WELCOME

We are pleased that your child is enrolled at First Presbyterian Preschool.  Please read this Parent Handbook for our procedures and policies at Preschool.  We hope it will be helpful.  Please do not hesitate to approach a teacher or the Director if you have any questions or concerns.  We will be working together to make your and  your child’s experience at Preschool a happy one.

MISSION STATEMENT

First Presbyterian Preschool provides a safe, nurturing environment for young children of diverse economic, racial, and religious backgrounds.  Studies in child development teach us that there are universal, predictable sequences of growth and change that occur in children.  At the same time we recognize that each child is a unique person with an individual pattern and timing of growth as well as an individual personality, learning style, and family background.  The appreciation of all of these factors provides the framework for the learning environment at this school.

The program follows the Florida School Readiness Performance Standards and the Florida Prekindergarten Education Standards as guidelines for designing and implementing an appropriate learning environment for two, three, four and five years olds.  The curriculum is based on the basic developmental needs of young children and offers opportunities and activities through an integrated approach.  We believe that young children learn most effectively through concrete, play-oriented activities  and that learning is an interactive process.  Teachers prepare the environment for children to learn through active exploration and interaction with adults, other children, and materials.  These activities match the child’s interest and understanding.  All interactions and activities are designed to develop the child’s positive feelings towards learning.  We take seriously our responsibility to prepare the children for kindergarten and offer many different learning opportunities with early literacy and math skills.  We also work with the children on the important social skills that they will need all through life. 

CURRICULUM GOALS

The Creative Curriculum for Preschool (Dodge, Colker and Heroman) is used as the core curriculum for all the classes.  The curriculum includes goals in all areas of development:

·         Social/emotional: to help children achieve a sense of self, take responsibility for themselves and others, behave in a prosocial way by showing empathy and getting along with the other children and adults;

·         Physical: to help children develop large muscles and fine motor skills through activities indoors and outdoors;

·         Cognitive: to help children become confident learners by providing the experiences and materials to allow them to think, explore, question, and solve problems;

·         Language: to help children listen and speak, and then to make sense of written language and print through the alphabet, writing letters and words.

We also use the book I love You Rituals by Becky Bailey to enhance our interactions with the children.

ENROLLMENT AND ORIENTATION

The majority of students enroll in August at the beginning of the school year.  Some children may enter the program during the year if an opening is available.  Enrollment is complete when the parents meet with the Director, are introduced to the school, complete the packet of forms and provide the information which then becomes the child’s record folder.

Orientation to the Preschool program is arranged individually with families.  Children and parents may visit regularly prior to the enrollment day.  During the first days of school the teachers and the Director keep in close touch with parents.

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

Preschool opens at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast served to those children whose parents request it.  Other children begin their day with free play.  We prefer that the children be at school before 9am so that they can participate fully in the morning activities. 

A schedule of activities is posted in each classroom.  A daily routine that the children can predict adds to their feelings of security.  The two teachers in each classroom plan activities for the class.  Group times, literature, art activities, music and bulletin boards will often reflect a theme.  Be alert to what is being studied and send from home any books or other materials that may help.  We welcome parents to the classroom to share their interests and talents with the children.  Please volunteer.

The afternoon activities include nap time, snack, a group time for stories, art, music, outdoor play, and indoor play.           Preschool closes at 5:30 p.m.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

It is important for the children’s attendance at Preschool to be consistent.  We understand that there will be absences for illness or family matters.  Please inform your child’s teacher, or the Director, if your child is going to be absent from class.  A phone call to Preschool on the day of absence is very helpful.  If your child receives School Readiness funding or is enrolled in VPK you will be asked by the Director to sign a Documentation of Absence form for any absence over three days in a calendar month.  In some circumstances additional written information may be required.

Please try to have your child arrive at Preschool by 9am each day.

If a child’s irregular attendance interferes with learning and activities at Preschool, we will ask parents to make arrangements for the child to attend Preschool on a regular

basis.  If a consistent schedule for the child cannot be arranged by the parents the Director reserves the right to exclude the child from First Presbyterian Preschool.  This would always be done in consultation with the parents. 

MEALS AND SNACKS

Snacks:  Nutritious snacks are provided in the morning and afternoon.  Snack menus are posted in the lunch room. 

LUNCH AND BREAKFAST

Breakfast is served between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m.  Children who do not eat breakfast every day at Preschool may buy an occasional breakfast for $1.25.   Please put the $1.25 in the yellow mail box, marked with your child’s name.

Our lunches are purchased from Elder Care Services and are delivered to the Preschool.  We start serving the youngest children at 11:30 a.m.  The older groups eat at 11.45am and   12.30 p.m.  Parents are welcome to come and eat lunch with their child or to take their child out for lunch before Nap.

Menus will be provided by the Director and are also posted weekly in the lunchroom.

Parents have the option of sending a lunch from home.  An appropriate lunch could be a sandwich, a piece of fruit, and yogurt.  Cheese and crackers, peanut butter crackers, cheese sticks, cold cuts, carrot sticks, fruit, rice cakes, fruit cups and pudding are also appropriate.  Please do not send candy, gum, or soft drinks to Preschool.  We provide all children with milk if they do not bring a drink from home.  Please put your child’s name on his/her lunch box or bag and place it in the refrigerator each morning.  Empty lunch boxes can be picked-up from the shelf in the 4s and 5s classroom in the afternoon.

We participate in the Florida Department of Health Child Care Food Program.  Parents can apply for free or reduced meals if their income indicates they are eligible.  All families are required to reapply to the program October 1 each year.

DISCIPLINE

At First Presbyterian Preschool we try to maintain a loving, caring atmosphere.  Children are encouraged to be responsible and to respect others. Teachers use positive approaches to help the children to behave constructively, including:

·         being actively involved with the children

·         redirecting a child who is unsettled

·         planning ahead to prevent problems

·         encouraging appropriate behavior

·         maintaining consistent, clear rules

·         encouraging the children to identify and verbalize feelings

·         planning appropriate activities for the children

If a child loses self-control, we may remove the child from the area with the other children to help him/her regain control and composure.  We try to keep in close touch with parents to work out effective methods to help improve a child’s behavior.       This may involve addressing any special needs that could be the cause of hurtful or disruptive behavior.  Parents are required to sign our printed Discipline Plan at enrollment.

PHONE CALLS

In order to give the children our full attention, we are not always able to answer the phone immediately.  Please allow the phone to ring, and we will answer it as soon as possible.

PARENTAL PARTICIPATION

We want to keep in close touch.  Please let us know how your child is feeling about school or about any issues at home or circumstances that may be affecting his/her behavior.  Parents may call or leave a note for a teacher or Director.   The teachers make many efforts to keep in touch with parents regarding a child’s progress and development.  Daily conversation, notes home, phone calls, bulletin board announcements and parent letters are some of the ways we communicate with parents. 

Formal parent conferences are scheduled mid-year, but we encourage you to call and set up a conference anytime you feel one is needed.  A telephone conversation may suffice.  If a teacher cannot come to the telephone at the time you call, please leave your name and number and she will return the call.  Please let us know immediately when you have a change of address or telephone number. 

Parents can participate in the governance of the Preschool through the Board of Directors.  There are three parents elected to the twelve-member Board.  Events such as fall Open House, Parent Breakfasts, playground workdays, Spring Program, fund raising activities, Parent Seminars, etc., are held during the year.  All parents are encouraged to participate.  Please also watch for specific requests for parent volunteers and offer to help.  Parents are welcome to visit the Preschool any time.  Our Open Door Policy gives parents access to their children both in person and by phone during normal Preschool hours. 

HEALTH

Every child is required by the Florida Department of Children and Families to have on file a record of a physical examination and age-appropriate immunizations.  Physical examinations are valid for two years, and parents are responsible for insuring that they keep their child’s immunization schedule current.        If your child becomes ill at school we will contact you.  If we cannot reach a parent we will use the emergency contact numbers you have provided.  We will call if a child has a fever over 100°, vomiting, diarrhea, head lice, suspected pink eye,  and any other indicators that the child is not well enough to be at school.  Parents are requested not to bring a sick child to Preschool and to make sure that the child is symptom-free before returning to school.  Please call to inform us when your child is sick.

Parents are requested to keep a child at home when he/she has a fever, rash, diarrhea, vomiting, a bad head cold or cough, or head lice.  A child who is being treated for pink eye may return to Preschool. 

MEDICATION

No medication will be given unless a parent has filled out a form requesting it.  Medication forms are in the red folder in the Resource Room.  Prescription medication must be brought to school in the pharmacy container which bears the pharmacy label with your child’s name.  Non-prescription medication must also be in the original container marked with the child’s name.  The container must indicate the dosage age-appropriate for your child, otherwise we need a doctor’s note indicating the appropriate dosage for your child.  A medication form must be completed by the parent for all medication, including topical creams.  Medication must be given to the teacher, not left with the child or in the child’s bag.  The same teacher administers the medication daily. 

Parents may come to Preschool during the day to give a child medicine if they prefer.  Please remember to take medication home when it is no longer needed at Preschool. The Preschool does not keep any other medication for use with the children. 

ACCIDENTS

Teachers complete an accident report for accidents that happen at Preschool.  Parents will find the completed form in the child’s folder at pick-up time.  Please sign the form and put it in the yellow mail box.  We will call you about any accident other than a minor scrape or bump.

All the teachers at First Presbyterian Preschool are trained in CPR and first aid.  We also will not hesitate to call 911 if professional help is needed.  Parents would then be immediately contacted.

SAFE ARRIVAL AND PICK UP

Use the playground gates and 4-5 year-old classroom door for entry.  At the beginning of the school year parents will be given the code number for the coded lock on the main door.  If you forget the code, please ring the door bell at that door.  Make sure you sign your child in on arrival each day.  Please accompany your child into the building or playground and deliver your child to a teacher.  Please do not allow your child to accompany you back to the door to say good-bye.  Check the “Sign In” area and your child’s cubby and folder daily for messages or information from the teachers.  Parents should also read all bulletin boards daily for information.

In the afternoons the sign-out clip-board will be with your child’s teachers.  If your child is to be picked up by someone unknown to the Preschool staff, we will ask to see a picture ID.  Please inform us in advance of any changes in pick-up arrangements.  We will only release your child to someone whose name is on record unless special arrangements have been made with the staff.

Do not pull your car into the church parking lot or driveway during the morning hours.  Please park in the loading-zone along Adams Street.  This rule is essential for the safety of the children and to keep cars moving.  You may park in the church lot in the afternoons if unmarked spaces are available.  Do not park in reserved spaces at any time. 

CLOTHING

Please send a seasonal change of clothing for your child to have on hand at all times.  If your child uses a diaper bag at Preschool the clothes may remain in the bag.  Otherwise spare clothes are kept in a labeled bag in your child’s cubby in the   4s and 5s classroom.  When your child borrows Preschool emergency clothing, please return the laundered clothing as soon as possible.

Clothes worn to Preschool should be comfortable and easy to wash.  We are sometimes messy in our work and play.  We do provide smocks for our classroom painting activities.  The paint that we use is “washable,” but if it does get on clothing we advise pre-treating the stain before laundering.

Please mark all clothing items, including hats, coats, gloves, sweaters and bags with your child’s name.

Sneakers are the preferred footwear.  Cowboy boots, sandals, and flip flops cause accidents.

NAP TIME

 For Nap Time please send a blanket or towel and a small pillow, all marked with your child’s name. The children are provided with an assigned, individual cot for the year.  Children may also bring a soft toy or “snuggly” for nap, for example a teddy or stuffed animal.  Parents are responsible for taking home the blanket and pillow for laundering on Fridays. 

PHOTOGRAPHS

Teachers enjoy taking photos of the children for use in the classrooms.  Parents will be asked for permission for any use of pictures beyond the Preschool.  Beverly Frick Photographs takes annual fall individual photos and spring class photos for parents who request them.

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHS

The names and photographs of all staff are displayed in the hallway as a help to parents. 

TOYS

Please do not allow your child to bring a toy from home unless authorized by a teacher, such as for class “Show and Tell”.  Explain that toys from home will be put up to take home at the end of the day.  It is too difficult to protect special toys from being broken. (We do make exceptions for the “security toys” of some of the youngest children.) Please do not allow your child to bring any guns, swords, weapons etc. to Preschool.  Books are always welcome. 

On rainy days we sometimes watch videos.  The teachers carefully choose what is shown.  We do our best not to show videos that contain racial or gender stereotypes, inappropriate language, or disturbing violence.  We may choose not to show a video brought from home, particularly feature movies, which often have “scary” characters.

FIELD TRIPS

Field trips are planned by the teachers to enhance classroom learning.  Parents are always informed in advance of any trip away from Preschool using transportation.  A Field Trip Permission Form is completed at enrollment.  Walking trips in the downtown area are a regular part of the program.  We frequently visit the Leon County Public Library and the downtown parks.  Parents are always welcome to accompany the children on a field trip, and parent drivers are often necessary.  Please watch for “sign-up” information and volunteer.

FIRE DRILL

The children participate in a monthly fire drill. 

T SHIRTS AND TOTE BAGS

First Presbyterian Preschool T-shirts and tote bags are available for sale from the Director.  We encourage families to buy a yellow T-shirt.  It is the perfect shirt for school days.    Occasionally we like all the children to wear a Preschool T-shirt for a particular event.  No child will be excluded for lack of a    T- shirt.  Shirts are also available in adult sizes.     

SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR

The new school year begins the same day as Leon County Public Schools, this year on Monday August 18, 2008.  First Presbyterian Preschool is a year-round program.

2007 - 2008 HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

If parents need childcare for any of the days that First Presbyterian Preschool is closed for holidays, they are responsible for finding and paying for childcare elsewhere. 

EMERGENCY CLOSING AND EVACUATION

In the event of severe weather the Preschool may be closed.  If the local State of Florida offices or the City of Tallahassee announces a closing for weather problems, First Presbyterian Preschool will also close.  Parents are expected to pick up their children as quickly as possible.

Parents can listen to WFSU FM or WNLS 1270 AM radio stations or TV Channel 6 for announcements.

If there is ever a need for us to evacuate the building we would walk to the Leon County Public Library or the Adams Street fire-station and contact parents from there.

VOLUNTEERS AND PARTICIPANTS

We are fortunate to be offered occasional volunteer help from a local individual or organization.  All volunteers are supervised closely by the teachers and Director and receive orientation to the program prior to their work.  Volunteers are introduced to parents and soon become familiar with the program.

We also welcome volunteer, practicum and field placement students from FSU, FAMU, TCC and Lively Technical Center.  These students work under the direct supervision of the Director and the Lead Teachers.  You will be informed when students are working in your child’s class and the visiting student will be identified with a nametag.  We are occasionally asked to participate in FSU, FAMU, or TCC research studies and projects.  Such participation is only with the full knowledge and permission of the parents and under the close supervision of the Director.

BIRTHDAYS

Birthdays or other special events may be celebrated at       Preschool with refreshments provided by parents.  Please let your child’s teacher or the Director know in advance if you are planning to bring a treat to share.  Parents are welcome to come to Preschool to join in the celebration.

When parents are planning a home birthday party for their child, party invitations may be placed in the Preschool folders if

the whole class is being invited.  If only a few Preschool friends are to be invited, please do not distribute invitations at Preschool.  You may call the Director who will share a child’s contact information, if permission has been given by the parent(s)

LATE FEE POLICY

A late fee shall be charged for late afternoon pick- up in the amount of $5.00 after 5:30 p.m., and an additional $1.00 per minute after 5:35 p.m.

The teacher who is scheduled to close the Preschool will initial the sign-out sheet and the parent will pay the fee to the Director the next day.

TUITION

Monthly tuition and meal fees are due in advance by the fifth business day of each month.  After the fifth day there is a late fee of $25.00.   If tuition is not paid in full by the tenth of the month, we reserve the right to end your child’s enrollment at First Presbyterian Preschool unless alternative arrangements have been made in writing with the Director.  Please make your checks and money orders payable to First Presbyterian Preschool and put them in the yellow mailbox in the four and five-year-olds’ classroom.  Receipts will be placed in your child’s folder.

No tuition refunds are given.

One month’s advance notice of withdrawal of a student must be given to the Director.  Tuition will be due for no less than one month after notice of withdrawal has been given.

No reduction can be made in tuition for vacation, illness, or other absence of less than two weeks within a month.  A reduction for an extended absence may be made at the Director’s discretion.

Tuition is paid on a monthly basis regardless of the number of school days or holidays in a given month.  In the month of December an allowance may be made for meal charges.

2008-2009 FEES

The fee schedule listed below is for children in the two younger classes, the T.C. Bear class and the Threes and Fours class.  For children who are enrolled in the Voluntary Prekindergarten program (VPK) please see the separate tuition plan on page 14 for the extended-day hours at Preschool. 

Annual Supply Fee     $125.00 due September 1^st

Full-time tuition            $580.00 per month

Breakfast                     $27.50 per month, $1.25 per day

Lunch                          $49.50 per month, $2.25 per day

The only additional costs during the year may be for field trips or special events.  No child will be excluded on the basis of that fee.

EXTENDED-DAY TUITION 

         (for students enrolled in VPK in the morning hours)

Children who are enrolled in the State of Florida VPK program at First Presbyterian Preschool are eligible for 540 hours of class time for which there is no charge.  The calendar for the VPK days and hours will be distributed by the Director at the beginning of the school year.

The private-pay fees for the Extended-Day hours at Preschool, before and after the morning VPK hours, are:

Additional Extended-Day fees:

Annual Supply Fee     $125.00 due September 1^st

Breakfast                     $27.50 per month, $1.25 per day

Lunch                          $49.50 per month, $2.25 per day

After the VPK year is over in May 2009, families who choose for their child to attend Preschool full-time during the summer will pay the standard Preschool tuition of $580.00 per month.