PELORUS COMMUNITY PRESCHOOL

CONTACT (03) 574 2096

Welcome. Pelorus Community Preschool Incorporated (PCP) aims to provide a quality education and care experience for your child. We have qualified teachers and a purpose built facility licensed for 20 children two years and over and 10 children under two years of age.

PCP is a not for profit incorporated society that was formed in 2005 for the purpose of providing our district with a preschool facility for children aged zero to six years. This goal was realised when it opened in January 2008. Any parent or caregiver who has a child attending or on the waiting list of the Preschool, is automatically a member of the society. Other persons may become members by application to the committee.

There is an expectation that members will contribute to the running and maintenance of the Preschool by volunteering their time as this enables us to keep fees low. The areas you will help in will be Fundraising, Parent Help Roster, Repairs/Maintenance and any other task that requires support.

Curriculum

Our national curriculum is called Te Whāriki. The curriculum refers to the experiences we offer to our children at Preschool and encompasses four principles; Empowerment, Holistic, Family and Relationships. From this we plan a daily programme, based primarily on children’s interest both at an individual and group level. This involves activities and resources which are age and developmentally appropriate.

A profile book is made up for each child and displays some of the learning your child has achieved. You are encouraged to give feedback to the teachers and ask about planning for your child.

Preschool Hours

The Preschool hours are Monday—Friday 8.30am - 3.30pm. Contact (03) 574 2096.

Session times must be strictly adhered to. Early drop off and late pick up fees will apply when families exceed their booked times.

There will be no discounts for weekly rates and all sessions enrolled for will be charged for, regardless of the actual time spent at the preschool.

Pelorus Community Preschool Policy and the Ministry of Education licensing regulations require us to employ staff based upon the number of children enrolled. This is why it is important that children are booked in for full session times. It is recommended that to obtain the maximum benefit from our teaching programme your child arrives on time.

Enrolment

You will need:

• Official identification verification document, such as birth certificate or passport

• immunisation certificates

• medical information such as allergies and any existing medical conditions

• any legal documents such as access or custody agreements

Sessions

The preschool hours are:

- children aged 2 years +; Monday to Friday 8.30am—3.30pm.

- children aged under 2; Monday to Friday 8.30am-3.30pm.

Morning sessions run from 8.30am-12.30pm. Parents must provide a healthy choice morning tea for their child. Lunch is at 12noon, also provided by the parents. Afternoon sessions run from 12.30-3.30pm and includes afternoon tea, also provided by the parents.

Preschool Holidays

The Preschool will be closed on Public Holidays and for three weeks over the Christmas holiday period. There will no charge on the days that the preschool is closed. Dates of this close down period will be notified to parents in November each year.

Attendance Register

Parents and caregivers of children attending the preschool are required to sign the daily attendance register on arrival and departure of their child. Children will only be released to the persons authorised on the enrolment form.

Fees

Attendance fee is $5.50 per hour

Payment for fees will be one week in advance by direct credit, automatic payment or cheque.

All booked hours will be charged for.

Fees will increase if parents do not contribute to the fundraising and maintenance of the Preschool.

Outstanding Fees

Pelorus Community Preschool encourages parent's with outstanding fees to approach the Office Manager to arrange a suitable payment plan to repay arrears. A child's place may not be guaranteed to be held when fees are outstanding. Fees that remain outstanding for longer than 4 weeks will be handed over to a debt collection service and all costs involved will be passed on to the payer in default.

PCP offers 20 Hours ECE for 3, 4 and 5 year olds. As per Ministry of Education Regulations additional hours will be charged at $5.50 per hour.

Immunisation Certificate

We are required to keep on file a copy of your childs immunisation certificate. Please bring in the original for us to photocopy.

Illness

When a child becomes sick when attending Preschool

The parent/caregiver will be contacted by the Senior Teacher or someone delegated by them as soon as possible if a child shows signs or symptoms of ill health. This may include fever (of 38° or more), diarrhoea, vomiting, lethargy, spots/rash or any appearance of ill health concerning staff.

When should a child stay away from Preschool?

Commonsense prevails—if your child is unwell, please keep them at home. If a child has experienced vomiting or diarrhoea in the last 48 hours they cannot attend Preschool. A child may not attend preschool if they have been on antibiotics for less than 24 hours. A child who has suffered from a notifiable health infectious disease may be asked for a written medical clearance before returning to school.

Daily Attendance Register

Each day children must be signed in and out of the Preschool on the Daily Attendance Register. Not only is this a Ministry of Education regulation, but also in the event of an emergency it is the document we will rely on to account for children.

If your child is absent for more than three weeks consecutively due to holidays or a combination of holidays and sickness please speak with the Office Administrator or Senior Teacher regarding your options.

What to Bring

(Please ensure everything is clearly named)

• Lunch box (morning/afternoon tea and lunch – healthy choices ie fruit, sandwiches, vege sticks with hummus/salsa, cooked cold veges, boiled eggs, crackers, rice/pasta dishes, cheese, yoghurt, cold meats, plain popcorn)

• Enough nappies for duration of session (if required)

• Full change of clothes (including underwear)

• Sunhat/Warm hat

• Expressed Breast Milk or Formula (if required)

• Bag to put everything in

• Medication (if required)

• Sleeping bag/blanket if your child is likely to need a rest during the session

Sun Safety

Children and adults at Pelorus Community Preschool need protection against the damaging effects of the sun. At Pelorus Community Preschool we are mindful of the Cancer Society message of slip, slop, slap. Sun hats and protective clothing are to be supplied for each child by the parent/caregiver/whanau and must be worn during the months of October to March. Please apply sunscreen to your child prior to starting their preschool session. Parents are welcome to provide their own sunscreen for their child if they have sensitive skin or allergies.

Medicine

When your child is prescribed antibiotics they must not attend preschool for 24 hours after being given the first dose. After this time, your child may return to preschool and staff will administer in accordance with our Administering Medicine Procedures Policy. However, Parents with children under the age of 2 will be encouraged to visit the preschool to administer their child’s antibiotics.

Do not leave medicine in bags or within reach of children as it comprises the safety of all children.

Enrolment Fee

Regardless of age, enrolments must be made for a minimum of two full sessions (covering 2 separate days). Pelorus Community Preschool believe one week between visits is not conducive to the happy integration of the child into the preschool environment.

For each child enrolled at PCP a one-off administration fee of $25 will be charged.

Please refer to our Fees Policy for further details pertaining to fees.

WINZ Childcare Subsidies

You may be eligible for a WINZ Childcare Subsidy, please contact the Office Administrator for further information. Parents are responsible for the full fee until the Preschool receives notification that your application has been approved. Parents are also responsible for renewing WINZ subsidy payments and for any overpayments made to the Preschool.

Pre-Visits/Settling In

Our Pre-entry Policy requires 3 pre-visits of at least 1 hour. Parents are required to stay with their child for at least the first two visits. If you feel confident and positive, this will assist your child. This process helps settle the child into the new environment. Please tell your child when you are ready to leave, saying goodbye to your child will develop a sense of trust that you will return to collect them. Please feel free to phone us during the day to check on how your child is getting on.

20 Hours ECE

PCP Offers 20 Hours ECE for three, four and five year olds. In accordance with Ministry of Education Policy, the first twenty hours of attendance (up to a maximum of six hours per day) for a child that is three, four or five years of age will incur no fees. (A copy of the child’s birth certificate is required to be sighted at the time of enrolment.) Additional hours attended in excess of twenty hours per week or the maximum six hours per day, will be charged at the rate of $5.50 (including GST) per hour. To be eligible for 20 Hours ECE an Attestation Form must be completed.

Sick Days, Holidays and Planned Absences

Normal Fees are payable for all absences (excluding Public Holidays).

After 3 consecutive weeks of absence, for any reason, Ministry of Education 20 hours ECE funding stops.

For planned long term absences/holidays (over 3 weeks) contact Administration to discuss your options (e.g. de-enrolment) as you will be charged full session fees during the absence in order to keep your booked session times.

In the case of long term illness (over 3 weeks) contact Administration regarding getting Ministry of Education funding support.

No fee is applicable over the Christmas break period while the preschool is closed.

Please notify the Preschool of your child’s absences when they are sick. Normal fees are payable for all absences. If absent for more than three weeks a medical certificate is required to continue to receive Ministry funding and maintain your booking.

All planned absences should be made in writing as to prevent any confusion.

Sleep

A register is kept of when and how long each child sleeps for. We will discuss what your preferences are regarding your child sleeping but generally let the children determine if they need to sleep.

Outings

We often go for walks into our local community. If we are going further afield we will advise parents of this and seek specific permission to take your child with us.

Staffing

Photos of our current Teachers and their qualifications is on display in the foyer.

Office Hours

Monday - Friday 8.30am-3.00pm.

Resignation

When you wish to remove your child from the Preschool the more notice you can give us the better. However, parents are required to give two weeks notice in writing or pay two weeks fees in lieu.

Preschool Policies

All policies are available for reading the foyer. Any policy that is due for review will be in the policy review folder for your input and comment.

Access and Collection

A child may only be collected from the Preschool by a person named in writing by the parent on the childs’ enrolment form. Under licensing criteria HS33, we do not allow children to be collected by anyone suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or other substances. In this case emergency contacts will be notified to collect the child/children.

The Senior Teacher must be advised of any court orders in place affecting your family. You will be required to supply a copy of the order to be kept on file at the Preschool.

Protection Against Child Abuse

We are committed to the prevention of child abuse and the protection of children. The interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration when any decision is made about a child suspected of being abused/neglected. Cases of suspicion of abuse/neglect will be reported to the Police and/or the Child Youth & Family Services as appropriate. We will endeavour to protect teachers and other adults in the Preschool, from unfounded allegations of child abuse.

Positive Guidance

Our Positive Guidance Policy offers information on how children’s behaviour is managed on a day to day basis. This policy also covers how ongoing or significant behavioural problems will be dealt with.

A thought for our Children

We do realise that parents are paying for a service and we do try and keep this in mind. However, our primary concern is for the welfare of the children who are entrusted to our care.

It is our experience that tired children quickly become sick children and we encourage every family to ensure that their child has the equivalent of annual leave. Often children need to sleep in or just take a day off for no particular reason. Going on holiday or having a visitor stay is great but often these breaks from the Preschool are not particularly restful. We have found that rested children manage life at Preschool significantly better than those who lead busy adult-orientated lives.

Concerns

If you are puzzled or concerned by anything you see or hear about happening at the Preschool please raise this with one of the Teachers immediately. If you do not think that you have been listed to or the matter resolved then talk to the Senior Teacher.

Transition to School

As your child approaches school age the teachers will liaise with you about the transition to school process. We encourage you to explain to your child what happens in the next step of their education journey and answer any questions they may have about the process. During your child's time at preschool, they will have experienced and had the opportunity to practice many skills that will assist them at school. This includes; turn-taking, co-operation, listening, talking to adults, asking for help, completing activities and cleaning up.

B4 School Check

The B4 School Check is a nationwide programme offering a free health and developmental check for four year olds.

The B4 school check aims to identify and address any health, behavioural, social or developmental concerns which could affect a child’s ability to get the most benefit from school, such as a hearing problem or communication difficulty. It is the eighth core contact of the Well Child Tamariki Ora Schedule of services.

Last words....

What I learn at Preschool

• To be away from my parents, which may take some time

• To work with a large group of children

• To practice asking and answering questions

• To communicate with others

• To engage in warm, responsive, reciprocal relationships with my peers and adults

• To be part of a community

• To be excited and challenged by learning

• To have fun

• Te develop friendships

• To explore and discover new ideas and concepts

Ehara taku toa I te toa takitahi

Engari he toa takitini

The result of one’s work and

achievement is the product of many hands.