We follow Desoto County School’s weather policy.  If Desoto County Schools are closed due to bad weather, Hernando UMC Preschool will also be closed.  Please refer to this handbook and the monthly calendars for any additional days that our facility will be closed.
Tuition Payments
Statements will not be issued.  Checks should be made payable to the Hernando United Methodist  Preschool (HUMC Preschool) on or before the first of each month.  Payments are in advance; no refund will be made for days a child is absent.  A late fee of $15.00 will be charged after the 5th of the month unless special arrangements have been made with the director. 

Emergency Procedures
As a licensed facility, the Mississippi State Department of Health requires us to provide an emergency relocation for your children.  We have adopted the Kroger at 2380 Mount Pleasant Road, Hernando, MS 662-429-5327 as our relocation site.  In the event of an emergency that required us to evacuate the grounds, we would transport your child there.

Calendars
All classes receive a monthly calendar.  Please post this so that you and your child can keep up with special activities at school.

Attendance
Regular attendance is expected unless the child is ill.  If your child is absent more than two consecutive days, please call the school and leave a message on the teacher’s voicemail.

Arrival and Departure
All students will enter through the main preschool door in the mornings.  4k will The first week of school you will be allowed to walk your child to his/her classroom.  Thereafter, we encourage you to allow your child to walk down the hall by himself/herself.  The teachers will be visible in the hallway between 7:55 and 8:10.  After 8:10  you will need to sign in with the receptionist or the director.  We will escort your child to his/her room so to keep classroom disruption at a minimal.  As  part of the church’s Safe Sanctuary Policy, the doors will be locked at all times.  If you arrive after 8:10 you will have to ring the bell for assistance and the director will meet you and walk your child to his/her classroom.

All parents must sign their child in each morning and out at dismissal.  This is a Mississippi State Department Of Health guideline.

All students will exit from the main entrance.  Enter the parking lot by way of the drive designated for preschool pick-up(look for the balloon on the first day).  Follow the drive around the back of the church to the front and pull up under the covered drive.  It is a Mississippi State department rule that all children must be signed out on a daily basis.  A staff member will pass the sign-out sheet through the car rider line.  Do not exit your vehicle.  Our staff will properly secure your child in his/her car seat.

It is a Mississippi State Law that all preschool children must be in a car seat.

In the event that you would have to pick your child up early, please do so before 11:30. You will need to park in the parking lot.  Please do not block the car rider line.   To avoid disruptions in the classroom we ask that you not go down the hallway.

We must be notified in writing if your child is to be sent home with someone other than you or one of the persons listed on the pick-up list.  Persons picking up your child that we are not familiar with must show identification.
Conferences

Parents should feel free to request conferences with the teacher.  PLEASE do not expect the teachers to confer with parents during school hours.  Our teachers are here to teach your child so much in such a short amount of time.  We want to ensure that your child receives every bit of that instruction time.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child’s teacher after the school day.  At times a teacher may request a conference.  You are encouraged to observe our preschool.  All visitors must sign the “Visitor Log” before entering the preschool hall.

Withdrawals
Please notify us in writing within 30 days if it becomes necessary to withdraw your child from the program.

Your Child’s Health
You can help us keep colds to a minimum among our children.  When you child has a cough or cold, please keep him at home.  Your child should be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school.

If your child becomes ill with a contagious disease during the school year, please let us know immediately so that we can notify other parents.  A child having a serious contagious condition shall not be allowed to return to the preschool until they have been certified by a physician to be no longer contagious.  Your child should be on antibiotics and/or free of fever for 24 hours before returning to school.

A child who is suspected of having a serious contagious condition shall be isolated and returned to the parent as soon as possible.

For safety’s sake, our staff will only be responsible for administering emergency procedure medication prescribed by a physician  to your child.  If your child has a special medical condition please see the director as soon as possible.

Insurance
Accidental/liability insurance is provided by the church.

Clothing:
Parents are encouraged to dress children in play clothes so that they will be comfortable and so that they will not worry about ruining nice clothes when they are painting, playing outside, or sitting on the floor.

Please label your child’s clothing including hats, gloves, coats, etc.  We do not encourage the children to wear boots or galoshes to school.  We do not go outdoors in wet weather.  Tennis shoes are best.  If your child cannot tie his own shoes please double tie them as he is dressing for school.  For safety reasons we are asking that children do not wear flip-flops or sandals without a back strap.

At the beginning of the year a Ziploc bag will need to be sent to school with a seasonal change of clothes. We will replace these throughout the year to correlate with the weather.

Potty Training
A child who is potty-trained is consistently able to go to the bathroom on their own without having an accident.  He/She is able to verbalize the need to go, handle clothing issues and take care of all wiping.  A child who is potty-trained wears real underwear/panties not pull-ups.  A potty-trained child does not have frequent accidents.
The Pre-School director and staff will work with issues that occur due to a medical condition.  A note from a medical professional is required.  In order to protect the instructional time in the classroom, parents may be contacted by the director to come and address the issue.

Toy Day
We will have toy day or show and tell days.  Watch your calendars for the exact date. Please do not allow your child to bring toy guns, knives, candy, gum, jewelry, money, purses, etc. Please keep all toys at home, unless otherwise specified by the teacher or the monthly calendar.

Riding Toy Day
Bikes, tricycles, big wheels, scooters, etc. are all welcome on Riding Toy Day.  Please leave battery powered riding toys at home.  In the event of rain or inclement weather, we will postpone Riding Toy Day and send a note home to inform you of the new date.

Pets:
We would love for your child’s pet to visit with us.  Just let us know when you would like to bring your pet.  The beginning or ending of class time is usually best.

Birthdays
Your child may bring cookies or a nutritional treat for the class on their birthday.  According to the Mississippi Regulations food brought from one child’s home shall not be fed to another child.  Therefore cookies and nutritional treats should be store bought.  Please refrain from sending party favors. Please notify the teacher in advance.  Summer birthdays will be celebrated on a specified “unbirthday”.

It is awkward to hand out birthday party invitations when all the children are not invited.  Please deliver or mail them on your own.  If all children are invited we will gladly hand out the invitations for you.

Field Trips
The 3K, 4K and 5K classes schedule regular field trips.  Parents are asked to help provide transportation on field trips.  We also ask that siblings do not attend field trips.  All children must ride in a car seat or booster seat which you need to provide.  Any child without a car seat will not be allowed to go.  This is a Mississippi State Law.

Parties
Refer to the yearly calendar for party schedule.  We will ask for volunteers to assist with the parties.  In order to provide quality time for all children, we are requesting that siblings do not attend the parties.

Snack
You will need to send a nutritional mid-morning snack for your child each day.  Please send the snack and drink in a closed container such as a lunch box.  Please refrain from sending your child with soda.  Children are not allowed to share food.  Remember this is a lite snack.

Cooking
We plan to cook with the children throughout the year.  We will specify when and what on the monthly calendar.  If there is something that your child is not to eat, please make sure it is listed on the information sheet.

Outside Play
We will play outside for 30 minutes each day, weather permitting.  If your child has been ill, it is best the he remain at home until he can play outdoors.  Our staff to child ratio does not allow us to watch children indoors and outdoors at the same time.  Please make sure to send sweaters, jackets, or winter coats every day during the cold winter months.  Sun safe practices shall be used during outdoor activities.

Transportation
We do not provide transportation to and from the preschool.

Carpooling
With hectic work schedules, we know carpooling is necessary in many cases.  If you need help please let us know and we will try to match you to a parent who might be interested in carpooling.  If you do agree to drive in a carpool, it is your responsibility to contact parents if you will not be able to pick up their child.  Teachers will not be able to pick up or take home children.

Library
We will have Library Day each month for story hour.  Library staff will come to our school on that day.

Discipline Policies and Procedures

Rules:
•    We listen to each other.
•    Hands are for helping, not hurting.
•    We use I-Care Language.
•    We care about each other’s feelings.
•    We are responsible for what we say and do.
Rewards:
•    Stickers will be given to students on a daily basis who exhibit excellent and satisfactory behavior.
•    Positive words of encouragement
•    Visit “Toy Chest” on Friday when they have exhibited excellent and/or satisfactory behavior for the entire week.
Each child has a behavior card.  The child begins each day on excellent.  The consequence for breaking the classroom rules are as follows.
•    Verbal warning – redirection and positive statement of the rule or procedure.
•    Behavior card is moved one space.  Redirection and positive statement of the rule/procedure.  Teacher writes the infraction in the “Behavior Log”.
•    Behavior card is moved another space.  Redirection and positive statement of the rule/procedure.  Teacher writes the infraction in the “Behavior Log” and the child visits the time-out chair for 3 to 4 minutes.
•    Behavior card is moved to the last location.  Redirection and positive statement of the rule/procedure.  Teacher writes the infraction in the “Behavior Log” and brings the child to the director.  At this time the director will notify the parent.
•    If negative behavior persists the director may ask the parents to come in for a conference.
Each child has a “Behavior Log” in their folder.  The teacher will record the Childs behavior each day and we ask that you review it with your child daily.
The following behaviors are prohibited by anyone (i.e., parent, caregiver, or child) in all child care settings:
•    Corporal punishment, including hitting, spanking beating, shaking, pinching, biting, and other measures that produce physical pain,.
•    Withdrawal or the threat of withdrawal of food, rest, or bathroom opportunities.
•    Abusive or profane language.
•    Any form of public or private humiliation including threats of physical punishment.
•    Any form of emotional abuse, including rejecting, terrorizing, ignoring, isolating (out of view of a caregiver), or corrupting a child.