ABSENCE

Parents are requested to inform the school when their child will be absent. 


ABUSE

Virginia law requires the center to report any suspected incidents of child abuse or neglect. 


ACCIDENTS

A minimum of one staff member per shift is Child and Infant CPR certified and trained in Basic First Aide.  First Aide kits are accessible throughout the center.  In the case of an emergency our staff is instructed to immediately notify emergency personnel and the child's parent.  It is important that emergency contact and insurance information which you provide the center be kept up to date.  


AGES

We provide care for children 3 months to 5 years old. 


ALLERGIES

Funshine will work with each family to coordinate Allergy Action Plans as they pertain to the needs of the child, with a medical diagnosis of allergies.  Funshine also will have coverage from MAT certified teachers/staff during all hours of operation.  It is up to the parents and the center to follow the guidelines accordingly.  Funshine is not liable if there is not a medically diagnosed allergy and no allergy action plan initiated on the part of the parents. 


ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE PROCEDURE

Parents must sign their child in and out daily on the sheet posted in the classroom to comply with VA state and Arlington County licensing regulations.  For the safety of the children, parents are asked to check in with one of their child's teachers at drop off and pick up. If a parent  needs an individual other than himself or herself to pick up their child, they MUST list the person on their child's registration form.  A written note granting permission for someone not listed on the registration form is acceptable.  A copy of the note should be left in the office and with the appropriate teacher.  Photo ID will be required of individuals other than parents.  Funshine will not release a child to any individual without prior and proper authorization from the parent.   


BIRTHDAYS

If you wish to send in a special treat on your child's birthday, please coordinate this with your child's teacher.  Please do not bring in balloons.  We encourage you to donate a book to the Funshine Library in honor of your child's birthday. 


COMMUNICATION

Parents receive a calendar and a letter from the classroom teacher each month.  The calendar contains the monthly theme and some of the planned activities for each day.  In addition, a summary of the learning center and small and large group activities is provided.  This summary gives parents details of the daily events and reveals any additional spontaneous activities that may have been created due to the interest and enthusiasm of the children.  Other activity and curriculum information may be provided weekly.  A newsletter highlighting events at Funshine, around town and parent education information is sent home from the office every other month. Parents with children two years old and younger receive daily reports which provide details of the child's day including eating, sleeping, and diapering.  We encourage parents to keep an open line of communication with our staff.  Special consultations can be scheduled during the child's nap time. 


CONFERENCES

Parent/Teacher conferences are provided twice a year.  Parents are encouraged to use this time to gain more information on their child's developmental progress.  Additional conferences can be scheduled if the teacher, parent, or director finds it necessary. 


DISCIPLINE

Our focus is behavior management rather than discipline.  We have found that the most successful technique for young children is redirecting their attention to a more appropriate activity.  Our teacher's main focus is to help children develop good problem solving skills and foster independence by teaching them appropriate word choices and guiding them to express their feelings in a socially acceptable way. The only method of discipline that is acceptable at our center is time out. Teachers use time out to remove children from a potentially harmful situation to a quiet area where they may  discuss the inappropriate behavior.  The goal of time out is for the child to learn appropriate ways to behave in similar situations.  Time out is used as last resort. A child may be asked to withdraw from Funshine if he or she is in constant need of behavior modification, poses a threat to other children or staff and/or our director feels that this preschool setting does not meet the child's needs.  The directors are required to give the family a two-week notice for withdrawal. 


DISMISSAL                          

Funshine reserves the right to terminate your child's enrollment for any reason.  The following are examples of situations, which might precipitate a dismissal: Funshine judges that your child's behavior threatens the physical or mental health of the children or the staff; Funshine is unable to meet the developmental or special needs of your child; The parent and/or child do not abide to the terms of the enrollment agreement and parent handbook.     


GENERAL FOOD POLICY

Funshine provides daily: morning and afternoon snacks as well as lunch. Snacks and lunches follow USDA, State and County regulations. All parents will receive a monthly menu outlining our snacks and lunches. If a child cannot eat what is on our menu due to medical or religious reasons, the parent must supply his or her meals for the day.  When food is brought from home it MUST be labeled with the child's name and date on it.  Any unused portions of food must be discarded or taken home each day, except for beverages.    


HOLIDAYS                     

We are closed on Federal holidays and the Friday following Thanksgiving.  During the week between Christmas and New Years our hours of operation are 8:00AM to 5:00PM.  On the work day before the Christmas Day holiday and the work day before the New Years Day holiday, the center closes at 1:00pm.  The center's closings are subject to change with ample notice. 


HOURS                                 

The center is open year round from 7:00AM to 6:00PM Monday through Friday.


HOW TO REGISTER

We invite families to take a tour of our facility and meet our directors and staff prior to registration.  If there is an opening in the child's age group and the family decides to enroll, the director invites the family to visit the classroom a few hours for a couple of days prior to enrollment.  If an opening does not exist then the family may be interested in the wait-list. The wait-list is used when a class is full and outside families are interested in enrolling.  A child will be placed on a list according to their age and date of the wait-list form.  There is a $75 non-refundable fee to be on the list.  When an opening occurs in the class the directors will use the list to fill the position.  Families will be contacted in a chronological order and offered the position.  There is no guarantee as to when an opening will occur.  Siblings of children already enrolled in the school are given priority on the wait-list. Once a family enrolls at Funshine there is an annual registration fee of $250.00 This fee is used primarily for the cost of our liability insurance. The registration fee is paid annually each September and is non-refundable. When a family enrolls they will receive an enrollment packet containing registration forms to be completed prior to their child's first day. 


ILLNESS                                

A child cannot attend school for 24 hours following the last sign of illness.  The signs of illness include, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: a fever of 100 or higher, vomiting, diarrhea, a green discharge from eyes or nose, white plaques or blisters in the mouth, unusual irritability or discomfort, lethargy, persistent cough and swollen lymph nodes. This policy must be followed in order to keep in agreement with Virginia State Regulations.  The policy is in effect to help prevent others from being infected and to preserve your child's best interest. If your child develops symptoms of an illness while at the center, a teacher and/or the center director will call you and ask you to pick up your child.  It is important that you be reachable during the day and that you be able to pick up your child within ONE HOUR of the call.  If your child is sent home during the day due to illness, he or she will not be permitted to attend the center the next day. If your child or anyone is diagnosed with a communicable disease/infection (e.g. strep throat, chicken pox, pink eye, roseola, fifths disease, head lice, etc.) it is expected that you notify the school as soon as possible.  The child must be excluded from the center until he or she is not longer contagious as specified by a physician and/or school policy.  It is the duty of all parents to watch for symptoms and help prevent the spread of illness.  With your help our school can sustain a healthy environment for all the children and their families.


INSUFFICIENT FUNDS

There will be a $30 fee assessed for each returned check. 


LATE PAYMENTS

A late fee of $20 will be assessed if tuition is paid after 6:00pm on Wednesday. 


LATE PICK UP

Our center closes at 6:00PM.  We are not licensed to operate the center after 6:00PM and our staff is not paid overtime.  All parents arriving after 6:00PM will be assessed a fee of $15 per 15-minute increments.  For instance 5 minutes late fee = $15, 20 minutes late fee = $30.  The fee should be paid to the office the next business day.  Funshine will in turn reimburse teachers who stayed late.  Excessive lateness may cause a parent to forfeit their child's space in the center. If a child is not picked up by 6:15PM an attempt will be made to call the parent.  If the parents cannot be reached, the emergency contacts listed on the child's registration form will be called and asked to pick up the child(ren).  To avoid having emergency contact phoned, we request parents to call the center if he or she will be late.  If a parent and the emergency contact persons cannot be reached, then Funshine will contact the appropriate authorities. 


MEDICATION                     

Written permission is required for the center to administer any medication, prescription or otherwise.  This is a state licensing regulation. Prescription medicine must be in the original container with the prescription label affixed.  The parent must complete a Medication Authorization form and include the child's name, name of the medication, dosage and time to be given.  Please note that the center is only authorized to administer the dosage prescribed.  Medical authorization forms are valid for 10 working days.  If your child requires long term use of a prescription drug, a physician's note is required and is kept in your child's file. Medications that do not require refrigeration are stored during the day in a locked medication box in the office.  Medication that needs to be kept cold can be stored in the locked medication box in the Funshine refrigerator.  It is the parent's responsibility to pick up the medication at the end of the day. Non-prescription medicine will not be administered without the authorization of a physician.  Because acetaminophen/Tylenol can mask many symptoms of illness it is our policy to administer acetaminophen only when a doctor's note states a specific reason for the medication.  


PARKING                             

The parking lot is available to Funshine for drop off and pick up only.  It may not be used as a commuter lot.  Parents are encouraged to use caution with their children when walking in the parking lot.  


PARENTAL VISITS             

We have an “open door” policy.  Parents are always welcome to visit their child's class and participate in the activities and special events. 


PERSONAL ITEMS             

Parents are requested to provide a tote bag containing a sheet and blanket for nap time and a complete change of weather appropriate clothing including pants/shorts, shirt, underwear, and socks.  Any item brought to school must be labeled with the child's name.  A “cubbie” is provided to store these items. Soft, comfort toys may be brought in for naptime.  We discourage bringing other toys to school because they may be easily misplaced or broken.  Funshine and its staff are not responsible for items brought from home.  Our director and teachers reserve the right to accept or reject certain toys in the classrooms. 


SNOW DAYS            

We follow Arlington County Public School policy for the first two consecutive school closings.  On the third day, parents should call the center's answering machine to find out if the school will be open. Early closings and Delays: If Arlington County Public Schools open one or two hours late, we will open one hour late.  If they close early, we will close at 2:00PM.  This is in the interest of safety for your children and our staff. 


WITHDRAWAL                   

A notice in writing is required two weeks in advance when withdrawing your child from the school.  If a two-week notice is not given a regular charge of two weeks tuition will be levied.

Handbook


Funshine Preschool

3440 22nd St. South Arlington VA 22204

703-521-1090