August 2014/2015

Dear Parents,

Welcome to Roseland Christian Preschool. We are so pleased that you have selected our program for your child’s preschool experience. Please read this handbook carefully. Your understanding of the contents will enable us to work together to provide an enriching experience to your child.

Our staff is planning a fun program and we are looking forward to working with you and your child. If ou have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call us at the Preschool Office 772-388-5004, or 772-589-3035, ext. 22.

To reach your child’s classroom directly, please call the church office at 772-589-3035. Room extensions are:

2’s Room ext. 18 (A.M.) Mrs. Macleary & Ms. Vavra

3’s Room 6 ext. 26 (A.M.) Mrs. Krug, Mrs. Sutton, Mrs. Blair

VPK & 3’s Room 6 ext. 26 (P.M.) Mrs. Ramos, Mrs. Sutton, Mrs. Blair

VPK Room 7 ext. 31 (A.M.) Mrs. Bolling, Mrs. Clark

VPK Room 7 ext. 31 (P.M) Mrs. Solomon, Mrs. Clark

As Director, Any questions, comments or concerns regarding Roseland Christian Preschool my door is always open!

Stephanie Herrera,

Director

Welcome!

Roseland Christian Preschool extends a warm welcome to all parents or guardians and to their children who will be entering our program. Please read through our handbook so you will have an understanding of our program and policies.

This Handbook contains the policies and procedures of Roseland Christian Preschool. It is meant to serve as a reference guide. It is not meant to cover every aspect of the childcare program or every situation which might arise. Parents should feel free to contact the Director at 772-388-5004 with questions concerning the contents of this Handbook.

We reserve the right to add, delete, or amend the policies and procedures in this Handbook upon thirty days written notice to parents.

Roseland Christian Preschool is licensed by the State of Florida and is periodically reviewed to ensure that a safe environment and quality program is provided. RCP is also a proud member of the United Methodist Association of Preschools with a certificate of Gold Seal Accreditation.

Roseland Christian Preschool admits students of any race, sex, color, and national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to the children at the Preschool. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national, and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies and other programs. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and 2010 Florida Statutes Chapter 411, Roseland Christian Preschool prohibits the discrimination of individuals with disabilities or considered to be high risk or handicapped. It is the policy of RCP to provide reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments as requested when necessary..

Families and students of Roseland Christian Preschool are always invited to attend services at Roseland United Methodist Church. Please call the church office at 772-589-3035 for more information.

Philosophy

Mission Statement

Roseland Christian Preschool is an Outreach Ministry of Roseland United Methodist Church. We believe each child is a sacred gift from God. Our mission is to encourage a quality program that will provide a loving, caring, safe, learning environment for children in our church and the community. Christian values will be an intentional part of our curriculum. We will support the families in our care by offering them guidance during the crucial years of child rearing. We will provide an example of the highest qualities of Christian faith and encourage our students to reach their highest potential in physical, mental, social and spiritual development. Our program will be open to all children regardless of religion, race, sex or creed.

Educational Philosophy

The staff recognizes that children learn in many ways. We will provide a warm and caring environment that will foster the development of each child’s unique talents and abilities. We will offer many opportunities to learn new skills, form good habits and to become responsible members of a group. The activities will be developmentally appropriate.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

This is an alphabetical listing by topic of the school’s policies and procedures. Please read them carefully, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Administration

Roseland Christian Preschool, Inc. is an outreach ministry of Roseland United Methodist Church. A board of editors guides the administrative policies of the school. The school is non-profit and a Gold Seal accredited member of UMAP (United Methodist Association of Preschools). The School Board convenes to cover issues relevant to the preschool including the termination of a student’s enrollment due to the violation of a published school policy. Any concerns should be addressed first with the Preschool Director and if still unresolved, may be presented to the School Board in writing. All correspondence for the School Board should be delivered to the School Board in writing in a sealed envelope and marked as such. Roseland Christian Preschool is licensed by the Department of Children and Families and complies with the entire standard put forth by that department.

Arrival

Our classroom doors will open at 9:00 a.m for the morning session and 12:45 p.m for the afternoon session. The children may not be dropped off earlier without the permission of the Director. We need this “before” time to prepare an inviting environment for your child. If you arrive before these times, please wait until the teacher opens the door to greet your child.

Birthdays

Celebrating a birthday is always very special. Your child will be assigned his or her “snack-day” as close to his or her Birthday as possible. On that day, you may send in a “special treat” for the entire class. The “treat”must be commercially prepared and prepackaged. Please keep it simple! Please do not send in large cupcakes with mile high icing or fancy decorated cakes. These treats can be overwhelming and the children usually do not eat them. When planning a birthday party at your home, please invite the children by phone or US Mail.

Chapel

Each Wednesday during the school year, your child will attend a short Chapel Service in the sanctuary. The director will lead our Chapel Service along with Rev. Anne, Pastor of Roseland United Methodist Church. The service will consist of songs, a Bible story, and a prayer. You are cordially invited to come join us for this interactive Chapel time.

Clothing

In order for the children to have fun and be safe, they need to be dressed appropriately. To actively experience their environment, they need to be able to paint, play with play dough and participate in other “messy” activities without the fear of getting dirty. The children need to be able to run, jump and climb without getting hurt. Please allow them to wear their “older” play clothes. Sneakers are the shoes of choice. The children may not wear leather-soled shoes (they cause slipping) or cowboy boots (they are not good for climbing or running), jellies, flip-flops or sandals for safety reasons. All children must wear SOCKS. All girls should wear shorts under their dresses or skirts.

We do not want to foster aggressive behavior. We ask that you not allow your child to wear clothing depicting Pokemon, Power Rangers, or Super Heroes (Spiderman, Superman, etc.). We also ask that they not wear any clothing that has obscene or derogatory pictures or labels.

All children need to leave an extra set of clothing at school. Please put an outfit, a pair of underwear, and a pair of socks in a labeled zip-lock bag (gallon size) and bring it to school. As the seasons change, and the children grow, please remember to check your child’s “extra clothing” to make sure they meet his growing needs.

Communication

It is very important for you to know what is happening at school. You will receive a monthly newsletter (THE RCP REPORTER) filled with important information for the coming weeks. Memos will be sent home on an as need basis (CUBBY MAILERS). Notes will be posted on each signs-in table. If the message pertains to the entire school, it will be posted on an easel in the hallway or by the entrance door. PLEASE READ ALL INFORMATION CAREFULLY. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

It is important for us to hear from you, too. Please use the message book for any daily information that you feel we need to know. (Your child had a difficult morning at home; someone else will be picking your child up, etc.) We will check the book each morning and respond appropriately. Please do not send notes in your child’s tote bag. We will not get the information in a timely fashion. If you need to write a note, please hand it to the teacher.

If you have a concern about any aspect of our program, please take it to the director. The office hours are from 8:45 AM until 4:00 PM. You can make an appointment before or after school to discuss your concern. If she is unable to handle this concern satisfaction you may seek help and resolution from the Preschool Board Chairperson and the Preschool Board.

Conferences

We will hold one parent/teacher conference in February for our VPK students. This conference is a time of SHARING. You will be able to share your expectations and we will be able to share our observations. Together we can make this a great experience for your child. A sign-up sheet will be available two weeks before the conference date.

Discipline

True discipline is self-discipline. It is the goal of the Roseland Christian Preschool staff to help guide each student along this path. During their journey, the children will acquire a sense of responsibility for their actions, learn respect for each other and develop a feeling of self-confidence. We hope they will learn to live comfortably with themselves and others. A copy of the Discipline policy is included in this handbook.

Drop-Off and Pick-Up

We ask that you park your car in the EAST parking lot and WALK your child to the classroom door. You may be ticketed if you park on the grass adjacent to the church. This is for the safety of each child. Please hold your child’s hand while walking from your car, especially while crossing the street. DO NOT ALLOW YOUR CHILD TO PLY ON THE CHURCH STEPS LOCATED NEAR ROSELAND ROAD!. Please do not use any doors that are used for entering or for exiting the SANCTUARY. If you arrive before 9:00 a.m or before 12:45 p.m., please wait in the hallway until a teacher opens the door. Parents are responsible for supervising the behavior of their child before drop-off and pick-up. Children must use “walking feet”, “inside voices” and follow rules of the school during those times. At the close of each school session, please remain in the hallway until we dismiss your child to you. The school’s entrance door will be locked during school hours.. Please use the doorbell or call the #s posted if you need to enter. If picking up your child early, please NOTIFY the teacher when you drop your child off, as to the time of pick-up so your child can be ready. In an emergency situation. If possible, please CALL IN ADVANCE so the teacher can get your child ready for pick-up. During heavy down pours. The double doors facing the parking lot will be opened for a safer entrance into the preschool.

ROSELAND CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Attendance Policy for all students:

If your child is sick, please call the school and let us know. Leave a message on the Preschool office answering machine (388-5004) or call the classroom directly (589-3035) AFTER 8:45 a.m. Explaining the circumstances of the absence. Extensions for classrooms: Ext 18 for the 2’s class, Ext 26 for the 3’s class and Ext 31 for VPK. Please call each day your child is going to be out so we can mark them absent on the attendance sheet. If your child misses more than 3 days of school for an illness, you must bring a doctor’s note stating the reason for the absence and that your child may return to her normal activities. Please read the sick policy in the handbook to know when we expect your child to stay home.

If your child is going to miss school for any other reason besides illness, please call the school and leave a message as to when your child will be returning. If you are aware that your child is going to miss school, you may write a note in the parent message book on your child’s sign in table. If it is a private matter, you may either call or come in person to speak with your child’s teacher.

If your child will be out of school for any length of time, tuition for the 2’s and 3’s classes is still expected to be paid and kept current if you want to keep your child’s place in the class. Exceptions for this rule will be made on a case by case basis. Please contact the Preschool Director for more information.

VPK Attendance Policy:

For students enrolled in the VPK program at Roseland Christian Preschool, the above mentioned rules apply. Your child is expected to attend at least 80% of the program’s 540 total hours (or 180 total school days). While the Department of Children and Families allows children to be absent 20% of each month, it also expects children to be present 80% of each month. Unlimited “absences” are NOT allowed. After a child has been absent 108 hours (or 36 days), a physician’s note is required stating that your child is too sick to attend school and we will gladly work with you.

In order to remain a VPK Provider, we must document your child’s attendance. As a non-profit corporation, we rely on State funds to pay salaries and operating expenses. It is imperative that you follow these procedures. Failure to do so may result in termination of your child’s attendance in our program and loss of their VPK eligibility. If your child is terminated from the VPK program, please know that you may enroll your child as a “private pay” student and will be charged a daily fee of $15 whenever your child attends school.

Emergency Procedures

In case of a medical emergency the staff will administer first aid and the parent or authorized adult will be notified ASAP. All staff are certified in CPR and First-Aid procedures. A First-Aid kit is located in each classroom. If we need to call you, please make sure that the number you give us is answered. We need to speak to the parent immediately and not leave a message and wait for a call back. The parent is also responsible for updating all phone information. In the case of a serious medical emergency, parents give permission to Roseland Christian Preschool to call 911. Any costs or charges incurred for such an emergency are the sole responsibility of the parent.

In the event of a fire, inclement weather such as a tornado, or a necessary lock down of the facility due to an outside threat, drills are practiced once a month. All classrooms are equipped with a fire extinguisher. Escape routes and designated “safe areas” are posted in each classroom. The children practice the drills so they will know what to do. In the event that Indian River County schools are closed for inclement weather, such as a hurricane, Roseland Christian Preschool will also be closed.

Field Trips

We will try to invite several special visitors to our school each year and we would very much like our preschoolers to wear their RCP t-shirts on that day. We do not plan to take any field trips off campus unless the VPK class would take a walking field trip to the fire station. Should there be an activity where parents would need to provide transportation for their own child, children three and under must be in a federally approved child safety restraint provided by the parent. Children who are four may ride in a federally approved child safety restraint or use a factory-installed seat belt.

Health Regulations

All children attending a preschool or day care center must have a current (within 2 years) physical examination record and an up to date immunization form, both signed by a licensed physician, on file with the school. IF EITHER FORM EXPIRES, IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PARENT TO GET AN UPDATED FORM OR THE CHILD MAY NOT ATTEND SCHOOL UNTIL THE UPDAYED FORMS ARE ON THE FILE. There is no tuition refunded if the child misses school because of expired forms

Hours of Operation

RCP will open its Entrance door for the morning session at 8:45 a.m. The Preschool morning program will end at 12 noon. We will open the door for the afternoon session at 12”30 P.M. The afternoon session will end at 3:45 p.m.

Our classroom doors will remain closed until the school session starts to allow the teachers time to prepare for the day ahead. Please do not open the doors early. The staff wants to greet each child individually.

The morning preschoolers will dismiss at 12 noon while the afternoon classes will dismiss at 3:45 p.m. If you are going to be late, please call to let us know. It is hard for the children to understand why mommy or daddy hasn’t come to pick them up yet. If you do not call and arrive after the class has been dismissed, you will be billed a late fee of $5.00 for every five minutes you are late.