2010 - 2011 207 West Market Street Leesburg, Virginia 20176 703-771-1461 www.lpcpreschool.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS MISSION STATEMENT--------------------------------------------------------- 3 ORGANIZATION OF PRESCHOOL---------------------------------------------- 3 PHILOSOPHY--------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 CURRICULUM--------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 GOALS/OBJECTIVES------------------------------------------------------------ 5 CONTACT INFORMATION-------------------------------------------------------6 PROGRAMS & DAILY SCHEDULE-------------------------------------------------7 EXTENDED CARE------------------------------------------------------------------8 ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES--------------------------- 8 REGISTRATION FEES & TUITION--------------------------------------------- 9 DELINQUENT PAYMENTS & PENALTIES--------------------------------------10 STUDENT WITHDRAWAL------------------------------------------------------- 10 PHYSICAL FACILITIES---------------------------------------------------------- 11 FIRE DRILLS---------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 STAFF REQUIREMENTS--------------------------------------------------------- 11 LIABILITY------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING-------------------------------------------- 12 ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL ---------------------------------------------------------- 12 STUDENT ILLNESS/ABSENCE ------------------------------------------------- 13 SNOW POLICY-------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 APPROPRIATE CLOTHING------------------------------------------------------- 14 OBSERVATIONS------------------------------------------------------------------ 14 COMMUNICATION--------------------------------------------------------------- 14 PARENT INVOLVEMENT--------------------------------------------------------- 14 CHAPEL TIME--------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 SNACKS---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 FIELD TRIPS-----------------------------------------------------------------------15 HOLIDAYS------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 POTTY TRAINING (2 1/2 YEAR OLDS) ---------------------------------------- 15 PARENTAL AGREEMENT FORM------------------------------------------------- 16 SCHOOL CALENDAR---------------------------------------------------------------17

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MISSION STATEMENT In answer to Christ's call to care and nurture children, Leesburg Presbyterian Church Preschool (LPCP) seeks to answer and serve the children and families of both Leesburg Presbyterian Church (LPC) and the greater Leesburg community by providing a safe and loving first learning experience. In addition, LPCP will endeavor to share our faith with the community through its outreach to and care for young families. ORGANIZATION OF THE PRESCHOOL Leesburg Presbyterian Church Preschool is an unincorporated association of LPC and meets the requirements set forth by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Social Services as a religiously exempt child day center. It is a non-profit preschool for two, three and four year olds. LPCP is operated as a service to members and friends of LPC, as well as, to residents of the community. The school is open to children of all faiths. PHILOSOPHY The philosophy of the school supports and enables two, three and four year-olds to have quality educational and social experiences. The school is a Christian preschool sponsored by the Leesburg Presbyterian Church. Two, three and four year-olds will learn to work and participate as members of a group. The children will be helped to explore their expanding worlds on their own levels and at their own rates. The activities and materials provided are geared to promote learning and exploration. The preschool program is childcentered, individualized and designed to provide for the social, emotional, intellectual and physical development of your child. This is a time in which the senses should be awakened and the mind opened. CURRICULUM Leesburg Presbyterian Church Preschool believes in educating the whole child through a play-based approach. That is, we design and implement activities that promote a child’s social, emotional, cognitive, communication, motor development, as well as good learning habits, such as following directions and sticking with a task. The curriculum we use to do this is the Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence, a research-based approach that details 3

step by step how children progress in specific competencies and knowledge from ages three to five. We create theme-based activities across multiple areas of development that are focused on the learning goals of the curriculum. So, while exploring a given topic, children are also learning math, literacy, science, language, writing, motor skills, and socialization. This approach is not only fun, but also gives children many opportunities to learn and practice the skills they need in all areas. For more information about this curriculum, check out the Core Knowledge website at www.coreknowledge.org. As a Christian preschool, we also implement components of the Abeka curriculum to promote children’s spiritual development.

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GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Leesburg Presbyterian Church Preschool will strive to: 1. Foster positive self-identity and a sense of emotional well-being 2. Develop social skills and knowledge 3. Encourage children to think, reason, question and experiment 4. Encourage language (listening, speaking) and literacy development (emergent reading and writing awareness skills) 5. Enhance physical development and fine & gross motor skills 6. Frequently integrate across traditional subject-matter divisions enabling children make meaningful connections and attain key curriculum goals across various disciplines such as, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, art, music, physical education and health 7. Create an intellectually engaging responsive environment to promote each child's learning and development 8. Develop, refine and use a wide repertoire of teaching strategies and provide opportunities for rich conceptual development to enhance children's learning 9. Provide a developmentally appropriate curriculum for all the areas of a child's development: physical, emotional, social, linguistic, aesthetic and cognitive 10. Include a broad range of content across disciplines that is socially relevant, intellectually engaging and personally meaningful to children 11. Build upon what children already know and are able to do (activating prior knowledge) to consolidate their learning and to foster their acquisition of new concepts and skills 12. Encourage and demonstrate sound health, safety and nutritional practices 13. Encourage creative expression, representation and appreciation for the arts 14. Respect cultural diversity 5

CONTACT INFORMATION

PRESCHOOL INFORMATION Leesburg Presbyterian Church Preschool 207 West Market Street Leesburg, VA 20176 Phone Number: 703.771.1461 Website Address: www.lpcpreschool.org PRESCHOOL STAFF MEMBERS Name

Position

Email

Elaine Thiel

Director

[email protected]

Anna Mitchum

2’s Teacher

[email protected]

Beth Lee

2’s Teacher

[email protected]

Betsy Reeve

3’s Teacher

[email protected]

Adaweya Atari

3’s Teacher

[email protected]

Gloria Haines

4’s Teacher

[email protected]

Cindy Backus

4’s Teacher

[email protected]

PRESCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS Name

Position

Phone

Email

Nancy Vanzandt

Chairperson

571-258-0279

[email protected]

Susan Howard

Treasurer

703-443-0924

[email protected]

Jason Hovda

Church Liason

Julie Koochagian

Registrar

[email protected] 703-777-4163

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[email protected]

CLASS PROGRAMS & DAILY SCHEDULES Preschool Doors will be unlocked at 8:15 and 11:45 4 YEAR-OLDS Monday - Thursday

8:30 - 11:30

3 YEAR-OLDS Monday - Wednesday

8:30 - 11:30

AFTERNOON 3 YEAR OLD/4 YEAR OLD Monday – Thursday 12:00 – 3:00 (or 3:30 for extended day students) DAILY SCHEDULE (3’S & 4’S) Opening Activities, Job Board, Physical Movement/Music Group Instruction and Related Craft or Activity Story and Snack Centers Outdoors-Gross Motor Activities (weather permitting) Show N Tell 2 YEAR-OLDS Monday & Wednesday

9:15 – 11:15

2 1/2 YEAR-OLDS Thursday & Friday

8:30 - 11:30

DAILY SCHEDULE (2 YEAR-OLDS) Table Time - manipulative, puzzles, wipe-off boards Good Morning Floor Time - Music & Movement Little Creations - Crafts or Cooking Activity Snacks & Story Structured Play - Blocks, cars, dress up, kitchen 7

EXTENDED CARE: The extended care program extends your childs afternoon class time to 3:30. This is on a month to month commitment basis. Please include the $50 Extended Care fee in your childs tuition at the beginning of that month if you have signed them up to participate.

ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES/PROCEDURES Questions regarding any of the policies in this handbook should be directed to the Director, Elaine Thiel at 703.771.1461. Parents will be notified in writing of any changes to policies that may occur during the school year. STUDENT ADMISSION/ELIGIBILITY In order to enroll, a child must be of appropriate age on or before September 30. Virginia law requires parents to provide an original birth certificate to the staff for review before the first day of school. Copies will not be accepted. All children attending the 3’s & 4’s classes must be completely toilet-trained and "Pull-ups" are not permitted (except in the 2’s and 2 1/2’s classes). A copy of your child's immunization records must be received by the 1st day of school in order for your child to attend. Enrollment for the two’s class and the two and a half year-old class will not exceed 10 children. Enrollment for the three year-old class will not exceed 14 children. Enrollment for the four year-old class will not exceed 18 children. Enrollment for the three & four year old classes will not exceed 18 children.

REGISTRATION FEES A non-refundable registration fee of $160.00 will be charged for all new applicants; returning students to the preschool will pay a non-refundable fee of $135.00

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COMMITMENT FEE Upon your child’s acceptance into the program, you were asked to pay a commitment fee (due May 31, 2010) equal to one month’s tuition. This is a nonrefundable payment that secures your child’s enrollment in the program and is applied to tuition for the month of May 2011. This fee is not subject to a 5% discount for those families who wish to pay tuition in full, prior to the beginning of the school year.

TUITION Tuition may be paid in one of two ways: Tuition Paid in Advance If tuition is paid in full by September 1st, families can receive a 5% discount as follows: CLASS CHURCH MEMBERS NON-MEMBERS 2 YEAR-OLDS (2 days/wk) $988.00 $1,140.00 2 ½ YEAR-OLDS (2 days/wk) $1,064.00 $1,216.00 3 YEAR-OLDS AM (3 days/wk) $1,406.00 $1,520.00 3 YEAR-OLDS PM (4 days/wk) $1,786.00 $1,976.00 4 YEAR-OLDS AM & PM (4 days/wk) $1,786.00 $1,976.00 Payment by Monthly Installment Tuition rates for the 2010/2011 School Year CLASS CHURCH MEMBERS 2 YEAR-OLDS (2 days/wk) $130/month 2 ½ YEAR-OLDS (2 days/wk) $140/month 3 YEAR-OLDS AM (3 days/wk) $185/month 3 YEAR-OLDS PM (4 days/wk) $235/month 4 YEAR-OLDS AM & PM (4 days/wk) $235/month

NON-MEMBERS $150/month $160/month $200/month $260/month $260/month

Tuition for the month of September is due no later than September 8th. The seven remaining (7) monthly payments must be paid by the 1st of the month beginning in October and ending in April. Checks should be made payable to Leesburg Presbyterian Church Preschool or LPCP. Please put your child's first and last name in the memo portion of your check. All tuition checks are to be placed in the TUITION DROP BOX located by the preschool door or can be mailed to the church in care of the preschool and marked to the attention of "LPCP Registrar". If you mail your payment, be 9

advised that it must be post-marked before the 5th of the month or it will be considered late.

Please do not give tuition payments to our teachers or send to school in your child’s backpack.

DELINQUENT PAYMENTS AND PENALTIES Tuition payments are due on the 1st of the month (regardless of whether or not the 1st of the month falls on a school day). Parents who have difficulty meeting this deadline should contact the preschool director before tuition becomes delinquent. Tuition not received by 3:30 pm on the 5th day of the month will be considered late. Tuition received after that time will be subject to a $25.00 late fee. Should that occur, an invoice will be sent home with your child reflecting the cost of the late fee as well as any tuition that remains outstanding. If you remain delinquent as of the 15th of the month, your child will be unable to attend school until such point as all outstanding tuition and late fees have been paid in full. LPCP reserves the right to remove a child from the program for non-payment of

tuition, unless special arrangements for payment have been made in advance with approval from the Director and the Board.

Return checks: A $25.00 fee will be charged for any returned checks in addition to any fees charged by the bank.

STUDENT WITHDRAWAL Should a parent need to withdraw a child at any time during the school year, thirty (30) days written notice must be given to the director. The director will provide you with a form to complete for early withdrawal once notified of the plans. Family vacations, illnesses etc. will not allow for a tuition reduction or exemption. The teachers of the preschool have the authority to determine readiness to attend LPCP. Should a child need to be withdrawn for readiness reasons determined by the preschool, you will be reimbursed for the days the child does not attend. PHYSICAL FACILITIES Within the Leesburg Presbyterian Church building, three separate classrooms are used in our preschool program. 10

1. The two-year-old classroom is 20’ x 18’ with carpet and a bathroom. This room also serves as the nursery for Leesburg Presbyterian Church. 2. Two and a half & Three year-old classroom (shared) is 19' x 29' with tile, carpet and a bathroom. 3. Combined three-year old/four-year-old classroom and Four year-old classroom (shared) is 22' x 46' with tile, carpet and adjacent bathrooms. The preschool has access to a fenced-in playground on the church grounds and also to a large multi-purpose room (Fellowship Hall) for indoor play during inclement weather. The teachers have full use of the kitchen facilities available to them to be used in conjunction with various preschool activities. FIRE DRILLS There will be a monthly fire drill in order to teach children the proper safety procedures. STAFF REQUIREMENTS Each year our staff will be certified by a practicing physician to be free from any disability which would prevent them from caring for children. A criminal background check will be completed for each teacher at LPCP. All teachers are CPR certified and First Aid certified. All teachers participate in professional training annually, including specific training in the Core Knowledge preschool curriculum. LIABILITY Leesburg Presbyterian Church Preschool board members or staff shall not be held responsible for any accident.

TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING To ensure your child's safety, we require that your child be brought into (or inside) the classroom and signed in. At dismissal pick up will be done by car line in the back of the school (by the playground). Pick up cards provided by the school must be displayed in your front windshield for proper identification. Written permission is required for a child to leave during school hours or at the end of the day with anyone other than the parents. Carpool permission cards are available for parents who wish to carpool. Teachers may not provide transportation to or from school. Please be sure to park in the lot facing the preschool door next to Liberty Street or in the spaces at the back of the preschool that are not reserved when dropping 11

off your child. Parents with big vehicles (e.g. SUVs or full size vans) must park at the back of the preschool. All children picked up in the car line must have the proper car seat. Please drive slowly!

ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL All children enrolled in the preschool must be signed in daily and may be picked up only by people authorized by the parents. Photo identification may be required when the children are dismissed. The following information is absolutely necessary at sign in: 1. Name of the person dropping off at the start of the school day.

2. Name of the person picking up the child at the end of the school day.

3. Phone number of where parent or authorized pick-up person can be reached during that day. 4. Colored pass must be displayed in your windshield at pick-up or photo ID will be required if pass is not presented. Please make every effort to have your child to school and picked up ON TIME. Interaction with peers is usually easier if they arrive on time. A late fee will be charged when a FIVE minute grace period has expired at the time of pick-up. It is imperative you pick your child up promptly when class is over. After the 5 minute grace period, we will charge late fees as follows: 1. First occurrence - warning and sign late pick-up log. 2. All other occurrences - sign late pick-up log plus $5.00 late fee will be charged for every 15 minutes late or part thereof.

STUDENT ILLNESSES/ABSENCES It is imperative that you do not send your child to school with any infection or communicable illness. State licensing standards prohibit attendance with any of the following symptoms: 1. Nasal discharge that is yellow or green in color 2. Fever of 99.0 F and above 3. Any rash 4. Sore throat 5. Hacking or continuous cough 12

6. Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea within 24 hours of attending class 7. Eye discharge or pink eye If your child becomes sick with a communicable illness, please notify the teachers immediately. Children must be symptom and fever free for 24 hours before returning to school. Children will be sent home if the teachers suspect they are ill. If a child appears to have a communicable disease and continues to return to school, LPCP staff may request that the parent obtain additional information about the condition, including whether a condition is contagious. This information must be based upon the child’s visit to the doctor 7 days before or after the request for information. LPCP will use this information to work with families on a case by case basis to make the decision about whether the child is well enough to attend school. LPCP reserves the right to close school to prevent a widespread outbreak of a contagious illness. SNOW POLICY LPCP follows the Loudoun County Public Schools. If they are closed we are closed. If there is a one hour delay our AM classes are delayed one hour (9:30-11:30) and PM classes occur as usual. If there is a two hour delay AM classes are cancelled and the usual schedule for PM classes occurs. If there is an early dismissal AM classes attend their usual times and PM classes are cancelled. Please check local radio and TV stations for public school closings and delays. Please do NOT call the teachers or board members. The preschool director will make the final decision concerning emergency closings related to, or not related to public school closings. If more than a week of school is missed due to inclement weather, an adjustment to the calendar may be made by the end of the school year. Days may be added in accordance with the LCPS or added to the end of the school year. School days with delayed openings or early dismissals will be counted as full days. APPROPRIATE CLOTHING The atmosphere of the preschool is casual and children should come dressed to play and learn. Please dress them in clothing that allows them to use the restroom easily. Belts and overalls are difficult for them if they are in a hurry. Elastic waistbands are best. We highly recommend for girls to wear shorts or leggings under dresses. All children should wear closed-toe shoes or sneakers that fasten 13

securely to their feet. Please no clogs, flip-flops or open-back sandals. They will be going outside when the weather permits, so be sure to send them dressed appropriately. On cold days, please send hats and mittens. Please put your child's name on everything your child brings. LPCP is not responsible for personal belongings left behind in the classroom or hallway of the preschool. Each child must bring a complete change of clothes appropriate to the season in their backpacks each day. OBSERVATIONS Parents are always welcome to come in to observe in their child’s classroom. COMMUNICATION Communication between teachers and parents is essential for a successful school year for your child. Teachers The preschool bulletin board is located just inside the preschool door where you deliver your child daily. Please make a habit of checking the board to find out the monthly theme/skills your child is studying and any other special announcements, reminders, etc. from the teachers and or the preschool board. Important notices will also be sent home in your child’s backpack. Be sure to check it daily! We also use email and our website to communicate information about your child’s class and the school. PARENT INVOLVEMENT We welcome parent involvement! It is our hope that parents from each class will volunteer to help with a variety of jobs and that they will work closely with the teachers to plan and recruit other parents to assist with special, events, parties and school projects. We also welcome parents who would like to come in to read to the class or share special talents, customs or jobs.

CHAPEL TIME The Children will participate in chapel time twice a month for about 20 minutes. SNACKS Nutritional snacks will be provided by the preschool. You may provide a special snack for birthday celebrations (i.e. cookies, ice cream cups, cupcakes.) You are welcome to come to the celebration, which will be low key affairs. Please, no party bags. Birthday invitations may only be distributed if all children in the class are to

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receive them. Parents of children with food allergies should discuss the types of allergy with the teachers and provide snack for their child each day. FIELD TRIPS LPCP will request the help of parents to drive and chaperone our field trips. During the year we may also take short journeys (walking) field trips around town to help enhance your child’s learning experience. A signed permission slip will be required. Virginia law requires that children under 6 be in a car set or booster seat. If you are not driving on a field trip, please leave your child’s car seat with the teachers. No child may ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger side airbag. HOLIDAYS We have parties during the school year, as shown on the school calendar. Parents are encouraged to sign up and participate. We are sorry but due to space limitations and liability, older siblings of LPCP students may not attend parties. The children will also be performing in a Christmas Program, so please check the school calendar for the date. Siblings and/or extended family will be invited to participate to specified functions during the year (e.g., field trips or Christmas Program). TWO YEAR-OLD POTTY TRAINING During the course of the year, we will work with you to encourage the natural progression from diapers to pull-ups to (dare we hope?) perfectly potty trained! As this process is delicate and varied according to each child’s personality, we ask that you provide an “oops” kit: -a good daily supply of diapers/pull-ups -plenty of wipes -a change of weather-appropriate clothing in a plastic bag Please be sure to label all of your child's clothing with his/her name. Put the clothing into a zip-loc bag labeled with your child's name on the outside. Both the “big girl/boy” potty will be made available, as well as, a less scary little potty seat. Although we do not want this important skill to take away from the learning and socializing of each day, we do want to help you and your child make this transition as smooth as possible. Hopefully your child will be all ready for the perfectly potty trained 3 year-old class next year!

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STATEMENT OF PARENTAL AGREEMENT I have read over the Handbook and Policies of the Leesburg Presbyterian Church Preschool and understand my responsibilities as a parent of a child attending the Leesburg Presbyterian Church Preschool. I understand the Leesburg Presbyterian Preschool Board reserves the right to modify this handbook and/or terminate any policies or procedures whether or not they are described in this handbook at any time.

Child's Name _____________________________________________

Name of Parent____________________________________________ (Please Print)

Signature of Parent ________________________________________

Date____________________________________________________ ** Please sign and detach this page of the handbook and return it at the Orientation Meeting. Please check this box if you do NOT want any information such as name, address or phone number given out to other preschool parents. Please check this box if you do NOT want your child’s photograph to appear on our school website or other school materials (e.g., brochures).

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