FIRST
PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
PRE-SCHOOL
2007-2008
HANDBOOK
304 WEST MAIN STREET
LEBANON, TN 37087
444-1360
First Presbyterian Church
304 West Main Street
Lebanon, TN 37087
Pastor —
Dr. John Cheetham
2007-2008 Education Committee
Mary Ellen O’Neil —Chairman
Richard Hartwell
Gwynn Lanius
Loyce Bradshaw
Karen Hall
Margaret Carroll
Deborah Sanders
Jennifer Breland
James Herren
Preschool Liaisons
Mary Ellen O’Neil
Pre-School Staff
Lyse Watson—3 year Old Teacher
Tammy Manning—4 year Old Teacher
Angela Hankins—4 year Old Teacher
Lee Anne Warren—Director
First Presbyterian Church
Dear Parents,
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to First Presbyterian Pre-School. We are excited about the upcoming year and happy to have your child in our program.
The 2007-2008 school year marks the 20th year of our program. This will be my 2nd year as director. My husband, Jerry, and I have one son, Rob. We have a wonderful, loving group of dedicated teachers at First Presbyterian. Lyse Watson is our 3-year-old teacher. This is her 10th year at First Presbyterian. Lyse and her husband, Phil have four children, Katherine, Jesse, Cory, and Jason. Tammy Manning is one of our 4-year-old teachers. This will be Tammy’s 12th year. She and her husband Bill have a son, Adam and Tammy also has a stepson, Jimmy. Angela Hankins is also a 4-year old teacher. This will be Angela’s 2nd year. She and her husband Randy have 2 boys, Colton and Kyler.
Our program offers a variety of experiences to your preschooler. Children learn through exploring the world around them. Your child will learn by using a variety of manipulative materials such as play dough, paint, crayons, clay, blocks, puzzles, markers, and scissors. We will expose your child to math by water play, cooking, building, etc… All three classes will have Circle time each day, which will include music, calendar, weather, and story time. We will also work on social skills such as taking turns, sharing, working independently, and working with others. We will go on a variety of field trips this year which will provide your child multiple opportunities to explore different environments. Children learn best when they are having fun. Our goal is for each child to learn, and master as many skills as possible in a fun and loving atmosphere.
We are looking forward to a wonderful year at Pre-School. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call me at 444-1360.
Sincerely,
Lee Anne Warren
Pre-School Director
First Presbyterian
Pre-School Calendar
2007-2008
August 9 Meet Your Teacher Day
(9:00 -11:00 am – Come & Go)
August 14 First Full Day of Pre-School
October 2, 4, 9, & 11 Fall Break (No School)
November 22 Thanksgiving Holiday
December 18 Christmas Party—Last Day Before Holidays
December 20, 25, 27,
Jan. 1 & 3 Christmas Holidays (No School)
January 8 Return from Christmas Break
March 11, 13, 18, & 20 Spring Break
May 20 Last Day of Pre-School
May 22 Graduation Day
Dates are subject to change. Please check your monthly calendar for further notice on field trips and
special days!
Pre-School Policy Information
TUITION
Tuition will be $1050.00 per year. You may pay this up front or in monthly payments of $105.00 (Aug.-May). Tuition will be due on the first school day of each month. If it is not paid on the first day, it must be paid within 2 weeks of the due date and must be approved by director or your child will be dismissed from the Pre-School program. There will be a late charge of $10.00 if not paid on time.Payments may be made in cash or checks (Checks should be made payable to First Presbyterian Pre-School). Tuition is non-refundable, with the exception of snow closings, in which there will be credit given for each day the school is closed. These credits will be applied to the next month’s tuition. (There will be a $10.00 fee on all returned checks which then must be paid in cash).
There will be a one time $35.00 activity fee due in August. This covers the cost of all field trips, a field trip shirt, and all special projects.
Pre-School will follow the Wilson County school calendar for school closings due to snow and bad weather. On school days, if snow is in the forecast, please listen to your local television or radio program. If Wilson Co. schools close early, so will we. One hour early, we’ll close at 1:00; two hours early, we’ll close at 12:00. If schools open 2 hours late, we will open at 10:00 A.M. If schools open 1 hour late, we will open at 9:00 A.M.
We ask if a child must withdraw from school, please give a two week notice. Please remember that prompt payments avoid misunderstandings. Thank you for your cooperation on this matter.
WHAT TO BRING
Nap Mat with light cover
We ask that you please send a nap mat and a small blanket or covering for our rest time. The children will be resting after lunch each day. This is a very important part of a busy Pre-Schooler’s day.
Change of clothes
Each child must bring a complete change of clothes (old ones are fine); shirt, pants, underwear, and socks. These need to be placed in a Ziploc and labeled with your child’s name. We understand that accidents do happen, but our policy is that your child must be fully potty trained and able to take care of themselves in the bathroom.
Lunch
Each school day, your child will need to bring their lunch (no carbonated beverages please, as they tend to sometimes fizz and leak). A snack and drink will be provided by the Pre-School each day. If your child has any food allergies, please let us know.
Backpack
Papers, notes, and crafts will be sent home each day. It is helpful for you child to have backpack for these items. The backpack should be large enough to hold a standard sized school folder.
All school supplies such as pencils, paper, scissors, crayons, glue, etc. will be provided. Please send a backpack or book bag for papers and projects to be carried home each day. (Please be sure all items are clearly labeled with your child’s name.)
We discourage children from bringing toys, money, gum, or candy with them. Personal belongings may get lost or damaged. There will be several special sharing days where children may bring things from home. You will be notified of these on the Pre-School calendar.
ATTENDANCE
Pre-School hours are 9:00 A.M. until 2:00 P.M. Please do not bring your child before 9:00 A.M. as teachers are making their final preparations for the day and are sometimes not able to be in their rooms until this time. If you do arrive before 9:00, you and your child are welcome to wait in the church library until class time. Pick-up time is between 1:50 and 2:00. There will be a $3.00 late charge for each 5 minutes a child is left after 2:00 P.M. Please take into consideration our teacher’s time. They are not paid to stay past 2:00 so we do have to strictly enforce this policy. We understand situations do arise, so therefore, we ask that you call if you know you are running late so that we can make arrangements.Parents are asked to walk their child to their class each morning and to come to the child’s room in the afternoon for pickup. We ask that after you walk them to the room and assist them with their backpacks and lunch boxes, that you say your good-byes at the door. This helps the transition from parent to teacher go much smoother. If someone other than the person(s) signed as responsible for afternoon pickup of your child will be coming, you must let us know. No child will be released to an unauthorized person!!!
We ask that you please do not send your child to school sick. If your child becomes ill during the day, a parent will be contacted to come and pick him/her up. If your child is going to be absent, please notify the church secretary and she will let your child’s teacher know.
FIELD TRIPS
We will be going on a variety of field trips this year. A permission slip will be given to each parent at the beginning of the year for a signature that will cover all field trips. You will be notified in advance of these trips on our monthly calendar. We will be asking for volunteers at certain times to help transport the children. We do have a church van but it will not hold all the children. (If you will not be transporting your child on a field trip, a car seat/booster seat needs to be brought). Each child will be receiving a shirt that we ask them to wear on all field trips. These are really helpful in keeping all our pre-schoolers together.
DRESS
We will be doing lots of fun projects this year –Finger painting, play dough, water colors, etc… As these activities can sometimes be messy, please dress your child in clothing that is durable and comfortable. Also, please send one of dad’s old shirts for a painting cover-up.
We will have an outdoor play time each day, weather permitting. Please dress your child in a coat and hat on chilly days. All garments which can be removed should be marked with his/her name.
BIRTHDAYS
If your child has a birthday on or near a school day, you may
wish to celebrate with a small class party. (No gifts please). Feel free to
bring refreshments (Cookies, cupcakes, drinks, etc…). Please schedule this with
your child’s teacher and feel free to attend. This helps the child to feel
important on his/her special day.
You are also welcome to send treats any morning. Just
let the teacher know in advance.
HOLIDAY PARTIES
We have several parties scheduled throughout the year. We will be asking for assistance with food, games, treats, etc.. on these special days. (Halloween, Christmas, Valentines Day, Easter).
PARENT COMMUNICATION
A calendar will be sent home each month briefly going over the events planned for the next month. (Please post this for your reference). A note will be sent home with your child if there is a change in our schedule.
If at any time you feel the need for a conference regarding your child, feel free to call us. Likewise, you will be notified if we feel that your child would benefit from our discussing any problems or concerns. Remember, changes at home (even small ones) can affect a child’s behavior at school. Please share with us any information that will help us understand his/her needs and feelings. We are looking forward to a great year!
AGAIN, WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH PRE-SCHOOL!!!!!
Pre-School Daily Schedule
9:00-9:30 free play – puzzles, books, centers
9:30-10:30 letters, numbers, counting, colors, shapes,
writing name (circle time: days of week,
months of year, weather, sharing time,etc.)
10:30-11:00 bathroom time - outside play time or
center time
11:00-11:30 wash hands / bathroom / lunch time
11:30-12:00 story time / listening to music
12:00-12:45 rest and relax time
12:45-1:15 finish any uncompleted work
1:15 snack time
1:30-2:00 outside play time (or center time)/
parent pick-up
4 Year Old Skills/ Curriculum
Review of all shapes and colors
Letter recognition/sounds
Write/recite ABC’s
Count to 20 (or as high as possible) by 5s and 10s
Name number of objects
Recognize numbers 1-20
Name, address, phone #, birthday
Sequencing
Opposites
Left-Right
1st, 2nd, 3rd order
Pairs
Rhyming words
Patterns
Missing Parts
Puzzles/cutting/gluing/writing
Button, zip, tie, snap
Community helpers
Socialization Skills:
Listens with a purpose, without interrupting, and recalls with accuracy what has been heard.
Pronounces sounds, has good vocabulary, speaks in sentences, and relates ideas in sequence.
Practices self confidence, carries out responses, follows rules and directions, works well with others, is attentive, and shows initiative and respect for others.
Can identify major body parts: chin, fingernails, heels, ankles, jaw, shoulders, elbows, hip, wrists, waist
Large and fine motor skills
Says Pledge of Allegiance
3 Year Old Skills/ Curriculum
Colors: red, yellow, green, blue, brown, orange, black, white, purple, pink, gray
Shapes: circle, square, triangle, rectangle, oval, diamond, heart, star
All About Me: age, gender, name
Numbers 1-10: counting
Reciting ABC’s – talking about letters A – Z
Matching
Same/different
Past/present
In, on, under
Opposites
Stack by size
Nursery rhymes
Puzzles (4, 12, 24, etc.)
Fine motor skills (cutting, writing, gluing)
Fasten, zip, snap
Large motor skills
Socialization Skills: listening, following directions, speaking in complete sentences, relating ideas, showing self confidence, working well with others, sharing, & following rules.
We believe in the importance of early childhood education at First Presbyterian Church. It is our hope that you will find the Pre-school program to be of great benefit to your child’s early development. Our staff is exceptionally gifted, and has your child’s best interest at heart. You will find the Pre-school Director, Lee Anne Warren, very helpful in getting your child oriented to the Pre-school children. She is very personable, friendly, and has incorporated the help of quality teachers. Each teacher is interested in making your child’s experience in the Pre-school program the very best. We welcome you to the Pre-school program at First Presbyterian Church.
Dr. John T. Cheetham