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Welcome to school! Your child's first school is an education
for you, as a parent! We have
organized the handbook in alphabetical order; see the table of contents,
scroll down, or find your topic on this page.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
- Apparel:
Please help your child choose play clothes to wear. We are an extremely active school, and
occasionally we get very messy. A
helpful stain remover is Simple Green.
Please help your child choose
clothing that is easy to manage when he/she needs to go to the bathroom.
Please
be sure footwear is safe for climbing and running and for damp
grass! We try to go outdoors as
often as possible, so please send appropriate outerwear.
Label
clothing, then look in our lost and found, located near your
class’ coathooks.
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- Arrivals:
It is best to arrive at the scheduled time. Too early is awkward because the
teachers really do need their preparation time, and too late is hard on
your child. In addition, class arrival
and departure times are scheduled to minimize impact on our
neighborhood. To help you if
you do arrive early, we have a basket of books in the large activity room
so you and your child can have a quiet time together.
The curb right in front of the school
is reserved for parents who have to negotiate heavy carseats
for younger siblings. To help
arrivals (and departures) go smoothly for everyone, if you park right in
front of the school, please pull as far forward as possible. While it is tempting to stop right in
front of the entrance, it is more considerate of others to pull forward.
Always
be sure you or another adult walks your child all the way into the
classroom.
After settling your child into school, if you want to
converse with other parents, the deck and large activity room are great
places for chats. Some families
with younger siblings also enjoy reading a story or two in the large
activity room before heading out the door.
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- Auction: Our annual auction is a highlight of our school
year. Watch for more information,
so you can start planning on how you can help with this most important
fund-raising effort.
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- Birthdays and Half-Birthdays:
We celebrate these special days, if you tell us by a little note
on the calendar date square. We
are clued in if you write something like “child’s name-bday.”
This also goes for half-birthdays for the summer birthday
children.
Often, parents want to send a small
birthday snack to share at snack time.
Please note this on the calendar so everyone is aware of your
plans. Please send just a
simple snack. This is not a
full-blown birthday party, so please don’t send party favors.
Because of children with allergies,
please send either the complete list of ingredients or the packaging
which shows ingredients. Please try to avoid any peanuts,
traces of peanuts or peanut oil and any tree nuts.
We are also avoiding all dairy ingredients in the Little Friends
classroom (TTh and MWF classes).
Also, we strongly, strongly discourage cupcakes because they
result in sticky, crumbly messes, the clean-up of which cuts into our
class schedule. We are happy to
suggest alternative snacks.
If your child cannot eat various foods,
please send a few special items so he/she can have an appropriate treat
with the others. We’ll keep
these in a labeled container.
Party invitations (as
in, NO!) –
Even if the entire class is invited to a party, please do not put
invitations in the children’s cubbies or baskets. Please mail them. Sometimes parents of children this age
prefer to see these before their children. Extra phone lists with addresses should
be on each lesson plan board.
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- Book
Orders: Periodically you will receive flyers
from publishers of children's literature.
There never is any obligation for you to order, and unless you
choose their book club option, there never is any obligation for subsequent
orders. You may pay with cash or a
check made out to Scholastic. Even
if you place multiple orders at one time, you may pay with 1 inclusive
check. If at any time you order
books and don't receive them, please see Carolyn.
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 - Carpools:
We encourage carpools!
Please give us a note so we know which children are allowed to
ride in which cars. A safety note – please observe child restraint
system laws and make sure everyone has the proper car seat or booster
seat.
Also,
please make an effort to get pertinent school handouts to each
child’s parents. Please
deliver papers and please pass along information on school reader
boards.
It
is still important, though, for all families to get into the building
occasionally so you can keep in touch.
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- Children's Cubbies:
Each child has a special cubby or basket, which you should check
for announcements, newsletters, book orders, and art projects. If you drive a carpool, please help
your passengers gather their things.
There are usually bags nearby so you can separate the
children’s stuff.
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- Class Calendars:
Be sure to read and save the monthly Class Calendars for your
child's session. Each one helps
you know what your child is learning.
You will also see occasional homework assignments for both your child
AND you, as well as notices on special field trips, etc. We try to be accurate with our
information, but sometimes mistakes or changes occur. Please watch for notices on lesson plan
boards, on classroom doors or on outside reader boards. If you carpool and haven't received
information lately, please check with a teacher. You may also view these on-line at Curriculum Guides and Class Calendars
page.
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- Conferences:
We are always willing to share our observations of your children
with you. Most often, these will
be informal conversations or phone calls.
It’s okay to call us at home. This is not an intrusion! If you need a more formal conference,
we will schedule one at any time. It is most helpful for you to have
spent time in the classroom before we confer.
In winter,
parents of older preschoolers often have kindergarten readiness
questions. By then, each family
should have had at least 2 chances to help in the classroom and observe
their child. If you want, we will
share our assessments to try to help you in your decision-making.
The
bottom line is --- please remember that is fine to call us at our
homes. Sometimes that is a more
relaxing way to talk. Some of the
teachers also welcome emails. Look
on the 1st page of this handbook for numbers and addresses.
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- Curriculum Outlines:
Be sure to read and save the Curriculum Outline for your child's
session. It will help you know
what your child is learning. We try
to be accurate with our information, but sometimes mistakes or changes
occur. Please watch for notices on
lesson plan boards, on classroom doors or on outside reader boards. If you carpool and haven't received
information lately, please check with a teacher. You can also find this on our Curriculum Guides and Class Calendars
page.
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- Departures:
PLEASE READ - FOR THE
SAFETY OF ALL THE CHILDREN!
Because going home
time can be confusing with excited children and lots of adults in a small
space, we ask your help in the following ways:
Please
do not be late. Your child assumes
the worst, no matter what we say.
(Also see "Overtime Fees".)
As we finish, teachers need to watch to be sure all the
children leave with the appropriate adults. While we like to share conversations
with you, please understand that our primary responsibility at this time
is the children's safety.
Please do
not let your children run ahead of you. If you and
another parent stop to talk before your children are in your cars, please
be especially aware of your children.
(Also see “ Overtime Fees”, “Releasing Children”, and “Traffic Safety”.)
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- Diapers and Beyond:
Children in the youngest classes (Tues. & Thurs.) should
come in disposable diapers or pull-ups if not completely trained. Please send extras and extra clothes in
a labeled ziploc bag which we will keep in the
bathroom.
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- Discipline:
Our ultimate goal is self-discipline and consideration for others,
so we approach situations as learning experiences. Everyone has the right to be safe at
school, and collectively as staff, parents, and helpers, we assist the
children in learning how to interact positively.
Usually, we can re-direct a child to
a more positive action or we can help children talk out their
differences. Sometimes, we may
have to remove a child from a situation, but we never leave such a child
without adult supervision. We also
try to involve the child in arriving at solutions. We do not insist that children say
“Sorry”, because sometimes children just mimic the
words. We do try to encourage the
children to see how they can comfort each other.
We communicate with parents so we can
work together. If a problem seems
to be developing, we may ask families to come observe in class. Families are welcome any time to
observe and take part in our school.
With your permission, we may ask a trained, outside professional
to observe and share suggestions and resources.
We want to be an inclusive school so
we may have students with various needs, including behavioral needs. We would hope that families would
celebrate all children’s steps toward self-discipline and
consideration for others.
Sometimes, however, staff, family, and possibly outside resource
people may come to the conclusion that our school setting is not the
appropriate one for a particular learner.
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- Dogs & Cats at School:
Our insurance policy specifically requests that the students not
come in contact with dogs or cats during school times. So, if you travel to school with your
pooch in the car, please leave it there --- please don’t walk Fido
to the door! If your child wants
to show off a new puppy or kitten, please arrange to do so around the
corner and “off the school clock”!
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- E-mails From School:
We send occasional e-mail notices about work parties, other school
announcements or auction information to everyone for whom we have an
address. We don’t use this
for “unofficial” messages, so we won’t clog up your
inbox. You also may find this a
convenient way to communicate.
Carolyn reads hers daily, so your message should get through. During school hours, the most expedient
address is wirkmanc@verizon.net.
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- Emergency Information Forms:
Included in your handbook is a special Emergency Release
form. For your peace of mind and
your child's safety in the event of a major emergency such as an
earthquake or unexpected winter storm, please complete and return this
form. Remember to inform us of any changes as the year goes on.
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- Field Trips:
We believe field trips are an important part of our curriculum and
will be having various trips throughout the school year. The trips progress from neighborhood
walks for the youngest students to full-blown adventures for the oldest
children. We almost always meet at
the trip location, so we give everyone maps and directions. We encourage you to arrange your own
carpools.
Information
comes home with the Class Calendar and via special handouts. We assume each preschooler is going,
unless you notify us otherwise. So
if your child is not joining us, but we have pre-paid for the spot, it
can cause a financial burden on the school.
There
may be additional charges for trips to offset costs of admission, parking
or transportation. If this
presents a problem, please see your teacher or Carolyn. We don't want to exclude anyone. (Also see "Scholarships".)
If any
fathers, grandparents, aunts or uncles would like to help, they are also
welcome, but they should plan on really helping. Some trips are open to siblings, while
some are not appropriate.
Occasionally,
dates of field trips may have to be changed due to inclement weather or
unforeseen conflicts, but we will try to give adequate notice of schedule
changes or cancellations. The
school answering machine should have schedule changes.
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- Fires, Natural
Disasters and Accidents: Please see the specially marked
handouts. It is especially important
that you give us any changes in your emergency phone numbers and
instructions.
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- Illness:
PLEASE KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME IF HE/SHE HAS:
1. A cold.
Keep him/her home until your child is symptom free for 24 hours
and is back to his or her happy personality!
2. A temperature greater than 100o. Please wait 24 hours after the fever
subsides before allowing him/her to return to school.
 3.
A rash on the face, behind the ears, legs, arms or trunk of body.
4. Ear ache, sore throat, red runny eyes,
cough, or yucky runny nose.
5. Dull eyes or if your child is overly
tired and/or cranky.
6. Diarrhea, vomiting or a headache 12
hours prior to school.
7. Lice.
Keep him/her home until nits are gone.
If you miss school and have
time to call, we appreciate knowing why your child is not in school. We particularly appreciate a call if
several days are missed or if there is a contagious condition of which we
need to make other parents aware.
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- Informational Flyers
from Outside Organizations: Occasionally we
are asked to send home flyers from music, dance, swim or vacation Bible
schools, etc. This may also
include commercial outfits selling children's or family products or
services, such as photography or babysitting services. We do not particularly endorse or not
endorse any of these. We trust
your judgment as adults to discard anything not pertaining to your
lifestyle.
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- Late Fees: Unless a prior
arrangement has been made with Carolyn, tuition paid after the 10th
of any month needs to be accompanied by a $10 late fee.
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 - Lending
Library: In the large activity room we have a
small library available with parenting books. There are some special books to help
children deal with hard topics like death or social skills. Please be considerate of the other
families and return items in a timely fashion.
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- Letters of Recommendations for
Other Schools: We
take these requests very seriously and spend considerable time completing
them accurately. We will complete
any requests for special needs classes.
We also will complete requests for early kindergarten or private
kindergarten admission. We prefer
to not complete any requests for other preschools because we value your
children’s involvement at our school and we feel we offer excellent
education for all children.
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 - Medications: Since children are only in school for a
maximum of 2-1/2 hours, there would probably be no reason for teachers to
administer prescription medicines.
Important exceptions, however, are life-saving devices such as
Epi-pens or inhalers. These should
be in well-labelled, original packaging, and
teachers should be provided with clear instructions. We keep these in an easily accessible
and clearly marked location in each classroom and carry them with us on
all field trips. Families are
responsible for keeping the medications up-to-date.
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- Non-Discrimination Policy: Kirkland Preschool and Little
Friends' Preschool admits students of any race, religion, color, national
or ethnic origin, gender identity, or family structure to all the rights,
privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available
to students at the school. It does
not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national or
ethnic origin, gender identity, or family structure in administration of
its educational policies, admissions policies or other school
administered programs.
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- NSF
Checks: Any checks returned marked NSF need to
be resubmitted with a $20 processing fee.
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- Objects From Home:
Please - no gum! Also,
please do not send food from home, unless we have made arrangements
because your child has allergies.
Toys should also stay home unless your child is having trouble
separating and the toy is a "security" item. Let the teacher know, though, so she
can help the other children understand.
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 - Opportunities to
Support our Community: As part of our curriculum, we help the children
learn how to give back to our communities. For example, at various times of the
year, we provide opportunities for the children to bring in food for the
food bank, toys for a toy drive or pet supplies for the animal
shelter. We try to keep these
low-key and appropriate to the children's understanding. Of course, no one should feel pressured
to participate. If you do want to
contribute, try to involve your child.
Please share suggestions for such activities with Carolyn.
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- Opportunities to Support
our Schools: One of the features of our school is
the wonderful support and encouragement families offer the staff and each
other. There are many ways to get
involved - helping in your child's class, contributing to the parent
newsletter, helping on field trips, or helping with the upkeep of our
school.
We also
encourage you to share any special talents or family customs, so all our
children can benefit.
In addition,
we provide equipment and children’s activities for our Norkirk
Neighborhood Picnic in late August.
We welcome your help if you also live in the neighborhood.
Finally,
like most non-profit schools, tuition does not cover all the
expenses. Through the generosity
of many supporters, we are able to keep our campus and equipment in
excellent shape and are able to provide lots of “extras” to
enhance the children’s learning experience. We provide scholarships to several
families each year, and we are able to support the teachers’
continuing education. Through the
generosity of many, we have enhanced our playground with wonderful
climbing structures and rubber chip safety surfacing. We have been able to purchase many fine
pieces of educational equipment (and some “just for fun”
toys!) In addition, we are working
to retire the considerable loan we took on to finance the school’s
remodeling.
PACE- New this year, we are participating
in the PACE program. This
fund-raising program has been used by other schools for several years, so
we feel comfortable inviting you to join.
Each family receives information about PACE, but basically it is a
registry service which generates money for the school as you shop and
dine at local businesses. First
you register your Visa or MasterCard $25 and designate Kirkland Preschool
as your recipient school. $10 of
this goes directly to Kirkland Preschool!
You will save 20% on your first purchase at each and every local
PACE restaurant. In addition you
will receive Special “Member Only” Savings throughout the year
at participating PACE retailers.
No coupons. No discount
cards. Simply pay your bill with
your registered credit card and your savings and school contribution are
automatic! Every time you shop at
any of the over 300 PACE participating businesses they contribute 5% of
the purchase to Kirkland Preschool!
PASS THE HAT- We also have an ongoing “Pass
the Hat” opportunity. If you
decide to make an out-and-out contribution, it is tax-deductible. In addition, we can be designated as a
recipient of United Way (our
number is 9064727), Microsoft
Giving Campaign or Boeing Good
Neighbor Fund (A-50410).
Several community-minded businesses, such as Microsoft, offer
matching funds as well, so we encourage you to check your
employer’s policies and also to let grandparents know about these
opportunities to help their grandchild’s school.
A special
note about the generosity of Microsoft – the hours each Microsoft
employee volunteers in our classrooms can be reported and will result in
a wonderful donation from the company.
So your helping days and field trip
participation is even more valuable!
AUCTION- Our
biggest effort is our annual Dinner Auction. Each family is expected to help with a
committee, with obtaining auction donations and ticket sales in some way,
and we hope you can also attend.
Please be on the look-out for the special Auction page to add to
your Handbook and watch for on-going announcements, information and
invitations to help. Everyone is
included in the preparations because we want everyone to feel ownership
in our community. On one hand,
this experience is good training for future opportunities at subsequent
schools or other organizations. In
addition, our Dinner Auction is, hands down, the most fun way to
contribute as you get to work with and better know new friends.
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- Overtime Fees:
We try very hard to finish on time, and the children expect to be
picked up on time. Not only do the
teachers have a lot to do at the end of each session, your child becomes
worried, no matter how we try to comfort him or her.
We certainly understand if there is
an emergency such as a flat tire or if a family needs a little leeway in
order to pick up other children at other schools. If the latter is the case, please make
arrangements with your child’s teacher. Unfortunately, we have had problems
each year with some people who are consistently late because they
apparently try to squeeze in “one more thing”. This has led us to reluctantly form the
following policy:
Unless there is an
emergency or we have an agreement about a family’s need for a
different pick-up time, we will charge $10.00 for every 10 minutes (or
portion thereof) after a 5-minute grace period. We do not offer extended childcare.
Each classroom
has a clipboard on which late pick-ups are noted so we can see if a
pattern is developing which needs to be corrected.
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- Parent Agreement Form:
Included in the hardcopy of this handbook provided to each family are
two copies of the Parent Agreement Form.
We need one signed by both parents, please, and returned. The other is for your records. If you have questions, please call
Carolyn.
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- Parent Helper Days:
Please see 1st page of your Handbook. Since children often think Mom or Dad
is theirs, alone, it is helpful to prepare your child by telling him or
her that you are coming to help ALL the children. Be sure to accompany this with a hug
and assurances that your child is still the most special one!
We count on
each family taking its turns. If
the parents of a family cannot help, we are delighted to have other
family representatives come in, as long as they understand that they are
there working to help all the children, not just their own.
As school
starts, each family signs up for their desired days. If a family doesn’t select their
total, we will assign days. Then
families can arrange any trades with others in their class. Please try to keep track of your
helping days. To help you, we will
post names and dates for upcoming helpers near the entrance to your classroom. If we do not have a helper on any given
day, we reserve the right to cancel class.
If for
whatever reason, your family has trouble meeting your obligation, please
see Carolyn so she might recommend some other fine schools which do not
have this requirement.
We sincerely
thank you for your vital part in helping us provide a vibrant, successful
educational experience for your child.
We hope you see this as an opportunity, not drudgery. We hope this sets the tone for your
involvement throughout your child’s educational path.
Microsoft employees, please remember
you can report your volunteer hours as a donation.
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-
Parking and Parking Lot:
Please be respectful of our neighborhood. If you park on the street, please
observe our neighbors’ mailboxes and driveways. If you have a stroller or wheelchair,
our accessible ramp is located behind the rambler, off the alley. You are welcome to pull in behind the
teacher cars for a short length of time, but please remember to never
totally block the alley.
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- Phone Lists: Unless you
notify us via your returned Parent Agreement, the class phone list will
include this information for each child:
Child’s full name
Phone
Parents’ first names
Home address
Email address
These phone
lists are posted in the classrooms, office and in our emergency
backpacks. They are carried by the
teachers and kept at their homes, and each family in the school receives
a copy. If you have particular
information you would prefer to NOT be printed, please use the Parent
Agreement to tell us. (The
emergency and teachers’ copies show all information.)
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 - Registration for the
Next Preschool Year: No one is automatically registered for
next fall's school year.
Information comes home in January, and the teachers are happy to
share suggestions about your child’s next steps. All currently-enrolled families or
formerly-enrolled families are able to register before new families, but
you need to please pay attention to the announced registration date. Some classes do fill rapidly, so please
act in a timely fashion. If you
are undecided about kindergarten, we suggest you reserve a preschool spot
"just in case", because we will refund your money if you let us
know by July 15th.
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- Releasing Children:
We can only release your child to the people you have designated,
so if a different adult is picking up your child, please send us a note
or give us a call. If we don’t
know the person, we may ask for ID.
If you have arranged a carpool, please write it down for us. (Also see Departures.)
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- Scholarships:
A limited number of work scholarships are available in case a
family finds itself in need.
Usually, a family helps prepare materials for the children to
use. Scholarship arrangements are
usually for the entire school year, but we can also offer short term scholarships. It is important to us as a community
to be helping, supportive friends, so if your family has such a need,
please talk to Carolyn.
In addition, if a
particular field trip with a fee presents a problem, please talk to your
teacher or Carolyn. (There is no
need for paperwork for this request.)
We don't want anyone to forego a trip because of finances.
All
discussions and decisions remain confidential.
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- "Sharing Times":
The school publishes an occasional newsletter called “Sharing Times". This is another way to keep up with our
calendar of activities. You may
view issues on-line at the link above.
Our editor always welcomes suggestions or articles to include. You may email any contributions to AnneMarie.
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- Snacks:
The school provides snacks each day (unless a family sends
something special).  We try to teach healthy eating
habits, but even so, there sometimes may be a particular snack to which
you object. Please read the lesson
plans in your classroom, so you can talk to your teacher if you have a
concern.
We do check on food
allergies or restrictions, and ask everyone’s help in providing a
“reduced risk environment”.
So we are especially vigilant about any nut products or
traces. We would try to be just as
vigilant with other allergens, if needed.
While we try to provide snacks that all can eat, we do have to
work within a budget, so we may ask parents of children with food
restrictions to provide some snacks that are especially liked by their
children.
If someone in your family
has special cooking skills or a menu item to share, please see your
teacher so we can work it into the schedule.
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-
Suggestions: We always welcome comments and
suggestions. Occasionally, we ask
families to complete a school survey.
All of these suggestions and comments are considered and if not
acted upon, we at least try to explain why via the newsletter.
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- Summer
school: Our four Summer Adventure Camps are
8-days each, full of wonderful outside exploration and creative inside
time. Our camp days are longer than
school year days, running from 10AM to 2PM. Children must be confidently
potty-trained, and children through age 6 are welcome. We have 14 children and 2 teachers each
session sharing the fun. We must
have special summer registration paperwork for each child attending.
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- Suspected Cases
of Abuse: Under Washington State Law, school staff are obligated to report suspected cases of child
abuse. For your information, a good
non-profit community resource for any questions you might have is the
Children’s Response Center in Bellevue,
425-688-5130.
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- Tuition: Tuition
is payable on the first school day of each month, and no later than
the 10th. After the 10th,
please include a $10 late fee. If
you need to make an alternate payment schedule, please arrange with
Carolyn. Generally, families make
10 equal payments, with the 1st one due 8/20, the 2nd
due in early September, the 3rd in early October, etc., and
the last due in early May.
Checks may be made payable
to Kirkland Preschool and deposited in the tuition basket near the lesson
plan board. We also can accept
VISA/MasterCard payments, we can hold pre-dated checks for you, or you
can have a check service mail them to us.
The address is 802-2nd
Street, Kirkland 98033. Monthly tuition will not be adjusted
for days missed due to illness or family vacations. "Withdrawal and Re-enrollment".)
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- Visiting: Parents are always
welcome to visit. Occasionally,
however, if teachers and family have agreed that we need to help the
child with separation anxiety and we have agreed on a course of action,
we may strongly urge parents to not linger or return early until the
child has developed a sense of confidence.
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 - Weather Related School
Closures: One way
to check our status is to web search for Lake Washington School
District and their “emergency
closure” section of Public
School Emergency Communication System. If the District is even an hour late,
then we are totally closed. This
is because many of our families come from areas which receive more severe
weather than downtown Kirkland,
and we don’t want anyone to drive in hazardous conditions. Unless the school’s electricity
is down so there is no answering machine, you can call the school number
to confirm whether we are in session.
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- Web
Site: You're looking
at it! Our web site can keep you up to
date with most of our regularly printed material. The web site displays the class
calendars, school newsletters, and much more. For safety’s sake, no children’s
last names appear. (A piece of
artwork or a quote from a child may show a first name.) Also, we only use children’s
photographs if we have your permission (via the Parent Agreement Form). Usually, we delay running pictures
until a few years after a child has attended our school.
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- Withdrawal and Re-enrollment:
If a student is withdrawn from the school, his/her place is filled
by any names on our waiting list.
If space is available for re-enrollment, a re-registration fee of
$50.00 must accompany the request.
The registration fee is non-refundable. If you are withdrawing, please notify
us as soon as possible, so we do not charge you tuition for subsequent
months. Fees are not normally
refunded for partial attendance.
If a family takes a trip, for example, tuition still needs to be
paid.
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© 1999-2008, Kirkland Preschool. All photos used with parents'
permission.
Last updated 8/22/2009
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