My Preschool Handbook Colored Copy

Mandan, ND

Mandan’s Littlest Braves

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1

Table of Contents Welcome / Philosophy

Page 2

Hours of Operation Enrollment Requirements Payment Procedures Registration & Supply Fee

Page 3

Signing in and out/Attendance Records Policy School Cancelation / Early Dismissal / Late Start Clothing & Other Materials

Page 4

Absences/Exclusion Bereavement & Sick Leave

Page 5

Accidents & Emergencies Emergencies and Evacuations

Page 6

Fire Safety Dismissal of a Child

Page 7

Withdrawal Of Services Policy Safe Sleep Policy Aquatic Policy Payment Calendar Website / Internet / Photo Release

Page 8-9

Aquatic Policy

Page 10-11

Safe Sleep Policy

Page 12

Daily Routine Final Agreement

Page 13-14 Page 15

Final Contract Agreement Pages Infant Sleep Agreement

Welcome / Philosophy Welcome to Mandan's Littlest Braves. This handbook has been created so that there are no misunderstandings, and so that everyone is aware of the requirements of Littlest Braves, as well as the requirements of you, the parents/ guardians. This handbook covers my philosophies, business policies and expectations. Please read this handbook carefully, and feel free to discuss any questions that you may have. Mandan's Littlest Braves is committed to creating a safe, warm, loving environment for children where they can learn and grow physically, emotionally, creatively, intellectually, and socially at their own pace. I want to help your child increase their confidence, and self esteem by treating them as unique individuals, and allowing them to express themselves in a variety of facets. I strive to make your child’s time the best experience it can be for them as well as you, the parents.

A little about me, I am a Certified Teacher with a Masters Degree in Page 18 Calendar Curriculum and Instruction. I previously taught for Mandan Public Schools for 6 years before deciding to stay home with my children and teach my daughter preschool. In doing so I decided it would be more fun for her to have friends to socialize with instead of me all day, so that is where your child comes in! I look forward to providing them all with a positive and fun learning experience. Page 16-17

Child Information Pages (ND Req.)

I am married to my husband Jon and we have an infant son & 4 year old daughter. My passion is teaching any age, any subject or skill, and seeing the love of education grow in a child! I love to see children learn and gain the excitement and confidence that goes along with education. My family enjoys the outdoors, playing at parks & camping when the weather permits. I am a life long learner and enjoy taking classes to learn new skills and content. I also am a lover of comfort, sweets & coffee. :) I am committed to supporting families by maintaining open communication and I encourage parental involvement in all our activities. If you ever have a suggestion, visitor idea, or would like to be a visitor please let me know! I would love any suggestions and ideas you may have. My objective is to care for your child the same way you would! Showing the same care and compassion that every child needs. ______ Please Initial Each Page Recognizing Every Policy

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Mandan’s Littlest Braves

Mandan, ND

Hours of Operation Although Mandan’s Littlest Braves is a Licensed Child Care Provider I run my hours and curriculum as a preschool setting. Legally preschool age with curriculum are not to be in session for more than 3 hours which explains the length of my hours for your child. Monday Thru Friday __________ - __________ AM & __________ - __________ PM Classes are offered M/W/F AM & PM as well as T/TH AM We will always follow the Mandan Public School Calendar when it comes to no school days, holidays, and weather closings. To provide equal days off between classes there are also occasional BPS days off as well. There may be occasional Drop in Dates or Summer CAMPS in the months of June, July, & August. These would be optional to attend and may be a different rate. These would be good to keep social with peers they know and help with a summer routine. Some may be themed others may not. More information would be announced the closer summer comes. Enrollment Requirements Before your child can be officially enrolled in Mandan's Littlest Braves you must complete and provide the following documents: Signed Parent Contract and Rate Agreement Completed Child Profile & Copy of Immunization Record (or Signed Waiver) Signed Consent Forms (those that are applicable) Registration Fee must be paid ($50)* (Nonrefundable) Deposit of $25 to go to your child’s Supply Account (Nonrefundable) ***Spaces will not be held by verbal contract, registration fee and deposit must be paid in order for a spot to be held for you and your child.**** Payment Procedures Forms of payment currently accepted are post dated checks, email money transfer, Debit or Credit. Please let me know if you plan on doing your payments electronically, a reminder email can be sent to you if you’d like. All fees must be paid by the 10th of each month. If payment is not received by the 10th of the month at pick-up time a late payment fee will be applied to your account at the rate of $5 per day. In order to ensure accurate supplies to keep the daycare running, fees need to be on time. After 3 days of late fees added to your account your care will be suspended until fees are paid. After 3 late payments, or 2 NSF checks, fees maybe required 2 weeks in advance, or service may be suspended. Each situation is dealt with on an individual basis. An NSF or returned check is subject to a $25 administration fee. Registration & Supply Fee An annual registration fee of $50/child is required upon enrollment, and will be collected with the child’s supply fee. This registration fee goes towards paperwork and holding your child’s spot. The $25/child supply fee goes towards supplies for your child’s artwork, as well as other supplies that we use to teach your child, as well as document that learning.

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Signing in and out/Attendance Records Policy Children are signed in and out upon their arrival and departure. I ask that if your child is not going to attend care as per usual that you inform me by the start of the child's class. This will help us plan activities for the day, as well as to know not to worry where they are. When your child does not attend school you must call to let me know the reason – if it is a communicable illness we are required to record this in case of other cases breaking out. If no one answers the phone please leave a brief message or better you may send a text message. Also, upon arrival and preparing your child for the day please help them or direct them to sanitize their hands before beginning to play with toys, in order to prevent the spread of germs. If someone else will be picking up your child please let me know upon arrival. Photo ID will be required by the person picking up your child as well if I am not familiar with that person. Please let any individuals other than parents who may pick up the children that they will be asked for picture ID in order to ensure the safety of all children. Children will not be released to unauthorized individuals. If someone shows up to pick up your child and staff was not made aware of it, we will have to track you down to confirm that this is in fact permitted, as well as see a picture ID of that individual to confirm their identity. School Cancelation / Early Dismissal / Late Start Mandan’s Littlest Braves will follow the Mandan Public Schools (MPSD) lead with weather related closings. If MPSD Dismisses Early, Cancels a School Day, or has a Late Start, Littlest Braves will be closed. When Classes are canceled at MPSD Littlest Braves will be closed. When school is canceled early due to the weather, you will also be expected to pick up your child for their safety. When MPSD announces a late start to the school day Littlest Braves will be closed the entire day for the safety of the students. **There will be no make-up days for the days MPSD cancels school.** Clothing & Other Materials The parents will provide the following: An extra change of clothes (several for potty-training kids ) Please Mark with Initials Old T-shirt for Painting and other Activities Snacks for a week for 6 children/Once Every 6 Weeks 1 Small Box of Tissues 2 Folders - 1 to store projects and 1 Take Home Folder 1 Composition Notebook Winter: Snow boots, mittens/gloves, hat, snow pants or extra pair of pants, extra socks, as needed Summer: Sunscreen, Water bottle, Towel, Swimwear, Hat, as needed **We are thankful for & welcome any donations to our snack pantry as well as our supplies*** I do my best to provide the best activities and learning environment for your child. Also, I ask that parents dress their children in clothing appropriate to the season and weather, including socks and shoes. I also ask that the children not be dressed in their “Sunday” best dress clothes, as we will be getting dirty playing outside or will be crawling around on the floor. The child

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care home is not responsible for misplaced or unlabeled articles of clothing or personal belongings (toys). Please write on the label or inside collar, your child’s name or initials on all coats, boots, hats, jackets, sweaters, etc. Absences/Exclusion If a child is too sick to attend, please keep him/her home. There is no “sick room”, and the best place for a child to be recuperating from an illness is at home. There are also many symptoms that a child may have that may prevent them from being able to partake in everyday activities. If your child experiences any of the following please keep them home until they are gone, or are well enough to participate in normal everyday activities: Fever greater than or equal to 100.5 degrees F. Excessive drainage (clear or discolored) from the mouth, nose, eyes, or ears. Red discoloration to the whites of the eye(s). Skin rashes as they are difficult to diagnose unless seen by a physician. Severe abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhea. A deep, hacking cough Difficulty breathing or untreated wheezing Yellow discharge from the eyes An unusual yellow coloring of the skin or eyes Cuts or openings on the skin that are pus-filled or oozing Lice or nits If your child(ren) are sent with any of the above listed symptoms, or develop during the day they will be sent home. Children should NEVER be medicated and then sent (i.e. given Tylenol to break fever). You should arrange for back-up care when your child is sick, and unfortunately there are no refunds or discounts for days that your child does not attend. There are still costs associated with each child's spot each day that unfortunately cannot be avoided if your child is not in attendance. If your child will not be attending due to illness, vacation, or any other reason, please let me know as soon as possible, as well as the reason they will not be attending. This will prevent activities from being delayed and help us know if other students are coming down with the same illness. Bereavement & Sick Leave If I become ill and unable to care for your child, I will notify you as soon as possible and inform you of arranged back up care or in the very worst case, that I need you pick up your child. I will be fully compensated for any time missed due to illness/medical appointments when back up care is available in my home, even if you choose to find alternative care. I will be allowed 5 sick days and 5 personal days paid. I normally do not miss days nor take vacations but if needed I reserve the right to take these days where you will need to find back up care. I will provide adequate time notice for the personal days. I will receive 1 week of paid bereavement leave when necessary. This leave is to be used in the occurrence of a death in the family, if a family member is involved in a major accident of some kind, or a family member becomes severely ill and needs my assistance. I reserve the right to take any vacation days available in addition to the 1 week of bereavement.

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Accidents & Emergencies Despite a very watchful eye sometimes accidents do happen especially with children, it’s just a fact of life. So should the unthinkable arise, I want you to know that I have already thought ahead of time of what my actions would be, so to be prepared to serve your child to the best of my ability. In case of an injured child such as but not limited to: Small bumps, scrapes and cuts I will administer first aid (soapy water, ice pack and band aid per the Department of Social Services) and the parent/guardian will be notified at pick up time as to what happened. For more severe injuries, I will call a parent/guardian, or if needed 911 and then notify the parents/ guardians. Should the child need to be transported, I will relay the parents/guardians choice of hospital as indicated by intake records. Should I be unable to contact a parent/guardian I will call the person or persons listed on your emergency form. I am certified in both CPR and First Aid. If ever I could not locate a child I would contact the police and the child’s parents/guardians immediately. If a child is lost, all children will be gathered in one area while I check the remainder of the childcare area and house for the lost child. I will then also check outdoors and neighboring homes. In case of an accidental poisoning I will call the poison control center, determine what the child got into, follow the poison center’s recommendations, call 911 if needed and alert one of the parents/ guardians of the incident. Any child accidents while in my care will be covered by the families medical or private insurance. Emergencies & Evacuations Natural disasters do occur in North Dakota. In all situations I will first do my absolute best to make sure all children are safe and free from harm. During a blizzard or very heavy snowfall please leave work early and pick up your child while roads allow travel. It is more important to leave early and be safe driving than being caught in a heavy storm and having an accident. In the case of a fire I will first and foremost do my absolute best to get every child out of the house and to safety at a neighbors. I will call 911 from a neighbors house and I will call all parents/guardians to come pick up your child immediately.
 


During a tornado warning, we will go to the basement and take cover until the warning has been lifted. Parents/guardians will be notified by telephone as soon as possible notifying you as to our condition and location if the home has become unsafe to remain in. During a severe thunderstorm or electrical storm all children will be kept away from windows and electric devices. All electric devices not required will be turned off. Children afraid of thunder and lightning will be calmed to the best of my ability. If flooding occurs we will move out of the home and I will notify all parents/guardians of our location and have you come pick up your child immediately. If there has been a power blackout for 1 hour I will call all parents/guardians and ask you to come pick up your child.

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In the event of a lockdown, I will keep the children inside away from the doors and windows. Should there by a neighborhood lockdown, I will notify all parents/guardians by phone to let you know of the situation so you don’t try to come into the neighborhood to pick up your child until it has been deemed safe to do so. If any event causes severe damage or damage that would affect the care I provide, I will call you to come pick up your child or children immediately. In ANY event, I reserve the right to take the children with me to pick up my own children from school or to whatever location they are at if necessary. I also have the right to drive the children to a safe facility if instructed by government officials or local authorities. I will do my best to try to notify all parents/guardians or those listed on your emergency forms of our location to have you come pick up your children immediately. If for some reason phone service is down and I’m unable to notify you by phone I will post a note on the front door or other obvious location stating where we are. If there is an emergency, we will leave by the nearest exit. If a personal emergency or a family situation should arise during business hours requiring my immediate departure I will have substitute provider which could be Jon my husband, my sister Nicole or a Friend, stay with the children until you arrive. If the emergency requires both Jon and myself I will have my sister Nicole or a Friend come to the school and stay with the kids until you arrive. Either way, all parents/guardians will be notified and required to come pick your children immediately. If any of these kind of disasters or attacks take place, you agree to not hold myself or my family/friend responsible. Fire Safety Fire safety is a regular theme of the children's curriculum and we will practice fire drills. Evacuation routes and procedures are posted near the stairway. With consideration to age-appropriateness, children will practice exiting the house safely and learn about fire prevention and safety. The children will also become aware of the designated “safe areas: for use during severe weather. Dismissal of a Child This daycare reserves the privilege of dismissing any child if, after enrolling, s/he seems unable to participate in group experiences, the parent/guardian breaches the contract or fees have not been paid. After discussing discipline on two separate occasions, the provider will dismiss without refund. Withdrawal Of Services Policy A MINIMUM 2 WEEKS WRITTEN NOTICE is required for termination of childcare services. Even if your child does not attend during that two week period, payment is still required. Any fees not paid on time with regards to termination of child care services will also be subject to daily late fees, until full payment is received. If fees are not paid, the unpaid bill will be placed into collections. In the event of any concerns (raised by staff, parents/guardians or even children) a meeting can be scheduled to address the issues. The meeting will involve owner/operator, and involved staff member and the parents/guardians involved. The concerns will be clearly stated (ex. late payment, failure to ______ Please Initial Each Page Recognizing Every Policy

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adhere to centre policies, behavioral problems etc.) and discussed. Meeting minutes will be taken, and solutions will be sought in a non-judgmental manner. A plan will be designed to resolve the issue. A second meeting will be scheduled to review the situation within a reasonable time frame. In the event the issue cannot be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction, a 2 week written notice of termination of services will be given. Aquatic Policy Please see and sign the Aquatic Policy in place for Mandan’s Littlest Braves on Page 8-9. Safe Sleep Policy Please see and Sign the Safe Infant Sleep in Child Care Policy on Page 10-11. Payment Calendar

Payment by the 10th of Month

Pays for the Whole Month of

August

September

September

October

October

November

November

December

December

January

January

February

February

March

March

April

April

May

Website / Internet / Photo Release I do / do not allow my students photo to be released online for the purpose of informing me of activities happening during the days. The only place they will be placed is on the website www.littlestbraves.weebly.com or the Littlest Braves Facebook Page. I personal prefer to look for updates on the Weebly Website or Facebook Page. (Circle one)

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Example of our Daily Routine

Please Read, Sign and Return all Pages / Final Agreement Littlest Braves admits all children regardless of race, nationality or religious background. This environment welcomes any exchange of information that will help to better serve your child(ren)’s needs. This group welcomes any parent who wishes to share talents by helping with various projects to benefit the children’s experience. I/We have read, understand, and by initialing each page, signing and returning all including page 18 do agree to the policies stated in this handbook. I/We understand that should there be updates to this handbook, I/We will be given a copy of the page with the updated information and a new copy of this page to sign and return. I/We will fill out, sign and return the enrollment form and contract in their entirety. By doing so I/We are enrolling my/our child(ren) in Mandan’s Littlest Braves of Stephanie Maher.

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Child’s name: ___________________ MWF

Age: ________

AM or PM

Nickname:_____________________ T/TH AM

Signed (Mother or Guardian) _________________________ Date: ____________ Signed (Father or Guardian) _________________________ Date: ____________ Signed (Day care provider) __________________________ Date: ____________ Email address at which I can be contacted: [email protected] Phone: 701-527-3985 Website: WWW.LittlestBraves.Weebly.com Child Information: Full Name: ______________________________________________________________________ DOB____________________________________________________________________________ Any Allergies: _____________________________________________________________________ Likes____________________________________________________________________________ Dislikes__________________________________________________________________________ Guardian Information: (1st Contact) Guardian Name (First, Last) ____________________________________________________ Address:__________________________________City, State, Zip _____________________ Phone Number ____________________________ Work Number _____________________ Email________________________________________________ Emergency Contact Information (If unable to reach any Guardian or Parent) Name (First, Last)____________________________________________________________ Relationship ______________________________________________ Phone Number ____________________________________________ Address ___________________________________City, State, Zip _____________________ Email____________________________________________________ Reminders: The First day of care will be on October 1st, 2019. The Child Care hours for the child covered by this contract will be from __________(AM / PM) to __________(AM / PM) (MWF / TTH) **Late Drop offs do not allow for late pick-ups.** Terms of Payment Agreed Upon: The fee will be $ _________ per month. OR The fee will be $ _________ every two weeks.

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Registration & Supply Fee: A registration and Supply fee of $75.00 is due at the time of signing and will be put towards holding your child's spot and their supplies for the year. Holding Fees (One Month or Two Weeks Advance Payment) The provider agrees to hold a space in the program until _________ (insert date) for the client’s child. The client agrees to pay the provider $ ______ per week during the holding period. Payment is due ________ (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly). If the client decides not to enroll the child before the end of the holding period, the holding fee will not be refundable. The holding fee can be applied to care once the child is enrolled. Late Payment Fees If the child care fee is not paid when due, a late payment fee of $5.00 per day will be added to the past due amount until it is paid. The fee for an insufficient funds check will be $25.00, plus the amount of any bank charges to the provider’s account.

The Signatures of the Parties to the Contract By signing this contract, clients indicate that they have also read the provider’s contract and policies and agree to follow them. Failure to enforce one of more of the terms of this contract does not waive the provider’s right to enforce any other terms of this contract.

Parent or legal guardian’s signature

Date of Signature

_______________________________________________________ ______/______/______ Parent or legal guardian’s signature

Date of Signature

_______________________________________________________ ______/______/______ Provider’s signature

Date of Signature

_______________________________________________________ ______/______/______

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