GSLC Policies

Enrollment is open to all children, including those with identified special needs, ages 13 months through 5 years.
The required registration forms and tuition/fee information are located on the Good Shepherd Preschool website (www.gslchurch.org/preschool). Parents may also pick up forms and information at the Director’s office.
The registration fee is equal to one month’s tuition. This fee is used for classroom materials and equipment, playground improvements and maintenance, and teacher education. If families are registering more than one child in the program, a registration fee equal to one month’s tuition is required for each child.
The registration fee is due and payable when the application form is submitted. The registration fee is NON-Refundable unless a family moves out of the Raleigh (and provides proof thereof) prior to August 1st, 2009.
If a child is placed on a waitlist, the registration fee and forms will be returned. The Director will notify the parent if a slot becomes available.
Enrollment of children with special needs- Good Shepherd Preschool continues its commitment to the community of being one of the few inclusive half -day preschool programs in the area. If you have a child with special needs, a meeting with the Director is required prior to registration. The Director reviews all prior evaluations and placements with the parent in order to determine if the child’s needs can best be met in a mainstreamed class at Good Shepherd Preschool.
Transitional Kindergarten Supply Fee: The Transitional Kindergarten class requests each child have several specific items necessary for classroom use. Instead of parents having to locate and purchase these items themselves, a $20 NON-refundable classroom supply fee will be collected at the time of registration and the specific items will be purchased by the program and classroom teacher for each child enrolled in the class.

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Tuition

Monthly tuition is drawn via pre-authorized direct withdrawal (Tuition Withdrawal Form) from your financial institution each month beginning in September and ending in May (9 months).
The draft will be made on or about the 5th of the month.
If you choose not to elect direct withdrawal, you may pre-pay your annual tuition in full prior to the start of the school year.
Questions about the program, monthly invoices (for FSA submission) or to change your financial institution, please email financial@gslchurch.org.
A late fee of $20.00 will be due and payable to GSLP should payment not be received by the draft (ACH) date. This includes instances where there are insufficient funds (NSF) in the draft account or the designated draft account is closed. An additional $1.00 will be charged for each additional day that the account remains outstanding. The Finance Manager will issue an invoice for the late fees. Please insure that if you are changing your designated draft account, a new Tuition Withdrawal Form is submitted to the Preschool Director or the Finance Manager at least five (5) business days prior to the draft date.
All accounts must be current (includes payment of late payment and late pick-up fees) in order to register for another program at Good Shepherd Preschool.

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Withdrawal

If a parent wishes to withdraw their child from the preschool program, for any reason, they must provide the preschool with 30 days (one month) written notice to the Director.
Under no circumstances will the registration fee be refunded unless the child(ren) is withdrawn by August 1st, 2009 as the result of a move out of the Raleigh area.
During the notice period, tuition must be paid, regardless of whether the child(ren) is physically attending the program or we have a child on the waitlist available to take your child’s slot. For example, if you notify the Preschool Director on the 1st of the month that you wish to withdraw your child on the 15th of the month, you will be responsible to pay tuition for that entire month. Similarly, if you notify the Director on the 15th of the month that you are removing your child immediately, you will be responsible to pay through the 15th of the following month. We will perform a bank draft for the full amount of tuition for that partial month, and then issue you a prorated refund check by the end of the month that your child is officially withdrawn.

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School Hours

Good Shepherd Preschool hours are 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. with the exception of the 1-year old class which meets from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The doors will be unlocked at 9:30 a.m. each morning. The preschool does not provide early drop-off supervision.
Parents will be charged a late fee of $2.00 per minute beginning at 1:35 p.m. You will receive an invoice from our accounting department for this charge.
It is REQUIRED that you sign your child in on the daily list provided outside the classroom door. If you will be away from home, please leave a phone number where you may be reached in an emergency.
Your child will only be released to individuals with the child’s carpool tag (parents or those listed in the ALTERNATE PICK-UP section of the application). If someone other than those parties is picking up your child, please notify the Director and your child’s teacher before noon. The person picking up your child has to have your child’s carpool number in their possession.
For the safety of our children, entrance doors are locked at 9:45 a.m. each morning. Parents are welcome anytime. Please ring the doorbell at the main entrance to be let in during operational hours.
Chapel begins on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 9:45 a.m. Please make every effort to have your child on-time on those days or they will not have the opportunity to attend chapel.

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Toilet Trained Policy

Children entering the 3, 4, or 5-year-old programs must be toilet trained. Our program’s definition of ‘potty-trained’ is that the child is able to use the bathroom independently. They are able to pull up and down their pants, as well as wipe themselves. Children should also be able to change their clothes should they have an accident. According to licensing standards teachers of 3, 4, and 5-year-old children do not have changing facilities in their classrooms. Teachers will assist with buttoning, zipping, etc., but children must be able to pull their own clothing up and down.

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Supplies

All diapers, wipes, lunches, and other needs, including a full change of clothing, are to be provided by parents. Diapers must be the disposable type ONLY. All these items should be clearly labeled with the child’s name.
Toys are provided, so please discourage your child from bringing them from home unless the teacher has asked for show and tell items or items to share. Please do not allow your child to bring toy weapons to school (guns, knives, handcuffs, etc.). We are committed to fostering non-violent play and providing a safe non-threatening environment.
Due to health regulations, PACIFIERS or BOTTLES may not be used by any child in the program while at school.
Sneakers or closed shoes are required for preschool. Sandals are uncomfortable on the playground because of the mulch. Crocks are difficult to run in while playing in the carpeted gym at music and movement.

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Snacks

All parents will be expected to participate in supplying classroom snacks on a rotating basis. Children are offered chilled water with their snack each morning, so no beverage needs to be supplied by parents.

Teachers will often have special snacks to coordinate with a theme or season. A list of approved snack items is included in this packet. Teachers will coordinate their own class snack sign-up.

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Lunch

Please send a healthy lunch (including a beverage) that your child is able to eat with no assistance from the teacher. Please do NOT send anything that needs to be cut up, heated, or prepared in any manner. Squeeze yogurt (“Gogurt” brand) is hard for children to manage and discouraged for children’s lunches. We encourage healthy eating habits throughout the preschool program. Purchasing meals from fast food restaurants for a child’s school lunch is discouraged. Soda drinks are not permitted at any time during the school day. Please do not send candy to school in your child’s lunchbox.

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Illness

Medicine will not be administered to any child except in the case of an allergic reaction where the parent has already provided medication for such event. Prescription or over-the-counter medication will NOT be administered by preschool staff to any child.
Please do not send your child to school if he or she is ill (this means any illness deemed to be contagious) - or - if the child has run a fever in the past 24 hours. Please notify the preschool if your child will miss school for any reason. Please notify the Director if you child contacts chicken pox, head lice, or any other contagious disease. We reserve the right to turn away a sick child, and to contact the parent to pick-up a sick child from school, and ask that you be considerate to the other children and teacher in the class.

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Children with allergies

Parents enrolling children with severe allergies requiring prescribed epi-pens must see the Director and have a prescription medication permission form. Benadryl is kept in the Director’s office in the event of an allergic emergency. Parents are immediately notified if an allergic reaction to food or insect stings is either suspected or identified.

We do not permit ANY foods containing peanuts or peanut products in the classrooms. Please choose other food items to pack for your child’s school lunch and snack. For Preschool-sponsored events, including, but not limited to, the Christmas reception, Preschool Sunday, and Graduation, we ask that parents and coordinators make a reasonable effort not to include items that contain peanuts. However, the Preschool cannot represent or warrant that items served or brought in by third parties will not contain some traces of peanuts or tree nut products. If your child has a severe allergic reaction to peanut products, please ensure that you bring an appropriate food item for your child.

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School Calendar

The 2009-2010 school year will begin on August 31st, 2009 and end on May 21st, 2010.
Orientation for the 2009-2010 school year will be held on August 27th and 28th, 2009. You will be notified by mail as to which day to attend.
GSLP will follow Wake County Schools Traditional calendar for holidays, teacher workdays, and vacation days. We do not observe Early Release days.
The policy for inclement weather is as follows:

§After 2 days are missed in a school year due to snow or inclement weather, the Wake County Schools schedule for makeup days will apply. Please note the following exceptions:

No days outside the regular school year (September- through May) will be used, and no holiday/vacation days will be used.
If Wake County starts classes one hour late, we will start at 10:30 am.
If Wake County starts classes two hours late, we will start at 11:30 am.
If Wake County closes school for the day, the preschool will also be closed for the day.
For GSLP closing information, please call the preschool at 846-5060, watch WRAL. If Wake County releases school early due to weather, please call the preschool number to verify an early release of the preschool. All information will be updated on the voice message if inclement weather is forecasted.

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Graduation

There will be a graduation ceremony the last week of school for the four - and five year-old classes. Immediately following, there will be a reception at the preschool for the children and their families.
Graduation parties are NOT permitted off of the preschool premises during normal school hours.

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Morning Arrival Procedures

Children should arrive between 9:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. Parents are to walk their child to the classroom door and sign their child in each morning at arrival. For a smoother morning transition, parents are asked NOT to enter the classroom during morning arrival. Teachers are prepared to nurture and assist your child in making a positive transition into the classroom each day. Years of experience with preschool children have demonstrated the easiest and smoothest way to transition children to school is when the parent says the “good-bye” briefly from the hallway. When the teacher receives your child at the classroom door she is able to individually greet each child and begin to make them feel safe, welcome, and trusting in their new caregiver and environment. We want to make this transition as positive as we can for both you and your child and ask that you follow the policy of not entering the classroom during morning arrival time.

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Dismissal Procedures

Good Shepherd Preschool utilizes a carpool system at dismissal for all classes with the exception of the one-year old class. The primary reason for implementing this procedure is to promote the safety of the students.

Carpool will work as follows:

Every student will be assigned an individual carpool number. Each family will receive 2 carpool tags with the carpool number and age group ‘color.’ Children will receive a luggage tag to attach to their backpack with the number that corresponds to the carpool tag. The tag is to be attached to the visor of the car or rearview mirror. If a family is in need of additional tags, or a replacement tag, they will be available for a $5 fee. No child will be released to a car unless the car has a tag provided by the preschool. Teachers will distribute tags at parent orientation.
Students will leave their classrooms at 1:15 p.m. and the carpool dismissal will begin once all classes are situated with their teachers in the narthex. Students will wait with their teachers under the covered walkway outside the preschool entrance or the narthex, depending on weather. As the student’s number is called, their classroom teacher will walk them to their car.
If a parent wishes to walk their child out, theymust be in the narthex by 1:15 p.m. and sign their child out at that time. Parents arriving after 1:15 p.m. must use the carpool process for dismissal. This deadline will be strictly adhered to as we cannot have parents crossing through the carpool line for safety reasons.
No cell phone use is permitted while picking up your child(ren).
When picking up your child, please stay in your car and continue to display your carpool tag. The teacher will bring your child to you. Teachers are not permitted to buckle a child in his/her seat for liability reasons. To facilitate a smooth and timely dismissal, we request that parents place their child’s car seat on the right back seat. Please make sure your vehicle is in park while your child is entering the car. Once your child is in the car and the door is closed, please proceed to the parking lot to secure your child in their seat.
Parents will be charged a late fee of $2.00 per minute beginning at 1:36 p.m. if the carpool line is finished and your child has not been picked up. You will receive an invoice from our accounting department for this charge. You will need to come to the Director’s office to pick up your child.

If you have changes in regards to who is to pick up your child, please notify the Director by no later than noon, and provide the office with the name of the person who will be picking up your child. Please ensure that they have the appropriate carpool tag. If they are not on the ALTERNATE pick-up list, please be prepared to show your license.

Custody situations and concerns should be brought to the Preschool Director’s attention immediately.

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Picking up your child prior to 1:30 pm

In the event you need to pick your child prior to dismissal (see below), please come to the main entrance door and ring the bell for some one to let you in. Please stop by the Director’s office and see if she is available to get your child from the class for you. This is preferred, as children often feel it is time to go home once they see a parent enter the room. This will help in keeping class distraction to a minimum

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Smoking

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and Preschool maintains a smoke-free environment. Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the church property, including the parking area and outside surroundings. This policy is in effect for parents that chaperone off-site field trips as well.

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Custody Related Issues

It is assumed that both parents have equal right to the custody of their children unless Good Shepherd Preschool is provided with a certified copy of a custody order showing otherwise. Should a dispute arise between divorcing/divorced parents regarding release of the child, the wishes of the parent with primary legal custody will be respected. Confidential information regarding this issue will be maintained in the child’s file.

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Cell Phone Use and Other Electronics

Please keep cell phones and other electronics in your car when dropping off your child from preschool. During transition times between home and school it is important to give your child your full attention and support. A child needs that word of encouragement or greeting during arrival to the classroom. Cell phone use is not permitted at any time during the carpool line.

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Conferences

Teacher/Parent Conferences are held twice each year, late fall and in the spring. Conferences may be held during the school day while your children are in their classes or at a time arranged by the teacher. Classroom teachers will notify you of conference dates and have a sign up sheet for available times. Conferences last between 15 and 20 minutes. Additional conferences may be scheduled on an as needed basis. Teachers use a developmental checklist to share developmental skills that your child is mastering. The checklist assists parents and teachers in supporting the individual child’s development throughout his or her early childhood educational experience.

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Board of Directors

Good Shepherd Preschool is governed by a board of Directors approved by the Church’s Congregational Council of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. The majority of board members have children in the program or have had them enrolled in the past. Each board member serves a two-year term of office. Board members set policy and procedures for the program. All board members are members of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

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Project Enlightenment

Project Enlightenment is the Early Childhood arm of Wake County Public Schools. Project staff serves children birth through kindergarten. Project Enlightenment provides teachers and families with help in many different areas. Good Shepherd Preschool has a consultant from Project Enlightenment assigned to our school and she is available to come in and observe children upon request from the parent or teacher with signed permission from the parent. Our consultant shares her observations with the parents. All information is confidential. Project Enlightenment also has a parent talk-line, parent and teacher classes, observation groups for children, demonstration preschool, and a wonderful resource area with books, pamphlets, videos, and activities. There are also specialists who provide services for children with special needs and support for their families.

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Birthdays

We love to celebrate birthdays at preschool! Please be considerate and sensitive to each child by not bringing birthday party invitations to preschool to be hand delivered unless everyone in the class has been invited. We ask parents who would like to bring in a birthday snack to choose healthy items. If you choose to bring cupcakes for the class, children do much better with the mini size cupcakes, iced cookies or muffins. We also recommend fruit or cheese or mini muffins rather than cake. There are children who have food allergies. Please check with your child’s teacher before choosing a snack and she can give you suggestions if there are allergies. All snack and party items must not contain peanuts or peanut products. Please do not bring goodie bags for classmates.

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Chapel

Children will attend Chapel at preschool. Good Shepherd Preschool currently implements a Christian preschool curriculum published by Gospel Light titled “Bright Beginnings-Exploring God’s World.” Children learn a Bible verse at the beginning of each four - week unit. The Chapel stories and songs coordinate with the Bible verse being discussed. Parents receive a parent letter at the beginning of each new unit which lists the Bible verse, concepts and stories that are discussed in Chapel each week. Chapel sessions include a story time, singing, and prayer. Children will have Chapel with one of the church pastors, Youth Director, Vicar, or Director on Tuesdays or Wednesdays at 9:45 a.m. throughout the school year. Chapel focus is for 3, 4 and 5-year olds. 2-year olds attend at the teacher’s and Director’s discretion.

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Developmental Curriculum

Good Shepherd Preschool implements a national developmental curriculum developed by the Core Knowledge Foundation titled “Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence”. Detailed information about the curriculum and design of Core Knowledge Preschools can be found at the Core Knowledge website: www.coreknowledge.org.

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Harris Teeter VIC Program for Education

Our school number is #3503. You can link our school number to your VIC card in the store or online at www.harristeeter.com. The link has to be renewed each year beginning August 1. You may link as many as three schools to your VIC card. Harris Teeter makes a donation to our school based upon your purchases.

Together in Education

Campbell’s Labels for Education

Our school participates in the Campbell’s Labels for Education Program www.labelsforeducation.com Please save UPC labels from Campbell’s, Goldfish, Prego, and Swanson products, and V8 juices (save the cap), and place in the mailbox outside the Director’s Office. Also, please link your Kroger card for automatic savings when you buy Campbell’s products. The link to follow is:

http://www.kroger.com/services/Pages/school_programs.aspx

This program enables us to purchase great educational items for our school. This program enables us to purchase great educational items for our school.

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