tiny treeMy Preschool House logotiny tree

9106 N Kilkenny Way
Eagle Mountain, UT 84005
alishadawdy@gmail.com
801.362.1796

My Preschool House Policies and Procedures

Philosophy:

Maria Montessori, an early childhood education pioneer and philosopher once said Play is a Child’s Work. I fully believe this theory. Children learn by leaps and bounds when we supply a knowledge-rich, fun, and loving environment in which the teacher provides structure, meaning and support for learning.

Class Time:

AM Preschool time is from 9:15-11:30
PM Preschool time is from 12:00-2:15

Contact Information:

Miss Alisha
Cell: 801.362.1796
Email: alishadawdy@gmail.com

If you ever have any questions please feel welcome to talk to me. I believe that it is through our partnership as parents and teacher that we will be able to provide children with the best possible learning environment.

Behavior Issues:

My first step in dealing with behavioral problems is to try to avoid them by having enough toys, space, and activities to keep children occupied. When a problem does arise I use positive guidance. This basically means involving the children in a discussion of the problem, the feelings of all those involved and possible solutions to the problem. I do believe that, with help, children are able to learn to work out their problems themselves. If the problems persist children may be asked to “take a break” with Miss Alisha, where we will sit removed from the activity and when we are calm discuss the problem, rules, and solutions. If a child continues to have the same problem it may be necessary to set certain boundaries for that specific child, such as not being allowed to play with a certain toy. While I do handle most issues successfully during class with the children, there may be times that I will need to talk with and enlist the parents in helping the child to understand rules and appropriate versus inappropriate behavior.

Birthdays:

We love to celebrate each child’s special day. If your child has a birthday during the regular school year you are welcome to bring a treat to share with the class that day. If your child’s birthday falls during the summer you are welcome to choose a day-for example your child’s “half birthday” to bring treats and celebrate. Please let me know when you will be bringing treats in advance.

Book Orders:

I will have book orders available for you each month. You may choose to order or not. The books are usually a pretty good price and there is no shipping or handling fee. Book orders are due the first Thursday of the month. It takes about 2 weeks after ordering to receive the books. Orders can be placed online at www.scholastic.com/readingclub Class Code: GRJDK

Class Updates:

Each month I will send home a newsletter and calendar to inform parents with information about any “No School” Days, special days, fieldtrips, etc. I ask for a textable phone number for parents for last-minute updates or just general-non-emergency contact. If you do not have access to texting, please let me know and I will work out another way to contact you with information.

Designated Adults and Emergency Contacts:

Please fill out the designated adults and emergency contact information on your registration sheet. I will assume that the emergency contact person is ALSO a designated adult with permission to drop off and pick up your child. It is important for me to know who is and is not allowed to drop off or pick up your child. Please let me know ahead of time if someone other than yourself will be picking up your child that day. In the case of carpools-I will assume that your child is to go with the carpool everyday unless you notify me of any changes. Also, if you are involved in a carpool, I will assume those other adults in the carpool are designated adults who can pick up your child.

Drop off and Pick up:

AM Class:
Drop off is from 9:10 to 9:15 (The doors will be unlocked no earlier than 9:10)
Pick up time is from 11:25 to 11:30am

PM Class:
Drop off is 11:55-12:00 (The doors will be unlocked no earlier than 11:50)
Pick up time is 2:10-2:15

I am not able to supervise children as they travel between the car and preschool. Therefore, it is important for parents to accompany their child into preschool each morning as well as come into the preschool to pick their child up each day; this will help to ensure that each child arrives safely. There is NO PARKING in my driveway. Please pull up curbside to drop your child off. I feel it is too dangerous to back out of my driveway when there are children present.

Late Pick Up:

If you are going to be a few minutes late picking up your child please call or text me, this will allow me to explain and calm any fear your child may have about your being late. However, if you-or another designated adult-have not picked up your child by 11:40am (2:25 pm) there will be a $5.00 late fee. If your child is still at preschool by 11:45 am (2:30pm) the late fee will then be increased to $10.00. In the event that your child has not been picked up by 12:00pm (2:45pm) the late fee will be increased to $20.00.

I also reserve the right to call anyone on your designated pick up list or emergency contact to pick up your child. This will only be done if you are more than 15 minutes late and I have not heard from you. If another adult does come to pick up your child the late fees accrued to that point will still be assessed.

Any late pick up fees will be added to your tuition the next month and a reminder will be included in the payment envelope for that month.

Fieldtrips:

Fieldtrips are a great part of preschool. We will go on a few fieldtrips throughout the year.

Because of liability issues parents will be responsible for transporting their child to and from ALL fieldtrips. On fieldtrip days the schedule will be different and basically go as follows:

All parents with their children and Miss Alisha will meet at the fieldtrip location at the fieldtrip time (for example at the Pumpkin Patch at 10:00am).
We will not return to the preschool after the fieldtrip.

Parents will be responsible for their child during the fieldtrip as well. This will help to ensure the safety of all the children during these times. Younger siblings are permitted to attend-within reason-and are also the responsibility of their parents. If it is not possible for you as a parent to attend a particular fieldtrip, please let me know ahead of time. However, arranging transportation will still be the parent’s responsibility. It is fine if you decide to work out a fieldtrip carpool schedule with other parents. It is important to note that whatever children a parent brings to the fieldtrip will be the responsibility of that parent. Please let me know ahead of time if your child will be going with a different parent to the fieldtrip. The cost of entrance for your preschooler to any fieldtrip will be paid for by me (this cost was included in the registration fee). However the cost of entrance for parents and younger siblings will be your responsibility. I will let you know ahead of time what the cost will be.

Holidays:

We will have small celebrations for several holidays throughout the year including: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and Easter. If you have any concerns about these celebrations please let me know.

Lesson Plans and Goals:

The objectives for all lesson plans and activities will be taken from the Utah State Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines, which are a set of skills that the state board of education anticipates each child entering kindergarten will have obtained. A copy of the guidelines is available to view upon request, or by visiting uen.org.

Phone Calls During Class:

I always keep my phone with me so that parents will be able to get a hold of me if needed. I do not like to answer my phone during class, as it is an interruption to our class. However, if it is a parent (whose number I recognize) I will answer. If it is a number that I do not recognize I will let the call go to voicemail, and will check that mail during a less obtrusive time. Also, my phone is a cell phone and I do receive text messages, so feel free to send a text as this is a much less disruptive method of communication.

School Year Calendar:

We very closely follow Alpine School District Schedule for any “No School” days. I will notify parents of any days we will not have class and of any exceptions to this calendar. You may also view the Alpine School District Calendar at alpineschools.edu.

Sick Days For Kids:

As there will be 10-12 children in each class it is important for all of us to do our part to prevent the spread of germs and disease. I clean the classroom each day and spray tables, chairs, toys, etc. with “Clorox Anywhere Spray.” I really like this product because it works well and is safe for use around children. We also wash our hands regularly during class.

I expect children who are sick to be kept from school on those days that they are sick. The reasons your child should stay home are as follows:

*Vomiting or Diarrhea: until it has completely stopped.
*Pink Eye: until on antibiotics for at least 24 hours.
*Strep-Throat: until on antibiotics for at least 24 hours.
*Fever of over 100º Fahrenheit: until the fever is gone.
*Excessive coughing or runny nose: until it is contained.
*Anything that you or I think may be contagious: until cleared by a doctor.

If your child experiences any of these things while at school I will call you immediately and expect your child to be picked up promptly. Also I do not administer medications to students.

Sick Days for Miss Alisha and Substitutes:

In the event that I am required to be absent from preschool I will schedule a substitute. In the highly unlikely event that I am sick (I define sick for myself as contagious or throwing up) I will try to obtain a substitute first, if this is not possible I may have to cancel class. I will of course let each parent know if there will be a substitute on any given day-or if class will be canceled.

Snacks:

A small snack will be provided each day and basic accommodations for those with allergies will be made. If your child has a severe allergy or many allergies please talk to me so that we can work out a snack menu for your child. I try to usually have healthy snacks-occasionally we do have a little treat. If you are concerned about any snack on the snack list please let me know and I will see what I can do.

Tuition:

Tuition is due on the 1st of each month. Tuition is paid in advance for the upcoming month and is non-refundable. Tuition is payable by check, made out to Alisha Dawdy, cash, Venmo @alisha-dawdy, or by Pay Pal to alishadawdy@gmail.com (If you choose the friends and family option you will not be charged a transaction fee). Each child will receive a payment envelope that I will send home and ask that tuition be sent back in that envelope.

Late Tuition:

If tuition is not received by the 5th of that month there will be a late fee of $5.00 added to that month’s tuition. If tuition still has not been received by the 15th of the month a late fee of $20.00 will be added to that month’s tuition. If tuition has still not been received by the last day of the month a $60.00 late fee will be added to that month’s tuition. Also in the event that tuition has not been received by the last day of the month I reserve the right to suspend that child until tuition and late fees have been paid in full, to ask for several months advanced pay tuition, or to terminate enrollment in My Preschool House for that child.

Covid Concerns:

In the event that a child is diagnosed with COVID, I ask that you please notify me immediately. I will let the other families in the class know and school will be cleaned and sanitized immediately. A 14 day preschool quarantine may be needed. In the event that an elementary school, or Alpine School District in general, decides to go online only, my hope is that I can still keep the preschool open, as long as one of my students and families are not sick. As always it is the parent’s choice whether to keep the child in preschool or not. My goal is to provide a safe space or them to come, and if none of us are sick and showing symptoms, I will keep my doors open. It might even help ease the burdens of the parents while other kids are home doing online school. In the event of a district wide shut down, depending on how many students decide to stay in preschool, I may combine classes to limit the time spent in the preschool classroom.

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