GOALS AND OBJECTIVES



LITTLE LAMBS PRESCHOOL AND CHILDCAREAN EARLY CHILDHOOD MINISTRY OFFIRST EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCHLA CRESCENT, MNPARENT HANDBOOK 2015-16GOALS AND OBJECTIVESOur purpose and philosophy is to create a family-oriented program. Our preschool will offer developmentally appropriate activities to promote each child’s spiritual, mental, social, physical and emotional development through play, music, art, science, and literature.The children will have opportunities for exploring, experimenting and questioning, which will encourage curiosity, creativity and expression. Since all children are individuals, we believe in developing the whole child in accordance with his/her needs and learning style.GOALSTo become aware of a God who loves us.To help and direct the child to develop a positive self-image and encourage independence.To help the child to understand and respect differences in others.To help and direct the child to relate to classmates and teachers in a group and individual situations.To develop physical skills, both fine and large motor skills.To promote language development.To provide time to develop social skills and learn sharing, cooperation and decision making skills.To allow for creative time in art, music and dramatic play.To discover the fun in learning, play and socialization.To provide class experiences to share at home.POLICY AND PROCEDURESLittle Lambs Preschool welcomes into its program all children 3-10 years of age, regardless of race, color, creed, sex or national origin. Our maximum enrollment is 30 children. (no more than 10 school aged children ages 6-10)We assure free and open access to the entire facility by all parents whose children are in our program.Evidence of child abuse will be reported, immediately, to the proper authorities.Parents and authorized persons may pick up children at any time of day. A phone call to alert staff is appreciated but not required.Little Lambs Preschool does not allow unauthorized parties to pick up children. Identification and/or proof of authorization to pick up any child is required. It is essential that parents notify us if and when they request that another person pick up their child.We do not use corporal punishment as a disciplinary practice. We do use positive reinforcement, redirection and we always try to talk with the child about unacceptable behavior.We do not transport children off the premises without parental consent.Little Lambs Preschool does not allow research, experimentation or public relations activity involving children without parental consent.Children are supervised by qualified staff at all times, as required by law.Little Lambs Preschool complies with local fire, health and building codes to insure a physically safe environment for children.We do not allow unauthorized persons to loiter on or about the premises.We are licensed by the state of Minnesota and fully insured in accordance with state law.Illegal drug or alcohol use is prohibited on the premises.We are not allowed to accept sick children, and children who become sick in school must be isolated while in our care. Parents or designated caretakers must pick up children who become ill as soon as possible.In the event of a serious injury, we will contact medical authorities and parents or designated caretakers immediately.Parents may review the program plan upon request.Little Lambs Preschool and Childcare is an early childhood ministry of First Evangelical Lutheran Church.CONTACT INFORMATIONFirst Evangelical Lutheran Church507-895-4775414 Main St. La Crescent, MN 55947Pastor Chris ChristensonLittle Lambs Preschool and Childcare507-895-5704414 Main St. La Crescent, MN 55947preschoolFEES AND PAYMENTPreschool Tuition: Tuition must be paid in advance and is due by the first of each month. A late fee of $15.00 may be charged if payment is not received by the fifth day of each month.Registration fee-----$35.00 /per child/one timeSupply fee-----$50.00 per child/per year5 days/wk:$160/month4 days/wk:$145/month3 days/wk:$125/month2 days/wk:$100/month5% discount if payment for full year is made by September.25% discount for second child enrolled10% discount for members of First Evangelical Lutheran Church Registration fee is non-refundable. Tuition paid in advance can be refunded with a 2-week notice if you withdraw your child before the close of the year. The tuition for the remaining months of the year would be refunded.Childcare Tuition: Tuition is due on Wednesday for each week. Payments after Friday may be charged an extra $2.00 per day. If the payment is late more than two weeks, a parent or guardian will be informed that the child may not attend the center nor can a place be reserved for the child. Parents may choose to pay in advance. A fee of $25 will be charged for checks returned for insufficient funds. Payment by check is preferred. Checks are to be made payable to First Evangelical Lutheran Church. Little Lambs Preschool and Childcare and First Evangelical Lutheran Church reserve the right to alter this policy when necessary.Registration fee-----$35.00 /per child/one timeSupply fee/contract renewal-----$50.00 per child/per year (annually due in September)Childcare is 10 hours max per day (including preschool hours5 days/wk:$140 per week4 days/wk:$128 per week3 days/wk:$108 per weekDrop in rates: $20 per half day (5 hrs or less)$40 per full day (10 hrs max)$4 per hour25% discount for second child enrolled10% discount for members of First Evangelical Lutheran ChurchA Drop-In situation may be considered for children aged 33 months-6 years and will be permitted, providing that the staff remains within the ratio set by the state standards. Parents are allowed to obtain permission three working days prior to the requested dates for Drop-In care .The children must have on file, before attendance, all the necessary paperwork as required for a regular full time student.School-aged children may attend for before and after school care at the discretion of the Director and provided that the staff is able to accommodate with state ratios. The rate for school-aged care is $4 per hour. Students with siblings in the full time childcare will be given first priority. Check with the director to see if before/after school care is provided at this time.If children are not picked up by 6:00 pm (closing time), parents will be charged a fee of $5 for every 5 minutes after 6:00 pm. Please call the preschool if you will not be able to pick up your child by 6:00 pm if an emergency situation arises. DAYS AND HOURS OF OPERATIONPreschool hours: Monday through Friday mornings 8:30-11:30amDrop off beginning at 8:00am.Childcare hours: Monday through Friday 6:30-8:30am and 11:30am-6:00pm. Maximum of 10 hours attendance per day.Children are to be picked up by 6:00 pm(closing time), parents will be charged a fee for those children picked up after closing time. Preschool is held from the Tuesday after Labor Day(September) through the Friday before Memorial Day(May). There are various days of no school due to holidays/school schedules.Childcare is in operation year round. There are a limited amount of days that childcare is closed due to holidays. Summer preschool camp is held in June-August.For the 2015-16 school year, childcare will not be available on the following days: Sept. 7, Nov. 26,27, Dec. 25-31(1 week – no tuition charged), 2015. Jan. 1,Mar 25,28, May 30, July 4, 2016.VACATIONS/SICK DAYSWe understand that vacations and sick days will arise. Our childcare is open year-round, and any sick or vacation days have been considered in our competitive tuition rates. In order to be able to provide quality care for all families, parents will be responsible for a monthly or weekly tuition rate, regardless of absences.DROP OFF AND PICK UPChildren should be brought into the classroom by the person transporting them. Any special instructions for the day should be given to the staff or noted on the sign in/out log. Children will be released only when the party picking them up comes to the classroom. Children should be signed in/out on the computer log in system by the responsible party. All authorized drop off/pick up persons have a PIN number used to log in/out on the computer system. Children will be discharged only to authorized persons. In an emergency, parents are required to telephone or send handwritten notes authorizing an unfamiliar person to pick up the child. A list of persons allowed to pick up the child will be kept on file at the preschool. Identification will be required for anyone new picking up your child beside the parent.INITIAL ADMISSION PROCEDURES Registration must be filled out by one of the parents or guardians. A non-refundable registration fee must be paid at the time of enrollment. A health care summary and immunization record is required for each child by the state of Minnesota. It must be filled out by a physician and is due by the first day of enrollment. Applicants will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis.DIRECTOR/TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS/RESPONSIBILITIESThe teacher for the preschool program must meet Minnesota state licensing rules, as well as be a member of a WELS church. The teacher will also be required to take courses or attend workshops/conferences each year to further his/her knowledge of early childhood education.The teacher/child ratio is as follows:3-4-5 yr. olds- 20 students with 2 staffAdditional 10 students – 1 staffThe teacher is responsible for planning and implementing safe and developmentally appropriate activities for the preschool children. She/He is to be supervising the children during the school hours. If you wish to have a conversation beyond the usual greetings with the teacher, make arrangements for a time when she/he is not in charge of the children. The teacher appreciates talking with parents, as long as it does not interfere with the role as a teacher.PETSLittle Lambs Preschool has the following guidelines concerning animals within the building.Pets may be brought in for “Show and Tell”, but the teacher must be informed a week ahead of time. Parents will be notified when pets are present.Advance notice of visiting pets should be posted by the teacher. This will serve as a notification for parents and care givers to help ensure the well being of the children.Pets must be vaccinated and disease free.Pets must be freshly cleaned.Hands must be washed before and after handling the pet.FIELD TRIPSParents will be informed of each planned field trip. They will be asked to sign a permission slip if we leave the building. A standing permission order should be signed and on file to allow for trips to local parks, library or walks.BAD WEATHER POLICYPreschool will be closed when LaCrescent-Hokah school district is closed due to extreme weather conditions. If the public schools begin 2 hours late, we will be closed as well. Listen to local radio stations for closing announcements. Childcare will remain open unless a statewide emergency is declared.We also suggest that if a tornado watch is announced during the sessions, you may want to come for your child. However, if there is a tornado warning the children will be taken to our shelter, which can accommodate all children and the staff. A warning means a tornado has been spotted and everyone should take cover.If the preschool and childcare has opened for the day and it becomes necessary to close, you will be contacted to come and pick up your child, or make arrangements to have your child picked up within an hour of being called.BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENTOur philosophy of behavior management is to provide children with positive guidance, redirection and clear cut limits. The goal is to help children develop self-control, high self-esteem, and respect for the rights of others. Children will be reminded to act in a Christian manner. When behavior challenges arise we will look at our routine, the environment and individual needs of the child to help overcome the problem behavior. The staff will lead by example and model desired behaviors. We believe it is most effective to redirect unacceptable behavior by directing children into constructive conflict resolving activities. We teach children to seek and identify acceptable alternatives to unacceptable behavior. We strive to be aware of each child’s developmental level and tailor all guidance techniques to fit that level.WITHDRAWAL POLICYLittle Lambs Preschool and Childcare requires two weeks advance notice when parents intend to remove a child from our program. It is our policy to submit a billing statement when failure to notify occurs. On rare occasions we must ask a parent to remove their child from our program. Such instances are generally related to special needs which our program is unable to provide for. We will also give two weeks notice if termination is required.GRIEVANCE PROCEDUREShould a situation arise that you, the parent or guardian, see as a problem or should you have a grievance, please follow the steps below:Notify your child’s teacher.Notify the director.If the situation is not resolved to your satisfaction, contact the Early Christian Childhood Team of First Lutheran Church. This can be submitted in a letter to the church office. This problem will be addressed within 30 days from the date of notification. Open and ongoing communication between parents and staff is an essential part of our program and we encourage sharing of all concerns with the staff at the school.POLICY FOR PERSISTENT UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOROccasionally a child will experience difficulty in adjusting to a school setting and/or abiding by certain rules of behavior in the classroom. If your child is experiencing some difficulty, you will be notified by your child’s teacher, and a conference will be scheduled. The teacher will then work closely with you to see if the problem or problems can be resolved. As a last resort, we reserve the right to ask you to withdraw your child from our program.HEALTHListed below are symptoms of illness that are causes for a child to be kept at home, or if observed, sufficient reason to send a child home.1.COLDS AND SKIN RASHES: Students may be asked to remain home if they have serious cold symptoms. Such symptoms include lethargy, heavy eyes, and a yellow-green mucus. If it is observed that your child may have a possible respiratory infection or skin diseases, they shall not be permitted to attend the center until he/she is free from fever, on a prescribed medication for 24 (twenty-four) hours, and/or a note from a physician indicates that the child is able to return to school.2.DIARRHEA: Students with diarrhea (2 (two) or more loose stools, or over and above what is normal for that student) shall be excluded until the diarrhea is cleared or treated by a physician.3.VOMITING: Students will be excluded from attendance until vomiting ceases and no fever has existed in the past 24 (twenty-four) hours.4.EAR INFECTIONS: As long as fever has not been present within the past 24 hours, students may attend class if the problem is being treated by a physician.5.CHICKEN POX: Students will be excluded from attendance until all blisters have crusted over. The sores do not have to be gone as long as all are crusted and no fever has been present in the past 24 hours.6.IMPETIGO: It appears as blisters on skin that open and become covered with a yellowish crust. No fever exists, but students must be excluded until treated for 24 (twenty-four) hours. Example: Mosquito bites can become infected and develop into impetigo.7.CONJUNCTIVITIS (PINK EYE): Symptoms include red eyes, usually with some discharge or crust on eyelids. Students must be excluded from attendance until 24 hours after treatment has begun. This is contagious and will spread easily among children and adults.8.OTHER COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (Strep Throat, Mumps, Measles, etc.): Students will be excluded from attendance and may return with a physician's authorization. Students may not return until symptoms decrease or a doctor's note is given to the director. A child may only return to the center if no fever has existed within the past 24 hours.9.LICE: Students found to have lice will be excluded from attendance until treatment has been effective and ALL nits have been removed.10.WE MUST AT ALL TIMES have an up-dated immunization record on your child. Students excluded from attendance may not return to the center that same day unless they have a physician's release.a.Children must be on prescribed medication for 24 hours before returning to school. No medication will be dispensed to children until a parental permission form has been filled out and signed. All medication should be in a prescription bottle with directions on the bottle. No non-prescribed medication will be dispensed without a form signed by a parent or guardian.b.Children must be on prescribed medication for 24 hours before returning to school. Children who have had 100 degree or higher fever within 24 hours will not be permitted to return to school. No medication will be dispensed to children until a parental permission form has been filled out and signed. All medication should be in a prescription bottle with directions on the bottle in a ziploc bag with the child's full name on it. Non-prescribed medication will be dispensed only if it is signed in as required of prescription medications. Sunscreen and mosquito repellent must also be signed in. Sunscreen, mosquito repellent, and diaper ointment may be administered if a medication distribution form for these items is signed and renewed each year.c.Any child who requires more care than the program staff can provide without compromising the health and safety of the other children in our care will be asked to be excluded from the children’s activities.d.Sick children (or any children showing signs of the above 10 illnesses) must be excluded from other children.e.Parents and/or alternate caregivers must pick up sick children within the hour of the call requesting that the child be excluded from childcare activities.Students excluded from attendance may not return to the Center that same day unless they have a physician's release.We do consultations annually with a health care provider to ensure our policies meet medical guidelines.We ask that parents contact Little Lambs Preschool within 24 hours if their child has or has been exposed to any communicable disease. We will then post a sign when communicable illnesses have been reported to inform other parents.If a life or death emergency occurs, 911 will be called and the child will be transported to the hospital of your choice designated on the registration form. The parents will be notified immediately by the school. In non-emergency situations, parents will be notified at pick up time or by phone.If your child is injured at school, a note will be sent home or we will speak to you at the time of pick up. If you seek a physician’s attention, you are asked to let Little Lambs Preschool know as we are required to inform the Department of Human Services.Our staff has the required First Aid and CPR training. When administering first aid we follow the procedures suggested in the Health Care Summary Report.CONFERENCES AND COMMUNICATIONTo ensure frequent and ongoing communication between school and parent, Little Lambs Preschool has planned the following:Orientation session including parent and childThe teacher will send home monthly newsletters discussing things that have happened as well as activities planned.At least two parent-teacher conferences will be scheduled during the school year. Your child’s progress will be documented and shared at that time. We hope you will feel free to communicate with your child’s teachers. Please plan to visit with the teacher at a time she is not responsible for the supervision of the children in her class.CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECTWe are required to inform you that we are mandated by The Minnesota Child Abuse And Neglect Reporting Law, to look for child abuse/neglect which would include but not limited to the following:1. Bruises, cuts, burns2. Suspicious irritation of the private area3. Signs of unusual fear or instability4. Physical neglect of cleanliness or malnutritionApplication of the Law:1. The law provides definitions of abuse and neglect.2. The law also provides for a professional investigation to determine if abuse or neglect has occurred.3. Accompanying the investigation are protective services designed to protect, treat and prevent further maltreatment.4. A mandatory reporter is a director or childcare giver or any other individual who provides such services to a child.UNAUTHORIZED PERSONSIf an unauthorized person, or a person who is incapacitated or suspected of abuse, attempts to pick up a child, the teacher must be alerted. If the parent/guardian cannot be reached, the teacher will keep the child at the center or have an authorized back-up person come for the child. The teacher will decide if the police must be called.We must have written information as to whom we may release the children in our preschool. A form of identification may be required if a new person is picking up your child.MEALS/SNACKSThe lunch/breakfast program is included for all children enrolled in childcare. Morning snack will be served to all preschool children. Morning and afternoon snack is provided during childcare hours. Children are not allowed to bring a sack lunch. All food is provided by the preschool and childcare. No candy or gum will be allowed. In the event of a birthday or special occasion, a parent may bring a special treat for the class. This special treat must be store bought and pre-packaged, as regulated by state law. Please make arrangements in advance. CLOTHING AND PERSONAL BELONGINGSPlay clothes that are comfortable, sturdy and washable are appropriate for preschool. Children should feel free to do all the activities, even the messy ones. Part of the fun and learning at school is paint, water, clay, sand, and glue. The teachers encourage all children to participate in all activities. Have footwear that is comfortable. Please label all of you child’s belongings.We ask that toys be left at home, unless brought to be shared at sharing time.SUPPLIESA short list of school supplies will be provided to parents at the beginning of the preschool year. All children staying through the afternoon will need a pillow and blanket for use during nap time. This pillow and blanket should be taken home weekly to be laundered.CHURCH AND SUNDAY SCHOOL ATTENDANCEConsistent with the philosophy and objectives of Christian education, Church and Sunday school attendance is highly desirable and important. If you have no church home, we invite you to First Evangelical Lutheran Church and Sunday School as a supplement to the preschool curriculum. Sunday School is also offered for all children ages 3 and up at 10:15 a.m. Adult Bible study is available at the same time as Sunday School. Worship service is at 9a.m. on Sundays and 6:30pm on Thursdays.LITTLE LAMBS PRESCHOOL AND CHILDCARE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM.APPLICATIONS FOR ENROLLMENT ARE ACCEPTED WITHOUT REGARD TO RACE, RELIGION, SEX, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN.LITTLE LAMBS PRESCHOOL MEETS OR EXCEEDS STATE OF MINNESOTA LICENSING STANDARDS.WE ARE LICENSED BY THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, DEPT. OF HUMAN SERVICES: 444 LAFAYETTE ROAD, ST. PAUL, MN 55155651-296-3971WE ARE INSURED THROUGH CHURCH MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY ................
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