NORTH MERCER CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER GUIDELINES



NORTH MERCER CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER GUIDELINES

PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY AND GOALS

❑ Our goal is to provide a developmentally appropriate program. We want the learning to be child centered and facilitated by the staff. We want to engage the children in individual conversations and give them individual attention every day. We want all children to be actively involved in play opportunities that stimulate their sensory awareness, cognitive development, and mastery of their environment. We want children to observe, explore, discover, question, problem solve, share experiences, initiate activities, and make choices. The preschool has adopted the Project Construct curriculum, which is a state approved curriculum in Missouri. We feel this curriculum provides the hands-on time needed to give the children opportunities to meet these goals. Therefore, we make this a valuable “activity” time or “play to learn” time, an integral part of each day.

❑ In keeping with this developmentally appropriate practice, we will be conscience of specific social, cognitive, representational, and physical goals. In the course of meeting these goals, children will develop meaningful language, reading, and math skills along the way.

❑ We will introduce you to the Project Construct curriculum and our goals in more detail at the first parent meeting before school starts in the fall.

DAILY SCHEDULE

❑ Our daily schedule varies, but generally follows this pattern.

8:00-8:30 Table Time

8:30-8:45 Circle time

8:45-10:15 Learning centers

10:15-10:30 Clean up centers

10:30-10:45 Large group

10:45-11:00 Recess

11:00-11:30 lunch (including hand washing)

11:30-12:00 Recess

12:00-1:00 Learning centers

1:00-2:00 Reading and resting time

2:00-2:40 Recess

2:40-3:00 Snacks/small or large group activity

3:00-3:15 Pack up to go home/ group activity

TOPICS OF STUDY

Our emphasis of study will change with the students’ interests and we will follow their lead, but our general topics of study will be as follows:

❑ Home and family

❑ Farms and food

❑ Firehouse and community

❑ Restaurant

❑ Supermarket

❑ Store

❑ Aquariums and water animals

❑ Museums and dinosaurs

❑ Construction sites and transportation

❑ Airports and outer space

❑ Gardens and plants

❑ Zoo animals

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

❑ Children must be three or four years old as of July 31, 2014. The program will serve only three and four year old children (their age as of July 31, 2014) at this time. Four year old slots will be filled first. We will provide Five days of preschool per week for the full day (8:00 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.). Our maximum number of children for this year is 20. Children who are 4, but are not planning to enter kindergarten in the fall of the next year, are still eligible for the program.

❑ Children will need to be toilet trained. We know accidents happen, that is very normal, but they need to be able to routinely handle bathroom duties on their own. An extra change of clothes will be needed, just in the event of an accident.

❑ Children who live in the North Mercer R-3 district will be served first. If the program has space available we would be glad to serve children from other districts.

❑ Parents need to complete an enrollment form, provide a copy of the child’s birth certificate, the child’s social security number, complete a medical examination form and have it signed by a doctor or nurse, and provide a copy of the child’s immunization records prior to the first day of school.

ADMISSION INFORMATION

❑ The Dial 4 assessment instrument will be administered by appointment in the spring prior to preschool starting in the fall, or in the fall if necessary.

❑ Parents my enroll children at the time of assessment or wait until an arranged date in the fall.

❑ Parents and children will have another opportunity to visit the facilities and visit with teachers at a family orientation evening before school starts in the fall.

❑ If the program is currently in session, families are welcome to visit the facility any time.

PARENTAL COMMUNICATION

❑ We hope to visit with most parents daily at pick-up or drop-off times. We will send a weekly letter home to discuss topics of study, upcoming events, etc. Parents are invited to stop in any time. We ask that they contact us in advance if they are staying for an extended period of time.

❑ Home visits are available to families throughout the year, upon request, anytime those parents feel this would be beneficial.

❑ Families are encouraged to provide input throughout the year and will be specifically asked to give input in the form of parent questionnaires, group meeting feedback reports, and surveys.

❑ Families are encouraged to be involved in the preschool program with their children and are invited to attend celebrations, field trips, group meetings, and share any family customs with the class.

❑ Families are welcome to assist in the classroom, help with special projects, and would be a welcome addition to our advisory board.

❑ We would also inform families that they have access to: staff child abuse and neglect/criminal record forms, Missouri Accreditation information, licensing regulations, lesson plans, and their child’s developmental records.

❑ Families that have differences with the staff are to follow the chain of command in airing their problems. They can first discuss them with the program director, then the elementary principal, the school

superintendent, and then the school board if necessary.

Missouri Licensing

❑ Our program is licensed by the State of Missouri, Department of Health and Senior Services, Section for Child Care Regulation.

❑ Our program receives yearly announced and unannounced inspections by Fire, Sanitation and Licensing entities. We are required to follow rules and guidelines set up by the Section for Child Care Regulations.

❑ Guidelines, policies and rules are available for any family to view if interested.

❑ Each staff member must have a yearly background screening through the Family Care Safety Registry.

❑ Our program must be in compliance with local building and zoning requirements.

❑ Staff must have a file for each child with completed required information

o Enrollment form

o Medical Examination form

o Birth Certificate

o Social Security Card

o Evidence of lead testing

PRESCHOOL HOURS

❑ We need to sign up children for the all day program. Children may arrive from 8:00-8:30, but there will be no one in the preschool building before 8:00. Children will need to be picked up at 3:15. You will receive a monthly school calendar so parents will know what days school is in session, or dismiss early. After the starting date in the fall, we will follow the school schedule throughout the year. Preschool dismisses approximately 1 week before general school dismissal for the year.

❑ We do not have a late charge in force at the present time. Although, we do have kids to load on the bus, staff meetings, and our planning period from 3:15-3:30. We will have to enforce a late charge if preschoolers are not consistently picked up at 3:15.

CHARGES FOR PRESCHOOL PROGRAM

❑ The charge for our preschool program is in the form of a monthly tuition. We realize preschoolers often have to miss school, but the tuition is charged on a monthly basis, regardless of days of school missed. The August and May tuition will be adjusted according to how much of the month school is actually in session. Rates are as follows:

Full day session 8:00-3:15 $ 100.00 per month

❑ If you find your family is eligible for free or reduced lunches (the office sends home a form to determine this the first day of school), these lower rates will apply:

Full day session 8:00-3:15 $ 50.00 per month

❑ Parents need to pay for the month ahead (by the first Thursday of the month). Please keep up to date on your payments, as we have to turn our bookwork into the superintendent’s office each month and payments need to be up to date for children to continue to be enrolled.

❑ If a tuition balance exceeds 2 months payment, parents must make an appeal in writing to administration as well as make personal communication with the preschool teacher regarding a payment schedule. If this is not done, the student may not be allowed to continue attending preschool classes.

TRANSPORTATION

❑ Preschool children will only be eligible to ride the bus if they are five years old or weigh more than 40 pounds.

BREAKFAST

❑ Preschoolers are allowed to eat breakfast if parents have made arrangements in advance with administration and the preschool teachers. These children will need to be on a regular breakfast schedule to ensure that teachers will know where they will be, and that they will not be dropped off in the preschool room.

LUNCHES

❑ Children have an opportunity to eat lunch at school each school day. Lunch prices are 1.50 per day (this could change before school starts) including milk (extra milk is .20). The office generally bills children for lunches at the end of the month. Afternoon snacks for the children are provided each day.

REST

❑ The children will have an opportunity to rest each day. They will be provided with cots and blankets. They will be asked to look at books or lay quietly for about 45 minutes if they do not choose to sleep.

FIELD TRIPS

❑ Parents will be notified and we will need written permission to take children on field trips other than those within walking distance of the school. Parents will be welcome to accompany us on any field trip and we will provide approximate itineraries to all parents in advance. The administration approval is necessary for all trips. When the day arrives, we will take with us: permission slips, first aid kits, a list of all children and adults attending and enrollment forms (for emergency contacts in case of emergency). The day of the field trip all parent volunteers will be given a group of students to be directly responsible for.

ILLNESS

❑ When a child is ill or has been ill in the last 24 hours, we ask that parents keep him or her home from school. If your child becomes ill at school, we will notify parents to pick their child up. The following conditions warrant keeping children home. They are also reasons parents will be called to pick their children up:

o Temperature over 100 degrees

o Vomiting

o Diarrhea

o Severe coughing

o Signs of a contagious disease (chicken pox, pink eye, etc.)

We do have a full time nurse at the school that will see the children when they become ill. She can administer any medications that parents approve on the enrollment form. Any medications that parents send from home will be required to be in the original container and will be administered by the school nurse and stored in her office. If parents cannot be reached in the event their child is ill, he or she will probably rest in the nurse’s office until we can get in touch with an adult named on the child’s enrollment form who will agree to come and pick that child up from school.

INJURY

❑ In case of injury, such as a very minor bump or bruise, the teachers will document the accident and relay the information to the parents. Injuries other than the very minor will be referred to the school nurse, who will assess the situation and will determine if parents need to be contacted. In case of serious accidents, parents or someone named on the enrollment form will be contacted immediately. Parents will fill out an information sheet for the nurse upon enrollment. This authorizes officials of the North Mercer R-3 district to transport a child by the best available method to the nearest medical facility for treatment, if parents cannot be reached.

North Mercer Child Development Center can be reached by calling

382- 4214 Ext. 238

There is voice mail if we are not in the room at the time of the call.

Shandra Gibson-Center Director/Teacher

Erin Nall-Teacher aide

DISCIPLINE

❑ The purpose of behavior management in our classroom is to maintain a safe, healthy, environment that is conducive to learning.

❑ We, as a staff, try to employ as many positive techniques for discipline as possible. We try to help children cope with their success and failure by encouraging them to express feelings in words or acceptable actions. We try to foresee potential problems. We try to redirect potential problems and encourage positive behaviors. We do our best to stay in close proximity to the students and alert ourselves to developing problems.

❑ In establishing guidelines for behavior, we focus on our school character goals of respect, responsibility, honesty, and cooperation. We expect children to respect each other and adults (we do not tolerate physically hurting anyone, hurting others’ feelings, interrupting someone who is already talking, mistreating property, etc.) We encourage children to be honest and trustworthy in dealings with each other and adults. We expect children to be responsible (picking up toys, cleaning up group projects, personal grooming, obtaining and caring for materials, etc.) We continually promote cooperation as an admirable and necessary skill in working with and playing with others. We expect the same conditions to apply with children’s interactions with each other, and staff interactions with children and others.

❑ We have group discussions relating to problems in our room. We try to reinforce positive behaviors and praise and discuss negative behaviors in regard to change. When necessary, we employ logical consequences to repeated unacceptable behavior. For example, repeatedly writing on the table instead of paper would not be respecting property and would result in not using the tools in the writing center for a time to draw attention to more responsible behavior.

❑ The staff never uses physical discipline. We will physically redirect children out of danger or away from a volatile situation with another child. We will discuss with parents strategies for children with repeated unacceptable behaviors and do our best to keep parents informed about alarming, or unusual behaviors.

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