Growing Together Preschools Parent Handbook

[Pages:19]Calaveras Unified School District

Mark Campbell, Superintendent

Growing Together Preschools Parent Handbook

2012-2013

Growing Together State Preschool

Jenny Lind Elementary 754-2218

Growing Together State Preschool

Valley Springs Elementary 754-2141, x 3254

Growing Together State Preschool

San Andreas Elementary 754-2366

West Point Head Start/State Preschool West Point Elementary

754-2255, x 3617

Ready to Learn Preschool

Rail Road Flat Elementary 754-2275, x 3706

Calaveras Unified School District

Preschool & Child Care Services PO Box 788

San Andreas, CA 95249 (209) 754-2311 voice; (209) 754-2261 fax

Kim Osmanski-Potter, Principal Monica Lolley, Secretary

*Available on the CUSD website, calaveras.k12.ca.us*

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Welcome.................................................................................................................................................. 3 Program Philosophy .............................................................................................................................. 3 Desired Results Development Profiles............................................................................................... 3 Goals and Guiding Principles .............................................................................................................. 3 School Contact Information ................................................................................................................ 5 Services & Fees ...................................................................................................................................... 5 Holidays................................................................................................................................................... 6 Preschool Program Schedule ............................................................................................................... 6 Learning Experiences and Play ............................................................................................................ 6 Eligibility Criteria ................................................................................................................................... 7 State Preschool Enrollment.................................................................................................................. 7 Fee Based Enrollment ........................................................................................................................... 9 Procedures for Enrollment................................................................................................................... 10 Immunizations & Medical Assessment .............................................................................................. 10 Parent & Community Participation..................................................................................................... 11 Parent Advisory Board .......................................................................................................................... 11 Parent Communication ......................................................................................................................... 11 Sign in/Sign Out Procedures ............................................................................................................... 11 Pick Up Policy ........................................................................................................................................ 12 Safety in the Parking Lot....................................................................................................................... 12 Absences.................................................................................................................................................. 12 Medical Exclusion Policy ...................................................................................................................... 13 Medications............................................................................................................................................. 13 Minor Injuries & Medical Emergencies.............................................................................................. 14 Discipline ................................................................................................................................................ 14 Termination Policy ................................................................................................................................ 15 Withdrawal from the Program ............................................................................................................. 15 Toys from Home/Personal Possessions ............................................................................................ 15 Clothing ................................................................................................................................................... 15 School Parties and Birthdays................................................................................................................ 16 Meals & Snacks ...................................................................................................................................... 16 Naptime................................................................................................................................................... 16 Transportation Arrangements.............................................................................................................. 16 Confidentiality ........................................................................................................................................ 16 Enrolling Children with Special Needs............................................................................................... 17 Formal Complaints ................................................................................................................................ 17 Crisis Response Plan.............................................................................................................................. 17 Program Evaluation............................................................................................................................... 17 Children and Parent Rights .................................................................................................................. 17 Signature Page ........................................................................................................................................ 19

CUSD School Calendar 20012-20013 available on the CUSD website, calaveras.k12.ca.us

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Welcome

Dear Parents & Guardians: Welcome to the Calaveras Unified School District (CUSD) Preschool! We are excited to work with you and your child to develop the foundation for your child's future academic success. We strive to offer a quality program that recognizes and values each child's unique traits and potential. The curriculum is child centered and reflects best practices as set forward in First Class, A Guide for Early Primary Education and is based on the California Preschool Foundations developed by the California Department of Education. We look forward to a year of amazing growth for your child. We adhere to all state, county, and district rules regarding child care licensing, fire, safety, and nutrition. Our goal is to provide a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment for all children in which to learn and develop. This handbook was designed to acquaint you with our program policies and procedures. Please read and refer to this handbook as needed. Feel free to discuss any concerns or questions with our staff. The Preschool office is located in the CUSD district office building, 3304 Hwy. 12, San Andreas, CA 95249. The mailing address is:

Calaveras Unified School District Preschool Services PO Box 788

San Andreas, CA 95249 (209) 754-2311 voice (209) 754-2261 fax

Sincerely, Kim Osmanski-Potter

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Program Philosophy

We believe children learn and develop when exposed to a rich and stimulating environment. This requires highly qualified teachers, a child centered curriculum, and developmentally appropriate educational materials and equipment. A quality preschool education provides activities that encourage children to learn through a balance of pre-literacy and numeracy activities, structured free choice, and hands-on experiences.

Desired Results Development Profile

The goal of Growing Together Preschool is to ensure that all children are making progress in the domains of physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development.

We use the Desired Results Developmental Profile, a tool developed by the California Department of Education, Child Development Division, to assess the development of children. Children are assessed within 60 days of enrollment and every six months thereafter. Parents' input is a necessary component of this assessment. The assessment is also used to plan and conduct age and developmentally appropriate activities for the children.

Goals and Guiding Principles

Our goal is to address the needs of the whole child by enhancing their social, emotional, cognitive, physical and creative development. We will provide learning experiences that promote:

Social Development o Learning to get along in groups o Learning responsible behavior o Acquiring respect for individual differences

Emotional Development o Promoting positive self image o Promoting trust, independence, and harmony o Developing self control

Cognitive Development o Emerging literacy skills o Building number sense o Experiencing science, art, and music

Physical Development o Improving large and small muscle development o Improving hand/eye coordination o Encouraging hands-on experiences

Creative Development o Promoting active learning o Making choices

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School Contact Information

Growing Together State Preschool Jenny Lind Elementary School 5100 Driver Road Valley Springs, CA 95252 754-2218

Ready to Learn Cooperative Preschool Rail Road Flat Elementary School 298 Rail Road Flat Road Rail Road Flat, CA 95248 754-2255

West Point Head Start/State Preschool Co/Op West Point Elementary School 54 Bald Mountain Road West Point, CA 95255 754-2255

Growing Together Services and Fees

Growing Together State Preschool San Andreas Elementary School 255 Lewis Avenue San Andreas, CA 95249 754-2366

Growing Together State Preschool Valley Springs Elementary 240 Pine Street Valley Springs, CA 95252 754-2141, ext 3254

Growing Together Preschools offer a preschool program with wrap-around program weekdays Monday through Friday on the CUSD academic calendar. Contact sites for hours of operation as they vary slightly from site to site.

Children will be accepted for our program between the ages of three and Kindergarten entry. Preschools offer a variety of options from which parents may choose to accommodate their family needs. Subsidies may be available through the Resource Connection at 754-3048 for more information.

Because we are a licensed facility and are part of the Calaveras Unified School District, please know that your child will be participating in activities with K-6 grade age students. Your child will always be under the supervision of their credentialed preschool teacher. If you have any concerns, please speak with the site supervisor.

Parent Fee Description

Part-time daily fees (includes preschool up to 3.59 hours per day ? children must be picked up by 11:45 a.m. daily )

Full-time daily (includes preschool up to 10.5 hours per day)

Fees $22.00 per day

$30.00 per day

State Preschool Slots ? available at Jenny Lind, San Andreas, Valley Springs and West Point

Part time daily fees are based on income verification (includes preschool up to 3.59 hours per day ? children must be picked up by 11:45 a.m. daily)

Full-time daily (includes preschool up to 10.5 hours per day)

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Hours Jenny Lind ? 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. San Andreas ? 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Valley Springs ? 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Holidays and Days Closed

2012-2013 Breaks, Holidays and Staff Development Days No Preschool Services

*All dates subject to change, notification will be given in advance.

Growing Together Preschool is CLOSED on the following holidays:

July 1-27, 2012

Summer Break

September 3, 2012

Labor Day

November 11, 2012

Veteran's Day

November 22 & 23, 2012

Thanksgiving Holidays

December 24, 2012-January 11, 2013

Winter Break

January 21, 2013

Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday

February 11, 2013

Lincoln's Birthday

February 18, 2013

Washington's Birthday

May 16 & 17, 2013

Calaveras Frog Jump

May 27, 2013

Memorial Day

July 1-26, 2013 (closed July 4th)

Summer Break

Growing Together Preschool will be CLOSED for staff development on the following days:

August 3, 2012

November 1, 2012

November 2, 2012

Growing Together Preschool will be OPEN for break for the dates as follows:

October 1-12, 2012

Fall Break

March 25-Apil 5, 2013

Spring Break

June 10-June 28, 2013

Summer Break

Preschool Daily Schedule

The daily preschool schedule varies by site. Please see the site supervisor for a copy.

Weekly lesson plans are posted on the parent communication board. The lesson plans are designed to encourage children to discover, create, explore, experiment, observe, discuss and share.

Such activities include: Dramatic play Art and cooking Manipulatives: blocks, construction, sand and water Music and movement Explorations in science and math Emerging reading and writing activities 6

Learning Experiences & Play

Play is the work of children and is the basic way in which young children gain knowledge. Just as teachers use instructional techniques for reading so preschool teachers plan opportunities for spontaneous play, guided play, directed play, or investigative play to teach new skills and concepts. Our preschool program is designed to encourage learning through play, hands-on activities, and small and large group discovery time.

Eligibility Criteria

The Growing Together Preschool offers our program for a fee and state preschool at Jenny Lind, Valley Springs, and San Andreas. Preschool staff will review the enrollment packet to determine appropriate placement for state preschool. One of the following eligibility criteria will be used to determine priority for placement for the state preschools:

Children 3.9 to 4.9 years of age will have priority enrollment into the program. Income (for more information please contact the site) At Risk of Abuse, Neglect and/or Exploitation Homelessness

State Preschool Enrollment

The Growing Together Preschool Program has state preschool slots at Jenny Lind, San Andreas, Valley Springs, and West Point preschools for family size and families with qualifying income needs.

Admission Priorities, Enrollment Priorities, and Eligibility Criteria: The first priority for services shall be given to at risk children, ages 3-5 without regard to income. Second priority is then given to income eligible four-year-old children and then to income eligible three-year-old children. Families with the lowest gross monthly income shall be admitted first. Families must show evidence of need for extended day enrollment because they are: o Child Protective Services o At Risk o Parental Incapacity o Employment o Training toward vocational goal o Actively seeking employment o Seeking permanent housing.

As soon as all eligible children are enrolled in accordance with the priorities for participation listed above, children who are not otherwise eligible may be enrolled. This includes children who exceed the age limitations and children from families whose income exceeds the current income ceiling, issued by the California Department of Education, Child Development Division. These families may exceed this current income ceiling by no more than 15% of the eligible families of the same size. These children shall comprise a maximum of 10% of the total enrollment.

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 Certification of Eligibility: Eligibility will be certified no more than 120 calendar days prior to the first day of the beginning of the preschool year. Prior to initial enrollment, each family shall certify their eligibility for preschool services, and the family shall complete all of the applicable forms. Children who wish to attend preschool for a second year, and are too young to enter kindergarten must be re-enrolled with the proper documentation.

Family Size: The parent must provide supporting documentation regarding the number of children and parents in the family.

Supporting documentation for the number of children shall be at least one of the following: o Birth Certificate o Child custody court order o Adoption documents o Foster Care placement records o School or medical records o County welfare department records o Other reliable documentation indicating the relationship of the child to the parent

When only one parent has signed (one parent on the application for service) the Application for Service and the information provided indicates the child in the family has another parent whose name does not appear on the application, then the presence or absence of that parent shall be documented.

Supporting documentation of the presence or absence of the other parent must be any one of the following:

o Records of marriage, divorce, domestic partnership or legal separation. o Court-ordered child custody arrangement. o Evidence that the parent signing the application receives child support payment. o Rental receipts or agreement contracts, utility bills or other documents for the residence

of the family indicating that the parent is the responsible party. o Any other documentation, excluding a self-declaration to confirm the presence or absence of

the parent of the child in the family.

If due to recent departure of a parent from the family, the remaining applicant parent may submit a self-declaration under penalty of perjury explaining the absence of that parent from the family.

Within six months of applying or reporting the change in family size, the parent must provide one of the above supporting documentations.

Enrollment: A file for each family receiving preschool services shall be established and maintained. The basic data file shall contain required by Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, Community Care Licensing Standards: o An application for services o Documentation of total countable income o Documentation of exceptional needs, if applicable o Notice of Action o Application for Services and/or Recipient of Services o All child health form o Immunization record o Physician's reports

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