· 13 min read
Mount Zion Preschool Handbook
Welcome to Mount Zion Preschool.
Our Program and Statement of Purpose
Mt. Zion UCC Preschool will provide for its young students a wholesome living and learning experience. A well-trained and dedicated staff will offer an educational experience structured to meet the physical, social, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual needs of young children. A well-planned but informal, flexible program will be offered to meet individual and group needs.
The children will be encouraged to help themselves and to think for themselves. They will also be encouraged to assume some responsibility for their behavior. We do expect behaviors from our children that are conducive to a positive and safe learning environment for all. We will try to inspire creativity. There will be a mutual sharing of the joy of their accomplishments and much praise for a job well done.
There will be no particular religious doctrine taught in our school, but wholesome attitudes toward each other, as well as society in general, will be taught. The children will be encouraged to grow in their awareness of God and the place they are to take in God’s world. Bible stories will be used in the class to teach Christian ideas and values. The children will be working and playing under the guidance of Christian leadership.
The Mt. Zion United Church of Christ Preschool admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial assistance and other school-administered programs.
We are looking forward to meeting you and your child, and to a year of fun, learning and growth. We think of you as partners in your child’s education. The following pages will explain many aspects of Mount Zion’s Program.
Please read the following information carefully so you will be fully aware of the procedures and policies of your child’s preschool.
Contents
Preschool Committee Policy
The Preschool Committee consists of church members and our preschool staff. Please feel free to make arrangements
Registration/Supply Fee and Registration Policy
The registration fee for all children attending Mount Zion is $100.00 and is non-refundable. In January, registration for the upcoming school year for current students, their siblings and the children of Mount Zion Church members will be first. Then we will begin to call the other children on our list. The children on our list will be contacted in the order their name was received. To place a child on the list, please call the Preschool at 704-855-1305. Your child must be of the appropriate age (2, 3 or 4) by August 31 of that school year.
Immunizations
Mt. Zion Preschool families will need to provide our preschool with their child’s immunization records. All immunization records recommended by the child’s physician will be required before our first day of school (not including Covid).
Monthly Tuition Rates
Payments may be made through automatic payment, checks or cash. For automatic payment, please submit the form. The form is available online or from the director. For check payment, make checks payable to: Mt. Zion UCC Preschool. Please place your checks and/or cash payments in the provided envelope and place in the lock box outside of the director’s office. You will be given a receipt showing your payment. Regardless of the number of days your child does or does not attend in a month, your tuition fee remains the same. Our tuition is a set amount, broken into 9 installments. If a year’s tuition is paid in full at the
beginning of the school year, families will receive an additional 5% discount. September through May monthly tuition installments:
Non-Church Member Church Member
4-Year Old Program $200.00 $195.00
3-Year Old Program $175.00 $170.00
2-Year Old Program $150.00 $145.00
Non-Members of Mt. Zion with two or more children in any of the above programs will receive a $25.00 discount per family on monthly fees. If paid in full for the entire year, you will also receive a 5% discount.
Financial Policy
Full tuition payments are due by the first school day of the month from September for nine (9) consecutive months, through May of the academic year. You may pay tuition earlier if you choose. For the month of May, tuition is due on the 1 st , no later.
Any check received after the 10 th or dated after the 10 th will be considered late. If a payment is not received by the end of the school day on the 10 th or the end of the next school day if the 10 th falls on a weekend or holiday, then a late charge of five dollars ($5.00) per week accrues from the due date until paid in full. NO EXCEPTIONS.
The late fee will not exceed the sum of twenty dollars ($20.00).
If a check for the tuition is returned for any reason, then subsequent tuition payments will be accepted only by cash, money order or certified funds. In addition, a service charge of $10.00 will be due and payable immediately. If the tuition payment is past due for 30 days or the late fee is not paid within the month due, or the service charge for a refund check is not paid immediately, then the student may be asked to withdraw.
If a child’s tuition is not paid for the month, the child will NOT be allowed to attend the following month.
If the family is experiencing financial difficulty or is otherwise unable to make the tuition payments, then the parents are requested to see the director.
Nondiscriminatory Policy
The Mt. Zion UCC Preschool admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. Itdoes not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial assistance and other school-administered programs.
Health
Please notify the teachers if your child develops a contagious disease. We will also attempt to inform families of infectious sicknesses that your child may come in contact with while at Preschool. We ask that you do not send your child to school with a fever. Your child may return to school following a 24-hour period that is symptom free and fever free.
Student Medication
Medications should be administered at home.
Insurance
A limited accident coverage is provided for your child while attending Mt. Zion’s Preschool.
Safety and Emergency Plans
Our exterior doors remain locked at all times other than the front entrance to the preschool. This door will be open at 8:30 when drop off begins and locked at 9:15. Our staff is trained in CPR and First Aid.
We have emergency plans for fire, tornado, and other safety issues. There will be practice drills for each class and discussions held on safety when learning opportunities arise. Feel free to speak to your child’s teacher or the director if you have questions.
Supplies
There are many supplies that parents can help provide throughout the year. Monetary contributions are always helpful and may be made through the church or the preschool. You will receive a letter acknowledgingyour contribution. We always need baby wipes, liquid hand soap, Kleenex, paper plates, plastic spoons andforks, napkins, 5 oz. kitchen cups, nutritious snacks, paper towels, glue sticks, hand sanitizer, dish detergent, index, Lysol and Lysol spray and Ziploc bags (gallon and snack sizes). We love donations!
Appropriate Clothing
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Comfortable clothing that is suitable for play. Please keep this in mind when dressing your child.
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Tennis shoes or sturdy shoes. NO flip flops or sandals please!
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Outer clothing suitable to the outside weather.
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Label all items (clothes [coats and sweaters], and lunchbox) with your child’s name.
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Send a complete change of clothes to school (include socks and underwear). We will keep these clothes in a labeled box provided by the school. REMEMBER TO KEEP THE CLOTHES SEASONAL! These clothes will be sent home at the end of the school year.
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Please provide pull-ups or diapers for any preschooler still requiring these.
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Please do not allow your child to bring a pacifier to school. Lunchbox and Bookbag
Occasionally your child will need a lunchbox. Please be sure that it is labeled with their name. We may ask you to pack a lunch for trips or special days. Bookbags are NOT necessary.
Withdrawal Policy
In the event that you withdraw your child from preschool, and we hope you never do, please be courteous and give our staff a minimum of a two-week notice. This will give our staff ample time to fill the available opening.
Child Dismissal Policy
Mt. Zion UCC Preschool reserves the right to dismiss a student. Dismissing a child from our preschool is a situation we hope will never arise. If a child’s dismissal becomes necessary, this will be handled with discretion by the teachers and pastor in consultation with the preschool committee.
Traffic Flow
To help with traffic flow at our preschool, please enter the parking lot by way of Eudy Road, drive behind the church and then park. Please do not enter the preschool parking lot directly from Highway 29-A. This traffic pattern makes leaving the parking lot so much safer. Please insist that your child hold your hand in the parking lot. We know that it is very busy!
Handicapped Parking
Please do not park in the handicapped parking places unless you possess an official handicapped tag or you are one of our grandparents. Occasionally, these spaces will be occupied by the church vans. This is where we will load and unload the preschoolers for field trips as we feel this is the safest place.
Hours of Operation
Arrival - All children will arrive between 8:30 AM and 9:00 AM.
Dismissal - 2- and 3-Year Old Classes will leave between 11:45 AM to 12:00 PM.
4-Year Old Classes will leave between 12:00 PM to 12:10 PM.
Arrival and Departure
You may park in any lot that you feel is convenient for accessing the exterior door of your child’s classroom. Be sure you are following the correct traffic flow pattern. The doors are locked at 9:00 AM and unlocked at 11:45 AM.
Please try your best to bring and pick up on time each day. Your child and the teacher will appreciate your promptness and courtesy. At the first offense of late pickup, you will receive a warning letter. Second offense and additional ones will receive a $25 fine. We appreciate your donations to our playground mulch fund!
You are responsible for leaving and picking up your child from his/her classroom. Your child’s papers will be in his/her designated place at the close of each day/week. Please wait outside the classroom door until your child is dismissed. If your child is riding home with someone besides the usual person, please let us know. All approved people for pickup should be listed on our safety cards. If there is someone that definitely should not pick up your child, we will have received this information on our safety cards as well.
Weather Policy
We will follow the Rowan-Salisbury School’s decision on snow days. If school is delayed one hour, we will delay as well. If RSS is delayed two or three hours, we will cancel. If school is cancelled, we will be cancelled also. If RSS alters their schedule due to extreme cold, we may not follow their decision. Please watch for an email and updates on the Mt. Zion Facebook page. Do not ever bring your children to preschool if you do not feel you can travel safely.
irthdays
We are asking you to provide a special snack on your child’s birthday or a day very close to it. This may be dropped off in the morning. Please check with your child’s teacher and/or the monthly calendar for your child’s assigned day. Summer birthdays will be celebrated during the school year.
Field Trips
Field trips, mostly for 3’s and 4’s, are an asset to our program’s curriculum. Our tuition does not cover field trip expenses and our families will be responsible for field trip costs. This will include not only the expenses for your preschooler, but also the expenses for any adult who chooses to accompany the preschool on the field trip. Some of our trips will be for the children only, due to space constraints. Have your child wear his/her Mt. Zion Preschool Purple T-shirt on field trip days. The Mt. Zion Preschool children’s T-shirts will cost $10.00 each.
Communication
The Preschool will inform you regularly of upcoming events through monthly newsletters as well as reminder notes. These will be sent on paper and email. PLEASE read any correspondence from us! Anyone wishing to speak with the teachers throughout the year may schedule a conference or contact the teachers. We are happy to discuss your child’s preschool days. Snacks
The Preschool will be providing healthy snacks along with water each day. If we serve juice, it will be served half and half (half juice and half water).
We would be thrilled anytime you wish to provide snacks or juice. Be sure and send enough for your child’s class or more. We are asking that you choose nutritious snacks. Suggestions: pretzels, rice cakes, saltine crackers, cheese nips, Chex mix, Goldfish crackers, yogurt, animal cookies, cereals low in sugar, cheese, raisins, carrots and fruits (especially apples, oranges, bananas and grapes).
Scholastic Book Orders
We will be sending home book orders for you to order from. Ordering is optional, but provides you with an opportunity to order materials for your child at an affordable price with no shipping fees. Our preschool receives free materials when families order. Online ordering is preferred, but order forms may be filled out and returned to the director as well. If ordering online, you will need our code LTCGD. Orders are always placed at the end of the month and sometimes on the 15 th . Thanks for your participation!
Stories to Go
In partnership with the Rowan Public Library, your child (3’s and 4’s) will attend story time and be able to check out 2 books from the Stories to Go van. Please keep up with these books and the bag we send them in. If a child has not returned the books, they will NOT be allowed to check out more (library policy). This is devastating to them! We’ll send plenty of reminders to help you keep up with the visits.
Chapel
Once a month, children will attend a chapel service in our sanctuary. Our Pastor will share a brief lesson on Bible stories or holiday themes. We think it is a great opportunity to become familiar with our beautiful worship space, our pastor, and classic Bible stories. Soccer
Our preschool has a soccer program offered for 3’s and 4’s called Mighty Kicks. This is separate from the preschool and is owned and operated by Justin Buckwalter. Please communicate with him regarding soccer. If you are a part of the program, you will receive emails from him. Please note that these are emails that our teachers do not receive. His contact info is 704-754-6286 or Justin@MightyKicks.net
Program Activities
Your child’s preschool day will include a variety of activities: an art activity, playtime, work time, snack time and circle time. Our program includes:
Bible Stories, prayers and religious songs
Handwriting
Alphabet introduction including phonics
Numbers, counting and manipulative activities
Color and shape recognition
Art activities including painting, coloring,
Science and nature awareness
Manners and socialization skills