GRACE GARDEN
WHERE LOVE GROWS
2140 Allandale Rd
Austin, Texas 78756
Office: 512-371-5822
Email:
Saint John’s United Methodist Church
Mission:
Grace Garden Child Development Center seeks to offer a superior learning experience for preschool children while providing an invaluable service to our local community and beyond. Our school will provide a Christian environment that encourages development of the whole child – physically, cognitively, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. We will continually strive for excellence, embrace diversity, and have respect for one another.
“Train children in the way they should go, and when theyare old they will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
WELCOME TO
GRACE GARDEN
I am so pleased and excited that you have chosen this special place to begin your child’s school experience. Grace Garden is committed to providing a warm, welcoming, and secure environment in which each child's unique interests and abilities are nurtured and developed. It is our mission to instill in your child a love of learning that will set him or her up for future academic success.
We know that the primary work of childhood is play and our curriculum offers children ample opportunities to learn and discover through exploration of the world around them. Each week children will be exposed to gardening, chapel, and music, in addition to thoughtful and intentionally-planned lessons by creative and dynamic teachers. Children gain confidence and curiosity as they are allowed to explore their world with nurturing support, while actively honing the life skills necessary for preschool and beyond.
Your children are very important to us, and we thank you for your willingness to partner with us in creating lifelong learners. We welcome your suggestions and remind you that our doors are open to you at all times. It is my hope that you will find peace of mind in knowing that Grace Garden is committed to providing the very best care for your child.
With Love,
Katie Foley
Director
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Grace Garden at St. John’s United Methodist Church. We are honored that you have chosen to share a very special part of your child’s growing-up season with us. For nearly sixty years, St. John’s has been nurturing young children and their families through weekday children’s ministry. We’re pleased that your family will be sharing in that well-established and trustworthy tradition.
Grace Garden is committed to giving quality childcare to all children within our care. Our loving and devoted teachers and staff are eager to provide for their healthy growth and development, and the church staff at St. John’s shares that commitment.
If Grace Garden has been your first point of entry into
St. John’s, let me invite you to enter by other doors as well!
St. John’s is a community of faith where we like to say that “God’s love changes people, and God’s people change the world.” If you do not presently have a church home, we’d be pleased to have you come for a visit. We worship on Sundays at 9 and 11 a.m. Children are welcome and included in these worship services, and quality childcare is also provided. Small groups for all ages, including children, gather at 9:55 a.m. on Sundays as well as throughout the week. These groups provide wonderful opportunities for personal and spiritual growth, and are also great ways to get to know other young parents and families.
I hope your family has a truly rewarding experience at St. John’s. If we can be of any other assistance to you in the course of the year, please know that our door is always open.
May God bless your family’s journey through Grace Garden.
Sincerely,
Rev. Paul Escamilla
Senior Pastor
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Grace Garden at St. John's United Methodist Church. Thank you for sharing your child with us! As Associate Pastor for Faith Development here at St John's, I am pleased to work with our devoted and loving staff to help develop and strengthen each child's relationship with God. It is our goal that every child who comes through our doors feels welcome, loved and supported.
Staff pastors have the privilege of spending time with Grace Garden children in Chapel on Wednesday mornings. Through song, prayer, and simple Bible stories, we seek to nurture an awareness of God’s presence and the wonders of love. I hope that this weekly experience will provide a spiritual foundation for children as they grow in body and mind—and that this foundation will lead to lives filled with gratitude, courage, and compassion for others.
I would be delighted to share more information with you about our programs for faith formation at St. John's. In addition to children's Sunday school, music, mission opportunities, and Vacation Bible School, we offer special family events throughout the year. If you have any questions about chapel, the resources we use, or any of our other ministries, please feel free to contact me by phone or email. I look forward to getting to know both you and your child, and I offer you my best wishes for a wonderful school year.
Grace and Peace,
Rev. Hilary Marchbanks
Associate Pastor
(512) 452-5737
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Calendar/Important Dates8
Registration/Withdrawal 9
Probationary Period9
Tuition and Fees 10
Tuition Payments 10
Payment Penalties 10
Enrollment Requirements11
Arrival and Departure 11
Late Pick-Ups13
Before-School and After-School Care 14
Weather 15
Emergency Preparedness Plan 15
Discipline Policy16
Toilet Learning17
Vaccinations18
Tuberculin Testing Requirement18
Medications19
Medical Emergencies19
Health19
Daily Well Checks21
Hearing/Vision Screening22
Cleaning and Sanitation22
Peanut/Tree Nut-Free Zone22
Meal Times: Snack and Lunch23
Celebrations25
Birthdays25
Field Trips26
Outside Play26
Water Play26
Clothing27
Toys From Home27
Labeling28
Safety28
Gang-Free/Weapon-Free Zone29
Parent Teacher Communication29
Conferences30
Parent participation/Volunteers30
Parent Concerns/Grievances31
Grace Garden Advisory Board31
Open Door Policy32
Minimum Standards and Licensing Info32
Garden, Chapel, and Music Time32
After-School Enrichment33
Custody Situations33
Reporting Child Abuse34
Pets34
Policy Changes34
Church Staff35
2017-2018 CALENDAR
Grace Garden will follow the AISD schedule. Classes will be held Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with optional Mondays,from 9:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Classes will begin on Tuesday, August 29, 2017and will conclude onThursday, May 24, 2018.
IMPORTANT DATES
Meet the Teacher - August 24 and 25, 2017
First Day of School - August 29, 2017
No Monday School - September 4, 2017
Back to School Picnic – September 14, 2017
No Monday School - October 9, 2017
Halloween Parade and Festival - October 26, 2017
Fall Conferences - November 3, 2017
Thanksgiving Feast - November 16, 2017
Thanksgiving Break - November 20-24, 2017
Breakfast with Santa - December 9, 2017
Winter Break - December 18-January 2, 2018
First Day Back from Winter Break - January 3, 2018
No Monday School - January 15, 2018
Storybook Parade - January 18, 2018
Sweetheart Dance - February 8, 2018
No Monday School - February 19, 2018
Wheel Day - March 1, 2018
Spring Break –March 12-16, 2018
No Monday School – April 2, 2018
Parent/Teacher Conferences - April 5, 2018
End of Year Picnic - May 17, 2018
Last Day of School/Pre-K Graduation- May 24, 2018
REGISTRATION / WITHDRAWAL
With your child's application, a non-refundable registration fee of $150.00 is due. Children are generally placed in classes according to their kindergarten entry age group, which is their age as of September 1st of the current year. We hope that every child will spend the whole year with us; however, we realize that for various reasons families may have to withdraw from the program. Grace Garden requires a 30-day written notice before withdrawing from our program. If this written notice is not provided, you will be charged for that month's tuition.
PROBATIONARY PERIOD
All children will initially be enrolled in Grace Garden Child Development Center on a two-week trial basis. At the end of this time period, parents and staff will meet to decide if Grace Garden can adequately meet the needs of each child. As children grow and learn, so do their needs. Therefore, if the Teacher and Director agree that a child’s needs must be reevaluated, parents will be notified and the child will be put on probation during the evaluation period. A child may be put on probation at any point during his/her enrollment at Grace Garden CDC.
2017-2018 TUITION AND FEES
Waiting List Fee $50
Registration Fee $150 per year due at enrollment
Supply Fee $100 per year, due with September tuition
Monthly Tuition for 3 days/week $315
Monthly Tuition for 4 days/week $405
Before-Care $30 (must be paid for monthly)
After-Care $30 (must be paid for monthly)
*Fee for late pick-up is $1 per minute after 1:35 when aftercare is not utilized, and after 2:00 when aftercare is utilized.
Please Note: “Drop-In” care is no longer offered before and after school. Before-Care and After-Care must be pre-arranged with Director.
TUITION PAYMENTS
We require payment of each month’s tuition in full on the first of the month. Families will receive a 15% sibling discount on each additional child enrolled in the program. Tuition may be paid by check, bank draft, or money order and can be mailed to the office or placed in the tuition box provided on site in the main hallway. At this time, we are not set up to receive credit card or electronic payments. Please see the Director if a receipt for payment is needed.
PAYMENT PENALTIES
Any payment received after the 5th of each month will be charged a $25.00 late fee. An additional $5.00 per day will be added for each day after the 10th day of the month. There will be a service charge of $35.00 on all returned checks. After the second returned check, in a calendar year, all tuition payments will be required to be made by money order.
ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS
Grace Garden admits students of any race, color, nationality, and ethnic origin to all the 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, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, and other school administered programs.Each child is required to have a completed enrollment packet which includes an updated immunization record and physician statement of health, as required by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Children of families enrolled in Grace Garden on or after September 1, 2015 must be current on all vaccinations.
ARRIVAL and DEPARTURE
Arrival time is 9:00 - 9:15 a.m. If your child is going to be late, please call ahead to the Grace Garden office at (512) 371-5822, so that we may inform the teacher of his/her arrival. Children must be walked into the classroom by the adult responsible for dropping off. Parents are required to sign each child in and out every day.The sign-in sheets are located in each classroom and are required by the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to serve as records of your child's attendance.
Please have your child fed and ready for the day upon arrival. Snack will be eaten as a group between 10:00 and 10:30. Children should not come in with unfinished breakfast items as itcan be disruptive to the morning routine in the classroom.
Periods of separation anxiety are a fact of life when working with young children in a childcare setting. Grace Garden teachers are sensitive to this fact and are eager to help your child through this period of transition. We have found that having a consistent drop-off routine is what works best for both child and parent. We recommend establishing a “goodbye” routine with your child ahead of time and sticking to it. Prolonged goodbyes or coming back for “one more kiss” can often prevent your child from transitioning to their school day routine. Children are resilient and often adjust quickly to the class routine, even after a difficult drop-off. We will contact parents if a child is inconsolable for long periods of time.
Departure time is from 1:15-1:30 p.m. If you are picking up more than one child, please allow enough time to collect the last child from the classroom no later than 1:30 p.m. You will be considered late at 1:35 and charged a late fee of $1 per minute. The late fee will be billed to your tuition account. Late-arriving parents can pick children up in the Director’s office.
Any time someone other than parents will be picking up a child, the Grace Garden office MUST BE NOTIFIED in person or bycalling and speaking with the Director. For your child’s safety, any person picking up a child must be authorized in writing, and will be asked to show a photo ID, which will be photocopied and placed in your child’s file.
We strongly suggest that you do not leave any valuables, including children, in your car unsupervised. Also, please make sure that you hold your child’s hand in the parking lot.
We encourage you to refrain from using electronic devices when you are dropping off or picking up your child. These are important times to be free to communicate with your child’s teacher and with your child.
Once you have signed your child out at the end of the day, you are responsible for maintaining supervision of your child.Please keep your child with you and encourage them to follow the school rules of no running in the hallways and using “inside voices.”
For a variety of reasons, the classrooms and playground are not available for after-school use. Please be respectful of each classroom teacher’s time and their need to finish up their daily duties before leaving. Additionally, please remember that, in addition to Grace Garden, thisfacility houses many ministries and we need to be respectful of the equipment and facilities.
LATE PICK-UPS
While it is understandable that parents or caregivers might occasionally be running late to pick up their child(ren), it is important to note that arriving late for pick up puts a strain on both the child and Grace Garden staff. Late Fees will be charged at the rate of $1 per minute. If late pick-ups become a consistent problem, the director may request a conference with the parent(s) to determine if Grace Garden is able to fully meet the needs of your family.
BEFORE-SCHOOL AND AFTER-SCHOOL CARE
Limited before-school and after-school child care will be availableMonday through Thursday. Before-school care begins at 8:30 a.m. each day. At 9:00 a.m. children are escorted to their classrooms. After-school care begins immediately at 1:30pm.The children are escorted from their classrooms to the appropriate after-school care location. After-school care lasts until 2:00p.m. sharp. Please note that this is strictly childcare, with combined age groups and no pre-planned curriculum.
If you would like to set up a plan for monthly extra care, please notify the Director. The charge for this care is $30per child/month, or $60 per child/month for both before and after care. Parents needing one-time emergency before or after care may arrange this with the Director, space permitting. The charge for one-time emergency before or after care is $5.00.
WEATHER
Grace Garden will follow AISD's plan of closure during severe weather. In the event that AISD closes school due to severe weather, Grace Garden will remain closed. In cases where AISD has announced a delayed start schedule, the decision of whether Grace Garden will remain closed or follow a delayed-start schedule will be at the discretion of the Director. Notification of such a closure or delay will be given to parents in as timely a manner as possible. No discount in tuition will be given for these days.
Children cannot legally be in care at any licensed facility without a working phone. If telephone service is interrupted, we will close the center. If the electricity goes out during the school hours, we will close the center if power cannot be restored within one hour.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN
In the matter of a natural event (ie.: flood or tornado),
a health event (ie: medical emergency or communicable disease outbreak), and/or a human-caused event
(ie: explosion or gas leak), the staff of Grace Garden is prepared to evacuate the building with all children in attendance, and to relocate to the house across the street at 5908 Wynona (phone number (512) 453-8222).
The first responsibility of the Grace Garden staff is to move the children to the designated safe area at the above address. The children will be walked across the street with their teacher(s) where a head count will be performed prior to crossing the street, and again upon entering the Youth House. The teacher(s) will carry with them their binder of personal files for each child, which include parent phone numbers, allergy information, authorization for emergency care, and emergency contact information. The Director will assist in the evacuation, ensuring that children cross the street safely and arrive with their group/teacher inside the Youth House. Emergency item bins are located in the Youth House. These bins are updated on a quarterly basis and are stored out of the reach of children. The Director will be able to contact parents either via phone located in the Youth House, or via personal cell phone.