"Taking the first step in a seamless Catholic Education"

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

All children in the 3 year and Pre-K Programs must be fully potty-trained and out of diapers and pull-ups. An occasional “accident” is understandable; however, if your child repeatedly has accidents, you will be called to come to school to change him/her. Each child must be of required age by September 1.

The following forms must be in each child's file prior to the first day of school. Children will not be admitted to school without the forms listed below:

•  Current Registration Forms must be completely filled out. A $150 non-refundable Registration Fee is collected at the time of Registration. This is a one-time fee, paid annually, and is in addition to the monthly tuition fee. Also, a $75 supply fee will be due by the first day of school.

•  Florida State Health Certificate of Immunization (#680) Form must be returned to the school office prior to the first day of school.

•  Florida State Health Examination Form (#3040) must be returned to the school office prior to the first day of school. This form may not be more than two (2) years old.

ADMISSION AND REGISTRATION POLICY

Registration of Current Students and Siblings:

During the middle of January, students currently attending CPEEC and their siblings will be permitted to pre-register for the following year. The third week of January, registration will be open to Catholic parishioners and at the beginning of February registration will be open to the public. The Registration fee will be taken at the time of Registration and is non-refundable.

PARENT VOLUNTEER AND FINGERPRINTING POLICY

As a CPEEC parent you are expected to take an active role in the education of your child, and we request that you volunteer a minimum of 10 hours per school year. There are a variety of ways to fulfill the 10-hour minimum. A few examples are: Covering a classroom during naptime so the staff can attend staff meeting/in-service training, etc., grounds maintenance, substitute teaching, aides in the classrooms, assisting with our various fundraisers, assisting with our Silent Auction and any other activity associated with the Cathedral's annual festival. Please share your special talents and hobbies with us, or come along on field trips. Children are thrilled to see their parents and grandparents assisting with school activities.

All parents who plan to volunteer at Cathedral Parish Early Education Center and who will be working directly with the children must be fingerprinted per the Diocese of St. Augustine Administration Policy. If you plan to volunteer in the classroom or on field trips where you will come into direct contract with our children, you must complete the required paperwork. Please obtain the information in the school office.

All parents who will be substituting in the classrooms or volunteering in a nap room must attend Protecting Gods Children in addition to the required fingerprinting.

You can get your Diocese fingerprint card in the office and have your prints done at the Sheriff's office, at the C.P.S. school office or at the County Courthouse . Please return your completed fingerprint card to the office with the required paper work and a check made out to the Diocese of St. Augustine . The amount will vary based on years as a Florida resident.

PRE-SCHOOL HOURS OF OPERATION

The school is open from 6:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the school year. During the summer session the Center opens at 7:00 a.m. and closes at 5:30 p.m. Our school hours during special holidays will be 6:45 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

During the school year the academic part of your child’s day begins at 8:30 a.m. It is very important that your Pre-K child be on time. When children enter the classroom late, it disturbs the entire class. Half-day dismissal is at 11:45 a.m. If your child is attending mornings only, please pick him/her up no later than 11:45 a.m. as the children who stay nap from 12:00-1:45 p.m. Children staying for afternoon day care MUST be picked up no later than 6:00 p.m. during the school year and 5:30 p.m. during the summer.

(Arriving late to school or allowing your child to remain too long at school can be very upsetting to your child.)

• Failure to pick up your child by 6:00 p.m. during the school year and 5:30 p.m. during the summer will result in a $10.00 charge for every 15-minute period per staff person over the designated time. This fee will be in addition to your monthly tuition. This rule is strictly enforced.

DROPPING OFF AND PICKING UP YOUR CHILDREN

For safety purposes, parents must accompany children in to the Center and deliver them directly to a teacher. Please do not leave children unattended in your car, in the parking lot, or in the street. Do not leave your child in an empty classroom. There must be a teacher present to sign your child in.

An emergency card is to be filled out prior to your child’s first day of school listing all persons responsible for picking up your child. No child will be allowed to leave school with any person that is not on the card unless the parents provide a written note to the school prior to that person picking up your child, giving the school permission to release the child. (A picture ID will be required from that person to verify identification). You will not be allowed to call the school to put someone on the list. Also, please do not send underage siblings in to pick the children up from their classrooms or the playground.

Our teachers work very hard to schedule your child’s day and their learning activities. Unfortunately, in order to maintain this schedule, it is not possible to visit with each parent everyday. If you have some questions or concerns and would like to schedule an appointment with one of us, please call the office so that we can arrange a time to meet with you. (See Parent/ Teacher Conferences on closings page)

MONTHLY TUITION

Tuition must be paid by the first of each month. All checks must be made payable to C.P.E.E.C., and indicate the child’s name on the check.

Any account not paid by the 15th of each month will be assessed a $25.00 late charge. If you are having difficulty making tuition payments, please see the Director in the school office prior to your account becoming delinquent. Consistently late payments may result in your child’s dismissal from the preschool. A $15.00 charge will be assessed on any returned check.

TUITION STATUS

There are two tuition classifications for CPEEC; they are as follows:

Catholic Tuition Rate: Parents must be registered parishioners for more than six (6) months, regularly attend Mass, and demonstrate use of offertory envelopes. You must provide a voucher signed by your parish priest to be considered an Active Supporting Parishioner. Active Supporting Parishioners will pay tuition of $18/day for mornings or $24/day for full days.

Non-Catholic Tuition Rate: This rate applies to inactive parishioners, non-supporting parishioners, and non-Catholics. Tuition will be $21/day for mornings or $26/day for full days.

DISCIPLINE POLICY

The motivation for discipline should always be love. The purpose of discipline should always be explanation and training.

Positive discipline is used with the children to help them learn what behavior is acceptable. Positive reinforcement will encourage and reward good behavior.

Teachers will use loving guidance and discipline techniques that are age appropriate for each individual child.

Distraction and redirection work well with the younger children, while reasoning and logical consequences are very effective with the older children.

In the event the above disciplinary actions prove unsuccessful, the child will be removed from the classroom and placed under adult care to resolve the problem. If the unacceptable behavior continues, the parents will be called to pick up their child. Failure to correct the problem will result in the child's dismissal from the preschool.

In the event the child does bodily harm to a teacher/child, i.e. biting, hitting, punching kicking or hitting with an object:

•  The child's parent will be called and asked to pick up their child.

•  If this happens again the child's parents will be called again to pick up the child, and the child will not be allowed to return until a teacher/parent conference has been held to try to resolve the matter.

•  If it happens again the child will not be allowed to return to school.

*Corporal punishment is unacceptable and will never be used. Parents wishing to administer any kind of corporal punishment must do so at home – NEVER on campus or in a classroom.

Please Note: Parents are not allowed to discipline in any manner any student who is not their child. Our staff is highly qualified and trained to handle any situation. If you have a problem with how a student is behaving, please briefly discuss this issue with the supervising staff member. DO NOT VERBALLY DISCIPLINE THE CHILD.

ILLNESS, HEALTH AND ACCIDENT POLICY

We look forward to having your child in school. There are certain symptoms of suspect communicable diseases that will require your child stay at home. (See below). This is for the safety of your child, the teachers, and the other children. If your child is ill and will not attend school, please call the school as early as possible to let us know. If your child becomes ill at school, the school office will notify you immediately. The school will keep your child comfortable until you; a parent or authorized adult arrives. If we cannot reach a parent, the person(s) on your emergency contact list will be notified. That person will need to provide a picture ID and sign the child out.

If your child has an accident, the school will take all measures that are necessary for the safety and well being of the child. An accident form will be filled out and kept in the office.

We would prefer not to administer any medication to your child. However, if necessary we will administer prescription medication only. The following criteria must be met:

1) Medication must be in the original container; 2) Medication Authorization Form must be completed and signed by the parent/guardian; 3) the label must clearly state the name of the child, medication, date, time, method, dosage and physician's name.

No other medications may be brought to school. This includes over-the-counter products such as aspirin, cough drops, etc.

If any child has the following symptoms within any 24-hour period, prior to school attendance, he/she must be kept home:

•  Excessive coughing or a runny nose with green/yellow mucus;

•  Fever – oral temperature over 100 degrees;

•  Vomiting;

•  Undiagnosed rash;

•  Diarrhea;

•  Sore throat;

•  Lice and scabies – Diocese schools maintain a no “nit” policy; and

•  Contagious disease such as chicken pox.

Re-admittance policy for the following contagious diseases:

•  Strep throat: 48 hours after the start of oral antibiotics or 24 hours after an injection;

•  Conjunctivitis/Pink Eye. At least 24 hours after the start of medication and when there is no longer any discharge from the eye(s);

•  Chicken Pox; all lesions are dry and crusted;

•  Lice and Scabies: following medical treatment and no “nits”;

•  Impetigo (blisters with honey colored crusts): at least 24 hours after the start of medication. If blisters continue after treatment begins, the child should be re-examined by doctor prior to returning to school;

•  Hepatitis: doctor's statement required.

SCHOOL RELIGION POLICY

Since this is a religious preschool based on Catholicism, we will talk about God and our relationships with him in everything we do. We will stress how much God loves each of us and that we are special to Him. The three Pre-K classes will attend Mass periodically and Catholicism will be interwoven in most lessons. Bible stories will also be included.

CHILDREN'S CLOTHING AND SUPPLIES

Please place your child's name on any change of clothes, and all other items that are brought to school such as mats, blankets, pillows and lunch boxes.

Your child will need one plastic non-permeable mat for naptime. Each child is required to bring an extra set of season appropriate clothing in case of accidents. If your child brings pillows, blankets or a special security item to sleep with, all these items must be able to fit into his/her zipped backpack. Please no roll up mats or sleeping bags .

Please insure that your child's clothing is comfortable, easy for them to manipulate by themselves (no snap or bodysuits!!!). Children will be children and sometimes they will get dirty despite our best efforts to keep them clean, so please dress them appropriately.

Comfortable tennis shoes are best for preschool. Please insure that this type of shoe is worn for both safety and comfort. PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW YOUR CHILD TO WEAR BACKLESS SHOES OR SANDALS.

DAILY FOOD AND SNACKS

Your child will be asked to bring a nutritious snack for his/her classroom once a month. We will provide 100% juice or water. We would prefer store bought, pre-packaged foods instead of homemade foods. Lunch will be a special part of our day. We will gather together, say grace and eat our midday meal together. Parents will provide lunches for children. Lunches should be brought in lunch boxes, drinks in a thermos or box drinks. The child's name should appear on both. If you have a one step warm-up, please leave it in the kitchen. Please do not bring frozen TV dinners or Easy Mac's. PLEASE NO GLASS CONTAINERS, NO SODA AND NO CANDY.

The school will provide a mid-afternoon snack with juice or water. Snacks for children on special diets must be prepared by the parent/guardian.

Please feed your child breakfast before bringing him/her to school. We ask that you do not send breakfast with your child in the morning. We ask that your child does not come to school eating food.

PERSONAL BELONGINGS AND TOYS

It is the policy of the school that personal items from home are brought on designated “show and tell” days only between August and May. Please do not allow your child to bring toys on any other day. Show and tell is a very fun day for the children to share something special with their friends. We just ask that you please make sure that there are no toy weapons or fighting toys are brought to school.

INFORMATIONAL LETTER AND CORESPONDENCE

A monthly calendar will be sent home the first of each month. This will be placed in your child's cubby. This calendar will inform you of your child's activities, future events and snack days.

Other specific information will be provided periodically. PLEASE CHECK YOUR CHILD'S CUBBY DAILY FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION ON CLASS AND SCHOOL ACTIVITIES.

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

At any time during the school year, please feel free to discuss your child's activities, developments and progress with his/her teacher. However, please set up a specific appointment time. Immediately before or after class is not appropriate. Please call the school office to schedule a conference.

STAFF CREDENTIALS

The professional staff members are carefully selected for their sensitivity to and love for children, experience with children and their childhood education. All of our teachers are college educated with either degrees or their CDA's. All other staff is required to attend a 40-hour Florida Department of Children and Families Child Care Training Course and attend at least 12 hours in-service yearly. All staff is certified in CPR and First Aid.

STATE AND COUNTY REQUIREMENTS

The Cathedral Parish Early Education Center is a Catholic Preschool that is under the authority f the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine . The Center is licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families, License #041359. Annual/Quarterly inspections are also made by the Fire Marshall, County Health Department and the Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of St. Augustine.