Preschool
Handbook
201
North 19th
Fort
Smith, AR 72901
(479)
783-6601
www.stbonifaceschool.org
Revised August 2011
Teachers: Ms. Audra Hall, Ms. Carrie Vargas, Mrs. Crystal
Babitzke
Principal: Dr. Karen Hollenbeck
What You
Need To Know Before Your First Day
Hours
Our facility is open from 7:30-6:00 from Monday-Friday.
What to
Wear
St. Boniface Preschool does have a school uniform policy.
The uniform policy can be found at the end of this handbook. Students should
wear tennis shoes and socks every day.
What to
bring
Your child will need a small backpack or tote bag and a
complete, weather appropriate, change of clothes (shirt, shorts/pants/skirt,
socks, and underwear).
Meals and
Snacks
Daily snacks will be provided by the school. Lunches can
either be purchased in the school cafeteria or sent to school as a sack lunch.
St. Boniface Preschool is a part of the National School Lunch Program. Free and
reduced lunches are available. Forms will be sent out in August of each year or
you may contact the school office for more information.
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Allergies: Please notify your child’s teacher if your
child has any allergies!
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Toys from
home
Children are encouraged to leave their toys at home. We do
not often watch TV or DVDs, and media shown must have a learning purpose. Please
do not allow your child to bring videos or DVDs to school.
Arrival
and Departure
Plan to arrive between 7:30-7:50 a.m. Park in the parking
lot on the corner of North “C” and North 18th. Walk with your child
to his/her classroom. Be sure to sign your child in each morning and sign out
each afternoon. No child will be released to persons not authorized by a parent
or guardian. Students must be signed in and out by an adult who is over 18
years old.
Curriculum
We provide a DAP (developmentally-appropriate practice),
faith-based environment for our preschoolers.
We believe
·
That children learn by using their senses and by
moving.
·
That each child learns and develops and his/her
own pace.
·
That children learn through language and rapidly
developing their language skills.
·
That preschool children need hands-on
experiences with a wide variety of materials.
·
That families and staff are partners in
supporting their child’s development and learning.
Because children learn through play and hands-on
experiences, it may not look like school to you. You will not see a lot of
papers or “seat work.” Instead, teachers use play experiences to help children
learn skills and concepts. Activities encourage exploration, creativity, and
problem solving. Our teachers work with each child to enhance their learning
and development in all areas: social-emotional, physical, language/literacy,
and intellectual.
Immunizations
Every child at St. Boniface School must be fully immunized.
A copy of the child’s current immunization record is required at the time of
enrollment. Please remember to provide a new copy if your child receives
additional immunizations during the school year. Failure to comply with this
requirement will result in termination of your child’s enrollment. Any
exemptions from this policy must be approved by the principal.
Medication
Our teachers do not administer medications to children.
However, if your child has a medical care plan that requires medication during
the school day, please contact the school principal to make these
arrangements.
Arrival
1.
Parents should make their “good-byes” to their
children brief. A prolonged farewell creates uncertainty and unnecessary difficulty
in separation from the parent.
2.
Please do not accompany your child past the
welcome area. That makes separation more difficult and can disrupt the
classroom.
3.
Children should arrive between 7:30 a.m. and
8:00 a.m.
4.
Please try to be sure your child has had a good
breakfast and a good night’s sleep before coming to school.
5.
Please make your good-byes as happy as possible.
A hug, a kiss, and a smiling face saying, “I love you and I will be back for
you later,” is very assuring to a child. Please trust in the staff to give
further comfort. Please do not linger in view of your child as that will cause
further stress on your child and hinder their transition into the program.
6.
An adult over 18 must sign your child into the
classroom on the sign-in sheet by the classroom door.
Dismissal
1.
Children are expected to be picked up at their
scheduled time by their regular adults (either parent/guardians or others
listed on emergency form).
2.
For your child’s protection, we only release
children to the authorized people listed on the Emergency Form. Parents must
inform us in writing if someone other than those listed on the Emergency Form
will pick up your child and the date for which the release applies. We will not
release your child to anyone you have not authorized. A photo ID is required of
the authorized persons when picking up your child for the first time.
3.
Please avoid picking up your child during school
hours unless absolutely necessary. We try not to interrupt the children in the
midst of their work. It is our preference that you do not pick up your child
between 12:00-1:30, except in case of emergency, because they will be sleeping.
4.
An adult over 18 must sign your child out before
they can leave the school.
5. At
3:15, all students who are still in the classroom will be taken to After-School
Care (in the school cafeteria).
Injuries
Minor injuries will be treated with appropriate first aid
and you will be informed about them on an accident report form. Accident
reports will be in your child’s backpack.
You will be called to St Boniface immediately if your child
sustains a more serious injury. In cases that we perceive the injury to be
potentially life-threatening, we will call an ambulance to transport your child
to a medical facility and will direct you to meet the ambulance. All costs for
the ambulance and medical fees are the responsibility of the child’s family.
Illness
For the good of all children and teachers, please keep your
child at home if he/she is ill. If symptoms appear during the day, we will call
you to pick up your child immediately. If your child is exposed to a contagious
illness, we will send a notice home with your child or contact you by phone or
email. Please let us know if your child has been exposed to a disease away from
school so that we can watch for symptoms. Students must be symptom-free for at
least 24 hours before returning to school.
State health regulations require that children with the
following symptoms be excluded from child care:
·
Fever over 101 (taken orally)
·
Diarrhea (3 or more watery stools in a 24 hour
period)
·
Vomiting (2 or more occasions within the past 24
hours)
·
Rash that is not obviously associated with
diapering, heat, or allergic reactions to medications
·
Sore throat , if associated with fever or
swollen glands in the neck
·
Severe coughing leading to gagging, vomiting, or
difficulty breathing
·
Pink eye
·
Untreated scabies, head lice, or the presence of
nits
·
Multiple sores in the mouth with drooling
·
Untreated ring worm
·
Untreated Impetigo
Absences
Please call the office to let us know if your child is not
coming to school or will be late.
Classroom
Rules & Procedures:
1. Please
obey the teacher and all other adults.
2. Treat
others the way that you want to be treated.
3. Take
care of your school and the things in it.
Hallway Procedures
Before leaving the room, we will
sing our hallway song. Students will begin learning how to walk down the hall
with their hands behind their backs and without talking.
Respect Please
The sign of respect at St.
Boniface is a sign language “r” (intertwined index and middle finger). When a
teacher needs to get the attention of the class, they will hold up the sign of
respect. When children see an adult or another child hold up the sign of
respect, they are to Stop, Look, and Listen.
Rest Time
Rest time occurs in the early afternoon. Students may bring
a SMALL pillow and/or SMALL blank to rest with. No toys will be allowed. Any
item that is brought for rest time must fit into the child’s cubby. Once all of
the students are on their mats, they are not allowed to get up, make noise,
play, or talk with one another. Teachers will read a book to them each day
during this time. Periodically, rest items will be sent hometo be washed. It is
important that these items are sent back the next school day for your child to
have at rest time. Rest time is approximately 2 hours. However, children who
have not fallen asleep within the first hour may play quietly. There are books, puzzles, and a variety of
toys available for quiet play.
Center
Time
Center Time activities may be structured or unstructured
depending on the teacher’s goals for that day. Usually, no more than 2-3
children will be allowed in one center area at a time. While children are
working in centers, they are learning skills such as sharing, socialization,
fine and gross motor skills, and other skills. When center time has ended,
children must clean up their work area and put everything back into its place.
Recess
Time
Young children need lots of time to strengthen their
muscles, receive fresh air, and increase their gross motor skills. When the
temperature is above 32 degrees (wind chill), below 100 degrees, and it is not
raining, the students will be given daily opportunities to play outside. Even
when it is very cold or very hot, it is possible that students will go out for
short walks or activities. Please make sure that your child has the weather
appropriate clothing every day. If your child is healthy enough to be at
school, they are healthy enough to go outside.
Friday
Folders & Communication
We believe that communication is very important at St.
Boniface School. One of our primary forms of communication, other than drop off
and pick up times, is the Friday Folder. Please read the information contained
in this folder, remove it, and return it to school on the following Monday.
This folder contains the weekly school newsletter (which lists the next week’s
lunch menu), as well as classroom updates, information about upcoming field
trips, and other notes and reminders. The Friday Folder will also contain the
paper work that your child has completed throughout the week.
Please remember to check your e-mail and the website often
for updated information. It is important that you provide the office with a
good e-mail address. E-mail updates are a great way to receive updates on
current and upcoming events, as well as keeping you updated in case of
emergency situations.
Field
Trips
We will take several field trips during the school year.
Students are expected to follow the school and classroom rules while on field
trips. Permission slips must be turned in before a student can go on a school
field trip, even if the parent is accompanying the class on the trip. All
preschool students MUST have a car seat in order to go on a field trip. Please
make sure that your child’s car seat is labeled with their name. Field trip
drivers must provide the teacher with a copy of their driver’s license and car
insurance. If you indicate on the permission slip that you are able to drive,
the teacher will assume that you are going. You will not receive a separate
call verifying that you are driving. However, the teacher should send a note
home the day before the trip to remind you.
Birthdays
Children may bring cookies, cupcakes, or another treat to
school to celebrate birthdays. Those treats will be eaten during the morning
snack time. The celebration cannot last more than the normal snack time (10-15
minutes). Parents may attend, as long as the celebration does not take more
than the allotted period of time. Please check with the teacher in advance to
see if any of your child’s classmates have allergies. Birthdays are very
important to children. Therefore, summer birthdays will be celebrated in the
month of May. Invitations delivered to school for a birthday party must include
either the entire class, all of the boys, or all of the girls.
Emergency
Procedures
Evacuation procedures for fire and other emergencies are
practiced monthly. Severe weather drills are also conducted every month. When
severe weather is in the area, the principal monitors weather reports and
alerts staff to be prepared to quickly move children to safety. Emergency
procedures are posted in each classroom.
Weather
Related Closings
When the Fort Smith Public School District closes due to
severe weather, St. Boniface will be closed. Closings will be announced on
local television stations. It will be posted on our school website, and an
email will be sent to parents. If the closing is announced in the middle of the
day, please pick up your child immediately.
Discipline Policy
St. Boniface Preschool
Program uses the following methods of discipline:
Parents have legal and moral rights to know what will be
expected of their children in the way of behavior. The preschool has the
responsibility to protect the program, institution, and other students from the
problems that can result from serious behavior issues. Enrollment in the
preschool is a privilege, not a right. Parents must cooperate in ensuring that
their children behave in a manner that is appropriate for a preschool setting.
Our goal is for our students to learn to be self-disciplined.