Little Chapel on the Boardwalk
Preschool
Parent’s Handbook
2015-2016
Mission Statement Little Chapel on the Boardwalk’s Preschool program’s mission is to reach out to the children and
families in our community and to educate them about our Christian faith and values. We strive to
meet the developmental and educational needs of the whole child. We will help our children
grow to their highest potential physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.
Our goal is to meet each child’s individual needs in our safe, warm, caring, and nurturing
environment as we prepare our children to be successful in kindergarten. We aim to help our
students become productive caring citizens who will grow up to make God’s world a better place
for all who live in it.
Welcome
We are very excited about welcoming you to our Little Chapel on the Boardwalk family. This
will be the first year of our preschool program and we are so happy to have the opportunity to
minister to your children in our warm and caring environment as they grow in all areas of their
development. Our main goal is to instill a love for learning in all the children who are part of our
preschool program at Little Chapel on the Boardwalk. We will engage your children in many
hands-on learning experiences which will help them to achieve their highest potential in all areas
of their development. We look forward to preparing our four year old students for kindergarten
next year.
Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Preschool is a very important ministry of our church and we are
excited about teaching your children more about our Christian faith as we enjoy weekly Bible
stories and lessons. Students enrolled in our preschool program will also enjoy a chapel time
once a week on Wednesdays. At Little Chapel on the Boardwalk our students will follow a
planned structured daily schedule developed to meet their physical, intellectual, emotional,
social, and spiritual needs. As parents, we invite and encourage you to be partners with us in
your child’s education and our preschool program. Daily communication with your child’s
teacher is of upmost importance in order for your child to be successful and happy at preschool.
In this handbook we have outlined our program and our expectations, practices, guidelines and
rules for our staff, parents, and students. We ask that everyone involved in your child’s education
and development adhere to our policies so as to keep our students safe, happy and learning each
day. An experienced, caring, loving and educated staff has been selected to teach your children
this year at Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Preschool so that your children will grow to love
learning and be happy, well-adjusted, and successful in school. We thank you for the opportunity
to partner with you in the education and development of your child.
Thank you and blessings,
Preschool Committee Members:
Maritsa Hartlove (Director)
Joyce Bradley
Jane Hughes
Susan Long
Marcia Rabun
Sylvia Solley
Our Curriculum and Monthly Themes
Little Chapel Preschool Monthly Themes and Activities
September: Themes: School Orientation, All about me (body Parts, feelings/emotions, family and friends) Nursery
Rhymes, Food Groups
Phonics: Letters: A, B, C and D and their sounds
Math: Number 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5; Count to 5 and recognize our numbers to 5
Bible Stories: God Made My World, Adam and Eve, God Made Me, Noah’s Ark
October: Themes: Review the Seasons, Fall Fun, Our Senses (smell, taste, hearing and seeing), Fire Safety,
Farm animals
Phonics: Letters: E, F, G, H and their sounds
Math: Numbers: Review numbers 1-5 Introduce numbers: 6, 7, and 8
Bible Stories: The Tower of Babel, Abraham and Sarah, Rebecca and the Camels, Jacob and Esau,
Joseph’s Wonderful Coat, Joseph in Egypt, Baby Moses, The Plagues of Egypt
November: Themes: Good Health Habits/Nutrition (food groups), Doctor/Dentist, Manners, Thanksgiving
Phonics: Review letters A-H; Introduce letters I, J, K, and their sounds
Math: Review numbers 1-8; introduce numbers 9, 10, 11, and 12; Count to 12 and recognize our
numbers
Bible Stories: The Parting of the Red Sea, Journey Through the Desert, Moses and the Laws of God,
Joshua and the City of Jericho, The Mighty Samson, David and Goliath, Jonah and the Big Fish,
Daniel and the Lion’s Den, How to be Thankful and Praise God (Psalm145,150)
December: Themes: Angels, Jesus' Birthday/Christmas, Musical Instruments, Giving and Kindness
Phonics: Review Letters: A-K; introduce letters L, M, N and their sounds
Math: Review numbers 1-12; introduce numbers 13, 14 and 15. Count and recognize numbers to 15
Bible Stories: Mary and the Angel, Jesus is Born, The Shepherds and the Wise Men
January: Themes: Winter, Transportation, Space, Dinosaurs, Fairy Tales and Folk Tales, Arctic animals
Phonics: Review Letters A-N; introduce letters O, P, Q and their sounds
Math: Review numbers 1-15 introduce numbers 16, 17, 18, 19
Bible Stories: The Boy Jesus, Jesus in the Temple, John the Baptist, Jesus and His Friends, The
Fishermen’s Net
February: Themes: Community Workers and Construction, Phone Numbers and Addresses, Valentine's Day,
Teddy Bears
Phonics: Review letters A-Q; introduce letters R, S, T and their sounds
Math: Review numbers 1-19; introduce numbers 20, 21 and 22
Bible Stories: The Lord’s Prayer, A Storm on the Lake, Jesus and the Children, Jesus and the Little
Girl, The Loaves and the Fish, Zacchaeus
March: Themes: Dr. Seuss’s Birthday, Circus, Rainbows, Shadows, Pets, Easter
Phonics: Review letters A-T; introduce letters U, V, W and their sounds
Math: Review numbers 1-22; introduce numbers 23, 24, 25
Bible Stories: The Loaves and the Fish, the Good Samaritan, the Good Shepherd, the Prodigal Son
April: Theme: Zoo animals, Farm Animals, Spiders and Insects, Plants and Gardening, Spring, Ponds
Phonics: Review Letters A-W; introduce letters X, Y, Z and their sounds
Math: Review numbers 1-25; introduce numbers 26, 27 and 28; introduce the concept of addition and
subtraction
Bible Stories: Jesus Rides in to Jerusalem, the Last Supper, Death on the Cross, the Empty Tomb
May: Themes: Mother's Day, Seashore, Sports, Insects, Spiders, Birds
Phonics: Review all letters (upper and lower case) and their sounds; Begin to blend sounds into simple
consonant vowel consonant words
Math: Review numbers 1-28 introduce numbers 29, 30, 31; Continue to learn the concept of addition
and subtraction; practice writing numbers; one to one correspondence
Bible Stories: On the Road to Emmaus, Breakfast by the Lake, Wind and Fire, Jesus heals a Lame
man, Peter Walks on Water
June: Themes: Summer, Father's Day, Patriotic Week, Graduation, School Closing, Vacations and Trips
Phonics: Review all upper and lower case letters and writing all letters; Review letter sounds and
blending sounds into simple consonant vowel consonant words; Begin to write simple words
Bible Stories: Ten Commandments, Jesus Heals a Blind Man, the Ten Leapers
Themes and lessons are flexible depending on the needs, interests and abilities of our students.
Weekly lesson plans will be posted in our classrooms.
Schedule of the Day: Our Shining Stars (4 year olds class)
8:30AM-9:00AM: Welcome and Choice time (centers opened: dramatic play, blocks, art,
library, puzzles, and manipulatives)
9:00AM-9:15AM: Creative Movement with music (get your wiggles out!)
9:15AM- 9:30AM: Morning Group time (good morning song, calendar, jobs, letter of the
week, number of the week, discuss our theme)
9:30AM-10:15AM: Learning Centers: (themed art activity, letters and numbers activity,
table toys and manipulatives, puzzles, library, dramatic play and dress
up, blocks and trucks, freestyle art and themed prop boxes)
10:15AM-10:30AM: Snack time: provided by Little Chapel on the Boardwalk (snacks will
contain three food groups and relate to our letter, of the week, theme or
number)
10:30AM-10:45AM: Bible Story Time: (According to our Curriculum)
10:45AM-11:15AM: Large motor activities: (Outside play or inside play in our indoor gym)
11:15AM–11:30AM: Group table Activity (letters, numbers, colors shapes, themed activity,
fine motor skills)
11:30AM-11:45AM: Story time (themed story)
11:45AM- 12:00AM: Closing (creative movement games, review our day and closing song)
*12:00AM- 12:30AM: Optional Lunch Bunch (parent’s bring a bag lunch $5.00 a week in
addition to regular tuition sign up at the beginning of each week)
**Chapel Time Wednesdays: 11:15am -11:45am
It is very important that all our students are picked up by 12:30PM as we are not licensed
to operate past 12:30PM. A late fee will be charged for students staying after 12:30PM as
we will be in violation of our guidelines for operation.
**Friday fun, family, friends and fellowship time will be scheduled as weather permits.
Activities may include: family and friends time at the beach, field trips and outings (parents
must accompany their children and provide transportation). Check for weekly notices in your
child’s folder. This program is a church program and separate from our preschool. Parents are
responsible for their own children. Little Chapel on the Boardwalk staff and volunteers are not
liable for children during these activities.
Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Church Activities
Little Chapel on the Boardwalk invites and encourages our preschool families to become involved in
our church activates. We strive to serve our community as we grow in our spiritual walk with Christ.
Church Services and Programs: 8:00AM: Beach Worship at access #4: Casual beach service: (May-October) bring your chair or
blanket! Children are welcomed. 8:30AM: Church Worship (October-April): Nursery is available for young children. 9:15AM-9:30AM: Cherub Children’s Choir practice: Our Cherub children’s choir performs on the second
Sunday of each month (flexible schedule). Our children’s choir is open to all children 4 years old to 5
th grade. Our Cherub choir is featured at our Christmas Pageant!
9:30AM-10:15AM: Sunday school for children ages 4 years to 5th
grade. 10:30AM - 11:30AM: Children’s Church and Children’s message: (4 year olds to 5
th grade)
Presbyterian Kids Connection:
Our PKC group meets on a monthly basis for family fun and fellowship. This is a time for fun Christian
children’s activities focused on the family. We go on outings and field trips as well as have activities
and guest speakers at our church. Parents are required to attend all Presbyterian Kids Connection
activities with their children. Activities have included Sunday afternoon at the beach, fishing trips, hay
rides, bowling, picnics in the park, trips to local museums and attractions, fall, winter and spring
festivals as well as Bible stories and crafts. We welcome and invite everyone to attend our planned
programs as we grow in our faith and learn to serve others.
Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Preschool: Friday Family Fun and Fellowship
This will be a family activity time when preschool children can get together after pre-school at 12:30 to
go to the beach or on a field trip. Events will be scheduled throughout the year. We encourage parent
participation in planning these activities. Parents must accompany their children on these events and
provide their own transportation. Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Church or preschool is not
responsible or liable for children while they participate in activities after school hours. This is a time for
children and parents to have fun and fellowship.
Snacks:
A daily snack consisting of three nutritious food groups which includes a drink will be served daily.
Snacks will be provided by Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Preschool. Our snacks will be oriented
towards our letter, number or theme of the week. Please see your monthly snack menu for a list of
snacks served at Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Preschool. Please remember to inform us of any food
allergies your child has so we can plan our menu accordingly.
Lunch Bunch:
Lunch Bunch will be held daily Monday through Friday from 12:00 noon to 12:30 PM. Children
will enjoy eating lunch with their friends and their preschool teacher. Parents will be asked to
provide a bag lunch and drink that they bring from home. The cost of lunch bunch will be
$40.00 a month and must be included in your monthly tuition check. Please sign up on the lunch
bunch list by the last day of the previous month. We hope this program will allow our students
to have some extra time to socialize with the friends and teachers at preschool.
Parent Visitation
Parents are always welcome in our classroom; however, we do request that arrangements be
made with your child’s teacher prior to a visitation in order to allow for consistency in the
classroom. Teachers are busy during the day meeting the daily needs of their students. If you
need to talk with your child’s teacher about your child’s progress or concerns please schedule a
teacher conference to talk with your child’s teacher outside of the classroom.
Progress Reports / Teacher Conferences
Student progress reports and parent teacher conferences will be completed twice a year in
January and May for our pre-K students. Parents will be contacted by the teacher if there is a
need to address a specific behavior or concern. Parents are also welcome to contact their pre-
school teacher about their child’s progress at any point during the year. Additional conferences
will be scheduled on a student need basis. Daily sunshine reports will be part of your child’s take
home folder. Please sign and return them in your child’s folder daily.
It is important for parents, guardians, teachers and caregivers to share important behaviors or
changes in environment that may affect your child. Please feel free to share any concerns or
changes in your child’s routine that may affect his/her behavior. Open communication between
the home and the school are of utmost importance. Strict confidentiality will be maintained.
Personal Items for Students
Little Chapel on the Boardwalk will provide your student with a bag and a daily communication
folder. In your child’s bag please provide a change of clothes, including socks, in case of spills or
accidents. Please make sure to check your child’s folder daily for their completed school work,
important notices and reminders, monthly menus, and daily sunshine reports. We ask that you
sign your daily sunshine report and return it to school each day in your child’s folder.
Please make sure to bring a sweater, jacket or coat for your child as necessary and place it on
your child’s labeled hook. Please remember to dress your child comfortably so they can have fun
and enjoy playtime and art activities. Remember, your child will get dirty at pre-school (which
means they are having fun while they are learning). We will be painting at preschool! Little
Chapel will provide smocks for our students; however, keep in mind that children are messy and
that paint spills!
It is very important that your child wear safe comfortable shoes to preschool. Help your child to
make smart choices about the shoes they wear to school. Closed toed tennis shoes are
recommended! Please do not allow your child to wear flip flops, slick bottomed shoes or boots,
platform shoes, shoes with a heel or any other open backed shoes which are unsafe on the
playground equipment. We want all our children to be safe while playing and learning at Little
Chapel on the Boardwalk Preschool.
Please do not allow your child to bring toys from home to preschool. Toys brought from home
can be easily lost or cause a distraction in the classroom. We have many educational, safe
learning toys at school. Your preschool teacher may plan a sharing day or a discovery day for
your child to bring in items related to our unit of study. A special discovery bag will be given to
the discovery student of the week. Items to do with our weekly unit of study may be brought to
school in the discovery bag provided by your teacher on Friday of each week. Our assigned
discovery student will share their items with their class. Please see the discovery student
schedule posted in your classroom.
Calendar and Late Openings/Early Dismissals
Little Chapel on the Boardwalk preschool will follow the New Hanover County School Calendar
for closings. (See our preschool calendar)
When the county schools are closed due to severe weather, Little Chapel on the Boardwalk
Preschool will be closed. When the New Hanover County Schools open one hour late, Little
Chapel on the Boardwalk Preschool will open one hour late as well. If county schools open two
hours late Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Preschool will be closed.
Arrival and Departure Procedures
Please arrive to preschool between 8:30 and 8:45 am and depart no later than 12:00 noon (unless
you sign up for our optional lunch bunch program and then departure will be at 12:30 pm). It is
very important that students arrive and depart from preschool on time in order for our schedule to
remain consistent for our children. Upon arrival please park in the front parking lot. Please escort
your child into the building and sign your child in with your child’s teacher. Please remember to
sign in the proper time for drop off and pick up. Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Preschool
cannot be responsible for children who are not signed into our program. Remember to greet your
child’s teacher daily and inform us of any important details about your child. Please do not linger
in the classroom when dropping your child off at preschool as this may cause your child to have
departure anxiety and it also disrupts the preschool routine. Say goodbye to your child and
reassure him/her that you will return to pick them up after preschool. Give them a hug and exit
the classroom.
If someone other than the child’ s parents or legal guardian will be dropping off or picking
up your child please inform your child’s preschool teacher. Make sure the person
dropping your child off at preschool or picking your child up from preschool is on your
child’s emergency contact information. We will ask for picture identification if we do not
know the person dropping your child off or picking your child up. Please inform the
person dropping your child off or picking your child up of our strict identification policy.
The safety and well-being of your of your child is of utmost importance to us.
When picking your child up from preschool, remember to sign out on our daily attendance
rooster and include the departure time. Gather your child’s belongings and make sure you have
your child’s daily communication folder in your child’s bag. Check for wet or soiled clothes.
Make sure to greet your child’s teacher and briefly ask how your child’s day was. Do not expect
a long conversation with your child’s teacher as she will be busy teaching the other children in
the class. If you need to schedule a conference, contact your child’s teacher after class. Please be
very careful in the parking lot as other parents will be dropping off and picking up their children
at this time. Always hold your child’s hand when entering and exiting the building and in the
parking lot. Remind your child to use inside voices in the building as other church activities will
be on-going during our operating hours. Remember, we are in God’s house, so please be
respectful, quiet, and courteous when entering and exiting the building.
Discipline and Behavior Management Policy
At Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Preschool, we believe the redirection of a child’s behavior by
using positive reinforcement is the best discipline. We believe that all children should be treated
with respect, understanding, patience and love as we follow the example that Christ gave us,
treating others the way we want to be treated. The following policy on discipline has been set for
child care centers by the Division of Childcare Development and Early Education and will be
followed by all staff, parents, and visitors while on the premises of Little Chapel on the
Boardwalk Presbyterian Church.
At Little Chapel on the Boardwalk the safety, well- being and education of the children in our
care always comes first. If a child is a danger to the safety and well-being of other children or
staff at Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Preschool, the director of the program has the right to
dismiss a child from the program.
Praise and positive reinforcement are effective methods of behavior management of children.
When children receive positive, non-violent, and understanding interactions from adults and
others, they develop good self-concepts, problem solving abilities, and self-discipline. Based on
this belief of how children learn and develop values, this facility will practice the following
discipline and behavior management policy:
We:
1. DO praise, reward, and encourage the children.
2. DO reason with and set limits for the children.
3. DO model appropriate behavior for the children.
4. DO modify the classroom environment to attempt to prevent problems before they occur.
5. DO listen to the children.
6. DO provide alternatives for inappropriate behavior to the children.
7. DO provide the children with natural and logical consequences of their behaviors.
8. DO treat the children as people and respect their needs, desires, and feelings.
9. DO ignore minor misbehaviors.
10. DO explain things to children on their levels.
11. DO stay consistent in our behavior management program.
12. DO use effective guidance and behavior management techniques that focus on a child’s development.
13. DO use short supervised periods of time-out sparingly.
We:
1. DO NOT spank, shake, bite, pinch, push, pull, slap, or otherwise physically punish the children.
2. DO NOT make fun of, yell at, threaten, make sarcastic remarks about, use profanity, or otherwise verbally
abuse the children.
3. DO NOT shame or punish the children when bathroom accidents occur.
4. DO NOT deny food or rest as punishment.
5. DO NOT relate discipline to eating, resting, or sleeping.
6. DO NOT leave the children alone, unattended, or without supervision.
7. DO NOT place the children in locked rooms, closets, or boxes as punishment.
8. DO NOT allow discipline of children by children.
9. DO NOT criticize, make fun of, or otherwise belittle children’s parents, families, or ethnic groups.
Safety and Health Requirements
All students enrolled in Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Preschool must have the following
medical and safety forms on file at Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Preschool by the first day of
attendance at school. Children must be up to date on their immunizations.
Emergency Contact Information
Health Inventory (including substances to which your child is allergic) form signed by a
doctor
Immunization Record signed by your child’s doctor
Proof of Medical Insurance for child
Children must be signed in and out each day on the attendance sheet. Parent or guardian must
include the drop off and pick up time daily. Children will not be released to anyone besides the
parent or guardian without prior notification. Written notice of someone other than the parent or
guardian must be given to the director prior to a child being released. All authorized emergency
pick-up or drop-off people must be listed on the Emergency contact information sheet. Picture
identification will be required for a child to be released to anyone besides the legal parent or
guardian.
For the safety and well-being of everyone in our preschool please keep children home if they are
exhibiting any signs of illness. It is our policy that children be fever free for 24 hours before
coming to preschool.
It is up to the discretion of the director to notify you of any health symptoms your child exhibits
which makes it necessary for your child to be picked up from preschool.
Our preschool program is not authorized to administer medication to children in our care.
An accident report will be completed by the staff on each child who experiences a significant
injury at preschool. You will also be contacted if possible if an accident occurs that your child is
involved in. The accident report will be shared with you and your signature will be required.
Tuition
Registration Fee: $75.00 registration fee per child (non-refundable)
Registration fee includes: School bag, Little Chapel on the Boardwalk T-shirt, smock, and
necessary supplies.
Monthly Tuition Fees:
$275.00 per child: 5 day a week program 8:30AM - 12:00 Noon
$190.00 per child: 3 day a week program 8:30AM - 12:00 Noon (Monday, Wednesday & Friday)
$150.00 per child: 2 day a week program 8:30AM - 12:00 Noon (Tuesday & Thursday)
Lunch Bunch (optional):
5 days a week - $40.00 a month: 5 days a week (Monday – Friday) 12:00 Noon –
12:30PM; Parents bring a bag lunch including a drink!
3 days a week - $25.00 a month: 3 days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) 12:00
Noon – 12:30PM; Parents bring a bag lunch including a drink!
2 days a week - $20.00 a month: 2 days a week (Tuesday & Thursday) 12:00 Noon-
12:30PM; Parents bring a bag lunch including a drink!
Due to our rules of operation we are not allowed to operate our preschool for more than four
hours a day. This makes picking up your child on time imperative. If you are going to be late
due to an emergency, please contact Little Chapel on the Boardwalk as soon as possible. We
will charge a late fee to insure that children are picked up on time.
If you pick up your child past 12:00 Noon and are not signed up for lunch bunch your child will
be served a lunch or snack. You will be charged $5.00 for late pick up between 12:00-12:30PM.
If you pick up your child past 12:30PM you will be charged $5.00 for every 5 minutes you are
late. This is necessary due to the North Carolina State licensing regulations. Your cooperation
with our rules is greatly appreciated.
Tuition is due no later than the first day of each month. If you have not paid your tuition by the
5th
day of each month you will be charged a late fee of $25.00. If your tuition is not paid by the
15th
of each month your preschool space will no longer be held for your child. Please talk to the
director about extenuating circumstances. The safety, well–being, positive development,
education, socialization and positive self–esteem of your child always is our #1 priority. We look
forward to serving you and your child this year. We are praying for a wonderful pre-school
experience for your child and your family at Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Preschool. We are
happy to welcome you and your family to Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Preschool and Church.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God
belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14) and so we welcome the Little Children to Little
Chapel on the Boardwalk!
Parent Agreement Form
I have read and agree to adhere to all the rules, regulations and policies stated in the Parent’s handbook
for Little Chapel on the Boardwalk. I have included my child/children’s registration forms. I am
including my registration fee and first month’s tuition payment.
I agree to pay the monthly tuition amount of___________
I have paid the registration fee amount of _____________
Lunch Bunch included for the month of________________ in the amount of ____________
Child Name:_________________________________________________
Parent’s Name:______________________________________________
Director’s Name:______________________________________________
Parent’s Signature:__________________________________________ Date:______________
Director’s Signature: ________________________________________ Date: _____________
Witness’s signature _________________________________________ Date:______________
Included:
____ Emergency Information
____ Health Inventory (including allergies)
____ Immunization Form
____ Medical insurance information form
____ Lunch Bunch sign up form
____ Photo Release form