Parent Handbook
408 North Highway 259
Hardinsburg, Kentucky 40143
270 756-5504
Children and Parents Rights
Pursuant To KRS 199.898
(1) All children receiving child care services in a day-care center licensed pursuant to KRS 199.896, a family child-care home certifies pursuant to KRS 199.8982, or from a provider or program receiving public funds shall have the following rights:
a. The right to be free from physical or mental abuse:
b. The right not to be subjected to abusive language or abusive punishment: and
c. The right to be in the care of adults who shall meet their health, safety, and developmental needs.
(2) Parents, custodian, or guardians of these children specified in subsection (1) of this section shall have the following rights:
a. The right to have access to their children at all time the child is in the care and access to their provider caring for their children during normal hours of provider operation and whenever the children are in the care of the provider;
b. The right to be provided with information about child-care regulatory standards; and how to file a complaint;
c. The right to file a complaint against a child-care provider without any retribution against the parent, custodian, guardian, or child; and
d. The right to review and discuss with the provider any state reports and deficiencies revealed by such reports.
(3) The child-care provider who is licensed pursuant to KRS
199.3896 or certified pursuant to KRS 199.8982 shall
post these rights in a prominent place and shall
provide a copy of these rights at the time of the child’s
enrollment in the program.
St. Romuald Preschool
This handbook is prepared for the parents of all children enrolled in St. Romuald Preschool. It is designed to explain the programs, and show how you can help your child make initial and continuing adjustments to time away from home.
Philosophy
The programs of St. Romuald Preschool will provide a learning environment in which a child is helped at his or her own level to learn how to plan his own life-actions: where a child receives love, security, acceptance, values, self control, independence, protection, and guidance and where teachers earnestly try to involve a child in the excitement of learning. The curriculum of each class encircles the vital objective of helping a child to develop a positive self- image. A wide variety of experiences are planned in order that each child has opportunities for success.
The program provides for the total child: his/her particular needs within their moral and spiritual, social, emotional, physical, and mental development.
Moral and Spiritual - To help the child:
1. Become aware and know that God and Jesus love and care for them.
2. Lay the groundwork for a personal and lasting relationship with Christ.
3. Develop an attitude of kindness, cooperation, courtesy, and helpfulness
toward others.
Social - To help the child:
1. Grow in ability to work and play with others.
Play is the work of children. Play allows children to learn. Learning is fun!
2. Respect personal and property rights of others.
3. Develop an attitude of kindness, cooperation, courtesy, and helpfulness toward others.
4. Accept appropriate individual and social responsibility in their group.
5. Build problem-solving skills.
Emotional - To help the child:
1. Gradually mature in emotional responses and self-discipline.
2. Properly express emotional responses.
3. Become progressively independent.
4. Develop self-confidence.
Mental - To help the child:
1. Develop a love for learning.
2. Develop independent thinking, draw conclusions, make choices and
experiment.
3. Broaden his/her range of interest.
4. Develop his/her language powers and encourage self-expression.
5. Grow in an ability to concentrate.
6. Encourage creativity.
7. Improve his/her skills
Physical - To help a child:
1. Participate in a variety of both fine and gross motor activities.
2. Establish desirable health habits.
3. Know and follow simple rules of safety.
St. Romuald Preschool is a pro-social program. Each day the schedule offers a wide variety of activities that include rhythm, music, art, literature, physical education, and creative movement. Our curriculum also includes play. Play belongs to childhood. Through play, a child works his/her way into joy, and into a more mature capable person, ready for the next step in his/her growing development.
Enrolling your child
St. Romuald Preschool is open to any child regardless of race, religion, creed or ethnic background as long as space is available. To register for preschool and be officially enrolled with your child’s name on the class list, the parent will be required to:
- Complete the Registration Form
- Pay the non-refundable registration fee
Before the first day of preschool classes the following additional forms are required:
- Medical History/Emergency Medical Care form (included in the Registration form);
- An original up-to-date Kentucky Immunization Certificate;
- A copy of a state issued birth certificate. Hospital cards are not legal documents;
- A copy of the child’s social security card.
Medical and dental examinations are required and must be within the last six months before your child begins school.
Curriculum
The curriculum at St. Romuald Preschool is developmentally appropriate for the age and ability of three, four and five year olds. The younger class curriculum focuses on such skills as paying attention, following directions, taking turns, sharing, and completing simple tasks. The four year old group curriculum is flexible so that the content can reflect each child’s specific needs, interests and developmental skills. This curriculum begins to address more academic areas such as letter identification, counting, and drawing for meaning. The older pre-k class curriculum is more academic in preparing the children for kindergarten as well as social/developmental areas.
Each curriculum is planned for the month and parents will receive a calendar indicating the themes and concepts being addressed each month. Curriculum calendars will also be posted in each classroom along with the daily schedule.
Sample Daily Schedule
This is a sample schedule actual schedules vary by age group and class.
7:00-7:50 Free Play in centers
7:50-8:00 Transition time – clean up and prepare for school announcements.
8:00-8:15 Greetings, Welcome, Pledge, Prayers
8:15-8:30 Calendar/Bathroom/Exercise
8:30-8:50 Morning Snack
8:50-9:05 Circle Time (Pre-K)
8:50-9:10 Lesson (Preschool)
9:05-10:10 Group/Center Rotation
9:20-10:00 Playtime
10:00-10:15 Bathroom/Prepare for lunch (Preschool)
10:10-10:30 Clean up/Bathroom Break
10:30-11:10 Lunch
11:10-11:30 Outdoor activities (if weather prohibits outdoor play—inside play)
11:30-12:00 Science (preschool)
11:30-11:45 Story Time (Pre-K)
11:45-12:30 Group Projects (Pre-K)
12:00-12:30 Story Time/Free activity play
12:30-1:00 Snack time
1:00-2:00 Quiet Time
2:00-2:20 Put mats, blankets, sheets, pillows away
2:20-2:30 Prepare to go home
2:30-4:00 Explorations/Free Play
Preschool and Pre-kindergarten students are given the opportunity to participate in Music and Library.
Skills and concepts: The following is a list of skills and concepts that are age appropriate and may be included in the curriculum.
3-Year Olds
Numbers Begin to recognize numbers 1-10 and simple counting of objects.
Colors Begin to recognize and name 8 basic colors: red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, brown, black
Shapes Begin to recognize and name 4 basic shapes: circle, square, triangle and rectangle through games and puzzles.
Alphabet Begins to recognize and name upper case letters. Recognize his/her own name.
Small Improve eye-hand coordination with finger plays, cutting, molding,
Motor Skills building, painting, lacing, buttoning.
Large Involve the children in activities such as running, jumping on one
Motor Skills and two feet, and climbing, alternate feet on stairs, balances on one foot.
Language To speak and enunciate clearly for age, communicates in sentences,
Arts answers some questions, waits for turn to speak when in a group, uses language to communicate wants and needs, shows expanding vocabulary, listens quietly to stories, attention span is lengthening, responds to a story by recalling specific facts.
Work Habits Gets involved in and attends to activities, follows directions, responds well to teacher’s suggestions, seeks only his/her fair share of teacher’s attention, shows curiosity, asks questions, makes independent choices.
Social and Plays and shares with others, respects people and things at school,
Emotional accepts and responds to teacher’s authority, has a good self-
Skills image, has appropriate control over his/her feelings.
Religion Prays with teacher and friends, learning about God’s Creations, listens to and retells some Bible stories, learning about special people.
Self- Use the bathroom independently, puts on own coat, makes good use of
Reliance free time, uses appropriate behaviors going to and from different places at school.
4 & 5-Year Olds
Numbers Identify numbers 1-20 by grouping into set, simple addition and subtraction, and matching correct number to a set of objects.
Colors Identify eight basic colors: red, blue, green, yellow, orange,
purple, brown, black.
Shapes Identify six basic shapes: circle, square, triangle and rectangle, oval and diamond through games and puzzles.
Alphabet Begins to recognize some letters of the alphabet, including upper and lower case and beginning phonics.
Small Master cutting with scissors, holding a pencil and crayon correctly,
Motor Skills molding with play dough, lacing, snaps, buttons, zips, tracing inside and outside of a stencil, establish hand preference.
Large Master running, jumping, hopping on one and two feet,
Motor Skills climbing, and skipping. (Skipping is not always possible until
age 5 or 6), throws, catches, kicks a ball, marches and
moves to music.
Language Understands concepts of texture, weight, distance, temperature, size,
Arts knows first and last name, recognizes first and last name, writes first name, knows age, knows birth date, knows address, names days of the week, knows months of year, says ABC’s, recognizes letters, rhymes words, creates stories from imagination, knows body parts, responds to open-ended questions, sings familiar songs and rhymes, demonstrates problem-solving abilities, recognizes letter sounds.
Social/ Participates in group discussions, completes assigned tasks,
Emotional works independently, exhibits self-control, respects rights
Development and property of others, and plays cooperatively, assumes
responsibility uses manners, can sit in a group.
Religion Prays with teacher and friends, learns about God’s Creation, listens to and retells some Bible stories, learns about special people.
Self- Uses bathroom independently, puts own coat on, makes good use of
Reliance free time, uses appropriate behaviors going to and from different places at school.
Licensing: The Cabinet for Human Resources, State of Kentucky Division of Licensing and Regulations, annually visits St. Romuald to ensure that the minimum licensing standards for preschools are being met. These license visits are unannounced and help ensure a safer environment and increase the quality of all preschool programs across Kentucky. Our preschool is licensed under the same regulations as any other Kentucky daycare/preschool center that is in session more than 10 hours per week. The visit includes the inspection of records including child immunizations, staff trainings, staff health, insurance, classroom daily schedule, health department and fire marshal inspection reports, and nutrition of daily snacks. Also the classroom environment including age appropriate educational materials, interaction of staff with children, and the safety of the classrooms and playground is checked.
St. Romuald Preschool is currently licensed for 59 children daily.
STARS for KIDS NOW
St. Romuald Preschool is participating in STARS, a voluntary program that requires centers to meet higher standards than licensing and was designed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky to increase the level of childcare. A site visit is a part of this evaluation. The following are scored during the visit: staff to child ratios, compliance with regulations, size of the group, curriculum, parent involvement, staff training, education of the staff, and personnel practices. The site inspector also scores: space and furnishings, personal care routines, language reasoning, activities, play equipment, materials and supplies, interaction and supervision of the staff, and the program structure. More than 40 items are evaluated on a scale of 1 to 7. If the program meets the standards for a level 1, scorer goes on to a 2 and on up until all standards for a level are not met. Participating in STARS is a vital component of St. Romuald’s commitment to providing a quality preschool experience for the children and the staff. St. Romuald Preschool is currently a 2 STAR center. Our next evaluation is due in September, 2008 and then again in September, 2010.
Center Policies
Hours of Operation – The center is open from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. A charge of $1.00 for every minute past 4:00 p.m. will be imposed and will need to be paid by the end of the week it was incurred. Continued tardiness in picking up children could result in dismissal from the program.
Eligibility – Children may enroll between the ages of 3 and 5.
Tuition Fees and Payment – Fees are subject to change with written notice.
There is a one-time non-refundable $ 20.00 registration fee for each child enrolled in the program.
Children attending St. Romuald Preschool must commit to attend at least 2 days a week.
There is a charge of $ 25.00 on all returned checks. After a second returned check we will accept cash only.
Tuition is to be paid by the 15th of each month on a continuous basis until the child is withdrawn from the center.
There is no refund for daily absences.
When a child is hospitalized for a week or more, tuition will be suspended for the first week. Full tuition must be paid for additional absence if the child’s place is to be reserved (note temporary withdrawal procedures.)
Note: If tuition is not paid by the 15th of the following month, a $20.00 fee will be assessed for each month that the tuition is not paid. Arrangements for payment can be arranged after a meeting with the parents, the director, and the principal of the school.
Withdrawal –All outstanding fees and tuition must be paid before your child is withdrawn from the preschool program.
Temporary Withdrawal – Temporary withdrawal is available for those parents who deem it necessary. A deposit of one month’s tuition must be paid to reserve a place for your child with notice of the expected return date. Upon the child’s return, two weeks of the deposit will be credited toward tuition.
If a child is withdrawn and re-enters the program (except for temporary withdrawal plan), the registration fee will again be charged.
Snacks: All children will be provided a morning and an afternoon snack that meets the USDA federal food guideline.
A doctor’s statement is required for all children who have food allergies, so adjustments to the menu can be made.
Clothing: All children need an extra set of clothing to be kept at the center, or included each day in the child’s bag. A plastic bag for soiled clothes is always helpful. To avoid confusion, all clothing should be labeled with the child’s name. Other items of clothing such as a sweater, jacket, hats, mittens, etc. should be clearly labeled. If your child has an extra jacket that can be kept at school, it would help on those unexpected chilly days.
Transportation: St. Romuald Preschool does not provide transportation service.
Lunch: St. Romuald School serves lunch every day beginning at 10:20 a.m. with preschool. Lunch is not included as part of your child’s tuition. A separate payment must be made to the cafeteria. Menus will be sent home when they become available. Each child is encouraged to eat a hot meal in the lunchroom. Manners and self-discipline will be expected at all times. Parents are always welcome to come and eat with their child at any time. Parents may not bring in “McDonalds” or other outside food into the lunchroom for their child to eat. They must eat what they have in the lunchroom or what they have in their lunchbox. NO CARBONATED DRINKS ARE PERMITTED IN THE LUNCHROOM OR LUNCHBOXES.
During registration, all parents will receive an application for Free and Reduced Price Meals. We urge every family to consider completing this application and to return it to the school as soon as possible. It is completely confidential, and if you qualify, it also benefits the school.
Students bringing their lunches have to follow state requirements. Please make sure these items are packed even if he/she will not eat them:
Milk (milk, cheese, pudding, yogurt)
Protein (meat or peanut butter)
2 vegetables or 1 fruit and 1 vegetable
Bread
Rest Time: Each child is expected to rest (sleep when possible) after lunch each day for a reasonable period, not to exceed 2 hours (except for the accelerated pre-kindergarten class). Mats are provided for this period. Each child needs a beach towel, crib sheet and small pillow for rest time. Towels should be labeled with the child’s name. If possible, avoid picking up your child during rest time. If you do need to pick up your child during this time, please advise the teacher in advance to keep from disturbing the other children.
Play: Play is a vital part of a child’s growth. Children will be taken outside each day except when it’s too cold, wet, or extremely hot or the pollution index is considered dangerous. When you child’s class goes outside, everyone goes outside. If for some reason you feel your child must not be outside, please discuss this with the director.
Field Trips: The children will occasionally be taken on an excursion that will enhance their classroom experience. You will be notified in advance of a walking field trip with a note and permission slip requiring your signature. The signed permission slip must be returned for your child to participate. Along with field trips, we often arrange for special guests to come into the program to share with the children.
Immunization: Each child is required to have a current up-to-date immunization certificate on file in the office prior to attending the program. Updated certificates should be provided to the program as children receive further immunizations.
Birthdays: This is a special day in a child’s life. Please make arrangement with your child’s teacher for this special day. You may send a treat for this special occasion, however due to health regulations, they must be store bought rather than homemade. We encourage you to join us for the celebration if at all possible.
Toys: Children should be discouraged from bringing personal toys and books to the program, which may promote a conflict with other children. The program cannot be responsible for personal items, which may be damaged or lost. It may be necessary for the teacher to remove items from the child’s possession until the end of the day. Please be supportive of staff when such decisions are made.
Discipline: The goal of St. Romuald Preschool is to teach children self-discipline. The guidance techniques used are on the developmental level of the child and include: positive reinforcement, redirection, time-out, and helping the children solve their own problems. Children are made aware of expectations through the consistent use of clearly defined limits. No physical or harsh verbal discipline will be used. Physical discipline such as spanking is not permitted by staff or parents on the center’s property. Should continual behavior problems occur, a meeting between program staff and the parents will be held in order to determine an appropriate course of action that is agreeable to all.
Communication: St. Romuald Preschool considers it essential for the home and center to work as partners to encourage the maximum growth in all areas of your child’s development. It is vital for parents to check in with teachers regularly to stay informed. Weekly reports will be provided. If there are concerns, we will be happy to schedule a conference with you. We would prefer not discussing behavioral problems in front of the children. In the event private conversations are needed, we will be glad to meet with you.
Parent meetings may be scheduled from time to time. You will be notified in advance of the time and place. A phone call can be arranged for a specific time.
The teachers cannot accept verbal messages from children. Please send a note or telephone the program office at 270 756-5504.
Monthly newsletters will be issued to inform you of your child’s activities. Each class of children between 3– 5 will have a monthly calendar to keep you informed of daily activities.
Arrival and Departure: The children may arrive as early as 7:00 a.m. and stay as late as 4:00 p.m.). A charge of $1.00 for every minute past 4:00 p.m. will be imposed with payment by the end of the week of the charge. Continued tardiness in picking up children could result in dismissal from the program.
A responsible adult should always escort the children into and out of the building. All children must be signed in and out on a daily basis. No child should be removed from the building without teaching staff being made aware of the child’s departure. The program must be notified in advance if someone other than the parent will be picking up the child. A person who is not known at the program, will be required to show a drivers license for identification and must be listed on the child’s information sheet as being an authorized alternative. No child will be released to an unauthorized adult.
Health and attendance polices: Your child’s safety and well being are important to everyone. In order to keep illness to a minimum, please take note of the following information.
Children should remain at home if they have any of the following symptoms:
v A fever (may return to care when child has been fever free for 24 hours)
v Acute cold, coughing, sneezing, and\or runny nose
v Sore throat
v Earache
v Skin eruptions or rashes
v Nausea and/or vomiting
v Headache
v Diarrhea
Please notify the center if your child or family member contracts any communicable diseases.
Disease Incubation Period Return to Program
Chicken Pox 7-21 days When all pox marks are scabbed over
German Measles 14-28 days One day after rash completely
disappears
Pink Eye When eyes are free from discharge
Impetigo 2-5 days When child is under doctor’s care
Head Lice When child has a doctor’s note stating he/she is nit free
Accidents or emergencies: In case of an accident, your child will be given first aid and you will be notified. If it is a life-threatening incident, proper emergency procedures will be followed. Your child’s registration form should be UP TO DATE AT ALL TIMES including the physician’s name, phone number and hospital of preference. Please be sure you have completed the emergency medical treatment portion of your child’s registration form. Up to date contact information for both parents as well as an alternate contact person are vital.
Illness: Children with any form of illness should remain at home. If a child arrives at the center with a fever, the parent will be asked to return home with the child. A child may return to the center when they have been fever free for at least 24 hours. When a child becomes ill at the Center, the parent will be requested to take the child home within an hour of being notified. A parent will be asked to pick up a child with a temperature of 100* or more. The center is not allowed to dispense over the counter medication without a doctor’s note indicating dosage.
Medication: The program will dispense medication prescribed by a physician if the medicine is in the original container and has clear instructions. Medication is given only when the medication permission form has been completed and signed by the parent. Parents must sign off daily for continuous medication use. Medication permission forms may be obtained from the school office. The program is not allowed to dispense over the counter medication without a doctor’s note indicating dosage.
Policy for Custody Dispute: Children will only be released to adults listed on the registration form. In case of a custody dispute, the center will not undertake the decision of legal and physical custody of a child, but will rely on the information provided by the enrolling parent. Copies of legal documents regarding custody will be maintained in the child’s file.
Fire, tornado and earthquake: Each month the program will have a fire drill to familiarize children and staff with proper exit procedures. Quarterly tornado and earthquake drills will be held as well. In the event of severe weather, it is safer for both parents and children to remain where they are at the time of the alert. The program has established safe places within the building for all children to go in the event of such an emergency.
Right of Dismissal: St. Romuald Preschool reserves the right to dismiss a child due to non-compliance of the policies by the parent. The child will be dismissed with two weeks notice. In extreme circumstances, immediate dismissal will be given at the discretion of the director. Refer to fee schedule of this handbook for financial obligation dismissal. The program always reserves the right to dismiss a child if circumstances warrant.
**** Any parent or guardian wanting to volunteer or help in the classroom at any time, must have the Safe Environment Training. This includes criminal background checks. This training is now provided on-line at the following website: www.shieldthevulnerable.org
Supply List for 2008-09
Preschool
1 beach towel—no blankets or quilts
I crib sheet-elastic at corners only
1 travel pillow
1 LARGE book bag-no tagalongs
2-2 pocket folders-10 cent type
(Please do not write names on folders)
1 pkg. Paper towels
1 box of 16 fat crayons-no Rose Art
1 bottle of hand soap
1 box of kleenex
1 pencil box (no handle) with name on it
1 box of Ziploc bags-gallon type
Pre-Kindergarten
1 beach towel
1 crib sheet-elastic at cornersonly
1 small pillow (no bigger than 8 x 11)
1 large bookbag
4 #2 pencils
2 pocket folders
3 boxes 24 ct.Crayons-Crayola
4 large glue sticks
1 bottle of glue
scissors-blunt “Fiskars” only
2 boxes Kleenex
1 box Ziplock-gallon bags
1 box markers
1 roll paper towels
Accelerated Pre-Kindergarten
(Bridge Class)
8 glue sticks
1 box Ziploc bags-gallon
1 box markers
1 book bag-no tagalongs
2 boxes of Kleenex
1 roll of paper towels
scissors (blunt “Fiskars”)
3 boxes of 24 regular crayons (no Rose Art)
2 pkgs. #2 pencils (no fat pencils)
2 pocket folders
pencil box
St. Romuald Preschool
408 North Highway 259
Hardinsburg, Kentucky 40143
(270) 756-5504
St. Romuald Preschool agrees to provide childcare for:
________________________________________
(First and Last name please)
The childcare rate will be $16.00 per day.
Parents agree to the following:
1. The registration fee is due by the first day of attendance and is non-refundable.
2. Monthly tuition is due by the 15th of the following month.
3. There will be a $25.00 charge on each returned check. More than two returned checks will result in “cash only” payment.
4. If my child is ill or does not attend the program for any reason, I understand that the full amount of the weekly fee remains due.
5. St. Romuald Preschool closes each day at 4:00 PM. A late charge of $1.00 per child for each minute past 4:00 PM will be assessed.
6. St. Romuald Preschool is closed on all days that the public school is closed.
7. If I should find it necessary to withdraw my child from St. Romuald Preschool I agree to give the program notice in writing. If notice is not given, fees will be charged until written notice is received.
8. I have read the St. Romuald Preschool parent handbook and agree to abide by the policies and procedures stated within.
Parent Signature: ____________________________________ Date: ___________