PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT The Waynesboro Area YMCA’s Child Care offers a program that promotes the spiritual, emotional, social, educational and physical growth of all of the children enrolled. We believe that all children learn in different ways and at different paces, therefore, we use a variety of instructional techniques in order to offer a developmentally appropriate curriculum. We believe that play is an integral part of a child’s learning and offer the opportunity for growth through Free Choice Time and dramatic play each day. We believe that every child is special and will be treated as such regardless of race, color, religious creed, disability, ancestry, national origin (including limited English proficiency) age, or sex. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES *To expose children to a modified school experience and prepare them for kindergarten *To provide enrichment curriculm for our preschool & kindergarten students *To encourage participation in a variety of small and gross motor activities *To emphasize Christian values *To foster self-esteem and self-discovery through developmentally appropriate practices *To initiate a climate in which parents feel welcome to participate in their child’s child care experience PROGRAM INFORMATION Class Sizes: 3 years - Kindergarten- 36 students with two teachers and two assistants. SCHEDULE Times: Monday – Friday 6:30 am – 6:00 pm. **Children may be dropped off no earlier than 6:30 am. ALL CHILDREN MUST BE PICKED UP PROMPTLY by 6:00 PM. PARENTS WILL BE CHARGED $5.00 PER EVERY 15 MINUTES AFTER PICK UP TIME (EXAMPLE: late pick-up @ 6:00-6:15, you will be charged $5.00 late fee//late pick-up @ 6:16-6:30 pm, you will be charged $10.00 etc.). THIS MONEY WILL BE DUE BY YOUR CHILD’S NEXT ATTENDANCE DAY. FAILURE TO REMIT PAYMENT MAY RESULT IN EXPULSION OF YOUR CHILD UNTIL PAYMENT IS RECEIVED. The YMCA is closed for the following holidays: New Year’s Day Labor Day Good Friday Thanksgiving Memorial Day Christmas Independence Day ***The YMCA closes at 4:00 pm on New Year’s Eve and Christmas Eve. There may be additional days the program may close due to low anticipated attendance. We do not offer credits for holiday closings. CANCELLATION POLICY Listen to the following stations for cancellations or delays: WAYZ (104.7), WIKZ (95.1), WQCM (94.3), and WSRT (92.1), WCRH (90.5) or check the Waynesboro YMCA Website www.waynesboroymca.org. When there is a weather related School Closure, Child Care will open at 7:00 am to ensure safe travel for our staff. If the YMCA opens late due to inclement weather, Child Care will open at that time. In the event the YMCA is closed or opens later than 12:00 pm, Child Care will be closed all day and your childs account will be credited for the day the Y is closed. REQUIREMENTS Our Child Care program is licensed by the Department of Public Welfare. The regulations from this process require that we use their forms. THE FORMS WHICH ACCOMPANY THIS HANDBOOK MUST BE FILLED OUT COMPLETELY AND RETURNED TO THE YMCA BY THE REQUIRED DEADLINES. YOUR CHILD’S ADMISSION INTO THE PROGRAMS IS DEPENDENT UPON THIS!!! THE EMERGENCY CONTACT/PARENTAL CONSENT FORM, MUST BE FILLED OUT IN ITS ENTIRETY. (THIS INCLUDES AREA CODES, FULL ADDRESSES, INSURANCE POLICY NUMBERS, ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING!!) THE EMERGENCY CONTACT AND AGREEMENT FORMS MUST BE COMPLETED BY YOUR CHILD’S FIRST DAY WITH US. THIS IS CRUCIAL! The Health Assessment Form must be filled out by a physician and turned in no later than 30 days from your child’s first day of attendance. The form is valid for one year. Please note that failure to comply with these regulations will result in the dismissal of your child from the child care program until the proper forms are received. These are the regulations of DPW and must be followed in order for us to maintain our license. Please help us to avoid any complications. GENERAL ACTIVITIES Alphabet & Numerals-3 year olds will be exposed to letters and numerals through various tactile and visual techniques. 4 year olds will work on letter and numeral recognition, recitation and writing. According to the expectations of the Waynesboro Area School District kindergarten teachers, each child will master the first letter of his/her first name. Kindergarteners will receive reinforcement and additional reading skills to help enhance their school experience. Birthdays-Each child may bring a special snack on the day closest to his/her birthday. This day children may bring a special treat to share with friends. Circle Time-Circle Time will be conducted each day. A typical “circle” shall include weather and calendar discussions, the pledge of allegiance, a book and songs or fingerplays. A great deal of instruction takes place during Circle Time. Cooking-Some days a cooking activity may replace a craft. These cooking activities will further reinforce the concepts of working cooperatively, counting and measuring. Craft/Art-Craft/art projects will be conducted on a regular basis. These projects will encourage creativity and knowledge of colors and shapes. Small motor coordination will be strengthened through coloring, cutting, pasting and painting. Many times the childrens’ work will be displayed before being sent home. Devotional Activities-Classes will meet for Bible Time provided by Child Evangelism Fellowship on a weekly basis. Various Christian songs(ie-”Jesus Loves Me”) may also be sung during circle time. Grace is said or sung before snack each day. There will be a strong Christian emphasis in our program. Field Trips- Many field trips and special guests will scheduled throughout the year. Tuition covers the additional cost of a bus for our field trips but parents must pay any admission fees associated with the trip. When you sign your Parental Consent/Emergency Contact Form, you will be signing a section giving permission for trips and transportation. Fire Drills- Fire drills are conducted monthly. This helps children become familiar with the evacuation process should an emergency arise. Free Choice Time-The beginning and balanced throughout each day the children will have the opportunity to engage in free choice time. This is the time when the children are able to make their own choices as to which activities they would like to participate. Free choice time also works well as a transitional time from home as a foundation for working on language and social skills with peers and adults. Snack- The YMCA will provide a light morning (8:00 – 8:30) and afternoon snack (3:30 – 4:00). AM Snack includes a variety of items such as: waffles, pancakes, french toast sticks, toast, bagels, pop tarts, muffins, fruit, cereal, sausage/biscuits, english muffins, etc. with milk or juice. PM Snack includes a variety of items such as: fresh fruit or vegtables, chips & salsa, pretzels, cookies, variety of crackers, fruit bars, cheese sticks etc. Snack are served each day with milk, juice or water. Lunch- Parents are responsible for providing lunch. Children may either bring a packed lunch or purchase a lunch from the school district. Monthly menus will be sent home with your child. Lunch tickets (10/sheet) are available at the Member Service Desk only. We cannot sell individual tickets. On days when school is closed (including the summer) a packed lunch must be provided. Please be sure use an ice pack for any items that must remain cold. Rest time-Children will have rest time each afternoon. Each child will be provided with a rest cot & blanket which will be washed weekly. Your child may bring a favorite blanket, small pillow & stuffed animal for rest time. Please bring these items home with you weekly for washing. Physical Education-Activities done in the gym are designed to enhance balance, strength, coordination, body awareness and other physical skills. Safety and ability to participate fully is dependant upon being dressed appropriately. Sneakers or rubber-soled shoes must be worn. If necessary, a change of shoes may be brought. Science-Various scientific activities will be done in order to aid children in understanding their world and to satisfy their natural curiosity. “Star of the Week”- Each week we will be showcasing a child in our special “Star of the Week” discovery table. The Star of the Week may bring in anything to tell the class about themselves. After sharing with the class their items will be displayed in the table for the week. Items may include pictures, drawings, toys or other items that are special to them. You will be notified a week in advance when your child is our Star of the wee!!! PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Parents must ensure that their child arrives and is picked up in the classroom each day. Each child must be signed in and out daily. 2. Parents will be asked to occasionally donate special items for parties and special events. We understand that some parents are unable to volunteer-these parents may wish to find other ways in which to be involved. 3. Parents must alert teachers to any possible health problems such as allergies, ear problems related to swimming, known physical or learning disabilities or temporary problems that may affect behavior or may prevent child from participating fully. 4. If your child is on medication which must be adminstered during program hours, a medicine consent form must be completed daily. All medicines must come in the original container and labeled with the physician’s name, current date, instructions for use, the child’s name, the name of the medication and the dosage strength. Medication may only be administered with a gauged measuring device (graduated spoon, dropper, etc) to be provided by the parent and labeled with the child’s name.