  • Contact form messages: 1 year

You may request earlier deletion at any time (see Section 8).

8. Your Rights and Choices

8.1 Access, Correction, and Deletion

You have the right to:

  • Request access to the personal information we hold about you and your child
  • Request correction of inaccurate information
  • Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements)

To exercise these rights, contact us at thediscoveryatelier@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.

8.2 Marketing Emails — CAN-SPAM Compliance

If you receive marketing or informational emails from us, you may opt out at any time by:

We will honor all opt-out requests within 10 business days. Note that even after opting out of marketing emails, you may still receive transactional emails related to your enrollment application (e.g., application status updates).

8.3 California Residents — CCPA Rights

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used, the right to delete personal information, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information. To exercise your CCPA rights, contact us at the address above.

9. Third-Party Links

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites (for example, Calendly for scheduling). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the new policy on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the Site after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

The Discovery Atelier
Mooresville, NC (Lake Norman Area)
Email: thediscoveryatelier@gmail.com

For complaints related to COPPA, you may also contact the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov.