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Welcome!
The Learn & Play Board
of Directors, Director, and teaching staff
want to thank you for choosing us to join you
in nurturing your child's early
development. We look forward to supporting you and providing your child
with a warm and memorable
preschool experience.
Mission Statement:
Learn &
Play Preschool Child Care Center is an outreach of
The United Methodist
Church of Branford. Our goal is to provide a quality
education and a
nurturing atmosphere.
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Philosophy:
Learn & Play
Preschool Child Care Center is a not for profit preschool
licensed by the State
of Connecticut. Our staff provides an environment that supports
the child's sense of
security, confidence, independence and genuine love of learning. Our
team of early childhood educators strives to be developmentally
appropriate by providing
children with a
balanced curriculum incorporating both teacher-directed and child-directed
learning experiences. Our small class sizes allow for individualized
successes
during whole class, teacher-directed instruction. Child-directed
activity centers, enriched
with hands-on
materials, engage each child's natural curiosity and encourage him or
her to explore his world at his pace. All experiences are designed to
foster the child's social,
emotional,
intellectual and physical growth. We welcome a diversity of children
into our school so they can experience God's love, grow in it and carry
it into the world.
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Learn & Play Board:
Learn & Play Board over-sees and governs Learn & Play Preschool Child
Care Center. It is made up of the United Methodist Church members, the
Pastor, the Director of L & P and a teacher representative. Cecilia
Jones is the Chairman of this committee. If there are any questions you
wish to ask, her home telephone number is 203-453-1145.
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Staff:
Learn &
Play Preschool Child Care Center hires educated, experienced and
nurturing individuals
to care for the children at our school. Staff members include the
Director, Teachers,
Assistant Teachers and Lunch Aides. In accordance with State
regulations, staff
members continue their education by taking college courses or attending
a variety of
workshops.
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Consultants:
The Learn & Play Board
of Directors consists of the Chairperson, the
Pastor,
representatives of the United Methodist Church, and the Learn & Play
Director. An
education consultant, pediatric consultant, dental consultant and social
services
consultant is contracted annually by Learn & Play Preschool Child Care
Center. Please
consult our Licensing
Board, located in our foyer, for a current listing of each consultant.
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Class sizes:
Our rooms are designed
for groups of twelve children. State Licensing
requires that a 10:1
ratio be maintained at all times for children above age 3. Children
under the age
of 3 have a 4:1 ratio maintained at all times.
The goal of Learn &
Play Preschool is to have classes conducted by one teacher and one
assistant
teacher as necessary.
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Open Door Policy:
Although we keep our
doors locked for security, parents/guardians
may visit at any
time. You are welcome to observe a session, assist in classroom projects
or attend a
variety of special events announced throughout the year. Please ring the
doorbell if you
have not scheduled a visit.
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Parent Obligations:
The parent or
guardian, prior to the child's starting date at Learn
and Play must provide
completed:
·
a completed Enrollment
Form.
·
a completed Emergency
Medical Permission Card.
·
a current Physical
Examination Form, signed and dated by the child's physician.
This form must be
updated as necessary so that it is current, within one year of
each exam.
·
a signed Handbook
Acknowledgement Statement, agreeing to comply with all
policies and
procedures as outlined in this handbook.
·
a signed Parent
Financial Agreement Form, outlining each financial agreement
with Learn & Play.
·
A completed Emergency
Medical Permission Card
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Registration Fee:
Each year parents are
asked to register their child for the upcoming
school year. A
registration fee will be collected annually. This is necessary to enroll
your child.
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Deposit:
A deposit is the
second fee necessary to enroll your child. Your deposit is due
at the time of
registration. For the preschooler that only attends the Nursery School,
the deposit
equals to one month's tuition. Your deposit is applied to the last month
of school and
therefore pays your May tuition. For year round Child Care students,
your deposit
amounts to your one week fee. This deposit will be applied to your
child's last week with Learn &Play.
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Tuition:
Our Nursery school
year tuition is divided into nine equal payments. A
monthly tuition rate
will be defined for you on your Parent Financial Agreement Form
based on your
selected schedule. Your deposit pays for your May tuition. All other
tuition
payments are due on the first day of each month, starting in September,
for a total of
nine equal payments. If tuition is not paid, and other pre-arranged
plans are not made
with the Director,
the child may not attend school until tuition is paid in full. For the
children
attending year round, payment is required on a weekly basis. Full
Payment is
required each week, even if your child is absent.
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Late Tuition Payment Fees:
Late
Payment Fees, as designated on your Parent
Financial Agreement
Form, will be applied to your account when tuition is not paid by
the tenth of the month
for Nursery School. Payment for Child Care needs to be made
promptly by Tuesday
or you will be subject to a late charge of $1.00 per day beginning
with Wednesday
of that week.
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Returned Check Fees:
Returned Check Fee,
as established on your Parent Financial
Agreement Form, of $25.00 will be charged to
your account for checks marked
"insufficient funds."
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Sibling Discounts:
There are discounts
for families with two or more siblings
attending Learn and
Play Preschool Child Care Center during the same school year. Our
Sibling Discount is
10%. This is applied to the lowest priced child’s tuition.
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United Methodist
Church Member Discount:
Families who are active UMC members
in the tradition of prayers, presence, gifts, and service can write a
letter to the Board of
Directors each year, requesting a UMC Discount. Once the request is
approved at a Board Meeting,
the letter will be kept in your child's file and your discount will be
put into effect. Our UMC
member discount is 15% off the annual tuition subject to annual review.
No other discount applies.
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Scholarships:
Learn & Play Preschool
is an outreach of the United Methodist Church.
Families choosing
Learn & Play Preschool may request financial assistance from the
Board Of Directors.
To do so, please request a Scholarship Application from the
Director. Once the
request is approved at a Board Meeting, the letter will be kept in your
child's file
and your discount will be put into effect. No other discount applies.
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Fundraisers:
We do conduct
fundraisers during the school year. Family participation
is expected. Teachers
use the additional income to purchase special items for their
classrooms or to
schedule special guests at our school We greatly appreciate your
efforts.
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Transportation:
Parents/guardians
have the responsibility to transport their child to
and from school. To
ensure the utmost safety, please secure your child into car safety
seat and hold
your child's hand in the parking lot. An adult must escort the child
into the
building and out of the building.
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Routines for
Dropping Off and Picking Up Children:
For Nursery School
preschoolers
scheduled for AM/PM sessions, our doors will open five minutes before
the session
begins. An adult should sign the child into Learn & Play Preschool on
the Attendance
Sheet located at the head of the stairs. All children should be in
attendance
within a ten-minute time frame. Five minutes after the start of the
session, the doors will
be locked for our
safety. Please avoid tardiness so that classroom routines can be
established and
maintained and the staff can accomplish the business of the day. The
doors will open
five minutes before the end of each session.
For children using
extended hours, please ring the bell and someone will open the door
for you.
Adults should sign
the child out on the Attendance Sheet. You must inform the staff in
writing if you
give permission for your child to be picked by someone else. This
includes the
adults listed on the Emergency pick up list. This person must present a
photo ID in
order for the child to be released to their custody. If no written note
is provided, the
Director will call you
to confirm your plans.
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Late Pick Up Fee:
Please be prompt when
picking up your child. It undermines your
child's sense of
security when children are picked up late. The Late Pick-Up Fee,
designated on your
Parent Financial Agreement Form, will be enforced.
Our Child Care hours
of operation are 7:00 to 5:45. We allow you to have a "grace
period" between 5:45
and 6:00. After 6:00 PM, the fee is $10.00 per 15 minutes
period(s) thereafter.
For Preschool, a $10.00 late fee will be charged if you pick up your
child 15
minutes late and thereafter. Please call us if you will be late.
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Inclement Weather Policy:
For the Preschool
Nursery Sessions, we follow the
decision of the
Branford school system to close, be dismissed early, or to delay. Look
for Learn &
Play Preschool, listed on News Channel 8 - WTNH television. Preschools
are usually
listed after public schools and before businesses. Specific Learn & Play
Preschool
information will be printed on the television screen for you.
For the Child Care
Center portion of Learn & Play, an effort will be made to stay open.
In case of
severely inclement weather, the decision will be made by the Director.
Call Learn &
Play at 203-488-4028.
For Nursery
School, after 3 days of inclement weather closings we do schedule make
up days. Tuition remains the same.
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Health Policies:
Our primary consideration is for the well
being of all the children and
staff. Children with the following symptoms will be kept home;
Vomiting Diarrhea
Strep/sore
throat Ear pain
Lice
Rashes or any other type of skin eruption
Congested
cough Apparent
yellow or green discharge from eyes or nose
Conjunctivitis
Chills
Elevated temperature
(100-F) Very pale or flushed
Listlessness
Fatigue
In need of
constant one-on-one attention
If the symptoms
develop while your child is in attendance, you will be contacted to pick
up your child. Our consulting physician will be called for advice or
emergencies in the
event that a parent
or child's physician is temporarily unavailable.
The child may
return after being symptom free for 24 hours and fever free for 24 hours
without the use of fever
reducing medications.
There are no
make-up days for missed sessions due to illness and tuition remains the
same for Nursery School children.
For Child Care
children, make up time will be given IF space is available. Make up days
must be used (space permitting) within
three months of initial absence. Your fee stays
the same.
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Communication:
Parent/school communication is very important
to us. Our partnership supports your child's growth and development.
Please provide the teacher with pertinent information about home
situations and the teacher will provide you with
information about your child's
activities during preschool. The Director can support you by discussing
and working through any concern you may have or any situation that may
develop during the year.
Confidential matters will be handled as such.
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Family Orientation:
Parents and children attending Nursery School
will be invited to attend an
Orientation Day before school sessions begin. Letters notifying parents
of dates and times will be mailed home. Families will spend time
with the classroom staff and have a chance to preview and explore the
classroom. Children attending full-time Child
Care can schedule a visit anytime.
The Director will plan additional visits in an effort to
ease everyone into a comfortable
transition from home to school.
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Parent Bulletin Board:
Check the Parent Board, located in the foyer,
on a regular basis. Copies of the Learn & Play school year calendar,
tuition rates, newsletters, office memos, a variety of public
announcements and photographs from school events will be
displayed in our foyer for your
convenience.
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Monthly Newsletters:
A newsletter containing the concepts we will
cover each month, announcements
of special events and a classroom news section will be distributed
at the end of
each month for the following month. Please read it and find a special
place at home
to post it so that your family will know what is going on at school.
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Lesson Plans:
The teachers will post
their lesson plans on their classroom doors.
Review the plans to
see how monthly concepts are being introduced to your child's class
and to gain
insight into the day-to-day plans the teacher has for your child.
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Incident/Accident Reports:
Teachers
will document incidents (ie: hitting a peer) or
accidents (ie: a
scraped knee) relating to your child while at school. These reports will
be shared with you at the end of the session. Parents are contacted
immediately if a situation
requiring
parental/medical attention is necessary.
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Parent/Teacher Conferences:
We hold
Parent/Teacher Conferences in January and
May. This provides an
opportunity for parents to meet with their child's teacher and
discuss the child's
progress and development at that time. If desired, arrangements may
be made with
the teacher for a conference at any time during the school year.
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Parent Meeting:
The Learn & Play
Board of Directors will conduct a Parent Meeting
each year. Parents are
encouraged to use this forum to voice their thoughts about their
experiences at Learn
& Play Preschool Child Care Center. Your opinions are valuable to
Learn & Play. They
will help us plan for a bright future of community service and
continued education
of young children.
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Adjusting:
Your positive, happy
outlook regarding preschool will encourage the same attitude in your
child. A more relaxed parent makes a more relaxed child. During the
first weeks of
school your child may
• be shy and cling
to you.
• not say much
about the school day.
• tire easily and
cry more than usual.
• be aggressive
and have difficulty sharing.
• resist using the
school bathroom and/or have "accidents."
These behaviors are in
response to the stress of a new situation and should slowly
disappear as your
child becomes familiar with the staff, classroom routines, and other
children in the
group.
Families can be
understanding and emotionally supportive by
• having a
positive, cheerful attitude when bringing their child to school.
• ensuring
consistent bedtime rituals and a good night's sleep each and every
night.
• allowing lots of
time for personal routine, a nourishing breakfast and a pleasant
ride to school.
• asking specific
questions regarding preschool such as, "How did you create this
artwork?" "What was
your favorite part of morning circle?" or "Who did you
play with on the
playground today?"
• allowing children
time to adjust to the new routines of school.
Visit your local
library or book store for addition information. There are many wonderful
books that can
help ease apprehension and encourage healthy conversations about
school.
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Dismissing a child from
the program:
We plan for success
for each child in our preschool and child care program. We will
work together as a team to support a positive learning experience for
everyone. In the event that it becomes necessary, Learn and Play
Preschool Child Care
Center reserves the right to dismiss a child from the program.
Some of the reasons
this action may be initiated include:
• Financial
obligations are not met
• Parents are not in
compliance with Learn and Play Preschool Child Care Center
policies
• A child has been
in attendance but has not made progress towards a happy and
secure adjustment
away from home
• A child becomes
extremely disruptive or poses serious danger to himself or others
In the event that
Learn & Pky Preschool Child Care Center dismisses a child from the
program and there is prepaid tuition, you will be reimbursed for the
unused amount of
prepaid tuition within
ten business days of the withdrawal date.
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Discipline Policy:
Teachers plan balances
of quiet and active times as well as
individual and group
involvement during each session. We consider what is appropriate
for each developmental
stage and believe proper planning reduces the need for
disciplinary action.
Discipline is necessary for all of us to live in the world together. The
ultimate
discipline conies from within and does not depend on external reward or
punishment. An
important part of teaching involves helping children develop self
discipline. At Learn
and Play Preschool Child Care Center we empower children with
responsibility for
their own behavior by;
• Using a gentle,
objective speaking voice and being attentive with our presence.
• Using positive
verbal comments such as, "I like the way you shared the blocks
with your friends." In
this way the child's good feeling about his own behavior is
reinforced and he
serves as a role model for other children.
• Being consistent
and setting limits because helping children know what is
expected of them
leads to their success.
• Setting clear
limits while stating the expected behavior in positive terms. For
example "You need to
walk indoors." rather than, "Don't run!" Sometimes the
combination of
acceptable behavior and specifying the unacceptable behavior is
used. For instance,
"Blocks are for building, not throwing."
• Redirecting the
child's attention when behavior is becoming inappropriate. On
this occasion, we help
the child to see choices and options available to them. We
allow the child to
make a choice for self-redirection. This teaches children to
problem solve
appropriately and to eventually follow rules and make appropriate
choices throughout
the day.
• Giving the child
an appropriate task to complete. Occasionally the child may
make inappropriate
choices that require the teacher to make a choice at that
instant for him. The
teacher redirects the child from one specific area to another.
The teacher then
communicates with the child as he makes attempts towards
appropriate behavior;
for instance, "You're molding your piece of clay and
sharing ideas with
your neighbor."
• Removing the
child from an activity if he has caused harm to another child. We want
to help children understand there are consequences for their actions. We
will provide some time and space for him to refocus. The affected child
will be
attended to. Then, teacher and child together will discuss the incident
before the
child returns to the activity. Incident and Accident Reports will be
given to
parents at the end of the session.
• Never, under any
circumstances, using abusive, neglectful, corporal, humiliating, or
frightening punishment, or any kind of physical restraint, unless such
restraint is
necessary to protect the health and safety of the child or other people.
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Child Abuse / Neglect:
Background checks are
conducted on employees working
directly with the
children. Should an employee be suspected of child abuse/neglect after
they are hired,
the employee will be immediately removed from the school and for the
duration of
the investigation period. Parents will be notified in writing if such an
instance
occurs. The outcome of the investigation will also be communicated to
parents in
writing.
As educators in the
State of Connecticut, we are mandated to report all suspected
cases of child
abuse and/or neglect. If a staff member suspects a child at our center
is being abused
or neglected, a report must be made to the proper authorities.
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Personal Belongings:
Please label all of
your child's belongings, including
lunchboxes,
backpacks, toys and clothing. This avoids confusion and the loss of
items.
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Dressing for School:
Comfortable clothing
is important for learning and playing.
Proper footwear is
vital for outside play. Closed toe shoes with rubber soles are
recommended for
staying safe. Sneakers are a GREAT choice. If you choose not wear
sneakers for inside
play, please bring them along so you can change into them. Please dress
your children in appropriate clothing for the seasons. We try to go
outside daily
even for a short while.
Please provide a set
of labeled clothes in a plastic bag to be kept at Learn & Play.
Under the
recommendation of the State of Connecticut Department of Health, our
policy states
that all soiled clothing is to be sealed in a zip lock and returned home
AS IS. Learn &
Play is required to wear gloves when cleaning up any bodily fluids (i.e.
urine, feces,
vomit, mucus, blood, etc.) Learn & Play staff is not required to rinse
out or wash soiled
clothing. This is to
protect children and adults from transmitting bacteria and viruses.
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Medication:
No medication of any
kind including non-prescription drugs will be
administered to any
child without a completed authorization form—signed and dated by
your child's doctor
and yourself. These authorization forms are available from us.
Medication must be
supplied in the original container with the original container
prescription label
bearing the child's name. This container will remain at Learn & Play for
the length of the prescription—it cannot go back and forth from home.
Parent will
provide any special tools or equipment (ei. Measuring spoon, nebulizer
etc).
Application of
non-prescription topical medications/preparations such as insect
repellents, sunscreens and diaper rash ointments do not require a
physician's
authorization. A written parental consent is necessary.
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