The Growing Place
Aversboro Road Baptist Church
Parent Handbook
revised 8-24-15
The Growing Place
Aversboro Road Baptist Church
1600 Aversboro Road
Garner, NC 27529
(919) 661-0872
The Growing Place
Aversboro Road Baptist Church
MISSION STATEMENT
To provide a Christian environment where children can safely grow, play and learn about their relationship with God, others, and the world.
PROGRAM FACTS
Days and Hours of Operation:
From September to May, The Growing Place is open Monday-Friday from 9:15 am until 1:15 pm. Children may attend two (Tues. & Thurs.), three (Monday, Wednesday, Friday), four (Monday-Thursday) or five days, (Monday-Friday). *Please note the 2 day option serves the Babies thru 3 year olds only.*
**Children in our 3 & 4 year old program must be potty trained**
From June to August, Summer Fun at The Growing Place is open from 9:15 am until 1:15 pm, (days T/W/Th).
Ages:
Children from birth to 5 years old are eligible to attend the year-long Growing Place program. Children are grouped in classes by their age on August 31st, which is the cut-off date used by theNorth Carolina Public School System.
Summer Fun Program serves students who have completed grades K-5.
Enrollment:
Enrollment will be determined based on space availability and a waiting list maintained by The Growing Place.
The following documents are required at enrollment:
A completed Student Registration Form
A completed Health Information Form
A copy of current immunizations
A signed Parent Policy Agreement
Paid and receipted registration fee
Registration begins in February for the following program year.However, applications are accepted for available openings throughout the program year.
Registration for Summer Fun at the Growing Place begins in March.
FEES
Traditional School Year (September through May)
Registration (Non-refundable):
2-Day Program $95.00
3-Day Program $95.00
4 Day Program $95.00
5-Day Program $95.00
Annual registration fee for each additional child is $70.00.
*Registration fees paid by Feb. 15 will receive a 10% discount.
Monthly Tuition:
2-Day Program $140.00
3-Day Program $175.00
4 Day Program $230.00
5-Day Program $280.00
Summer Fun at the Growing Place
(June through August)
Registration Fee $30.00
Tuition Fee Each Session $165.00
Drop-In Program
Registration Fee $20.00
Drop In Fee $35.00
Tuition is due on the first day of each month. Late payments after the fifth day of the month will result in a $20.00surcharge per child.
Children will be removed from the program if tuition is not paid within 30 days past the due date unless payment arrangements have been approved by the director or if payments are late more than three consecutive months. Tuition must be paid each month whether the child is able to attend or not in order to hold the space in the program.
A service charge of $25.00 will be assessed for all returned checks. Please make checks payable to The Growing Place, and place in the tuition box located outside The Growing Place office.
Optional expenses: Photos, special events, field trips.
TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS
All teachers are professing Christians committed to providing support and assistance to you in your child’s developmental journey. Staff has been trained to provide the educational foundation to equip your child as he/she grows through the preschool years. Staff is required to attend CPR, First Aid, and to have educational training in child growth and development.
CURRICULUM
The Growing Place is committed to providing a loving, nurturing, and safe environment in which your child develops spiritually, socially, and academically.
A theme-based curriculum is used with all age groups. The whole-group and center-based instructional activities emphasize the objectives outlined below. Students are encouraged to participate in creative thinking and reasoning, expressive free play, and practicing social and language development skills.
Teachers provide a monthly calendar so parents have the option to participate at home in reinforcing their child’s experience at The Growing Place.
Objectives:
All age groups will:
Feel safe and nurtured at preschool
Feel loved by staff
Learn about God’s love
Understand simple rules and practice manners
Engage in circle time based on attention span
Respect staff and classmates
Practice skills leading to responsibility and independence
SOCIAL SKILLS
Follow simple directions
Share, take turns, show respect for others
Be responsible for personal hygiene and belongings
Be successful on playground
Gain confidence, responsibility, and self-esteem
Four Year Program
MATH
Identify numbers from 0-10
Name the days of the week
Identify shapes (circle, square, rectangle, oval, triangle, diamond)
Develop understanding of one-to-one correspondence
Identify, reproduce, and create patterns
PRE-READING AND WRITING
Recognize and name the letters of the alphabet
Write his/her given name
Recall name of parents and address
Experience the relationship between sounds and letters
Practice rhyming
Listen and recall story events
Speak in complete sentences
SCIENCE
Identify parts of body (eyes, nose, ears, etc.
Observe differences in the 4 seasons
Interact with nature and the environment as part of God’s creation
Understand and experience the 5 senses
ART
Recognize colors of the spectrum
Practice using scissors correctly
Enjoy art as a personal expression
Three-year Program
Develop basic knowledge of colors and shapes
Develop cutting, sorting, and matching skills
Sight recognition of first name
Recognize difference between upper and lower case letters
Experience science and art activities through nature study
Two-year Program
Practice expressive language skills
Develop auditory language skills
Interaction with stories/books
Learn basic colors and shapes
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
Arrival time is 9:15 and departure is 1:15. Your primary method of arrival and departure will be through curbside drop off / pick up. Curbside drop-off and pick-up will begin the second week of the program.
Vehicles will need to enter the parking lot from Claymore Drive and exit the parking lot onto Aversboro Road. A single line will form from the left side of the parking lot (stay to the left as you enter from Claymore, avoiding the lined parking area). As the car line proceeds, your driver side should be adjacent to the curb and preschool entry door. Your child’s identification sign should be displayed for pick-up in the driver-side window (not the front windshield). A staff member will retrieve your child while you record your drop-off/pick-up on a sign in/out sheet. Staff will be responsible for getting the child TO the car. Parents will be responsible for fastening their own child/ren into the car seat.
Children will not be admitted to the building prior to 9:15 as staff will be preparing for the day. All parents not using curbside drop off are to enter through the preschool entrance (under the shelter). All parents entering the building to pick up or drop off their child/ren must park in the parking lot, NOT under the shelter. DO NOT leave other children unattended in your vehicle when you are coming into the building.
A late charge of $5.00 will be assessed whenever a child is not picked up by 1:15. An additional $5.00 charge will be assessed every fifteen minutes after 1:15.
After 1:15 $ 5.00
1:30 $10.00
1:45 $15.00
Excessive late pick-ups may result in removal of the child from the program.
If someone other than those named on your child’s release list will be picking up your child, written notification must be furnished to The Growing Place office. Identification will be required before any child will be released to someone other than the parent.
INCLEMENT WEATHER
In the case of snow, ice, or severe weather, the program will consider the instructions of the Wake County Public School System. However, we may delay opening instead of closing the whole day. If the schools close early, parents are expected to pick up their children immediately. If Wake County Schools delay opening, the program will also delay opening by one hour. Please tune in to WRAL for closings/ late openings information. We are listed under The Growing Place at ARBC.
WITHDRAWALS
Parents should give the Director at least a two week notice of intent to withdraw a child from the program. Upon receipt of written notice, a withdrawal fee of one-half monthly tuition will be due. Note: Tuition payments and registration fees are non-refundable.
LUNCHES AND SNACKS
Each child should bring a finger-food lunch in a labeled lunch box or bag each day. Foods cannot be refrigerated or heated for children older than Babies and Ones.
Children in the Babies and Ones are permitted to bring food or beverages that need to be refrigerated or heated, but parents must clearly label instructions in the lunch box or diaper bag. The Growing Place adheres to the following guidelines for storing food for the Babies and Ones:
- All perishable food or drink is refrigerated at or below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Formula/bottles are warmed in a crock pot only.
Please inform staff of any food allergies or sensitivities!
No peanut or any other kind of nut products are permitted in the facility.
If you wish to celebrate your child’s birthday with a special snack, please schedule this with the classroom teacher and receive approval for all items being brought (to protect children with food allergies).
PERSONAL BELONGINGS
All removable clothing (jackets, sweaters, hats, etc.) must be labeled. Each child must bring a complete change of clothing, labeled with his/her name. Children should come dressed for play, including outdoor play. Sneakers are preferred for walking children. All shoes must be flat with closed toes and heels (no sandals, flip flops, crocs, etc.)
An ample supply of wipes, diapers, and/or pull-ups should also be provided each day for younger children.
Personal items such as toys should not be brought to preschool except as requested. Items brought for show and tell will be kept in the child’s cubby during the school day. The Growing Place is not liable for items that may bedamaged or misplaced. Items that are not labeled and left at the preschool for longer than a month will be donated to charity.
PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES
Parent conferences are offered twice during the regularprogram year.Parents may request additional conferences at any time, which would be scheduled at a time convenient for the parent and for the teacher.
Summer Fun conferences are on a request basis only.
DISCIPLINE AND BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT
Staff shall use positive methods of guidance including redirection, positive reinforcement, encouragement, and anticipation and removal of potential problems. Corporal punishment is forbidden. Time-out may be used only if other methods have failed.
Disruptive or dangerous behavior will be handled by the classroom teacher. The teacher will explain to the child why the behavior is inappropriate. If the child continues to have difficulty, he/she will be removed from the classroom to the Director’s office. If the Director and classroom teacher determine the child’s behavior is too disruptive for the classroom and/or compromises the safety of the other children, the parent will be called to pick up their child. Discipline issues will also be discussed with the parent to determine the best ways to help the child learn self-control and appropriate behavior skills.
If consistent behavior issues occur, TGP may recommend outside resources to parents. (Ex. Project Enlightenment)
In the event a child is not able to adjust to a classroom setting within an appropriate amount of time the need to remove the child may be determined. TGP reserves the right to remove a child from the program if it determines that the child’s behavioral, emotional, or educational needs cannot be met at TGP. Examples of this may include but are not limited to: consistent behavior issues, consistent biting or abusive behavior to staff or other children, recommendations from outside resources or the child’s identifiable special needs were not disclosed to the program prior to enrollment.
TGP staff, administration and ARBC’s Minister to Children will meet together and determine the best course of action. The Director will then meet with the parents to discuss the decision. TGP is committed to administering our love of Christ to each family that attends our program. We want each child to be successful and working together with family and staff, we will strive to make that happen.
FIELD TRIPS
Field trips are planned by staff to enhance curriculum, as hands-on experiences are beneficial to the learning process. Transportation to and from field trips must be provided by each student’s parent, except for the older children’s class during the summer, when the class will ride on a church vehicle. Parents must sign a Liability Release Form in order for their child to leave the premises.
CHILD ABUSE NOTIFICATION
North Carolina law requires childcare professionals to report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect. Classrooms are carefully supervised to insure the safety of all children. If a Growing Place employee or parent suspects that a child is being abused or neglected,a report will be made to the proper authorities.
ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES
In emergency situations, The Growing Place has written authorization from the parent to see that the child gets immediate and proper care. In the event that the parent cannot be reached, the alternate number furnished by the parent will be used. In an emergency requiring that a child be taken to a medical resource, the hospital preference on file will be called unless the location will delay the needed medical attention longer than deemed advisable. In cases where a child must be transported to a hospital and the parent cannot be reached, arescue vehicle will be called. Payment for any treatment or transportation shall be at the parent’s expense.
All emergency contact numbers must be kept current in the Director’s office.
Staff is CPR and First Aid trained.
In the event your child is injured while at preschool, an Accident Report form will be filled out by your child’s teacher and presented to you to sign at the endof the program day. Parents will be called to come and pick their child up, if The Growing Place staff feels it is in the best interest of the child.
HEALTH PROCEDURES
Immunizations:
A current immunization record is required from every student at the time of enrollment. Immunizations must be kept current according to state regulations for the age of each child. Please furnish an updated copy to The Growing Place at least once a year.
Medications:
The Growing Place will only administer medications that are prescribed by a doctor. A consent form signed by the parent must be on file with detailed instructions for administering the medication. Staff will also assist children who must use inhalers or epi-pens in the event of an emergency. Again, a signed note from the parent with instructions for administering the inhaler or epi-pen must be on file.
Illness:
The Growing Place strives to provide a healthy environment for students and staff. Children who have any of the following symptoms will not be permitted to attend preschool: fever, acute cold or cough, diarrhea, vomiting, red/watery eyes with drainage, severe headaches, sore throat, or undiagnosed rash. Children must be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to preschool. If a child becomes ill while at The Growing Place, he/she will be separated from other children while the parent is contacted to comeand pick up the child. Please note the guidelines for the child’s return to the program:
Diarrhea: when resolved
Vomiting: when resolved
Fever: fever-free without medication for 24 hours
Infection (yellow/green nasal discharge, severe coughing, difficulty breathing)
Scabies: after treatment with prescription cream
Lice: after treatment or shaving hair to 1/8 inch; child must be lice and nit free
Pinkeye: 24 hours after starting treatment
Rash: until resolved or with a note from doctor stating rash is not contagious
Ringworm: 24 hours after starting treatment; must remain covered until starts to shrink
Chicken Pox: until all lesions are dry and crusted over
Impetigo: 24 hours after starting treatment
The Program staff will inform parents if a child in the program has been diagnosed as having a contagious disease. It is the parent’s responsibility to report a child’s exposure or diagnosis to the Director as soon as possible. Children with contagious diseases shall not return to the Program until the disease is cured and has been diagnosed by a physician as not being infectious or contagious. We will contact a health Consultant for questions about illnesses with which we are not familiar.