11109 Old Seward Hwy, Suite 4
Anchorage, AK 99515
Phone: (907) 947-1254
E-mail:
Website: www.honeybeepreschoolak.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome to Honeybee Preschool ..3
Purpose and Philosophy 3
Programs Offered 3
Admission and Registration 3
Tuition 4
School Year and Summer Enrollment 4
Drop Off & Pick Up 4
Parent/Child Separation 5
Parent Participation 5
Preschool Calendar 5
Supervision of Children 5
Discipline 5
Handwashing 5
Toileting 6
Clothing 6
Indoor Shoes 6
Personal Belongings 6
Snacks 6
Cell Phones 6
Animals 6
Attendance & Health Policy 7
Accidents and First Aid 7
Medication Policy 7
Topical Products 7
Field Trips 8
Special Visitors 8
Birthdays 8
Non-Discrimination Policy 8
Children with Special Needs 8
Electronics 8
Smoking Policy 8
Policy Changes 8
Withdrawal 8
Termination of Enrollment 9
Emergency Evacuation 9
Liability Insurance Coverage 9
Child Abuse Reporting 9
Regulatory Agency 9
Welcome to Honeybee Preschool!
We want to thank you for choosing Honeybee Preschool for your child and your family. We recognize the importance of a quality early childhood experience for all children and we also value the partnership with families.
PURPOSE AND PHILOSOPHY
The purpose of the Honeybee Preschool Program is to provide a safe, supporting and stimulating environment where children can learn, develop and play. Our program facilitates child learning in all developmental areas (cognitive, language, physical, social, and emotional) and content areas (literacy, math, social studies, science, and the arts).
One of the main goals of the preschool program is to prepare children for kindergarten. Your child will participate in a preschool curriculum that promotes learning through exploration and discovery, as teachers support children’s pre-academic progress.
PROGRAMS OFFERED
We offer morning and afternoon classes for children ages three to six years old. Children can attend: 2 Days (T/Th); 3 Days (M/W/F); 5 Days (M-F).
Morning Afternoon
8:30 Arrival, Preschool Begins 12:00
8:45 Circle Time 12:15
9:15 Snack/Bathroom 12:45
9:30 Learning Centers/Groups 1:00
10:45 Music/Movement 2:15
11:00 Closing Circle 2:30
11:15 Pick-Up, Preschool Ends 2:45
ADMISSION AND REGISTRATION
Honeybee Preschool is licensed for children who are three to six years of age. All children must be three years of age and potty trained before they can attend preschool. The following forms/information are required for enrollment and must be submitted prior to starting preschool:
· Application
· Non-refundable Registration Fee ($125 School Year / $55 Summer Program)
· Emergency Card
· Copy of current shot record or exemption form
· Copy of current Physical
· Handbook Form, Parental Agreement Form, Tuition Form, Child History Form
Tuition
Tues. & Thurs. $205.00
Mon. Wed. & Fri $270.00
Monday - Friday $400.00
Preschool tuition is based on the full academic school year and then the amount is divided by ten months. This makes the tuition easier to remember.
Tuition is due on the 1st of every month and can be paid by either check or cash. Payments after the 5th day of the month are considered late and a $30.00 late fee will be charged. You may place your payment in the tuition box located by the parent board. If you are paying by check, please write your child’s name and class in the memo section (For example: Sally AM). A $30.00 NSF charge will be applied for any returned checks.
As a preschool, we are ready every day for your child to attend school. If your child is unable to attend preschool for any reason, the tuition still must be paid to cover that period of time. Teachers, classroom, supplies and equipment are available regardless of any child's absence. If tuition becomes delinquent, you will have ten days from notification to meet your financial commitment. Failure to do so will result in the removal of your child from school.
School Year and Summer Enrollment
Currently enrolled families have priority for the next School Year and Summer Sessions. Applications for both sessions are available by December 1st and located on the sign-in counter and on the Honeybee Preschool website. If you wish to enroll your child, application and registration fee must be received for priority placement by:
February 1st School Year Session
April 1st Summer Session
After the above dates, enrollment is opened to previous preschool families and then the public.
Drop Off & Pick Up
Children may be dropped off and picked up until at the following times:
Morning Afternoon
Drop Off 8:15 - 8:35 Drop Off 11:45 - 12:05
Pick Up 11:15 - 11:30 Pick Up 2:45 - 3:00
It is important for your child to be dropped off and picked up on time. A child can experience great anxiety and worries if their parent is late. There is a $10.00 fee for the first five minutes and a dollar a minute there after per child that is dropped off early or picked up late. We understand that emergencies happen. If an emergency occurs, take time to give us a call or text.
For security purposes, the front door will be locked during the following hours:
8:45 - 11:00 am Morning Session
12:15 - 2:45 pm Afternoon Session
If you need admittance during the school session, please ring the doorbell that is located on the right side of the front door.
Parent/ Child Separation
It is not unusual for a child to become teary when separating from a parent in an unfamiliar situation. Remember, this is a new environment with new faces. A child is bound to feel a little uncomfortable. Be encouraging. Your smile, eyes and body language communicate a lot. If a child senses any type of apprehension on your part, this increases their own feeling of uncertainty. Children will usually begin to play and interact with others within a few minutes of the parent leaving the classroom. Separation is often harder on the parents than the child. If you have any questions or concerns, please see a teacher.
Parent Participation
Parents are welcome and encouraged to participate in the classroom starting October 1st. For a child who begins during other times of the year, parents are asked to wait 2 weeks prior to volunteering. Please make other arrangements for siblings while you are volunteering at school.
Preschool Calendar
Honeybee Preschool follows the Anchorage School District (ASD) Calendar for all holidays and some in-service days. All closures will be listed on our website, posted on Facebook, and in our monthly newsletters. A calendar is provided to parents before each main session that shows all school closures, field trips, and parent/teacher conferences.
If bad weather forces ASD to close schools, then our preschool will be closed. If Anchorage schools are delayed, the morning session will continue at its normal time. Anchorage School closures are announced on the news, radio, and posted on the ASD website at www.asdk12.org
Supervision of Children
Our preschool limits the class size to 20 children for each class. Regulation ratio is 1 teacher for every ten children in care. However, we always strive for a low ratio of 7 children per 1 teacher. Children are supervised at all times. A qualified substitute teacher will always be present in the event of a teacher being absent.
Discipline
Our discipline is age appropriate. It often takes the form of a gentle reminder or redirection. Choices are offered, encouraging children to make appropriate decisions and to take responsibility for their actions. In challenging situations, a child may have to take a break from the group until he/she is ready to demonstrate appropriate behavior. We encourage a joint effort between the family and school if the above form of discipline is not working. If a child displays a pattern of negative behavior or has a serious behavior issue, an appointment will be made with the parents to discuss and develop a plan for the child in the classroom. If you have any questions regarding discipline in the classroom, please ask a teacher.
Hand Washing
Children and staff members are required to wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water often throughout the day. Hands are washed before and after consuming food, after using the toilet, before and after engaging in moist play, and before and after the handling of animals and their equipment.
Toileting
To attend preschool, children are expected to be potty trained and must be wearing underwear.
We understand that accidents will sometimes occur. However, if a child has two accidents in one day, the family will be notified to come and pick up the child for the remainder of that day. If the child continues to have frequent accidents on a daily basis, the preschool staff may consider asking the family to withdraw the child from preschool until compete toilet training is achieved. In the event of a toileting accident, we will help the child change and the soiled clothing will be sent home in a plastic bag. Please provide extra clothing daily in case of accidents. If no extra clothing is provided, Honeybee Preschool has limited clothing for emergencies. Please return the loaned clothing promptly after it has been washed.
Clothing
Clothes that are comfortable, washable, and allows for self-dressing should be worn to school. These items may become soiled due to accidents, art, and water play. Please label all sweaters, jackets, coats, backpacks, etc. with your child’s name. Often a child will have a garment identical to someone else's in the classroom.
Indoor Shoes
Due to Alaska’s weather and children working on the floor, children are required to take off their shoes at their arrival. We ask that each child bring a pair of “inside shoes” such as crocs, shoes with velcro, or slippers and socks. We also require visitors and parents to take their snow boots off when entering the classroom.
Personal Belongings
The preschool is not responsible for the loss or damage to children’s belongings brought to the school. Please DO NOT allow your child to bring toys or money from home.
Snacks
Each child brings his/her own snack to school. Please place your child’s snack in a lunch box. Snacks can include fruits, vegetables, crackers, milk products, meats, etc. Water bottles are not allowed as water is provided to children at all times. Please do not pack candy or any type of sweets. Due to severe allergies, there is a NO NUT policy at the school. Be sure your child's snack does not contain peanut butter, whole nuts, or sprinkled nuts.
Cell Phone Use
During student drop off and pick up, parents and teachers must be able to share information about students, sign any notes from the day or discuss concerns...please do not use your cell phone during this time.
Animals
The school may have small pets: fish, hamsters, bunny, guinea pig, worms, bugs, etc. Children and staff will wash hands thoroughly with soap and water prior to and after the handling of animals and their equipment.
Attendance and Health Policies
If your child will be absent for any reason, please notify the school by phone, email, or text. For the health and well-being of your child and others at school, please keep your child home for the following reasons:
1) Fatigue (for any reason), lethargic behavior.
2) A fever (a child should remain at home for 24 hours after the fever is gone
and/or prescribed antibiotics administered for 24 hours before a child returns
to school).
3) Sore throat
4) Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea (child should remain home for 24 hours after the last
episode).
5) Red, "crusty", itchy eyes (conjunctivitis or pink eye is contagious). The child
must be kept at home for 48 hours while being treated with antibiotics and
should only return to school if there is no discharge from the eyes.
Please call if your child has a communicable illness or infestation, such as chicken pox, conjunctivitis, or head lice.
Accidents and First Aid
All teachers are trained in First Aid and CPR. In case of an accident with injury a teacher will administer first aid to the child.
If the injury is determined to be minor, the parent/guardian will be notified of the injury and treatment with a written report.
If the injury is major and requires medical attention, a parent/guardian or authorized person will be notified immediately so they can make the decision of desired treatment.
If the injury is serious or life threatening, trained rescue personnel will be called through 911, then a parent/guardian or authorized person will be notified by phone.
Please keep all of your telephone numbers and authorized personnel up to date with the school at all times.
Prescription/Over-the-Counter Medication Policy
Parents need to fill out a form authorizing teachers to dispense medications to their child. The form must specify the doses and the times for the medication to be dispensed. Prescription medication must come with a pharmacy label and Over-the-Counter medication must have dosage information on the container. Parents need to bring a doctor’s authorization for all prescription medications or in the case that their child needs to take over-the-counter medication for more than 4 days. The school will not dispense medications for fever.
Topical Products
Topical products are substances applied directly to children, such as creams, lotions or lip balm. These items require written authorization by the child’s parent. Please do not place these items in your child's backpack.
Field Trips
Field trips are planned throughout the year as a part of the curriculum. Students and parents meet at the location of the field trip. Some locations may cost an entrance fee which would be at a discount. School is closed for the day of the field trip.
Special Visitors
We encourage parents with special talents such as fire fighters, police officers, doctors, dentists, etc. to come and visit our classroom during the year. Children love to have visitors at the school. Please speak to a teacher if you wish to visit.
Birthdays
Birthdays are special to children. Every child's birthday is celebrated and your child is the center of attention. Parents are welcome to bring pictures from birth to present on that day. You may provide a birthday snack to honor your child and share with the classmates. Each snack must be nut free. Please talk to a teacher for appropriate snack ideas and to give the teachers notice. We suggest muffins, yogurt, fruit, or cookies. Please NO cakes, cupcakes, or candy.