Universal Pre-K Policies and Procedures

The Highway Nursery School's Universal Pre-K program is funded by the Department of Education. All children turning 4 years old before December 31 are able to attend school for two and a half hours a day, five days a week, FREE. Additional hours are available if needed. The Highway Nursery School's UPK program follows the Department of Education's curriculum and also teaches valuable problem solving, critical thinking and literacy skills.

The Highway Nursery School's UPK program has been in operation since 1999, and for the past three years running, several of its graduates have ranked in the top 100 of over 3000 children who take the test for the Eagle program in District 22 each year. The Highway's UPK graduates have also consistently performed well on the CIG test.

Certification:
Our facility and staff meet the requirements of the New York City Board of Health for Childcare Services. Our educational director and teachers are state certified. They are selected on a basis of their early childhood teaching experience, educational background and philosophy of early childhood education.

Schedule:
The Universal Pre - Kindergarten program is half day. We offer both morning and afternoon sessions. Depending on your needs, we also offer extended hours for a fee. We offer two, three and five half day sessions.

Health Rules:
All Board of Education medical and health requirements are necessary. A medical examination by a physician within 90 days prior to the start of school and a written Health Form (Immunization Record) must be submitted.

Please Note: A child is required to have the following shots before entering school - 3 Polio; 3 DTP; 1 MMR; 1 Hib; 3 Hep B and 1 chicken pox.

The school must be authorized in writing to obtain the necessary emergency medical treatment in the event the parent, guardian or emergency contact person cannot be reached. This authorization shall include admitting the child to the Emergency Room of the Beth Israel Medical Center Kings Highway Division at 3201 Kings Highway.

Board of Directors:
The Board of Directors is the governing body of the Highway Nursery School. It is responsible for establishing policies, rules and regulations, for hiring staff, for establishing tuition fees, etc. It supervises the Educational Director of the school, who supervises the teachers, aides and school secretary. We are in partnership with District 22 whose rules and regulations are carried out by the Board of Directors.

Calendar and School Closings:
The Highway Nursery School's calendar is based on the New York City Public School calendar for holidays, as well as for school closings. There may be some differences in days off such as Election Day. Please refer to "School Calendar" on the main menu for more information. In case of stormy weather, please listen to your radio or TV station for any announcements about school closings. If NY City Public Schools are closed for inclimate weather or emergencies, so are we.

Changing of Clothes:
Our policy is to have all children toilet trained before admission to school. It is a rare occasion when a child soils her/himself, but accidents do happen.

It is necessary for all children to have a full set of extra clothing in school at all times in case of an accident. Please leave your child's extra clothing, labeled with his/her name, in their book bag. If a child's clothing is to be removed so he/she can be cleaned and changed, this procedure will not be performed unless there are two school personnel present. Please sign the consent form to change your child in case of an accident in the back of this booklet.

Clothing:
Children should be dressed in sturdy, comfortable clothes, which give them freedom of movement. Clothing with buttons and zippers that the child can manipulate are the best. Rubber soled shoes or sneakers are safer for active play, and rubbers and boots should be big enough to put on easily. Kindly label all outer garments (coats, boots, gloves, hats, etc.) as well as the full set of extra clothing that is in your child's book bag.

Discipline:
Limits and controls vary for individual children as well as for a group, but the underlying principle is that there should be reasonable, well established rules that children can understand and that provide the security of knowing that adults are there to be supportive and helpful. In order for children to feel secure in their environment, children need to be given many opportunities to explore materials freely, to satisfy their curiosity, to discover and practice skills with minimum restrictions. When a situation occurs, children are encouraged to express their feelings verbally: "I don't like when you hit me." Teachers are there to be supportive and to intervene when necessary. A child may need to be redirected into another area of the classroom if a problem continues. Positive reinforcement is used to change behaviors that are undesirable. Time out is used as a last resort.

Escort Policy:
Our policy is to have all children signed in and out by the person who brings them to and picks them up from school each day. This is for the safety of your child. The Highway Nursery School office, as well as the teachers, should have a list of authorized escorts. If an emergency should occur and you need to make a change, please send us a note or call the office. Inform the designated escort to have ID available when he/she reaches the school. Please inform him/her of the sign in and out policy as well. We will not release any child to an unauthorized person.

Fundraising:
The Highway Nursery School holds at least three fund raising events during the school year. You are under no obligation to participate, but we greatly appreciate the cooperation and participation of all our families.

Health and Safety:
Illness: Your child should be kept home if he/she has a runny nose, a cold, severe cough, fever, sore throat, earache, etc. If your child has experienced vomiting and diarrhea in the past 24 hours, this is a sign of a contagious flu virus and we ask that you keep him/her home. Also, your child should stay home during the incubation period of any contagious illness to which he/she has been exposed.

If your child has had a contagious illness, your doctor must certify, in writing, that he/she is no longer contagious and may safely return to school. Kindly notify the school secretary if your child has developed any contagious illness.

The school secretary will contact you if your child shows evidence of illness during the school session. It is your responsibility to make arrangements to have your child picked up from school as soon as possible.

Medication:
We are not permitted to administer any type of medication under any circumstances to any child.

Food Allergies:
Please notify the Nursery School Office and your child's teacher, if your child has any type of food allergy.

Late Arrival And Pick Up:
Children attending the Universal Pre - Kindergarten program are not allowed to be late for arrival and/or pick up more than 10 times. All children who are late more than 10 times can be excused from the program. Being late has a great impact on your child. It is important for children to start their day together as a class. Upon late pick up, children feel scared and abandoned when they are left after other children have gone home. Additionally, there is a fee of $5.00 per fifteen (15) minutes that you arrive late to pick up your child. This fee is payable at the time of pick up.

Parent/Teacher Conferences:
Teachers do not get to spend as much time talking with you about your child on a day-to-day basis, as they may like. We will have 2 scheduled parent/teacher conferences each year, at which time you and the teacher will be able to discuss your child's progress. In some cases, additional conferences may be necessary.

Snack:
Although we do not provide food services, we do provide a healthy instructional snack each day.

Visiting and Volunteering in the Classroom:
Parents are recognized as their children's first and most important teachers, regardless of individual and family circumstances. Therefore, it is our goal to capitalize on family strengths. Parents are welcome to visit the classroom at any time. Feel free to read a story, help with snack or to share a special talent. There are always art projects set up and toys and puzzles to help play with. Please notify the classroom teacher in advance to ensure there are not too many adults in the room at one time.