Letter to Parents 3
Abuse 29
Allergies 19
Attendance 17
Before and After School Care 34
Birthdays, Holidays, & Celebrations 35
Biting and Hitting 25
Biting 24
Center Closings 27
Center License 6
Chain of Command 5
Child Guidance and Classroom Management 22
Church Functions 27
Cigarettes, Drugs, Alcohol 29
Communicable Diseases 18
Confidentiality Policy 14
CPR and First Aid 19
Crying, Fussing Children Policy 14
Cultural Diversity 9
Daily Parent/Teacher Communication Log 30
Daily, Weekly, Monthly Curriculum 9
Diapering or Soiled Clothing/Bedding Procedures 16
Dismissal of Children 12
Door Entry Security System 12
Education and Curriculum 7
Enrollment and Admission Policy 10
Family Fun Days 31
Family Input 31
Field Trips 36
Fire 28
Flash Flooding 27
Four Year Old Kindergarten 40
Fundraisers 34
General Fees 32
Getting Ready for the Center 11
Grievances 31
Guidance Memorandum 8C 43
Health Checks 18
Holiday Policy 35
Illness 17
Infection Control/Cleanliness 18
Injury Off Site 19
Inside Building Temperature 20
Lesson Plans 8
Meals and Snacks 46
Meals 21
Medical Log 21
Medication 20
Meet the Staff…………………………………………………………………………………………………...…4
Missing Child 29
Mission and Goals 6
Naptime 15
New Child Easing-In Policy for Preschool Children 11
Newsletters 30
Non-Discrimination 7
Non-Planned School Closings 28
Nutrition and Meal Time Policy 21
Other Emergencies 28
Outside Time 10
Parent Education Opportunities 31
Parent Involvement 30
Parent Meetings 30
Parent Orientation Checklist 50
Parent Orientation 37
Parent/Teacher Conferences 30
Parking & Arrival of Children 12
Pets 36
Philosophy 6
Photographs 35
Portfolios 8
Preschool & School-Age Change of Schedule Form 42
Primary Caregiver System and Other Systems 13
Punishment vs Discipline 23
Redirection 23
Refund Policies 34
Repeated Disruptive Behaviors 23
School-Age Guidance Policy 25
School-Age Program Description 33
School-Age Schedules 41
School-Age Slow Down and Relax Time 34
Serious Injuries 19
Sign Off Form 37
Sitting Apart 23
Snow Days and/or Severe Weather 27
Special Needs 10
Staff Background Checks, Health Examinations, and Education 22
Steps of the Enrollment Process 10
Sunscreen and Insect Repellent 20
Termination of Enrollment 26
Three Year Room Daily Schedule 39
Toilet Training Policy 15
Tornado and/or Severe Weather 28
Toys from Home 36
Transitions 9
Transportation Policy 37
Treatment of Non-Life Threatening Injuries 19
Tuition Policy 33
Two-Year Room Daily Schedule 38
Universal OHSHA Training 20
Volunteers 32
What Do We Do With Input Given 31
What the Center will Provide 11
What to Bring 11
Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards Alignment 8
YoungStar 8
Zero Tolerance 26
Letter to Parents
Dear Parents,
We are pleased that you have selected Redeemer Learning Center. We would like you to know that the staff will put forth every effort to provide an individualized program for your child.
You will find the staff eager to assist you as you help your child grow and learn. We look forward to helping your child with experiences in which he or she can grow socially, emotionally, physically, intellectually, creatively, and spiritually.
Throughout this handbook you will find information that will help you understand Center policies and practices and why they are important. However, if you have any additional questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact the Administrator. Redeemer Learning Center welcomes you and your family to visit the Center any time. We look forward to your active involvement as parents in the form of participation and feedback. Should any problems or concerns arise, feel free to contact me so we can discuss them. Let us know your suggestions from cleaning, policies, procedures, organizing, decorating, fundraisers, hours of operation, etc. Suggestions can be placed in the payment box in the parent area. We take all parent concerns and suggestions seriously. Much of our success in offering a quality service has come from feedback and input from the families that we serve.
We are looking forward to serving you and sharing an exciting and rewarding relationship with Christ, with you and your child.
Respectfully,
Rebecca Wagner
Administrator/Director
Redeemer Learning Center
Revised January 2017
Chain of Command
************Church Council**************
Board of Education
Pastor
Administrator/Director
Church Secretary
Called Teacher Called Teacher Kitchen Staff Office Assistant
Teacher Teacher
Assistant Teacher Assistant Teacher
In the case that the Administrator and the called teachers are absent from the Center, a lead teacher will be designated to lead staff. The Administrator will name the teacher in charge when she is not at the Center.
Philosophy
Redeemer Learning Center exists for the purpose of aiding and assisting parents in their God-given command, “Bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord,” (Eph. 6:4) and serving the Christian church in teaching God’s Word and making disciples of all Nations.
Mission and Goals
Redeemer Lutheran Learning Center is operated by Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church. Our mission is to spread the Word of the Lord and we will strive to provide opportunities that will help individuals:
§ Develop Spiritually by daily hearing and applying of God’s Word as it is taught in its truth and purity.
§ Develop Intellectually by providing developmentally appropriate activities in basic language arts, literacy, science, social studies, writing, and math.
§ Develop Physically through opportunities to use their large and small motor skills.
§ Develop Socially through opportunities which are based upon Christ-centered, God-pleasing principles of love, respect and concern for each other’s safety and well-being.
§ Develop Emotionally by creating an atmosphere in which each individual can build a positive concept. This is built on the knowledge and acceptance that we are redeemed children of God.
§ Develop Creativity and the use of aesthetics by providing opportunities to express themselves through the arts, music and movement.
§ Develop Personal Awareness by strengthening self-help skills and discovering how each individual can use his/her strengths to serve God.
§ Develop Communication by expressing emotions, feelings, and words in appropriate, respectful ways that will aid in sharing the Word of the Lord.
Center License
Redeemer Lutheran Learning Center is licensed by the Department of Children and Families to serve a capacity of 76. The Center is in operation twelve months a year and operates Monday through Friday between the hours of 5:00 am – 6:00 pm.
The license is posted in the main hallway outside of the office along with the results of the most recent licensing inspections. A copy of the licensing rules for group child care centers and the parent handbook will be available for reviewing in the main entryway along with other information that may be important to parents. These are also available online at redeemertomahawk.org.
Even though the license may read that the hours of operation is from 5:00 am – 6:00 pm the hours of actual operation will be determined by the number of children enrolled, hours needed, and the availability of staff. Parents are asked to plan their schedules so that children are not in care more than ten (10) hours a day on a regular basis. If there are special circumstances because of the safety of a child, traveling times to and from a workplace or other unique circumstances, please speak with the Administrator. Wisconsin Licensing states that no child will be in care more than 12 hours a day, but we would like to encourage children to be home with their families as much as possible. Drop-in care is available on an open slot basis only with consent of the Administrator.
Redeemer Learning Center will not discriminate against any child or family because of age, race, color, handicap, political persuasion, national origin or ancestry, however it is both logical and necessary that families understand that Redeemer Learning Center is operated and sponsored by Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church and will implement and participate in prayer, devotional activities, Bible stories, Christian songs as practiced by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
Furthermore Redeemer Learning Center participates in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), a Federal program that provides healthy meals and snacks to children receiving care. “In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.”
The Center can enroll children 20 months old to age 12. During the school year the Center will provide a before and after school program and there is a summer school-age program offered during the summer months. The Center will plan for materials to facilitate activities that are appropriate to school-age children such as, but not limited to: board games, organized games, crafts, jigsaw puzzles, books, etc. A complete all day curriculum geared to school-age children will be implemented during the summer months.
Non-Discrimination
Redeemer Learning Center is a participant in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, so this institution, “Under federal law, no person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity of an applicant or recipient of Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) or any agency thereof. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.”
To see full disclosure of Civil Rights Compliance and Enforcement in Child Care and Adult Care Food Program please see attachment Guidance Memorandum 8C.*
Education and Curriculum
Redeemer Learning Center has been blessed by God with a special privilege and given a great responsibility to nurture and educate His children with the Holy Word. The Administrator, teachers, with support of the teacher’s assistants and kitchen staff, will carry out the responsibilities of the education of the children.
This will be accomplished by working toward these three goals:
ü Developing Spiritual Truth
ü Developing a Spiritual Attitude
ü Developing Spiritual Habits
Teachers use the Christ Light and/or Little Lambs publications for religious instruction, along with other WELS supported materials. These publications take stories from the Bible and apply them to our lives today. These are an appropriate curriculum for children 20 months – 12 years.
We will supplement a Christian Approach with the Creative Curriculum. Creative Curriculum is a play-based curriculum that recognizes the importance of the development of creative individuals and an interwoven context of the developmental domains: personal awareness, emotional awareness, cognition, communication, socialization, and perceptual motor. Using Creative Curriculum will give the children opportunities to plan, create, and expand a process or projects that they are interested in or would like to learn more about. The teacher will work as facilitator in helping them to problem solve and to think critically on how and where to find information, instructions, materials, and/or ideas that will build on all learning areas and domains.
Creative Curriculum refers to a set of specific activities and learning centers that meet goals and objectives for children. It is a framework for making decisions through observation of children, staff, and the environment about what to teach and how to teach by providing guidelines based on how children develop and learn. It is specific enough to provide direction and flexible enough to meet special needs and interests of the children and families. It is a dynamic and evolving process that is shaped by the individuals involved in learning together every day.
Creative Curriculum is in alignment with the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards. Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards specify developmental expectations for children from birth through the entrance to first grade and are supported by evidence-based practice and scientific research. Designed for all children, they create a common language for communicating expectations for young children’s growth and learning and set the stage for the development of appropriate curriculum and assessment practices. Staff use the teaching cycle of ongoing assessment and observation, planning and curriculum goals based on assessment and implementation of meaningful activities to reach goals set for each child. For a complete copy of Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards, visit www.collaboratingpartners.com
Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards Alignment
To see the Alignment of the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards with the Creative Curriculum please go to www.TeachingStrategies.com.
YoungStar
Redeemer Learning Center participates in the YoungStar program. YoungStar is a program of the Department of Children and Families created to improve the quality of child care for Wisconsin children. YoungStar:
· Evaluates and rates the quality of care given by child care
· Helps parents choose the best child care for their kids
· Sets a consistent standard for child care quality
For more information, visit http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/youngstar
Lesson Plans
Lesson plans will be planned by the teachers and posted on the parent bulletin board the Friday before they are to be implemented in the classroom. Four times a year, lesson plans will be reviewed by the Administrator and filed for one year.
When a child enrolls, an assessment will be done and long range themes and group and individual goal setting will be planned and reviewed on a continuous basis, but specifics including, setting objectives for group and individual children to meet the long range goals will be planned weekly. Also learning centers, extensions of learning centers, and daily activities will be planned weekly after specific objectives have been planned. Lesson planning is based on recorded assessments, observations and the interests of children and staff. To show accountability for our teaching we will use assessments, observations & recording, portfolios will be used to show accountability and the teaching staff will look for feedback from children, other staff, and parents.
Portfolios
All children will need to bring a 2” 3-ring binder and page protectors for their portfolios. The teachers will set goals for each child and base their lesson plans on the goals set. Children will have samples and observations placed into their portfolio at least one time per month. As your child grows and moves to the Elementary School, the center will take a complete copy of the portfolio, putting it in the child’s file in the office and give you the original as a keepsake. Copies of portfolios are available at any time by request.