Summersville Elementary Preschool Handbook 2015-2016 Table of Contents Goals and Objectives ………………………………………………………………………………………………………1 Enrollment …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….1 Tuition …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..1 Attendance ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1 Hours of Operation ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..1 Arrival/Departure ………………………………………………………………………………………………………...2 Nutrition ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………2 Illness at School …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….2 Dispensing of Medication ………………………………………………………………………………………………2 Head Lice ……………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..3 Immunizations ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3 Curriculum ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3 Bathroom Skills ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..3 Dress Code…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4 Nap Time …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4 Classroom Parties ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4 Toys ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4 Discipline and Guidance …………………………………………………………………………………………………5 Student Records …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6 Communication ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6 Parent Advisory Committee ……………………………………………………………………………………………6 Mandated Reporting of Child Abuse ……………………………………………………………………………….6 Reports …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6 Emergency Drills and Disaster Plans ………………………………………………………………………………6 Role of Preschool Parents ……………………………………………………………………………………………7 Role of Preschool Teachers ………………………………………………………………………………………….7 Handbook Agreement …………………………………………………………………………………………………8 Preschool Supply List ……………………………………………………………………………………………….....9 Daily Schedule ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………10 Goals and Objectives 1. 2. 3. 4. Physical Development: A variety of experiences and equipment are provided to encourage the development of large motor skills, fine muscle control and handeye coordination. Social Development: Opportunities are provided for your child to interact with their peers and adults through work and play. Emotional Development: Your child will be assisted in developing self-control and expression of their emotions in a socially acceptable manner. Cognitive Development: Your child’s natural curiosity and desire to learn will be encouraged by providing opportunities to explore their environment, solve problems and ask questions. Enrollment Summersville preschool program is available for children 3-5 years old. Children must be 3 years of age before August 1st of the program year and completely potty trained. An enrollment form must be completed, accompanied with a copy of your child’s birth certificate and immunization records. All children must have a current physical on file within 30 days of the first day of school. Tuition Tuition is based on a sliding scale; it is due in full by the last day of each month, beginning in September. Tuition fees range from $6.00 to $10.00 per day and is based on the number of days school is in session each month, not on your child’s attendance. Our school district does accept childcare assistance and will provide information to interested families. Attendance Your child’s regular attendance is essential for their preschool success. Please make every effort to ensure your child attends every day. When your child is absent they are missing a learning opportunity. Repeated unexcused absences can result in your child being dropped from the program. Hours of Operation Our preschool program is available Monday through Friday from 7:45am-3:00pm. Arrival time is between 7:45-8:00am and dismissal time is at 3:00pm. Please follow this schedule for arrival and dismissal times. The Summersville Preschool will follow the Summersville School District Calendar. We will not be in session if the Elementary/High School is not in session; this includes teacher in-services, early outs, and inclement weather. Arrival/Departure Children are to be dropped off and picked up each day at the front of the school on the north side of the building. Parent pick up commences immediately after the buses depart. Please stay in your car and follow the flow of traffic. Call the school by 8:30am if your child will not be attending school that day. Please provide a written note if your child will be arriving or departing out of their normal daily routine. Only the persons listed on your child’s enrollment form will be allowed to pick up your child. Nutrition Breakfast, morning snack and lunch will be served each day free of charge. Your child may bring lunch from home, it must be nutritious and it may not include fast food, soda, or candy. We will send home monthly breakfast/lunch calendars. If you child has any type of food allergy PLEASE notify us IMMEDIATELY. Illness at School If a child becomes ill at school, the parents are contacted, and the child is sent home. If a parent cannot be reached, emergency contacts will be called. For your child’s well-being and safety, please be sure that the school has at least two emergency phone numbers. State law requires that children be fever free for 24 hours without the aid of fever reducing medication before returning to school. The school nurse has a list of other common childhood diseases and symptoms. Usually a child who has been exposed to a disease may continue to attend school pending the appearance of symptoms or fever. Please consult a Physician for accurate diagnosis and to determine when the child may return to school after an illness. If your child has a life threatening allergy to anything, please inform the school nurse immediately. Dispensing of Medicine Prescribed medication will be given only on the written orders of a physician. To avoid any error, send medicine in the original container that has been clearly marked with: 1. 2. 3. 4. Student’s name Date prescribed Dosage amount to be taken Time medication is to be given 5. Physician’s name and phone number All medication will be dispensed by the school nurse. In the event the nurse is unavailable, the medication will be given by the designated person. No over the counter medication can be given unless there is a written note from the doctor or the parent has signed the school’s permission form to allow the child to take the medicine. Head Lice Summersville R-II School District has a no-nit policy. If your child is found to have lice, the child may not return to school until he/she is nit free. Immunizations – Board Policy JHCB It is the policy of the Summersville R-II School District that all students attending the district schools shall be immunized in accordance with law. The district will not allow a student to attend school until the district has satisfactory evidence on file that the student has been immunized, that the immunization process has begun and satisfactory progress is being accomplished or that the student is exempted from obtaining immunizations in accordance with law. Curriculum The curriculum for the program is a Missouri based curriculum called Project Construct. This curriculum is based on learning through interaction with physical and social environments. Through “Hands-on, Mind-on” experiences, students in Project Construct classrooms attain knowledge in specific content areas, while they also learn to work collaboratively with adults and peers and to be lifelong problem solvers. The Project Construct curriculum will be integrated with theme based instruction that reflects interests the students have or pertinent events such as holidays. Project Construct provides a framework for teachers to use in making appropriate classroom decisions and focuses on learning through play with age appropriate group activities and learning centers designed to stimulate language development, build self-esteem and allow for individual differences. Bathroom Skills All students must be potty-trained before enrolling in preschool. Diapers and pull ups are not allowed in the preschool program. The program expects the child to be able to go to the bathroom with little assistance. We understand that accidents occur and teaching staff will notify parents if accidents happen more frequently, at which time the teacher will make a plan of action for the child, as each situation will be dealt with differently. If an accident occurs while your child is at school, he/she will be cleaned up promptly. All children should have a change of clothes (labeled with your child’s name) to be left in their backpack or at the preschool in case of an accident. In the instance that your child has to wear clothing provided by the preschool please be sure to launder and return as soon as possible. Dress Code Students should dress appropriately for each season. Flip-Flop shoes are considered dangerous in the school environment due to circumstances such as slipping on wet floors, running and falling on the playground and skinning toes. This type of shoe also has defects often which cause the need for an additional pair of shoes. It is suggested that students do not wear flip-flop shoes to school. During cold weather, please dress your child appropriately. Hats and mittens or gloves are advised to help protect the students from the cold. Students need a certain amount of exercise and fresh air daily and students will be expected to go to recess unless a note is received stating that the child is sick or recovering from an illness. Students not going outside for recess will spend recess in a supervised area. The children will not have outside recess during frigid temperatures. Nap Time We nap each day from 1:00-2:00, no nap mat is needed; the preschool provides a cot and a blanket. Classroom Parties We will have two parties with which room parents assist: Fall Celebration and Easter. Room parents will coordinate the refreshments, quiet games and cleanup. The teacher is in charge of the classroom at all times. Parties are scheduled from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Early arrival is discouraged because it interrupts the learning process. Birthdays may also be celebrated, make arrangements with the teacher. Toys The preschool classroom is adequately equipped with toys, games and materials of special interest to young children. We ask that personal toys be left at home. It is difficult to be responsible for personal play items as they can be easily damaged, misplaced or lost at school. If a child brings a special sleep toy for naptime, we ask that it stays at the preschool so that it will be laundered weekly. Discipline and Guidance Vital to an organized, functioning classroom is establishing a mood of autonomy, responsibility, sharing and respect for self and others. Discipline at the Summersville Preschool is based on these positive qualities as well as safety. Misbehavior is most often an indicator that needs are not being met. Like adults, children, have common psychological needs including; the need to have their personal identity recognized, the need to have security in the situational environment and the need to have power within the classroom environment. These things make the student feel like he/she belongs in the class and encourages participation without fear of embarrassment of belittling. Misbehavior can be minimized with proactive management. In essence, proactive management means that the teacher anticipates the needs of the class members and plans ahead of time to include activities of instructional techniques which offer the least opportunity of excuse to misbehave. Classroom management systems should not be demeaning to a child in any way. Classroom rules should serve as a check, supporting and encouraging appropriate behavior. In order for us to instill self-discipline, we need the cooperation and support from all parents. Techniques for handling children’s behavior: A positive approach works best with young children. Tell the children what to do rather than what not to do. Corporal punishment or threatening will not be used as punishment by the Preschool staff. Food/snacks will not be withheld or portions changed as punishment. Explain and enforce the rules in a positive and impersonal way. Be fair, firm, and consistent. Redirect an uncooperative child to another activity. Consequences: Child may need to sit down for a short period of time to rethink their options. When repeated interventions do not help, redirect an uncooperative child to a new activity or room, or close the area. If a problem is repeated several times in one day, the parents/guardians will be notified through written message or telephone call. Student Records A file will be established and maintained for each preschool student. This file will contain their enrollment form, physical form, a copy of their birth certificate, immunization record, screening forms, and parental instructions. You have access to your child’s file upon request. In addition to this file, each student will have a portfolio which will be used to document growth throughout the year. This file will contain goals for your child, work samples, and conference notes. We will discuss all documents in your child’s portfolio during parent teacher conferences that will be held in October and May. Communication You will receive a weekly newsletter each Friday in your child’s “Friday Folder.” The newsletter will keep you informed of classroom happenings and important events. We will also hold parent teacher conferences twice a year, one in October and the other in May. During these conferences we will discuss your child’s progress and how they are adjusting in preschool. If you should ever have any questions or concerns please contact us. Parent Advisory Committee The role of the Parent Advisory Committee is to be actively involved and provide input pertaining to the preschool program. All parents are invited to participate. Meetings will be held at least two times a school year. Mandated Reporting of Child Abuse The state of Missouri requires any and all suspected cases of child abuse be reported to the Division of Family Services. We, as teachers, are mandated by law to report any suspected occurrences of abuse and/or neglect. Reports All licensing reports, including compliance reports and evaluations from Missouri Department of Health, Child Care Licensing and the State Fire Marshalls office are available to all parents upon request. Emergency Drills and Disaster Plans Fire, tornado, earthquake, and crisis drills will be held on a periodic basis throughout the school year with appropriate instruction given. Proper safety procedures are posted in the room. Role of Preschool Parents Bring your child to preschool every day. Regular attendance will help your child feel secure and confident in their new environment. Keep a positive attitude. If you look forward to preschool each day, your child will do the same. Talk to your child each day about what they did at preschool. Ask them about the books we read, what centers they worked in and who they played with. If you have any questions or concerns please discuss them with us. Role of Preschool Teachers Create a safe environment for your child. Maintain an environment that your child finds fun and stimulating. Welcome your child into our classroom each day and make them feel successful, confident, and comfortable. Plan learning activities for your child designed to help them succeed in Kindergarten. Discuss and assist in getting information regarding questions and concerns you may have about your child and their development. Summersville Preschool Handbook Agreement I have read the above information and I understand and agree to all the policies and procedures outlined in the Summersville Preschool Parent Handbook. Child’s Name:________________________________________________ Parent/Guardian Signature:___________________________________________________________________ Date:_______________________ Preschool Supply List 4-packs Crayola Crayons (8 count) 1-pack Crayola Markers 4-Bottles Elmer’s Glue 4-2-packs Glue Sticks 1-back pack 1-6-pack paper towels 1-3 pk Clorox wipes 1-box tissues 1-pair Fiskar scissors Preschool Daily Schedule 7:45-8:00- Arrival/Breakfast 8:00-8:15- Circle Time/Large Group Instruction 8:15-9:05- Centers/Small Group Instruction 9:05-9:30-Specials: MWF-PE TTH-Library 9:30-10:00- Recess 10:00-10:15- Read Aloud 10:15-10:25- Prepare for lunch 10:25-10:55- Lunch 10:55-11:25- Recess 11:25-12:30- Centers/Small Group Instruction 12:30-1:00- Tech Time 1:00-2:00- Naptime 2:00-2:15- Snack 2:15-3:00- Recess 3:05-Dismissal