Preschool Forms

Discovery Pre-schoolers

A preschoolers program of Piper's Place Discovery Museum Handbook:

Table of Contents:

Welcome Letter

School Calendar

Tuition & Fees

Requirements for enrollment

Our School Day

Daily Brings

Dismissal

Communication

Appointments with Guides

Healthy Policies

Sickness

Recording & Reporting Accidents

Inclement of Weather

Emergencies

Photo Release

Student Discipline Policy

Discipline Procedures

Safety Procedures

Security Policies

Reporting Abuse & Neglect

Confidentiality

Dear Parents,

Welcome to Discovery Preschoolers, we are so excited you have decided to be a part of our community! We want to give your child a space where they can learn, grow and flourish in a safe and healthy environment.

As August draws near here are a few tips to help your little one prepare for their first day.

• Begin having conversations about school.

• Read books about going back to school and talk to them about how they are feeling.

• Drive by our location and show your child where they will be attending school.

• Attend our Meet & Greet

If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know!

Sincerely,

Christina Ruel

Museum Owner & Director

SCHOOL CALENDAR: To be posted each school year under documents and posted on site (subject to change)

Classroom Themes (subject to change based on guides/leadership discretion)

August: All About Me/ Five Senses

September: Apples

October: Bats, Spiders, Pumpkins

November: Thankful

December: Holidays around the World

January: Arctic Animals

February: Deep in the Heart of Florida, Social/Emotional kindness

March: Seasons

April: Planet Earth, Healthy Habits

May: Spring, Animals

TUTION AND FEES:

Tuition is due at 50% on the 1st day of each month and the remainder 50% is due on the 15^th. There is a 2 day grace period for each 50% payment due date. After this time there is a $10 day late fee. After 5 days late the student will be unenrolled and until the balance becomes zero late fees will continue to incur. The student can become unenrolled based on late fees. If a payment is declined or returned, you will be charged a $50.00 fee and any bank fee if applicable. The Director will notify you that your payment was declined and it will be the parent’s responsibility to provide current payment information. The online payment system will have a service card charge added, to avoid this charge, you may pay via a monthly check or cash and no fee will be charged.

REGISTRATION FEES:

An annual $150.00 non-refundable registration fee applies for each student enrolled in the program. The registration fee is required at the time of enrollment acceptance. The registration fee reserves your child’s place in the program for the school year.

The annual $125 supply fee covers all child’s supplies and materials throughout the school year. This may include art supplies, classroom materials, and other consumables.

Tuition:

Two Days weekly program: $90 weekly
Three days Weekly: $115 weekly
Five Days Weekly: $140 weekly

Tuition is collected weekly through the entirety of the school year even if there is a holiday or school break, as the annual tuition is divided by all of the weeks in the school year regardless of attendance, holiday break or closure. There are no credits/makeups for absences, weather closures, unavoidable school closures or holidays

STUDENT GUIDE GUIDE RATIO:

Children are placed in learning pods according to their age on August 1 of each school year, and in mixed aged groups for recreation and extracurricular activities. Guide-to-Child ratios are followed and comply with the department of children and families’ ratios. for each school day:

ORIENTATION/ MEET THE GUIDE

An orientation for all children and their parents will be scheduled prior to the first day of class. The orientation is designed to allow you and your child to meet your child’s guides and staff, to take a tour of the facility, and learn the general policies and procedures of our Discovery School.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ENROLLMENT:

Upon enrollment and payment of initial fees, the parent receives preschool guidelines, nutrition information, permission forms, and health and immunization forms.

On the first day a child attends school, the office must have in each child’s file:

• A completed set of enrollment paperwork (online)

• Registration Fee

• A record of immunization or a completed exemption form and a physical well child exam dated within the last 12 months

• A signed statement from each child’s parent that they have received our student handbook

PLEASE NOTE: We are required to have each of these forms in our files in order to maintain our license to operate. State law prohibits students with incomplete files after 30 days to attend class until we have received their missing paperwork. We appreciate your cooperation.

OUR SCHOOL DAY: To ensure the safety of our children and all members of the community, it is of utmost importance that we practice safety and courtesy while in the parking lot and obey the posted signs year-round. Please watch out for others, drive slowly and hold the hands of very young children.

Arrival times can be busy times, and they set the tone for our day. Help your child have a successful start to their day by doing the following when you and your child arrive at school:

Greet your child’s guide.

Communicate any important information they should know about your child’s morning or changes to their schedule.

Help your child organize their belongings.

Check to be sure that your child has all of their required daily items (see the following page) and that their water bottle and lunch box is labeled with their name.

You must wash your child’s hands at check in before you drop them with their guide.

Sign your child in on the system provided

Separation

Separation from a parent or caregiver into the classroom is an important accomplishment for every preschooler. Though you may wish to remain with a child who is having difficultly separating, trust that your child’s guides are well trained to handle such occurrences, that your child is learning important skills, and that tears are often solely for the parent’s benefit. You can help your child most by conveying happiness and confidence in their well-being, stating your expected departure (sneaking out can be terrifying for the child - as it will seem you have vanished), and then leaving. Your child’s guide will be available if you need to hand an emotional child to them for some one-on-one time before they transition to begin their day.

Sample Day Activity Rotation Schedule:

Arrival and Circle Time that is topic focused but child led in designing the correlating learning activities and programs

Multi Age Pod Group Play

Learning Pod Focus that is play based guided (Math/Science/Literature/Art & Music/ Social & Emotional)

Snack

Outdoor Play

Closing Discussions & Pack for Departure

Daily Brings

Clothing: Please send in a labeled extra change of clothes that are appropriate for the season. We do play outside every day, so please dress your child for the weather. Make sure your child is wearing shoes for easy movement. Flip-flops, clogs, dressy shoes, boots, and slick-bottomed shoes often cause children to fall when running outside, and limit their play.

Lunch Boxes: Please make sure to label all lunch boxes with your child’s full name. All lunchboxes should have the daily snack items that are easy to eat and should not require heating or cooling. We feel strongly that good food both benefit your child’s health and also positively influence their energy while at school. Please try your best to send in food that have nutritive value and do not contain sugar as a primary ingredient (such as candy, soda, cupcakes, chocolate etc.)

*Due to children with allergies or certain dietary needs, students will not share food.

Containers: Use plastic only for storing food or drinks in lunch boxes. No glass, please.

Water: You must send in a water bottle labeled with your child’s name. It will be kept in your child’s cubby for your child to drink from throughout the day. This water bottle must be taken home and replaced with a clean water bottle every day.

Recess

Students will get outdoor and indoor play daily because we believe play is an essential part of child development. Outdoor play is directly related to a child’s physical strength, weight and immune function. Kids who are active throughout childhood are usually more likely to engage in regular exercise later in life. Encouraging outdoor play in young children helps develop a healthy attitude about maintaining an energetic adult lifestyle. When compared with their peers, kids who spend more time outdoors typically exhibit the following attributes; advanced fine motor skills, lower body mass index, improved muscle strength, greater self-awareness and a greater sense and respect for nature.

Dismissal

Change in pickup person: Please notify your child’s guide in writing, if someone other than you will be picking up your child. Make sure that a list of people who can pick up your child (in addition to legal parents and guardians) is on file in the school office. If someone who is not on the list will be picking up your child, they will only be allowed to do so if you have notified the guide and/or after school in advance, in writing. Anyone picking up students must provide a photo ID. Piper’s Place guides and staff are not responsible for the care of your child once you have signed them out from school. Signing Out is required each day. Because your child remains the responsibility of the Piper’s Place staff as long as they are on campus. Parents have a 5 min grace period, after which we will charge $5 per minute you are late.

Communication

Parents are expected to receive, read, and respond to all communication from the school. Information and communication will be sent to both parents. Guides cannot act as a mediator between parents. Much of the communication within your classroom and from the administration will be done by a communication platform, including informative information from your child’s guide and monthly newsletter. You will receive a monthly newsletter with calendar updates, upcoming events and Discovery Preschoolers information.

Appointments With Guides

Guides cannot be available for impromptu meetings/discussions at arrival times (other than a quick message), as they are preparing for class and greeting their students upon arrival. Others may not be available at departure times, especially when they have faculty meetings and other meetings to attend after classes are dismissed. Please see the school director to provide needed information.

Health Policies

Medical Reports A record of immunizations and a physical examination within the past 12 months must be completed and on file at school prior to your child’s first day of attendance. Records should also include results of any screenings, prescribed medications, descriptions of any impairments and current or chronic health conditions. All children are required to either be immunized or to have a medical or religious exemption on file in the school office. Non-immunized students might be prohibited from attending school if an outbreak occurs for which they have not been immunized.

Administration of Medicine:

No medicine can be administered during the program by any staff.

Health Rules for Attendance:

Children should be kept home from school if they are feverish, have diarrhea, are vomiting, have dark mucous nasal discharge, or if they show signs of becoming sick (listlessness/drowsiness, productive cough, extreme sore throat, ear pain, eyes that are pink, burning, itching, or producing discharge). See exclusion criteria on the following page. We realize that it is difficult for working parents to keep their children home, but exclusion will help prevent contagion and promote the health and safety of your own child. Please notify the school if your child has a highly communicable disease or condition, so that all other parents can be alerted. If your child becomes ill during the school day, every effort will be made to make them comfortable, away from the other children. A parent will be called to come and pick them up.

Children who have or had the following symptoms in the past 72 hours will not be allowed at school

1. Temperature greater that 100.1 (without Tylenol). Temperatures will be taken with a digital thermometer upon arrival and multiple times throughout the day.

2. Respiratory issues: such as a dry cough or shortness of breath

3. Yellow or green discharge from eyes or nose

4. Swelling in any part of the body

5. Vomiting

6. Lethargic behavior

7. Diarrhea

8. Any rash other than diaper rash unless diagnosed by a physician as non-contagious.

9. Child is uncomfortable to the point of not being able to participate in activities and is in greater need of care than the staff can provide without compromising the supervision of the other children. YOUR CHILD MAY NOT COME TO Pipers Place UNTIL HE/SHE HAS BEEN COMPLETELY FREE FROM ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS FOR A FULL 72 HOURS.

To prevent the spread of illness and disease, it is important for your child to be well before he/she returns to school.

Please follow these guidelines for when your child may return to school:

ILLNESS RETURN TO SCHOOL

Hand Foot & Mouth: Fever free for 72 hours & all lesions are crusted over

Pink Eye 24 hours on medication and no eye discharge

Strep Throat 72 hours after initial dose of antibiotics and fever free for 72 hours

Head Lice After first treatment and when ALL nits are gone

Ring Worm No restrictions, if treated (should be covered)

Ear Infections No restrictions, if fever free for 72 hours and child is comfortable

A doctor’s note may be required for children or staff to validate their illness or to return to school. We appreciate your consideration in evaluating your child’s health for the protection of other children at school. If your child contracts a communicable disease, the school must be notified and your child should not return to school until free of symptoms. Parents will be notified if your child’s class has been exposed to any such diseases.

Hand Washing

Hand washing greatly cuts down on the transfer of germs. We ask that all children and adults wash their hands with soap immediately upon entering school in the morning and from outside play. We also sanitize / wash our hands before and after eating, before and after water play, after working with Play Dough and other sensorial materials, and after toileting, nose blowing, finger sucking, or touching any contaminated objects and surfaces.

Withdrawing:

We understand that circumstances may change, and families may need to withdraw their child from Discovery Preschoolers. To facilitate a smooth process, we have established the following withdrawal policy:

1. Notice Requirement: Withdraw request must be provided by the 1^st or the 15^th of each month. If withdraw is advised on the 1^st month then the student will be unenrolled on the 1^st of the following month. Tuition will be due for the entire month in which the notice was given.

2. If notice is given on the 15^th of the month, the student will be unenrolled on the fifteenth of the following month. Tuition will be due for the entire month in which notice was given and for the first 50% of the tuition on the month in which the withdraw will occur.

2. Fees: Families are responsible for tuition fees up to the effective date of withdrawal. No refunds will be issued for fees paid for withdraw.

3. Procedure: Upon receipt of the withdrawal notice, the school administration will confirm the effective date of withdrawal and provide any necessary paperwork or information.

4. Exceptional Circumstances: In exceptional circumstances, such as relocation or significant family changes, the administration may consider alternative arrangements regarding notice and fees.

This policy ensures that both Pipers Place and the families we serve can plan effectively and respectfully manage transitions. For any questions or clarification regarding this policy, please contact the school administration.

RECORDING AND REPORTING ACCIDENTS:

All injuries involving bumps to the head, bleeding, broken bones, and/or requiring medical treatment are recorded in an incident log. An incident report is also filled out, and parents are informed of the injury/accident. The report is signed by the Discovery School staff member completing it and by the parent and kept in the child’s student file. Copies are given to the parent and director, and one is sent to the state division. EMERGENCIES All guides have First Aid and CPR training, which is routinely updated. In the event of an emergency concerning your child, the school will first contact you, the parent, and then, if necessary, the backup emergency contacts. If the emergency requires immediate medical care, we will call for an ambulance while we are contacting you. Throughout the year, please notify the school office of any phone number changes for you or your emergency contacts (including work and cell phone numbers).

INCLEMENT WEATHER:

We follow the Nassau County FL school district weather closings, please refer to their website. We will also send out an email or message as soon as we get a weather update.

PHOTO RELEASE:

Occasionally a newspaper or television station wishes to do a story and take a few pictures of our children involving one of our field trips or an activity at school. We also use photos and articles about student activities and accomplishments on the school website, Facebook, and publications. You will be asked to sign a press release / photo release form, which will be one of the initial forms you will be given upon your child’s admission. If you choose to not sign the form, or if after signing it you change your mind, your desire will be honored. In that case, your child’s picture may still appear on materials that have already been designed and printed, but his/her image will no longer be used on new materials.

STUDENT DISCIPLINE POLICY:

The discipline policy at Piper’s Place Discovery Museum is consistent with the educational philosophy of Positive Discipline by Jane Nelsen, Ed.D. It safeguards each member of the school community and furthers the mental, emotional, physical, social/moral, and spiritual domains of our curriculum. Essentially, our discipline approach is not just to keep students “behaving” so the guide can teach. It is an important part of the curriculum -- helping students learn how to work together, respect their community, and to be mindful of the needs of others. To this end, each student shall conduct themselves in a manner that supports the general learning environment, respects the right of all to live and learn in a physically and emotionally safe atmosphere, develops independent and collaborative learning skills, supports the development of problem solving skills, and generally upholds the noblest aspects of the human spirit. 1. Guidelines/rules are discussed as a class. Children are taught to use calming spaces and techniques. 2. Behavior is redirected. We redirect a child’s activity to another center where the energy is more appropriate, i.e. sand, water, clay, hammering, play dough. 3. Reminders are given and use of a calming space is encouraged. 4. Problems are discussed. We discuss a problem with the child or group rationally and try to think of solutions together and examine their possible effects. Calming techniques are discussed and practiced. 5. Warnings with natural consequences are given if behavior persists. For example, a child may be asked to put work away if playing disrespectfully. Calming techniques are practiced to help change the child’s energy. 6. There are times when a child’s energy is such that they are not able to cope with their feelings alone, or is simply not able to sit alone by themself for a minute. In such instances, intervention is necessary, another staff member may be asked to intervene and give the child extra attention until they are able to re-enter group activity. 7. Generally, our environment and activities are designed in such a way as to avoid the need for disciplinary measures. Our faculty is trained to use early intervention, to help shape the classroom atmosphere toward a happy, harmonious, texful one. Guides give the children lots of positive feedback and affection, and vary the rhythm of activity during the day to provide for successful experiences. The staff offers a variety of materials to work with in order that extra energy can be vented naturally. In cases of discord, children learn to say to each other how they feel and to listen carefully to each other’s feelings. This facilitates their solving their own problems instead of a guides solving it for them. Children are taught to consider each other’s feelings and are given lots of positive strokes for caring behavior. Removal from Class or Dismissal from School The physical and emotional safety of students at Piper’s Place Discovery Museum is our top priority. Most behavioral issues are either prevented altogether or resolved quickly with minimal disruption to the class. However, no classroom or community is without its challenges. So, how do we determine when a student needs to be removed from the classroom temporarily? While every child and situation is unique, the general guidelines for separating a child and notifying parents are: 1. The child has targeted violent or emotionally aggressive or damaging behavior toward another child or children. In this case, often the “victim(s)” need some separation from the aggressor, so they have time to regain a sense of safety in the classroom. Plus, separating the child can sometimes help the child understand how serious or potentially damaging their behavior is for others. 2. The behavior is repetitive, even if no single event is serious enough to warrant removal, a guides will use their discretion to determine when it is pervasive enough that the class needs a break and the student needs more direct consequences to understand the situation and work on changing behavior. 3. If a child's behavior significantly disrupts instructional time and the classroom environment to a level deemed unmanageable by the guide, the child may be suspended from Discovery School. Tuition for the remaining school days in that month will not be refunded.

SAFTEY PROCEDURES

Evacuation Procedures Fire drills and severe weather/tornado drills are held biannually. Piper’s Place Discovery Museum Emergency Preparedness Plan is designed to ensure the safety of children and staff during an emergency by addressing staff responsibility and facility readiness with respect to emergency evacuation and relocation. When the decision is made to evacuate the facility, the Director will make the announcement in the most expeditious way possible that all persons are to evacuate to their assigned assembly area and await further instruction. The building is to be evacuated completely. The Director will notify appropriate personnel and communicate what type of emergency is present. In the event of an actual fire, the Director or guide is responsible for notifying 9-1-1 of the emergency from a cell phone outside the building once the evacuation is complete. In the event of an evacuation, the children will relocate to the open field next to the building. Security Policy All Piper’s Place Discovery Museum guides will be required to wear a name tag to help identify the staff. While our museum will be open some hours of discovery preschoolers our students will not intermix with the general public. Piper’s Place Discovery Museum has closed circuit cameras located in the main room and the classrooms. In order to protect the privacy of our children, only the Director, will be able to view the footage. For this reason, the cameras are not available to access via the internet. If a child is released from the program there are no refunds for any fees or tuition paid and tuition will still be owed for any accrued/occurred.

REPORTING ABUSE AND NEGLECT

Florida law requires caregivers to report suspected child abuse or neglect to the Florida Department of Children and Families or law enforcement. Failure to report suspected abuse or neglect is a crime. All of our staff will participate in annual training in prevention techniques, how to recognize symptoms of abuse and neglect, and the responsibility and procedure of reporting. This information will be included in employee orientation for all new employees also. For more information on awareness and prevention of child abuse, sexual abuse and neglect visit https://www.myflfamilies.com. Also, available in the office are handouts on: How to recognize child abuse, where to find help in Florida, Information on reporting, and a list of local community resources. Parents may request copies of the handouts at any time. LEGAL ISSUES State guidelines require that Piper’s Place Discovery Museum be a smoke free, alcohol free, and drug free environment. Children will not be released to anyone who shows signs of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The parent or guardian must communicate in writing to the Piper’s Place Discovery Museum Director, information such as restraining orders, change in persons who are allowed to pick-up children, and any other sensitive information that could affect the children. Please understand that we work within legal guidelines. Children’s records are kept confidential, and are the property Piper’s Place Discovery Museum.

PROGRAM LICENSING

Our program falls under licensing, which means that we are subject to Florida’s Department of children and family’s regulations and oversight. We are dedicated to providing a safe and nurturing environment for your child and are committed to maintaining the highest standards of care for your child. Our staff is trained, degreed, professionals and have been background checked.

CONFIDENTIALITY

All Piper’s Place Discovery Museum employees understand that information regarding children and families of Piper’s Place Discovery Museum Discovery Pre-School members should be held in the strictest confidence. It is with that in mind that all employees are asked to prohibiting using photographs of current or former students on personal social networking site such as Facebook, Twitter, personal blogs, etc. In addition Piper’s Place Discovery Museum employees are prohibited from fraternization, additional outside family services such as childcare and socializing with parents via direct or any sites, it is understood that they will adhere to all facets of Piper’s Place Discovery Museum Social Networking Policy and that both staff and parents will conduct themselves in a manner conducive to sustaining a positive, professional environment at Piper’s Place Discovery Museum.