Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

As a parent, will I have an opportunity to volunteer in the classroom?

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we were not able to have parents in the classroom during the 2020-2021 school year.  When it is feasible, we will return to our schedule of parents regularly helping in the classroom.  In the 3’s classroom, we normally have parent volunteers in every day from mid-September until the end of December. In the 4’s, we have parent helpers come in to help with the weekly number page as well as special events and cooking projects. In addition, we have Very Important Woman Day in January and Very Important Man Day in February in which parents (or grandparents) come in and experience a preschool day with their child.

How does drop-off and pick-up work?
Parents form a line of cars in the parking lot, and the director walks the students from the car to the building entranceway, where they join their classmates. At the end of class, the director walks the students out to the car and helps them get inside.
Do you serve snacks?
Yes, we have a snack each day. Parents sign up to supply snacks each week from a schedule provided by the school. Snack typically consists of a fruit or vegetable along with crackers or pretzels. We serve water with our snacks.
What if my child has food allergies?
Parents of children with food allergies are provided a menu of the snacks to review. They should indicate any snacks which should not be served to their child. They may provide an alternative snack on those days if they wish. A food allergy plan should be completed and signed by the child’s pediatrician.
What safety measures are in place?

The three preschool classrooms are all joined together on the inside. Outside doors are kept locked during the school day. The hallway door is also locked to prevent unauthorized people from entering.
We hold fire drills monthly and tornado drills twice a year.
Teachers are trained and certified in first aid and CPR.

We have an entire list of new protocols in the time of COVID-19 and we will be happy to provide these to you upon request.

What kind of communication will I receive from the school?
We send out a weekly newsletter detailing the activities that went on in the classrooms the previous week. We send out a monthly newsletter indicating the classroom schedule for the month, volunteer responsibilities, and other important information. We hold parent-teacher conferences twice a year in November and April. The director is always available to answer questions by e-mail or phone.
How many teachers are in the classroom?

We have 3 teachers in the morning 3’s classrooms for a maximum of 20 students, and 2 teachers in the afternoon 3’s class, which tends to be smaller. We have 2 teachers in the 4’s classroom for a maximum of 20 students.

Does my child need to be potty trained?
We require that all students be potty trained.

School Day Attire

Children should be dressed comfortably in play clothes and should feel free to participate in any activity, especially painting. Please dress your child according to the weather as we plan to go out everyday, weather permitting. Make certain boots have names on them and that your child can identify all other “take-off” clothing. Winter clothing should be sent in a separate bag. Any belongings easily lost or broken should not be brought to school. Each child is encouraged to carry the preschool tote bag to school every day. The tote bag is provided. First names ONLY on the tote.

Discipline

Discipline measures shall be designed and administered in such a way as to help the individual child develop his own self-control and to assume responsibility for his own acts. Simple and understandable rules that set limits of behavior required for the protection of the group and individuals within the group shall be established and followed. Personal discipline shall be relevant to the particular child and problem involved.

If a child’s disruptive behavior warrants discipline by the staff, the Director will contact parents. Every effort will be made to work with the child in the preschool setting. However, for the safety of ALL students, excessive/disruptive behavior will not be tolerated and the student will be dismissed.

Permission Slips

Each parent will be asked to sign one permission form for all field trips. You will be notified of each trip before the trip is taken.

Parent Involvement

The First United Methodist Preschool provides the following opportunities in which the preschool child and his/her family may participate:

Spring Orientation
School visit with Preschool staff member in the fall
Open House/Ice Cream Social in October
Very Important Woman Day at Preschool in January
Very Important Man Day at Preschool in February
Two scheduled conferences with a staff member in November and April
Parent volunteers come in daily to the 3’s room from October through December. We have weekly number page volunteers in the 4’s room, along with parent helpers for special projects such as making applesauce and Stone Soup.

Each parent is asked to sign up to help with one of the parties during the year. These are Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Park Day. Due to insurance regulations, no siblings are allowed at class parties.

Parents have an opportunity to sign up for volunteer spots at our Welcome Reception in mid-September.

Birthdays

When your child has a birthday, we will celebrate in the classroom. Please arrange the day of your child’s celebration in advance with the teachers. If your child has a summer birthday, we celebrate with a “half-birthday day” celebration. No party invitations or thank you’s can be distributed at school.