311 Hwy 21 • Madisonville, La
70447
985-792-5250
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North Cross United Methodist Church
Mother’s Day Out Program
Tax I.D. #72-1454601
Church Information: Real. Relevant. Relational.
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North Cross UMC is located at 311 Highway 21 in Madisonville, Louisiana.
From I-12, take Exit 59 – Madisonville / Covington / Highway 21. Head south and our facilities are
located 1.5 miles on the right.
From Mandeville area, take Highway 22 west and cross the bridge at the Tchefuncte River. Take a right
at first stop sign (Highway 21). After the “S” curve, we are approximately 1.5 miles on the left side
of the road
Hours of Operation: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Monday to Thursday)
Church Service Time: Sundays 10:00 a.m. Child Care Provided
Office Phone Number: (985)792-5255
MDO Phone Number: (985)792-5250
Office Fax Number: (985)792-5257
Meet Our Church Staff:
Pastor: Rev. Lamar Oliver
lamar@northcrosschurch.org
Associate Pastor: Rev. Kathy Pfleider
kathy@northcrosschurch.org
Program Director: Jeff Hogg
jeff@northcrosschurch.org
Music Director: Shannon Hogg
shannon@northcrosschurch.org
MDO Director: Vida Ward
vida@northcrosschurch.org
Rev. Lamar Oliver
Rev. Kathy Pfleider
Jeff Hogg
Shannon Hogg
Vida Ward
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Welcome
We welcome your family to North Cross United Methodist Church’s
“Mother’s Day Out.” Our MDO program is an outreach mission of North Cross
United Methodist Church. Our mission is to serve God and our community
by providing a safe, Christian environment where young children partake in
their first socialization and educational experiences. Thank you for allowing
us the opportunity to care for your most precious gift. We recognize this is
an honor and a huge responsibly, that we will not take lightly. We promise
to play, teach, and most of all LOVE your child as if he/she were our own.
Our goals are to meet the spiritual, emotional, physical and social needs of
every child in a fun and safe environment. We plan to use every moment
with your child in a positive and productive manner. Our curriculum is
custom designed using all five senses, and we believe in playing with a
purpose. Our prayer is that our year together is a rewarding one for you and
your child. If you have any questions or concerns, if or we can be of any
assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am available to you by
phone, e-mail or we can schedule a planned time to meet.
In His Service,
Vida A. Ward
MDO Director
(985) 373-9023 C
(985) 792-5250 O
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Philosophy
We believe that early childhood education and socialization are important. Our
program seeks to provide children with a positive learning experience and a loving
environment that will foster a great love for learning and sense of security. Each child
will be given the opportunity to build self-confidence, self-discipline and a meaningful
relationship with Christ. We understand that young children learn by doing and
experiencing; therefore, our curriculum strives to give children the best opportunity to
learn through all five senses. It is our goal that when children leave our program that
they would be prepared for whatever God has planned for them next. We also realize
that children are naturally spontaneous, active, curious, and creative and that these traits
can be used positively to enhance their desire to learn. Finally, positive reinforcement
and redirection can provide the healthy boundaries which allow children to grow and
develop into productive citizens. The following are our major school goals:
Major School Goals
Developing an understanding of God’s love.
Learning to socialize with peers.
Learning to follow directions.
Cooperating in group settings.
Becoming an independent person.
Accepting authority outside the home.
Developing motor skills.
Discrimination Policy
North Cross does not discriminate against race, age, color, creed, sex, national origin,
ancestry, or handicap condition. However, we do not have the required facilities to accommodate children with certain disabilities at this time. We reserve the right to accept
or reject any applicant and to determine a child’s continuing acceptability.
Admission Policy
During Registration, the following criteria will be observed in the order of priority:
A. Children or grandchildren of members of North Cross UMC
B. Children presently enrolled and their siblings.
C. All other children will be registered as space permits or on a first come first served
basis. A waiting list per class will be kept by the MDO Director.
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Age and Registration Requirements
A. Entering Age:
Children must be walking, but no older than 4 years before September 1st of the current
school year to be eligible to enter the North Cross MDO Program. Children are placed in
their appropriate class based on their age as of September 1st of that school year.
B. Registration Requirements:
1. Copy of birth certificate or proof of guardianship (if child resides with anyone other
than parent)
2. Copy of updated Immunization record:
 DTP
 OPV
 MMR
 HIB vaccine
 Varicella Vaccine
3. Completed Medical Release Form for MDO
4. Completed Registration Form for MDO
5. Completed Authorization for Pick-Up Form
6. Completed Parent Handbook Form
7. Completed Photo Release Form
8. Registration Fee: $200 due at the time of registration. Registration is a
non-refundable fee.
9. Children may not enter the 3 or 4 year old class until they are fully potty trained.
(We are aware that some accidents do happen). Children still in Pull-ups are not
considered potty trained
Forms in this packet will need to be completed and returned with your Supply Fee and
first month’s tuition on or before the first day of school. All forms can be obtained from
our church website: northcrosschurch.org under Mother’s Day Out.
Services Offered
A. Regular Hours: MDO hours are 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
Children are not allowed to enter the classroom before 9:00 a.m. unless they are enrolled
in our before care program. Our teachers are praying and preparing for the day. All children should be in class by 9:10 a.m. When students arrive later than 9:10, we risk
disrupting circle times and/or upsetting children with separation issues. If you arrive
late, please locate the director or floater so they can bring your child to class.
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Services Offered Continued
B. Extended Hours: It is possible to arrange for before care and after care through North
Cross Mother’s Day Out at an additional charge.
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Before Care is from 8:15 to 9:00 a.m.
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After Care is from 1:10 to 2:00 p.m.
C. Summer Program: North Cross offers a summer program which normally lasts approximately 9 weeks. The summer program is separate from our regular fall program.
Contact director for more information regarding fees and tuition.
Tuition and Fees
A. Fees: All Fees are Non-Refundable.
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A non-refundable registration fee of $200 is collected at the time of registration. Church Members receive a $35 discount on registration. ($165)
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Supply fees are due the first day of school. Supply fees are determined based
on the number of days your child attends school and are subject to change
yearly.
B. Tuition:
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Tuition is due on the 1st of the month. A $20.00 late fee will be charged for
payments received after the 10th. 5% discount given to parents with multiple
children registered with North Cross MDO.
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A $25.00 NSF fee will be charged for all returned checks.
C. Full payment is due each month, regardless of the number of days expected to
attend that month. No adjustments will be made in the tuition for illness, vacation,
transfers, or holidays. Days can only be exchanged or made-up if available and with
director’s approval.
D. Please make all checks/money orders payable to North Cross Mother’s Day Out
(MDO). Label all checks with your child’s name. Please make sure you receive a
receipt when paying with cash.
E. The full summer tuition and supply fee is due the first day of summer program.
Parents have until April 1st to make changes to their child’s schedule without being
responsible for the tuition. After the 1st of April, parents are fully responsible for the
amount of days they scheduled and committed to. If you are unable to pay the full
amount, please contact the director to make other arrangements to pay.
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Tuition and Fees Continued
C. Tuition Fees are as follows:
Fall Tuition
# of Days/Week
1
2
3
4
September-May
Monthly Tuition
$100.00
$175.00
$250.00
$350.00
Supply Fee
$150
$150
$175
$200
Registration Fee = $200 (Church Members $165)
5% discount for multiple children
Before and After Care Rates
Days Per Week
Rate of Pay (Per Service)
1
$16
2
$32
3
$48
4
$64
*** $10 Per Day Drop-off Fee (Must Register 24-Hours In Advance)***
F. Late Pick-Up Policy: Children not picked up by 1:10 will be placed in after care and
charged the $10 drop-off fee. Parents failing to pick up their children in after care by
2:00 will be charged $5 per 15 minutes.
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Please contact director at (985) 373-9023 if you are unavoidably delayed so
that we reassure your child that everything is okay. Children are often
frightened when they are not picked up on time. The director has the option
to waive the fee when circumstances appear to be beyond the parent’s control.
Parents that are habitually late will be charged without exception.
Withdrawal from Our Program
If you are moving or plan to drop out from our program, we ask that you give us a FULL
MONTH’S NOTICE in writing. This notice must be given to the director. This will give
us time to fill your child’s spot. You will be required to pay for that month.
Discharge Policy
You may be asked to remove your child from North Cross MDO if:
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A problem continues which negatively affects other children or staff.
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You are more than one month in arrears with tuition payments and there have
been no arrangements made for past due balances.
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You have failed to meet North Cross MDO guidelines.
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Drop Off and Pick Up Procedures
A. Before Care Drop Off/Pick Up: All drop offs/Pick ups will be done through the main
entrance beginning Fall 2012.
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Before Care drop off begins promptly at 8:15.
1. Walk Ins: Please walk your child in through main doors. Due to safety,
all side doors will be locked at all times. Bring your child directly to the
before care room. Please try to make good-byes quick to avoid separation anxiety.
2. Drive Up: Please pull up under the portico and stay in your car. Someone will come to your car to get/bring your child.
B. Regular Care Drop Off/Pick Up:
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Regular Care drop off begins promptly at 9:00 a.m.
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Regular Care Pick Up begins promptly at 1:00 p.m.
1. Walk Ins: If you must bring/pick-up your child inside the building, please
park by the side entrance. The doors will be locked for safety purposes.
Please knock and someone will open the door for you. We ask that you
never park in the front and walk in due to drop off procedures. Cars will
be coming and going, putting your child in danger. It is our preference
that you use our drop off, but we understand that, especially in the
beginning of the year, you may want to walk them in. Drop off has
proven to be wonderful for minimizing or even eliminating crying in the
morning.
PLEASE REMEMBER:
The doors will NOT be open until 9 am. Teachers will be praying and
preparing for daily activities.
Children should be appropriately buckled before leaving the church.
Do Not leave children alone in your car to come inside!!!
Drive Slowly!!! (10mph)
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Drop Off and Pick Up Procedures Continued
2. Drop Offs/Pick Ups: Please follow the rules outlined here to insure the
safety of our children. Cars are to enter the church from Highway 21 to
load and unload in the covered area in front of the church. Drop off/Pick-up
will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Cars will stay to the right
and enter the covered parking from the right hand side. This will help with
the flow of traffic. Please form a single file line closer to the building. You
must remain in car line when picking up or dropping off your child(ren). It
is for the safety of your child that we do not allow cars to go around other
cars in line. For safety reasons, your child should unload and load from the
passenger’s side. No child should be walked across our car line at any time.
An MDO staff member will remove/bring your child to and from the car. Do
not let your child out of the car unless someone is there to escort them to
the classroom. According to state regulations, we will not buckle your child
in their safety seats. We ask that you simply pull forward in the car line
and safely buckle your child(ren) in their seat(s).
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Each child participating in the drop off/pick-up procedure will be given a
sign with the child’s name which should be displayed by the receiving
car when picking up your child. If for some reason you do not have
your car line sign, please make a sign that is large enough and dark
enough to be read by the person calling names for car line.
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Please give this sign to whomever you have planned to pick up your
child. We ask that you put in writing any plans to have someone other
than the normal pick-up person picking up your child. It is important
that you inform anyone that is not a regular pick-up person of our policies. We will be checking I.D. and our Pick-Up Authorization forms to
assure the safe release of our students. At no time should they take offense to this, we only desire to keep your child(ren) safe.
3. Early Pick Up: If you need to pick up your child earlier then 12:45 pm, please
park in the side parking lot and enter the church’s side entrance. Please avoid
parking under the covered area 30 minutes before drop off and pick-up times.
Thank you for helping us insure the safety of our children.
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Health Policy
. A child is too sick to attend school when any one of these symptoms are displayed:
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Fever: Fever in the last 24 hr period
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Diarrhea: Runny, watery, or bloody stools within the last 12 hrs.
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Vomiting: two or more times in the last 24 hrs.
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Undiagnosed Rash: Open sores or ring worm
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Eye Discharge: White, yellow, or watery (Pink Eye) until 24 hrs after starting treatment
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Nasal Discharge: Colored, heavy discharge associated with a contagious illness.
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Consistent Cough
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Earache
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Sore Throat: Strep throat until 24 hrs after an antibiotic is started.
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Head Lice
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Symptoms or signs of possible severe illness, such as irritability, persistent crying, unusual lethargy, wheezing
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Open, Oozing sores or scabs unless properly covered and antibiotic treatment for 24
hours.
Your child may return when:
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When the above mentioned suggestions have been met.
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Your child is symptom free or fever for 24 hours.
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Your child has been treated by a doctor and has a signed doctor’s note giving
permission to return to school.
If your child develops any of these symptoms or is lethargic, unusually irritable, or is crying excessively showing signs of sickness to come, please err on the side of caution and
keep your child home. They will not be admitted for that day. If your child develops any
of the above while at MDO, you will be notified immediately and asked to keep your child
home for 24 hours regardless of whether you are still witnessing the symptoms or
not. Your child will be taken to the director’s office and remain there under adult supervision until the parent/authorized person arrives to take your child home.
In the event a child contracts a communicable disease and exposes the other children,
notice of such exposure will be posted, and parents will be notified when they pick up
their children. The ill child will not be allowed to return until the period of contagion has
passed.
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Minor Injuries or Accidents
We love having the opportunity to teach and educate your children everyday and we
much prefer that they are here with us than at home sick. However, it is imperative to
be mindful that while it is an inconvenience to rearrange plans when a child is sick, it is
also unfair to the other healthy children to expose them unnecessarily. Although it is impossible to avoid all sicknesses, if we work together to be firm on these guidelines, we
are sure to see less sickness and have less sick days as a whole.
In case of minor injury or accident, the staff will administer first aid. All injuries or
illnesses not requiring immediate parental notification will be documented and reported
to parents when the child is picked up at the end of the day.
Medication
North Cross does not administer medication. Parents are required to come to school to
administer any medication needed. North Cross will only apply diaper rash creams, sunscreen, or bug spray with parents permission. We will only apply products provided by
the parent. At no time, will a child’s products be used on other children. We recommend
applying these on your children before they come to school.
Discipline
We view discipline as careful, loving, firm training in the directions we want a child to go.
It is a process which takes time.
We will at all times:
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Praise a child’s good behavior
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Speak softly and respectfully to your child
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Take all aspects into consideration such as tired, hungry, etc.
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Lower ourselves to your child’s level, make eye contact and speak directly to
your child.
Steps Taken For Inappropriate Behavior
1. The teacher will talk with the child and give guidance in correct behavior.
2. The teacher will give the child an opportunity to exhibit the appropriate behavior.
3. If behavior continues, the child will receive a time out for a length appropriate
for his/her age group (1 min per year of age).
4. If the child disturbs the entire group or poses a safety threat, he/she may be
removed from the group for 5-10 min. and brought to the director’s office.
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5. The director will listen to the child and discuss appropriate behavior and pray
with them for God’s direction. If the procedure is successful, the child may return
to class.
6. If the situation repeats, parents will be notified.
A Teacher Is Not Allowed To
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Raise her voice to a child.
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Put a child in the hall or other places where he/she would be out of sight.
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Deprive a child of meals, snacks, or drinks for discipline reasons.
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Use any form of physical or corporal punishment.
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Use any form of verbal abuse or threats.
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Make derogatory remarks about family members of the child or the care of the
child.
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Allow a child to discipline another child.
If a child is unable to gain control and requires more individual attention than can be given within child-to-teacher ratios, we may need to contact the parents. A child that consistently requires one-on-one attention may be asked to leave North Cross temporarily or
permanently for safety reasons.
Biting Policy
We realize that biting is not uncommon in children under the age of three and that children usually bite when they lack the words to communicate their needs. However, we
take biting very seriously and will do our best to help rectify this behavior.
Our policy follows:
1) When a young child has bitten another, we give the majority of our attention to the
bitten child by comforting him, washing the bitten area, and applying ice, as needed. We
also give the victim the words to use to respond firmly to the biter: "Ouch. That
hurts! Don't bite!"
2) We take the biter aside, get down at his eye level, and tell him firmly that biting hurts
and that he may not hurt his friends. We explain that he should use his words instead of
his actions to convey what he wants. We will then choose an appropriate type of discipline such as a time out in the Director’s office.
3) We will attempt to discover whether the bite resulted from frustration, curiosity, need
for attention or possessiveness.
4) It is the policy of North Cross MDO to fill out a Child Incident Report, and notify the
parents of both the bitten child and the biter. We keep the identity of the biting child
confidential to others.
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5) After an initial bite, a staff member will immediately shadow that child to prevent future occurrences. The biter will be monitored until we feel that the behavior has passed.
During this phase, the staff member will attempt to intercede before another bite takes
place, so that appropriate alternatives can be practiced.
6) If shadowing does not work and the child continues to bite two more times, or we believe that the behavior is either dangerous to the other children in the class or is taking
away from the quality of the program, we will ask that the parents withdraw the child
from the program for a period of at least one month. The parents must pay tuition for
that month to hold the child’s spot if they’d like for the child to return to the program. If
the child returns and bites one more time, then he will be asked not to return until the
following school year or semester (at the Director’s discretion). The MDO Director will
determine whether or not a child needs to be withdrawn based on several criteria: severity of bites; frequency of occurrence; reason and extenuating circumstances. Each
case will be handled individually at the Director’s discretion. The parents will be notified
and consulted from the beginning.
Clothing and Personal Belongings
Please send the following with your child each day in a backpack or bag. Some items
may depend on the age of your child.
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At least 3 diapers, extra underwear, Pull-ups for 2 yr. olds (if potty training)
Baby Wipes (if still in diapers/Pull-ups)
Extra set of clothes: Check that clothes are appropriate for the weather/season.
Extra socks and shoes
Two full cups or 100% juice pouches for snack and Lunch
Lunch: Bib if needed
Daily Folder: Please check your child’s folder daily! We use this to communicate
important information about your child’s day and upcoming events.
Please make sure your child’s name is labeled on all items!!!
Please send your children to school in comfortable play clothes and shoes that are free of
complicated fasteners. We will be doing art activities and going outside to play. We do
not want anything GOOD to get ruined. We will be learning through play. It may consist
of dirt, paint, markers, play dough, etc. We prefer your child wear closed-toed shoes for
safety. Please NO flip flops! Any soiled clothing (bathroom accidents) will be sealed in a
plastic bag and sent home.
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Snacks/Lunches
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WE ARE A PEANUT FREE FACILITY: A morning snack is provided and included in the
MDO schedule. Snacks will be nutritious and sometimes related to the topic of learning for the day. Make sure all food allergies are listed on your Medical Release Form.
Children will need to bring two full Sippy cup from home for both snack and lunch.
Each day your child needs to bring a nutritious, finger food lunch. It is requested that
all items be placed in a lunch box/bag with your child’s name on it. Divided Ziploc
containers are great for packing Lunch and are very helpful to teachers. Teachers will
not be able to heat up any lunches for the children.
Personal Items
Children are NOT to bring toys or personal items (blankets, pillows, jewelry, etc.) from
home, since this can lead to separation anxiety and jealousy unless specified for show
and tell. If toys or personal items cause challenges in the class, the teacher will place
the item in your child’s bag, and it will not be returned to your child until the end of the
day.
School T-Shirts
Every child registered in North Cross will receive a t-shirt with our logo on it. Extra tshirts for children and adults will be sold in the director’s office.
Birthdays/Holiday Parties
Birthdays are very important to children. If you wish for your child to celebrate his/her
birthday with friends at school, please observe the following:
1. Please do not send invitations to home birthday parties, unless the whole class
is invited.
2. Celebrations will be observed during snack time.
3. Make arrangements with the teacher 1 week in advance. Please take into
consideration that your child’s class may have a child with allergies. Avoid any
items that contain or are made with peanut products.
4. Supply all paper products and cupcakes (brownies or cookies). Bring
them to the director’s office. The above items are easier to handle than cake.
5. No Gifts Please!!
Holidays will be celebrated during MDO hours. Parents will be asked well in advance to
volunteer.
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Parent Volunteering
If you are interested in coming into the classroom to read, do a special craft, share your
knowledge or work profession in any way with the children, please call the Director to
discuss. North Cross cannot provide child care for unregistered siblings. Parents are responsible for these siblings. It may be necessary for you to make other arrangements for
their care.
Open Door Policy/Teacher Conferences
If you wish to discuss your child’s progress, please call the school and make an appointment with your child’s teacher. The teachers are extremely busy and unable to spend adequate time discussing your child’s progress at drop-off and pick-up times during the day.
Please don’t hesitate to communicate any concerns regarding our program or your child
to the director, regardless of how large or small they may seem. Remember that when a
teacher/director has a suggestion or observation to share with you about your child, that
they are trying to be helpful and not critical. The happiness and well-being of your child
and all the children are always uppermost in the teacher’s/director’s mind.
Calendar/Emergency Closures
North Cross follows the St. Tammany Parish Public School Calendar. A copy of that
schedule will be given at the beginning of each year and posted on our website as well.
If the media indicates that St. Tammany Parish Schools are closed due to bad weather or
other emergency situations then North Cross will also be closed. We will do our best to
notify you by email, Facebook, phone, and media. We feel that if travel is dangerous for
our children or staff that it is best to close early or to not open until conditions improve.
If in doubt, feel free to contact the director through text or cell.
Monthly Newsletter/Calendar
Each Month North Cross MDO will send home a newsletter. In an effort to go green and
cut down on waste, these newsletters and other notes will be sent by email in the form
of a PDF. These newsletters are very important!!! They will provide you with much needed information about your child’s day. They are an important line of communication between North Cross and you the parent. It will contain things like monthly themes, weekly
concepts to be covered, bible stories to be taught, and a calendar. It will also have fun
information like the “Artist of the Month” and pictures too.
On a daily basis, our teachers will send home a daily journal sheet that will inform you of
how your child’s day was. You may also find information about how they ate and specific
concepts covered that day.
PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR CHILD’S FOLDER AND RETURN IT DAILY!!!!!!