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Mount Hebron Nursery School |
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*PROGRAM
DESCRIPTION*
Mt. Hebron Presbyterian Nursery School is a
private, non-sectarian, non-profit school for three, four and five year old
children. We offer classes 2 days per week for 3 year olds. Children turning 4 before April may attend
our 3 day 3 year old program. We also
offer 3 and 5 day a week programs for 4 and 5 year olds. The morning sessions run from 9:00 a.m. -
11:30 a.m. and the afternoon sessions run from 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Teacher ratios are a maximum of 14 for our younger
2 day 3 year old children with a teacher and a teaching assistant, 16 for our 3
day 3 year old children with a teacher and a teaching assistant, and 18 for our
4 and 5 year old children with a teacher and a teaching assistant. Our facility is licensed annually by the Human
Resources Department Childcare Administration.
We have five large classrooms; a large hall for music, physical
education and art; a kitchen/conference room for student and teacher use; a
resource room; child-friendly bathrooms and a large playground which is
completely fenced in. We have a wide
variety of equipment and supplies in all of the aforementioned spaces. School traditionally opens in September and closes
the Friday before Memorial Day.
*PHILOSOPHY
AND GOALS FOR CHILDREN*
Our goals are to help children: · develop an interest in words and reading · expand communication skills · develop beginning math concepts · develop an awareness of the world around them through
their five senses · develop and challenge their physical skills, both
gross and fine motor · develop an understanding and acceptance of themselves;
with the result being a healthy and positive self image · develop an understanding and acceptance of others,
including their family and friends · learn to share with others · develop the ability to express their emotions in
constructive ways · develop creativity in a variety of mediums · develop self-help skills and awareness · investigate their own and others thoughts and
practices of religious beliefs As you can see, we incorporate; language arts,
math, social studies, health and safety, dramatic play, creative activities,
music, physical education and motor development into our program. Our Nursery School views the child as a unique
person with individual strengths, interests and needs. It is our goal to help the child develop
their full potential by providing a positive environment and atmosphere for
this growth. *WAIT LISTS*
"Waiting to Register Lists" will begin on
THE FIRST MONDAY IN OCTOBER at 7:30 a.m. for class enrollment for September of
the following year. (In the event school
is closed on Monday, registration call in will take place the following
Tuesday.) You may call 410-461-2773 to
be placed on this list. YOU DO NOT NEED
TO COME IN TO REGISTER. Children who are
members of the Church are given first preference as well as a 10% tuition
discount. Siblings of children
concurrently enrolled in school will be given second preference as we do not
want parents to be traveling to two different nursery schools. Siblings of children who have attended * REGISTRATION AND ENROLLMENT* Requirements: · To register for the 2007/2008 three year old
program, the child must be three by September 1st. Once these slots are allocated, registration
becomes available for children turning 3 by December. · To register for 2007/2008 3 day 3 year old program,
the child must be 4 by April 1st or have some previous preschool
experience. · To register for the 2007/2008 four year old
program, the child must be four by September 1st. Once these slots are filled registration
becomes available to children turning 4. · To register for the 2007/2008 5 day 4 program, the child
must be five by September 1st. · In the event that openings are still available in
the summer, we will open the program to children with later birthdays. (These children would then be able to attend
the 2 day 3 program, the 3 day 4 program and the 5 day 4 program before
entering Kindergarten.) *PARENTS MUST
HAVE MEDICAL FORMS COMPLETED NO LATER THAN THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL - STATE REQUIREMENT. A child is registered by filling out a registration
form and paying the yearly registration fee, which is NON-REFUNDABLE and
NON-APPLICABLE to the tuition fee. It is advisable to speak to the Director in
September, if there is a need for a dual enrollment of both a three and four
year old for the following September. *TUITION*
Tuition is due on the FIRST OF EACH MONTH. The School is a nonprofit organization. If you are
unable to make your payments on time, please contact the School Office by the
payment due date. Payments NOT
received by the 10th of the month will be assessed a
$5.00 late fee. We will not be able to reimburse due to illness.
Expenses in running a school are continuous and we ask for your cooperation in
this matter. Students are enrolled for the entire year unless
special arrangements are made with the Director. If for any reason you must withdraw your
child, WRITTEN NOTICE MUST BE GIVEN TO
THE DIRECTOR THIRTY DAYS IN ADVANCE, in order to allow us adequate time
to fill the vacancy. The 1st
tuition payment due June 1st will not be refundable after June 15th. *EMERGENCY CARDS*
Emergency card information for each child is to be
kept current. It is imperative that we
have two emergency cards for each child and the school be informed immediately
of any change in address or telephone number. Please add cell phone or beeper
to this card. *SNACKS* We provide a snack for the children each day. If
your child has a severe food allergy, please confer with your child’s teacher
to find a suitable arrangement for meeting their needs. *HEALTH* WHEN CHILDREN
ARE SICK IN THE MORNING, THEY SHOULD NOT BE SENT TO SCHOOL. The health department requires children with
fevers and or colored mucous be kept at home to prevent the spread of
infection. Children are sent to the office when not feeling well. If a child
has a temperature and is complaining of not feeling well, or is injured,
his/her parents will be notified and will be asked to have the child picked
up. Please notify us of any communicable
diseases so we can help prepare others in your child’s class. TOILET TRAINING: Children should be able to use the toilet
independently. MEDICATIONS: It is not the policy of the Nursery School to
distribute medications to the children UNLESS in a life threatening cases (ex.
EPI pins for bee stings or nut allergies).
Prior written permission from the child’s physician is required when
medication is left on premises—see office for Medication Order Form. CHICKENPOX
: A child is excluded from school until all lesions
are scabbed over. CONJUNCTIVITIS (Pink Eye):
A child may not return to school until he/she has
been on antibiotics for 24 hours. HEAD LICE: A child may return to school when he/she is free of
lice and nits. *GUIDANCE POLICY* Our guidance policy is available in the School
office for you to see at any time during school hours. *PROGRAM ACTIVITIES* This is flexible but will include the following: *Greeting *Fine Motor puzzles
manipulative toys art
activities tearing,
cutting, pasting cooking
experience playdough water/sand
table *Gross
Motor large
blocks
housekeeping dramatic
play climbing painting *Group Times both large
and small stories
fingerplays *Singing/Music
in classroom (as well as a more formal music
program: 2 Day 3, 3 day 3, 3 & 5 Day 4, 20 min/week) *Physical
Education in classroom (as well as a more formal program: 3 &
5 Day 4, 20 min/week) *Art Education
in classroom (as well as a more formal program: 3 day
3, 3 day 4 & 5 Day 4, 30 min every other week) *Sharing *Snack *Outdoor
Play *Other
movies/filmstrips area
performers field
trips *ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL* In order to insure their safety all students are to
be picked up at their classroom door by an adult listed on the pickup
authorization form. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU PICK UP YOUR CHILD NO LATER THAN 5
MINUTES AFTER THEIR SESSION AND DROP THEM OFF NO EARLIER THAN 5 MINUTES BEFORE
THEIR SESSION. Please remember that we have afternoon programs as well as
morning. Changes in staff and classroom
environment need to be made as well as opportunities for full day teachers to
have lunch. Parents who have children
with older siblings and bus conflicts, may want to bring children late after
class begins or pickup early. Please confer with your child’s teacher so we can
assure your child a smooth transition Other than in case of an emergency, changes or
exceptions to this policy must be given to the teacher in writing. WHAT YOUR CHILD WILL NEED: * Comfortable
and washable clothing. * Outdoor clothing appropriate to the
weather. Our objective is to go outside everyday weather permitting: above 32
degrees, ground is not wet and it is not raining or icy. * Please remember that tennis shoes work
best. Sandals can often get caught in playground equipment so are not
recommended footwear. * Change
of clothes including: long pants, shirt, underwear and socks. Place these in gallon-sized plastic zip bag,
with your child’s name on it and give to teacher on the first day of school. These
will be kept at school in case of an “accident”. Please remember to make changes in that spare
set of clothes as the seasons change and your child grows. You may update these at any time. * A hand-grip type cloth bag to bring notes
and artwork home from school. Backpacks are difficult to send home easel
paintings in as they are rolled and not folded, You may purchase bags from the
Parent Group during parent orientation or anytime after school starts. * Please
label all clothes, sweaters, jackets, totes, etc. with your child’s name. *BIRTHDAYS* Birthdays are a special time for all of us. To celebrate your child's special day, you
might send a special snack to school. Please limit this to 1 cupcake, 2 cookies
or some other nutritious treat. DO SPEAK TO THE
TEACHER FIRST before sending
any treats to school as there might be another party already planned. The teacher will be able to inform you of any
food allergies. PLEASE DO NOT SEND IN
PARTY FAVORS (hats, gifts, etc.) TO TAKE HOME.
If you wish to invite only part of your child's class to a party, please
mail the invitations in order to avoid hurting the feelings of those not
invited. *FIELD TRIPS AND SPECIAL GUESTS* The nursery school recognizes the significance of
following up on the abstract learning activities in the classroom with concrete
field experiences. We are fortunate to have
a wonderful Parent Group which designates a curriculum arts volunteer. Often times the Parent Group is instrumental
in inviting guest performers for the children or sending the children on field
trips. We invite many of our community helpers to visit us firefighters, police
officers, nurses, dentists, etc. Also
many of our parents come in and share their occupations, hobbies, talents, ways
of celebrating holidays and family life. For safety reasons, buses are our source of
transportation for school trips. The children go to the State Park in lieu of school
at the beginning of the year. The Park
is conveniently located and this saves on the expenses of a bus. The fours (3 day and 5 day) have traditionally
gone to the We can provide transportation for parents attending
but not admittance fees. Whenever
possible we invite siblings to attend.
(Please know that we CANNOT have strollers brought on the buses for
safety purposes, but you may follow bus in your own car.) There are times,
however, when we feel the presentations are not age appropriate for younger
siblings and in some cases, space and cost can be a determining factor. Parents are neither required nor expected to attend
all field trips. If you cannot come we
will make every effort to make sure your child is appropriately
supervised. Any parent attending trip
may be requested to help chaperone some one else’s child. *INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY* Our parking lot is ploughed by the County after the
major roads and schools. We shall observe the same snow days as Howard County
Public Schools which are announced over the radio or television. If Howard County Schools are closed In
the event of LATE STARTS in Please
be alert to the weather. In the event that IT IS NOT THE
POLICY OF THE NURSERY SCHOOL TO EXTEND THE SCHOOL YEAR DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER
BEYOND OUR CONTROL. IN THE EVENT OF UNUSUAL WEATHER THE NURSERY SCHOOL BOARD
WILL REASSESS THE POLICY. *PARENT TEACHER
CONFERENCES*
In addition to the before school opening parent
night orientation, we schedule a daytime (half-session) child orientation and
brief parent preview. Additional conferences will be scheduled during the
school year, which are indicated on the school calendar. School will be open on
these days, but there will be NO CLASSES SCHEDULED. Childcare will be provided
for children and their siblings while parents conference with their child’s
teacher At any other time during the school year, conferences
may be scheduled with the Teacher or Director, but we will be unable to provide
childcare If you have a question, a concern or information to
give to your child’s teacher, PLEASE DO….... * give the teacher a note with the
information or with a request to call you, indicating the times you will be
available. * call the teacher or Director at school
before or after each session. * call
the Director at school, during school hours (9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday). PLEASE DO NOT…. * discuss your child in front of him/her or
other parents * talk
with the teacher or assistant teacher about your child as school is beginning
or ending. These are inconvenient times
for the staff as the students do need their attention. * wait if something is on your mind. Good communication between home and school is
important for your child’s development. New ideas and constructive criticism
are welcomed and valued. NEW PARKING LOT Please observe the one way signs. Children in Room 1 might park along fence
outside playground. Children in Rooms 2,
3, & 4 may choose to park in larger parking area outside the playground. Children in Room 5 may choose to park near
the exit area and church portico.
Remember to drive slow as there are any number of young children
crossing the parking lot. Those persons
with vans and SUVs need to be constantly vigilant when backing up. It is imperative that we create a safe haven
for our children. *PARENT
INVOLVEMENT* COME SHARE: a talent, a pet, a career, information
pertaining to our units. COME AID: in cooking, art education, computer
skills or by chaperoning on a field trip. Please do not bring a sibling with you when coming
to assist. Teachers need your help which can become compromised when your
attention is diverted. Your preschool child will value this quality time you
spend with him/her. We are always in need of recyclable items.
Occasionally, we will post notes or send home notes, asking for specific items.
If you know of good resources for obtaining usable materials, please let the
Director know. Talk to the Teacher, Parent Group President, or Director
if you would like to be involved in any way. *NURSERY SCHOOL PARENT GROUP* We have a very active and supportive Parent Group
at You may contact your Parent Group President after
school starts to find out where the needs may be. You will be informed of your
new officers (President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer) at the Parent
Orientation Meeting. *ROOM MOTHERS*
If you are a Room Mother the following job
suggestions may be of help: * To
call and remind parents about special snack and parties. * To begin a telephone tree for getting information
to class members as needs arise. * To coordinate special gifts for teachers and
teaching assistants. This is not a requirement, but optional for all
parents. Teachers like to receive mementos
from individual children at Christmas. A
class gift is nice at the end of the school year. Please keep costs nominal. Be
sensitive when doing a class gift as a whole group. Some people may not want to
participate. (It may be because of religious reasons, especially at Christmas time),
economic reasons or the decision to just want to do something on their own. *CHILD
SAFETY PROTECTION* The school will fulfill its legal obligation to any
child for the well being of said child. * The law requires that all childcare
persons report suspected cases of child abuse to Protective Services. * In the event an intoxicated parent comes
to pick up a child from school, the law
obligates us to release the child to the parent thus holding the childcare
person accountable. Therefore we are
obligated to notify the police with the license number, make and model of the intoxicated
person’s car. * In the event of a legal separation or
divorce we are obligated to release a child to either parent unless we have
legal documentation affirming said persons legal guardianship. * Please help us keep all our children safe. Make an effort, when exiting security doors, that
they are closed properly. Be aware of
any strangers in the facility or on the school grounds and please inform us of
their presence. The safety of your
children is a major concern to us, and please do not hesitate to keep us advised
of potentially dangerous situations. *PETS* Pets are not allowed in the school yard or to be
brought into the school or classrooms at any time. This restriction is due to animal allergies
and fears of some children. 2006/2007 FACULTY AND STAFF Cherie Robin Murray (Director) |