11220 Oakhurst Road, Largo, FL 33774 Preschool (727) 595-2112 ~ Church (727) 595-2117 Hours of Operation 6:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. PARENT HANDBOOK Jessica Miller, Preschool Director License #C063922 E-Mail: [email protected] Web Page: www.ctklc.org click on Preschool link MISSION STATEMENT The mission of Loving Arms Christian Preschool is to provide a nurturing and safe environment for the growth of each child as we share the good news of Jesus Christ unconditionally with love, acceptance, and respect. LOVING ARMS’ PHILOSOPHY: Psalm 127:3 (NLT) Proverbs 22: 6 (NIV) 3Children are a gift from 6Train a child in the way the LORD; they are a he should go, and when reward from Him. he is old he will not turn from it. Mark 10:13-16 (NIV) The Little Children and Jesus 13People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them. Mark 9:36-37 (NIV) 36He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in His arms, He said to them, 37"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me does not welcome Me but the One who sent Me." We believe that each child is a special creation of God, for whom Christ was willing to lay down His life. They matter to Him, therefore they matter to us. This truth will be evident in the spiritual, physical, cognitive, emotional, and social formation of each individual child. Using Christ as our model, we will extend His love to our children, families and staff, empowering and equipping them to develop healthy relationships within a safe environment where all are treated with love and respect. Our children will grow in love for Christ and one another while exploring and interacting with His world through play and guided learning. CHILD DISCIPLINE POLICY Disciplining means that adults in authority are responsible for teaching the child the rules people live by and directing them so they will adopt these rules themselves. The Florida State Law, which protects children in child care, states that children’s centers must ensure that age-appropriate, constructive disciplinary practices are used for children. All child care personnel of the children’s center must comply with the children’s center’s written disciplinary practices. Such policies shall include standards that prohibit children from being subjected to: Discipline which is severe, humiliating, or frightening. Discipline associated with food, rest, or toileting. Spanking or any other form of physical punishment. It is our goal to guide each child toward self-discipline by directing him/her to choose constructive behavior patterns in developing self control. The use of positive direction (telling the child what you want him/her to do) rather than negative direction (using words don’t, stop, etc.) will be used to reach our goal with each child. OUR GOAL is to guide each child toward self-discipline by directing him/her to choose constructive behavior patterns in developing self-control. This is accomplished through the use of positive direction, redirection, clear cut limitations, and the modeling of appropriate behavior and language. “Conscious Discipline” by Becky Bailey, and “1-2-3 Magic” by Thomas Phelan, are the tools we use for Classroom -Management and discipline. We strongly encourage families to utilize the same materials to provide consistency for the children in home and school. CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR POLICY What is challenging behavior?: Challenging behavior can be defined as any repeated pattern of behavior that interferes with learning or activities. We will gauge the teacher/child interaction level to determine the severity of challenging behaviors. Observations, charting, and assessment tools will be utilized to determine the triggers and functions (reason or purpose) for challenging behaviors. Adjustment period: We hope to allow all children a 3 week adjustment period once enrolled or transferred into a new class. This is not always possible as our first priority will always be a safe and healthy learning environment for all. Detailed observations and assessments will not occur during this adjustment period. Working as a team: Parents will be notified as soon as concerns arise. We will ask to meet with you regularly and communicate progression of goals weekly. In the event that your child displays challenging behaviors while at school you, your child’s teacher, the preschool director, and any needed referrals from the community will work as a team to provide a Behavior Support Plan. This plan will guide your child towards a successful learning experience. Maintaining a successful learning environment for all: To ensure we maintain a successful learning environment for all students, we must stay within a fair ratio of high demand teacher/ child interaction. We are not equipped to provide services for more than 2 children per classroom with need for individualized educational needs. We will evaluate all children each fall. As challenging behaviors arise, a 90 day probationary period will begin to determine our ability in meeting your child’s individual needs. Failure to work as a team may result in the parent or guardian being asked not to return the child to Loving Arms Christian Preschool. CELL PHONE POLICY To provide better communication between parents and staff, cell phone use is prohibited while dropping off and picking up your child. ARRIVAL Hours of care are 6:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. The Primary entrance is through the door at the northeast end of the education building. All children must be accompanied by an adult and be “signed in” upon arrival in the classroom attendance book. ALL ADULTS DROPPING OFF AND PICKING UP CHILDREN MUST SIGN THEIR COMPLETE LEGIBLE SIGNATURE, FIRST AND LAST NAME AS WELL AS THE TIME CHILDREN ARE ENTERING AND EXITING CARE. Preschool programs begin at 9:00 a.m. It is important for your child to arrive by 8:45 a.m. to assist with this transition. We no longer accept children after 9:30 a.m without documentation. DISMISSAL Children will be dismissed to the person(s) listed on the enrollment form under “authorized to remove the child from the facility.” Any person who removes a child from the center must be 16 yrs of age and are to be recorded on the child’s enrollment record including their complete name, address and telephone number. NO OTHER PERSON WILL BE PERMITTED TO REMOVE YOUR CHILD FROM CARE. We will ask for proper Photo ID prior to releasing a child. Loving Arms prohibits the release of a child to an individual who appears intoxicated or otherwise impaired. Please prepare all contact people prior to sending them to pick your child up. All children must be signed out in the teacher’s attendance book. If children are dismissed to you from the playground, be sure they are signed out in their teacher’s attendance book, located in the lobby. Our center operates from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. You will be charged $10 for every 15 minutes after the 12:15 (half day) or 6:00 p.m. (all day) deadline. Our school is NOT PERMITTED TO CARE FOR CHILDREN AFTER 6PM per county regulations. COMMUNICATION Effective communication with our families is very important to us! Parent boards are located in each classroom for information regarding your child’s class. We have a communication center in our entryway for school news. There you can find a monthly calendar with all upcoming activities and themes listed. We will send a preschool update occasionally to our preschool families via email in which church and preschool activities are announced. Emergency notifications and important reminders will be communicated via email as well. IT IS VITAL THAT FAMILIES PROVIDE AN EFFICIENT EMAIL TO ENSURE CONSTANT COMMUNICATION FROM US . Please email the Director at [email protected] to add your family to our email listing if you are not currently receiving weekly emails. PARENTAL SUPPORT The staff desires a harmonious relationship with parents. If parents have a question about a school policy or event that involves their child, they are to notify their child’s teacher. An effort will be made to resolve any differences, and maintain excellent communication between parents and ministry staff. Parental support is an essential part of the educational process. If, in the sole discretion of the administration, a parent has failed to support the administrator or ministry staff or the standards articulated in the ministry’s Statement of Faith, the administration reserves the right to deny the student continued enrollment in the school. FAMILIES IN TRANSITION If a child’s custodial arrangement is adapted, due to safety precautions set forth by the state, the custodial parent is not permitted on campus until the custodial arrangements are made permanent again. Documentation will be required. Families facing separation are asked to keep their child’s school environment positive and free of conflict. Restrictions on drop off and pick up schedules may only be enforced in conjunction with court documents. OFFICE HOURS The office is staffed for the arrival and departure periods of the day. If you need assistance in the office between 9:30am and 3pm, please leave a phone message or email the Director at [email protected].