Welcome to Pinecrest Schools. Our purpose is to provide the highest quality preschool education in a secure, nurturing and stimulating environment. Pinecrest Schools serve the physical, emotional and intellectual needs of the preschool children and their families.

We meet these goals with our age-appropriate curriculum, our highly qualified staff, state-of-the-art equipment, the highest standards of cleanliness, and our ongoing communication with parents.

This Pinecrest Parent Handbook has been designed to provide important information that parents need when selecting the childcare program for their child.

All of the dedicated, caring staff at Pinecrest want to be certain that your child has the very best early childhood experience possible. We want to thank you for entrusting us with that privilege and responsibility.

Please take the time to read all the following information to help you better understand our program and philosophy. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the preschool director.

School Philosophy

It is a mission of the Pinecrest Preschool to provide a fully integrated preschool program to foster the child's social and emotional growth as well as their physical and mental development. Additionally, our sequential learning curriculum was developed to prepare the child for academics in kindergarten and elementary school. The preschool provides superior before and after school care as an aid to working parents.

The goal of the preschool is to guide each child in the growth of their total personality. Areas related to physical, mental, emotional and social development are all given equal attention when preparing a curriculum to fit the needs of each child. A child's self expression, creativity and analytical thinking are worked out in play. Through observations, the teacher may help a child succeed in areas where they do not excel. The teachers strive to aid each child in developing a positive image of them self.

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Curriculum

Pinecrest preschool curriculum is a discovery-based learning experience that gives each individual child the opportunity to move through specially designed learning centers of his or her own level of interest and ability. The curriculum focuses on learning basic concepts and skills through hands-on experiences and activities. Some centers are designed to develop large and small motor skills while others are more academically oriented. Through our program, each child is given the tools needed to encourage the growth of the whole child.

Goals of the Curriculum

Separation from the Parent

The process of separation from the parent as the child enters and attends preschool is one of the most important accomplishments of the preschool child.

At each age level, a child will react differently. As children mature, they begin to identify themselves as independent personalities. In separating from you, the parent, your child is learning:

It is important to point out that sooner or later after the initial successful adjustment at school is made, all children want to explore the limits of not going to school. This period may occur in October or December or in spring, but it usually lasts only a short time. When this occurs, here are some suggestions which may help you handle the situation:

Parent Information

As school progresses and the children adjust to their new classes, we will try to provide you with continuing information regarding our program at Pinecrest. We will keep you informed of field trips, holidays, curriculum and other important information through our monthly newsletter, the Pinecone, and your child's classroom bulletin board.

Policies/Procedures

Sign-In and Sign-Out

Every child must be signed in each morning in the classroom. Upon greeting the child, the teacher will examine the child for signs of illness. An approved adult must sign out your child in the classroom before the child leaves the premises. This is a state requirement and establishes a flow of responsibility.

Parking

Please use caution when driving through our parking lot. We have parking spaces for your convenience and ask that you enter and exit using appropriate driveways. Please do not leave small children unattended in your car. Do not leave purses in parked cars. We are not responsible for any loss or damage while in our parking lot.

Tardiness

Our class session starts promptly at 9:00 a.m. It is very important that your child arrive on time as it is very disruptive to the class. We have also found that any child who is brought in late takes longer to adjust. We are unable to accept a child into school after 10:30 a.m. Please call the office if your child will be late so we can include him/her in our lunch count.

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Disaster Preparedness

All schools have an emergency disaster plan in place. Staff members are First Aid and CPR certified and prepared to handle an emergency.

Dismissal Authorization

Please inform us in writing or by telephone if someone other than those originally authorized will be picking up your child. If the staff has not been informed of any different arrangements, we will not have the authority to release your child without your permission.

Tuition Policy

Pinecrest tuition is paid monthly. Tuition is due and payable on the first of the month and must reach us by the tenth. A service charge of $35.00 may be added to your account for tuition received after the tenth. Dishonored checks may be assessed an additional fee if received after the tenth. Dishonored checks may be assessed an additional fee of $35.00. Enrollment will be terminated at the discretion of the school for non-payment of tuition.

A fee of $1.00 per minute will be applied for children who are picked up after 12:30 p.m. (half day schedule) or after closing p.m. (full day schedule).

Should there be any extenuating circumstances that would prevent you from paying on a timely basis, please discuss this with the administrator prior to it becoming a problem.

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Vacations and Holidays Observed

Pinecrest School is closed on the following holidays/staff development days:

Calendar is subject to change

There is no tuition credit allowed for these days.

Medication

Medication will be administered to your child as long as it has been prescribed by your physician. The medication must be in the original container with the child's name, as well as the prescription number, name of the medication, dosage, and expiration date. Please add the child's room number. All medication must be carried on and off campus by an adult.

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Meals

Good eating habits and positive attitudes toward food should be established at an early age. At Pinecrest Schools, we provide well-balanced meals that include items from the four basic food groups with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables. We also provide nutritionally balanced morning and afternoon snacks. Milk/Juice is provided with every snack or meal.

Meals are prepared onsite and served in your child's classrooms. Second portions are available for hungry appetites. Menus are sent home to parents at the beginning of each month and are posted in each classroom and on the web site.

Nap Time

There is a rest period during the day from 12:30-2:30 p.m. for all children. Each child is assigned his/her own cot to sleep on. Sheets are provided for each child. We request that you provide a crib size blanket and small pillow if desired,

Toilet Training

Pinecrest School accepts children that are not yet potty trained in our toddler programs. Children must be 18 months old. Children are accepted into our preschool program at 2 1/2 years of age but must be completely potty trained. They must be able to use the bathroom independently.

Lost and Found

Please mark all items of personal property that your child brings to school. Items collected without names will be brought to the office. If your child loses an item, please check with the office or your child's teacher.

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Dress Code

Children must be fully dressed when they arrive at school. Because play activity is such an important part of the curriculum, clothing should be practical and comfortable. Hard soled shoes (dress shoes and cowboy boots), jellies, flip flops, zorries, and any open-toes shoes are not permitted at school. Please send your child with tennis shoes or rubber-soled shoes.

Extra Clothing

Be sure to send an extra change of clothes to school with your child. This extra set will be kept in your child's cubby. Please remember to label the clothing with your child's name. With the many weather changes, we also ask that your child keep a sweater or jacket at school.

Biting

As with any behavior, how biting is dealt with depends upon the ages of the children involved, the reason for the biting (if it can be determined), frequency of the biting and many other specific circumstances. General guidelines for biting include:

Depending on the ages and circumstances involved, additional actions might include:

Just as any other behavior issue regarding a child is confidential, the name of the child that has bitten is also confidential, in order to ensure the privacy of the child and family and prevent bias from others enrolled in the center. We will keep you informed as to what steps are being taken and if bites are from the same or a different child. Informative handouts are given to parents regarding biting.

Children who bite three times in the same day will be sent home.

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Head Lice

This is a very common occurrence in young children. This has nothing to do with cleanliness. They are very easily transmitted by leaning back in an upholstered chair where someone had previously sat who had head lice, sharing caps or helmets, hair accessories, brushes, combs, even sitting close and touching heads. Random lice checks are conducted by office personnel. If head lice is found on a child, the following steps are taken:

To avoid infestation, it is important to inspect all family members for two weeks and treat if infected. Nits on the scalp may be seen more easily on the hair at the back of the neck and above the ears.

Please be assured that we will do everything possible to prevent infestation in our center. With your support, we will stop the lice from spreading.

What your Child May Bring In From Home

Share day is every Friday at which time your child may bring one toy to share with his/her class. Books, cassettes and CDs are welcome at any time. Please do not allow your child to bring in items other days. Violent toys, videotapes, books, guns and swords may not be brought to school.

Birthdays

If your child has a birthday during the school year, perhaps you would like to share this special day with the class. You may want to send cupcakes or cookies and we will do the rest. Sheet cakes are not advisable as they take too much preparation and are much more difficult for a classroom function. Please notify the child's teacher in the event that you decide to celebrate here at school.

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Termination Of Enrollment

In certain circumstances, it may be necessary for the Administrator to decide to discontinue a child's attendance. Such a decision would be based on whether it is in the best interest of that child. Every effort will be made to correct a problematic situation before a final decision is made. Termination of enrollment may be the result of the following:

Illness

Colds, flu and other contagious diseases seem to occur frequently and spread easily among preschool and toddler children. To help protect your own child's health and to minimize the possibility of contagion at school, please keep your child at home if you observe any of the following symptoms:

If these symptoms of possibly contagious conditions are observed in your child during the day, you will be called to come pick up your child immediately.

When your child has a fever, please keep him/her at home an additional 24 hours after the temperature returns to normal. This will help to ensure that the illness has actually passed and that your child will be well enough to resume school activities.

Discipline Policy

Preventive Measures To Produce Acceptable Behavior

In order to maintain a happy, healthy, disciplined environment, the children are taught the importance of safety, care of property, good habits, rules of conduct and consideration and respect for others.

Constructive methods of discipline are used to maintain group control and handle individual behavior. Our main focus on discipline (teaching/training) is preventative in nature, as we aim to build self-discipline in the child.

Constructive Measures to Extinguish Unacceptable Behavior

When a child exhibits unacceptable behavior or attitudes, he/she is instructed as to what is wrong and then directed to a positive alternative approach/behavior. Along with these new attitudes and behaviors, the child is guided in the direction of self-discipline by encouraging him/her to make as many decisions as possible within limits. The limits are as follows:

If a child strikes another child, he/she and the other child are respectfully separated. Each child is asked to explain what happened (define the problem). After each child has verbally given information, they are asked to help solve the problem, talk to each other, reconcile with one another and are redirected to another activity.

If a child is disruptive, he/she will be respectfully asked to stop the behavior. If the child persists to the point of disruption again, he/she is reminded of his/her behavior and how it affects others. If the disruption continues, and the child willfully refuses to yield to instruction, he/she will be separated from the other children. After the child has been separated from the class activity for a short period of time (2 to 5 minutes) he/she will be invited to rejoin the class.

If a child continues to misbehave and disrupt the class, the parents will be asked to come in for a conference to discuss how we can best meet the needs of the child.

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