Wayne Hills Preschool Center

Student Handbook

2015-2016

Diane Behrens, Principal

937 Fir Street

Waynesboro, VA 22980

540-946-4626

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.Welcome to Wayne Hills Preschool

2.School Visitors

3.Family Partnership Bulletin Board

4.School Schedule

5.Calendar Updates

6.Attendance

7.Transportation

8.Our Breakfast and Lunch Program

9.Health Guidelines

10.Wayne Hills Preschool Discipline Plan

11.Bus Violation Procedures

12.Field Trips

13.Parent Signature Page

WELCOME TO WAYNE HILLS PRESCHOOL

The teachers and staff look forward to providing a program where your child has many opportunities to explore, wonder, question, create, and—most importantly—play.

The Wayne Hills Preschool Staff firmly believes that:

Learning involves academic, social, emotional, and physical growth achieved with hands-on, developmentally appropriate practices.

All children can learn when they are in a happy, safe, loving, and developmentally appropriate environment supported by highly skilled professional staff.

A strong home/school connection and family involvement enhance the overall development and success of each child.

School Visitors

Visitors will (are) be welcomed to the school. All visitors must report to the school office for a visitor’s pass. Parents will be encouraged to visit the school especially on scheduled days for conferences with teachers, parent and child activities and other special school programs.

Family Partnership Bulletin Board

Our Parent Bulletin Board is located in the front hallway. We will post ideas and choices for volunteering in the school, policy council dates and minutes, and school events. Also posted on this bulletin board you will find criteria for child selection, job openings within our preschool, as well as education and training information. Teachers will post lesson plans for the week each Monday. Feel free to read the plans and return them to the folder for other parents to enjoy.

SCHOOL SCHEDULE

Arrival: (4 year old program)Students arrive at 7:45 am. Students who arrive after 8:10 will be considered tardy and should be accompanied to the school office for a tardy slip before an adult escorts them to the classroom.

Arrival: (3 year old program) Students arrive at 8:15 am. Students who arrive after 8:30 will be considered tardy and should be accompanied to the school office for a tardy slip before an adult escorts them to the classroom.

Dismissal: (4 year old program) Student dismissal begins at 2:00 for buses,2:05 for car riders.

Dismissal: (3 year old program) Student dismissal begins at 1:30.

(3 and 4 year old program) Students will only be released to those named on the emergency care forms. When a parent/guardian requests alternate pickup arrangements from the students’ normal daily arrangement, either by note or phone call, the person picking up the student must come into the office BEFOREpicking up the student. Identification will be checked, student signed out, and then the student will be released to them.

(4 year old program) *No changes in transportation for dismissal will be allowed after 1:30 unless it is an emergency.

* If you are picking up early please do so before 1:30.

* We would also prefer a written note whenever possible if your child is going home a different way than usual.

CALENDAR UPDATES

NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

All Waynesboro Public Schools are closed on the following dates:

September 7

October 12

October 23

November 3

November 25-27

December 21-31

January 1

January 15

January 18

February 15

March 28-31

April 1

April 29

May 30

NO SCHOOL FOR WAYNE HILLS PRESCHOOL FRIDAYS

In addition to the days listed above, Wayne Hills will not be open on the following dates. These Fridays are used for parent and staff trainings¸ developmental screenings, parent/child activities, scheduled home visits and/or parent conferences with families, etc. ONLY the preschool classes are not in session on these days.

September 18

October 9

November 13

December 11

January 15

February 12

March 11

April 22

May 20

EARLY DISMISSAL SCHEDULE

Early Dismissal: (4 year old program) Student dismissal begins at 11:00 (buses), 11:05 (car riders). (3 year old program) dismissal begins at 10:30.

January 14March 25

February 12June 7

Snow Day Delays:

1 hour delay: 2 hour delay:

*Doors open at 8:45 (4 year old program) *Doors open at 9:45(4 year old program)

*Door open at 9:15 (3 year old program) * Doors open at 10:15 (3 year old program)

*Breakfast will be served * Breakfast will notbe served,but a

*Lunch at regular time snackwill be given in the morning by theteacher

*Lunch at regular time.

Attendance (3 and 4 year old program)

Regular attendance is necessary to achieve school success.

If a student is absent due to illness or for other reasons:

  1. Parents of the student are required to call the school by 9:00 AM to let the secretary know that their child will not be attending. Calls will be made to home phone numbers for any absent student whose parents have not contacted the school.
  2. Students are to bring a note, written by their parents or doctor, when returning to school after an absence.
  3. Absences will be considered excused if: (1) a parent/guardian notifies the school of the student’s absence or (2) a note is given to the teacher upon the student’s return to school. After a student has three (3) consecutive absences the teacher will notify the Family Service Advocate.
  4. After a student has five (5) days of unexcused absences or tardiness from school the classroom teacher will send a letter home to the parent(s).
  5. After a student has ten (10) days of unexcused absences or tardiness from school the principal sends a letter home to the parent(s). A meeting will be set up with parents to develop an Attendance Education Plan.
  6. After a student is placed on an Attendance Education Plan and has 15 or more unexcused absences, the family risks being withdrawn from the program.

TRANSPORTATION

Change in Transportation Request (4 year old program)

Bus service to and from school is offered to preschoolers enrolled in Waynesboro City whenever possible. If transportation is granted for your child, you will be required to complete a Transportation Request and a Preschool Transportation Contract prior to your child's first day of bus service. The bus numbers and times will be given to parents during parent orientation.

If you would like to request transportation for your child, please see the school secretary. Your request will be processed and sent to the Transportation Coordinator at Central Office. The Transportation Coordinator will contact parents directly to set up bus pick-up and drop-off times. Changes to Transportation Requests will not be honored until after September 30th.

If there are changes in transportation needs for your child, you are required to fill out a Change of Information Form.A copy of this form is kept in the back of your child’s weekly folder at all times if you need one. All permanent changes require this form. Please allow 5-7 days for this change to take effect. You will be notified when the change is approved. Until then, you will be responsible to transportation of your child.

Arrival/Dismissal Procedures for Car Riders

We need your help to keep our parking lot safe for students.

(4-year-old program)

  • During the arrival and dismissal process carsMUSTusethe entrance on Dogwood Avenue.
  • Arrival drop offs occur at the front door.
  • Cars arriving for dismissal will enter from Dogwood Avenue and form a line starting where the circle begins. Staff will indicate when cars should proceed to the front door. The three-year-old program will be dismissed first.
  • When you need to come into the school or leave your vehicle to pick up a student, please park your car in the UPPER parking lot and enter the building from the side door. Please do not walk across the parking lot or between cars.

(3-year-old program)

  • During the arrival and dismissal process cars MUST enter from Fir Street.
  • Arrival drop offs will occur through the front door. Cars must park and walk child into building. Bring your car ID card with you into the building.
  • During dismissal cars MUST enter from Fir Street. Cars will circle around in front of the building. Staff will assist with dismissal by escorting students out to the vehicle. Cars MUST have their ID card displayed in their windshield.

(4 and 3 year old programs)

  • The speed limit is 10 mph in the parking lot at all times.
  • The lane closest to the school is a no parking zone and a no passing lane.
  • The lane closest to the school is the lane that is used for dropping off and picking up students.
  • Please remain in your car and stay in line until leaving the parking lot.
  • NO CELL PHONE USE WHILE IN CAR LINE PLEASEfor the safety and alertness of all drivers and children.
  • A staff member will bring your child to your car and assist your child in getting into the car. We are not permitted to buckle the seatbelt for your child due to liability reasons.

*All children under the age of eight must be properly restrained in a child safety seat or booster seat.Anyone picking up your child (baby sitters, grandparents,etc.) are expected to have a booster seat. If there is NOT a booster seat in the car the driver will be asked to park and come in and sign the child out.

OUR BREAKFAST AND LUNCH PROGRAM

Waynesboro Public Schools offer healthy meals every school day. Student breakfast costs $1.35 and lunch costs $2.35 (elementary schools). Your child may qualify for free meals or reduced price meals. You must send in a new householdapplication for each school year.

Family Style Meals

(4-year-old program) Breakfast is eaten in the classroom together as a class. Student helpers assist with passing out straws and napkins. Our children are served lunch family style in the cafeteria. Both the teacher and the instructional aide and other staffmembers eat lunch with the children.

(3-year-old program) Breakfast and lunch are eaten in the classroom.

Lunch Schedule

If you would like to have lunch with your child please let the teacher or cafeteria know that morning by 9:00. Our school lunch costs $3.20 for adults. NO fast food is allowed due to federal guidelines PLEASE!

LUNCH SCHEDULE

11:40-12:10Harris

11:48-12:18Henderson

11:50-12:20Rule

11:55-12:25

12:25-12:55Michael

12:28-12:58DeWitt

12:30-1:00Brunke

12:33-1:03Ernzen

Russell: 3-year-old program will have lunch delivered to the classroom at 11:15

Cafeteria

Breakfast: $1.40 daily/$7.00 weekly

Milk: $.50 daily/ $2.50 weekly

Reduced Breakfast: $.30 daily/$1.50 weekly

Adult Breakfast: $1.85

Lunch: $2.45 daily/$12.25 weekly

Reduced Lunch: $.40 daily/$2.00 weekly

Adult Lunch: $3.30 daily/ $16.50 weekly

Milk: $.50 daily/ $2.50 weekly

(4-year-oldprogram)Each child has an account in the cafeteria, so you may pay as much as you would like on your child’s account and each meal he/she eats will be deducted. You do not need to pay each day unless you would like. A maximum of 3 charges will be allowed and after that an alternative meal will be served. Beginning in May, NO CHARGES will be allowed.

Guidelines for Refreshments

Food not prepared by the cafeteria needs to be store bought and pre-packaged. Please limit the amount of fat, sugar, and salt in refreshments when possible. Daily snacks are provided by the local food bank free of charge to our students. Please plan with teachers before bringing special snacks into the classroom.

HEALTH GUIDELINES

Medication

The school nurse and/or clinic aide may give prescription and non-prescription medications to students only with a physician’s written order and a signed request from the parent/guardian. All medicine must be in the original container and brought to school by the parent/guardian. Students are not allowed to transport medication to school.

Severe Allergies and or Epi-pens

If your child has an allergy to food, bee stings, latex or anything that may be potentially life threatening, they may not start school until a Health Care Plan is in place. The Health Care Plan may be initiated by the school/program nurse or theFamily Service Advocate. Only after parent input, proper documentation, and training are in place may a child start.

Lice

Head lice are not a health hazard or a sign of poor hygiene and do not transmit disease. Lice cannot fly or hop - they crawl. Transmission in most cases occurs by direct head contact with the head of an infested individual. Students with live lice will be sent home to be treated and may not return until the parent/guardianprovides proof of treatment (shampoo box top) and the student is evaluated by the school nurse/clinic aide before returning to the classroom. Children with nits and no live lice after treatment may return to school, but parents are encouraged to continue to comb out nits daily.

For the health and safety of all the children, it is mandatory that sick children not be brought to school. If your child has any of the following symptoms during the previous 24 hours, he or she will not be admitted the following morning for the safety of the other children.

• fever greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit

• vomiting

• diarrhea

• pink eye with drainage

• cough with congestion and excessive nasal discharge

• unexplained rash

The center’s established policy for an ill child’s return:

• Fever free for 24 hours

• Chicken pox: one week after onset (or when lesions are crusted)

• Strep: 24 hours after initial medication

• Vomiting/Diarrhea: 24 hours after last episode

• Conjunctivitis: 24 hours after initial medication or when without drainage

Upon arrival at school, each child is observed by teaching staff for signs of illness or injury that could affect the child’s ability to participate comfortably in the daily activities. Children will be excluded when a child is not able to participate comfortably, if the illness requires more care than staff are able to provide without compromising the needs of the other children in the group, or if keeping the child at school poses an increased risk to the child or to other children or adults with whom the child will come in contact.

WAYNE HILL PRESCHOOL DISCIPLINE PLAN

Our children are expected to follow WPS Discipline Guidelines. However, we understand that preschool children are still in the process oflearning appropriate social behavior and manners such as using words instead of physical aggression, taking turns, sharing, and asking another child to play with them. Teachers and parents must work together to foster young children’s social skills, problem-solving abilities, self-control, and independence. A preschool code of conduct may cover any or all of these concepts to help guide children in correct group social interaction. Wayne Hills Preschool is a community for learning where students feel safe and everyone is respected. Discipline will be developmentally and age appropriate. Standards of behavior are modeled and taught in the classroom every day. Parents are expected to be partners in this process.

Students shall not have in their possession any type of unauthorized firearm, or other article which may be used as a weapon, regardless of whether it is commonly accepted as such per WPS policy. In preschool this includes any plastic toy (gun, knife, sword, etc.)

Children Will Learn To…

  • Express feelings with words
  • Care about others’ feelings
  • Calm down and manage anger
  • Listen
  • Use kind words
  • Accept differences
  • Make and keep friends
  • Stop and think-rather than act impulsively
  • Trade, share, and take turns
  • Respect others
  • Solve problems peacefully
  • Make safe and healthy choices
  • Cope with difficulties

Code of Conduct

Wayne Hills Preschool has a code of conduct that reflects the needs of young children and the desire to provide a safe environment for everyone. As a Wayne Hills Preschool student they will follow these expectations:

  • I will be respectful.
  • I will be responsible.
  • I will be a learner.

Bus Violation Procedures (4 year old program)

Riding the school bus is a privilege. The safety of our children is important to us. Student behavior while waiting for the school bus, on a school bus, or after being discharged from a school bus, must follow the Standards of Conduct given in the Transportation Section of the Waynesboro Public Schools Parent/ Student Handbook. Behavior issues will be handled by the principal according to the school division’s policy. Every effort will be made to teach the child to ride the bus safely. A plan will be put in place to ensure successful transportation outcomes.

All Wayne Hills Preschool shuttle buses have an adult aide riding with the children to their home school. After the children/aide arrivesat their home school they are taken to their home bus, which has no aide.

Bus Discipline (4 year old program)

The following guidelines will be used in dealing with inappropriate behavior on school buses and at bus stops:

1st Bus Conduct Report: Student is warned and asked to correct behavior. Parents are contacted.

2nd Bus Conduct Report: Student is suspended from the bus for one day. Parents are notified.

3rd Bus Conduct Report: Student is suspended from the bus for three days. Parents are notified. Parent conference may be requested.

4th Bus Conduct Report: Student is suspended from the bus for five days. Parent conference is required.

5th Bus Conduct Report: Student is suspended from the bus for the remainder of the school year.

If a child is suspended from the bus, it becomes the parent’s responsibility to transport the child to and from school.

Parents Meeting the Bus (4 year old program)

Parent(s) or an authorized person must accompany the child to the bus and assist the child in getting on the bus. Additionally, the parent(s) or an authorized adult must be at the bus stop to pick up the child at the scheduled bus stop. If no one is at the bus stop to receive the child, he/she will be returned to the school and parents will be called to pick up the child. If an adult fails to meet these procedures the first offense will result in a letter and a warning. The second offense will result in your child not being allowed to ride the bus for four consecutive school days, and it will be your responsibility to get your child to and from school. A third violation will result in a loss of bus privileges for your child for up to thirty (30) school days. Please be sure that you or an authorized person is available to pick up your child.