Our Mission For Your Child

Our mission is to provide a learning environment that

is safe, nurturing, and challenging for your child

while creating experiences that are developmentally

appropriate. We strive to prepare children to become

independent thinkers and life long learners.

Fentress County Preschool

Admissions Policy

Families wishing to enroll their children in the Fentress County Preschool Program must fill out an application verifying pertinent information. In order to qualify, the family/child must meet the following guidelines issued by the State of Tennessee: Child must be four years old on or before August 15, of the

current school year Family must reside in Fentress County Family must meet program guidelines with children identified

as Educationally At-Risk receiving first priority Transportation needs will be determined per student (bus

service can be provided if the child lives on an established route)

If the child is enrolled in Fentress Fours, the following requirements must be met and maintained: Families should attend at least two workshops provided

throughout the school year Parent/Guardian should spend at least three hours in the

child’s classroom during the school year Attendance must be full time, 8:00 a.m.-3:00p.m., Monday

through Friday Attendance must be regular with appropriate written

statements from physicians or parent/guardians when absent Health and behavior of the child must not be a threat to

anyone in the preschool program Children will be placed according to greatest need. In the event of a tie, names will be drawn on a lottery basis. When the classes are at maximum (20 students), a waiting list will be kept on site in case space becomes available during the school year. Applications will be taken at the Pre-K Registration Day in April and continue until Registration Day in August.

Maintaining Enrollment Status

Once the child is enrolled in a preschool class the following requirements

must be met and maintained:

Attendance must be full time (Our program operates 8:00 a.m. to 3:00

p.m. Monday through Friday)

Health and behavior of child must not be a threat to anyone in the

preschool program

Absences must be excused with parent or physicians statement.

Parent/Guardian should attend a minimum of two parent workshops

offered throughout the school year

Curriculum That Is

Developmentally Appropriate

Fentress County Schools provides a curriculum for Pre-K students

that is a developmentally appropriate thematic approach to learning.

Children learn best when they are actively involved in learning. Interacting

with objects and having real experiences is the best method of instruction.

Providing these experiences for each child at his or her level of development

creates excitement and success in learning. Using a thematic approach lends

meaning to each component of the curriculum. By tying skills together in a

related theme students better understand the usefulness and purpose of the

concepts or skills learned.

An interactive learning environment allows young students to make

the most of their natural curiosity of the world. Using a hand on approach

gives students the opportunity to experience the concept or skill. Playing or

manipulating learning materials which have been carefully planned and

provided by the preschool teacher gives students an opportunity to learn

while they play. Students may be seen building with blocks, pouring water,

digging in the sand, solving puzzles, dressing up and pretending, “reading”

to friends, “writing” letters, singing and dancing, stringing beads, or creating

beautiful works of art from a variety of materials. While to the casual

observer the students are playing all day, the pre-school students in Fentress

County are learning skills for academic and lifelong success.

A literacy and language rich environment is an important part of the

pre-school curriculum. Children who have had rich experiences in literature

and those who have experienced positive conversations with adults develop

reading and writing skills sooner than those who do not have rich literacy

and language experiences. In Fentress County’s pre-school classes teachers

read to students several times each day, talk with students and allow children

to interact with the other students to increase their language skills. Children

have access to a variety of books to enjoy and share with friends. “Talking

and listening” are practiced and encouraged in order to develop

communication skills necessary for academic success.

Progress monitoring is on going as teachers observe and work with

students. Progress is reported through daily notes and a progress report four

times each year. Teachers maintain a portfolio on each child to assist in

progress reporting. Checklist of mastered skills and teacher observation

notes are also used to document and report students’ progress. Parents are

encouraged to interact with teachers to keep up with their child’s progress on

a daily/weekly basis.

How To Help Your Child

Learn At Home

Read to your child every night.

Ask questions about the story as you read.

Be sure your child gets 9-10 hours of sleep at night. (This is the time

when your child’s brain transfers information learned into long term

memory).

Provide a place at home to put your child’s school bag, so that it can be

easily found in the morning. Look at everything your child brings

home from school. Praise progress and effort. (We are working on a

process here and all efforts should be noted).

Limit TV time. Be sure what your child watches is appropriate. Do not

use the television as a babysitter.

Listen and talk with your child. Real conversation increases

language skills. Don’t just give directions.

Do your best to keep your child healthy. The habit of washing hands

after they go to the bathroom and before they eat is important.

Have a positive attitude about school.

Make sure you have plenty of time to get ready for school. Being

rushed is not a pleasant start to the day.

Remember to lead by example.

ENJOY YOUR CHILDREN!!! They will be grown up all too soon.

My Child Too Sick For School?

“Sick children belong at home....well children belong at school.”

Lice: Children must be treated for lice and be nit and lice free before they can return to school. The home environment and other family members need to be treated as well. Colds: A child with a mild cold, and no other symptoms, is probably well enough to come to school. A new cold less than 36 hours old, or a heavy cold that includes a deep or croupy cough probably needs bed rest at home. A sore throat with white spots or fever should probably be looked at by a doctor. Fever: A child with a fever, especially over 100 degrees, must stay at home until the fever is normal for 24 hours. Stomach Upset: Persistent or severe stomach aches need to be diagnosed by a doctor. Children who are vomiting or have diarrhea must stay home for 24 hours after they get better. Rashes: A rash can be the beginning of many contagious illnesses. A doctor might need to diagnose the cause of any rash that lasts for more than 24 hours. Pains: A child with an earache should see a doctor without delay. A child with a toothache needs to see a dentist. Headaches are not usually severe enough to keep a child at home unless they persist, are severe, or if vomiting occurs. Ringworm: Children attending school with ringworm must see a doctor and keep it covered with a band-aid while at school. Flu, impetigo, pink eye, scabies, and chicken pox are contagious!!! Children MUST stay at home until they are not contagious.

Policies and Procedures of the Fentress County Schools Preschool Program

Hours of Operation

Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Admission: Students entering preschool for the first time must have the following

documents in order to attend:

1. Certified Birth Certificate 2. Physical and Shot Record 3. Social Security Number

Absences and Tardies:

Attendance is expected. Arrival at school on time is important. Late arrivals cause disruptions and various changes have to be made for those coming in late. Tardiness is an undesirable habit for lifelong

school attendance. Upon arrival to school after 8:05 a.m., you must stop at the office to sign your child in, as attendance is taken at 8:00

a.m.

Arrival: Students may begin arriving at 7:45 a.m. Parents MUST accompany

their children to the classroom to sign them in. Note: Only students who ride a bus may arrive prior to 7:45 to stay in

the bus duty area (Unless preapproved arrangements have been made)

Dismissal: Students may be picked up after 2:45 p.m. but no later than 3:15 p.m.

each day. Your student must be signed out as well. Any student leaving prior to 2:45 p.m. must be signed out in the office

before he may leave his classroom. Pick-up of Students:

When students are going to be checked out of school early, please let your teacher know. Only those listed on the release form will be

allowed to pick up your child.

Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks: Breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack will be provided daily. You

will not need to send a snack for your child. If you plan on eating lunch or breakfast with your child, please notify the teacher ahead of

time so you may be counted on the meal report.

Meal prices are as follows: Reduced Breakfast .30 Lunch .40

Full Price Breakfast 1.50 Lunch 1.75 Adults Breakfast 1.75 Lunch 2.75

Dress Code: Students should dress comfortably for an active day. They need to wear shoes that are appropriate for active play. Flip flops are very

cute however, they are not safe for school wear. Students should always have a change of clothing at school so they can be changed if accidents occur. (We do messy fun activities and

sometimes clothes will be messed up.)

Cancellation of School: Fentress County Preschool operates on the same school calendar as the rest of the school system. In the event of bad weather you should

listen to the radio for cancellations, or early dismissals.

Illness or Injury: Each school has a school nurse on site. Teachers will administer first

aid treatment for minor injuries (band aids only). At times it is necessary to call parents to pick up a sick child. This decision will be

made by the school nurse. Please make sure that the school has current emergency numbers so someone can be reached at all times.

We must have at least two emergency numbers of someone who lives outside the home in case you can not be reached.

Discipline: Discipline is an attitude that begins at home, is reinforced at school, and is applied throughout one’s life. Our school board believes that acceptable behavior is essential to an effective school program and

each teacher should work to create a school environment favorable to the development of self-discipline and self-direction. Each teacher will discuss her discipline policy with you. Corporal punishment is

prohibited for four year olds in the State of Tennessee therefore spanking is not used in our program. Redirection is used as well as “time out” for thinking. The rule of thumb is one minute per year of

age of thinking time with a discussion and reflection of the behavior to follow. This allows the child to develop self monitoring and

processing skills. (Example 4 year old 4-5 minutes)

Field Trips: Field trips will be included in our learning environment. These field trips will be teacher supervised and in correlation to a unit of study.

Adequate notice will be given to the parent and transportation will be provided for the children. Parent volunteers are much needed at this

time.

Goals of Fentress County Preschool program

The preschool programs of the Fentress County Schools will strive to afford each child the opportunity.....

Social Development: To practice cooperation and sharing

To participate as a leader and group member To develop cultural awareness and understanding of diversity

To practice conflict resolution and self-control

Emotional Development:

To become independent, persistent, and self-reliant To develop respect, empathy, and care for others

To value oneself and foster self-concept To develop trust in others

To express emotions in a positive way

Physical Development:

To strengthen and enhance fine motor skills To strengthen and enhance gross motor skills

To develop self-help skills To strengthen eye-hand coordination

To be aware of the need for a healthy lifestyle

Cognitive Development: To enhance problem solving, classification, and analyzing skills

To think, reason, question, and make decisions To increase expressive and receptive language

To develop and enhance literacy and phonological awareness skills To develop and enhance listening comprehension skills

To develop concepts, recall, and memory skills

It Looks Like Play, But We Are Learning......

to work and play together

to respect the rights of others to express ourselves creatively

to grow in self-control to grow from dependence to independence

to listen to directions and follow them to develop good work habits

to finish what we start to clean up after work or playtime to participate in group activities

to enjoy using a variety of materials to share toys, experiences, equipment, and time

to develop an interest in books and literature to develop an interest in the world around us

to improve coordination and strength to stay with our plans for longer periods of time

to develop new interests and extend familiar ones to understand new words and to use them

to BE HAPPY!!!!!!!!

Parent and Teacher Agreement

We are looking forward to a wonderful year with your child. There is much to learn and accomplish. We know that we will work together as a team for the benefit of your child. Preschool is not a mandated program for your child, but a unique opportunity to provide the best experiences for your child. We do expect your child to be at school on time each day, and we will work toward the goal of self-control by following classroom rules. Failure to meet the requirements outlined in this handbook may result in removing the child from the program. In the event that this should occur, notice and opportunity for correction will be given before the child is removed from the program. The director will communicate with the parent/guardian the reason for removal and reasonable time will be given to correct the situation. If the situation is not resolved to the satisfaction of the director, the child will be removed from the program. ************************************************************* (Please detach and return the bottom portion to your child’s teacher. Keep the Handbook for your records) I have read, understand, and agree to comply with the Fentress County School’s Preschool Policy. I received a copy of the Child Care Requirements. _______________________________________________________ Parent/Guardian Date _______________________________________________________ Child’s Name Teacher

Fentress County

Preschool Application School Year 2014-2015

____________________ Today’s Date Child’s Name:_____________________________________ ____________ Last First Middle Birth Date Name child will be called at school:_______________________ Male/Female Child’s Social Security #_______________________________ Telephone #________________ Address:______________________________________________________________________ Street Apt# City State zip Parent/Guardian’s Name__________________________________________________ Address________________________________________________ City/ST_________________________________________zip_____________ Mother’s Maiden Name(required)_________________________________________ email address: ________________________________________________________________ Required: Child’s City of Birth___________________ County of Birth_____________________ State of Birth________________________ Country of Birth____________________ My child will be 3 years old 4 years old 5 years old on Aug 15, 2013 (Please circle correct age) Please circle your school choice: Allardt Pine Haven South Fentress York (The recommended choice is where your child will attend Kindergarten) My child will need transportation (if available) to and from school. Yes NO The following information is needed to determine your child’s eligibility for this program: _____________________________________ _____________________________________ Printed Name of Adult Head of Household Adult’s Social Security # Total # in the Household_________________ Food Stamp or AFDC Case # ___________________________________ Gross Monthly Earnings (Before Deductions): $_________________________ Monthly Welfare, Pensions, Alimony,

Unemployment, Child Support or Social Security: $_____________________ Any Other Cash Income: $______________________________________ Total Monthly Family Income:$____________________ Ethnicity(please mark one) _____Not Hispanic or Latino _____Hispanic or Latino

Race(please mark one or more) _____American Indian or Alaskan Native _____Asian

_____Black/African American ______Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander ______White

Child Lives With: Mother Father Grandparents Guardian Other (Circle all that apply) Names of Brothers or Sisters Name________________________________Grade_____________________School_________ _______________________________ ____________________ __________ _______________________________ ____________________ __________ _______________________________ ____________________ __________ Is your child currently enrolled in Head Start? Yes NO Is your child currently enrolled in Day Care? Yes No _________________________ Name of Day Care Please describe below any special circumstances that might enhance your child’s need for this pre-school program: (use the back of this form if you need more space) _____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

I authorize the use of my child’s picture in the newspaper, videos, brochures, and other media that might be used to explain the Fentress County Preschool Program. _______________________________________________________ _____________ Signature of Parent Date I give permission for my child to participate in the Fentress County Preschool Program trips throughout the year and to ride the school bus or walk to nearby locations as appropriate with adult supervision. (You will receive prior notice for all trips.) _______________________________________________________ _____________ Signature of Parent Date ****You may be asked to provide documentation to verify the above information.

_________________________________________________ Signature of Adult Household Member **Before your child is placed in our preschool program a very brief assessment will be done to determine your child’s strengths and areas of need.

****************** For Official Use Only********************* Income Status F R Full Screening Score__________________ Other At-risk Factors_______________________ Transportation Needed Y N

Fentress County Preschool Legal Concerns Form

Child’s Name__________________________________________ List the names of those persons who have permission to pick your child up from school: Name/Relationship Local Phone 1._______________________________ _____________ 2._______________________________ _____________ 3._______________________________ _____________ 4._______________________________ _____________ List the names of anyone who May Not sign your child out of school: _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Custody Arrangements:_____________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ We must have copies of all court orders on file. Parent/Guardian Signature __________________________ Date___________

Fentress County Preschool Emergency Form

Child’s Name_________________________________ Birthday Parent/Guardian_____________________________ (H) Phone____________ Cell Phone____________ Cell Phone____________ Mother’s Work__________________________________ Phone________________ Father’s Work___________________________________ Phone____________ Guardian’s Work________________________________ Phone _____________ Child’s Doctor __________________________________ Phone_____________ In case of an emergency and we cannot reach a parent or guardian, we MUST have 2 different contact numbers. ________________________________________ ___________________ name relation phone ________________________________________ ___________________ name relation phone

Please list any environmental allergies your child may have: Allergy Reaction ________________________________ ___________________________________ ________________________________ ___________________________________ Please list any food allergies your child may have: Allergy Reaction ________________________________ ___________________________________

________________________________ ______________________________ Does your child wear: (Please circle all that apply) diapers pull-ups all the time nap time only Does your child have any difficulty chewing or swallowing certain foods? Explain____________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Please describe any/all health concerns: _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Parent/Guardian Signature________________________________________Date____________

Fentress County Preschool Student Data Form

Today’s Date_______________ Child’s Full Name____________________________________________________________________ Name Child Will be called at school _____________________________ Birthdate___/____/___ Male/Female Child’s Social Security #__________________________Home phone_________ Home Address ______________________________________________________________________ street city state zip Parent/Guardian Name_______________________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________ Home Phone_____________ Mother/Guardian’s Employer__________________________ Work Phone_________________ Father/Guardian’s Employer___________________________ Work Phone_________________ Mother’s Cell#________________________________ Father’s Cell#_____________________ Who has custody of this child? Mother Father Both Other____________________ List any serious allergies or health concerns your child has:____________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ List the names of two people in the community who can assume temporary care of your child if you cannot be reached:

___________________________________ _______________ ____________ name relation phone ________________________________________ ___________________ ________________ name relation phone Child’s Physician__________________________________________ Phone _______________ In Case of accident or serious illness and I cannot be reached, I request school officials to make whatever arrangements are necessary for emergency treatment of my child.

Signature Parent/Guardian____________________________________ Date_____________________ What language is spoken in the home?_____________________________ Please circle ethnic group Black White Hispanic Asian

Imagination Library Governor’s Books From Birth

As a part of our program we have committed to having 100% of our children enrolled the governor’s books from birth program. Through this program your child can receive a book each month in your home at no cost to you. Some may already be enrolled in the program. Please let us know either way as we must maintain a record of who is enrolled. Child’s Name_______________________________________________ Is your child currently registered in the Imagination Library Book Program? yes______ No_________ If your child is not registered we would like to register them for you. Please include the following information: Child’s Name____________________________________________ Birthdate _______________________________________________ Address________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Phone #___________________________________ Parent’s Name ___________________________________________ __________________________________________