ST. CLARE PROGRAM EXTENDED DAYCARE PARENT HANDBOOK

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1 St. Francis of Assisi School Fuller Heights Road Triangle, VA Employer Identification Number ST. CLARE PROGRAM EXTENDED DAYCARE PARENT HANDBOOK The purpose of the St. Clare Program is to provide daycare during the hours before and after school for students enrolled in grades K-8 of St. Francis of Assisi Elementary and Middle School. The care is conducted in a Christian atmosphere that promotes positive growth experiences for students under responsible supervision. The St. Clare Program is a Catholic Christian program affiliated with St. Francis of Assisi School. ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF Principal/Director Dr. Tricia Barber The staff-student ratio is 1:20

2 Prayer for Peace Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; And where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not So much seek to be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. How beautiful is a seed, O God, how beautiful. St. Francis of Assisi saw in a seed what Jesus saw in people the becoming, what was yet to be. Our mission to our students stems from our respect for God s desire that each person reach his/her full potential as His child, each one a seed, a promise needing to be fulfilled.

3 LICENSING The St. Clare Program is licensed by the State of Virginia. The program is coordinated through the Office of Catholic Schools, and specific policies and procedures are detailed to the program by the Virginia Catholic Education Association. GENERAL PROGRAM PROCEDURES Daily Schedule Before school daycare hours are from 6:30 to 8:00 AM. After school daycare hours are from the close of the school day until 6:30 PM. Before school, children have the opportunity to complete homework assignments and play quiet games. After school, all activities are age-appropriate and include outdoor play, snack, supervised homework hour, and rainy day activities. Attendance Procedures A registration form for each family and an emergency form for each student will be kept on file in the office. These forms are available on the school website at In the morning, a staff member will sign in the arrival time and will sign out the departure time. For the after-school program, a staff member will sign in the arrival time and will sign out the departure time. Program Activities A variety of daily activities, provided for students, are age-appropriate. These daily activities also provide opportunities for staff-directed, self-directed, and self-chosen tasks and activities; a balance of active and quiet activities; individual and group activities; and curiosity and exploration. Food Please provide a snack for your student. Caffeine or caffeine-free sodas/soft drinks are not an appropriate snack beverage for school age children. Personal Belongings Students are encouraged to bring play clothes to be worn during the after-school program. These should be brought to school in a bag labeled with the student s name. Students may bring books and toys appropriate to a Christian environment to be used during program hours. These should also be labeled with the student s name, and brought in an appropriate carrying case. Each student is provided a personal space to keep personal belongings and coats. The program bears no responsibility for these items.

4 Emergency Closing of Program The program is open on school days only. If St. Francis of Assisi School is closed, the program is also closed. If St. Francis of Assisi School opens late, the program will open at 6:30 AM as usual. If, due to inclement weather, St. Francis of Assisi School dismisses early, the program will remain open. However, parents are to make every effort to pick up students as soon as possible or no later than 2 hours after dismissal. If you are unable to pick up your child in a timely manner, you must make arrangements with your emergency contact to pick up your child. If St. Francis of Assisi School deems it necessary, due to inclement weather, to close daycare early, you will be notified immediately. The safety of our students and staff is paramount. HEALTH INFORMATION Please be aware that neither the St. Francis of Assisi Parish nor the Diocese of Arlington carries accident or health insurance for students while they are at school. It is the school s expectation that families of students use the health policy they have obtained through employment or other sources to take care of any medical treatment that may become necessary. All health and emergency forms must be kept current. For changes, such as work phone number, allergies, etc., please notify the director immediately. The staff cannot dispense medicine unless there are written instructions which are dated and signed by the parents. The Office of Catholic Schools Diocese of Arlington Medication Authorization Form must be filled out and kept on file. Parents are required to notify the school/preschool/daycare within 24 hours or the next business day after their child or any member of the immediate household has developed any reportable communicable disease, as defined by the State Board of Health, except for life-threatening diseases which must be reported immediately. DISCIPLINE Discipline is essential for the effective management of any daycare program. Discipline in the Catholic school program must reflect charity and justice toward the individual student and his/her family. The student s right to fair treatment will be preserved at all times. The essence of Christian discipline is self-discipline. Students are expected to comply with school/daycare policies and directives, and they must be respectful, courteous, honest, and attentive to the teachers and daycare staff. They must also be

5 considerate and courteous to classmates and all other staff members and parents working or volunteering in the school. In cases where a student is continually disruptive of others or in the case of a single serious disciplinary infraction, the teacher or daycare staff will apprise the principal/director of the situation. Students who lack self-discipline or who violate the rights of others can expect disciplinary action. Each offense will be dealt with on an individual basis according to the age of the student, the nature of the infraction, and the severity of the case. A daycare conduct warning will be issued for behavior infractions of the program. These infractions include, but are not limited to: Disrespect to adults Destruction of school property Aggressive behavior Irreverence Belittling classmates Chewing gum Crude, vulgar language Disruptive behavior Unsupervised activity on the campus, both inside and outside Abuse of bathroom privileges Throwing or playing with rocks and/or mulch Dishonesty Ignoring repeated behavior warnings Kicking balls in the gym Talking during a fire drill Following 3 accrued infractions in one grading period, a student may be suspended from the program for 5 school days. At the beginning of each grading period, infractions are reset to zero. An automatic suspension of five school days will be issued for fighting or the verbal harassment of another student or adult. A series of suspensions may result in the student s expulsion from the program. The principal/director is the final authority in this matter. Specific Discipline Policies Respect of the St. Francis of Assisi School rules is expected by all students attending the program. Discipline will be fair and applied consistently. No corporal punishment or verbal abuse will be used, nor will food be withheld. Discipline will consist of a discussion with the student of the misconduct, and a time-out period, under staff supervision, appropriate in length for the age of the student. A referral form may be issued for daycare infractions. The parent will be informed of any disciplinary actions taken.

6 Removal from Program In charity and justice to the other students, circumstances may dictate that a student be removed temporarily or permanently from the program. Parents will be provided with sufficient verbal and/or written notice of any chronic behavior problems. Every effort will be made to work out a positive discipline plan with the parent and child. If the misbehavior continues, the director and parent will meet. At this time, the parent may be asked to withdraw the student from the program. PROGRAM ENVIRONMENT Room Organization The before school daycare program operates in the library. The after school daycare program operates in the dining facility with the library and designated classrooms utilized for the after school study program. Educational and recreational games and materials are available for both the before and after school program. Lost and Found A Lost and Found will be located in the gym area. Valuables will be retained in the administrative office. ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL PROCEDURES FOR CHILDREN Procedures The front entry drive is for pedestrians only from 7:45 AM 6:30 PM. Parents who arrive before 7:45 AM may park in front and escort their student to the dining facility for check in. After 7:45 AM and for pickup, drivers need to park in the side parking lot and then escort their student to/from the program. Authorized Pickup Students may be picked up by a parent or another designated adult, authorized in writing. Anyone picking up a student, other than those listed on the day care registration, should have a note from the parent listing his or her name. That person will be asked for picture identification and a phone number. A parent or emergency contact may be called for verification.

7 FEES A non-refundable registration fee of $25 will be charged per family. This is an annual fee and will be charged to your FACTS Tuition Agreement. The day care rates are: Students per Family Hourly Rate 1 $ $ or more $2.00 extra per child per hour A late fee of $5.00 per minute per family will be charged for students picked up late from daycare. The personnel time clock in the school office is the official daycare time. Please utilize your emergency contact if you feel that you are going to be late. Billing and Payment Daycare charges will be electronically invoiced once a month and will list the date, cost of service, and late fee, if applicable. The total amount will be charged to your FACTS Tuition Agreement. Delinquent accounts may result in the termination of service. REPORTING SUSPECTED ABUSE OR NEGLECT The administration and staff of the St. Clare Program follow the laws imposed by the State of Virginia and the Diocese of Arlington in reporting suspected abuse or neglect of any student enrolled in the program.