Parent Handbook

The purpose of Sonshine Christian Preschool is to prepare your child for kindergarten: socially, academically and spiritually. Sonshine Christian Preschool wishes to serve the needs of a community and St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church by offering a quality preschool program. We seek to provide a loving, caring environment where the children can grow physically, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. No child will be discriminate against on the basis of race, religion or nationality.

At Sonshine Christian Preschool, every child is a gift from God and an individual. Each child is special and will be recognized as such. Choice of activities, cultural, ethnic and religious background shall be respected. Sonshine Christian Preschool will provide a wide variety of activities for the children to encourage development of the complete child. Our program is Christian based, and as such, our children will learn about Christian values, morals and the love of Jesus.

To provide an atmosphere in which each child is encouraged to:

• Develop a positive self-image
• Respect their peers
• Interact with their peers and adults in a positive way
• Express both positive and negative feelings
• Use problem-solving skills
• Explore the world around them
• Know that God is always with them

Our preschoolers will participate in Christian activities with a non-denominational approach, read Bible stories, sing songs about God and Jesus, and recite a snack prayer. The children will celebrate Christian holidays and go to chapel twice monthly to meet with our pastor. We encourage Christian love and caring throughout the school year.

All staff members are DCFS qualified for their positions. The staff is encouraged to continue their education, in addition to fulfilling the State requirement of 15 hours of continuing education.

The entire staff of Sonshine Christian Preschool is required by State law to be mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect and is required by State law to report suspicions of child abuse and/or neglect to the Illinois DCFS Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-25-ABUSE).

No child shall be denied enrollment on the basis of race, color, religious belief or nationality. All children who can benefit from our program are welcome, so long as they do not risk the health and safety of themselves, other children and our staff.

**SONSHINE CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL POLICY REQUIRES THAT ALL CHILDREN MUST BE TOILET TRAINED. NO PULL-UPS ALLOWED. ***

Children enrolling in the three-year-old program must be three years of age by September 1, of the current school year. Children enrolling in the four-year-old program must be four years of age by September 1, of the current school year.

Members of St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church and current families of the preschool will be registered first on a set day and then enrollment will be open to the public. When all available spaces have been filled, we will begin a waiting list.

To enroll you will need the following:

• Completed enrollment application
  • A  non-refundable registration fee (this fee will be prorated monthly if the child begins school during the school year)

At the preschool Open House you will be required to turn in the following information:

• Department of Public Health medical exam form signed by a physician indicating TB test and results, up-to-date immunizations and lead screening. The physical must be no more than six months old prior to the start of school.
• Proof of hearing and vision tests to be kept on file.
• Copy of an original birth certificate with the state seal.
• First month’s tuition
• Completed emergency card
• Signed Handbook Acknowledgement
• Signed Discipline Policy Acknowledgement

Your child MAY NOT be admitted to class without all the necessary forms completed and signed

There is a non-refundable registration fee payable at the same time as submission of application forms. Tuition is as follows:

Tuition will be collected by the first day of each month and no later than the 5th of that month. If a child is enrolled after the 15th of the month, the tuition is one-half the monthly fee.

There is a $10 late fee for tuition payments received after the 5th day of each month. If the late fee is not paid by the 10th of that month, the child will not be able to return to school until the tuition and late fee balance are both paid in full. Additionally, the Chairman of the Board of Education will call the family and inquire concerning the circumstances of the situation.

In the event that a check is returned from the bank for insufficient funds, you will be required to pay the insufficient check amount plus an additional $25.00 service fee within 5 days of being notified by the Director. This amount must be paid in cash.

Tuition is based on a yearly basis and divided into nine equal payments. There is no discount for sick days, snow days, or vacations. Tuition cannot be refunded when a child is absent. There will be no tuition refunds for families who decide to withdraw from the program at any time during the year. The tuition payment ensures your child’s continued enrollment in the program. Should special circumstances arise, please see the Preschool Director.

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL

The classroom opens at 9:00 am and 12:30 pm.  Please have your child ready to enter the classroom at this time.  The doors to the preschool will be locked at 9:10 am and 12:40 pm daily as late arrivals disrupt the class.  If you arrive after these times please enter through the front of the church.  Dismissal time is 11:30 am and 3:00 pm.  We will provide DRIVE THRU parent-pick up at dismissal time.  This will be explained at open house.

 There will be an overtime charge for each child not picked up at their regular preschool time.  A carpool driver is responsible for overtime charges for each child they pick up. 

Late pick-ups will result in a $5.00 charge, for each child, after the first five minutes late and for every 10 minutes thereafter, payable directly to the teacher.  This fee is to be paid promptly on the next school attendance day.

If pick-ups are frequently late, other steps will be initiated.  Individual situations will be taken into consideration and these charges may be waived due to extenuating circumstances.

The following steps will be taken if you are over 15 minutes late in picking up your child from preschool:

• Continue trying to contact the parents at the numbers listed on the emergency card.
• Call the other emergency numbers listed on the emergency cards to have one of those people pick up your child.
• Staff will notify the director while they continue to contact the parent.
• If after 30 minutes there still has been no contact with a parent or an emergency contact person, the Gilberts Police Department will be called.

Children will not be released to anyone other than their parent, unless other arrangements have been made and their name is on the release form.

SCHOOL CLOSINGS

Our preschool will close whenever Community School District No. 300 and/or District 158 schools close due to bad weather.  You can find this information on the local news stations.  We also use the emergency closing center (ECC) and email to advise all parents of up to date information regarding school closings.  The ECC information is located on our website at www.sonshinechristianprek.org .

It should also be noted that should a director qualified person be unable to be at Sonshine Christian Preschool for any reason, the preschool will be closed. Preschool may be closed due to the Director’s absence, snow days, special circumstances or church-related services.  There are 3 allowable school closing days per school year that will not be made up.  If school is cancelled more than three times per session, it will be made up at the end of the school year for that session.

SNACKS

 Sonshine Christian Preschool will provide a daily snack and drink to your child each day.

When it is your child’s birthday, the school will provide a special treat for all the children.  Since we are a nut-free school, no outside treats may be brought into school.

Your child will receive a Sonshine Christian Preschool tote bag that is to be brought to school daily.

Parents must supply a complete change of clothing-shirt, pants, underwear and socks. Please put these items in a zip-lock plastic bag labeled with your child’s name and bring them to school every day in your child’s backpack. If your child has soiled clothing, the dirty clothes will be put in a plastic bag and put back into your child’s tote bag.

Your child is to hang up his/her tote bag and coat, on their own, in the hallway on designated hooks upon arrival each day.

Please label all personal belongings of your child’s-tote bag, coat, etc. We strongly discourage children from bringing toys or other personal belongings to school. We cannot be responsible for lost or damaged items and they could cause distraction to the class.

Please dress your child in clothes that are washable and comfortable. Everyday our preschoolers may, paint, glue, play at the water table, climb and participate in many activities that are messy. Shoes must have good tractions for active play. Dress shoes and sandals are not recommended. If your child wears dress shoes or sandals, they may not be allowed on the climbing equipment.

We go outside every day-weather permitting. Per DCFS standards, it is up to the discretion of the teacher to determine if the children will play outside each day. Keeping this in mind, please send appropriate clothing for outdoor play each day for each session. We will make sure your child is properly dressed with the items you supply. In the winter, this includes coats, boots, hats, scarves, mittens and even snow pants. *Please label all of their clothing.

ILLNESS~ABSENCES~MEDICATIONS

PLEASE DO NOT BRING A CHILD TO SCHOOL WHO SHOWS ANY SIGNS OF ILLNESS AND/OR INFECTION.

Children should not attend school if any of the following symptoms are present:

Fever over 99.9 degrees

Persistant and or productive cough

Running nose and eyes (epescially discolored discharge)

Undiagnosed rashes

Nausea

Vomiting

Diarrhea

Swollen glands

Head lice

Pink eye

Sore throat

Your child must be symptom free, without use of medication, for 24 hours before returning to school.

Should a child become sick at school, he or she will be sent home.  The parents will be contacted.  The child will be separated from the group and made comfortable until the parent arrives.

ABSCENCES    If your child will be absent from school, please contact the school either by email or phone to report your child’s specific symptoms. Should your child be exposed to a communicable disease while at school, all parents will be notified of the disease and its symptoms, without disclosing any names. 

MEDICATIONS

Whenever possible, the parent or guardian should make arrangements for medications to be administered before or after school.  If a situation occurs that a student must receive medication during school hours, the following must occur:

• The medicine must be brought in by the parent or legal guardian.
• A parent or guardian of the child must complete, sign and return to the Director, a Consent to Administer Drugs.
• The prescription medicine must be in the original container with the instructions visible.

The teacher will record any medicine dispensed in the Medication Log Book.

Whenever possible, the parent or guardian should make arrangements for medications to be administered before or after school. If a situation occurs that a student must receive medication during school hours, the following must occur:

• The medicine must be brought in by the parent or legal guardian.
• A parent or guardian of the child must complete, sign and return to the Director, a Consent to Administer Drugs.
• The prescription medicine must be in the original container with the instructions visible.

The teacher will record any medicine dispensed in the Medication Log Book.

If your child has a serious allergy, please be sure to stop in to talk with the preschool Director prior to the first day of school to discuss your child’s medical condition in detail.

To prevent a student from having an allergic reaction, we at Sonshine Christian Preschool take the following precautionary measures to reduce the chance that a student will have a reaction at school.

1. The preschool Director will review all student paperwork and when a child has been identified with an allergy a picture will be taken of the child.
2. An Allergy Action Plan needs to be on file in the preschool office detailing what the student is allergic to and how they should be treated in the event of a reaction.
3. If medication needs to be dispensed in the event of a reaction, (i.e.: Benadryl, Epipen, etc…) a letter from a doctor with detailed dosing instructions needs to accompany the Allergy Action Plan on file in the preschool office.
4. A picture of each child that has an allergy, as well as, a list of those things that the child is allergic to, will be displayed in the kitchen and in each classroom so that the staff can easily identify the student.
5. The staff will be made aware of those children that are enrolled during the given school year and will be trained twice a year (August and January) on how to identify and treat a student that has an allergic reaction.
6. During training, all staff members will be given instruction on how to properly use an Epipen, as well as partake in a simulation to familiarize themselves with the procedures that we have in place in the event that a reaction should ever happen.

We will plan two out-of-school field trips each year. A parent or guardian will be responsible for transporting the children and will remain with him or her during the field trips. In the course of the school year, we will have special visitors: i.e., nurses, dental hygienist, fire and police department representatives. These experiences will enhance your child’s development.

During the school year we will offer parent teacher conferences. At these conferences we will go over your child’s progress and development. The conferences are scheduled during regular school hours and the children will not be in attendance. Should you have concerns you want addressed at any time during the school year, please contact your teacher to make arrangements to talk with her.

A newsletter will be sent home each month to keep you informed about what is going on in the classroom in the way of themes, school events, outings, programs, projects and important dates to note on your calendar. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with what is going on in the classroom by reading this fun and informative newsletter.

Sonshine Christian Preschool has an open door policy and we encourage our parents and or legal guardians to visit or volunteer in our classroom. We have a variety of opportunities for you to participate. When volunteering in the classroom, please understand that the children come first and the teacher may not be free to talk with you during your visit.

All student records maintained by the preschool shall be confidential. Parents have the right to inspect their child’s records by presenting a written request to the Director. Records, medical forms and all other information on students will be released by photocopy or transferred only upon written request of the parent, except in evidence of abuse. The preschool maintains all original documents in the children’s files for five years after they have been discharged.

UP TO DATE information is required for all children. This information should include phone numbers of where parents can be reached during school hours, phone numbers for your doctor and phone numbers for alternate emergency contacts. Should your child require immediate medical care, the staff is trained in both CPR and First Aid. Should the injury appear to be serious, 911 will be called. You will then be contacted. If you cannot be reached, we will contact the people you listed on the emergency card to handle any and all emergency care decisions concerning the child.

Should any parent or legal guardian request exemption from medical care for their child based on religious grounds, it is imperative that the preschool be notified of such. The name, phone number and address of a certified practitioner needs to be part of such child’s emergency information, along with specific written guidelines as to how the parent wishes the preschool to handle an emergency. This document will become part of that child’s records.

Our philosophy is to work to avoid situations where discipline is needed. We do this through the type of environment and activities that involve all children. Our intent is to change inappropriate behavior by:

• Developing with the students, rules that set clear limits
• Redirecting a child to other activities if he or she becomes frustrated
• Reinforcing positive behavior
• Encouraging students to help solve their problems
• On occasion it may be necessary to remove a child from the group or children by means of a thinking/time out chair in order to calm down

Should inappropriate behaviors persist or cause potential harm to others, parents will be called in order to work together in curbing inappropriate behaviors. Sonshine Christian Preschool reserves the right to dismiss children from the program if we deem it necessary.

DISENROLLMENT OF CHILD

Sonshine Christian Preschool makes every effort to provide a program that meets the needs of each child.  If after working with the child and family, we do not believe it is in the child’s best interest to remain at the school, the child will be disenrolled from the program.  The decision to dismiss a child from Sonshine Christian Preschool shall be at the discretion of the Director with approval from the Board of Christian Education.  Refunds will be made for any disenrollment on a prorated basis of tuition paid in advance for future months that have not been attended.

DISENROLLMENT POLICY:

Sonshine Christian Preschool reserves the right to disenroll a student if…

1. An account is 2 weeks past due and the family has not met with the director to discuss adjustments or payment arrangements.
2. Failure of parent/guardian to comply with any of the policies set forth by Sonshine Christian Preschool as singed by the parent/guardian at time of enrollment.
3. A child has documented toilet training issues and a medical exception is not the case.
4. The staff determines that a child’s needs could be better met in some type of special education program and child has already been referred to their school district’s early education program for evaluation.
5. The child’s documented behavior is *disruptive or dangerous to other students; while every effort has been made by the staff to aid adjustment.

*Disruptive behavior includes but not limited to any behavior that causes, or could lead to personal injury of your or other children.  Example: hitting, kicking, biting, throwing things, defying or running away, or any behavior that disrupts the normal classroom climate.

Disruptive behavior could also be a child that is reluctant to be left by a parent and cries for long periods of time; indicating that this child is not ready for a preschool experience.

Disruptive behavior in the board sense is any behavior that takes one of the adults in the classroom away from the rest of the group for long periods of time, thus leaving the other adult to care for the all the other children.

WITHDRAWAL PROCEDURES

If a parent chooses to withdraw their child from Sonshine Christian Preschool, arrangements must be made be in advance.  A statement of withdrawal is required, signed by the parents, two (2) weeks prior to the withdrawal date.  Exception for tuition refunds are at the discretion of the preschool board.

BACK TO SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE

This date is approximately a week before school begins. This is a great opportunity to meet the teachers, see the classroom and get familiar with us again. 

PARENT NIGHT

Parents are required to attend this night to complete mandatory paper work and hear details about our preschool.  This is for adults only, the week before school starts. 

Your enrollment forms need to be completed and turned in at this time.

• Department of Public Health physical exam form

1. signed by a physician 
2. TB test results
3. lead screening test results
4. immunizations filled out and up to date

*this physical must be no more than six months old prior to the start of school.  

• Copy of an original birth certificate with the state seal
• First month’s tuition paid
• Vision and Hearing test payment
• Completed emergency card with three emergency contacts listed
• Signed Handbook and Late Fee Policies Acknowledgement Form

Thank you and we will see you in August!

The Sonshine Christian Preschool staff