“The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as that
every child should be given the wish to learn.”
Sir John Lubbock
(1834-1913)
The Pleasures of Life
Table of Contents (click on the link to jump to
section)
MISSION STATEMENT
PURPOSE
DISCIPLINE POLICY
ADMISSION POLICY/AGES SERVED/SPECIAL NEEDS
ENROLLING YOUR CHILD
WITHDRAWING YOUR CHILD
WEAPONS
PROCEDURE FOR FILING A COMPLAINT
HOURS AND HOLIDAYS
OUTDOOR PLAY
STATE LICENSING
FIRES/SEVERE STORMS/TORNADOES
TOILETING
TRANSPORTATION
FIELD TRIPS
SPECIAL SERVICES AND PROGRAMS
ARRIVING AT AND LEAVING THE CENTER
MEALS AND SNACKS
CLEANLINESS
CLOTHING AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS
CENTER CLOSING PROCEDURE
BIRTHDAYS
ILLNESS AND MEDICINE
MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS AND EMERGENCIES
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY & CURRICULUM
FINANCIAL POLICIES
LATE PICK UP
EXTENDED DAY PROGRAM:
PRESCHOOL/PREKINDERGARTEN/KINDERGARTEN
ST. JOAN OF ARC
EARLY LEARNING CENTER
Our Vision: Our vision is to be a Christ-centered Catholic Community,
so rich in faith and vibrant in life that people will see Christ through us and
want to be a part of His life.
Our Mission: St. Joan of Arc is a Christ-centered sacramental community
within the Catholic Church. As individuals and members of this community we will
strive to live holy lives that reflect the joy of Christ within us. We will do
this through the sacraments, stewardship, education, and through exemplary good
works within our parish and the community around us.
MISSION STATEMENT
We are committed to enriching and educating the whole person and honoring the
dignity of every per-son as taught by the Roman Catholic Church. We seek to
develop and educate intellect, faith, spiritu-ality, physical, emotional, moral
and social aspects of the persons we serve.
We are guided by faculty grounded in Catholic val-ues and educational principles
within a wholesome, creative and secure environment.
We are dedicated to serving our community as stew-ards of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, and faithful to the Christ Centered Community of Saint Joan of Arc
Catholic Church and the Archbishop of Denver.
PURPOSE
St. Joan of Arc Early Learning Center (ELC) was established to assist parents
in the Catholic and developmental education of their children. The advantage for
the child comes in educational opportunity, social skill development and the
chance to learn at an early age that there is much more to the world beyond the
walls of his/her home.
The staff at St. Joan of Arc Early Learning Center are not baby-sitters. We are
child educators. We take professional pride and responsibility in the loving,
competent care of your child. We are committed to providing the very best
opportunity for your child to grow in the knowledge of God and the world He
created.
DISCIPLINE POLICY
The early years are the most critical for developing social and group
behavior. We believe that children are most comfortable socially when limits on
their behavior are set and when they understand those limits. When those limits
are exceeded, we feel the child needs to understand why limits need to be set
and why his/her behavior outside those limits is destructive to the group. It is
also our policy to recognize negative behavior for its causes and rechannel such
behavior in a positive way. Inappropriate behaviors will be dealt with on an
individual basis. The child will experience interventions based on his/her age
and the type of misbehavior. Time out will be used as well as logical
consequences for the inappropriate behavior exhibited.
We feel our most important asset in the whole process of educating the child is
his/her teacher in partnership with the parent/guardian. Our teachers are fully
qualified and trained in the area of early childhood development. They are
certified by the Archdiocese to teach our Catholic faith. We provide ample
opportunities for our staff to continue and maintain their proficiency.
The other partner is the parent/guardian. We understand that by choosing
preschool or kindergarten, you have a strong interest in the development of your
child. We strive to act as partners with strong lines of communication and ample
opportunities for parental/guardian participation in the growth process.
ADMISSION POLICY/AGES SERVED/SPECIAL NEEDS
We have focused the scope of our education and care to children three to
seven years of age. The Director will consider children with physical handicaps
or special needs for enrollment on an individual basis. The decision will be
based on whether St. Joan of Arc ELC can take readily achievable actions to
accommodate the disability and whether the placement is in the best interest of
the child and the other children in the center.
ENROLLING YOUR CHILD
To enroll your child, you need to fill out the registration information and
the state of Colorado immunization card. A registration fee is due and payable
at the time of enrollment. (See rate sheet for current amounts.) All children
must meet the health requirements of the state of Colorado to enroll in St. Joan
of Arc ELC. No one shall be denied access to our program because of race, sex,
creed or color.
WITHDRAWING YOUR CHILD
We require a one-week notice before withdrawing your child. The
parent/guardian is responsible for fees due for that week. We cannot hold a
space for your child beyond two weeks. After that time your child will be
withdrawn. After an extended absence, you may reregister your child by paying
the appropriate fee and updating the registration materials currently on file.
Should we find it necessary to withdraw your child, we will hold a conference
between you and the Director. Reasons for the withdrawal will be discussed so
that you understand why we are asking you to withdraw your child. Grounds for
withdrawal could be, but are not limited to, the following examples: nonpayment
of tuition, failure to submit paper work as required by the Department of Social
Services, a threat to the health or safety of others or the willful destruction
of property.
WEAPONS
Any type of weapon, whether it is real or for play, poses a threat to other
children and the staff. Weapons will not be allowed at anytime in the center. If
your child brings a weapon to school, it will be confiscated and placed in the
office. You will be called and a conference held. Consequences will be developed
to prevent any further occurrence.
PROCEDURE FOR FILING A COMPLAINT
You may, on occasion, wish to discuss a concern or com-plaint. Please feel
free to talk to the Director to discuss your concerns. If your concern or
complaint is not resolved at this point, you may also speak to the pastor. We
will make every effort to resolve any issue to your satisfaction. If your
com-plaint involves a licensing violation that you feel continues to go
unresolved, you may call the Department of Human Ser-vices. To file a formal
complaint, the address is 1575 Sherman; phone number is 303-866-5958.
HOURS AND HOLIDAYS
St. Joan of Arc ELC is open for children needing our ex-tended-day program
from 6:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Preschool and kindergarten
classes are offered in two sessions. Kindergarten also offers a full-day
ses-sion. The morning session runs 8:30-11:30 a.m. The after-noon session runs
12:30-3:30 p.m. The full-day kindergarten runs 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. You may
select the days of attendance if your child is in preschool. The kindergarten
pro-grams are all five-day programs.
We will be closed if the Jefferson County School District declares a snow day
due to heavy snowfall and impassable roads. If Jeffco schools is on holiday,
check our website for snow closures. This information will be posted by 6:00
A.M.
We observe the following holidays:
New Year’s Day - Labor Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Thanksgiving Day
Presidents’ Day - Friday after Thanksgiving
Good Friday - Christmas Eve Day
Memorial Day - Christmas Day
Independence Day - Day after Christmas - Easter Monday
Full tuition is due for the months in which these holidays or extra center
closures occur.
OUTDOOR PLAY
Children are given many opportunities to play outdoors. Each outside
experience lasts no longer than 30 minutes. In case of inclement or excessively
hot weather, the duration of their outside time will be shortened. They will be
monitored closely by the staff to avoid any injury or discomfort. It is expected
that they will come to the center with the proper clothing to allow them to play
comfortably outside. If it is snowing or raining heavily, gross motor activities
will be made available inside.
STATE LICENSING
St. Joan of Arc ELC is licensed by the state of Colorado as a preschool,
kindergarten and large day care center. Continuous inspections by the state
health and fire licensing offices monitor our operations. We meet or exceed all
minimum requirements for the type of care and education we provide and post our
state license in the main office where it can be easily viewed.
FIRES/SEVERE STORMS/TORNADOES
Fire, Severe Storm, and Tornado drills occur at regular intervals. Your child
will be instructed with the proper procedures for handling each of these events.
Should there be a Tornado/Severe Storm Warning in the area of the center, all
children will be taken to the central four-year-old classroom on the first
floor. In case of fire, the staff will escort all the children out of the
building to a designated area. Teachers will maintain supervision and remain in
that area until further direction is given by the fire department.
TOILETING
It is expected that your child be toilet trained prior to enrollment in
preschool or kindergarten. Please be sure to have adequate clothing at the
center in the event that your child has a toileting accident.
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation is provided to and from field trips by licensed drivers in
either a vehicle owned by St. Joan of Arc or privately owned vehicles. There may
be occasions when we will ask for parent/guardian volunteers to assist
transporting children to and from field trips or other special activities. St.
Joan of Arc ELC will make sure that all drivers are licensed and that all
vehicles are insured. You will need to provide us with a child restraint system
if your child is under fours years old or under 40 pounds.
FIELD TRIPS
We feel that many of the finest experiences we can provide take place outside
the confines of the center. Field trips are taken regularly and you are required
to sign a transportation permission slip for our files. All field trips have a
purpose; therefore, you will receive a notice of each field trip indicating the
goals for the trip. Field trip records are kept in our files. Attendance records
and emergency cards accompany the children on their various field trip
experiences. Attendance is taken before leaving the center and checked with the
field trip roster. Teachers continually check to make sure that all children are
accounted for during their field trip experience. Attendance is also taken again
before returning to the center. If a child arrives at the center after the group
has left, that child will be placed with a group at the center that most closely
matches the child’s age.
In the unlikely event that your child becomes lost or separated from the group
on a field trip, we will remain in the area until your child is found. You and
the proper authorities will be called if we are unable to find your child after
15 minutes.
Occasionally, a field trip will require a small admission fee. You will be
informed well in advance of the cost. Money for field trip participation should
be paid to the Director’s office prior to the trip. Because each trip is paid
for in advance, please do not send extra money with your child to the center on
the day of the trip.
SPECIAL SERVICES AND PROGRAMS
We are constantly striving to provide as many services as possible to round
out your child’s life and to make life easier for you. These may be physical in
nature: haircuts, hearing and vision screening, therapy, portraits and
developmental screening.
ARRIVING AT AND LEAVING THE CENTER
When you bring your child to the center, we ask that you sign in your child
at the desk in the waiting area and accompany him/her to the classroom or
playground. It is the responsibility of each teacher to know who is in
attendance at all times of the day. By making brief contact with your child’s
teacher, you are ensuring that we know your child is here and in the proper
place. Please plan to drop your child off no earlier than five minutes before
his/her respective session begins.
We will release a child only to the parent/guardian who enrolled the child or to
persons authorized in writing on the registration form. In case of emergency, we
will release your child to the authorized person(s) you have indicated through
direct verbal authorization to a member of our staff. It is the
parent’s/guardian’s responsibility not to restrict the rights of another
parent/guardian or act in a manner contrary to court order.
We are bound to abide by a legally-served court order and will communicate to
the enrolling parent/guardian that an order has been served. When picking up
your child, you will sign him/her out of the center. Please go to your child’s
classroom or play-ground. It also offers the opportunity to talk with the
teacher and see what your child has done that day. We must release your child
directly to your supervision. This transfer must be observed directly by our
staff.
MEALS AND SNACKS
Children under full-day care receive two nutritious snacks and a prepared,
nutritious lunch every day. Children with us part-time will receive snacks based
on the time they are in the center. All meals and snacks are prepared to be
tasty and wholesome.
Children eat these meals and snacks in their rooms, with their teacher, and this
time is used as an opportunity to teach children acceptable, social table
manners. We believe that food is a valuable building block to healthy bodies and
nutrition helps only when it is consumed, so you’ll find we go that extra mile
to give the kids good, solid meals and snacks.
Part of the learning experience is eating and trying new foods. Food brought
from home is distracting and often unfair to the other members of the group and
will not be allowed.
Allergies or special diets can be noted on the registration form. Every effort
will be made to make the lunch and snack experience a positive one. Please
discuss special needs with the Director.
Occasionally, the children may be away from the center at lunch time or snack
time on a field trip. It will be at these times that you may need to supply your
child with a snack or sack lunch. You will be informed by a notice placed in
your parent pocket.
CLEANLINESS
Our goal is to provide a clean center and we invite you to personally inspect
the center. Your child will be reminded of his/her role in keeping things clean.
Because we feel that the children need to have ownership in “their” center, they
will be asked to keep their rooms clean and neat.
CLOTHING AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS
PLEASE mark items of clothing that may become separated from your
child. Gloves, coats, hats, etc., should have the family name on them for easy
identification. A lost and found box is maintained in the office for your
convenience. Remember as you dress your child that we have several “creative
play” activities, and your child may be painting, cooking, and playing outside
or at the water tables. Every effort is made (aprons, etc.) to keep your child
clean, but accidents do happen.
Learning materials are provided to the children as part of your registration and
supply fees. Therefore, there is no need to bring any personal items from home.
Personal toys brought to the center will be kept in a “special safe box” in the
office. Your child may take his/her toy home when leaving for the day.
CENTER CLOSING PROCEDURE
The closing staff member will walk through the entire facility at the end of
the day to ensure that no one has been left at the center. All doors and windows
will be checked to ensure they are closed and locked.
BIRTHDAYS
We will be happy to celebrate your child’s birthday with you during lunch or
snack time. Please give us advance notice as to what day you would like the
celebration to occur. Parents/guardians are invited to join us, and we ask that
a special snack, such as a cake or pie, be prepared by the parent/guardian and
brought into the center the morning of the celebration. We also ask that the
celebration not include gifts or gift opening as that is best done at home and
will prevent gifts from being lost or damaged.
ILLNESS AND MEDICINE
We expect your child will be healthy and free of fever or infection for at
least 24 hours when you return him/her to us after he/she recovers from one of
the many childhood diseases. If your child becomes ill while in our care, we
have an isolation room to move him/her to while we contact you to pick up your
child. The Director will determine if your child is too ill to stay at the
center. The emergency phone numbers you provided on the registration form will
be used to contact you or someone you have designated. Our prime considerations
are the safety of your child and the rest of the children at the center.
Medicine will be administered to your child as required if you have signed our
medicine permission form. This form has a place on it for us to record times,
dates, and amounts administered and by whom. If the medicine is prescription, it
must be in the original bottle with your doctor’s and your child’s name on it
with the prescribed dosage. State law requires we get a doctor’s written consent
before we dispense any over-the-counter medicines. We secure all medicines from
the children and refrigerate, if necessary.
MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS AND EMERGENCIES
To be prepared for any emergency, we will ask that, along with enrollment
forms, you sign an authorization for emergency medical treatment. We want to be
sure that nothing stands in the way of treating your child should an emergency
arise. We have staff members trained in Red Cross First Aid. We will make every
effort to contact you and the doctor you have chosen to treat your child. If we
can’t reach you, we will make sure that your child receives necessary treatment
until you are contacted. Immunization forms must be kept current, and the state
requires a yearly physical for all children enrolled who are under the age of
seven.
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY & CURRICULUM
Curriculum development is an ongoing process. We have developed (and continue
to develop) our program based on six key elements that provide the framework for
our approach to teaching your child. We hold parent/ guardian-teacher
conferences twice a year in November and May regarding these elements.
The first element involves determining how children learn. Two paths can be
followed, one is to create activities based on children’s interests and the
other is to create activities based upon what children need to know about God
and to get along in our world. These two approaches need not be exclusive of
each other, and our position is to provide a combination of both approaches.
Learning experiences have been devised that are of high interest to your child
and encourage him/her to construct, move and interact, while providing teachers
with the opportunity to communicate information in an appropriate manner. It is
our goal to provide direct, concrete and high-interest experiences along with
well-timed guidance and instruction.
The second element involved is to set long-range goals for your child. These are
listed here:
Element five is to plan for the repetition of concepts. The skills learned
need to be reinforced and extended, otherwise they will be forgotten. We have
your child study one topic each week and expose him/her to eight subject areas
each day. By creating different activities around one topic, your child’s
teacher has the opportunity to reinforce and extend concepts, skills and faith
in God.
The sixth element is simply to evaluate your child’s progress. The
skills-concepts checklist is used to note your child’s demonstrated behavior and
skill acquisition. Decisions can then be made providing for individual
assistance or creating a new activity to reinforce a skill that your child may
have had difficulty acquiring.
VISITORS
We welcome your participation in our classrooms after the first month of
classes has been completed. Visitors who wish to come to our center for a tour
or to volunteer, must sign our visitor log and have their identification
recorded by a member of our staff. All visitors must remain under direct
supervision of our staff while in our building or on the playground. It is a
marvelous time to spend some special moments with your preschool or kindergarten
child and his/her classmates. In order to provide a consistent learning
environment, we must ask that someone care for younger siblings other than you
while you are here assisting. Younger children cause distraction for the
children who are enrolled in our program and are disruptive to their routine.
FINANCIAL POLICIES
Upon registering your child, you will be asked to pay a registration fee.
Should you withdraw your child for more than two weeks, you will be asked to pay
a re-enrollment fee to re-enter your child.
Our preschool and kindergarten program rates are based on a full-year program.
We cannot offer any credits for absences or center closures. However, should you
want to take family vacations during the summer months of June, July or August,
we will discount your rate by fifty percent (50 %) for the week(s) you are
gone. We require a two-week notice of your child’s absence to receive this
discount.
If you prefer, you may withdraw your child during the summer months of June,
July and the first half of August. You will need to re-enroll your child by
August 1, by paying the materials/registration fee and updating your child’s
records. If we do not hear from you by August 1, we will assume that you intend
to discontinue your child’s attendance and allow enrollment to another child.
We must occasionally adjust our fee structure. You will receive notice in
writing one month before any fee change is implemented.
Families enrolling more than one child will receive a percentage discount on
their total bill.
Tuition is billed and payable on a monthly basis. Tuition is due by the 5th of
each month. If the 5th falls on either a Saturday or Sunday, tuition will be due
on the following Monday. Tuition received after the 15th of the month will be
charged a $20.00 late fee. Failure to pay tuition within the month will result
in termination of enrollment.
A Material/Registration fee is charged yearly.
Returned checks result in a $20.00 charge.
Other charges may arise for special services or special field trips, etc. You
will be fully informed of these charges in writing.
LATE PICK UP
Part-day sessions end at either 11:30 a.m. or 3:30 p.m. Your child must be
picked up no later than ten minutes after the session ends. A late charge of
$1.00 per minute will be charged if your child is not picked up.
St. Joan of Arc ELC closes at 6:00 p.m. and our staff is ready to go home at
this time. To ensure your promptness, we must ask for a $1.00 per one (1) minute
late penalty if you pick up your child past 6:05 p.m. Any amounts due should be
paid directly to the staff member who is in charge of closing the center for
that day. St. Joan of Arc ELC does not receive any funds from this policy.
Weather delays and emergencies will be considered at the time they arise.
If your child has not been picked up by 6:15 p.m., we will begin calling the
numbers on your emergency card. If we cannot reach you or anyone else on the
card, we will notify the Arvada Police Department that we have an abandoned
child and that they need to come and pick up the child. This call will take
place at 6:45 p.m.
EXTENDED DAY PROGRAM:
6:30-8:30 a.m. Arrival at center, choice of Activity Play Centers:
Dramatic Play Blocks, puzzles, manipulatives, science, art or the opportunity to
rest if necessary.
8:30-11:30 a.m. Integrated into regular classroom setting. (See classroom
program below.)
11:30-11:40 a.m. Wash hands, set table and prepare for lunch.
11:40 a.m.-12:10 p.m. Lunch—Staff and children eat together in relaxed
atmosphere.
12:10-12:15 p.m. Clean up after lunch.
12:15-12:30 p.m. Outdoor play—weather permitting. In inclement
weather, children will use gymnastic equipment and games for gross motor
development, using play-ground balls or beanbags, indoors.
12:30-12:45 p.m. Prepare for nap by toileting and washing hands.
12:45-12:50 p.m. Quiet wind-down music or books
12:50- 2:45 p.m. Rest time—sleep desirable, but not forced. Quiet
activities are given to those who do not nap after half an hour.
2:45- 3:15 p.m. Put away cots and personal nap belongings, afternoon
snack.
3:15- 3:45 p.m. Outdoor play—weather permitting. In inclement weather,
children will use gymnastic equipment and games for gross motor development,
using playground balls or beanbags, indoors.
3:45- 5:30 p.m. Circle time: review of special activities of the day
(social games, premath games, listening games, creative dramatics). Stories read
or presented, teacher-guided centers in subject areas of faith formation,
science, premath, language/ reading readiness, creativity.
5:30- 6:00 p.m. Classes combined, child’s choice of activities in play
centers. Preparation made for going home and closing the center.
PRESCHOOL/PREKINDERGARTEN/KINDERGARTEN
A.M./P.M. PROGRAM
