Holy Cross Day Care Center and Nursery School operates in ...



HOLY CROSS

DAYCARE CENTER

SCHOOL AGE

PARENT HANDBOOK

696 Johnson Road

Nazareth, PA 18064

Phone 610-759-8761

Fax 610-759-9832

Website:

Email: info@

Jaclyn Henahan – Acting Center Director

Cathy Fry – Assistant Director

Cathy Fry – Lead Teacher

Assistant Teachers:

Alice Coughlin, Peggy Nagy, Christa Zechman

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Purpose, Philosophy, Objectives Page 1

Groupings & Qualifications Page 1

Hours of Operation Page 1

Registration Procedure Page 2

Health Appraisal Page 2

Release of Child Page 2

Children’s Records Page 2

Attendance Page 2

Late Parent Pick-up Procedure Page 3

Tuition Page 3

Late Fee Page 3

Sign In & Sign Out Procedure Page 3

Holidays Observed Page 4

Snow & Emergency Closings Page 4

Illness Policy Page 4

Illness Policy (continued) Page 5

Medication Page 5

Allergies Page 5

Daily Schedule/Activities Page 5

Daily Schedule/Activities (continued) Page 6

Summer Program Page 6

Fieldtrips & Special Programs Page 6

Electronic Games & Devices from Home Page 6

Discipline & Classroom Rules Page 7

Clothing & Cubbies Page 7

Emergency Drills & Fire Drills Page 7

Parent Bulletin Board Page 8

Parent Involvement Page 8

Parent / Teacher Conferences Page 8

Breakfast Page 8

Snacks, Birthday Treats, Munchie Maestro/EAT Days Page 8

Lunches Page 9

Withdrawal Policy Page 9

Governing Body Page 9

Grievance Policy Page 9

Nondiscrimination In Services Policy Page 10

Holy Cross DayCare Center & Nursery School

operates in accordance with the State of Pennsylvania regarding

the discrimination against any person because of

race, color, gender, religious creed, life style,

handicap, ancestry, national origin,

or union membership.

PURPOSE

Holy Cross Daycare Center and Nursery School is a non-profit program and is licensed by the PA Department of Human Services. We have been established to serve the community in assisting parents by providing supervised and developmental care for their children. We participate in the PA KEYSTONE STARS program and are accredited through NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children).

PHILOSOPHY

Children learn best through play and exploration in a warm and nurturing environment.

OBJECTIVES

The school age program of Holy Cross Daycare Center will strive to provide age appropriate activities so the children in our care can develop socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively. We will provide a relaxing and nurturing environment where children can learn and grow during before and after school hours, on no school days, and during the summer months. It is our goal for them to become responsible, caring, and contributing members of society.

GROUPINGS

The children are divided by grades. The groups are as follows:

• TAPs (Totally Awesome People) – K, 1st, 2nd & 3rd graders

• OWPs (Older Wiser People) – 4th, 5th, 6th graders

QUALIFICATIONS

Our school age program serves children in Kindergarten through 6th grade. Children may attend through the summer after completing 6th grade.

HOURS OF OPERATION

Holy Cross Daycare Center opens at 6:30 a.m. and closes at 5:45 p.m. Monday through Friday. Full time and part time services are provided.

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SCHOOL AGE POLICIES

Revised March 2015

Policies & procedures are subject to review & may be interpreted at the discretion of the Center Director.

REGISTRATION PROCEDURE

Prior to registration, parent(s) and child(ren) are required to visit the Center to make observations, discuss the policies, and meet the staff.

The initial registration fee is $65. To re-register, the fee is $40. Additional children in the family will be registered at $10 per child. Registration fees are non-refundable. Registration fee includes one prox key for entry into the building.

HEALTH APPRAISAL

All children are required to have a physical examination prior to entering. The Center’s Health Appraisal form or a public school physical needs to be completed by the child’s physician. It is the parent(s) responsibility to have the physician complete the form in its entirety. Physicals are due upon entry to Holy Cross Daycare and prior to entering grade 6. This is a requirement for licensing.

RELEASE OF CHILD

We will not release a child to anyone other than the parents or guardians, or the emergency contact persons, unless signed written permission is given to the staff. The note needs to include the name, address, and phone number of the person picking up the child, the date, and whether the note is temporary or permanent. The staff will ask for identification from the person picking up the child.

CHILDREN’S RECORDS

The children’s records are kept confidential. Parents have access to them if needed. PA DHS Licensing Agents and select staff also have access to records.

ATTENDANCE

Attendance is taken daily. It is our policy for the parent to call the center and let the staff know if the child will be absent or arriving late. If there is no call, the staff is required to call the parent.

It is especially important for parents to notify the center if the child is not returning to Holy Cross on the school bus. If a child is scheduled and does not return, we need to call parents. This takes staff away from the group and often causes confusion at a very busy time of day.

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LATE PARENT PICK UP PROCEDURE

If a parent is one hour later than the agreed upon pick up time and there is no word from a parent, we will call the parents. If a child is still at the center at closing time and there is no call from a parent and the parents cannot be reached, emergency people listed on the child’s Emergency Contact form will be called.

If no one can be located to pick up the child and it is 2 hours beyond the Center’s closing time, the office of Children & Youth will be called to report the child as abandoned.

TUITION

Tuition payments are due prior to service. Tuition shall be paid on Friday before care is given. A two business day grace period will be allowed for payments, following which the account shall be considered delinquent and a late fee of $3.00 per day will be added to your tuition. If tuition is not paid by the Friday after the due date, your child will not be permitted to attend until full payment has been received including late fees. Please adhere to this policy.

A deposit equal to one week’s tuition shall be paid upon enrollment. This deposit will be applied to your child’s final week in the program.

Checks are payable to “Holy Cross Daycare Center” and should be deposited in the Tuition Box, which is located across the hall from the Preschool Daycare classroom. Please indicate on your check the days, week, or month for which you are paying.

All checks returned for non-payment will be assessed an additional surcharge of $30.00. All future payments of tuition must then be made in the form of cash or money order.

Parents must sign an agreement form which explains payment. Tuition is due for all days a child is scheduled to attend regardless of reason for absence. Tuition is not refundable unless approved by the Advisory Board. Parents will receive an invoice each month. Parents may pay weekly or monthly. Any adjustments to the invoice will be made following the additional hours.

LATE FEE

A late fee of $5.00 for every 15 minutes beyond the center’s closing time of 5:45 p.m. will be charged. This fee will be added to the following week’s tuition.

SIGN IN & SIGN OUT PROCEDURE

Upon arrival, your child must be signed in and also signed out at departure. This needs to be done by whoever brings the child and/or picks up the child. Signing out is important for parents paying the hourly rate. If there is no sign out, we reserve the right to charge for a full day.

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holidays observed

The Center will be closed for the following:

• New Year’s Day (January 1)

• Good Friday

• Memorial Day

• Independence Day (July 4th or Friday if the holiday falls on a Saturday or Monday if the holiday falls on a Sunday)

• Labor Day

• Thanksgiving Day and Friday, the day after Thanksgiving

• Christmas Eve (December 24)

• Christmas Week (December 25 – 31)

We may on a Friday in August before public school begins. We close to have carpets cleaned and floors buffed and waxed. There is no charge for days that the center is closed.

SNOW & EMERGENCY CLOSINGS

In the event that the Center should need to be closed due to bad weather or other emergencies, the announcement will be made on radio stations 100.7 (WLEV), Cat Country 96 (WCTO), 1400 AM (WEST), The Hawk (WODE FM 99.9), B104, and 790 AM (WAEB), on TV WFMZ Channel 69 and on the internet at and any of the Clear Channel websites, (i.e. ). The internet is the quickest and most accurate source.

We will make every effort to remain open to serve the needs of our working parents. If we deem it necessary to close the center, we will post our closing as early as possible.

If the center is closed, there is no charge for the day.

ILLNESS POLICY

When your child appears ill, we would appreciate that you not bring him/her to the center. Our interest is in the physical well-being of all the children and staff.

If a child becomes ill during the day, he/she will be checked by the staff. For a temperature of 101 degrees or more, and/or uncontainable body fluids, such as vomiting, diarrhea, oozing rash, etc., the staff will treat it as a contagious condition. For the comfort and safety of the contagious child, as well as the other children, the child will be removed to an area away from the other children. The parents or emergency contacts will be called to come and pick up the child. The child may not return to the center for at least 24 hours or until the contagious condition has passed.

Continued on next page.

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ILLNESS POLICY (continued)

When a child is absent because of a contagious disease, a written note from the attending physician is required, stating that the child is no longer contagious and may return to the center. Examples—Chicken Pox, Strep Throat, Scarlet Fever, Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye), Flu. For more serious conditions, recommended protocol proposed by the Bureau of Health will need to be followed.

Letting us know why a child is absent will help us be aware of illnesses going around and keep everyone informed of any pending problems. This is especially helpful for any children who are susceptible to illnesses.

MEDICATION

The staff may not administer medication of any kind without a note from the attending physician. This note must be dated and state: the name of the medication, the time it is to be administered, the amount to be given, and for what time period the medication is to be given. The parent must also complete the Center’s medication log with the required information. All medication must be in the original container from the pharmacy.

We prefer that medication be given at home. If a child requires a regularly scheduled medication, parents are responsible for providing us with an adequate supply. If that supply is not made available to the center staff, it will be at the discretion of the director to decide whether or not to provide care to that child.

ALLERGIES

Parents must inform the center staff, in writing, of any allergies a child may have developed. We will offer substitutions for children with specified food allergies. For severe food allergies, the Center reserves the right to request that parents provide snacks for their child. If parents decline, they will be required to sign a form acknowledging their refusal to do so. If a child requires an epi-pen, the parent must supply one to be kept at the Center.

NOTE - Holy Cross DayCare Center & Nursery School is not a peanut-free environment. We use peanut butter and products processed in facilities that may process peanuts and other types of nuts.

DAILY SCHEDULE / ACTIVITIES

A daily schedule is posted in the classroom and on the classroom bulletin board. It is designed with flexibility in mind. Changes may be made to accommodate the best interest of the children.

Before and/or After School:

Arts and crafts, dramatic play, music, board games, group games, science, and occasional cooking activities will be planned. There will be time to socialize with friends. Homework time will be offered. However, homework supervision is the responsibility of the parents.

Continued on next page.

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DAILY SCHEDULE / ACTIVITIES (continued)

The children will be taken outdoors to play on a daily basis when the weather permits. According to NAEYC standards, children are expected to go outside when the temperature/wind chill is above 25 degrees, the temperature/heat index is less than 90 degrees, there is no precipitation falling, and there is no air quality alert.

Children should be dressed appropriately for indoor or outdoor play. Shoes and sandals need to have straps that go around the heel of the foot to hold the shoe securely. Heels should not be more than one inch high. NO FLIP FLOPS OR CLOGS. Sneakers are preferred.

No School & Early Dismissal Days:

For children enrolled in our school age program, care will be provided for school holidays, early dismissals, snow closings, and delayed openings (with the exception of our scheduled holiday closings or when the weather is bad that we would also need to close or have a delayed opening). The staff will plan activities for the time frame that the children will be here.

Parents will be asked to sign sheets posted in the school age classrooms in order for us to determine staffing needs.

Tuition will be adjusted for these days.

Please note: Parents of children in the Nazareth School District must check with the director to see if there is busing available on delayed school opening days.

SUMMER PROGRAM

We offer full and part time summer care for school age children. The school age teachers will prepare a letter and itinerary for the summer program. Parents will receive a copy at the beginning of the summer program. During the warm months, we suggest a hat and sunscreen which must be supplied by the parents. Parents must give consent on their Emergency Consent form in order for the staff to apply sunscreen. Children should wear appropriate footwear. NO FLIP FLOPS OR CLOGS. Sneakers are preferred.

FIELDTRIPS & SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Fieldtrips are considered an important part of the educational program and will be taken if economically feasible. Parents will be informed when and where the class will be going. A fieldtrip release form will be issued prior to the fieldtrip. The release form must be signed by the parents or guardians or the child may not participate in the field trip. Parents are responsible for paying the cost of the fieldtrips (admission & transportation fees). If we are not able to take fieldtrips, every attempt will be made to plan for programs and/or entertainment to come to the center. The cost of special programs will be the parent’s responsibility.

ELECTRONIC GAMES & DEVICES FROM HOME

We ask that NO ELECTRONIC GAMES OR DEVICES (iPods, iPads, cell phones, etc.) be brought to the Center. Occasional exceptions may be made. You will be notified of these days.

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DISCIPLINE AND CLASSROOM RULES

All children are enrolled on a trial basis. If a child does not adapt to the program routine within a reasonable amount of time, the situation will be discussed with the parent(s). If a resolution cannot be met, the parent(s) will be asked to withdraw the child from the program. Any prepaid tuition will be refunded.

Our CLASSROOM RULES are:

• Use walking feet

• Use inside voices

• Use gentle touches

• Use kind words

• Use helping hands

Our staff use positive redirection and give positive verbal rewards to promote acceptable behavior. This reinforces a child’s good feelings about his/her behavior and serves as an example to the other children. Asking a child to stop and think about his/her unacceptable behavior enables that child to work at self-control. Re-direction is our main method of discipline. Corporal punishment is never used.

If a child is not cooperating in a group, the child will be seated near a teacher and reminded about acceptable behavior. Separation from the group for a “cool down” period is the next tactic used for a child who continually demonstrates unacceptable behavior. This time-out is not a punishment, but rather a time when the child may calm down and reflect on what behavior the teacher expects, and for him/her to decide when he/she is ready to join the group.

If behavior problems persist, the parents are asked to a conference. It may be suggested that the child be involved in a behavior modification program, with the parent having the option of being involved in the process. If a resolution cannot be met, or if the center does not receive the cooperation of the parents, the parents will be asked to withdraw their child from the program. In more severe cases, a community resource person may be called in to observe and provide input. Parent authorization would be required.

Deliberate destruction of property will become the financial responsibility of the parents.

CLOTHING & CUBBIES

Children should be dressed suitably for indoor and outdoor play. We try to take the children outdoors daily (weather permitting).

Each child will have a cubby assigned to him/her. Check this daily for personal articles and notes from the staff. Please encourage your child to keep his/her cubby tidy since they are located in the hall and other people may be in the church. You may want to keep extra clothing in your child’s cubby for an emergency change. Please label.

EMERGENCY DRILLS & FIRE DRILLS

These drills are conducted on a monthly basis. The purpose is for the children and staff to become familiar with room/building evacuation strategies in the event of an emergency. The days and times of these drills will vary.

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PARENT BULLETIN BOARD

The Parent Bulletin Board is an important communication center. It is located next to the door entering your child’s classroom. It is used to display the snack menu, messages, the daily schedule, weekly lesson plans, a copy of the monthly newsletter and calendar, etc.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

Parent in-put and participation is important and welcome. A suggestion box is in the hall for your use. Parents are invited to help with special activities, fieldtrips, lead an activity, share a hobby or special talent, present information to the class, read a story, have lunch with their child or just visit.

PARENT / TEACHER CONFERENCES

Conferences will be offered twice a year. You may request a conference at any time.

BREAKFAST

Breakfast time is before school or around 8:00 a.m. in the summer. The children may bring a simple ready-to-eat breakfast (i.e. yogurt, cereal, fruit, granola or cereal bar, bagel, etc.) We will provide milk if needed. Do not send anything that needs to be heated or refrigerated. Please try to send healthy, nutritious foods.

SNACKS, BIRTHDAY TREATS, and MUNCHIE MAESTRO / EAT DAYS

A snack is provided in the afternoon. A copy of the snack menu is posted on the Parent Bulletin Board. During the summer, snack is provided in the morning and afternoon.

Parents may provide simple birthday treats. The staff should be informed a few days in advance.

The children are assigned Munchie Maestro or EAT days on a rotating basis. On their designated day, they may bring a snack to share with their class. If you do not want to participate in Munchie Maestro/EAT days, please let the staff know.

Food that comes from home for sharing among the children must be either whole fruits or commercially prepared packaged foods in factory-sealed containers.

NOTE - Holy Cross DayCare Center & Nursery School is not a peanut-free environment.

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LUNCHES

Each child must bring his/her lunch. We will refrigerate or microwave lunch components as needed. Specific days may be designated for heating. Please pack a napkin and spoon if necessary.

The Department of Human Services, who monitors our center, recommends that each child bring a serving from each of the following food groups:

• Dairy milk products, cheese, yogurt

• Protein meat, fish, poultry, dried beans & peas, nuts, peanut butter

• Fruits/Vegetables fresh vegetables and/or fruits are recommended

• Grains whole grains & enriched products such as bread, cereal, pasta, crackers, rice

If you send a beverage, please send milk, water, or 100% fruit juice. Drinks such as Hi-C, Kool Aid, Hawaiian Punch, and Capri Sun contain mostly sugar, food coloring, and very little nutrition. Do not send iced tea or carbonated drinks. If you do not send a beverage, we will offer your child milk or water. Children may not eat hard candy or chew gum while at the center.

WITHDRAWAL POLICY

Parents are asked to give the director one week’s notice in writing prior to withdrawing a child from the program.

GOVERNING BODY

The Daycare Center and the Nursery School are governed by the Daycare Advisory Board. The Board usually meets every 6 weeks. Meeting days and times will be posted. The Board is comprised of parents and community members.

GRIEVANCE POLICY

Any issues of concern or problems should be brought to our attention immediately. The matter can be addressed to the attention of your child’s Lead Teacher, the Center Director or Assistant Director. If parents feel the matter has not been handled to their satisfaction, they may address the issue to the Daycare Advisory Board. You can attend a meeting or mail a letter of concern to:

Holy Cross Daycare Advisory Board

c/o Holy Cross Daycare Center

696 Johnson Road

Nazareth, PA 18064

HOLY CROSS DAYCARE CENTER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR

LOST OR DAMAGED PERSONAL ITEMS.

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COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

# 2

SUBJECT: Nondiscrimination in Services

TO: Parents

FROM: Louise E. Kroboth, Center Director

Admissions, the provisions of services, and referrals of clients shall be made without regard to race, color, religious creed, disability, ancestry, national origin (including limited English proficiency), age, or sex.

Program services shall be made accessible to eligible persons with disabilities through the most practical and economically feasible methods available. These methods include, but are not limited to, equipment redesign, the provision of aides, and the use of alternative service delivery locations. Structural modifications shall be considered only as a last resort among available methods.

Any individual/client/patient/student (and /or their guardian) who believes they have been discriminated against, may file a complaint of discrimination with:

Holy Cross Daycare Advisory Board

696 Johnson Road

Nazareth, PA 18064

Department of Public Welfare PA Human Relations Commission

Bureau of Equal Opportunity Harrisburg Regional Office

Room 223, Health & Welfare Building 333 Market Street – 8th Fl

PO Box 2675 Harrisburg, PA 17101

Harrisburg, PA 17105

U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services

Office for Civil Rights

Suite 372, Public Ledger Bldg.

150 South Independence Mall West

Philadelphia, PA 19106-9111

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696 Johnson Road

Nazareth, PA 18064

610-759-8761



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