Shepherd’s Care
Preschool
Parent
Handbook
Good Shepherd United
2341 S. Military
Trail
(561)
965-4311
scp@goodshepherd-umc.org
Kathy Schloesser,
Director
Tina Marie Intoppa,
Assistant Director
Shepherd’s Care Preschool
Parent Handbook
Revised 11/07
A Arrival
Classes begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 1:00 p.m. Children must be picked
up promptly at this time. No children will be accepted into the classroom
before 9:30 a.m. in order to give the teachers time for prayer and last minute
preparations. Please respect the teachers’ need for this time.
B Birthdays
We know how excited children become about their birthday. We want to
make their day special for them. We feel this can be done by setting
some guidelines for birthday celebrations.
We welcome you to bring in a treat for the class. All treats sent to
school must be store bought and individually packaged. We recommend “Little
Debbie Snacks”, fruit snacks, snack-size cookies/crackers, ice cream
cups. Please DO NOT send in a cake or cupcakes. Please
speak to the teacher about possible allergies in your child’s class.
Do not send in treat bags, hats or other party goods. We do not have
the facilities to handle a “real party”. Please handle birthday
party invitations OUTSIDE of class.
Birthdays will be celebrated from 12:30-1:00 and you are welcome to come back
and join us. Please remember that siblings not registered as students
are not allowed in the classroom.
C Clothing
Clothing should be comfortable play clothes which the child can take on and
off by themselves when in the restroom. Shoes must be closed-toed – NO
SANDALS! Due to the risk of head lice, hats are not permitted.
We would like every student to bring a complete change of clothes that will
be kept in your child’s classroom all year, or until needed! We
understand that you may not expect your child to need a change of clothes,
but they are often needed because of spills or “potty accidents”.
D Drop
off and Dismissal
Dropping off: Class begins at 9:30. Please bring
your child to the bathroom before bringing them to the classroom. Please
be on time as it is a disruption to have children entering the classroom after
class has begun.
Dismissal: The school day ends at 1:00. Please
be prompt in picking up your child. If you are going to be late, contact
Tina Intoppa at 965-4311 ext. 242 or Kathy Schloesser ext. 228. If your
child hasn’t been picked up by 1:10, you must pick them up from Tina’s
office. Late charges apply after 1:10.
E Emergency
Pick-ups
In the event of an emergency, you must call the Preschool office at 965-4311
ext.228 or ext.242 and give us the name of the person authorized to pick up
your child. Please let friends and family know that we will ask for a
driver’s license before releasing your child. If the front office
is closed, you may dial the extension numbers at any time during the recorded
message to reach the Preschool office.
F Fire
Drills
We will have 1 fire drill every month. It is important for us to conduct
these drills in order to be ready in case of a real emergency. The fire
drill dates will be listed in our newsletter.
The teachers will be talking with the children to prepare them for hearing
the alarm and explaining how they should respond. These drills can be
upsetting at first so please help prepare your child. Talk to them about
having a fire drill and stress the importance of listening to the adults around
them. When you see a fire truck pass you on the road, talk about where
they might be going and who they might be helping.
Please remember to ask your child to tell you about the fire drill. This
will help reinforce the lessons learned.
G Goals
Our vision for this ministry is to partner with God, parents and Good Shepherd
UMC to help children reach their full potential spiritually and academically. We
desire to help our students in the following areas:
Spiritual Development- We want students to know
Jesus and how to make Godly moral choices.
Academic Development- We desire that all children get a
solid foundation in phonics and numbers.
Physical Development- We strive to help students
develop their fine and gross motor skills.
Artistic Development- We will encourage
their interest in music, movement, drama and art.
H Healthy
Children must be healthy and free from communicable illness such as, but not
limited to: fever, vomiting, diarrhea, nasal drip (does not refer to allergies),
sneezing, coughing, colds, head lice or nits. Children with any of the
above symptoms will not be accepted into the classroom. A child must
be free of temperature for 24 hours before returning. If a child suffers from
any allergies, the classroom teacher must be made aware of them and they must
be stated on the registration form.
If any symptoms occur after the child is admitted to class, the parent/guardian
will be notified to pick up the child. Sick children will be taken to
and dismissed from the preschool office.
I Immunizations
A current immunization record (form #680) and physical examination (form #3040)
are required before a child can start class. These forms should be
readily available from your doctor.
J Jesus
We want students to know Jesus and how to make Godly moral choices.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever
believes in Him may have eternal life.”
John 3:16 NIV
K Know
Your Child Care Center
The brochure “Know Your Child Care Center” is included with every
application. It provides you with information in the following areas:
What is a good child care program?
Minimum state licensing requirements
The parent’s role
The caregiver’s role
Additional copies are available from the preschool office.
L Late
Policy
If
you have not picked up your child from the classroom by 1:10 p.m., your child
will be waiting for you in the Preschool office. You will need to sign
them out from the office and there will be a $5 late fee. If you are
later than 1:15 p.m. there will be an additional $5 for every 5 minutes thereafter. Fees
are to be paid by the end of the next school day. The clock in the Preschool
office is the official clock.
EXAMPLE
1:00
- 1:09 - no fee
1:10
- 1:15 - $5.00
1:16
- 1:20 - $10.00
1:21
- 1:25 - $15.00 etc.
We
encourage you to have a backup plan in place; someone listed on your
child’s application to pick up your child if you are delayed. If
you need to review your emergency contact information on your child’s
application, please stop by the office and we will assist you in this.
If you are going to be late, or someone else is going to pick up your child,
you must call the Preschool office at 965-4311 ext.#228 or ext.#242. If
the Front Office is closed, you may dial the extension numbers at any time
during the recorded message to reach the Preschool Office.
M Medication
Our staff is not permitted to dispense any type of medication. This includes
all ointments or pain relievers. In the event of a minor injury, ice
will be applied or a cut will be washed with antibacterial soap and water. Students
are not allowed to have any medications in their backpacks or lunchboxes.
N Nutrition
Please send a healthy snack and lunch every day. This will promote good
eating habits and give your child the nutrition they need to grow and develop.
Your child is required to bring a healthy mid-morning snack and lunch each
day. It is also important that you include 2 separate drinks for your
child. Lunches should include items that will not need refrigeration
or reheating. Please do not pack candy, soda or other “sugary” items
in your child’s lunch.
O Optional
supplemental services
Throughout the school year, we schedule special programs that come to us; we
never take children off campus. The supplemental services fee makes it
possible for us to schedule programs and activities for your child in addition
to the VPK provided by the state. These are regular school days that
are not covered by the VPK program. If you would like your child to attend
on days that we schedule special events or activities, a one time fee of $355.00
is required.
P Potty
Trained
All children must be fully potty trained. This not only means that we
do not change diapers, but that children should be able to handle their own
clothes as well. Heavy “training pants” and “pull-ups” are
not allowed. They can be confusing for a child to know whether “accidents” are
expected. Our staff is instructed to help with children’s garments
as little as possible.
The
first few days of school are considered a “grace period” knowing
that new surroundings, the classroom with so many new distractions, and an
adult that isn’t Mom or Dad may be overwhelming. Classes are taken
to the restroom twice daily and small groups will be taken as needed.
Q Questions
or Concerns
If you have any questions or concerns, please call Kathy Schloesser at 965-4311
ext.228 or Tina Marie Intoppa, ext.242.
Teacher conferences: If there is a need to have a conference with
the teacher, please write a note explaining the need for a conference and give
it to Tina or Kathy. We will then schedule a time with you and the teacher
and schedule a substitute to help in the classroom during that time, if necessary. Conferences cannot take
place in the classroom while other students are present.
R Restrooms
Please bring your child to the restroom prior to dropping them off at the classroom.
The men’s and women’s bathrooms in the Chapel building are to be
used ONLY by students of Shepherd’s Care Preschool, Monday through Friday
from 9:30-1pm. Restrooms for adult use are located in the Fellowship
Hall and the Sanctuary.
S Severe
Weather
During severe weather and other emergencies, we follow Palm Beach County School
District’s decisions regarding school closings. In the event of
severe weather, tune into our local radio and TV stations for information. If
Palm Beach County Schools are closed, Shepherd’s Care will be closed
as well. In the event of a half day announcement, you will be contacted
by a member of our staff regarding our decision.
T Tuition
Our tuition for the 2007/2008 school year is $1700.00 for our 3-day program
and $2800.00 for our 5-day program. It has been divided into 10 monthly
payments of $170.00 for our 3-day program and $280.00 for our 5-day program. Payments
are due on the 1st of each month beginning August 1st. You will receive
payment envelopes that show your assigned family ID number. Please drop
your payment in the black mailbox located in the hallway outside the main office
of the church.
U U
Are Important
U are an important part of this preschool. We value your opinions on
how we can improve our school. If U have any comments or suggestions,
please put them in the preschool tuition mailbox.
U are an important part of your child’s life and are always welcome to
volunteer during special activity days.
V Volunteers
During special activity days, your child’s teacher may ask for volunteers
through the monthly class letter. Due to Health Department requirements,
siblings not enrolled in our preschool ARE NOT allowed in the classrooms. Please
let your child’s teacher know if you would like to help in other ways
such as cutting or filing.
W Withdrawal
/ Dismissal
If you need to withdraw your child during the school year, please give the
office one week prior notice in writing.
After every attempt has been made to retain a child in our program through
parent / teacher/ administrative conferences, the re are times when a child
will be dismissed from our program. Some examples include, but are not
limited to:
Not being fully potty trained.
Not being ready emotionally for a classroom setting.
Excessive absences.
Physically injuring themselves or others on more than one occasion.
X, Y, Z
This is the X,Y,Z of Shepherd’s Care Preschool. Thank you for
allowing us to be a part of your child’s life.
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