2016/2017 Parent Handbook Tuition Policies

St. John’s Episcopal Preschool

17740 Peak Avenue

Morgan Hill, CA 95037

(408) 782-9994

Or (408) 763-7880

WELCOME Thank you for inviting us to join your child in the wonderful journey of childhood. You have great hopes for your child’s future and have chosen St. John’s Episcopal Preschool after very careful consideration. We take seriously the responsibility you have given us. We will employ every resource, talent and passion we have to help your child receive a wonderful preschool experience.

MISSION

The mission of St. John’s Episcopal Preschool of Morgan Hill is to provide a loving,

nurturing preschool based on Christian values that enables children to grow and

develop socially and cognitively in preparation for kindergarten.

PHILOSOPHY We believe children’s early experiences enrich and stimulate future development and growth. Children deserve to be treated as individuals in a healthy environment that welcomes exploration, imagination, and individual growth. We respect each child’s need for a loving and secure environment that offers stimulation, acceptance and warmth, and includes academic growth.

ABOUT ST. JOHN’S PRESCHOOL

St. John’s Episcopal Church has been a long established church in the Morgan Hill community since 1956. As a means to further grow and develop it’s capability for serving the community, St. John’s Episcopal Preschool of Morgan Hill was founded in 2003.

St. John’s Preschool is under the guidance and management the Preschool Board of Trustees of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church of Morgan Hill. The Preschool Board is appointed by the Vestry, the official governing board of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church.

CURRICULUM

St. John’s Episcopal Preschool offers a varied program for 2 ½, 3, 4 and Pre-K 5 year olds. This program focuses on developing the whole child through art, music, creative play, math manipulatives, reading readiness and field trips.

Reading Readiness

o Letter Recognition

o Matching

o Visual perception skills

o Auditory discrimination

o Introduction to phonics

Listening Skills

Oral Language Skills

o Sharing of ideas and experiences

o Describing pictures and actions

o Story telling

o Creative thinking skills

Math Readiness

o Number recognition

o Counting

o Size and gradation

o Manipulatives

o Shape recognition

o Sequencing

o Measurement

Science

o Simple experiments

o Nature study

o Health and safety

o Parts of the body

o Cause and effect

Social Studies

o Building self-esteem

o Socialization skills

o Field trips

o Holidays

o The Family

o Dramatic play

Music and Movement

o Large motor coordination

o Rhythm and patterning

o Circle time

Art

o Creative expression with various media

o Textures

o Colors

o Printing

o Crafts

o Small motor skills

Religion

o Faith values

o Chapel time with rector and teachers

o Prayer including grace before meals

While your child is in our program he/she will have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of activities. These activities will promote all aspects of development. Children will be offered choices whenever possible. Children will also have the experience of structure.

CLASS SESSIONS

Jr. Kindergarten/Pre-K M - F Half Day 8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. ----$560/month

Full Day 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. ----$760/month

Parents will provide a “sack” lunch for this class. Student must be 4 yrs. by Oct. 1st.

A.M. Pre-K MWF 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ----$450/month

Student must be 4yrs. by Oct. 1st.

P.M. Pre-K MWF 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. ----$430/month

Student must be 4yrs. by Oct. 1st.

3 to 4yr. Combo 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. 2 days -------$340/month (T/TH)

3 days -------$440/month (MWF)

Student must be 3yrs. by Oct. 1st.

3 to 4yr. Combo 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. 2 days -------$340/month (T/TH)

Student must be 3yrs. by Oct. 1st.

2 ½ to 3yrs. 8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. 2 days -------$340/month (T/TH)

Children must be potty trained. (Staff will assist in potty training for above class session the first month if needed).

Student must be 2 ½ by Sept. 1st.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS St. John’s Episcopal Preschool admits preschool children (ages 2 ½ to children entering kindergarten) of any race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies. All forms must be completed before your child can enter the preschool program. There are no exceptions. All forms must be updated yearly or as needed:

Copy of signed Admission Agreement

Notification of Parents Rights form (LIC 995)

Personal Rights form (LIC 613A)

Identification and Emergency Information (LIC 700)

Consent for Emergency Medical Treatment form (LIC 627)

Child’s Preadmission Health History – Parent’s Report (LIC 702)

Physician’s Report (LIC 701)

Red Emergency Card

Immunization requirements

COMMUNICATION St. John’s Episcopal Preschool encourages and fosters effective communication between teachers, parents and child. If something is unclear please communicate to us first. St. John’s Episcopal Parents are welcome to provide constructive suggestions to improve the operations of the preschool, and to optimize interactions between child, teacher, and/or parents. Monthly Communication At the beginning of each month, you will receive a curriculum calendar/newsletter from your child’s teacher as well as a snack menu. The calendar/newsletter will list what we will be focusing on for the month and what activities the children will be participating in. Please take the time to read any notes that your child brings home as they can have important news about classroom events. We use social media to connect classroom and home. Teachers make frequent entries on facebook. We also have a blog and a website. The Director will provide a monthly newsletter to notify parents of any upcoming events and/or policy reminders.

HOURS OF OPERATION Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

EXTENDED CARE AND EARLY CARE St. John’s Preschool offers an extended care option for our families. Extended care hours are from 11:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. Monday through Friday and are for those children whose classes end in the A.M. The cost is $10.00 an hour for the first 20 hours, and then it becomes a flat fee of $200.00 for that month.

Parents can pay the same day their child is attending extended care, or you may opt to keep a monthly tab if you will be utilizing this service more often. Availability is based on the 12:1 student/teacher ratio. Please let your teacher know when your child will be attending extended care.

Parents would provide a “sack” lunch on days that their child will participate in extended care (and anything else their child may need). If a child does not have a lunch, snack will be provided at a cost of $5.00. Extended care activities will include lunch, outdoor play (weather permitting), music, art, and open-centers/free-choice play.

Please clear all outside restaurant food (i.e. McDonald’s Happy Meal) with your child’s teacher before being brought into the preschool. No soft drinks please.

*Early Care: From 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. is a flat fee of $10.00. Early care before 8:00 a.m. is available by arrangement, please see The Director.

*The Jr. Kindergarten extended care drop-in rate is $10.00 an hour and runs from 1:00 - 3:00 P.M. The extended care fee will add up each day until the child qualifies for the $200.00per month. Extended care is available after 3:00 by arrangement. Please see The Director.

HOLIDAYS We will be closed on most Morgan Hill Unified School District holidays, and vacations. A detailed calendar will be provided. Tuition is not prorated for holidays and vacations.

CHILD MANAGEMENT We recognize that children often experiment with behavior, some are testing the “limits”, others are expressing an emotional need or they may truly believe that the choice they made was correct. While your child is in our care, he/she will only receive positive encouragement. Children will not be subject to any corporal or physical punishment of any kind. We believe the most effective ways of enforcing positive behavior is through praise, respect, re-direction & positive reinforcement. We also teach children problem solving during conflicts with other

children. If there is a continued child management situation in which St. John’s Episcopal Preschool director and teachers cannot resolve, a parent/teacher/director conference will be called to review child management strategies. An action plan will be determined. If the situation is still not resolved within an agreed upon time period, St. John’s Episcopal Preschool may determine that another school will be more appropriate for said child.

WELCOME DAY Welcome Day is normally held the Friday before the start of school. During this time, parents who have not already done so will get to meet their child’s teacher and teacher’s aide. For some of the children, this might be their first time at their new school or the first time back since summer. We are hoping that this day can ease any anxiety that the student (or parent) might have. Our wonderful teachers will give out any information that the parent might need for their child’s specific class session and the children can play and socialize with the other children. This is an optional event.

ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL PROCEDURES Please drive in using the one-way driveway marked “enter”. The “enter” driveway is located on the south side of the preschool/church. When leaving, please use the one-way “Exit” driveway located on the north side of the church/preschool. We recommend that parents park in the parking lot behind the preschool/church.

The teachers will open the classroom door when it is time for your child’s class to begin. Please do not show up early (unless you have arranged for early care with a teacher) as teachers need ample time to prepare for the day. We encourage all parents to be on time when dropping off their child at the beginning of the class session. It can become disruptive to the other children when a child is dropped off in the middle of circle time.

You will be required to sign your child in and out every day. Please use full signatures. This is very important as licensing can fine us a fee of up to $1,000 if parents are only using initials to sign their child in and out of the classroom.

If someone else is picking up your child, please give the teachers both verbal and/or written notice. Make sure you plan ahead and leave car seats for the person who will pick up your child.

Important: We will ID every new person who comes into St. John’s Preschool to pick up a child. This also includes parents, grandparents, or anybody whom the teachers have not yet met. We do this to ensure the safety of all children.

We will dismiss the children one at a time as we see the parents outside the door. Please do not come inside at dismissal time. The students as well as their parents surrounding the doorway make it very difficult to ensure the safety of every child. We do welcome your visits, but please make it during class time and not during dismissal time.

Please be on time when picking up your child as some teachers need to prepare the classroom for the next class session or clean up at the end of the day. Also, when a parent is late, the child can become distraught when they are seeing other children getting picked up on time and they are kept waiting. Please call us if you foresee that you may be late so we can prepare your child.

Once you have signed your child out of class for the day, you are more than welcome to stay and visit with one another outside in the courtyard. Please realize that whomever signed your child out is responsible for them when playing on our premises after class is over. If you would like to speak with your child’s teacher about your child’s day, please wait until all children have been dismissed to their parents. This may take a few minutes, but please remember it is for the safety of our children.

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES The teachers will also be conducting Parent/Teacher conferences in October. We encourage all parents to sign up. The conferences are not mandatory but it does provide a time where the parents and teachers can discuss any concerns on their child early in the school year. An assessment will be reviewed on your child at this time.

SNACKS St. John’s Episcopal Preschool will provide healthy and fun snacks for children in our program. The snacks will comply with state recommendations for nutritional content and will be prepared at the preschool. We will be teaching children proper hygiene before and after each meal, along with a blessing/grace.

SCHOLARSHIP /FINANCIAL AID POLICY St. John’s Preschool is a private, non-profit organization and does not offer scholarships

or financial aid. There are discounts available for members of St. John’s parish and for

families with more than one child enrolled in the preschool during the same school year. NO PEANUT/NUT POLICY St. John’s Preschool follows a “No Nut Policy”. Below are some items that either contain nut products or are processed on the same equipment that manufactures peanut/nut products and therefore may contain peanuts:

All products containing any nuts, peanut butter, peanuts, peanut oil or peanut flour

All Nestle chocolate products, including chocolate chips and all Nestle or Toll-House pre-mixed cookie dough

Most chocolate candy

Chocolate cake mixes and chocolate frosting

Chex Mix (contains peanut flour)

Granola bars (most contain peanut flour, peanuts or are processed on shared equipment)

All chips or fried foods made with peanut oil When buying foods for the preschool, please read the ingredient list and labels looking for nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, peanut flour, peanut oil or if it has been processed on shared equipment. There is usually a warning label that states that it is processed on equipment that processes peanut products or that it may contain traces of peanuts. We need to work together to make this a safe classroom for all of the children.

CHILDREN’S CLOTHING We strongly encourage children to be dressed in comfortable, appropriate fitting clothes that can get dirty or messy – and which are easy for the child to maneuver for using the restroom independently. Shoes Children should have closed toe shoes with a back heel strap so that tan bark from the play yard does not cause irritations and for safety on all play yard equipment. Labeling Outside Items Please label all jackets, sweaters, tote bags, backpacks or any other outside item that comes into the preschool with your child’s name. This helps to insure that children are going home with their proper belongings. We have noticed that many of our students have the same “Thomas the Train” backpack or a navy blue hooded sweatshirt. Labeling helps to distinguish which item belongs to whom.

LOST AND FOUND Items that are found on the preschool premises and are not labeled will be placed in a Lost and Found bin located in a designated area of your child’s classroom. All unclaimed items that have been in Lost and Found for one month will be donated to Goodwill.

CHILDREN’S SUPPLIES Spare set of clothes We require parents to supply us with a change of clothes that are weather appropriate. These clothes will be kept at the preschool and will be used for potty accidents or if your child just simply gets dirty. Please provide the spare clothes in a zip lock bag with name and class session written on the bag at the first day of school. The bag will be stored at the preschool for the year. If your child has been recently potty trained please provide at least two to three changes of clothes to anticipate the possibility of a potty accident. Pull ups (side tab) All children must be potty trained with the exception of our 2 ½ to 3 yrs. class. For the 2 ½ to 3 yrs. class, students must be in the process of getting potty trained. The staff will help with potty training the first month of school. If your child is still in pull ups, parents must provide two or three diapers per class session. Due to storage issues, we cannot accept pull ups in bulk. Lunch for Extended Care When staying for extended care, please provide your child with a “sack” lunch. Please approve all restaurant food with your child’s teacher i.e. McDonald’s Happy Meal. No soft drinks please.

TOYS St. John’s preschool has a policy that no outside toys are brought into the school from home unless it is your child’s scheduled “Share Day”. It is extremely hard to keep track of toys from home and also difficult for children to share the toys with their friends. Your child’s teacher will let you know when “Share Days” are scheduled. If your child needs some sort of security item (like a blanket or stuffed animal) the first few weeks of school to make them feel comfortable while you are away, please ask your child’s teacher if it is o.k. to bring one on an unscheduled share day.

BIRTHDAYS Parents who wish to celebrate their child’s birthdays at school may do so by bringing treats such as cookies, cupcakes etc. to share with their class. Please notify the teacher before you bring a treat at least one class session in advance. All treats that are brought into the classroom must follow our No Nut/Peanut Policy.

Invitations to birthday parties should not be passed out at school unless inviting the entire

class.

HEALTH POLICY We know that you don’t want your child to be exposed to unnecessary infectious or communicable disease. For that reason, we are sure parents will take every precaution to not expose other children if your child is sick. St. John’s Episcopal Preschool will be complying with the following guidelines for illness. Please inform the preschool if your child contracts any infectious or communicable disease. Please keep sick children at home. Your child will not be allowed in the preschool if ill or contagious. Examples are (but not limited to):

1. Temperature over 100-degree F. Fever must be down to normal for 24 hours without the need of fever reducer medication.

2. If your child requires antibiotics, the antibiotics must be administered for at least 24 hours before returning to school.

3. A child should not attend school if he/she has a large amount of colored (green or yellow) discharge from his/her nose.

4. If the child has any of the following: severe coughing, diarrhea, vomiting, (vomiting must have subsided for 24 hrs.) pinkeye, pinworms, lice, ringworms, or unknown/unidentifiable skin rash.

In certain situations, there will need to be a release from the doctor saying that the child is no longer contagious.

CALLING IN ABSENT If your child is absent from school due to illness or vacation, please notify the preschool as soon as possible so that they can plan accordingly. A voicemail is also acceptable. The preschool phone number is (408) 782-9994.

SAFETY Storing Medications at School All medication must be stored in the preschool office. Children may not keep medications of any type in their possession. No medications or items such as aspirin/Tylenol, Epi-pens, over-the-counter drugs, hand sanitizer, lip balm or sunscreen, will be stored or dispensed without written authorization. Emergency Contact Procedures Please provide accurate contact information for home, work, cell phones, email, home address, emergency contact and physician names and numbers. A red emergency card will also be provided to all parents for this purpose. Emergency or Disaster Practice drills for fire and earthquake safety take place on a regular basis during school hours. Children and teachers will assemble on their designated areas on the preschool property. Parents will be required to sign their children out in the case of an emergency or disaster. Children will not be permitted to leave the campus with anyone other than their own parent in this kind of event. St. John’s Episcopal Preschool is prepared for the care of students in the case of an emergency for at least 24 hours. Emergency kits with first aid supplies, food, and water are available in each classroom. Director and teachers are CPR/First Aid trained and certified through the American Heart Association. Student Injuries and Insurance St. John’s Episcopal Preschool does not carry medical or accident insurance for individual students. Parents are responsible for emergency medical costs beyond first aid provided at the school site. Student accident insurance is available for purchase from a variety of insurance agencies. If emergency medical or dental treatment is needed and the parent or listed emergency contacts cannot be reached, 911 will be called. The preschool is not responsible for charges incurred as a result of 911 calls or ambulance transfers.

FIELD TRIP TRANSPORTATION On the occasion that we go on field trips, parents must accompany and provide transportation for their children. If you cannot attend the scheduled field trip, you must provide alternate arrangements for your child. Many parents ask relatives or friends to take

their children if they cannot attend. Permission forms and information will be sent home a few weeks before each field trip. In most occurrences, field trip is in lieu of class for that day.

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES -

COMMUNITY CARE LICENSING AGENCY RIGHTS The Department of Social Services has the authority to interview children or staff, and to inspect and audit child or childcare center records, without prior consent. The Department of Social Services has the authority to observe the physical condition of the children including conditions that could indicate abuse, neglect or inappropriate placement. The Director and/or the Board of Trustees retains the right to amend this handbook as necessary. Parents will be notified if this occurs during the school year.

Tuition Policies PAYMENT OF TUITION The tuition for our program is due monthly. Payments must be received by the 1st of every month or date posted by Director. Failure to pay will be cause for suspension of services until full payment is made. If the preschool should be closed on a day when tuition is due, then all tuitions shall be due the previous business day. If your child will be absent on a day tuition is due, you are still required to have your tuition payment submitted by 3:00 P.M.

Tuition is not prorated for scheduled vacations or holidays.

There are no refunds in fees for absences of your child. This includes absences due to illness.

There will be a charge of $10.00 for late payments per day or a bill of $ 50 dollars after five days.

There will be a charge of $10.00 for any checks returned for N.S.F. plus any other charges that apply to the bank. After two returned checks, parents will be required to pay tuition fees by cash or money order.

There will be a fee of $1.00 for every minute the parent is late picking up their child. The late fee is due at pickup time.

If there is a switch in class during the school year, the new tuition rates apply and a new admission agreement signed to acknowledge the new tuition rate.

First month’s tuition (September) is due mid-July. Specific date is posted on enrollment form and a reminder will be sent out in early July.

If your family’s plans have changed and your child will not be attending St. John’s Preschool for the 2012-2013 school year, PLEASE LET THE DIRECTOR KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE or by July 13, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. First month’s tuition will still be due if you have not communicated your change of plans to the director regardless if there is a wait list for the class or not.

ADJUSTMENT PERIOD St. John’s Episcopal Preschool recognizes that this might be the first preschool experience for many of the children. We want to make this a happy experience – experiencing the joy of learning with friends. However, if your child appears to be unhappy, or the arrangement is unsatisfactory for any reason, we will notify the parent. We ask that the parent(s) let us know if they see the same. We, or the parent(s), may terminate the contract anytime during the first month’s adjustment period.

TERMINATION There will need to be a 30-day written notice to terminate the contract by either party after the first month of school has passed. Tuition will still be due if child is pulled without proper notice. Parents may pay one month’s tuition fee in lieu of the 30-day notice.

Reasons for Termination by Preschool (but not limited to):

Failure to comply with policies and contract

Destructive or hurtful behavior by child that persists despite parent cooperation in stopping behavior

If a child requires the full time attention of a teacher or aide to the detriment of attending to the child’s classmates. The director and teacher will inform parents in a timely manner if a child requires a “shadow” care-giver.

Hurtful or confrontational behavior by parents/guardian towards St. John’s Episcopal preschool staff or parents

Non-payment of fees or late and/or recurring late payment of fees.

This Agreement must be signed and returned before any child can be admitted to St. John’s Preschool

Family Name _________________________ Student’s Name

ADMISSION AGREEMENT

2016/2017 Please return this page to the preschool along with all forms required to enroll your child at St. John’s Episcopal Preschool. The 2016-2017 Parent Handbook and Tuition Policies were designed to help things go smoothly in developing a good working relationship. Please ask us if anything is unclear. I hereby acknowledge that I am aware of the conditions stated in the policies and procedures of the Parent Handbook and Tuition Policies and agree to abide by the requirements. Parent Signature____________________________________Date_____________ Parent Signature____________________________________Date_____________