For the full version of the handbook Click here.
If you want a short version for the basics, scroll down and click on whatever topic you need in the table of contents. If you have specific questions that are not covered in the other pages of the website, please call me at 406-249-4150.
Daily Schedule, Curriculum Methods, and Curriculums
Nondiscrimination in Enrollment
Our Mission:
Our mission is to build lasting meaningful relationships that support the child, family and community. To do this we incorporate Christian values into age appropriate curriculum within our enriched learning environment. Here children will gain skills to prepare them for higher education. Following Montana State Early Learning Standards we provide a warm, nurturing, and safe place to meet children’s emotional, social and developmental needs.
Goals:
Our goal is to give every child a love for God and learning. It is our hope that through developmentally appropriate care we give them the best start in their whole development to gain skills that will prepare them for more formal education. We are guided by Biblical principles of love, acceptance, and forgiveness to help them develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
We value family’s involvement as first educators, which is vital to a child’s on going development and learning. We are guided by Christian values of the New Testament, and believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God.
We believe:
- children learn best during active play
- children need relationships with caring adults
- children need an environment with age appropriate toys and materials in each academic area.
- children need adults to understand their age and stage of development to meet their individual needs.
- children need their teachers to understand their family and culture and build cooperative, positive relationships.
Student Enrollment:
We are accepting children ages 3 – 5 at this time.
To Enroll a new student, a Student Enrollment Form and Medical Release Form/Photo Consent Form must be completed and returned to the school. You can Enroll on line, or pick up Enrollment forms at the preschool. The director and teacher will review the application with the Champion’s Choice board, who makes all final decisions regarding the admission of students. The director and teacher will meet with you and your child. If there are any concerns, the board may ask to meet with the family and the child. After this meeting the board will notify you concerning your child’s admission.
Tuition and Late Fees:
Tuition is due in advance – the rate is $5.50 an hour.
Your tuition is paid in advance, for the month, along with the base fee, on the first day when you drop your child off. Arrangements must be made in advance, and be approved by the board, on a case-by-case basis if you are unable to pay for the whole month.
Tuition is due by the 5th of each month to cover the upcoming month. Any tuition paid after the 5th of each month will incur a $25. late fee, unless you have made other arrangements approved by the director. It is very important that the school be contacted if you will be late with your payment so that your child does not miss any days.
Tuition Assistance:
To be eligible for the sliding scale fee families are required to complete a simple financial statement that lists all income sources from both wage earners that are married or living as domestic partners. We will not ask for any documentation or verification of income. This is the honor system. We will assume you are providing an honest accounting of your income level and ability. This will be reviewed every 3 months and either increase or decrease hourly rate based on this information. You can view and print the financial worksheet HERE.
In addition, to keep tuition from increasing, families are requested to fulfill 2 hours of volunteer time a month and provide supplies and/or snacks. Volunteer jobs and a shopping list for supplies and/or snacks will be posted from week to week, as needs arise. We may also assign a particular snack food to an individual family as needed.
Because the Sliding Scale Fee already reduces tuition, there are no additional reductions of the base fee or hourly rate for families that enroll more than one child. This also applies to those families who do not qualify for the SLIDING SCALE FEE because their income exceeds the limit.
See the Tuition Cost page for more information.
Attendance Policy:
Families will be charged for the full day no matter what time they arrive, and extended charge if they are late picking up, according to our late charge policy in our handbook under School Hours, as follows: “…a full hour charge will be applied for every one half hour a parent is late picking up a child. This charge must be paid before the child will be admitted to the next scheduled class.”
There are 10 excused absences for the year from September to May. It does not matter why your child is absent , you will not be charged for these first 10 absences. But once they have been used, you will be charged a full day for the days you have signed up to come. If your child begins after September, you will be allowed 1 absence per month from that month until May. Please contact the teacher if your child is going to be absent, so that she can plan the day and not prepare materials that will have to be thrown out.
School Hours:
School hours are typically from 8:30 – 1:00, four days a week. Which days depend on the needs of the families currently attending. At times we have an option for an extended day until 3, if there are enough students to warrant the extended hours, and staff who are willing to stay that late. If there are limited numbers of students on a particular day, or we are short handed on personnel, we may be closed that day, or those students who enrolled last may need to stay home. Check our “Latest News” page for changes. Students should not arrive more than 15 min. early, or be picked up late. You will be charged a full hour for every 30 min. you are late picking up.
Tardiness:
Please be on time. It is a disruption for the other students when someone comes late, especially if they are doing a group activity, such as, circle time. But, it is also difficult for your child to come in and not have time to warm up to the different environment before going straight to an activity. If you cannot avoid being late, please contact the teacher.
Calendar:
We loosely follow the Eureka Public school calendar. With a few exceptions, most notable are first day and last days, and PIR days.
Click here for the 2019- 2020 calendar .
New Student Orientation:
You may watch a short 15 min. Orientation video that may help answer some of your questions.
Lunch:
Students must bring their own “nutritious” lunch. We ask that you avoid cookies and candies. We encourage sharing, but we do not share our lunch items because of the potential of passing germs. And at this age children do not understand why they cannot have the cookie that “Johnny” brought. Besides, the sweets tend to hype them up just before nap time. We will provide a nutritious snake around 10, and if they stay for the extended time, they can have a snack after their nap.
Daily Schedule, Curriculum Methods, and Curriculums:
Can be found under the Curriculum page.
Illnesses:
This is the basics…Keep your child home if he/she has a fever of 101 or more. They cannot return to school until their fever has been gone for 24 hrs. Covid19: Keep them home if they have any symptoms that could be related to Covid19, such as fever, sore throat, runny nose or a bad cough, or any flu like symptoms. If your child or anyone in your household tests positive for Covid19, is exposed to anyone who tests positive or is suspected of having Covid19, they must stay home for 14 days, or they and those in the household must be tested and have a negative test result before your child can return to school. If any staff member, student or family member of a student tests positive for Covid19 and has attended the preschool within the last 14 days, the school will close until they are released by Lincoln Co. Health Dept. to re-open. This will normally be a 14 day period.
Nondiscrimination in Enrollment:
We admit students of any religion, or those who do not believe in God at all, as well as those of any race, color, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.
Administrative Organization:
We are a 501-c3 non-profit organization run by a board of directors. If you have questions concerning this, please contact our director, Kate Longacre at 406-249-4150, or email at littlechamps@championschoice.org.
Right to Modify the Handbook:
We reserve the right to modify the handbook as needed.