2008-2009 Policies
You may download the complete set of policies in a printable PDF document or view selected topics by clicking in the index below:
Registration
- Enrollment is open to all children, including those with identified special needs, ages 13 months through 5 years.
- The registration fee is equal to one month’s tuition. 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 upon receipt of the application form. Note that the registration fee is non-refundable unless the family moves out of the Raleigh area prior to August 1, 2008. The application form and registration fee will only be accepted if a space is available in the class at the time of registration. No form or fee is required if a child is placed on a wait list.
- Tuition for May 2009 will be due and payable at the time of registration. Note that since May’s tuition is paid a year in advance, there is no tuition then due in May 2009 unless re-enrollment is done for your child in year 2009. If a parent has given the required two weeks written notice of withdrawal from the program, then May’s tuition is refundable ONLY after your child’s spot has been filled in the class. If a parent withdraws late in the school year (months of March-May) and the spot in the class cannot be filled by another child, then May’s tuition will NOT be refunded.
- Two weeks’ (minimum) notice is required if a child is withdrawn from the program once the school year has begun.
- 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.
- Supply Fee for Transitional Kindergarten class- 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 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.
Tuition
While the Good Shepherd Preschool drives to continuously improve its educational programs, we are also focused on streamlining our financial office procedures – to ensure adequate controls over our financial position. By implementing a pre-authorized direct withdrawal from your financial institution each month, we cut unnecessary administrative costs, allowing more funds to flow to educational enhancements. Using the pre-authorized direct withdrawal process, administered by Vanco Services, LLC, costs nothing and is simple and easy to use. As a matter of fact, this process is becoming standard within the education sector. Should your financial institution change, please contact the Finance Manager (email at financial@gslchurch.org) who will assist you in completing the necessary form to update your information. We also offer the option of pre-paying your annual tuition in full prior to the start of the School year.
Parents paying tuition in monthly installments are required to submit the bank draft enrollment form and a voided check at the time of registration. Bank drafts will be made on the 5th of each month beginning in September and ending in April.
All accounts must be current in order to register for the following school year.
School Hours
- Good Shepherd Preschool hours are 9:30-1:30 pm. with the exception of the 1 yr. old class that meets on Friday’s from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 a.m. The doors will be unlocked at 9:30am each morning. The preschool does not provide early drop off supervision.
- Parents who do not pick-up their child at 1:30 pm, will be charged a late fee of $2.00 per minute beginning at 1:35 pm. The late fee is due at the time the child is picked up and paid directly to the Director.
- 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 not be released to any one but you without written permission. This may be done by using the sign-in/sign-out sheet posted at the door of your child’s room or by listing each name on the release form completed with the application packet.
- For the safety of our children, entrance doors are locked at 10:00 and opened at 1:20 in the afternoon. Parents are welcome anytime. Please ring the doorbell at the main entrance to be let in during operational hours.
Toilet Trained Policy
Children entering the 3, 4, or 5-year-old programs must be toilet trained. Our program’s definition of ‘potty trained” means that the children are 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 up and down their own clothing.
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.
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.
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 in packing 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.
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 Tylenol 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 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.
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 a child may have an allergic reaction that may not have been diagnosed at the time. Parents are immediately notified if an allergic reaction to food or bee stings is either suspected or identified.
NO FOOD PRODUCTS CONTAINING PEANUTS WILL BE PERMITTED IN THE CLASSROOMS
Due to the current substantial increase in the number of young children in the United States demonstrating severe allergic reactions to peanuts and peanut products, we are no longer permitting ANY foods containing peanut products in the classrooms. Please choose other food items than peanut butter sandwiches to pack for your child’s school lunch. We have recently experienced several cases of severe allergic reactions in children eating peanut products at school and are implementing this policy to ensure that every safety measure has been taken to avoid the possibility of allergic reactions in any child while attending preschool. §This policy includes foods as snack items, lunchbox meals, holiday parties and program reception refreshments.
School Calendar
- GSLP will begin on September 2 and end on May 22.
- Orientation for the 2008-09 school year will be held on August 27 and 28. You will be notified by mail which day to attend.
- GSLP will follow Wake County Schools schedule for holidays, teacher workdays, and vacation 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 or watch WTVD, Channel 11 or WRAL, Channel 5.
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.
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.
Morning Arrival Procedures
Children should arrive between 9:30 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.
Picking up your child prior to 1:30 pm
In the event you need to pick your child up early during a school day, 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.
Dismissal Time
- Please allow the teacher to open the classroom door at the end of the day. Teachers spend the last minutes of the day with story or circle time, and need to have the opportunity to conclude their activity prior to dismissing children. Please remember the teacher is still instructing until 1:30 p.m. Noises from the hallway are easily carried into the classrooms. It is advised that parents converse in the narthex or outside area prior to 1:30 p.m. We appreciate your patience in helping to provide for a smooth dismissal each day.
- PARENTS MUST SIGN THEIR CHILDREN OUT AT THE END OF THE DAY! Teachers are accountable for each child until the parent or parent designee has signed them out. It is important to remember the sign-out sheet upon gathering your child’s belongings and before leaving the classroom area.
Transporting Children to and from Vehicles - NEW BOARD APPROVED POLICY IS ENFORCED
For the safety of all children, parents are required to hold their child’s hand when escorting their child in the parking lot area. Parents are requested to escort children directly to their vehicle and not congregate or socialize in the parking area while children are left unattended. Children are not permitted to play on the steps or in the grassy area surrounding the mobile unit facing Creedmoor Road. The preschool board has implemented the following procedures in order to manage any violation of the above stated parking lot safety policy:
First violation- The program director will remind the parent(s) of the stated board policy which requires all children to be escorted directly to their vehicle at the time of dismissal.
Second violation- The preschool board will issue a warning letter to the parent(s) which indicates they are required to abide by all program policies and guidelines in order for their child(ren) to continue enrollment in the preschool program.
Third violation- The child/family will be withdrawn from Good Shepherd Preschool. Any pre-paid tuition, including May’s tuition, will be forfeited and non-refundable in this instance.
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.
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.
Cell Phone Use and Other Electronics
Please keep cell phones and other electronics in your car when dropping off and picking up 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 or dismissal from the classroom.
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.
Board of Directors
Good Shepherd Preschool is governed by a board of directors approved by the church council of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. The majority of board members have children in the program currently or 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.
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.
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 and 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. Remember that all snack and party items must not contain peanuts. Please do not bring goodie bags for classmates.
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 or preschool director on Tuesdays or Wednesdays at 9:45 throughout the school year. Chapel focus is for three- four-and five- year- olds. Two- year- olds attend at the teacher’s and director’s discretion.
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.
Harris Teeter VIC Program for EducationOur 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 around 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. All funds raised go towards our scholarship fund that benefits families in need of tuition assistance. |
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