Mission Statement 
As an outreach of Grace Episcopal Church, the Children of Grace Preschool's mission is to provide a loving, nurturing environment that will enhance each child's self esteem, independence, and individuality.

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Philosophy
Our philosophy at Children of Grace is to provide quality care and education for children 6 months through 5 years of age within a loving environment. The overall belief is to prepare children for each school year by building on previous years. We strive to meet each child's individual, emotional, spiritual, physical, and intellectual needs. Children of Grace is an outreach ministry to the community providing early childhood education for all children without regard to race, color, religion, sex, handicap, creed, or national origin.

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COG Governance
COG is a program of Grace Episcopal Church and is governed by the church's leadership board, the Vestry. The Vestry provides for the physical needs of COG and oversees its budget. The Vestry delegates the day-to-day operation of COG to the rector of Grace Church and to the director of COG. The director of COG determines all policies and procedures in consultation with the rector and Vestry. The Vestry meets monthly.

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COG Parent Committee
COG has a Parent Committee, made up of volunteer parents who help with the various events and fundraising programs of the school. The Parent Committee works closely with the director to help ensure the betterment of the program. This committee meets annually.

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2007-2008 Calendar
COG's calendar for the 2007-08 school year is based upon the calendar for the Hall County school system. School will start August 20th and will end on May 14th. At the first of each month your child will bring home a more detailed class calendar prepared by the teacher to inform you of any extra activities that month.

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Teachers
Teachers for the 2007-08 school year will be announced at the Open House on Friday, August 17th from 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM.

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Curriculum
Children of Grace's curriculum offers opportunities for learning in a developmentally appropriate environment. Social and emotional development of the child is a major focus. We emphasize self-awareness, cooperative behavior, and self-confidence. Our program offers learning through free play, stories, art projects, finger plays, music, snack, outdoor play, manipulative, and language skills.

We are in our seventh year of the curriculum, "The Letter People." Let's begin with the Letter People is a developmentally appropriate Pre-K program emphasizing literacy learning.

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Religious Instruction
The school shall provide a chapel time each week for the Pre-K classes to experience stories from the Bible and prayers. The religious significance of holidays will also be taught. The clergy of Grace Church will assist in leading chapel. In addition, each class will be taught a mealtime blessing that will be used daily at lunch. All classes will focus on the following themes each month as outlined below.

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Student Activities

Music is offered to all classes (except pre-toddler) once a week. Toddlers will begin after the first of the year. The children are taught both religious and secular songs as well as playing rhythm band instruments. All children from the younger two classes and up will participate in the Christmas and Spring Fling programs.

Art/Science Art projects and science experiments are offered to all classes (except pre-toddler) once a week. Toddlers will begin after the first of the year. The art/science teacher will be bringing her many talents to the program at COG.

Computers COG offers computer availability to children in the Three Year Old and Pre-K classes. This will expose students to basic computer skills while reinforcing the curriculum taught in the classrooms.

Field Trips Pre-K classes will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of field trips throughout the year. Children will not be allowed to attend field trips without a parent's consent. We recommend that all Pre-K students wear a COG T-shirt when on a field trip. T-shirts will be available for purchase at Open House. If your child normally rides in a car seat you will need to provide their car seat for transportation during field trips. We are firmly committed to your child's safety.

Parties Birthdays are an exciting time for children and we welcome and encourage birthday parties. Parties need to take place at snack time or after lunch so please talk to the teacher when scheduling a time for such parties. We would like to encourage parents to donate a book in honor of your child's special day. This is a great way to continue building our library at COG. Holidays will be celebrated throughout the year, and are an integral part of your child's learning process.

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Pictures
A professional photographer will make pictures of the children in the fall and spring of each year. The fall photo session will consist of individual and class pictures. The spring photo session will consist of individual pictures only. Pre-K students will have individual pictures and class pictures made in the spring in their graduation caps and gowns only.

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Parent/Teacher Conferences
Developmental evaluations will be performed to determine the appropriate placement for children. COG provides parents the opportunity to meet in conference with their child's teacher. Conferences are scheduled at the request of the parents. COG will schedule regular parent/ teacher conferences for Pre-K students before Kindergarten enrollment. This will be an evaluation so that you may be aware of any strengths and weaknesses prior to Kindergarten.

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Parent Information Sheet
Parent information sheets will be sent home periodically to let parents know if your child has had any type of accident, discipline problem, and/or other miscellaneous information. PLEASE check your child's bag daily for these forms.

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Visitation
Parents are welcome to visit COG at anytime. By regularly checking with staff members, parents can keep informed of their child's progress and activities. We encourage parents to volunteer for any field trips, parties, and programs, in order to be as fully involved in your child's experience at COG as possible.

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Discipline
Discipline is regarded as part of the total program, and the consequences of misbehavior will be stated in positive terms and discussed with the child. COG praises appropriate behavior and ignores mildly disruptive behavior. We redirect inappropriate behavior by channeling the child's interest toward other toys, equipments, or activities. We will put a child in "Time-out" as a consequence for his/her misconduct, if necessary. No form of physical punishment will be allowed, and verbal abuse will not be tolerated. No child will be denied food, rest or bathroom privileges as punishment. If inappropriate behavior continues, the director will notify the parents and a conference may be held. If the inappropriate behavior continues the child may be suspended or ultimately removed from the program. A child may be dismissed for serious misbehavior at anytime at the discretion of the director of the preschool. Please make a point to know your child's classroom rules, so that the two of you can work together in making your COG preschool experience positive.

Biting COG has set the following guidelines in an effort to effectively deal with biting occurrences.
~ Any time a child is bitten the injury is immediately attended by cleaning and disinfecting the area, applying ice packs if needed and applying ointments as needed.
~ A "Bite Note" will be prepared and given at the end of the day to the parent of the child who was bitten and the parent of the 'biter.'
~ If a child continues to bite other children, the parent of the 'biter' may be called for a conference with the director to discuss resolving this behavior.
~ Parents are never to direct discussions of their child being bitten to another child in the classroom. Teachers and administrators are responsible for taking care of these situations.
~ Parents of the child who was bitten are not given the name of the 'biter.'

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Attendance
To gain maximum benefit from the program, regular attendance is necessary. If, however, there is any indication of illness, please keep your child at home and notify the office.

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Policies Regarding Illness
COG is a place for WELL children. If you receive a call that your child is ill, PLEASE make arrangements to pick up your child as soon as possible to protect the health and well being of the other children. Do Not bring your child to the preschool if he/she has had any of the symptoms discussed below in the past 24 hours. Control of communicable diseases in preschool takes a cooperative effort on the part of the parents and the preschool. If medication is necessary, please refer to the information on medication forms in the handbook.

Illnesses requiring temporary removal from the preschool include the following:

• Diarrhea: When one diarrhea is noted, and if the director feels it is necessary for the child to go home, the parents will be notified.
• Temperature elevation of 100.4 or above: When a temperature elevation is suspected, the child's temperature will be taken. If your child has a temperature over 101 the parents will be notified immediately and asked to pick the child up as soon as possible.
• Rash (suspected contagious disease, i.e. measles, chicken pox, scarlet fever, etc.): When a rash is noted, the child's temperature will be taken. The child's parents will be notified of the rash. If a contagious disease is suspected the parent will be requested to come for the child immediately.
• Lung Congestion: Serious lung congestions in children will necessitate their absence from the preschool until condition improves.
• Prolonged Vomiting: If a child has been vomiting before they come to preschool, then the child should be kept home. If vomiting occurs while the child is at the preschool, that parents.

Lice Policy of Children of Grace Preschool
~ At the first occurrence, follow the treatment prescribed by the Hall County School system. Treat lice with commercial products available at any local drugstore, and remain out of school until all nits are gone.
~ At the second occurrence, follow the same procedure as the first occurrence, but parents must show proof that treatment has been completed.
~ With the third occurrence, the child must remain home for a minimum of 7 full days or until the condition is totally remedied.

COG shall reserve the right to request a doctor's written release if the director deems it necessary. All parents will be notified if a child becomes ill with a communicable disease such as measles, mumps, chicken pox, etc. Parents are requested to report any illness or symptoms of illness that your child may have as soon as possible to the administration.

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Administration

Enrollment
COG is open to any child regardless of sex, religion or race from the age of 6 months to 5 years. The following ages are used as a guideline when placing children within an appropriate age group at registration:

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Tuition
The monthly tuition is due on the first day of each month. We accept payment of tuition by CHECKS ONLY. Checks should be made payable to either Children of Grace or COG and given to the director or assistant director or safety pinned in an envelope to the outside of your child's book bag. PLEASE DO NOT PLACE TUITION CHECKS AND INVOICES IN YOUR CHILD'S BAG. (Teachers are not responsible for checks which are placed in a child's bag and overlooked, therefore a late fee will not be waived if the payment remains in the bag past the 10th of the month.) Tuition is paid one month in advance with the first payment due in August and the last one in April.

Any payment received after the 10th of each month will be subject to a $20.00 late fee unless prior arrangements have been made. If tuition is not received by the 15th of the month, the child will not be allowed to attend preschool until the account is brought current. Tuition remains the same for each month regardless of holidays or absenteeism. Feel free to contact the administration if you ever have a question or problem with your account. Please note a $25.00 fee will be charged for all returned checks. It is extremely important that you return a copy of your invoice with payment. COG reserves the right to charge a duplicating fee of $5.00 which will be on the next month's statement for all unreturned invoices.

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Tuition Assistance
Limited funds are available to provide tuition assistance for families unable to afford our normal fees of for COG families experiencing financial difficulties during the school year. Funds may be awarded after the completion of an application process. Disclosure of personal financial information is part of this process. For additional information about tuition assistance, please speak to the director.

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Tuition Rates for the 2007-2008 School Year

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Fall Registration
Registration is held in January for the next school year. Registration cannot be done over the phone. Children are accepted on a "first come, first served" basis within each of the priority categories listed below:

1) Teachers' children
2) Students currently attending COG
3) Episcopalian siblings of current COG students
4) Non-Episcopalian siblings of current COG students
5) Episcopalians
6) General Public

If a family is not in town during registration, the parent can fill our the child's registration form ahead of time and either:

1) Leave the form and registration fee with the administration and your child will be registered at the end of the designated registration time OR
2) Give the form and fee to a friend and let them register your child.

There is a $70.00 non-refundable registration fee per child.

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Waiting List
If all available spaces are filled, the child will be placed on the waiting list. When an opening occurs, the child at the top of the list will be notified and a registration fee will be due at that time. A child is not considered enrolled until the registration fee is paid in full.

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Withdrawal
If a parent wishes to withdraw their child from the program, the director must be notified in writing 30 days before the action is to take place. Enrollment will be cancelled 30 days from the date of written notice. It shall be the responsibility of the parents for the payment of tuition during the last 30 days.

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Children's Records
It is a requirement of the State Department of Human Resources that a current record be on file for each child. This record shall include:

1) Application form complete with emergency information.
2) Current certificate of immunization (if for religious or family beliefs, your child is not immunized, please send it in writing to be filed)
3) Emergency medical agreement signed by the parent giving permission to seek emergency medical treatment and waiver of liability for transporting children.
The parents shall provide all required information on or before your child's first day of school.

For the safety of your child, all personal information records must be kept current. It is the responsibility of the parents to notify the administration in writing of any changes of employment or assignment (both parents), address, telephone number, cell number, pager, hours of work, care and/or custody, and other pertinent information regarding the family. All parents are assured of complete confidentiality.

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Grievance Procedure
If you have a complaint that cannot be resolved with your child's teacher you may contact the director. If you feel that the situation has not been resolved or feel uncomfortable speaking with the director, then you may contact the Rector of Grace Episcopal Church, Doug Dailey. We want you to know that we do care and will always listen. Your child's well being is extremely important to us as well as your confidence in the program.

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Logistics

Arrival and Departure Procedures - Carpool
For safety reasons, COG has implemented a "carpool" system that must be observed by all individuals dropping off or picking up children during carpool times.

Carpool in the morning starts at 8:50 am and lasts until 9:05 am. Afternoon carpool will last from 12:50 pm until 1:05 pm. Observing the procedures outlined below will insure your child is properly supervised while waiting to be picket up and that they get safely to your vehicle.

During carpool times, please enter the parking lot from Brenau Avenue. Please do not block traffic by attempting to turn left from Brenau Avenue into the parking lot. Instead, form a line along Brenau Avenue so that everyone is turning right into the parking lot. Please do not block any business entrances along Brenau Avenue while waiting in line.

On rainy days carpool will take place under the portico that is facing Boulevard (to the right of the main entrance of the church). Please enter the parking lot as outlined above, as this is the only way to enter the carpool line. NOTE: Carpool will take place in this area only during rainy days if the space is available.

Children will unload from the passenger side only unless two or more children are unloading from your car. Have all bags ready to hand to the teacher. At Meet My Teacher day you will receive a window decal with your child's last name on it so we may identify you during carpool. If someone else is picking up your child, please notify the school, and give them your decal if possible. A fee of $2.00 will be charged for any decal that needs to be replaced or if you want to purchase extras for different cars.

Identification is mandatory and we will not release your child to an unauthorized person. If there is someone your child is not permitted to leave with at any time, please contact the school office.

For parents who do not participate in morning carpool, please wait until carpool has ended before entering the building. Carpool has ended when the double doors are closed and no staff members remain outside the building. We ask that you always park in a designated parking space. Parking is marked for COG staff. Please do not park in the empty space between the handicapped spaces.

Children should arrive by 9:15 am so as not to disrupt activities teachers have planned. Regardless of the time of your child's arrival, we request that you take your child to his/her classroom. Please do not drop your child off in the parking lot or hallway unsupervised. For parents who do not participate in afternoon carpool, we ask that you pick your child up by 12:30 pm and leave the building before 12:45 pm in order to eliminate confusion when students and teachers prepare for carpool. An adult must accompany children, when entering or leaving the building.

Please note: A $5.00 fee will be charged each time a child is picked up after carpool has ended and the doors closed. The late fee will apply to each child and will be paid to the child's teacher.

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Security
COG's doors are locked after carpool and remain locked until afternoon carpool begins. This ensures the safety of all children in the program. The door on the side of the building (facing Brenau Avenue) remains locked 24 hours a day and is equipped with an alarm. We ask that you only enter through the COG preschool doors. Please ring the doorbell located at the entrance to be let in. The doorbell can be heard in the front hallway and the office. You will be waved in after the lock has been released.

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Child Abuse
The State of Georgia requires that all childcare providers be on the lookout for and report to the State all cases of child abuse (emotional, verbal, and physical) and or neglect. Grace Episcopal Church and COG Preschool is therefore obligated to report to the State any and all cases of abuse or neglect. Once the report takes place, the church and the preschool will not take an active part in its resolution. We consider violation of the Georgia State Restraint Law a case of neglect.

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Lunches
Lunch Bunch: All lunches are $3.00 each
You have the option of buying lunch Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You must be signed up at the beginning of the month to participate in the lunch bunch. Lunch bunch sign up forms are on the monthly tuition invoice.  The lunch plan will start on Monday, August 20th.

Checks can be written in combination with tuition. Children who are not signed up for Lunch Bunch at the beginning of the month and need to purchase a lunch during the month will have to pay a late fee of $5.00. If you are on the lunch plan, and you will be arriving late, please notify the office by 10:00 AM. Orders are placed by 10:00 AM in order to receive the meals in time for lunch. If you do not notify the office, then a lunch will not be ordered for your child, and you will need to bring a lunch. There will be no refunds on any lunches unless the school is closed for inclement weather.

If your child is absent, and you want to pick up their lunch you will need to call by 10:00 AM to place an order that can be picked up in the office after 12:00 PM. If you choose not to participate in the lunch plan, please pack a lunch with your child's name on it.

PLEASE DO NOT BRING MICROWAVABLE FOOD because it is against policy for teachers to leave their rooms unattended in order to heat or cook food. If your child has a lunch that requires refrigeration, we ask that you enclose a freezer pack in the lunch box. If you forget your child's lunch, it is your responsibility to bring a lunch by the time your child's class eats.

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Snacks
Children will take turns supplying a snack and juice for their class on rotation. Your child will be given a monthly calendar or snack form that will list your time for snack well in advance. We ask that snacks have some nutritional value. The teachers will provide a list of suitable snacks and drinks you may bring.

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Clothing
The staff asks that you send your child to school in play clothes. Children do get dirty whether they are playing outside or inside doing art projects. Each child must have at least one change of clothing (shirt, pants, socks and underwear) left at school to be used in case of emergency. These articles of clothing are to be place in a large zip lock bag with your child's name on it. If the clothes are used, the bag will be sent home with the dirty clothes. A new bag with a set of clean clothing must be returned to the school the next day your child attends.

These policies are put in place to ensure that COG does not have to inconvenience the parents in the case a child may need to change clothes. If an extra outfit is not available, COG will have no choice but to call a parent and request that they bring their child some clothes.

If your child is in diapers, please dress them in clothes which either have fasteners between the legs or are easy to slip on and off for diaper changes. Also, if your child is in diapers or is in the early stages of potty training, please send extra disposable diapers or training pants because accidents do happen. It is extremely important in the "potty training" stage that you send your child in easily accessible clothing as they are learning the independence of removing clothing. Cloth diapers may not be used.

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Personal Items
Children are discouraged from bringing food, chewing gum, candy, guns, swords, and other toys of destruction to the preschool. Toys are permitted only on days of "Show and Tell", please check with the teacher for the day and what toys would be appropriate.

Although we try to keep track of personal items brought from home, the preschool cannot be responsible for them. Please mark any items brought to the preschool.

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Video/Audio Tapes
Please check with your child's teacher before sending a video or audio tape to preschool. All video tapes shown must be rated G. Tapes sent must either go along with the unit being studied by the class or be of an educational value (i.e. please do not send "Pokeman/ Batman/ Power Ranger" type of videos - we feel these are more suitable to home viewing.) It will be at the discretion of the teacher and/or the administration whether particular videos are viewed in class. NOTE: Rainy Days - Due to inclement weather, children may be shown a video during their outside time (for a maximum of 40 minutes).

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Toilet Training
Toilet training should begin when the child shows some signs of readiness. Once the training has begun, both home and the preschool must work together to accomplish this task. At least three pairs of marked training pants and covers, or pull-ups, must be brought to the preschool. Children in the young two class must wear pull-ups while potty training. Soiled clothing will not be washed at the preschool, but will be put in a plastic bag. This is recommended in order to avoid spreading of infections. NOTE: children need to be toilet trained to enter classes older than young three and up. If your child is not potty trained, he will not be eligible to move up, and will remain in a younger class if space is available.

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Medication Forms
If your child is to be given medication while at school, a Medication Form must be completed. These forms are located in your child's room. One form is to be filled out for each medication the child is to receive. In order to give your child medication, their name needs to be on the bottle and in the original container. The medication form needs to be dated each day that the medicine is to be given and parents must state the amount of medicine and the time each dose is to be given. The form must be signed. No medication can be administered without a completed form. Medication must be given in the presence of the teacher and an administrator.

Absolutely no medicine can be left in bags or diluted in juice (Sippy cups) as this poses a major safety issue to all children in the program. It is very easy at a young age to accidentally drink from a friend's sippy cup. NO medicine should enter the preschool without the immediate notification of the director or assistant director.

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Emergency Drills
Fire drills and tornado drills will be practiced periodically. In the event of a fire, tornado or other severe weather, children will be taken to the appropriate designated areas. There are written evacuation plans and teachers are trained to safely evacuate children to designated areas or from the building in the event of an emergency.

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Inclement Weather
Under emergency conditions created by severe weather or other circumstances, it sometimes becomes necessary to close the preschool. If the Hall County schools are closed, then COG will be closed. Initial winter snow closing announcements for county closings will be announced on WDUN 550 AM and other local weather stations.

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