Pre-School Parent Guide

Welcome! The Staff of Heritage Christian Preschool welcome you and your child to our school. You are a very important part of the school and of your child’s education. A mutual understanding and respect between parents and teacher is essential in establishing a positive learning experience for every child.

We encourage you to attend all school functions, to feel free to serve in the school, to attend parent-teacher conferences or to request conferences if there are concerns, and to give your comments and suggestions.

GOALS: We want to provide an atmosphere that will encourage your child to grow spiritually, physically, emotionally, socially, and intellectually. Through positive learning experiences we hope to prepare your child for later learning and living. We want your child to be happy at preschool. We will try to encourage your child, teach your child, and understand your child.

CLOTHING: Uniform clothes and rubber-soled shoes (i.e., sneakers) are required so that the children can freely participate in our activities comfortably. We will play outdoors whenever possible. Please label all coats, hats, mittens, boots, etc. with your child’s name. The school will provide a backpack that your child may keep, to send home their artwork, papers, and any other important information. Please check your child’s backpack everyday.

HEALTH: Please keep your child home if feverish, fresh cold, excessive coughing, chilled, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rash or too tired. You may not bring your child to school if they have had a fever, diarrhea, or vomiting in the prior 24 hour period. Please notify the school of any communicable diseases.

ABSENCES: If you are planning a vacation or if you know in advance when your child will not be attending school, kindly let your child’s teacher know. If your child is sick, please call the school office.

PARENTS: Please contact us if you are concerned about your child. We appreciate being advised of any changes in your child’s home situation, any crisis, or any other circumstance that may affect your child.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES: Each child will receive two assessments per year one in the middle of the school year and one at the end of the school year. If you would like to schedule a conference with your child's teacher you may do that at any time.

FIELD TRIPS: our Jr.-Kindergarten class will be taking field trips throughout the year. You must sign a permission slip for these trips. Private transportation will be provided for your child. Fees for all field trips are due as requested by your child’s teacher.

SNACK PROGRAM: Your child’s teacher will provide monthly snack menu for their class. Parents of children with food allergies will provide snacks for their child. Please notify your child’s teacher on the first day of school if your child has any food allergies.

BIRTHDAY PARTIES: What fun to celebrate your child’s birthday at school! Special treats are welcomed. Summer birthdays are celebrated at the end of the school year. Please do not bring cakes to school. Cupcakes are much less work for teachers to distribute and easier for the children to eat.

CLASS LISTS: Class lists are maintained by each individual class and are distributed to each child in that particular class. The information on these lists is intended for the use of the parents of the preschoolers and the preschool staff only.

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL POLICY: For the protection and safety of your child and for the effective operation of the classroom, we request that parents drop your children off in a timely manner. All Preschool students must be signed in and out every day with parents name, signature and time. Parents who fail to properly sign their child in and out will be fined according to California state law.

Our preschool programs begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 12:00 p.m. Our after school programs begin at 12:00 p.m. and end at 6:00 p.m. PLEASE BE PROMPT in picking up your child. A charge of $15 will be assessed if you are more than 10 minutes late in picking up your child, and a $1 per minute charge thereafter. Late fees are due upon arrival to the Teacher on duty at that time.

CAR POOLS: Teachers must be informed of car pool arrangements. Car pool permission forms will be provided and must be signed and returned to the preschool office. We will not release your child to anyone other than a parent or those listed on the car pool permission form unless their name has been added to your child list prior to the pick up time. Please hand all administration forms directly to the teacher. (Do not put them in your child’s backpack.)

HELPING PARENTS: To enrich our program the parents are invited to come in and participate in classroom activities, benefiting both parent and child. This is an important part of our program since it enables the parents to observe their child in a classroom environment and to share in the learning experiences. Because we want this to be a beneficial experience between parent and child, we must ask that no other children accompany the helping parent. The teachers also benefit from the helping parent as it helps them to understand the child more fully by getting to know the family. Through this volunteer program a greater understanding between student, teacher and parents is established.

EMERGENCIES: You will be notified immediately in case of accident or illness at school. Please keep your emergency information up to date. In a severe emergency, 911 will be called, and then the teacher’s assistant will notify the parent. The teacher will stay with the child. If the parent does not answer, the child will go the hospital with the teacher and the Emergency Medical Information Form and Emergency Medical Release Form.

TUITION: Tuition is paid monthly according to your child’s attendance contract. Monthly tuition payments must be made by cash, check or credit card.. Students will not be permitted to attend class when their tuition is one month past due. Should it become necessary to withdraw your child, the parent must inform the preschool administrator in writing 30 days prior.

BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS: In keeping with the philosophy of the preschool to provide a safe environment conducive to learning for our students and staff, we recognize that there may be a disruptive behavior that would hinder the learning process. We also recognize that any behavior that causes harm to self or others is likewise unacceptable and needs to be corrected. Should repeated unacceptable behavior arise, a meeting with the teacher, parents, and preschool administrator will take place to initiate a plan of action to correct the behavior. After a period of six weeks from the initiation of the plan, the expectation is that the behavior will be eliminated. Any time a severe behavioral infraction occurs, the child will be excused from the class until a meeting with the teacher, parents, and administrator takes place to determine the appropriate plan of action for immediate elimination of the behavior. As a result of either of the above situations, the child may be found to be not developmentally ready, and the board reserves the right to excuse the child from the program.

SCHOOL CLOSING: In case of school closings, other than weather related, you will be notified through the phone chain.

HOLIDAYS: See the Heritage Christian Preschool Calendar

MEDICATION POLICY: It is the policy of Heritage Christian Preschool that medications (both prescription and over the counter) must be kept in the schools health office. A medical Information Form and Permission to Dispense Medication Form must be on file in the schools health office as well. Please do not send medications to school in your child’s backpack. If the student is sick, please keep him or her home from school for the day. Should the student become sick at school, parents will be notified to pick up the student immediately. If any student has an allergic reaction condition and/or medical condition requiring immediate administration of a medication, we will require the Emergency Medical Information Form and the Emergency Medical Release Form to be completed by a parent along with a physician’s note.

HOW PARENTS CAN HELP ENRICH THE PROGRAM: You can greatly aid your child by being aware of the subjects he or she will be currently learning about. You can supplement our teaching by simply talking to your child. Asking him or her questions regarding the units of study or themes to be presented by the teacher is a good example. Point out items in the home that can be used in school. If the subject is particularly interesting to you and you feel you would like to participate in any of our classes, please contact the teacher. Your talents may be shared with us.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” - Proverbs 22:6