ZENITH LEARNING PARENT HANDBOOK AND OPERATIONAL POLICIES

ZENITH LEARNING PARENT HANDBOOK AND OPERATIONAL POLICIES 9303 W Sam Houston Parkway S, Suit 155 Houston, TX 77099 Phone: 713-988-9600 Fax: 713-774-6903

MISSION STATEMENT The Mission Statement of Zenith Learning (ZL) is to provide high quality care and educational program within a warm, secure, non-discriminatory environment ensuring each child advances to his/her potential in all areas of development. PHILOSOPHY We aim: To form warm relationships with each child in their care, so that all children can develop to their optimum potential through being valued as individuals, shown equal respect and acceptance of their individual needs and abilities. To provide children with opportunities to develop positive feelings about themselves and their environment. To maintain high quality and effective staff in child education by reinforcing/encouraging in-service training and professional development opportunities. To develop ongoing communication and interaction with parents. To consult with families about the care of each child and encourage parents to participate and share in all activities. To reinforce parent involvement by encouraging parents to share some aspects and experiences of their culture. We provide children with: an environment where the individual needs are met. a safe and secure environment that enhances the children's independence, initiative and self-worth. a supportive and caring role in enhancing the child's strengths, competence and self esteem. an environment in which children are treated as individuals and allows them the opportunities to reach their full potential. a variety of activities that children can be active participants with the opportunity to experiment, explore and make self-discoveries. activities that allow for free choice and develop decision making and other specific skills. an environment where children's self-help skills are encouraged in order to enable them to become self-sufficient individuals. a fun environment where play is valued as a learning experience. modeling and age appropriate techniques for peaceful resolution of conflict. an anti-bias environment where children are not discriminated based on their gender, race, religion, age or language. opportunities to develop a multicultural perspective within the environment in order to respect cultural diversity. basic techniques and skills for the development of self-discipline. In regards to families we provide them with: basic support through the provision of high quality care, resources and education. a positive relationship based on trust and open communication ensuring confidentiality. an environment where families feel secure in the knowledge that their children are well cared for. services to families with different economic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds; preventing segregation on the basis of any of these factors and always respecting the individual rights of all families. an open door policy in which parents are welcome at all times. 2

a service which is responsive to the needs of families. opportunities for parents and staff to work as a team tapping into the strength of both to develop a responsive program suitable to the needs of families. avenues for the ZL to liaise with community agencies, services and resources in order to satisfy program and parent needs at the highest level. OPERATION OPERATING HOURS AND HOLIDAY SCHEDULES Zenith Learning After School program operates school year round, Monday through Friday, and our operating hours are from dismissal / 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. When there is an early dismissal at the school, ZL will start at the time of dismissal again but when there is a school holiday ZL will not operate. For programs offered during winter and spring breaks, and summer holiday check with ZL program at your child s school.. PROCEDURES FOR RELEASE OF CHILDREN We will only release children to the parent or a person authorized to pick up the child by the parent. We must verify the parent or authorized person by a picture ID and match the name with the child's enrollment form. ILLNESS AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA In the event that your child is ill and will be absent, a courtesy call will be appreciated. In the event that your child becomes ill during the day, the parent will be contacted to pick up the child. There is no credit for sick days and school holidays. As stated in Minimum Standard Rules, a child will not be admitted if one or more of the following exists: The illness prevents the child from participating comfortably in child activities, including outdoor play. The illness results in a greater need for care than caregivers can provide without compromising the health, safety, and supervision of the other children in care. The child has one of the following, unless medical evaluation by a health-care professional indicates that you can include the child in the child-care activities: a) Oral temperature of 101 degrees or greater, accompanied by behavior changes or other signs or symptoms of illness; b) Rectal temperature of 102 degrees or greater, accompanied by behavior changes or other signs or symptoms of illness; c) Armpit temperature of 100 degrees or greater, accompanied by behavior changes or other signs of symptoms of illness; d) Symptoms and signs of possible severe illness, such as lethargy, abnormal breathing, uncontrolled diarrhea, two or more vomiting episodes in 24 hours, rash with fever, mouth sores with drooling, wheezing, behavior changes, or other signs that the child may be severely ill; e) A health care professional has diagnosed the child with a communicable disease, and the child does not have medical documentation to indicate that the child is no longer contagious. MEDICATION PROCEDURES Medication can be dispensed, as needed. The following must be provided: An authorization form signed by parent/guardian that includes time to administer the medication, according to label direction. 3

Medication is in its original container and labeled with the child's full name and the date brought to the school. Medication is not expired. If your child is allergic to any food and/or requires a special diet, please make sure to put this information into the enrollment form. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN Please see Emergency Preparedness plan for our centers. You may find it as separate file on our website or ask your director a copy of it. MEDICAL EMERGENCY PROCEDURES If your child is seriously injured, 911 will be contacted immediately for assistance. CPR and/or the appropriate First Aid will be administered by ZL staff until help arrives. Parents will be contacted as soon as possible. Information given in your enrollment packet will be used at this time. Please remember to keep your child's records updated. PARENTAL NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES Parents will be notified in person, by phone, email, in writing, and/or through our website and the use of bulletin boards and parent notification boards: If the child is injured and the injury requires medical attention; If the child has a sign of symptom requiring exclusion from care; If the child has been involved in any situation that placed the child at risk; If any situation renders the center unsafe; If a less serious injury or incident takes place, you will be notified at the time of pickup; If there are any changes to any policies or procedures; If there is a change in the staff working with your child on an everyday basis; If there is an outbreak of any communicable disease. DISCIPLINE AND GUIDANCE PRACTICES Redirection and verbal communication is used as a method of discipline. Your child will be treated with courtesy and respect. In the event your child's behavior endangers others, he/she will be separated from the rest of the group for a sensible period of time. If a child continues to have difficulty in a particular situation, the child may be removed to a "safe place" or "thinking chair", where they will have the opportunity to regain control of their emotions and calmly resolve the situation before they return to the group. In the event your child's behavior becomes seriously disturbing, you will be notified. For detail of our policy, see the Discipline and Guidance Policy that you sign. PAYMENT POLICY TUITION We offer three payment options to our families for the After School Program to pay tuition. Parents must select only one option at the beginning of school year and stay with it until the end of school year. o Option One: A monthly bill. Payments are due by the 1st day of each month o Option Two: A Bi-Annual two payment plan with payments due August 20, 2013 and January 1, 2014 with 3% discount. Discount is not applicable to schools receiving CASE Grant. o Option Three: An Annual payment plan with one payment due August 20, 2013 with 5% discount. Discount is not applicable to schools receiving CASE Grant. 4

The discounts available above does not apply to enrichment classes. Holidays and other scheduled school days off are not included in the calculation of the total rate. There will be no refund or refunds for calamity days. There will be no pro-rated fees due to general absences. For Option One, the same monthly installment is due regardless of the number of school days or days of attendance. The first payment, kept as deposit for the last month of enrollment, is due with registration or before school start. Subsequent payments are due each month on or before the 1st of the month September through April. Please see the Fee Schedule for due dates in Tuition Fee Schedule. No payments for May. Tuition is non-refundable. For Option Two, if a student withdraws from the program, they will be subject to the following refund schedule: (providing required notice has been given) Withdraw within 2 months of enrollment or after tuition is paid-25% refund Withdraw beyond 2 months of enrollment or after tuition is paid-10% refund For Option Three, if a student withdraws from the program, they will be subject to the following refund schedule: (providing required notice has been given) Withdraw within 2 months of enrollment or after tuition is paid-70% refund Withdraw between 3-5 months of enrollment or after tuition is paid-40% refund Withdraw beyond 5 months of enrollment or after tuition is paid-15% refund LATE PAYMENT FEE All monthly tuition payments received after the 1st of the month will be charged a $15 late fee. If an overdue balance is not paid by the 10th of the month, your child will be dismissed from the program. After dismissal, if you would like to re-enroll your child $50 reregistration fee will be due, 1 month in advance, plus the fee that is owed. LATE PICKUP FEE You are to pick your child up by 6:00 PM. $1/minute will be charged for children not picked up by 6:00 PM. Parents should sign late pick up form, which indicated time of arrival and charges due. If a child has not been picked up by 6:30, and attempts to contact the parents and emergency contacts have been unsuccessful, the Police and/or County Children's Services may be called. Recurrent late pick-ups may result in suspension or termination of enrollment. NON-SUFFICIENT FUNDS FEE Payments can be made electronically, by check or money order. Cash will not be accepted. A $25 fee is charged for all non-sufficient funds/returned checks, credit card charge backs. If a check is returned, further tuition payments must be made by money order, cashier s check or a bank draft. Parents are still liable for their tuition whether or not their child attends every day, is absent, ill, or for a scheduled holiday that the ZL will be closed. No credits given for sick days or vacation days. All payments are non-refundable. For details please read the Parent Agreement you signed with your registration form. TERMINATION AND SCHEDULE CHANGE POLICY In order to change a student's schedule or withdraw from the program, The Primary Parent or Guardian listed on the enrollment form must provide to the Program Director a 30 days written notice. If less than 30 days notice is given, then a $50 fee will be charged. All notices must be sent to program director in writing. If 5

you withdraw and wish to reenroll your child to the program, a $30 reregistration fee is required. Moreover, no change or withdrawal is accepted in December and March. FOOD SERVICES An afternoon snack will be provided every day. All snacks provided by the ZL will be nutritious and based on the daily food needs of children. Parents will provide lunch for their respective child(ren) every day for summer program. The ZL is not responsible for the nutritional value of these provided lunches. Parents will be required to sign a statement that they will be providing their child(ren)'s lunch. ENROLLMENT PROCEDURES AND POLICY CHANGES Each and every enrollment form must be filled out completely and returned to the office before any child is permitted to attend ZL program. This form includes: enrollment agreement, admission information, statement of health, immunization records, hearing and vision screening, medication policy, and discipline and guidance policy. Parents will be provided with a copy of the Operational Policies of ZL at the time of enrollment. It can be downloaded from our web site as well. Parents must sign that they have read and understand all policies. If any policies or procedures are changed, the parents and guardians will be provided with a written notice of this change and will be asked to sign another statement that they have read and understand the changes that have been made. INFORMATION CHANGES Parents are expected to notify promptly the administrative staff in writing of any changes of address, phone numbers, work schedules, or names of persons authorized to pick up their children. REQUIREMENTS FOR IMMUNIZATIONS All immunizations required for the child s age must be completed by the date of admission. Parents are required to give a copy of updated immunization records to the school. If the school has this information you are not required to provide another copy of immunization records to the ZL. Please make sure you checked the box in the enrollment form stating that your child s up to date immunization record provided to the school. Vaccination requirement for staff: We do not require our employees to have certain vaccination. However, it is in employee s best interest to get a flu shot since they are required to work with school age children. TRANSPORTATION ZL will not offer transportation to any of its students. 6

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR OUTDOOR PLAY EQUIPMENT Staff inspects playground equipment daily to ensure its safety. Children may not be allowed to play on equipment if staff has determined it to be unsafe. Playground equipment located on public/charter school property may not meet the requirements of DFPS licensing standards. The parent or guardian not wishing to allow their child(ren) to use the playground during after school should sign a letter to inform Zenith. Since students are using the playground during the school, it is assumed that parents allow their children during after school as well. GANG FREE ZONE A gang free zone is designated area around a specific location where certain gang related activity is prohibited and is subject to increased penalty under Texas law. Specific locations where certain gang related criminal activity is now include, but are not limited to, public schools, playgrounds, video arcade facilities, and day care centers The gang free zone is within 1000 feet of your child care program. The area that falls within gang-free zone can vary depending on the type of location. Maps may be produced for the purposes of prosecution and may be updated by the local municipal our county engineer. Parents may contact their local municipality to attempt to obtain a copy of the map if they choose to do so. Similar to the motivation behind establishing drug-free zones, the goal of gang-free zones is to deter certain types of criminal activity in areas where children gather by enforcing tougher penalties. Child care providers are required to inform parents and guardians of children attending their center about the new gang-free zone designation. This means parents or guardians need to be informed that certain gangrelated criminal activity or engaging in organized criminal activity within 1000 feet of your program is a violation of this law and is therefore subject to increased penalty. ACTIVITIES There will be no water activity at the ZL programs. WATER ACTIVITIES FIELD TRIPS No field trips are offered during after school program. During the summer program the children will go on field trips. You will be notified on your child's monthly calendar regarding all the information relating to these field trips. Individual notifications will be provided at least 2 days before the trip. The permission slips will be available for you to sign. There are extra charges for these field trips. Prices will be posted on the signup sheets. ANIMALS As part of curricular activities, ZL may arrange animal visitations. The parents will be notified in writing when such visit occurs. We will ensure that the animals do not create unsafe or unsanitary conditions. Zenith will take every precaution to ensure that the animals are free of any signs of illness. The staff and children will practice good hygiene and hand washing after handling the animals. OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES We will not take kids outside when temperature is over 95 F and during hot summer days. Parents are encouraged to bring skin protectant with a sun block of SPF 15 or higher and let the teachers know about it if 7

needed for your child. After-School program will use the active play equipment and space at the school, which may or may not meet licensing standards. Standards are available from the Program Director or at www.dfps.state.tx.us. PEST CONTROL Schools are doing their pest controls according to their rules and regulations. ZL will not be doing any pest control. However we will follow with school to make sure your child will not be at any risk. PARENTAL COMMUNICATIONS For questions or concerns regarding the ZL policies and procedures, please contact the center director or supervisor via email or phone. Their contact information is readily available at the site. VISITING THE CENTER Parents are encouraged to visit briefly with teachers. Please keep in mind that the teacher is in charge of a group of children and has to supervise them at all times. You may request a teacher/parent conference by contacting the office. ZL has an open door policy, so feel free to visit anytime. Observers are expected to respect the children and their schedule by not interrupting in their activities and lessons. If it is seen that the presence of any guest is causing a disruption to the class, you may be asked to leave. PARENT PARTICIPATION Parent participation is always welcome. Whenever you are available, please contact with your director to be present at the center. WHAT TO WEAR TO SCHOOL School uniform is required as school policy. Other than that, think of your child's comfort and provide simple clothing that is free of complicated fastenings. Shoes are required and worn at all times. Flip flops and sandals, are not allowed. We are not responsible for items brought from home. RECORDS KEPT BY THE FACILITY A record of your child's daily attendance is kept on file at ZL. If your child has an accident at the center that does not require medical attention, an accident report is kept and given to you when you pick up your child. CHILD PROTECTION POLICY Zenith Learning staff that has reasonable grounds to suspect that a child attending the program has been, or is being abused, neglected or sexually assaulted, has to report these suspensions to the supervisor. Childcare staff is mandatory reporters. We are legally required to report concerns of the safety welfare or wellbeing of a child or young person. The responsibility of ZL staff is to: Protect children in our care from risk of harm; Educate children in a simple way and easy way about abuse i.e. feeling safe and happy, and encourage them to talk about their feelings; Ensure that they are aware of their legal obligation to report suspected risk of harm and the procedure for reporting; Ensure that they are aware of the visible signs of abuse and neglect; 8

Observe the children carefully noting any visible changes in their appearance, emotional state, interaction with other children and time spent alone. Staff is required to keep a record of each child. Attend further training and development in the recognition and reporting of suspected risk of harm and professional standards for caregiver/children relationships; Conduct the working with children check with all new staff and existing staff members; Report to supervisor any child abuse allegations and convictions made against a staff member. Employer will ensure that the allegations and convictions are investigated and appropriate action taken in relation to the findings. Section 34.01 Texas Family Code TEXAS FAMILY CODE-CHILD ABUSE LAW "A person having cause to believe that a child's physical or mental health or welfare has been or may be further adversely affected by abuse or neglect shall report in accordance with Section 34.01 of this code." Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-252-5400 Section 34.07 Texas Family Code " A person commits an offense if the person has cause to believe that a child's physical or mental health or welfare has been or may be further adversely affected by abuse or neglect and knowingly fails to report in accordance with Section 34.07 of this code." "An offense under this section is a Class B Misdemeanor." TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES A copy of the Minimum Standards for School-Age and Before or After-School Programs is available for review along with our most recent licensing inspection report. Austin Child Care Licensing: (512) 834-3195 Dallas Child Care Licensing: (214) 951-7902 Fort Worth Child Care Licensing: (800) 582-8286 Houston Child Care Licensing (713) 940-3009 San Antonio Child Care Licensing: (210) 337-3399 DFPS website: www.dfps.state.tx.us CONTACTS Zenith Learning 9303 W Sam Houston Parkway S, Suite 155 Houston, TX 77099 Phone: 713-988-9600 Fax: 713-774-6903 admin@zenithlearning.org www.zenithlearning.org Revised August 20, 2014 9